Staff Writer

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.

ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Sleep center's closure part of a more complex situation

MOSES LAKE — The decision by the Moses Lake City Council to end support for the Open Doors sleep center has prompted a lot of discussion, from the April 22 council meeting to community members to the people who use the sleep center itself.

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 0 MINUTES AGO

Group14 to slow Moses Lake project

MOSES LAKE — Group14, a battery manufacturing company, will slow down but not stop construction of its Moses Lake facility. The company announced Thursday that the opening of its Moses Lake production plant will be pushed back to the second half of 2025.

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 21 HOURS, 4 MINUTES AGO

Group14 to slow Moses Lake project

MOSES LAKE — Group14, a battery manufacturing company, will slow down but not stop construction of its Moses Lake facility. The company announced Thursday that the opening of its Moses Lake production plant will be pushed back to the second half of 2025.

BASINBUSINESSJOURNAL | UPDATED 21 HOURS, 4 MINUTES AGO

Money allocated for irrigation project north of I-90

MOSES LAKE — About $44 million in state funding will be allocated to a section of the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Project as part of the Washington Senate’s capital budget. The budget was approved Sunday.

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 21 HOURS, 9 MINUTES AGO

Aircraft firefighting spring session starts May 1

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College will be hosting firefighters from throughout the Pacific Northwest at the spring session of the Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Program beginning May 1. College officials said that means people will be seeing smoke – sometimes a big black plume of it - from the …

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 22 HOURS, 49 MINUTES AGO

Filing period next week for Adams County offices

RITZVILLE — Two Adams County towns will be electing mayors, most will be electing city council and school board members along with fire, parks and recreation and port district commissioners. The filing period for the 2025 election is May 5 through 9.

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 23 HOURS, 14 MINUTES AGO

Candidate filing period scheduled for next week

EPHRATA — Twelve cities in Grant County will be electing mayors in 2025, city council and school board seats will be on the ballot, along with other jobs such as fire and hospital district commissioners. The filing period for the 2025 election is May 5-9.

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 DAY, 23 HOURS AGO

Moses Lake approves new contract with employee union

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake municipal employees represented by Washington State Council of City and County Employees will receive a 3% pay raise in 2025. Moses Lake City Council members approved a three-year contract April 22.

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 2 DAYS, 21 HOURS AGO

Bill revises rules for police, fire state retirement plan

OLYMPIA — The Washington Legislature has approved revisions to state law that will make it easier for law enforcement officers and firefighters in one tier of the state’s retirement system to use time they spent on authorized leave toward their retirement, regardless of whether they returned to work.

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 2 DAYS, 21 HOURS AGO

Steady home sales market in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — The return of mortgage interest rates to more historic norms has resulted in a Moses Lake housing market that’s closer to historic norms. Longtime real estate professional Alan Heroux said there are about 210 to 215 houses on the market currently, compared to a historic average of …

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 5 DAYS, 21 HOURS AGO

Workshop Tuesday to discuss possible revisions to downtown Moses Lake streets

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake residents are being invited to discuss a project that may mean some revisions to Third, Fourth and Fifth avenues, as well as roundabout at the intersection of Wheeler Road and Road L Northeast. The open house is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. April 29 …

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 5 DAYS, 23 HOURS AGO

Moses Lake, Warden residents arrested on drug, weapons charges

MOSES LAKE — Two Moses Lake and two Warden residents are in federal custody in connection with multiple investigations by the Moses Lake Police Department and two federal agencies into drug trafficking and firearms violations.

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 5 DAYS, 23 HOURS AGO

Apple prices, production costs make for hard decisions

QUINCY — When seen from the orchard, the state of the apple business is a little unsettled. Kent Karstetter, co-owner of RJK Farms near Quincy, said it requires growers to do some hard thinking and make some hard decisions as the 2024 crop goes to market. “Anymore, you look at …

BASINBUSINESSJOURNAL | UPDATED 6 DAYS, 23 HOURS AGO

Mattawa Public Library to expand hours, add services

MATTAWA — North Central Washington Libraries officials will be expanding the hours at the Mattawa Public Library. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. four days a week, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It's open Wednesday morning from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 to …

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 WEEK AGO

Adams Co. Fire District 5 chief to retire

OTHELLO — Longtime Adams County Fire District 5 Chief Gary Lebacken has announced his retirement effective May 31. Lebacken will be replaced by GCFD 5 Assistant Chief Tom Salsbury. Lebacken has been ACFD 5 chief since 2008, but he started as a volunteer firefighter in 1982. He became a volunteer …

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 WEEK AGO