Hagadone News Network
R. HANS MILLER
[email protected]
Managing Editor Rob Miller is a 4-year U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Western Montana in a community about the size of Soap Lake. An honors graduate of Texas State University, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandee, and their three dogs, Draco, Pepper and Cinnamon. He has one son, William. During his free time, he enjoys photography, video games, reading and working on the house he and his wife bought in Ephrata. He is passionate about the First Amendment and educating communities.
ARTICLES BY R. HANS MILLER
Court cases in March 2025 shooting death of Moses Lake teen moving forward
EPHRATA — Jose D. Beltran Rodriguez, 21, of Moses Lake, and Matthew Gabriel Valdez, 19, also of Moses Lake, remain in custody at the Grant County jail after being arrested in connection with a March 21, 2025, drive-by shooting in Moses Lake.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 6 DAYS, 7 HOURS AGO
Sentencing hearing set in 2022 Moses Lake murder case
EPHRATA — Juan Gastelum, the suspect in the March 2022 killing of Yanira Cedillos, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on March 3. He is now scheduled for an April 28 sentencing hearing. According to court documentation, Gastelum, 32, of Hermiston, Ore., pleaded guilty to Murder in the …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 1 DAY AGO
Elks Lodge makes $6K donation to veterans nonprofit
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Elks Lodge donated $3,000 in cash and another $3,000 in fuel cards to local nonprofit FOB Columbia Veteran Resources, an organization that supports veterans in need. A variety of food was also delivered to make sure veterans don’t go hungry. “One of the biggest …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 2 DAYS AGO
Court case in Nov. 2025 Moses Lake shooting moving forward
EPHRATA — The trial into the shooting of a 23 year old Moses Lake man is progressing through Grant County Superior Court. Darwin Nahun Tejada Martinez, 29, of Seattle is on trial facing a single charge of Assault in the First Degree after investigators say he shot the victim in …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 3 DAYS AGO
Ephrata installs new equipment at Lions Park
EPHRATA — The Ephrata Parks and Recreation Department cut the ribbon on new playground equipment at Lions Park, located at 598 Parkway Blvd. in Ephrata, under Beezley Hill.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 4 DAYS AGO
Tigers prepping for another solid year on the links
LAKEVIEW — Despite cold temperatures and a bit of wind on the course, the Ephrata Tigers golf team is gearing up for the season and prepping for its first meet Friday against the Moses Lake Mavericks, Ephrata Golf Coach Dan Molitor said Tuesday. “We had our first day of qualifying …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 6 DAYS AGO
Ephrata tennis squads ready to realize potential
EPHRATA — Despite crisp winds, the Ephrata Tigers boys and girls tennis squads were focused Monday on preparing for the upcoming season on the court. Both teams have a mix of returning players and newcomers giving them seasoned and raw talent to pull from, the coaches said. Both squads had …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 WEEK, 6 DAYS AGO
Grant Co. Jail remains on-time, on-budget
EPHRATA — Grant County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy of Corrections Phil Coats said Thursday afternoon that the new county jail is coming close to completion and remains on-time and on-budget. The last few days have even brought about a significant step. “One big milestone that we were able to meet …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 2 WEEKS, 5 DAYS AGO
Ephrata High roof to be replaced
EPHRATA — Ephrata High School will be getting a new roof in the coming months after several years of patchwork fixes for ongoing leak issues. The roof had been repaired and gotten a new overlay a bit more than eight years ago, but problems have persisted, prompting the repair. Ephrata …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 2 WEEKS, 5 DAYS AGO
UPDATED: Former Moses Lake doctor arrested after shootout with U.S. Marshals in Florida
STUART, Fla. — Former Moses Lake surgeon Thomas Earl Steffens, 72, has been arrested in Florida after an altercation with U.S. Marshals who were serving a sexual assault warrant during a traffic stop March 2.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 2 WEEKS, 3 DAYS AGO
Ephrata Schools receive $30K OSPI safety grant
EPHRATA — The Ephrata School District announced that it has been awarded a $30,000 School Safety Center - Violence Prevention and Intervention grant from the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. It is expected to aid in proactive prevention, according to Ephrata SD Communications Director Sarah Morford.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 2 WEEKS, 6 DAYS AGO
Ephrata Fire gets new apparatus
EPHRATA — It took about 33 months to build and get right, but the Ephrata Fire Department received its newest fire apparatus – fire truck to the layman - March 1, according to an announcement by the department. “The new fire truck cost $789,725.22 and was fully funded by ARPA …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 2 WEEKS, 6 DAYS AGO
Suspect in 2022 murder of Moses Lake woman expected to change plea
EPHRATA — Juan Gastelum, 31, of Hermiston, Ore., the suspect in the March 2022 killing of Yanira Cedillos, is expected to change his current plea of not guilty to a guilty plea. Prosecutors in the case have requested that a plea change hearing be set for March 3, according to …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 3 WEEKS, 5 DAYS AGO
Counselors help students plan ahead at Ephrata High
EPHRATA — Planning for the future isn’t something freshmen in high school gravitate toward, but the four guidance counselors at Ephrata High School point them in the right direction to get their futures planned.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 1 MONTH AGO
