Koeppen resigning from Grant GOP Chair position
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 months, 2 weeks AGO
Koeppen
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. | July 2, 2025 5:48 PM
EPHRATA – Grant County Republican Party Central Committee Chair Andrew Koeppen has announced his resignation from his position within the local party, effective July 31. Koeppen said he selected that date to ensure that the selection of a new county prosecutor is completed before he leaves his role.
“I just want to make sure the whole prosecutor selection (process) is done properly and correctly,” Koeppen said.
Koeppen indicated in his letter and by phone that he had concerns about the manner in which the local GOP’s governing board is operating and said by phone that he would like to focus more time on his family and business.
In his resignation letter, Koeppen expressed pride in the accomplishments of the party during his tenure, including holding a caucus and convention, raising record funds, reducing costs and facing challenges from the disagreements associated with the prior administration.
Koeppen said he was frustrated with a lack of accountability regarding certain issues within the party.
“I am, first and foremost, a Constitutional conservative. I believe in transparency, integrity, and the rule of law. Sadly, the majority of the current executive leadership no longer reflects those ideals, and I cannot in good conscience be complicit in the direction this organization has chosen,” his resignation letter reads.
ARTICLES BY R. HANS MILLER
Awareness helps prevent porch pirates’ success
EPHRATA — At least 58 million packages were stolen in the U.S. last year, with about 25% of Americans being the victims of theft, according to the United States Parcel Service. At the local level, there are thefts occurring regularly as well, but that doesn’t mean that you’re stuck being the victim, authorities say. “The experience of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office is that package theft happens regularly,” said GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman. “It is a crime of opportunity. When someone’s out looking to try and make a quick buck, they may drive through a neighborhood looking for unattended packages on the front porch.”
Gorge shooting trial rescheduled to 2026
EPHRATA — The trial in the case of James Kelly, the man charged in the June 2023 shooting that led to the deaths of two women at the Beyond Wonderland music festival held at The Gorge Amphitheatre, has been bumped to early next year, according to court documents.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: In appreciation of educators ...
An experience I recently had with a school district, quite honestly, has left me gob-smacked a bit. I am in awe of the teachers and administrators at school districts throughout the region and what they have to deal with. Let me get back to the beginning, though. Journalists often cover a wide variety of topics and are constantly looking for ideas for stories that will matter to readers. As such, when we hear of events of interest, we sometimes ask to attend so we can either cover it, or, as in this case, learn how to cover a topic better.