Staff Writer
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.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
‘They are counting on us’
MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Foundation’s annual Cellarbration! for Education auction was bigger than ever Saturday night. “This is a record number,” said LeAnne Parton, director of the foundation. “We have over 300 people here.” The amount raised Saturday night was not immediately available. Last year, the …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 0 MINUTES AGO
Church volunteers clean trash out of field near Ephrata
EPHRATA — A field just outside Ephrata looks a little better after volunteers swept through it Saturday morning. “A lot of people come into (Ephrata) on Nat Washington Way,” said Lowell Allred, who organized the cleanup for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “There’s often a lot of …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 0 MINUTES AGO
Moses Lake Touch a Truck to return April 25
MOSES LAKE — The MomCo Touch a Truck event will be April 25, and there may be something new, according to organizer Brittney Ketterer.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 2 HOURS, 30 MINUTES AGO
COLUMN: Looking ahead toward Easter
A few weeks ago I wrote a story about local Lenten observances that got me to thinking: What is it about this time of year?
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 HOURS, 55 MINUTES AGO
Summit set to build leaders for recovery, mental health
MOSES LAKE — The Eastern Washington Home Grown Leadership Summit will come to Moses Lake April 18, to equip people who have lived through hard times to help others through them.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 DAY, 2 HOURS AGO
Student entrepreneurs invited to Flywheel Conference
WENATCHEE — Students who have a business or an innovation they’re trying to get off the ground can get a boost at NCW Tech Alliance’s first Student Pitch Competition.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 DAY, 2 HOURS AGO
Patriotism and luck showcased at Moses Lake Business Expo
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Expo drew between 1,100 and 1,200 people Tuesday, Chamber Director Debbie Doran-Martinez estimated.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 DAYS, 1 HOUR AGO
Grant County detective honored by Girl Scouts
MOSES LAKE — Grant County Sheriff’s Detective Katrina Ball was recognized March 7 as a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. It was an unexpected honor, she said.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 DAYS, 2 HOURS AGO
Kit home bill would pave the way for small DIY housing
OLYMPIA — A bill passed in the Washington Legislature and signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson this year could mean some new options for housing in the state in the future, said the bill’s primary sponsor, state Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview. “When you’ve got a $600,000 beat-up starter home someplace around …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 DAYS, 2 HOURS AGO
BASIN EVENTS CALENDAR: March 20-27, 2026
COLUMBIA BASIN — There’s plenty to do this week in the Columbia Basin. Here are some possibilities.
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More inventory, lower interest make buying more appealing in Washington
MOSES LAKE — Housing inventory is up in Washington state and interest rates are down, making buying a home easier than it was a year ago, according to data released by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which tracks real estate trends in 27 of Washington’s 39 counties.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 DAYS, 4 HOURS AGO
‘Divas of Soul’ features strong voices, beloved songs
MOSES LAKE — The last half-century has seen – and heard – some strong female singers, and those voices will be at the Wallenstien Theater March 28 in the Columbia Basin Allied Arts presentation of “Divas of Soul.”
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 5 DAYS, 2 HOURS AGO
Brews & Tunes draws crowds despite chill
MOSES LAKE — The weather wasn’t altogether friendly, but that didn’t stop people from enjoying a drink and a shopping trip at Brews & Tunes in downtown Moses Lake Saturday.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 5 DAYS, 2 HOURS AGO
Trout Derby adds a little something extra to lake fishing
MOSES LAKE — Anglers, cast your lines! The 2026 Trout Derby begins April 25. “We stock lakes all over the state,” said Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Communications Specialist Nicole Jordan. “Some of the fish are tagged, and people can catch a tagged fish and win a bunch of …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 DAYS, 1 HOUR AGO
