Local group holds holiday give-away
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months, 3 weeks AGO
Santa and one of his helpers helped spread cheer at the give-away event held Dec. 21 at Rick's in Moses Lake.
JEANNIE AUSTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
The admins of Moms Helping Moms of Grant County WA pose for a photo during the groups recent gift give-away. From left to right: Jeannie Austin, Stephanie Blaueret, Ryan Hawn and Sarah Kluge.
Parents had the opportunity to "shop" through donated gifts and wrap them on the spot during the gift give-away at Rick's. Moms Helping Moms of Grant County WA had done the gift drive with locals donating gifts. The goal for the year was to provide gifts for more than 500 youngsters.
The give-away had a bit of a queue Sunday as parents showed up to get a little help making sure their children had a good Christmas.
Managing Editor Rob Miller is a 4-year U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Western Montana in a community about the size of Soap Lake. An honors graduate of Texas State University, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandee, and their three dogs, Draco, Pepper and Cinnamon. He has one son, William. During his free time, he enjoys photography, video games, reading and working on the house he and his wife bought in Ephrata. He is passionate about the First Amendment and educating communities. | December 30, 2025 3:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — Moms Helping Moms of Grant County – a Facebook group that has grown to include parents of both sexes and people of all ages – held a Christmas give-away event at Rick’s in Moses Lake last week.
“People lined up all the way down the street,” said Jeannie Austin, co-founder of the group.
Austin, with the help of fellow group admins Stephanie Blaueret, Ryan Hawn, Sarah Kluge, Stacey Daniels and Desiree George held the distribution for the group’s toy Drive at Rick’s in Moses Lake. Austin said the group was able to fill a 32-foot trailer with toys donated by the community over the past several weeks at participating locations in Moses Lake, Ephrata and Othello.
Austin said she and the other admins appreciated the community’s support as they worked to support about 500 children from around the Columbia Basin during Christmas.
For more information on the group, which helps one another out throughout the year, visit https://bit.ly/MOMSHLPMOMS.
Editor's Note: Jeannie Austin is the Advertising Director at the Columbia Basin Herald.
The admins of Moms Helping Moms of Grant County WA pose for a photo during the groups recent gift give-away. From left to right: Jeannie Austin, Stephanie Blaueret, Ryan Hawn and Sarah Kluge.
Parents had the opportunity to "shop" through donated gifts and wrap them on the spot during the gift give-away at Rick's. Moms Helping Moms of Grant County WA had done the gift drive with locals donating gifts. The goal for the year was to provide gifts for more than 500 youngsters.
The give-away had a bit of a queue Sunday as parents showed up to get a little help making sure their children had a good Christmas.ARTICLES BY R. HANS MILLER
Court cases in March 2025 shooting death of Moses Lake teen moving forward
EPHRATA — Jose D. Beltran Rodriguez, 21, of Moses Lake, and Matthew Gabriel Valdez, 19, also of Moses Lake, remain in custody at the Grant County jail after being arrested in connection with a March 21, 2025, drive-by shooting in Moses Lake.
Sentencing hearing set in 2022 Moses Lake murder case
EPHRATA — Juan Gastelum, the suspect in the March 2022 killing of Yanira Cedillos, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on March 3. He is now scheduled for an April 28 sentencing hearing. According to court documentation, Gastelum, 32, of Hermiston, Ore., pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree with Sexual Motivation. The minimum sentence Gastelum may receive under the law is two years in prison, but the maximum is life imprisonment and up to a $50,000 fine. However, the sentencing hearing is under Special Set Sentencing, an option under Washington state law which allows adjustments to sentencing if a suspect pleads guilty.
Court case in Nov. 2025 Moses Lake shooting moving forward
EPHRATA — The trial into the shooting of a 23 year old Moses Lake man is progressing through Grant County Superior Court. Darwin Nahun Tejada Martinez, 29, of Seattle is on trial facing a single charge of Assault in the First Degree after investigators say he shot the victim in a Nov. 25, 2025, incident.