Othello Education Association official arrested in theft investigation
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 hour, 39 minutes AGO
The treasurer of the Othello Education Association, the union representing teachers and other certificated employees, was arrested Sept. 30 in connection with possible misappropriation of union funds.
FILE PHOTO
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. | October 6, 2026 4:18 PM
OTHELLO — An Othello Education Association official is under investigation for possible misappropriation of OEA funds. Othello Police Chief Brent McFarlane said Lena Jenson, 50, was arrested Sept. 30 on suspicion of first-degree theft and released on her own recognizance.
The case, he said, is still under investigation.
“She hasn’t been charged yet,” McFarlane said.
Jenson is being investigated in connection with suspicious activity involving the OEA bank account. She was the OEA treasurer.
McFarlane said the investigation does not involve Othello School District funds, only OEA funds.
“Association representatives began reviewing account activity after identifying financial discrepancies and subsequently contacted law enforcement,” McFarlane wrote in an OPD press release. “A preliminary review identified numerous transactions that investigators believed warranted further investigation, including withdrawals, transfers and other transactions reportedly unrelated to authorized association business.”
McFarlane said the investigation will continue for a while.
“Detectives continue to review financial records to determine the scope of the alleged unauthorized transactions and the total amount of the suspected financial loss. Due to the volume of financial records involved, a final loss amount has not yet been determined,” he said.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Rescue asks Mattawa for animal control cooperation
MATTAWA — Abandoned and stray animals in and around Mattawa, and how to address the problem they present, may be the subject of future discussions by the Mattawa City Council. Bonnie Helvey, co-founder of ARFS of Grant County, an animal rescue organization, requested a chance to talk to council members about cooperation between the city and rescue organizations at the Oct. 1 council meeting. “We've been down here several times distributing food supplies into the community, and we will continue to do that. But we need some change,” Helvey said. “We have spent a tremendous amount of time, resources and money responding to abandoned, injured, sick, neglected, and stray animals from this community, and we believe the situation has reached a point now where the rescues and the city need to work together on a solution.”
Othello Education Association official arrested in theft investigation
OTHELLO — An Othello Education Association official is under investigation for possible misappropriation of OEA funds. Othello Police Chief Brent McFarlane said Lena Jenson, 50, was arrested Sept. 30 on suspicion of first-degree theft and released on her own recognizance. The case, he said, is still under investigation. “She hasn’t been charged yet,” McFarlane said. Jenson is being investigated in connection with suspicious activity involving the OEA bank account. She was the OEA treasurer. McFarlane said the investigation does not involve Othello School District funds, only OEA funds.
Analysis of Moses Lake city service fees scheduled for 2027
MOSES LAKE — Some fees charged by the city of Moses Lake could go down, others could go up and there might be some new fees entirely. Those were some of the results of a fee study commissioned by city officials. The study was a result of the city’s “sustainability plan,” approved by the Moses Lake City Council in April. The goal is to reduce and eventually eliminate deficits in the city’s general fund, which ran deficits in 2025 and 2026. Assistant City Manager James Richmond said the fee study covered “general government” fees, services such planning and development fees, the Surf ‘n Slide water park and other city recreation and cultural facilities.