Friday, November 06, 2026
28.0°F

Jehovah’s Witness convention coming to Kennewick July 3-5

JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 months, 1 week AGO
by JOEL MARTIN
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | June 30, 2026 3:40 AM

KENNEWICK — Jehovah’s Witnesses will hold their annual convention in Kennewick this weekend, according to an announcement from the religious organization. 

The theme for the three-day event is “Eternal Happiness,” according to the announcement, and participants will explore how everlasting happiness can be achieved through spirituality founded on practical Bible principles.  

The event is expected to draw more than 10,000 participants, according to the announcement. 

Program topics will include “Abundant Happiness Forever — Is It Realistic?” “Why Are You Anxious?” and “Have You Discovered the Treasure?” according to the announcement, along with videos and interviews. There will be a baptism service on Saturday. 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ convention is a worldwide event, and the same program will be repeated in 19 countries around the world, according to the website. More than 12 million people attended, according to the announcement. The only conventions to be held in Washington state are in Kennewick and Puyallup, according to the website.  

There is no charge, and no collections are taken, according to the announcement. There are Jehovah’s Witness congregations in Moses Lake, Ephrata, Othello and Ritzville, former spokesman Nate Gibbs told the Columbia Basin Herald last year. The convention is not only for members, he said; and anybody who would like to attend is welcome. 

“Who doesn’t want to be happy?” Jared McClain, local spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, wrote in the announcement. “This year’s convention theme discusses how to be happy and how to remain happy. All in attendance will discover the real joy that comes from a solid hope for the future.”  


‘Eternal Happiness’  

Jehovah’s Witnesses convention 

July 3-5 

Toyota Center 

7000 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick 

Open to everybody at no charge 

For more information visit jw.org. 


ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN

Home prices up in most Basin markets
November 6, 2026 3 a.m.

Home prices up in most Basin markets

MOSES LAKE — Home prices increased in most, but not all, markets of the Columbia Basin this year, according to data from the real estate website Redfin. The median home price in Moses Lake in September was $364,821, according to Redfin’s data, up 5.4% from September 2025. Ephrata’s median price wasn’t far off, at $368,824, but that represented a 12.5% increase over the same time period. Quincy’s median price topped the list of local cities at $405,235, a 10.1% year-over-year increase. Othello, in contrast, dropped by 17.1% year-over-year, to $298,226.

BASIN EVENTS Nov. 6-14
November 6, 2026 3 a.m.

BASIN EVENTS Nov. 6-14

COLUMBIA BASIN — Now that everyone has adjusted from the Daylight Saving Time changeover, it’s time to get out of the house and off to something fun. Here are a few destinations to check out. Nov. 6 Members Exhibition Gallery opening for show of artworks by museum members. Opening reception 4-7 p.m. at Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, 401 S. Balsam St. Info: www.moseslakemuseum.com.

Going rogue
November 6, 2026 3:20 a.m.

Going rogue

Moses Lake salon celebrates creativity and independence

MOSES LAKE — The new salon on East Broadway is called Rogue Collective for a reason. “We had this dream to do it all together,” said owner Dana Mendoza. “That’s where the ‘collective’ came from. It’s a pretty amazing group of women. Everyone has their own separate gifts and talents.” The “rogue” part of the name comes from the fact that the professionals all came from other salons with the same idea: to do things their own way.