GCSO Sgt. McDonnell helps empower rural resident
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 months AGO
Sgt. Jason McDonnell helped a rural Soap Lake resident regain electricity after it had been shut off while the resident was in the hospital. He was called out by a postal worker who discovered a note asking for help inside a mailbox. The citizen was driven to the Grant County PUD office by McDonnell and was able to pay the power bill. McDonnell then drove the citizen home.
SOAP LAKE — After a postal worker discovered a note asking for help inside a rural Soap Lake mailbox Wednesday, the worker called the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. Jason McDonnell answered the call and checked on the person who lived at the home, according to GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman.
McDonnell discovered the subject had been recently discharged from the hospital, and the power had been turned off while they were away. The person did not have a running vehicle to visit the Grant County Public Utility District office to pay the power bill.
McDonnell, knowing the person could be at risk of harm due to not having electricity in their home, drove the subject to Grant PUD’s office in Ephrata. The person was able to pay their power bill, and McDonnell returned them home.
“Most sheriff’s deputies, during the course of their shift, will do several citizen assistance calls,” Foreman said. “They are the kind of calls that don’t end up with crimes being investigated. No one is going to jail, but there is a need for a check on the welfare of a community member. When deputies find a community member in need, they are empowered to assist that person as much as they can.”
Foreman said this is a story about what deputy sheriffs do more than the community may realize.
“Sgt. McDonnell is a fine example of our patrol supervisors. He is compassionate,” Foreman said. “He has lifetime local roots and his empathy really shined through when he helped this person in need.”
ARTICLES BY NANCE BESTON
1 arrested after Highway 17 stop; detectives recover fentanyl, firearms
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Street Crimes Unit conducted a traffic stop on Highway 17 near Randolph Road and executed a search warrant Friday morning as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation.
4th-year drought declaration in WA, subtle effects in the Columbia Basin
EPHRATA — Washington’s fourth straight year of drought is expected to hit some regions hard, but in Grant and Adams counties, the impacts will look different – quieter, less visible and centered underground. Statewide, the Department of Ecology issued an emergency drought declaration after a warm winter left Washington with about half its usual snowpack, raising concerns about low summer streamflows, stressed fish populations and heightened wildfire risk. Seven of the past 10 years have included drought somewhere in the state. “If you look at our mountains, the challenge we are facing is clear,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said during a press conference Wednesday. “We’re taking emergency action to protect fish, farmers and communities across Washington.”
Sleep Diagnostic Center to close after doctor’s sentencing
MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Sleep Diagnostic Center announced it will be closing its doors effective April 30. This includes locations in Moses Lake, Spokane Valley, Brewster and Wenatchee. The announcement follows the March 25 guilty plea from Dr. Eric Edward Haeger, 57, in United States District Court to adulterating and misbranding medical devices with the intent to defraud or mislead, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “The adulterations by Dr Haeger show a dangerous disregard for the safety of his patients,” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said in a statement. “This is a win for patient safety, for protecting public dollars from fraud, and for ensuring citizens of Washington get necessary healthcare. This case exemplifies the great work our team is doing in collaboration with our federal partners to fight fraud and protect Washingtonians.”