Wednesday, May 20, 2026
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Work on SR 26 near Othello to cause traffic delays

CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 3 weeks AGO
by CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | March 30, 2026 7:23 PM

OTHELLO — Drivers along State Route 26 should plan for delays in the area of South Lucy Road about 10 miles east of Othello from now through Wednesday. 

Washington Department of Transportation crews are repairing the deck of a bridge along the highway, according to a WSDOT press release. 

“Working hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and will require flagger-controlled traffic with a pilot car,” the press release said. “Travelers should plan for delays of up to 20 minutes during working hours.” 


ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER

May 20, 2026 6:13 p.m.

No deficiencies in Wahluke School District audit

MATTAWA — An audit of the Wahluke School District didn’t find any deficiencies in the district’s federal program management or its financial reporting. It was the second straight deficiency-free audit for the district. Wahluke Superintendent Andy Harlow said that was due to WSD’s financial staff. “I continue to be impressed with (Gabriela) Chacon, our finance director, and her team’s hard work, growth and commitment to implementing and sustaining fiscal systems,” Harlow wrote in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald

Tentative opening date set for new Quincy Aquatic Center
May 20, 2026 6:06 p.m.

Tentative opening date set for new Quincy Aquatic Center

QUINCY — Not only a new swimming pool but a new splash pad will be coming to Quincy this summer. Russ Harrington, Quincy parks and recreation director, said there are tentative opening dates for the new Quincy Aquatic Center and the park that includes the splash pad, although it may not be ready at the same time as the park. “We’re getting close,” Harrington said. The splash pad is one of the amenities in the new park at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and E Street Northeast. The park’s playground toys have been installed; Harrington said ground cover is the last piece for those toys, and it’s scheduled for installation within the next few days. The playground toys should be ready for use by June 1.

Mobile home destroyed in early-morning fire
May 20, 2026 3:20 p.m.

Mobile home destroyed in early-morning fire

MOSES LAKE — A mobile home north of Moses Lake was destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning. Grant County Fire District 5 Battalion Chief Sean Killion said the fire was reported at about 4:20 a.m. on Broad Street Northeast, off Airway Drive Northeast. “It was vacant,” Killion said, and no one was injured. The trailer was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, but no nearby structures were damaged, he said. The trailer was a total loss. Firefighters were on the scene about 90 minutes, he said. “The cause of the fire is undetermined, per the fire marshal,” Killion said.