Civil Air Patrol presents at council workshop
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 months, 4 weeks AGO
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. | May 1, 2025 11:55 AM
EPHRATA – Civil Air Patrol cadets practiced presenting the colors at an Ephrata City Council workshop Wednesday evening at City Hall. The drill and ceremonies competitors are headed to California for competition soon and wanted to get practice in front of an audience. Kathy Maxwell with the Civil Air Patrol said this is multiple years in a row the Ephrata squadron has qualified for the competition. Members said the competition includes a variety of categories, including physical fitness, knowledge and drill and ceremonies.
The Columbia Basin Herald will have a full story on the squadron's preparations for competition in the near future.
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.