In Other News ...

Fair advisory volunteers sought

EPHRATA – Grant County commissioners announced Friday that they are looking for citizens willing to serve as volunteers on the county’s Fair Advisory Committee.

Committee members assist the commission and fair office staff in preparation and operation of the county’s annual fair at Moses Lake.

Currently, two vacancies are available, each carrying three-year terms with a maximum of two terms. The positions are volunteer with no compensation.

The committee regularly meets on the second Thursday of each month with additional meetings added as the fair approaches for its weeklong run each August. Meetings are open to the public.

Prospective candidates must complete an application available on the county website, www.grantcountywa.gov, under the "Boards, Commissions & Districts" heading.

Applications will be accepted until the vacancies are filled.

For more information, contact fairgrounds director Jim McKiernan (call 509-237-2672) or deputy clerk Caitlin Manell at the commissioners’ office at the county courthouse in Ephrata (509-754-2011, ext. 2931).

I-90 work changes in Grant County, says WSDOT

MOSES LAKE – The Washington State Department of Transportation has announced work changes affecting motorists traveling on Interstate 90 across Grant County through the Labor Day holiday weekend.

A repaving project near Moses Lake switched to nighttime work on Monday and will continue for at least one week, the department announced. The change from a daytime schedule is intended to lessen impacts to traffic in a 7-mile section of I-90 that runs through Moses Lake from Mae Valley eastward to the intersection of State Route 17.

Work hours are planned from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Travelers should expect single-lane closures and reduced-speed zones. In addition, the following ramps will be closed overnight throughout the week:

• eastbound ramps of Exit 174 (Mae Valley/Hansen Road) with detours at Exit 169 (Hiawatha Road);
• eastbound ramps of Exit 176 (Broadway Avenue) with detours at Exit 174 and 179 (SR 17);
• eastbound of Exit 179 with detours at Exits 176 and 182.

Those ramps will not be closed simultaneously or be closed the entire time since they will serve as detours for one another. Work will occur from west to east.

Signs will be posted on the ramps to inform travelers of closures, and portable electronic message signs will inform travelers of possible detours.

The work is part of a larger repaving project on I-90 stretching between the Dodson Road and Road O-NE intersections, plus the Vantage Bridge redecking project over the Columbia River.

All lanes on the bridge will be open over the Labor Day weekend to accommodate anticipated heavy traffic. Otherwise, the bridge will remain limited to 9-foot width restrictions and one-lane travel in each direction seven days a week until the project wraps up for the season in November, according to WSDOT.

Information for highway web cams and traffic volume on key state routes can be viewed at www.wsdot.wa.gov, on the DOT mobile app, and on its Facebook and Twitter accounts. Updated road conditions can also be heard on vehicle radios at 530 AM and 1610 AM, or by calling 5-1-1.

As school start nears, immunizations needed for children

OLYMPIA – As the new school year approaches, state health officials are reminding parents and caretakers to make sure their children are up to date on all required immunizations before classes resume.

Under Washington rules, kids entering school, early learning programs, or childcare must receive certain vaccinations before they can start. The immunization requirements apply to all enrolled children, including those learning remotely, unless parents or guardians seek special exemptions approved by a health care practitioner.

According to the state Department of Health, overall childhood immunization rates have struggled since the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, Washington saw a 25-fold increase in whooping cough (pertussis) cases compared to 2023, following a steady decline in DTap vaccination rates since 2019.

And earlier this year, there had been at least 10 confirmed cases of measles in Washington. Nationwide, more than 800 measles cases were reported in two dozen other states by springtime. The contagious disease had previously been considered eliminated in the United States by year 2000 because of then-high vaccination rates.

“Keeping children up to date on required immunizations is one of the most important ways we can protect their health and keep them learning,” said Jamilia Sherls, director of the Washington Department of Health’s Office of Immunization, in a press statement. “These vaccines help prevent illness, reduce missed school days, and protect classmates, teachers and family members, keeping our communities safer.”

Washington’s Childhood Vaccine Program provides free or low-cost vaccines for all children ages 18 and younger. There are several providers in Grant County, but families should contact them in advance to ensure vaccine availability.  

Editor's note: This In Other News post was updated on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025 with a new article, “Fair Advisory Volunteers Sought.”