In Other News

Two uninjured when plane makes emergency landing

 MOSES LAKE — A pilot and passenger were uninjured when the engine of their light plane failed and they made an emergency landing Friday morning (May 8) in the Black Rock area around 16 miles northeast of Moses Lake, reported the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

A deputy and an officer from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police hiked to the plane’s location and escorted the pilot and passenger to safety, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office. The two occupants were not immediately identified.

They were enroute from Spokane to Wenatchee when the engine failure occurred. The aircraft, a Cirrus SR22T, had an onboard parachute which helped lower the craft to the ground, according to the report.

The incident occurred in the vicinity of the 16000 block of Road P.5-NE. Authorities notified the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.

Massive fire sweeps through Mattawa winery

 MATTAWA — A massive fire of unspecified origin swept through a winery and tasting room near Mattawa on Tuesday, reported Grant County authorities.

Employees were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported at the Central Washington Wine Production Group and its UpWest Wine Tasting room, according to the sheriff’s office.

The commercial structure fire occurred in the 22000 block of State Route 243 near Mattawa. The facility reportedly had 4.5 million gallons of wine inside.

In a social media post, the group described it as a “devastating situation,” but expressed gratitude to employees who battled the fire initially and emergency responders who arrived later.

Cooperating agencies included Grant County Fire Districts 8 (Mattawa) and 3 (Quincy), the Hanford Fire Department, Royal Slope Fire Rescue EMS, Grant PUD, and Grant County Fire Marshal’s Office. 

The Tri-City Herald reported that the wine group is assessing the extent of damage and working with insurance providers to determine the impact on its operations and future production.

No additional measles cases reported, says GCHD

MOSES LAKE — No additional measles infections were identified in connection with the two Grant County cases reported in March.

Six weeks passed since those cases were confirmed, which is enough time for symptoms to have appeared in anyone who may have been exposed, the Grant County Health District reported last week.

“We are incredibly grateful that the children who were infected with measles … are recovering well, and that no additional people became ill,” county health officer Dr. Alexander Brzezny said in a press statement.

Two children from the same household in Grant County developed confirmed cases, likely being exposed during out-of-country travel. Neither child was vaccinated and one was hospitalized, but both later recovered at home. They were the first confirmed measles cases in Grant County since 2008-2009.

In a response, nine other people were tested for suspected measles and 237 people were identified as exposed, according to the health district.

“We would like to thank the Grant County healthcare community, our partners at the Washington State Department of Health, the impacted family, and the people who were exposed, for their support and cooperation throughout this response,” said GCHD administrator Theresa Adkinson. “By taking steps to protect themselves and those around them, our community helped prevent further spread of measles in Grant County.”

While the local response has ended, Brzezny cautioned that measles activity continues – neighboring Kittitas County has seen seven cases. Through late April, 1,792 confirmed measles infections have been reported nationwide. Of these, 92% were unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown. Public health officials say about 9 out of 10 unvaccinated people who are exposed will likely contract the virus. 

Under Washington state law, exposed persons without proof of immunity must stay home and away from others for at least 21 days.

Brzezny urged residents to ensure they are up to date on the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, which is 97% effective at preventing measles.