3 council members renew oaths of office in Ephrata
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 months, 2 weeks AGO
Mayor Bruce Reim, far left, completes council members Matt Moore, left; Kathleen Harris, middle; and Phil Borck, right, oaths of office at Wednesday night’s regular council meeting.
NANCE BESTON/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
EPHRATA — Three Ephrata City Council Members were sworn in Wednesday evening after winning their respective races. Mayor Bruce Reim administered oaths of office to Matt Moore, Kathleen Harris and Phil Borck during council’s regular meeting.
All three ran unopposed in the general election. Moore received 1,309 votes with 22 write-in votes; Harris received 1,203 votes with 22 write-in votes; and Borck received 1,281 votes with 22 write-in votes.
After the oath, Moore was asked to stay in front of the room. Reim presented him with a small plaque saying “Matt Moore: City Logo Design Department” to thank him for designing the new Ephrata Logo.
Reim was also recognized for his service as mayor as his tenure nears an end; further coverage of this will be published soon.
ARTICLES BY NANCE BESTON
Kratom restrictions begin in Moses Lake today
MOSES LAKE — A new Moses Lake ordinance restricting access to kratom products for people under 21 takes effect today, adding age restrictions and new requirements for retailers who sell the products. The ordinance, approved by the Moses Lake City Council on July 28, prohibits the sale, distribution or advertising of kratom products to anyone younger than 21. The law applies to products containing kratom, kratom extracts, mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine and synthetic kratom-derived compounds.
4th District candidates talk affordability, ag and healthcare
RICHLAND — Rising costs, agricultural challenges and concerns about the future of rural healthcare dominated discussion Tuesday during a candidate forum for 4th Congressional District candidates Amanda McKinney and John Duresky. The candidates presented competing visions for the future of Central Washington in the forum hosted by AARP Washington, Northwest Public Broadcasting and the League of Women Voters. Held at the Washington State University Tri-Cities campus, the hour-long debate focused on issues affecting residents throughout the district, including affordability, Social Security, healthcare access, tariffs and economic development. “The issues discussed today are not partisan issues. They're kitchen-table issues that affect people and families every day,” AARP Washington Advocacy Director Cathy MacCaul said.
Homesley, Falstad outline priorities for improving Auditor’s Office
EPHRATA — As Election Day approaches, voters are considering not only who should lead county government offices, but how those offices can better serve the public through transparency, accessibility and efficient service. For the final installment of the Columbia Basin Herald’s five-part candidate Q&A series, auditor candidates Shannon Falstad and Darci Homesley were asked: “Grant County residents expect government offices to be efficient, transparent and accessible. What's one area where the Auditor's Office is falling short today, and how would you address it differently than your opponent?” Falstad: I do not believe the Auditor’s Office is currently falling short in these areas. In fact, there are already several ways the office provides accessible service to the public. For elections, the public can observe the election process. For licensing, residents have access to two subagents-Winzler Licensing in Moses Lake and Petersen Licensing in Quincy-which provides additional convenience and accessibility. For recording, the office accepts electronic recording, and the public can access the index through Eagle Web. That said, there is always room for improvement and welcome feedback from residents and employees. Listening to the people we serve and being willing to make improvements when needed is an important part of keeping county government efficient and accessible.