2
Outlook Outlook The Othello The Othello PUBLISHED SINCE 1947 • HOME OF THE SANDHILL CRANE FESTIVAL • WWW.OTHELLOOUTLOOK. COM • VOL. 74 NO. 18 • 75¢ THURSDAY, MAY 6 , 2010 H 65º / L 39º H 67º / L 44º H 67º / L 44º H 68º / L 46º H 68º / L 45º H 73º / L 47º Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Mostly Sunny Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Five people were arrested April 28 after the Adams County Sheriffs Office and the Othello Police Department ex- ecuted a search warrant at the Washington Square Apartments at 1065 South Fourth Ave. Taken into custody were Llensi Valentin, 35, Othello, Ruby Valentin, 31, Othello, and three juvenile males, two from Othello and one from Pasco. “We received detailed in- formation about guns in the Washington Square Apart- ments,” Adams County Under- sheriff John Hunt said. “Llensi is a convicted felon, so we based the warrant on that.” Police entered the apartment without incident, Hunt said, and found one sawed-off shot- gun and a .22-caliber pistol. They arrested Llensi for fel- on in possession of a firearm and Ruby on two outstanding warrants. One Othello juvenile was arrested for a previous possession of a firearm charge and a Spokane County war- rant and the other two were By Briana Alzola Staff writer The Adams County Health Department (ACHD) listed obesity, diabetes, teen birth rates and access to medical and dental care as the main concerns facing the area. That was the message ACHD Nurs- ing Director Callie Moore de- livered to county commission- ers at their meeting April 28. The department hired As- sessment Coordinator Karen Palmer to help diagnose the main challenges the county is up against, Moore said. “We had to go about assess- ing the health of the county to see what our biggest problems are,” she said. ACHD presented the infor- mation as part of their annual report to the commissioners, who also serve as the Adams County Board of Health. The 20-percent obesity rate in grades from K-10 within the Othello School District has staff at the health department By Bob Kirkpatrick Editor The Pacific Northwest Para- normal Investigators (PNPI) paid a visit to the Old Hotel Art Gallery Saturday night in search of mystic activity. The group decided to make the trip from Moses Lake after researching an article written in The Othello Outlook last September about a ghost who may be inhabiting the building. “When they called back in February, I told them about the strange activities going on here,” Sally Laufer, manager of the Old Hotel and Art Gallery, said. “They wanted to come out then, but I told them I would be gone for three weeks. Then, they wanted to come out during the Crane Festival, but I told then all the activity in town may scare the ghosts away.” The group was to arrive between 7 and 8 p.m. While Laufer and I awaited their arrival, she told me about a recent unexplainable happen- stance that took place earlier in the week. “I was here by myself … it was the middle of the day and I was upstairs in my office when I heard the motion detec- tor bell go off,” she said. “So I went downstairs and no one was there. I went back up to my office and just as I reached my desk, it went off again.” Laufer said she went back downstairs and realized she Opinion A2 | Community A3–A8 | Sports B1–B3 | Schools B4 | Ag B5 | Neighbors B6 | Cops & Courts B8 | Classifieds B11 | Outdoors B12 See Health, Page A5 488-9992 Open: 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., 7 days a week Sale ends Wednesday, May 12 People caring for people. We at Leprekon care about our customers. We are a full-service supermarket including grocery carry out. 2 $ 3 1 .98 Per lb. Bone-in Pork Shoulder Assorted Pork Loin Chops 89 ¢ 1 .79 Per lb. Animalitos 88¢ Whole pork Spareribs 1 .98 Per lb. Made here 1 .98 Per lb. Pork Sausage See Ghost, Page A5 See Arrests, Page A5 See Taste, Page A5 By Briana Alzola Staff writer The Grant County fair- grounds were overrun with food lovers who attended the Taste of Home Cooking School April 29. The popular event, hosted by the Columbia Basin Herald, is in its second year of existence and Jim McKiernan, advertis- ing director of the Herald, said there is nothing else like it around here. “It is a unique event,” he said. The cooking school exhibi- tion consisted of two segments. The first offered different booths and exhibits from such groups as Le-pre-kon, which gave each attendee a prime rib sandwich, and the Columbia Basin Job Corps culinary pro- gram that provided dessert. The second half of the night featured cooking demonstra- tions from Taste of Home chef Kristi Larson, former Othello resident, who travels up and down the west coast giving cooking demonstrations in seven different states. She said she loves doing it and the more people who attend, the better. “I love a big crowd,” Larson said. “It makes it that much more energetic and fun.” Larson grew up in Othello and still has family here, but she now lives near Portland, Ore. She said it’s always fun to come to this area. “It’s kind of like a home- town show,” Larson said. “I like new experiences and see- ing what each community has to offer, but it is nice to come home, too.” The theme of this particu- lar school was “Fresh Picked Favorites” and was meant to showcase the fresh produce Former Othello resident stirs things up Photos by Briana Alzola Kristi Larson, originally of Othello, leads the Taste of Home Cooking School April 29 at the Grant County fairgrounds. Larson taught attendees how to make 10 different recipes. By Bob Kirkpatrick Editor It’s happened to everyone numerous times — being bit- ten by a mosquito. The bite isn’t all that painful, but it does itch and is a bit irritating for a day or two. But the un- pleasantness passes and you go about your business. Sixty-five-year-old Julie Ham- ilton from Royal City wasn’t as fortunate as most when she found herself at death’s door after being bitten by one last fall and contracting West Nile Virus. “It was about mid-Septem- ber,” she said. “I got bit inside my house and two weeks later, I was fighting for my life.” Steve Bishop, Hamilton’s significant other for the past 14 years, said the two thought nothing of the bite at first because there didn’t seem to be anything unusual about it. But things changed a few days later. “She started experiencing flu-like symptoms and was losing her equilibrium,” he said. “Then about a week went by and she passed out and fell to the floor. I called 911 and the ambulance came and took her to the hospital in Othello.” The next day, she then Apartment search yields arrests Department outlines health problems On a ghost hunt at the Old Hotel Art Gallery Photo by Bob Kirkpatrick Paranormal investigators Shasta Sitton, far left, Heather Hindman, left, Lori Scuibb, right, and Denise Ottosen, far right, share a laugh with Sally Laufer moments before the search gets underway. Woman survives case of West Nile Virus Photo by Bob Kirkpatrick Lisa Nield, rehabilitation manager, left, Julie Hamilton, center, Steve Bishop, rear, and Jiselle Urbano, physical threapist, are all smiles as Hamilton was released from Avalon Care Center April 29. See Survivor , Page A6

304 Woman survives West Nile

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Woman survives case of West Nile Virus Photo by Bob Kirkpatrick Whole pork Lisa Nield, rehabilitation manager, left, Julie Hamilton, center, Steve Bishop, rear, and Jiselle Urbano, physical threapist, are all smiles as Hamilton was released from Avalon Care Center April 29. See Survivor, Page A6 The OthelloTheOthello THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010 Made here Assorted Per lb. Bone-in By Bob Kirkpatrick Editor Open: 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., 7 days a week Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Per lb.

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Page 1: 304 Woman survives West Nile

OutlookOutlookOutlookOutlookOutlookOutlookThe OthelloOutlookOutlookOutlookOutlookOutlookOutlookThe OthelloOutlookOutlookOutlookThe OthelloThe Othello

PUBLISHED SINCE 1947 • HOME OF THE SANDHILL CRANE FESTIVAL • WWW.OTHELLOOUTLOOK.COM • VOL. 74 NO. 18 • 75¢

T H U R S D A Y , M A Y 6 , 2 0 1 0

H 65º / L 39º H 67º / L 44º H 67º / L 44º H 68º / L 46º H 68º / L 45º H 73º / L 47º

Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday

OutlookOutlookMostly Sunny Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy

Five people were arrested April 28 after the Adams County Sheriffs Offi ce and the Othello Police Department ex-ecuted a search warrant at the Washington Square Apartments at 1065 South Fourth Ave.

Taken into custody were

Llensi Valentin, 35, Othello, Ruby Valentin, 31, Othello, and three juvenile males, two from Othello and one from Pasco.

“We received detailed in-formation about guns in the Washington Square Apart-ments,” Adams County Under-

sheriff John Hunt said. “Llensi is a convicted felon, so we based the warrant on that.”

Police entered the apartment without incident, Hunt said, and found one sawed-off shot-gun and a .22-caliber pistol.

They arrested Llensi for fel-

on in possession of a fi rearm and Ruby on two outstanding warrants. One Othello juvenile was arrested for a previous possession of a fi rearm charge and a Spokane County war-rant and the other two were

By Briana AlzolaStaff writer

The Adams County Health Department (ACHD) listed obesity, diabetes, teen birth rates and access to medical and dental care as the main

concerns facing the area. That was the message ACHD Nurs-ing Director Callie Moore de-livered to county commission-ers at their meeting April 28.

The department hired As-sessment Coordinator Karen Palmer to help diagnose the

main challenges the county is up against, Moore said.

“We had to go about assess-ing the health of the county to see what our biggest problems are,” she said.

ACHD presented the infor-mation as part of their annual

report to the commissioners, who also serve as the Adams County Board of Health.

The 20-percent obesity rate in grades from K-10 within the Othello School District has staff at the health department

By Bob KirkpatrickEditor

The Pacifi c Northwest Para-normal Investigators (PNPI) paid a visit to the Old Hotel Art Gallery Saturday night in search of mystic activity.

The group decided to make the trip from Moses Lake after researching an article written in The Othello Outlook last September about a ghost who may be inhabiting the building.

“When they called back in February, I told them about the strange activities going on here,” Sally Laufer, manager of the Old Hotel and Art Gallery, said. “They wanted to come out then, but I told them I would be gone for three weeks. Then, they wanted to come out during the Crane Festival, but I told then all the activity in town may scare the ghosts away.”

The group was to arrive

between 7 and 8 p.m. While Laufer and I awaited their arrival, she told me about a recent unexplainable happen-stance that took place earlier in the week.

“I was here by myself … it was the middle of the day and I was upstairs in my offi ce when I heard the motion detec-tor bell go off,” she said. “So I went downstairs and no one

was there. I went back up to my offi ce and just as I reached my desk, it went off again.”

Laufer said she went back downstairs and realized she

Opinion A2 | Community A3–A8 | Sports B1–B3 | Schools B4 | Ag B5 | Neighbors B6 | Cops & Courts B8 | Classi� eds B11 | Outdoors B12

See Health, Page A5

488-9992Open: 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., 7 days a week

Sale ends Wednesday, May 12

People caring for people. We at Leprekon care about our customers.

We are a full-service supermarket including grocery carry out.

2 for $324-packfor

$11.88

1.98Per lb. Bone-in

Pork ShoulderAssorted

Pork Loin Chops

89¢

1.79Per lb.

Animalitos

88¢Whole porkSpareribs

1.98Per lb.

Made here

1.98Per lb.

Pork Sausage

See Ghost, Page A5

See Arrests, Page A5

See Taste, Page A5

By Briana AlzolaStaff writer

The Grant County fair-grounds were overrun with food lovers who attended the Taste of Home Cooking School April 29.

The popular event, hosted by the Columbia Basin Herald, is in its second year of existence and Jim McKiernan, advertis-ing director of the Herald, said there is nothing else like it around here.

“It is a unique event,” he said.The cooking school exhibi-

tion consisted of two segments. The fi rst offered different booths and exhibits from such groups as Le-pre-kon, which gave each attendee a prime rib sandwich, and the Columbia Basin Job Corps culinary pro-gram that provided dessert.

The second half of the night featured cooking demonstra-

tions from Taste of Home chef Kristi Larson, former Othello resident, who travels up and down the west coast giving cooking demonstrations in seven different states. She said she loves doing it and the more people who attend, the better.

“I love a big crowd,” Larson said. “It makes it that much more energetic and fun.”

Larson grew up in Othello and still has family here, but she now lives near Portland, Ore. She said it’s always fun to come to this area.

“It’s kind of like a home-town show,” Larson said. “I like new experiences and see-ing what each community has to offer, but it is nice to come home, too.”

The theme of this particu-lar school was “Fresh Picked Favorites” and was meant to showcase the fresh produce

Former Othello resident stirs things up

Photos by Briana Alzola

Kristi Larson, originally of Othello, leads the Taste of Home Cooking School April 29 at the Grant County fairgrounds. Larson taught attendees how to make 10 di� erent recipes.

By Bob KirkpatrickEditor

It’s happened to everyone numerous times — being bit-ten by a mosquito. The bite isn’t all that painful, but it does itch and is a bit irritating for a day or two. But the un-pleasantness passes and you go about your business.

Sixty-fi ve-year-old Julie Ham-ilton from Royal City wasn’t as fortunate as most when she found herself at death’s door after being bitten by one last fall and contracting West Nile Virus.

“It was about mid-Septem-ber,” she said. “I got bit inside

my house and two weeks later, I was fi ghting for my life.”

Steve Bishop, Hamilton’s signifi cant other for the past 14 years, said the two thought nothing of the bite at fi rst because there didn’t seem to be anything unusual about it. But things changed a few days later.

“She started experiencing fl u-like symptoms and was losing her equilibrium,” he said. “Then about a week went by and she passed out and fell to the fl oor. I called 911 and the ambulance came and took her to the hospital in Othello.”

The next day, she then

Apartment search yields arrests

Department outlines health problems

On a ghost hunt at the Old Hotel Art Gallery

Photo by Bob Kirkpatrick

Paranormal investigators Shasta Sitton, far left, Heather Hindman, left, Lori Scuibb, right, and Denise Ottosen, far right, share a laugh with Sally Laufer moments before the search gets underway.

Woman survives case of West Nile Virus

Photo by Bob Kirkpatrick

Lisa Nield, rehabilitation manager, left, Julie Hamilton, center, Steve Bishop, rear, and Jiselle Urbano, physical threapist, are all smiles as Hamilton was released from Avalon Care Center April 29.

See Survivor, Page A6

Page 2: 304 Woman survives West Nile

www.OthelloOutlook.comA6 The Othello Outlook – Thursday, May 6, 2010 C O M M U N I T Y www.OthelloOutlook.com C O M M U N I T Y

Subscribe to the Othello Outlookonly $25 for an entire year

488-3342

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Web Site – showhouse3.com

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WED. & THURS. (MAY 5 & 6): 7:00 p.m. (Ends 5/6)

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MON. – THURS. (MAY 10 – 13): 7:02 p.m.ADVANCE TICKETS ON SALE FOR ANY SHOWING!

CALL 488-9796 FOR MORE INFO.

THE LAST SONG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PGFRI. (MAY 7): 6:50 p.m.

SAT. & SUN. (MAY 8 & 9): 4:02 & 6:50 p.m.MON. – THURS. (MAY 10 – 13): 7:05 p.m.

DEATH AT A FUNERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RFRI. (MAY 7): 9:10 p.m.

SAT. & SUN. (MAY 8 & 9): 4:05 & 9:10 p.m. (Ends 5/9)

SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEK:ITALIAN GARDENS MOTHER’S DAY EVENT

SUN., MAY 9TH – 12:00 NOON TO 3:00 P.M.Enjoy a four-course “Italian” meal – $15 per person

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TUESDAY, MAY 11th –All Ages Welcome – FREE4:00 p.m. – “School Ties” (PG-13)

4:10 p.m. – “Rookie of the Year” (PG)

Non-Denominational [email protected]

Othello Healing Rooms

1st Thursday of Month @ Avalon Care Center

Remaining Thursdays 705 E. Juniper,

Othello Assembly of God

6 – 8 p.m.call Penny Morris 488-7072 or Brenda Bagwell 488-6473

Have A Cake Made For Your Mom This

Place Your Order by April 30th for Custom DesignsOrder Ready-Made Cakes till May 7th

Motherʼs Day is May 9

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HOURS  Monday – Thursday:  3 pm – 10 pm  Friday:  3 pm – Midnight  Saturday:  Noon – Midnight  Sunday:  Closed

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3 pm – 10 pm

Buy 1 game,get 1 game free

(school ID required)

8 pm – Midnight

$40 per lane2 hrs unlimited bowling

(max. of 6 people per lane)

(Aged 62 +) 3 pm – 10 pm

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8 pm – Midnight$8 ea. @ front desk

2 hours of bowling(min. of four people) 

Special Menu in kitchen

Senior CitizenWednesday

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Photo by Briana Alzola

Children participate in the terrarium class at the children’s art center at The Old Hotel on April 29. The class, part of Community Schools, was taught by Terry Rice and Linda Crosier. The children pictured, from left to right, are Gabriella Rodriguez, Hailey Paris, Cameron McDonald and Alex Rodriguez.

By Briana AlzolaStaff writer

The Othello Community Hospital Board voted to spend $211,755 on two new anesthe-sia machines during their spe-cial meeting May 3.

The current machines the hospital is using are breaking down and becoming danger-ous to use, Ken Spanton, certi-fi ed registered nurse anesthe-tist (CRNA), said.

“We have to replace these machines and replace them soon,” he said.

In January, both of the ma-chines, which are between 10 and 12 years old, shut down in one day. Hospital staff was able to get one up and running. Then, at a meeting on Janu-ary 28, the board approved replacing one anesthesia ma-chine at a limit of $80,000.

The quotes for the new ma-chines have exceeded that

amount. Spanton originally budgeted only for the ma-chines and not new monitors, but both are needed.

Two, not one, of the ma-chines also need to be re-placed, he said.

“Our current machine has a gas leak,” Spanton said. “It’s not a serious leak, but we have to be aware that it’s there. And it is only going to get worse with time.”

Parts are no longer readily available to make repairs, but hospital staff spends several thousand dollars a year buy-ing replaceable and portable pieces to add to the machines, he said.

The machine also shut down once while CRNA Ron Masters was treating a patient. When the machine stops work-ing, doctors can still provide oxygen to the patient but no more anesthesia.

The patient is never at risk,

Masters said, but the surgery is often compromised and many times, they have to stop what they are doing and retry at a later time.

The new machines, mod-els from the General Electric Co., provide several new fea-tures, Spanton said. They will be delivered within three or four weeks.

They have a life expectancy of 15 years, Spanton said.

The hospital could have saved money by buying an older machine, Masters said, but it would not have lasted as long and there would have to be more frequent repairs. In-stead, the hospital will spend the extra money to make sure they have a nice machine that will last.

The price comes to $105,877.50 per machine, which includes sales tax and a three-year preventive main-tenance agreement.

New anesthesia machines OK’d

Survivor: Hamilton has undergone intensive physical therapycontinued from page A1transferred to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.

Hamilton had lapsed into a coma. When she awoke three weeks later, she had lost all her motor skills. She could not speak, sit up, feed or dress herself. She also had very limited vision.

“It was a scary experience,” she said. “I almost didn’t make it.”

Bishop, who was out in the barn that fateful day and was bitten fi ve times himself, was at Hamilton’s side during the time she was comatose.

“I wasn’t sure if she was going to be coming home or not,” he said. “I was told a horse has a better chance of surviving if it gets the virus.”

Complicating matters worse were concerns the virus would take a toll on her kid-neys as she had undergone a transplant nine years ago. But, her system stabilized and she was transferred to an advanced care facility in Post Falls, Idaho, where she spent the next three weeks.

At the end of October, she ar-rived at the Avalon Care Center in Othello, where she under-went treatment for West Nile meningoencephalitis, which refers to infl ammation of the brain and the membrane sur-rounding it.

Dr. Flores, Columbia Basin Health Association, was her primary physician.

“This (West Nile) is a new illness for doctors at CBHA,” Hamilton said. “Dr. Flores has been outstanding.”

Flores has been unavailable to comment on her treatment

Hamilton has also under-gone intensive physical ther-apy during her eight-month stay at Avalon to improve her

motor skills and build up her muscle tissue so she could walk again.

“Julie suffered some brain damage from the virus and had absolutely no motivation to rehabilitate,” Lisa Nield, re-habilitation manager, Avalon Care Center, said. “We needed to get her up and moving … get her arms and legs going again. She was afraid to stand up, but she needed to learn to maintain her balance again.”

The damage to her brain also made Hamilton very impulsive.

“She gets very impatient, so we have her repeat instruc-tions to get her to slow down and go through the steps she’s supposed to,” Nield said.

Physical therapist Jiselle Ur-bano said it was the fi rst time she has dealt with a person recovering from West Nile.

“We’ve all learned so much from this,” she said. “Motiva-tion for Julie was the biggest challenge and at times, we

were afraid it (her rehab) may not happen. But she worked really hard and didn’t give up.”

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports four out of fi ve people who are infected with West Nile virus will not develop any type of illness. Twenty percent of in-fected individuals can develop West Nile fever, which pro-duces fl u-like symptoms but is short-lived, from a few days to a couple of weeks. Less than 1 percent of people, like Ham-ilton, are infected with West Nile meningoencephalitis or West Nile meningitis, which produces infl ammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord.

Although she has a long road of recovery ahead of her, Hamilton said she is up for the challenge.

“I feel pretty good right now,” she said. “We’re planning to go to the Moses Lake Farmers’ Market when it opens.”

Stock photo

The mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus are indistinguisable from their non-carrier counterparts.

Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child

as it is to the caterpillar. ~Bradley Millar