In Other News
Vehicle theft arrests, ML watercraft injuries, county LTAC volunteer
Two arrested in separate vehicle theft incidents
EPHRATA — Grant County sheriff’s deputies on Sunday arrested two men accused of separate incidents involving recent vehicle theft attempts.
Shortly after 1 a.m., deputies responded to the Moses Lake Sand Dunes area at the request of personnel from Grant County Fire District No. 5, who said a male subject had entered two of their emergency vehicles and attempted to drive away in one of them.
Firefighters removed the man from the vehicle and detained him until deputies arrived. Donald Marr, 30, Moses Lake, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of attempted theft of a motor vehicle. He was booked into the Grant County Jail and released from custody on Monday.
Separately, authorities were notified around 10 a.m. Sunday that a dump truck owned by the Town of Coulee City was observed on private property in rural Soap Lake in the 4300 block of State Route 28 East.
Coulee City officials told deputies that the truck had been reported stolen a few days earlier.
When questioned, the property owner, identified as 49-year-old Jesus Salcedo Alvarez, told deputies that he had been asked to service the truck which “showed up” at his residence last week. Salcedo could not provide a name of the city employee who allegedly contacted him about the service work, according to the report.
Salcedo was taken into custody and remained jailed following an initial appearance in Grant County Superior Court on Monday, when he was charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
Multiple injuries when boat, jet ski collide
MOSES LAKE — Eight people were injured Sunday in a collision between a boat and a personal watercraft in the Laguna area of Moses Lake, said city officials.
The accident was reported around 2:30 p.m.
Personnel from the Moses Lake fire and police departments responded and evaluated multiple patients at the scene. Eight individuals were transported to Samaritan Hospital for evaluation, with three people sustaining significant injuries, the city said in a press statement Monday.
Cause of the collision remained under investigation at the time.
Lifeline Ambulance and Grant County Fire District 5 EMS staff also assisted during the incident.
Volunteer sought for Lodging Tax Committee
EPHRATA — Grant County commissioners are seeking a volunteer to serve a one-year term on the county’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, which makes funding recommendations for events and promotions that boost tourism and overnight stays by in local hotels, motels, and campgrounds.
LTAC members reviews applications for funding derived from a state tax on lodging facilities that is returned to counties and municipalities for tourism promotion.
There is no compensation for serving on the committee, but volunteers may receive reimbursement for out-of-town travel. Meetings are scheduled as needed.
Prospective candidates for the appointment must submit a completed application to the county commissioners office by 5 p.m. Friday, July 17. Application forms can be found on the county website.
For information, contact the commissioners office at the courthouse in Ephrata (call 509-754-2011, ext. 2931, or email commissioners@grantcountywa.gov).
