Ellington

‘The godfather of softball’

Huskies celebrate Ochoa, seniors in wins over Grandview

OTHELLO – Wrapped around the Huskie’s doubleheader against Grandview on Friday was a day of celebration – first for the 10 seniors on this year’s varsity and junior varsity squads, then for longtime head coach and Washington State Coaches Association Hall of Fame member Rudy Ochoa. After a celebration held in between games for the seniors – including Camryn McDonald, Makiah Galindo and Natalie Martinez off the Othello varsity squad – Othello students, alumni, fellow coaches, administrators and fans gathered around the softball field for a ceremony for Ochoa’s final regular season home game as head coach of the Huskies...

Warriors win SCAC East

MATTAWA – The Wahluke boys soccer team clinched the South Central Athletic Conference (East) with Thursday’s 8-0 win over Kiona-Benton, ending the regular season with a record of 11-3-2.

Hospital update, MLHS girls wrestling coach David Peralez on Studio Basin Podcast

MOSES LAKE – On this episode of the Studio Basin podcast, senior reporter Cheryl Schweizer and staff writer Rebecca Pettingill discuss this week's headlines, including the Blake Fix and an update on the Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake. Next, sports reporter Ian Bivona sits down with David Peralez, the head coach of the girls wrestling team at Moses Lake, to talk about the team's 3A/4A state title, being nationally recognized and more. The Studio Basin podcast can be found on your favorite podcasting apps, or downloaded directly at https://bit.ly/3Hpfo4C.

Patricia Arlene Wride

May 3, 1966 - April 20, 2023

Patricia Arlene Wride’s family and friends' lives changed forever on April 20 when their beloved mother, sister, aunt and close friend passed away at the Trios Hospital in Tri-Cities, Washington after courageously battling various health conditions...

Local fastpitch teams win tournaments

COLUMBIA BASIN – Two local fastpitch teams took home championships at tournaments in mid-April, as the Washington Rage 14U and 10U squads found success on the diamond...

Governor signs My Health, My Data Act into law

OLYMPIA – Thursday, Governor Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1155, the WA My Health, My Data Act into law. The bill is aimed at protecting Washingtonians' personal health data. “As a mother and a pharmacist, I recognize the importance of protecting our health data and access to comprehensive health care,” said prime sponsor Rep. Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue. “As a woman and a legislator, I am honored to have sponsored the My Health, My Data Act in the House to protect all Washingtonians' health and data privacy in Washington state, including reproductive and gender-affirming care.” ...

Grant Co. Pet of the Week: Meet Mack

Mack is a Terrier, Pit Bull mix and is a little over a year and a half old. He weighs in at about 50 pounds and has a great deal of energy. He’s learning how to play with other dogs and respect their bounbdaries, but is not a fan of cats. He’s shy with strangers but is very affectionate once he gets to know someone. He’s always ready to chase a ball and is looking forward to having a forever home with a patient family who will support his happy spirit. For more information about Mack or other animals at Grant County Animal Outreach, which spays/neuters and vaccinates all of the pets it hosts, call 509-762-9616. The shelter is located at 6725 Randolph Road NE in Moses Lake. thegcao@gmail.com. www.grantcountyanimaloutreach.org.

Ironworks Cafe and Market

Othello business seeks to provide customers unique experiences with a touch of history.

OTHELLO – Ironworks Cafe and Market in Othello is located at 335 S. Broadway in the old welding and fabrication shop. Today they serve a variety of amenities such as coffee, food, and different floral and plant starts. The owner Erika Rattray has had Ironworks open since 2014 and since then has been seeking to provide her customers a more and more enriching experience especially now that the restrictions brought on by Covid-19 have been lifted...

‘Full of knowledge’

Symposium digs deep in eco-gardening techniques

MOSES LAKE — The Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center was a hive of activity Saturday, hosting the sixth annual Columbia Basin Eco-Gardening Symposium. “The list of the exhibitors didn't look that long,” said Dinah Rouleau, project manager with the Columbia Basin Conservation District. “But when you went there was filled up with a lot of really full informational booths and really knowledgeable people.” ...

You’re all doers’

Job Corp graduates prepare to make their mark in the world

MOSES LAKE — It was a small ceremony as commencements go, but the emotions were huge at the Columbia Basin Job Corps Center graduation. “This is home,” said Susan Mann, the center’s liaison officer. “Most of the students are here for about a year, 24-seven. They become very, very well-bonded. That's actually the part of Job Corps that I've always loved, is that student bonding."

Letter from the editor: Fond farewell

MOSES LAKE – Rebecca Pettingill, one of the Columbia Basin Herald’s reporters for the last few years is leaving the publication for an opportunity with Big Bend Community College...

Legals for April, 28 2023

Public invited to ad hoc homeless committee meeting Tuesday

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake city’s Ad Hoc Homeless Committee will hold a public meeting to solicit input on the future site of the city’s proposed homeless RV parking site in the city council chambers on Tuesday, May 2, at 6 p.m.

Two arrested in Soap Lake burglary

SOAP LAKE — Two Soap Lake men have been booked into the Grant County Jail on suspicion of residential burglary and malicious mischief after they allegedly broke into a Soap Lake residence late Wednesday afternoon...

'The work really now begins'

Groundbreaking could come in late summer for new Samaritan Hospital

MOSES LAKE — The dirt won’t be flying for a while, but the work will ramp up on the construction of the new Samaritan Hospital. “The work really now begins,” said Chief Administrative Officer Alex Town...

Grant Co. CNA's license suspended

In March 2023 the secretary of health suspended the certified nursing assistant license of Stephanie M Jordan (NC10089848) pending further legal action. In November 2022, Jordan was placed on the Department of Social and Health Services’ Adult Protective Services long-term care abuse and neglect registry when it was determined she had financially exploited a vulnerable adult.

Steele elected House Republicans deputy leader

OLYMPIA – During a recent reorganizational meeting, Rep. Mike Steele, R-Chelan, was elected Deputy Leader of the Washington State House Republicans...

Canal access to expand

Odessa water project gets $32.8M in state funding

OTHELLO — The Washington State Legislature’s recently passed $8.98 billion capital budget for 2023-25 includes $32.8 million in funding to help extend the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program, according to a press release from the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District. "The funding for the Odessa (Groundwater Replacement Program) is huge," said Washington State Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake...

I-90 upgrades

Construction coming to east-west thoroughfare vital for Washington travel, economy.

GRANT COUNTY — Travel along I-90 between Ellensburg and North Bend through Snoqualmie Pass will be interesting for the next few years as the Washington State Department of Transportation prepares for the next phase of improvements to the eastbound section of the interstate and replaces the Vantage Bridge. “It’s the primary east-west corridor for the state,” said Madison Scully, a design project engineer with WSDOT, during a Moses Lake City Council meeting on Tuesday. “It’s very important for the state.” ...

CWU athletes set PRs at Wildcat Open

ELLENSBURG – Along with honoring seniors, Central Washington track and field had 30 athletes set personal records and 11 titles were won at last weekend’s Wildcat Open, the lone home meet of the 2023 season...

Jacks win CTL title

Quincy team dominates the pitch with 1-0 win over Cascade

QUINCY – The Jacks’ 1-0 win over Cascade (Leavenworth) on Tuesday wasn’t just the 11th-straight victory for Quincy – it also locked up the regular season Caribou Trail League title for the Jacks. “It was something that we set for ourselves early in the season,” Quincy Head Coach Francisco Tafoya said. “Even though we won at Cascade to put us tied on the records, it was because we took it to PK’s that we got second place because of the point system – so they won the league title. It was something that the boys were shooting for, a small fraction of what we’re shooting for. Getting the league title first, then hopefully getting a district title and making an appearance at the state final.” ...

Kast sisters sign with BBCC

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School seniors Kali and Makiya Kast have signed to play basketball at Big Bend Community College...

Van Lith moving from Louisville to reigning NCAA champ LSU

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisville transfer Hailey Van Lith is heading to reigning national champion LSU. The sought-after guard posted an image of herself wearing an LSU uniform in front of an image of the Tiger mascot on social media Thursday.

Law enforcement records for April 27, 2023

The reports below were provided by the sheriff’s office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law...

Mountain View Elementary to get cooling upgrade

QUINCY — The cooling system at Mountain View Elementary will get an upgrade during the summer. Quincy School Board members voted Tuesday to award a $383,838 contract to a Kennewick company for new system components...

Distinguished 'crown'

Addy Carlile named Moses Lake Distinguished Young Woman for 2024

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake High School junior Addy Carlile was named the Young Woman of Distinction for 2024 at the Young Women of Distinction’s annual competition on Saturday night. Along with First Runner-Up Sydney Garza and Second Runner-Up Tori Moser, the three young women will represent Moses Lake. “It’s a really great experience,” Carlile said afterward. “I feel like I’ve met so many great people, and I’m so excited to spend the rest of the year with these people.” ...

Legals for April, 27 2023

Moses Lake council, business owners discuss homelessness concerns

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake City Council is going to look at places to park RVs used as residences — including next to the current city dog park on N. Paxson Drive — in early May following a lengthy discussion of the homelessness situation in Moses Lake at its regular Tuesday meeting. “There are not a lot of good solutions,” said City Manager Allison Williams. “That would be a temporary location to deal with RVs until they move along.” ...

'Blake fix' flops

Drug decriminalization looms over legislators and law enforcement

OLYMPIA – On Sunday, the final day of Washington’s 2023 legislative session, lawmakers failed to pass Senate Bill 5536. The bill was intended to create a solution to a Washington Supreme Court decision decriminalizing controlled substances in Washington. “The failure of the legislature to vote on a fix to the Blake decision is a huge shock being as it was supposed to be one of the priorities of this legislative session,” said Moses Lake Police Chief Kevin Fuhr...

Wilcox steps down from WA House Republican Leader role

OLYMPIA – After five years serving as Washington state’s House Republican Leader, Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, announced his decision to step down from his leadership role. Being the House Republican Leader is a partisan job, and in the past, Wilcox said if his leadership did not result in a more balanced Legislature, it was time for a change. The House of Representatives currently has 58 Democrats and 40 Republicans...

Local events for the last weekend in April

COLUMBIA BASIN – The last weekend of the month is this weekend and there’s still a little time to have some fun out and about in the Basin. Temperatures are expected to pop up into the 80s, perfect for a bit of fun in the car, a cactus tour, or for those who prefer the arts, a concert or a play.

Voters approving Samaritan Hospital construction bond

MOSES LAKE — A $130 million construction bond request to pay part of the cost of a new Samaritan Hospital is being approved by hospital district voters. “On behalf of our board, the staff and all of us at Samaritan Healthcare, we are grateful for the incredible support from our community,” said Chief Executive Officer Theresa Sullivan in a statement Wednesday morning. “Thank you.” ...

Doyle Bryce Hayes

Doyle Bryce Hayes, born April 7, 1961, passed away Nov. 17, 2022. A graveside service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 28, 2023, at the Sunset Memorial Gardens, located at 9934 Road U SE, Warden, Washington.

Tigers down Jacks on senior night

EPHRATA – The Tigers earned back-to-back wins over Quincy on Tuesday night, sweeping the Jacks with 16-1 and 12-2 wins on senior night. “I’ve been playing this sport for about 13 years, and I’ve really loved having my last year be with these girls,” Ephrata senior Alexis Park said...

Paul A. Smith

Paul Anthony Smith, born Jan. 27, 1953, of Moses Lake, Washington passed away very unexpectedly on April 18, 2023, at the age of 70 years. He was on a return trip home from a very much-needed vacation with his wife Chantel at his side. Paul was born in Ritzville, Washington to Ted Leroy Smith and Frances Alayne Smith. His siblings Marsha, Mark, Geoff and Ned completed their family. Paul grew up in Othello, Washington and graduated from Othello High School in 1971.

Elias Cervantes Jr.

Our beloved Elias Cervantes Jr., 21, sadly passed away on Friday, April 14, 2023. He was born in Moses Lake, Washington on Aug. 11, 2001. He was a great father, son, grandson, brother, nephew, uncle, cousin and friend. His beautiful smile and love for all will be missed. He will forever be in our hearts, and will be truly missed.

Basin sports schedule April 26-May 2

COLUMBIA BASIN – Many regular season are coming to a close across the Basin this week, leading up to action-packed district tournaments for soccer, baseball, tennis and more. Check out this week’s Basin sports schedule for a full slate of sporting events...

Huskies dance team brings home second straight state title

OTHELLO — A state-winning dance routine takes commitment and discipline, a team that’s ready for 6 a.m. practices - no, not 6 a.m. for the Othello High School dance team. “Five a.m.,” five members of the team said in unison...

Mattawa awards well rehabilitation contract

MATTAWA — A Mattawa city well that had stopped working will be put back in service. Mattawa City Council members voted unanimously Thursday to award a contract of about $185,000 to Empire Well Drilling, Wenatchee, to start working on rehabilitation of the well located in Hund Memorial Park. “The bad news is, you got one bid. The good news is, it was pretty close to what we thought the project was going to cost,” said Steven Wagner of Gray & Osborne, the consulting engineers for the project...

'Super crucial'

Local plant sales support Future Farmers of America, ag programs in local schools.

MOSES LAKE — Gardeners can get a head start on their flower arrangements and vegetable gardens, and help a good cause besides, this weekend. Future Farmers of America chapters in Moses Lake, Quincy, Othello and Ephrata are sponsoring their annual plant sales, with the money raised going to chapter activities and to restock the greenhouse next year. “It’s super-crucial,” said Moses Lake High School FFA member Samantha Underwood. “It funds almost everything. Every profit that comes out of this greenhouse goes back to FFA (or) back into our sale next year.” ...

Cougar baseball moves to 11-5 on the year

WARDEN – With an 11-5 record, the Warden Cougars are entering the final two weeks of the regular season with the goal of staying strong in their push for the postseason, according to Head Coach Travis Visker.

Legals for April, 26 2023

Youth & machines

Mothers of Preschoolers Touch a Truck event brings out the cool rigs.

MOSES LAKE — Mothers of Preschoolers held its second annual Touch a Truck fundraiser at the Moses Lake Presbyterian Church on Saturday. They couldn’t have picked a better day, according to Marianna Olson, one of the event’s organizers. “It was amazing weather, and there were people who had a picnic on the grass,” Olson said. “The weather was beautiful.” ...

Moses Lake continues to address RVs being used as residences

MOSES LAKE — The city of Moses Lake is preparing to post “No Trespassing” signs along Central Drive and the Moses Lake Police Department is preparing eviction notices for the owners of the nine RVs now parked along the street, according to an email exchange between City Manager Allison Williams and property owner Ted Yao. “Your rep has authorized our trespass and ‘No Trespass’ signage is being prepared,” Williams wrote in the email exchange with Yao on Friday. “Our police department is preparing notices to vacate your property that will be delivered to those who are there. The notice is required and will provide 30 days to vacate.” ...

Hazardous waste collection event set for Saturday in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE - Grant County has announced that there will be a household hazardous waste collection event near Moses Lake this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is for households only...

Ybarra proud to secure capital funds for local projects

OLYMPIA – District 13 Representative Alex Ybarra said there were a lot of good moments this session, but he is most proud of securing millions of dollars in capital funds for local projects. “We were very lucky,” said Ybarra. “It was a good year for us.” ...

Caulkins Guitar Duo to perform in Soap Lake

SOAP LAKE – The Caulkins Guitar Duo will premiere a performance of Dry Falls, a brand new written work by renowned composer Martin Kennedy, this May 20 in Soap Lake. “We excitedly anticipated the premiere through the pandemic, injuries, and other challenges that now serve to sweeten the importance of the scheduled performance,” said Andy Kovach, President of Friends of the Lower Grand Coulee...

Eberle's OT winner lifts Kraken past Avs 3-2 to even series

SEATTLE (AP) — As one of the originals from Seattle's difficult opening season, Jordan Eberle found himself joking with some of his teammates of Game 4 against the defending Stanley Cup champions of being the biggest game to date in the brief history of the Kraken.

David Wayne Watterson

David Wayne Watterson passed away unexpectedly on April 8, 2023, at the hospital in Chewelah, Washington. David was only 65 years old. His family is deeply saddened by his sudden death. David was a deeply devoted Christian and it comforts his family to know he is at rest with our Lord and Savior. David was born on Oct. 1, 1957, in Seattle, Washington to Jake and Mary Watterson, followed by his brother Eric and sister Susan. David attended school in Moses Lake, graduating in 1976 from Moses Lake High School. David’s high school activities included drama club where he performed in many high school plays. He also played the trumpet in the Moses Lake High School band. During high school he was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church where he was an active member of the youth group. He also attended college and graduated from Lutheran Bible Institute in Issaquah, Washington. David was married at the time of his death to the love of his life, Sunni, whom he met in Anacortes, Washington.

Artistic celebration

Columbia Basin Allied Arts celebrates founding anniversary with fundraiser

MOSES LAKE – Columbia Basin Allied Arts celebrated nearly five decades of bringing the arts to the Columbia Basin on Saturday. CBAA Director Shawn Cardwell said the event was a success overall and expressed her appreciation to attendees and other supporters. “It is always nice to spend time with the community. CBAA is grateful for every opportunity we get to share the work we are doing, and even more grateful for all those who spend time to listen and contribute to our success. Thanks to all who joined us on Saturday, to those who donated to our mission and those who supported the event. We are already planning for next year,” Cardwell said...

Stopping time

Grant County Historical Society and Museum opens May 5

EPHRATA — The Grant County Historical Society and Museum will open for the 2023 season May 5. The museum’s main building is only the first stop of its extensive collection – and its collection is not just exhibits on a shelf. It’s full-fledged buildings, some of them original. “We have 37 buildings out there,” said museum employee Patty Thornton.

Legals for April, 25 2023

Nearly $170M funded for District 13 projects in WA budget

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Legislature approved the 2023-25 capital construction budget on Saturday, the day before session came to a close. The budget includes nearly $170 million for projects in the three counties that make up District 13. “This spending plan will make a lasting impact on our communities in the 13th District and across the state. It was great to see such a strong bipartisan effort at an important time for our local economies and communities,” said Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, in a joint release by Dist. 13 legislators. “This well-balanced plan addresses needed community projects and infrastructure improvements related to schools, mental health, water and forest health in our region.” ...

Warnick talks successes, challenges of 2023 session

OLYMPIA – The Washington State 2023 regular legislative session adjourned sine die on April 23. District 13 legislator Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, looked back at the 2023 legislative session and talked about successes and failures this session. “We are done,” said Warnick. “And the thing is – I'm personally like this, I need deadlines – so if we didn't have a deadline, we could continue and continue to debate and go back and forth and back and forth, and if we didn't have the rules in place that our state forefathers put in place, we would never finish in my opinion. And so these deadlines are very important.” ...

Grant PUD finishes 2022 in the black

EPHRATA —The Grant County PUD both generated more revenue and spent more in 2022 than the forecasts in its 2022 budget. John Mertlich, senior manager of financial planning and analysis, said the PUD finished the year about $90.4 million in the black. The 2022 budget projected the PUD would finish the year with about $76 million in the black...

Diamond recap

Softball, baseball squads enter final weeks of regular season

COLUMBIA BASIN – With district tournaments beginning as soon as next week, baseball and softball teams from across the Basin are still battling for seeding in their respective league tournaments. Read below to see how local teams fared in last week’s action, and matchups for this upcoming week. Scores are according to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association...

Mavs earn 10th win with sweep of Davis

YAKIMA – Moses Lake put together its ninth and 10th wins of the season with 16-0 and 18-0 road victories over Davis on Friday, moving to 10-2 on the year...

Ardell Reich

Ardell J. Reich, 98, passed away April 20, 2023, in Moses Lake, Washington. Arrangements are under the care of Kayser's Chapel of Memories.

Sherri Lynn Jennings-Hausknecht

Sherri Lynn Jennings-Hausknecht, born on Feb. 22, 1968, passed away March 28, 2023. Sherri was born and raised in Florida and relocated to Moses Lake with her children Amanda, Christopher and Matthew. Sherri was an exceptional woman, daughter, sister, mother, niece, grandmother and friend. She worked hard, building her own private legal business, and made a reputation for herself that she was proud of. In remembrance of Sherri Lynn Jennings- Hausknecht‘s life there will be a celebration at Rick’s Lounge, 819 W. Third Ave., Moses Lake, Washington on Saturday April 29, from 1 to 5 p.m. Children are welcome. Please join us if you can!

Paul Smith

Paul passed away unexpectedly April 18, while on vacation. He was 70 years old. A memorial will be held later at Sporty’s.

New hospital clearly needed

I recently visited Samaritan’s emergency room where I was quickly treated and admitted to the hospital. I received excellent care by Drs. Lockwood, Haigler and Kruger and nurse Chris Hanson in the emergency room. I was blown away by the nursing staff and doctors; they made my experience and stay at the hospital stress-free and comfortable. While I had an exceptional experience, the need for a new hospital was evident. I was placed in a hall bed while waiting for an emergency room bed to open up (I know many have faced this as well). The need for more space is evident. With the current hospital, creating more space is not an option. If we want care close to home and to attract more services and providers, this new hospital is a no-brainer.

Royal recognition

Hard work pays off with state titles for Knights dance team

ROYAL CITY — Royal High School dance coach Makynlee Myrick said winning a state title is sweet, and community recognition makes it even sweeter. The Knights brought home their second straight state title in 1A/2A/3A military dance competition and finished second in the kick competition. “It’s really cool to get recognition from our town,” Myrick said. “Dance has never been a big thing in our community, so I feel like the state titles have gotten our girls recognition for all the hard work they’ve put in. People are noticing these girls are really talented and that we’ve built up a program over the years.” ...

Protecting pets from heartworm

April is recognized as National Heartworm Awareness Month as a reminder to protect our furry friends against heartworm disease before mosquito season peaks during the summer. To understand the importance of preventing heartworm disease, pet owners should first understand how heartworms grow and are detected...

Weather for Monday, April 24, 2023

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 63. West wind 8 to 13 mph. Monday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 37. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Tuesday night is expected to be partly cloudy, with a low around 40. Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71, while Wednesday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 45. Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Thursday night is expected to be partly cloudy, with a low around 45. Friday: Sunny, with a high near 72. Source: National Weather Service

Saturday lead-off

Youth baseball starts season with parade

MOSES LAKE — Their uniforms bore the colors and the insignia of Major League Baseball – the Yankees, the Mariners, the Rockies, the Cubs. But the backs of their jerseys all had the names of their local business sponsors – Jensen Farms, REC Silicon, Stetner Electric, The Six, J. R. Simplot. And they came out in force: kids of all ages with their parents, coaches and sponsors, all on brightly decorated pickup trucks through downtown for the annual Dick Kelly Memorial Parade, jointly organized by the Moses Lake Youth Baseball Association and the Columbia Basin Girls Softball Association. The parade marks the leading off of the spring youth baseball and softball seasons. “It’s incredibly important,” said Moses Lake Mayor Don Myers, one of the judges of this year’s float contest. “With baseball and with softball, they help groom them for high school and college. Get some of the basics, get them in team sports, gives kids something to do. It’s a positive for this community.”

Legals for April, 24 2023

Huskies run away with 5-1 win over Selah

OTHELLO — The Huskies’ 5-1 win over Selah on Saturday marked the team’s seventh win in their previous eight outings, priming them for a run at the No. 2 seed in the Central Washington Athletic Conference tournament in May. Othello, now 9-4-1 on the year, controls its own destiny, earning a bye and hosting a district playoff game.

Household hazardous waste collection event to be held Saturday

MOSES LAKE – The Grant County Public Works Department announced there will be a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event near Moses Lake this Saturday, April 29. The announcement states the event is for households only, waste must be in containers that are five gallons or less and the containers will not be removed.

Robocall protection bill signed into law

OLYMPIA – Governor Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1051, the Robocall Spam Protection Act, into law Thursday. The new law will hold accountable those who spam individuals with robocalls maliciously.

Donations about $59,800 for Friends of Healthcare campaign

MOSES LAKE — As of Friday, the Friends of Healthcare committee had spent about $43,700, over half in in-kind contributions, according to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission. The committee was formed in support of the construction bond request submitted to voters by Samaritan Healthcare.

Furniture and appliance markets with Matt Moore and sports update on Studio Basin Podcast

On this week’s episode of the Studio Basin podcast, senior reporter Charles Featherstone sits down with Matt Moore of family-owned furniture and appliance retailer Moore Furniture in Ephrata. The two discuss what’s affecting the market for furniture and appliances. Next, sports reporter Ian Bivona and staff writer Rebecca Pettingill recap the previous week of sports in the Basin. The Studio Basin podcast can be found on your favorite podcast apps, or downloaded directly at https://bit.ly/3L15Ygw.

Mavs sweep Davis

MOSES LAKE – Coming off of Tuesday’s 11-1 win over Davis, the Mavs completed the regular season sweep over the Pirates with back-to-back 4-2 wins on Friday night in Moses Lake. “Davis is a really good team,” Moses Lake senior Joshua West said. “We saw a kid (throwing) in the upper 80’s. To beat a team like that, in a sweep, it’s really good – especially coming off of a loss. I know the team’s really hyped up after that.”

Toews scores winner, Avs rally to tie series with Kraken

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Avalanche couldn't find their stride in the first period, skating with more caution than confidence. After intermission, they flipped a switch to swagger mode. They played more like the version that earned a Stanley Cup title last season.

Gerald Dean Janke

Gerald Dean Janke (Jerry) peacefully passed away April 2, 2023, with his entire family surrounding Dad. Jerry was born March 7, 1941, in Ronan, Montana to Samuel and Emma Janke. Jerry’s parents passed away while Jerry was very young, 4-6 years old. To keep the family together as Jerry’s parents would wish, Jerry’s brother Richard and sister-in-law Irene adopted him. At a very young age Jerry helped the family on the farm, raising crops and herding and milking cows to provide for the family. In Jerry’s junior year he moved to California to live with his brother Idol Pete Janke. That is where Dad learned to box. His brother was a professional boxer.

Douglas Lloyd Fenn

On March 23, 2023, Douglas Lloyd Fenn passed peacefully at the age of 71, surrounded by his family. He was born on May 7, 1952, to Richard and Hazel Fenn in Ontario, Oregon. Doug was loved from the moment his parents laid eyes on him. He was soon joined by his siblings Lorraine, Steven, Marilyn, Rodney and Angela, who together learned in equal measure to work hard and have fun. Doug attended school in Ontario. He was 15 years old when he and the family moved to Quincy, Washington, where he quickly made lifelong friends, whom he treasured. After graduating from Quincy High School, Doug worked in an auto body shop in Wenatchee, Washington, until he moved back to the Quincy area and joined his brothers Steve and Rod in farming for their father, Dick. Later, Doug would relocate to Ephrata, Washington, where he worked for Japan Airlines in Moses Lake, Washington, until he retired. Doug loved fishing at Lake Lenore and hunting in the Palisades.

CWU Museum hosts exhibit on food

ELLENSBURG — A new exhibit at the Central Washington University Museum of Culture and Environment highlights the human connection to the foods that bring us together and provide us nourishment and comfort. “Sustenance: The Material Culture of Food” is showcasing artifacts from across the world used to harvest, store and cook food, and includes a tour of the CWU greenhouse on Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. to see a variety of food plants from across the world, according to a CWU press release. According to the press release, the show features items from the museum’s collection that show how people acquire, prepare and eat food from a number of cultures around the world.

Landowner asks for intervention in dealing with RVs used as homes

MOSES LAKE — The owner of the properties along North Central Drive where a number of homeless have parked their RVs has given permission to a group of volunteers to post “no trespassing” signs and has asked the Moses Lake Police Department to do something about the situation, according to an email provided to the Columbia Basin Herald...

Mavs doubleheader Friday

MOSES LAKE - The Mavs notched another Columbia Basin Big-Nine win on Tuesday, defeating Davis 11-1 on the road to move to 11-2 on the year. Moses Lake will host the Pirates for a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 4 p.m.

Home coverage

Getting the right amount of homeowners insurance

MOSES LAKE — For a lot of people, their home is the most valuable thing they’ll ever own. And when you have something valuable, naturally, you want to protect it. But how much homeowners insurance do you need? There’s a common misconception that homeowners insurance is based on the market value of the home. That’s not how it works, say the experts. Rather, it’s based on what it would cost to rebuild or replace what’s damaged...

Royal City gets bookish

ROYAL CITY – Future library patrons cheer as the sign marking the location of the planned Royal City Library was unveiled April 11. The new library, when complete, will be more than three times as large as the existing facility, which stands across the street from the new site.

Legals for April, 21 2023

Potential molestation victims asked to contact MLPD

MOSES LAKE – A Tacoma area motocross coach was arrested on charges relating to child pornography, and other potential victims may be located in Grant County...

Newhouse introduces measure supporting organic farming

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, is sponsoring legislation intended to support research into organic agriculture and improve data collection for the country’s organic farmers, according to a press release...

Reclamation releases climate plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees water projects across the country including the Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Project in Eastern Washinton, announced on Thursday it released the agency’s strategy for dealing with climate change...

Bill to address health care staffing signed into law

OLYMPIA — A bill to help address the healthcare staffing shortage by mitigating unmanageable patient loads and worker burnout was signed into law Thursday. “By creating an enforcement mechanism with real penalties, we can ensure safe-staffing standards are followed rather than ignored, allowing workers to do their jobs safely and provide our loved ones the quality care they deserve,” said Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, sponsor of the bill...

Youth and Families seeks nominees

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families is accepting nominations for the Engaging Father Award...

Repairs approved for Quincy Aquatic Center

QUINCY — The intricate process of building a new Quincy Aquatic Center is underway – in a way – and in the meantime, a section of the existing pool will be getting some repairs after Quincy City Council members approved purchasing a new water heating system for the water slide section of the pool. “As many of you remember, the 22-year-old boiler on the slide side quit running the last couple weeks of the summer last year,” explained Russ Harrington, the city’s recreation director...

George City Council considers security agreement

GEORGE — The George City Council discussed, but did not decide on, a novel offer from the Port of Quincy at its monthly meeting Tuesday evening. The proposal is an interlocal agreement between the city and the Port, said Mayor Gerene Nelson in a separate interview Thursday. Under the agreement, the Port would supply six hours a day of security service to the city, to stave off graffiti, petty theft and the like. The Port has started to offer security services to businesses within the port district, but this would be the first such agreement with a municipality. “Nobody else has done that,” Nelson said. “So we're the guinea pigs, and that's part of my hesitancy. I need to make sure everything is carefully done.” ...

Business shindig

Ephrata Chamber hosts its first business expo, hopes to make it a yearly tradition.

EPHRATA – Ephrata Chamber of Commerce Director Rita Witte said she was excited at the response as the chamber hosted its first annual business expo during its April 12 business after-hours. “I think my excitement was that everybody else was excited,” Witte said. “Everybody else was happy with how it went.” ...

Quincy man sought in connection with East Wenatchee murder

EAST WENATCHEE — A Quincy man is being sought by Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies in connection with an April 17 shooting that left an East Wenatchee man dead. Juan Carlos Vasquez-Hernandez, 35, is being sought on charges of complicity in second-degree murder.

Les Schwab cuts ribbon in Moses

MOSES LAKE – Luis Bahena, manager of the new Les Schwab Tires location at 1580 E. Yonezawa Blvd in Moses Lake, is joined by staff, Les Schwab executives and members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce to cut the ribbon on Thursday and celebrate the formal grand opening of the second Les Schwab location in Moses Lake.

Purple Sage Meadows receives land use permit

Soap Lake council approves permit with 4-3 vote after voicing of infrastructure concerns.

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake City Council voted Wednesday night to pass the land use permit for the Purple Sage Meadows planned development district. “This city council is now faced with a historic decision that will shape Soap Lake’s future,” said Raymond Gravelle, a local real estate agent and representative for the developer...

CWU to Host Wildcat Open this Saturday

ELLENSBURG – The CWU Wildcats will host their only at-home meet this season on Saturday and will incorporate honoring their 22 seniors at the event, according to a statement from the school.

Tigers on the pitch

EPHRATA - The Ephrata boys soccer team took down Central Washington Athletic Conference-leading East Valley (Yakima) at home on Tuesday in a 1-0 win over the 10-2-2 Red Devils.

Pro bull riders return to Kennewick in September

KENNEWICK – The Professional Bull Riders will come back to Kennewick this fall for the Challenger Series’ PBR Tri-Cities Classic on Sept. 8-9...

Herald to host 11th Annual NIE Golf Classic this summer

MOSES LAKE – The Columbia Basin Herald’s Newspapers In Education Golf Classic is returning on June 21, with proceeds going to the Herald’s NIE program. As part of the NIE program, the Herald delivers copies of the paper daily to schools all around the Basin to be used in the classroom...

Zags add EWU transfer Venters

SPOKANE – Eastern Washington transfer Steele Venters is signing with Gonzaga, the Bulldogs announced in a release on Monday...

Wildcat Football to Host Annual Kid's Camp on April 29th

ELLENSBURG - The Central Washington football team will host its annual kid's camp as a part of their spring season on April 29th.

WSU veterinarians: Marijuana is not pet-friendly

PULLMAN — April 20th — a day associated with cannabis-oriented celebrations in the U.S. — and Washington State University veterinarians are providing some tips to pet owners to keep their animals safe. Keep pot, edibles, and everything else out of reach of your pets. Consider a secure container that can’t be opened if the box is dropped, chewed on, or played with...

Adams County Pet(s) of the Week: Orb & Moony

Orb and Moony came to Adams County Pet Rescue with some other pups a while ago. Staff at the shelter were surprised that the house-trained pets were only six months old. Both are pretty sweet. Orb can get spooked easily, but has gotten better in time and no longer nips when startled. The pair were surrendered because the family they were with had too many dogs per their landlord...

Seahawks in rare draft position holding No. 5 overall pick

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — In their long tenure as the brain trust of the Seattle Seahawks, John Schneider and Pete Carroll have never experienced the exhilaration of owning a pick this high on the draft board. Thank you, Denver, for your terrible 2022 season after acquiring Russell Wilson and sending a bounty of picks back to the Seahawks.

April 23 declared National Pygmy Goat Day

SEATTLE, Wash., April 18, 2023 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The National Pygmy Goat Association (NPGA) has declared April 23 as National Pygmy Goat Day. Members and affiliated clubs are planning events throughout the country to celebrate the day and showcase their pygmy goats...

Virginia Johnson-Krupa

Virginia Emilie Johnson-Krupa (Ginny), 68, was called home by her Lord on March 29, 2023, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born on Feb. 10, 1955, to Robert and Barbara (Hafner) Johnson in Davenport, Iowa. Her father was an army chaplain and she talked about being an army brat and the many places that they lived: Moline and Rock Island, Illinois; Jamestown, New York; Everett, Maine; East Hampton, Connecticut; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Tacoma, Washington; and Nurnberg, Germany, where she graduated high school from the Nurnberg American School in 1973. After high school, she returned to Washington to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Pacific Lutheran University in 1977. She continued her education at Lutheran Bible Institute from 1978 to 1980, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biblical studies while working at Augsburg Publishing House. She began her seminary studies in 1990 at the Vancouver School of Theology in Vancouver, British Columbia. She did her internship at Cambridge Lutheran Church in Cambridge, Minnesota and received her Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1995. She was ordained in 1995.

James Hammond

James Andrew Hammond, 83, passed away peacefully with family by his side on April 19, 2023, in Moses Lake, Washington. James was born March 19, 1940, in Homedale, Idaho, to parents Opal Christine and Alva Henry (Bud) Ford. He had a brother Gene R. Ford and sister-in-law Barbara, two sisters Betty Jacobson and Doris, one brother Carl Edward Ford and sister-in-law Terri Ford and numerous nieces and nephews. Jimmy was best known for running around town doing errands for many local businesses. He was also known as Little Jimmy.

Elden (ET) Trexler

Elden Trexler (ET), 86, left this earthly world on March 29 to the arms of Jesus. Elden was born Sept.1, 1936, in Mason City, Washington to Irene and Gary Trexler. The family lived on the West Coast before moving to Hartline, Washington. After high school he joined the U.S. Army. On Oct. 4, 1958, he married his love Judy Ramm; they would have celebrated their 65th this October. Elden worked for the U and I Sugar Plant until they closed. He went on to work for Darigold and retired from Basic American. Elden always kept busy, never sitting still for long. He was a jack of all trades. He was very talented and figured out how to build and repair most anything; one was building on a nice addition to the family home.

4 to vie for title

Contestants will take to the dais over the weekend for the Moses Lake Distinguished Young Woman program Saturday

MOSES LAKE — The title of Moses Lake Distinguished Young Woman will go to one of four high school juniors at the annual program scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at the Moses Lake High School theater, 803 E. Sharon Ave...

Community honor

Longtime volunteer recognized with ‘Pride of Quincy’ award

QUINCY — Charles Sepulveda Sr., a longtime Quincy resident and volunteer, who Mayor Paul Worley said had a big impact on the community, was honored at the Quincy City Council meeting Tuesday. “The ‘Pride of Quincy’ is an honor to remind people of someone from the community who’s really done something, participated and made Quincy a better place,” Worley said...

Judging chili

Ten recipes accompanied by six kinds of cornbread entered into Monday cookoff

MOSES LAKE — Rich Mueller has some advice for anyone looking to judge a chili cookoff. “I’m going to put away any predispositions,” said Mueller, who runs the Grant County International Airport for the Port of Moses Lake. “I see some chilis over there that would not normally be my go-to chilis, but I’m just going to forget all that right now.” ...

Law enforcement logs for April 20

The reports below were provided by the sheriff’s office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law...

Legals for April, 20 2023

Mavs athletes sign college letters of intent

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake High School senior Sydney Macdonald will be running track for Eastern Washington University next year, and her twin brother Blaine will be playing baseball for Big Bend Community College. The Macdonalds signed letters of intent for their respective colleges Wednesday. “I’ll be doing the heptathlon,” Sydney Macdonald said...

Abortion med bill passes WA Senate committee

OLYMPIA – A bill intended to safeguard access to abortion medication passed the Washington State Senate. “The people of Washington have demonstrated time and again — in polls and at the ballot box — that we support the right to reproductive freedom,” said Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines), the bill’s sponsor. “But that right means nothing without actual access to care.” ...

Child malnutrition guide mandated

OLYMPIA – A bill designed to help state child protection workers identify the signs of child malnutrition was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee last week. “It was a good bill,” said Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, a secondary sponsor of the bill...

Ephrata names new middle school principal

EPHRATA – The Ephrata School District has named Tina Mullings the new principal of Ephrata Middle School after a decision was made Tuesday night. “Tina has a proven track record at Ephrata Middle School,” said Tim Payne, Ephrata School District Superintendent. “Students, staff and families know the enthusiasm and commitment Tina brings with her each day. Her knowledge and expertise of school culture is invaluable. We’re excited to see her grow in this new position.”...

2 injured in Broadway Ave. accident

MOSES LAKE — Two people were injured in a three-car accident on Broadway Avenue on Thursday, April 13, with one driver taken to Samaritan Hospital, according to Moses Lake Police Department Capt. Mike Williams...

Brewers defeat Mariners 5-3

SEATTLE (AP) — Eric Lauer allowed just four hits over 7 2/3 innings and Brice Turang hit a go-ahead single and scored in the seventh as the Milwaukee Brewers completed a three-game sweep with a 5-3 victory Wednesday over the Seattle Mariners. Julio Rodríguez clubbed a two-run homer against Lauer (3-1) in the third, but that was all the offense Seattle could muster against the Brewers’ lefty, who didn’t give up another hit until the eighth inning...

Warriors at 9-0 with wins over Columbia

HARTLINE – With 19-0 and 11-1 wins over Columbia (Hunters) on Tuesday, the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors improved to 9-0 on the year. The Warriors entered Tuesday’s doubleheader coming off 10-0 and 7-4 wins against Northport on Saturday, who was 9-1 entering the weekend...

City of Moses Lake building permits, March 2023

Timothy Molitor, 3900 block of West Peninsula Drive, shop, $350,000. Patrick Carroll, 1700 block of East Burr Avenue, garage, $24,000. Patrick Carroll, 1700 block of East Burr Avenue, garage, $24,000. Patrick Carroll, 1700 block of East Burr Avenue, garage, $24,000. Chris Nolte, 700 block of North Stratford Road, structural updates to existing building, $20,000...

Victoria Haddican

Victoria Grace Haddican, 86, of Moses Lake, Washington, passed away on April 11, 2023. Victoria was born Dec. 18, 1937, in Fargo, North Dakota, to Victor and Grace Swanson. Victoria graduated from Tower City High School. She then attended Bemidji State University and earned her degree in elementary education. Victoria was a beloved teacher for 35 years. The majority of her teaching career was as a teacher for the Moses Lake School District. She influenced many with her love for teaching. Victoria made lifelong friends with those she taught alongside and treasured those friendships.

Adams County law enforcement logs for April 19

The reports below were provided by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Mattawa Drop Box to close May 15

EPHRATA — The last solid waste drop box in Grant County will close next month, according to a statement from the Grant County Commissioners...

Dress Express helps make memorable prom

MATTAWA — Johanna Bucio had a hard time coming to a decision on her dress for the Wahluke High School prom - there were so many choices. In the end she chose a short dress in a deep cinnamon red, with layers of tulle in the skirt that gave it some drama. It wasn’t sparkly; the bag and shoes she chose will provide that. “I like the color,” she said...

Basin sports schedule April 19-25

COLUMBIA BASIN – Teams from across the Basin are entering the final few weeks of the regular season, with district playoffs just around the corner. Check out this week’s sports schedule for a full slate of action...

Legals for April, 19 2023

Niebla named GCSO March Employee of the Month

EPHRATA — Deputy Sheriff Juan Niebla has been named the March 2023 Employee of the Month by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office...

Newspaper tax break passes WA House and Senate

OLYMPIA – Senate Bill 5199, a measure that gives a tax break for newspaper publishers, passed the Washington House of Representatives 89-7 Monday. It now awaits the signature of Gov. Jay Inslee. “The passage of Senate Bill 5199 shows the importance of newspapers in our local communities,” said Bob Richardson, regional general manager of Hagadone Media – Washington, which publishes the Columbia Basin Herald. “We strive to be the voice of the people in our communities and this allows us to continue to do that well into the future.” SB 5199 reduces the business and occupations tax rate to 0% for newspaper publishing and for news websites that are the successors to newspapers that were published prior to Jan. 1, 2008. The tax break is only effective for 10 years, beginning on Jan. 1, 2024 and there will be a study done to examine the effect of the tax reduction, according to a statement by Rowland Thompson, Executive Director of Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington. The bill was sponsored by Senator Mark Mullet (D-Issaquah), and the House companion bill by Rep. Gerry Pollet (D-Seattle). Mullet and Pollet are the former and current chairs of the Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee, which did the tax study enabling the bill...

Othello Community Hospital births

The Columbia Basin Herald congratulates the families below on their new arrivals.

Construction begins on new Othello EMS facility

OTHELLO — For years, Othello Emergency Medical Services administrators saved money for a new ambulance hall, and on Monday EMS and Othello Community Hospital officials broke ground on the new facility. Jim Lomax, EMS coordinator, paid tribute to the EMS crew. “My wonderful staff, who have supported me so well for so long and made me look good,” Lomax said as he introduced them. “They do an awesome job under the worst circumstances, and they all deserve this wonderful place.” The project budget is $4.2 million, Lomax said. For that money, OCH and the EMS crew will get a significantly bigger ambulance hall...

RV issues

Moses Lake still looking for a parking sport for recreational vehicles used as residences

MOSES LAKE — The city of Moses Lake is still looking at sites for parking RVs used as residences — eight of which are parked along North Central Drive — and hopes to have some possible options to give to the city council at their next formal meetings in early May. “We are looking at surplus city properties, and we will bring options to you on May 11 to move the units,” City Manager Allison Williams told council members during their previous regular meeting on April 11...

Bill to support PNWU signed by governor

OLYMPIA – Senate Bill 5113 was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee Friday. The new law, sponsored by Sen. Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake), removes regulatory barriers for dental schools, particularly the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, to recruit out-of-state faculty which, as a result, will expand access to dental services.

Othello’s Torres named Athlete of the Week by WIAA

OTHELLO – After missing three games with an injury, Othello junior Cristian Torres returned to the Huskie lineup and scored six goals over a four-game stretch, netting him Athlete of the Week honors by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. That stretch included a hat trick against Ellensburg, where Othello knocked off the previously undefeated Bulldogs with a 4-3 win...

Soap Lake and public dumping

Dear Editor, Recently I was driving out Road A in Soap Lake to see a piece of property I was interested in buying. When I got to the gate and got out to open it I noticed a huge mess going up into the field. Big piles of rusty wires and cables sticking out of the ground, big chunks of asphalt and cement, car parts, truck parts piled, mounds of dirt...

Andres V. ‘Andy’ Gonzalez

Andres V. Gonzalez, 75, known as “Andy,” passed away peacefully April 15, 2023, surrounded by family. Andres was born in Cienega De Flores, Nuevo Leon, Mexico on Jan. 21, 1948, to Maria Villarreal and Luis Gonzalez. As a teenager he moved to Crystal City, Texas and then to Moses Lake, Washington, where he met and married Anna Alvarado and had four children: Roman Gonzalez; Nereida Gonzalez; Leticia Gomez, married to Santiago Gomez; and Isabel Orbe, married to Mauricio Orbe. He had 10 grandchildren: Brittney, Luis, Valeria, Jaime, Ulyses, Tomie, Marvin, Milton Leena and Danilo who blessed him with seven great-grandchildren. Andy had such a sense of humor. Those who knew him loved his jokes and smart remarks. At times he could be so strict and with that taught many of us life lessons. He was a loving father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend who without a doubt will be missed.

Carol Mansfield

Carol Anne Mansfield, 80, surrounded by her family, passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus on Thursday, April 6, 2023. Carol A Mansfield was born on Dec. 13, 1942, in Wray, Colorado to parents Robert L. and Ruth M. Jones. She lived with her family in Wray, Colorado until the age of 2 when they moved to Bremerton, Washington. She attended school in Bremerton and graduated from West Bremerton High School in 1961. After graduating from Peterson Business School in 1963, Carol began working for Boeing until 1967. She worked at McChord Air Force Base as a data entry specialist from 1967 to 1975, when she moved with her daughter, Kim, to Moses Lake, Washington and began working at U and I Sugar.

Shirley Colley

Shirley LaVon Colley, 86, was born to Morley and Ann (Kramer) Kerr on Nov. 13, 1936, in Kelso, Washington. Shirley passed to her rest on April 17, 2023, believing in the hope of the resurrection promised by the grace of her Lord Jesus Christ. She was the eldest of five children. The family moved around during her early years so Shirley attended many different schools including Granger. In 1954 Shirley married the late George Price Colley. They lived in Sunnyside until moving to Othello in 1956. The Colleys were one of the first mint farmers in the Othello area.

Auditions tonight for new Masquers play

SOAP LAKE — Auditions are scheduled for 6:30 to 7 p.m. tonight for the latest Masquers Theater production, “The White Liars” and “The Black Comedy.” A Masquers press release said prospective actors who can’t make it Tuesday can submit video auditions...

Sharon Alece Hampton

Sharon Alece Hampton, 75, of Bouse, Arizona, passed away on April 4, 2023, after a brief, heroic battle with cancer. Born Sharon Alece Kingsbury on Nov. 21, 1947, in Wenatchee, Washington, she spent her early childhood on the family farm in the foothills of the Colockum, where her father tended a modest dairy herd and sold their milk to a local Wenatchee dairy. After the dairy closed in 1954, the family moved to Hillsboro, Oregon, where they owned a service station and small grocery store. Sharon, along with her brothers and sister, worked together in the store each day after school. After graduating from Hillsboro High in 1965, Sharon went on to study at Portland Business College, which led to her first job as a legal secretary for a prestigious law firm in downtown Portland. Following the birth of her first child, William, she left the frenetic pace of a downtown firm and dedicated her life to being a wonderful and loving mother. She then went on to have three more children: Robert, Jennifer and Michael.

Legals for April, 18 2023

Bridge safety bill signed into law

“Zack’s Law” moves forward with unanimous votes from both chambers

OLYMPIA – Signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday, House Bill 1004 aims to deter bridge jumping by installing signs on or near bridges that provide information about the dangers of jumping from bridges and cold-water shock drowning. “These signs are meant to provide more information than just a ‘no jumping’ sign so that people can better understand the hazards related to a particular location,” the bill states...

Dent bills move through WA Legislature

OLYMPIA – Four of Rep. Tom Dent’s, R-Moses Lake, bills have made significant progress in the state legislature over the last week. House Bill 1243, which changes requirements for municipal airport commissioners, passed the House unanimously on March 8, passed the Senate with floor amendments 46-3 on April 12, and in concurrence with Senate amendments, passed final passage in the House 96-0...

Moses Lake Roundup to raffle demo derby experience

MOSES LAKE – Have you wanted to participate in a demolition derby, but didn’t have a car? The Moses Lake Roundup has a solution for that. Along with sponsor Brandon Douglass from Windermere Real Estate, the Moses Lake Roundup is auctioning off an opportunity to participate in the Agri-Service Demo Derby by driving a 1974 Camaro Demo Car...

Details emerge in fatal Ephrata-area collision

EPHRATA — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has released the names of those involved in a fatal accident west of Ephrata Saturday morning, as well as other information about the collision. The two people who died were Dejay E. Troupe, 23, of Spokane and Mya Kay Avila, 18 of Ephrata, according to a GCSO statement...

Vantage Bridge to be resurfaced

Construction work on I-90 crossing of Columbia River starts this year, continues to 2026

VANTAGE — Preliminary work, with some minor impacts on traffic, will begin later this summer on a project to replace the road surface of the Vantage Bridge. The major work - which will have major effects on traffic - begins in spring 2024 and will continue through fall 2026...

Youth art sought for national competition

COLUMBIA BASIN — Young artists are invited to try for a chance to be shown at the Capitol, according to a statement from U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-WA...

Colorful view

VANTAGE – One of the horse sculptures at the Wild Horse Monument above Vantage, Monday morning. Several of the horses have graffiti left by taggers on them, but the view is otherwise breathtaking from the top of the ridge.

Kraken vs. Avalanche

NHL playoffs see Seattle facing off against defending champion Colorado

SEATTLE — After qualifying for the postseason in only the franchise’s second year, the Seattle Kraken will match up against the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs...

RECAP: Basin diamond action

ACH Baseball, Warden softball remain undefeated.

COLUMBIA BASIN – Competition on baseball and softball diamonds across the Basin is heating up as teams enter the final month of the regular season. See below for an update on how local baseball and softball teams fared in last week’s games. All scores are according to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association...

Andres Villareal Gonzalez

Andres Villareal Gonzalez, “Andy,” passed away peacefully on April 15, 2023, surrounded by family.

‘Washington Remembers’

Museum exhibit brings World War II home

MOSES LAKE — Thirty-four countries at war. More than 70 million men in arms. Roughly 3% of the world’s population dead by the end. The Second World War only lasted six years, and America’s part in it less than three, but few eras define the world we live in so much, or loom as large in our national consciousness. “World War II is a topic of endless fascination for people just because it was so complex and so world-changing,” said Dollie Boyd, the director of the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, which is currently hosting an exhibit dedicated to that conflict. “It's the memories and the experiences of the people who are there at the time.” The exhibit, titled “Washington Remembers World War II,” is actually one piece in a three-part whole. One part comes from the Washington Secretary of State and focuses on the experiences of Washingtonians from different walks of life as the war touched them.

Keeping the foundation

New Country Deli owners look to preserve menu, serve community

EPHRATA – Country Deli on Basin Street in Ephrata was recently bought by siblings Gabriela and Jeovani Dircio. The pair said they’re committed to staying the course and keeping the current menu the same while doing a bit of a refresh in other aspects of the business. “It’s a great place,” said Gabriela. “We were raised in Ephrata and Grant County and Country Deli holds a lot of great memories to ourselves and the community.”

Health clinic provides care for pets and their people

SEATTLE — Whether she’s living out of her car or crashing on a friend’s couch, Grace Stroklund can’t contain her smile when she’s greeted after a hard day’s work by her dog, Nugget. Homeless in the greater Seattle area for half of her life, Stroklund, 28, who works as a line cook, said when it comes to veterinary care for the 6-year-old Jack Russell terrier mix that brings her so much joy, she “would do anything.”

Legals for April, 17 2023

Quincy tops Royal in non-league match

QUINCY – The Jacks used a strong second half to surge over Royal in Saturday’s non-league matchup, riding out to a 6-1 win over the Knights. “(Royal) is doing pretty well in the south in their league, and it was a game we were really looking forward to because of their standings and their record,” Tafoya said. “We knew it was going to be a tough one, and to come out on top is just going to place us better throughout the rest of the season.”

Huskies fall to Hazen 6-5

OTHELLO – Down three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, a late rally wasn’t enough for the Othello Huskies to overtake Hazen on Thursday afternoon, falling 6-5 in Othello. “We really battled offensively, and it was good to see that our kids could battle at the plate,” Othello Head Coach Sonny Garza said. “Putting the ball in play, putting pressure on the defense. It was really good to see that.”

Mavs’ comeback falls short, lose to Richland 11-9

MOSES LAKE – The final score of Wednesday’s fastpitch softball matchup between Moses Lake and Richland doesn’t tell the full story of the game, as the Mavs nearly pulled off a come-from-behind victory after being down 11-0 at the bottom of the third inning. Richland defeated the Mavs 11-9, remaining undefeated on the year. Moses Lake fell to 8-2.

Cleanup time

MOSES LAKE — Jennifer Shipman and her daughter Tiffany were busy helping sweep the alley between Broadway and Third Avenue Saturday morning, all part of the effort by both the Downtown Moses Lake Association and the City of Moses Lake to clean up the city. “I try to help whenever I can,” said Shipman, a commercial loan officer with Banner Bank in Moses Lake. “Whenever I can fit it into my schedule, I try to help out.”

Local color

Moses Lake landscape artist Hannah Fountain paints a mural on the side of C J’s Custom Meats Moses Lake at 210 S. Gumwood St. Fountain, known primarily for her landscape and seascape paintings, said this is only her second mural — the first being inside the Downtown Moses Lake Association Obra Project business incubator — and first exterior. “I think Moses Lake is a great city, and it deserves to represent itself well,” Fountain said.

Local law enforcement hopes for expanded vehicle pursuits

OLYMPIA – The passage of Senate Bill 5352, which reinstates some circumstances in which law enforcement can pursue a vehicle, has many law enforcement agencies saying the bill is a start but is not enough. “This definitely puts things in a step in the right direction for sure,” said Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete. “It really does. And I think we knew as far as law enforcement executives, we were not going to turn the page all at one time. We knew it was going to be bits and pieces every year – that a year goes by with data that's collected to show that in 2021 a really big mistake was made.”

Substantial vehicle purchases recommended for MLSD

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District should start buying some vehicles, not just buses but also work trucks and vans, district officials said during the Moses Lake School Board meeting Thursday. “The moral of the story is that (the district’s transportation fleet) is aging,” said Jeremy O’Neil, the district’s chief operations officer. “Investments need to happen.”

Two killed in accident west of Ephrata

EPHRATA — An accident Saturday morning west of Ephrata left two people dead and resulted in the closure of Sagebrush Flats Road, according to a Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.

Lawrence Wayne Hembroff

Lawrence Wayne Hembroff passed away peacefully with family at his side on March 2, 2023, at Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee, due to an extended illness. Larry was born on June 27, 1936, on the family farm in North Dakota, to Walter and Delia Hembroff. He always had someone to get into mischief with, as he had 12 brothers and sisters. He served his country in the Army, as a paratrooper and an electronics technician. He came to Washington, where he continued his career-trade a journeyman electrician at the shipyards in Seattle. He retired after logging 50 years of service in the trade working for Boeing, J & M Electric and Grant County PUD. In his off-time, he enjoyed watching his kids participate in football, wrestling, bowling, track, band, and softball/baseball.

Mollahiettes reign on

MLHS dance and drill team brings home two state championships

MOSES LAKE — It is one of the ironies of state competition that the biggest meet of the year is also the last performance for the team - the last one ever. Molahiettes team co-captain Payten Chlarson said that fact struck home as the team waited to perform at the WIAA Dance/Drill State Championship last month. “When we’re on deck, that’s when you realize that’s your last time doing that routine,” Chlarson said. “The last time you’re ever going to be on the floor with that team and that group of girls, (and) especially for the seniors, the last time you’re ever going to be on the floor. So it was like a bittersweet thing. But it’s nice knowing that you worked so hard to get to that point where you can go out on the floor. So it’s a good feeling.” ...

Dryland gardening

Event looks at landscaping in the age of climate change

MOSES LAKE — A whole new dimension of gardening will be on display in Moses Lake next week. “We’re looking at the gardening effects of climate change, for the public to learn about how climate change is going to affect gardening,” said Mark Amara, with the Washington State University Extension Grant-Adams Master Gardeners. The Columbia Basin Conservation District and the Master Gardener program will host the sixth annual Columbia Basin Eco-Gardening Symposium on April 22, which is also Earth Day. The event, held at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center, goes from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will include speakers, vendors, exhibitors and even a few door prizes.

Building permits for April 14, 2023

Unincorporated Grant County, March 4-April 7, 2023

Legals for April, 14 2023

Bomb threat verified as hoax

GRANT COUNTY — A bomb threat emailed to the superintendents of 35 school districts across the state — including Ephrata School District and Almira-Coulee-Hartline — on Wednesday was determined to be a hoax, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. “It was a global threat all through the state,” said Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete. “It’s been verified as a hoax.” ...

Moses Lake considers water conservation

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake City Council has delayed consideration of major changes to the city’s water conservation ordinance to May after council members expressed concern over how the new conservation rules would be enforced and the council’s ability to review the rules in the future. “There should be a sunset clause to revisit this,” said Mayor Don Myers during the roughly two-hour-long regular council meeting on Tuesday. Utility Services Manager Jessica Cole told council members the proposed changes would make current water conservation requirements year-round, limit summer lawn watering and irrigation to three days per week, prohibit watering between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on watering days, ban it outright on Monday, limit the amount of water people can use on their lawns after a rainstorm and require immediate repairs to leaky water pipes.

Kimberly Bender's law increases penalties for custodial misconduct

OLYMPIA — On March 30, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law an act that increases the penalties for the crime of custodial sexual misconduct in the second degree. Substitute Senate Bill 5033 changes the classification of second-degree custodial sexual misconduct from a gross misdemeanor to a class C felony. The change increases the maximum confinement from 364 days to five years, and the maximum fine from $5,000 to $10,000. The change also means that those found guilty of custodial sexual misconduct in the second degree would serve their sentence in a state correctional facility instead of a county jail, according to Moses Lake Police Chief Kevin Fuhr.

Off-ramp to close for Wenatchee roundabout construction

WENATCHEE — The off ramp at the intersection of Wenatchee’s Easy Street and Highway 2 will be closed beginning Saturday and will remain closed for about two months...

Two ag bills pass WA House

OLYMPIA – A pair of bills sponsored by Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, aimed at supporting the state’s agriculture community passed the state House Wednesday. “Our farmers do a lot to feed not only Washingtonians, but Americans everywhere, and people around the world,” said Torres. Torres represents Washington’s 15th Legislative District which includes portions of Yakima, Franklin, Benton, Grant and Adams counties. According to a statement from Torres’ office, the House unanimously approved Senate Bill 5156 to help support the next generation of Washington farmers by expanding the state’s farm-internship program.

Painting the town

Street painting project part of efforts to spruce up Quincy downtown street

QUINCY — The downtown project designed to spruce up Quincy’s Central Avenue South started at street level. Artwork, literally at the street level, was painted on Central Avenue in Quincy based on plans to spruce up downtown. “What really inspired it was the revitalization plan that the city of Quincy has, which mentioned adding a mural to these intersections, as well as some gateway features,” Marissa Lopez of the Better Block Foundation said. Volunteers and employees of a Dallas-based organization were out in the middle of Central Avenue Thursday morning, carefully taping off squares and triangles in the intersection at C Street SE and Central. Paint rollers in hand, volunteers and Better Block employees were filling in the design with bright orange and blue, yellow and green paint. The crews spent part of Wednesday afternoon installing signs and sculptures at three downtown intersections. Lopez said the company was in Quincy a couple of years ago, painting the street along B Street SE and sponsoring the first B Street block party. The company was hired for the return project.

Moses Lake fire assumed to have taken one life

MOSES LAKE – A residential structure fire late Wednesday night is still under investigation but is assumed to have taken one life. Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said the 911 call came in just after 1 a.m. “We had a little bit of wind last night, but fire units as well as deputies were able to see the flames as they were traveling there so it was well involved at the time of the call,” said Foreman. Four adult occupants of the home, located in the 2900 block of Road D.9 Northeast in Moses Lake, were able to escape but one adult was unaccounted for.

Topping the league

Royal City Knights up to No. 1 in fastpitch RPI

ROYAL CITY — There’s a new team on top of the WIAA’s Rating Percentage Index list for 1A fastpitch softball – the Royal Knights. “The girls have been working really hard, so we were excited to see that No. 1 come through,” Royal Head Coach Lisa Lawrence said. “But, we’re also not going to rest on our laurels. We’re going to put our head down and keep working to battle through the rest of the season. We’re about halfway through with our schedule, so we've got a ways to go to keep working and keep fine-tuning our game.” The WIAA’s RPI list is a formula that combines winning percentage (40%), opponent’s winning percentage (40%) and the winning percentage of a team’s opponents’ opponents (20%). The Knights are in the midst of a four-game win streak, and its lone loss of the season came in a non-league contest against 4A Eastmont (7-4 on March 30.)

Pets of the week: Iggy and Giselle

Here we have Iggy, a 14-year-old female, and Giselle, a 12-year-old female. Both were surrendered because “they were too old” and it just breaks our hearts. They came out of horrific living conditions, absolutely love people and are OK with dogs and cats. They are a bonded pair as both of them are deaf and they are reliant on each other. Anyone interested in adopting these treasurers should call Grant County Animal Outreach at 509-762-9616 to learn the whole story of Iggy and Giselle. Just because some dogs are older than others does not mean they are done. These two have lots of love and life to share.

Gerald Dean Janke

Gerald Dean Janke (Jerry) peacefully passed away April 2, 2023. Jerry was born March 7, 1941. Please contact the family for information on the celebration of life.

Scott DuVall

Scott DuVall, 54, passed away in Moses Lake, Washington, on March 16, 2023, after a long illness. Scott was born in Sunnyside, Washington, on Sept. 19, 1968, to Dwight and Carolyn DuVall. He was the oldest of five children. He attended school in Royal City, Washington, graduating from Royal High School in 1987. Scott was a member of the National Honor Society and school clubs, and earned nine athletic sports letters – four in football, three in track and two in basketball. Scott attended Big Bend Community College, earning his AA degree. He transferred to Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, where he earned his Bachelor of Education degree in history and math. He taught school in Longview, Washington, earning his Master of Education degree along the way. Scott met his wife, Cris Baca, at a ballroom dancing studio in Portland, Oregon, where they danced a couple of nights a week; they were married in 2001. He later changed careers, attending Washington State University in Spokane, to earn his doctor of pharmacy degree in 2007. Scott moved to Moses Lake in 2015 and did some substitute teaching in the Moses Lake School District.

Roger Thieme

Roger Lee Thieme – innovator, visionary, philanthropist, mentor, and owner of Evergreen Implement in Othello, Washington for over 50 years – passed away peacefully in his sleep in Encinitas, California, on Nov. 6, 2022. He was 87 years old. Roger began life on a farm in Hebron, Nebraska, with his parents Fred and Minnie (Mimi) Thieme and his older siblings Bill, Dwayne and Wilma (Willie). In 1944, when Roger was 9, the family moved to the promised land, a new farm in Kimberly, Idaho, where they raised potatoes, sugar beets, wheat and cattle. In high school there, Roger met his future wife, Joyce Petersen. They courted in Roger’s 1936 Ford stepside pickup, listening to the new ’50s hits on KLIX AM radio.

Boeing at home in Grant Co.

737 MAX program brings workers to area along with questions about the future to community

MOSES LAKE — When Boeing first started moving 737 MAX aircraft to the Grant County International Airport, it was only going to be for a few months. “We were going to be here for six months,” said Valdis Martinsons, director of operations in Moses Lake for the Everett-based company. “Here it is three years, and we’re still working through this.” ...

Moses Lake cleanup set for Saturday

MOSES LAKE — The city of Moses Lake and the Downtown Moses Lake Association is looking for volunteers Saturday to help clean up downtown...

The Bicycle Shop

Moses Lake store offers vehicles to adventure in the Basin

MOSES LAKE — Bill Spark said he had already retired a few years ago when his son called him and said there was a business opportunity in Moses Lake. “He said, ‘Hey dad, we have this chance to buy this bicycle shop,’” said Spark, 81. “And so we got involved together, and we did it together for maybe a year or two. And then my son decided he wasn’t making enough money.” Spark’s son went back to driving truck for a living, while Spark stayed in Moses Lake. “So I took over the shop,” Spark said...

Law enforcement logs for April 13

The reports below were provided by the sheriff’s office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law...

Legals for April, 13 2023

WA House passes police pursuit bill

Legislators, law enforcement consider bill, "too small a step forward."

OLYMPIA – The state House of Representatives voted this week to approve a measure that will restore vehicular pursuits for police under certain circumstances. “This important legislation will make incremental improvements to the 2021 law that severely restricts the possibility of suspects being pursued by law enforcement,” said Steven D. Strachan, executive director Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs...

Quincy Schools buildings go on the market

QUINCY — Quincy School District officials will start advertising the existing district office and the former support services buildings for sale. A public hearing on the proposed sale at the Quincy School Board meeting Tuesday didn’t generate any comment for or against it...

Man found dead in West Canal

EPHRATA — Marijan Bosnar, 76, was found deceased in the West Canal near Road 11.7 Northwest in the Ephrata area, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. There were no obvious signs of foul play, and an autopsy is planned. It was not clear how or why Bosnar ended up in the canal, the GCSO wrote. His family has been informed of his passing...

Huber to head marketing for WA Apple Commission

WENATCHEE — Jessica Huber has been named to the position of international marketing manager for the Washington Apple Commission. Huber will replace Rebecca Lyons, who has announced her retirement effective June 30...

Central WA receives $7M in federal grants

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two federal grants, adding up to more than $7 million, awarded by the Bureau of Reclamation aim to reduce the loss of irrigated water and improve salmon fishing opportunities in Central Washington. Through the two grants, more than $4.1 million will be allocated to reduce West Canal water seepage in Grant County and $3 million to improve fish passage at Roza Dam near Yakima. The funding is part of the more than $8 billion for water infrastructure improvements passed as part of the Biden-Harris Infrastructure Law...

Pettigrew to run Lotto Commission

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee named Eric Pettigrew to serve as director of the Washington State Lottery Commission Tuesday, according to a release by Inslee’s office. “Eric has an impressive track record of leadership, collaborating with others and success as a legislator and public servant. I know he will lead the Lottery with integrity and ensuring the trust of the people we serve,” Inslee said...

Seattle Mariners 2023 Schedule

SEATTLE - Baseball season is underway and the Mariners have a busy six months of competition ahead of them...

Jacks down Cashmere

Quincy pulls in 8-7 win, continue strong start to season

QUINCY – With two outs in the top of the seventh inning and two strikes on the board, Quincy pitcher Emilee Morris had five words to keep her locked in to close out Tuesday’s 8-7 win over Cashmere in Quincy. “‘One pitch at a time’ is what I kept telling myself,” she said...

Jackie Garrison

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend Jackie Garrison passed away on April 7, 2023, at the age of 93 with family at her side. Jackie was born on Dec. 17, 1929, to John and Edith Kappel in Ruff, Washington. She was a farm girl, growing up on a dryland wheat farm where she drove truck for her family. She graduated from high school in Ritzville, Washington and went on to secretarial school in Spokane, Washington. In 1953, Jackie wed her husband of almost 70 years, Jim Garrison, in Moses Lake, WA. They lived in Olympia while Jim served in the army before settling in Moses Lake in 1955, where they went on to have two children, Gwen and Jay. She was a dedicated wife and mother supporting her family in any and all endeavors.

Reese Hinthorne

The family of Reese Hinthorne sadly reports his death on March 23, 2023, after fighting a long battle with chronic leukemia for well over 10 years. He was born to Venetta Hinthorne on Dec. 19, 1946. He is survived by his cousins Doug, Sandy and Dan Huneywell; stepdaughter Angie; step-grandchildren Brittany, Lilly, and Michael; and many friends in Spokane and Othello. He is preceded in death by his mother, grandmother Florence Huneywell, uncles Seth and Hugh Huneywell and cousin Jennifer Huneywell. Reese graduated from North Central High School (he has a brick from the original North Central). He then graduated from Eastern Washington State College with a degree in education. He taught at Scootney Springs Elementary School in the Othello School District in Othello, Washington for 30 years – five years of fifth grade and 25 years of sixth grade until he retired in 2000. While living in Othello he coached youth boys basketball and football. In researching for this obituary, one of his former students said he was cherished as their teacher.

Louise Beatrice Ownby

Louise Beatrice Ownby passed away Feb. 20, 2023, from a sudden illness. She was born in Jacksboro, Tennessee on June 21, 1935, and moved to Peshastin-Dryden when she was 6 years old. She was the third of five children born to Clifton Tidwell and Katherine (Audie) Brown. She had two older brothers and two younger sisters. She was educated in Peshastin-Dryden, Washington. She met S.L. (Seaton Luther) Ownby at a skating rink in Wenatchee in 1950. When S.L. saw her he said, "I'm going to marry that girl!" In 1952 they were married in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. They made their home in Peshastin-Dryden, Washington for most of their lives. S.L. worked in the lumber industry and Louise was a homemaker. They had two children, Sharon and Ken. Louise enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom. She loved to cook, bake, read, play cards and do crossword puzzles until her eyes failed her in her later years and she could no longer do the things she loved.

Terry Billings

Terry Billings passed away with loved ones by his side on March 31, 2023, at the age of 82. Terry loved the outdoors, hunting and fishing. He was happy to tell you of his past hunting and fishing trips or of planning for the next one. His love for the outdoors and for his animals will never be forgotten. He really enjoyed man’s best friend and the comfort they gave him in his retired years. He was a longtime mechanic in the Warden area and worked for Wilbur Ellis for 20 years. He is survived by his wife Carol Billings; daughters Debbie Osborne, Tammy Jenson, Amber Billings and Jody Clark (Travis); eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings Jewel Gossard, Cale Billings and Vicki Bierschbach (Mark). Graveside services for family and friends will be held Friday, April 14 at 11 a.m. at the Warden Cemetery, with a celebration of life to be held at 1 p.m. at Travis and Jody Clark’s home.

Eric B. Ramsey

Eric B. Ramsey was born in Spokane, Washington on Feb. 20, 1970, the first son to Gary and Ruth Ramsey. He passed away in Moses Lake, Washington on March 9, 2023, at the age of 53. As the middle child, Eric grew up in Juneau, Alaska, Polson, Montana, The Dalles, Oregon and Moses Lake, Washington. His childhood memories in Alaska were some of his favorites. He earned his GED from Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Montana. He worked in landscaping and scrapping and as a truck driver.

Regal save: New committee steps up to save Royal City Summerfest

ROYAL CITY — Yes, there will be a Summerfest. Back in December, the Royal City Summerfest committee put out a request on social media for new committee members because all of the existing members, who had shouldered the burden for years, were stepping down for a variety of reasons. By March, it was beginning to look as though the event would be history. Now, with a new committee chaired by Jonathan Cox of Royal City, the town’s biggest community event will take place on schedule, July 7-8...

Safety Foreman

GCSO public information officer works to keep Grant Co. safe and informed

EPHRATA – Kyle Foreman helps the Grant County Sheriff’s Office keep the public informed of significant situations, crimes and how to be prepared for an emergency. His role as a public information officer ensures accurate information from the sheriff’s office gets out quickly. “He kind of set the standard of what it looks like for law enforcement communicating and sending good, vital information to the media,” said Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete...

Group14 moves dirt, hires locals

Battery tech company working on ramping up for operations in Grant County

MOSES LAKE — With construction crews only beginning to turn dirt on Group14 Technologies’ new Moses Lake facility, which is expected to be up and running sometime in 2024, Chief Operating Officer Eric Robinson said the company has already hired its first local production staff. “We’ve already hired a number of people locally, including our first operators. Most folks don’t recognize and realize what it takes to be really, truly knowledgeable about a process like this,” Robinson said. “It takes quite some time.” ...

New basketball court coming to Mattawa

MATTAWA — Mattawa’s Hund Memorial Park will get a new basketball court through a partnership between the city and the Paul Lauzier Foundation. Mattawa City Council members approved the purchase of basketball hoops for the project at a regular meeting Thursday. Public Works Director Juan Ledesma said buying hoops was part of the city’s responsibility for the project. “How it’s built into the bid packet was that we would provide (the hoops) for them,” Ledesma said...

Legals for April, 12 2023

Fed grant funding to help West Canal, Yakima River

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A pair of federal grants will help save fish on a stretch of the Yakima River and allow for the replacement of a 1,500-foot-long section of the Columbia Basin Project’s West Canal, according to a press release from Sen. Maria Cantwell’s, D–Wash., office...

Pheasants Forever to host spring social

MOSES LAKE - Pheasants Forever will be holding its spring social next week in Moses Lake, according to a press release from the organization. The event is both a gathering for current members and an opportunity for potential members to become familiar with the organization...

Summerfest, library discussed at Royal meeting

ROYAL CITY — Summerfest, the library and a U.S. Department of Agriculture loan were among the topics of Tuesday’s Royal City City Council meeting. Grant County Commissioner Cindy Carter addressed the council regarding arrangements for the car show that’s a traditional part of Summerfest. In the past cars have parked on the pavement, but Carter requested the council’s permission to put the cars on the grass toward the south end of Lions Park on Friday...

Traffic revision will make Quincy street right turn only

QUINCY — Signs are scheduled to start going up this week on a traffic revision at the intersection of State Route 28 and First Avenue SW in Quincy that will eliminate left turns onto SR 28 from First Avenue SW. That section of SR 28, where it runs through Quincy, also is designated as F Street SW...

MLHS grad makes chancellor's list

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Moses Lake High School graduate Taylor Carpenter has been named to the fall 2022 Chancellor’s List at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, according to a university press release...

Othello continues water project research

OTHELLO — Water supply and getting additional water were the subject of a substantial discussion at Monday’s Othello City Council meeting. Council members approved a $25,000 contract with Aspect Consulting LLC, and council member John Lallas said the contracted services will build on work already done. “This is in addition to the previous study we already paid for,” Lallas said. “They compiled a bunch of data. Now they’ve got to do further work with that data to satisfy the requirements of continuing (the project).” ...

Copenhaver to take helm at RMS

ROYAL CITY — Jerred Copenhaver will be the new principal at Royal Middle School, according to a statement from the Royal School District...

Othello Community Hospital announces births for March 2023

OTHELLO – Congratulations to the families below who welcomed new members to the Columbia Basin in March at the Othello Community Hospital...

Basin sports schedule April 12-18

COLUMBIA BASIN — With schools returning from spring break, spring sports teams around the Basin are returning to a full slate of games, matches and meets. Check out this week’s sports schedule for a complete listing of this week’s events. Wednesday, April 12 Gamble Sands Girls Golf Invite - begins at 1 p.m., includes Ephrata, Quincy and Royal. LRS tennis at Chewelah - 3 p.m. Moses Lake softball vs Richand - 4 p.m. Quincy baseball vs Cashmere - 4:30 p.m.

Othello’s Little Guy program wrestles well at state tournament

SPOKANE — Thirty-two Othello youth wrestlers competed at the Jason Crawford Memorial Wrestling tournament in Spokane over the weekend, with many bringing home placements and successful experiences from the tournament. Fourteen Othello wrestlers competed in the finals, with eight bringing home titles. Overall, 23 wrestlers brought home medals “They did really well, everyone seems to be really happy with their performance,” said Abraham Gonzalez, head coach of the Othello Little Guy wrestling program. “All the kids seemed to really enjoy the experience. It was pretty cool being on such a big stage compared to when I was there and it was a lot smaller venue.”

Employers struggle to find work balance

Today, employers continue to struggle finding enough workers while attempting to bring people back to the office (work sites). A key problem is there simply aren’t enough people to fill available jobs. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported at the end of February, there were 9.9 million job openings and 5.9 million unemployed workers. The Chamber added if every unemployed person in the country found a job, there would still be 4 million vacant positions...

Eldon Essex

For 86 years, we were blessed with our husband, brother, father, grandfather, uncle and friend. Born on June 12, 1936, in Gothenburg, Nebraska, after a long struggle of extended illness, on April 4, 2023, he passed in the arms of his beloved wife. Through it all his quick wit shined through. His love for his wife, Kathy, and family is never-ending and always enduring in their hearts. He will also be dearly missed by Richard Dean, Debbie and Greg Whittemore, Diane Essex and Andy Espino, and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Gary Clune

Gary G. Clune, 79, was born on March 30, 1944, in Hibbing Minnesota. He passed away at home peacefully in Moses Lake on April 5, 2023. Soon after Gary was born, the family moved to the Seattle area where he lived until retirement, when he moved to Moses Lake. In 1961, Gary joined the Laborers’ Heavy and two-year break when he was drafted into the Army.

Melissa Anne Miller

Melissa Anne Miller of Ketchikan, Alaska, passed away Dec. 10, 2022, due to complications of a brain tumor. Her final days were spent surrounded by family and love. Melissa was born at Ketchikan General Hospital on June 6,1955, after a floatplane ride from Thorne Bay, Alaska, where she would spend her younger years with her mom Jane, her dad Verne and her brother and sister Mel and Michele. Melissa said it was a wonderful place to grow up. The family stayed in Thorne Bay until 1969, when the family moved to Edmonds, Washington, where she attended Woodway High School and graduated in 1973.

William (Bill) E. Fread

A Celebration of Life for William (Bill) E. Fread will start with a military salute and an acknowledgment at Valley View Memorial Park Cemetery, Soap Lake, Washington on April 22, 2023, at 10 a.m. Following this presentation, Bill had requested that his family and friends gather to share memories, food and tall tales to celebrate a life well lived. This will take place at TJ Harley’s, 144 Division Ave. E., Ephrata, Washington from 12 to 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Soap Lake Senior Center at 121 Second Ave. SE, Soap Lake, WA 98851. Arrangements are under the care of Nicoles Funeral Home in Ephrata, Washington. Please express your thoughts and memories for the family at www.nicolesfuneralhome.com.

‘Proudly fueled by sugar’

Big Bend Percussion works to impress audiences with high-tempo show.

MOSES LAKE – Big Bend Vikings Percussion is a musical group for the college that performs music using various percussion instruments. The Group recently won first in state and is led by Big Bend’s music instructor John Owens who was able to share more about the group. “It’s basically marching percussion meets concert percussion,” he said. “We have marimbas, vibraphone, drum set, bass and guitars, and then we have snare drums tenors, and multiple bass drums.” ...

Legals for April, 11 2023

CJ's Custom Meats cuts ribbon

MOSES LAKE - CJ's Custom Meats staff and members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce gathered Monday for a formal ribbon cutting at the business's shop in downtown Moses Lake. The business sells a variety of meats along with outdoor cooking equipment.

Burglary arrest, wreck, mental health call keep GCSO busy over weekend

EPHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office arrested Eliseo Valdobinos, 22, of Quincy Friday in association with investigations into multiple daytime burglaries, according to a GCSO statement...

Fire season approaching

Preparation can help reduce the potential for damage from wildfires, say firefighters.

MOSES LAKE — It’s spring at last - sun, warmer temperatures, longer days. Unfortunately, spring brings with it an increased risk of wildfires, even in early spring. “We’re starting to have wildland fires and we’re in April. The vegetation is starting to dry out,” said Cpt. Travis Svilar of Grant County Fire District 5. People whose residences could be vulnerable to wildfire can - and should - take precautions to make their property less susceptible, according to local fire officials. Grant County Fire District 3 Chief Tony Leibelt said the potential for people to get in the way of a fire has increased as development has pushed further and further into previously undeveloped land. He cited the Wenatchee area as an example, with more homes being developed among stands of trees...

Changes recommended to Quincy sewer accounting

QUINCY — Auditors with the Washington Auditor’s Office recommended city of Quincy officials “strengthen internal controls” over billing for its wastewater treatment system in a management letter attached to the city’s 2020-21 audit released last week...

Samaritan Healthcare construction bond goes to voters

MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare voters will be asked to approve or reject a $130 million construction bond request in a special election April 25. Ballots were mailed to voters late last week, according to officials at the Grant County Auditor’s Office. If the bond is approved, property owners would pay $1.10 per $1,000 of assessed property value. If it’s approved, the owner of land assessed at 250,000 would pay $275 per year, and the owners of property assessed at $300,000 would pay $330 per year. The bond has a 30-year payback provision. Samaritan Hospital commissioners voted to approve the construction of a new hospital in October 2018. Chief Executive Officer Theresa Sullivan said that originally district officials and commissioners thought a bond wouldn’t be required to help pay for the project...

Bill abolishing advisory votes passes WA House

OLYMPIA – The State House of Representatives passed legislation Monday, sponsored by Sen. Patty Kuderer (D-Bellevue), to remove the state’s requirement for advisory votes on revenue legislation...

MLIRD bill passes

County treasurer says there is still a problem

OLYMPIA – Senate Bill 5460, a bill intended to restore Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District’s ability to fund itself, passed the state House Wednesday. The bill doesn’t hit the mark according to local officials, but legislators feel that it at least restores MLIRD’s ability to raise money. “I think what we’ve done with that (bill) is allow it to continue to be effective for the community and continue to assess what’s needed to meet the (MLIRD) budget,” said Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake), prime sponsor of the bill. The bill, which has passed both the House and Senate unanimously, specifically applies to Moses Lake because the MLIRD is the only district of its kind in the state. Due to this special circumstance, and the legislation that applied to the special district had been recently ruled on in county court, current legislation wasn’t sufficient to meet the district’s needs in being able to assess and collect the assessments. However, the passed legislation limits the amount of money that can be raised to about $150,000 when past budgets for the district have called for roughly $2 million or a little less...

Diamond recap: Basebal and softball in the Basin

COLUMBIA BASIN – Even though several baseball and softball teams across the Basin had last week off for spring break, a handful of local squads took to the field for game action. See below for an update on how teams fared along with upcoming games for this week. All scores are according to the WIAA...

Weather for Monday, April 10, 2023

Monday: Monday will be rainy with a high near 61 and south winds around 6 mph shifting to north winds in the morning. Chance of rain is 80% with a tenth to a quarter inch possible. The evening will see a 40% chance of showers before 11 p.m. Low around 39. ...

House work: A day in the office with Wash. Rep. Tom Dent

OLYMPIA — A day in the life of a legislator never looks the same from one day to the next, but here’s a snippet into a day at the Capitol for Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake. Wednesday, April 5, started with a meeting at 7 a.m. for Dent for a weekly media interview to discuss various bills. After discussing proposed legislation such as House Bill 1134 that implements supporting infrastructure to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Dent headed from his office in the John L. O'Brien Building to the Capitol Building only a few hundred feet away...

Relevant classic

Mavs drama students to present ‘Little Women’

MOSES LAKE — The classic tale of four sisters growing to adulthood comes to the Moses Lake High School stage this week. The MLHS production of “Little Women” opens Friday at the theater, 803 E. Sharon Ave. “Little Women” is the story of the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, growing up in a small Massachusetts town during the Civil War. The family has its challenges - their father is a military chaplain, off on the front lines, and even when he’s home there’s not enough money...

WSU Department of Viticulture and Enology outlines future at WineVit conference

KENNEWICK - The WineVit conference recently returned to Kennewick, Washington, drawing a multitude of Washington State University faculty, students, and staff, as well as grape growers, tasting room managers, and other Washington wine industry players. The event, which serves as a catalyst for growth and innovation in the industry, highlighted the V&E department’s efforts in key research areas such as grapevine disease and pest management, clean plant certification, and hyper-accurate weather data. It also highlighted how the department is preparing graduates for successful careers...

Prevention and treatment of urinary stones in goats

Urinary stones, or solid masses made from minerals in the urine, develop for a variety of reasons and can be an extremely painful experience for humans and pets alike. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can prevent stones from developing, which is especially beneficial for male goats, who commonly experience this condition. Dr. Shannon Reed, a clinical associate professor in food animal medicine at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, says urolithiasis — or the formation of stones in the urinary tract — should always be treated by veterinarians since home remedies often delay and complicate the recovery process...

Legals for April, 10 2023

Knights joust Jacks

Seven-run fifth inning sends Royal to win over Quincy

ROYAL CITY – A seven-run fifth inning helped propel the Royal Knights over Quincy Saturday morning, eventually going on to win 9-5 over the Jacks. “A lot of progress,” Royal Head Coach Brandon Jenks said. “We’re a very young team, missing a few kids that we would have liked to have out, but these kids are growing and getting better every day. A lot of perseverance.” ...

Mavs split doubleheader to Eastmont

EAST WENATCHEE – After falling 2-1 in extra innings in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday to Eastmont, the Moses Lake Mavericks came out strong in the nightcap to ride out to a 5-3 win over the Wildcats. “I think the biggest thing was we didn’t come prepared today,” Moses Lake Head Coach Donnie Lindgren said. “For whatever reason, there’s no excuse. We didn’t have the energy and effort that we’ve normally had. That was the most disappointing thing, we just weren’t ready to go.” ...

Studio Basin: Hospital bond, chief chat and diamond action

On this week’s episode of the Studio Basin podcast, senior reporter Cheryl Schweizer spoke with Samaritan Healthcare's Chief Executive Officer Theresa Sullivan, Chief Administrative Officer Alex Town, and Gretchen Youngren, chief development and communications officer, to discuss the reasons behind the hospital’s request to district voters for a construction bond and what has changed since the project was first approved. They also discussed the cost to property owners and talked about contingency plans if the bond is rejected...

Border crossing hours to change

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The hours of operation at four U.S.-Canadian border crossings, including one in eastern Washington and one in Montana, will be updated next week, according to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection...

Moses Lake port commissioners to meet Monday

MOSES LAKE — The Port of Moses Lake will hold its regular meeting from 10 to 11 a.m. on Monday, according to a statement from the Port. Among the items to be discussed are leases with General Dynamics, Terex and the U.S. government, and an easement agreement with CenturyLink to provide communication utilities to the Grant County Mosquito District, according to the meeting agenda. The public is invited to attend wither in person or by phone. Phone participants should call 267-930-4000, and enter participant code 418-097-708 when prompted.

GCSO deploys drone to find missing horse

QUINCY — It was something a posse of sheriff’s deputies might have done in the 1890s. According to Grant County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Josh Sainsbury, GCSO deputies got a call early Thursday that a horse being ridden by a member of a visiting youth group had wandered off from the group’s camp and gone missing in the Bishop Recreation Area south of Quincy...

Livestock identification bill signed into law

OLYMPIA – Thursday, a bill sponsored by Sen. Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake) was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee, coincidentally on Beef Day at the Capitol. The bill was coincidentally signed into law during Beef Day at the Capitol, which Inslee mentioned, Warnick said. “It was almost like somebody planned that,” said Warnick...

Hoppy hunting

George Easter egg hunt brings out energetic crowd

GEORGE — The official count was 133 children at the George Easter egg hunt Saturday morning, but it looked like twice that many, possibly because they were so excited they couldn’t stay in one place. The weather had been nasty the day before, but Saturday the sun was shining and the wind was negligible. The Georgettes, the local women’s service organization that organized the event, had a stand set up with coffee and doughnuts for the adults. The lawn outside the George Community Hall was scattered with about 1,000 eggs, according to Georgette Jeannie Kiehn, one of the organizers...

Ephrata Chamber to host first business expo

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Chamber of Commerce will host its first annual Business Expo Wednesday. The new event has received unexpected, but welcome support, chamber officials said. “Our goal was 25 businesses,” said Chamber Director Rita Witte. “We actually got 47.” ...

Mavs, Knights finish in top 10 at Joe Lenberg Classic

YAKIMA – Boys golf teams from Moses Lake and Royal competed at the Joe Lenberg Classic at the Apple Tree Golf Course in Yakima last weekend. Both squads finished in the top 10, with the Mavericks finishing fourth with 335 strokes and the Knights in 10th with 369 total strokes...

Quincy’s main street to get new look

QUINCY — Central Avenue North in Quincy will get a new color scheme next week. Volunteers will be painting the street and storefronts and adding planters and benches along Central Avenue April 12 and 13. Cari Mathews, executive director of the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce, said the project is a joint effort between the Chamber, the Better Block organization of Dallas, Texas, and Microsoft. “Wednesday and Thursday we’ll be painting the streets,” she said...

The hunt is on

Easter eggs will sprout all over the Basin this weekend

COLUMBIA BASIN — Small plastic eggs will be stashed – and snatched up by little hands at an astounding rate – all over the Basin this weekend. Nearly every community in the area has its own Easter egg hunt either Friday or Saturday, as is traditional the weekend before Easter. The first one will be at Columbia Basin Hospital in Ephrata, at 10:30 a.m. Friday. This hunt is for kids 6 and under.

Checking it out

A home inspector can catch problems before they turn expensive

MOSES LAKE — Buying a home can be a risky proposition. There are many things that could go wrong with the home or the land, so many things that prospective buyers could miss that could cost them a lot of money down the road. That’s where a professional home inspector comes in. “I've looked at houses and fallen in love with the house,” said Henry Counter, owner of Pillar to Post Home Inspectors in Ephrata. “And then after you move in, you find everything that's wrong with it.” “Home inspections are a critical part of the home buying and selling process,” the National Association of Realtors wrote on its website. “Failure to obtain a home inspection could potentially cost you a great deal of money and hassles in the long run.”

Legals for April, 7 2023

Pyper, Ehrman take new roles at Grant PUD

EPHRATA — Two longtime Grant County PUD employees have been promoted to new jobs...

Torres pest management bill signed into law

OLYMPIA — A pair of bills authored by Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, and currently making their way through the state legislature, will change how Washington state regulates and oversees the regulation of pesticides and other crop protection products, according to a press release from Torres’ office...

Reclamation announces irrigation availability

YAKIMA — The Bureau of Reclamation announced Thursday that the Yakima Project’s reservoirs were holding just more than 553,000 acre-feet of water as of April 1, meaning the system was about half full, according to a bureau press release...

Port of Warden to receive $2.5M to improve land

WARDEN — The Port of Warden will receive around $2.5 million in federal highway funding to help improve access to the port’s industrial land on the southwest side of the city, according to a port press release...

State transpo budget includes $14.5M for Connell rail project

CONNELL — The Columbia Basin Railroad is slated to receive $14.5 million in state funding to help pay for the rebuilding of the railroad’s Connell interchange, according to a press release from Connell Rail Interchange Coalition, which has been lobbying for funding to pay for the project...

ACH Warriors excited to get back on the field

COULEE CITY — Off to a 3-0 start this season, the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors are looking forward to getting back on the field after a nine-day hiatus from game action. While many teams around the Basin have played upward of 10 games already this season, the Warriors have only played three since a March 25 doubleheader against Selkirk, this weekend’s opponent, was postponed...

Beef at the WA Capitol

Cattlemen’s Association puts steak on the grill in Olympia

OLYMPIA – A big grill billowed smoke just in front of the steps of the Capitol Building in Olympia Thursday. A line of hungry visitors didn’t let the rain get them down as they looked forward to a traditional Beef Day steak. Every year the Washington Cattlemen's Association holds Beef Day on the Hill. For the event, the Cattlemen’s Association grills tri-tip steak to slice and serve on sandwiches. This year, AB Foods donated 582 pounds of tri-tip from their Toppenish location for Beef Day...

Seeing the sights

Quincy Valley Historical Society hosts bus tours

QUINCY — The Quincy Valley Historical Society is going on tour. “We’ve wanted to do this for a number of years,” said Harriet Weber, director of operations for the organization. “It stemmed from way back in the Quincy Centennial in 2007. I was on that committee and we did bus tours that year, aside just from the Farmer-Consumer Day bus tours; we did them throughout the season, and we wanted to revive that. So we worked out a legal arrangement with the City of Quincy so that we could use their little mini bus.”

Law enforcement records for April 6

The reports below were provided by the sheriff’s office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Legals for April, 6 2023

Exchange student serves as page for Dent

OLYMPIA – Lena Fuchser, an exchange student from Switzerland staying with a host family in Naches, was a House Page for Rep. Tom Dent (R-Moses Lake) this week. She arrived in Washington in August and will be with her host family until the end of the school year in June.

Ybarra talks votes on drug testing, police body cams

OLYMPIA — Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, said he has been thinking about a couple of bills he recently cast votes on that are working their way out of the legislature and toward the governor’s desk. It’s all part of this year’s very busy legislative session, the Basin legislator said. Senate Bill 5123, sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, bans pre-employment drug testing for cannabis. It passed the Senate 28-21 and the House 57-41. Ybarra was one of those 41 to say no to the bill.

Interstate 90 interchanges to be repaved

MOSES LAKE — Work is scheduled to start sometime in April on a Washington State Department of Transportation project to repave six traffic interchanges - on-ramps and off-ramps - along Interstate 90 between Quincy and Warden. Jeff Deal, WSDOT engineer on the project, wrote in an email to the Herald that most work along I-90 in Grant County would be the interchange repaving.

MLPD fields record calls in 2022, keeping patrol officers busy

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Police Department responded to nearly 20,000 calls in 2022 — a record number, according to Chief Kevin Fuhr, and one that keeps the department’s 45 sworn police officers almost constantly busy. “I think we’re doing a pretty dang good job making sure that we’re protecting our citizens,” Fuhr said.

Mavs weather a delay, down Eastmont 5-2

MOSES LAKE – Following an hour-long weather delay, the Moses Lake Mavericks used a strong first inning to get past Eastmont on Tuesday evening, winning 5-2 over the Wildcats. The win was the ninth-straight for Moses Lake, who now holds a 9-1 record on the year.

Michael Timothy Harris

We are heartbroken to announce that Michael T. Harris of Moses Lake, Washington has passed away on March 28, 2023. He was 68 years old. Born on July 30, 1954, to O.T Harris and Dorothy Louis Davis, he was a beloved husband, father, grandpa and friend. He was surrounded by his wife Debra Harris, his daughters Debbie and Heather, his sons-in-law Daryl Bullard and Ryan Ledgerwood and his three grandchildren Charlie, Susie and McKenna. Known for his sarcasm and humor, Michael had a great love and passion for God, Jesus, art, movie marathons with his wife and his children/grandchildren. He enjoyed fencing and nature with his two best friends.

Tax help available at senior centers

MOSES LAKE — Taxes can be confusing at the best of times. The Moses Lake and Ephrata senior centers are teaming up with AARP to take some of the confusion out of them at no charge. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program is supplying volunteers to assist seniors with filling out and filing their tax forms, according to Tax Aide’s Moses Lake coordinator Jeanette Entz. The volunteers undergo training in January and at the end of the training take the same test tax preparers take, Entz said...

Moses Lake BMX gaining momentum

Local bicycle racing group looks to grow the sport in the Basin

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake BMX is located at 610 Yakima Avenue behind the new Larson Rec Center. There, riders of all ages can come and learn more about BMX bike riding. Track Operator Jeff Niehenke said the goal of the organization is to provide sanctioned BMX racing for the youth and adults. The group also strives to foster family sports and build community. The BMX track itself was built around 2004 and since then saw a change in leadership when Niehenke took over about two and a half years ago. In the past year, the group got up to 49 members and in the past three years has doubled in size, he said. “We’re getting more and more riders every year,” he said...

Senior events calendar for April 2023

Retiring doesn’t mean you have to stop having fun. The Columbia Basin offers a wide variety of activities for seniors to get out an have a good time. Here is just a sampling of what is available for local retirees in the area.

Legals for April, 5 2023

Othello, Mattawa, Ritzville projects included in House, Senate capital budgets

MATTAWA — Projects in Mattawa, Othello and Ritzville could receive funding through the Washington Legislature’s biennial 2023-25 capital budget. Capital budget proposals for each legislative district were released by the Washington House and Senate last week. The budgets released last week are proposals only; the projects that make the final list will depend on negotiations between the House and Senate. House and Senate capital budget proposals differ because each chamber has different spending limits.

Basin sports schedule March 29-April 4

COLUMBIA BASIN – It’s a lighter week of high school sports action here in the Basin as schools have the week off for spring break, but teams return to a full slate of action on Tuesday.

Red Cross to hold blood drive in Ephrata

EPHRATA — The American Red Cross will be in Ephrata on April 19 for a blood drive, according to a statement from the Knights of Columbus and the Young Ladies Institute of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Parish. The two organizations are sponsoring the drive. The drive will be held from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Ephrata Recreation Center, 112 Basin St. SW, according to the statement. The Red Cross has imposed a mask mandate in the past, but that has been lifted and masks are now optional, the statement said. Volunteers from the Knights of Columbus and YLI will provide cookies and sandwiches.

Plan details recommendations for adding more Mattawa housing

MATTAWA — An overflow crowd filled Mattawa City Hall March 30 for a discussion about updating the city’s housing policies and regulations. Mattawa City Council members are scheduled to vote May 18 on a “Housing Action Plan,” which is the first step in that process. About 40 people attended the meeting, which featured a review of the proposed plan. Rachelle Bradley of SCJ Alliance, the city’s planner, said the plan is still a proposal and encouraged residents to comment.

ML girls wrestling receives national honorable mention

MOSES LAKE — Wrestling season may be over, but the honors keep coming in for the Moses Lake girls wrestling team. The Mavericks received an honorable mention in the final National Girls High School Team Rankings released by USA Wrestling last week. The selection committee is composed of members from USA Wrestling, FloWrestling and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. “It’s everything that we worked so hard for, as far as the team and coaches,” Moses Lake Head Coach David Peralez said. “We’re trying to build something that the community can really support and really be proud of. It’s amazing how fast in the last two years we’ve been able to get recognized on the national level.”

Cougars no-hit Bulldogs, win 19-0

WARDEN – An 11-run second inning surged the Warden Cougars over previously undefeated Colfax on Tuesday afternoon, winning 19-0 over the Bulldogs. “I was surprised with the score,” Warden Head Coach Randy Wright said. “They’re a good team. I don’t know, we were just on. Maybe the sunshine and the good weather made us play better.” Warden, now 5-0 this season, held a Colfax offense that was averaging 16.9 runs per game to zero. Cougar senior Lexi Leinweber pitched a no-hitter from the circle on Tuesday.

Sila says silicon anode material now for sale

MOSES LAKE — While it will still be a few months before Sila Nanotechnologies begins doing serious work on its Moses Lake facility, the company announced Tuesday that its flagship product, a silicon anode for rechargeable batteries called Titan Silicon, is now available for sale. “Titan Silicon is the only product on the market that can replace graphite entirely,” said Sila co-founder and CEO Gene Berdichevsky. “Silicon compounds and simple silicon materials have been around for a really long time … but those materials can only be used as additives and are a really small percent, about 5%.” In 2022, Alameda, California-based Sila Nanotechnologies spent $37.5 million to purchase the 600,000-square-foot building and 160 acres on Road N Northeast across from REC Silicon. Berdichesky said the company seeks to ramp up the manufacture of Titan Silicon to power 1 million electric vehicles over the course of five years after production is set to start in Moses Lake, sometime in the second half of 2024.

Avista files for 6% rate hike in Washington

SPOKANE — Avista has filed an application with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to raise rates on residential and commercial electricity customers across the company’s service area effective July 1, 2023, according to a company press release. In the filing, the company is asking to raise rates on residential customers by 6%, general service customers by 4.3%, large general service customers by 5.8%, extra large general service customers 9.1%, pumping service customers by 7%, and street and area light customers 1.4%, the press release said. A typical residential customer with a monthly electric bill of $88.82 would see that bill go up $5.60 per month to $94.42, a 6.3% increase, the press release said.

Group14 breaks ground on Wheeler Road factory

Battery company expects to start production in 2024

MOSES LAKE — Group14 Technologies, which aims to produce silicon anodes for rechargeable batteries, has bought nearly 44 acres in Moses Lake and has started construction on its new production facility, which it expects to complete in 2024. “When we’re up and going, this will be the largest facility of its kind in the world,” said Group14 Chief Operating Officer Eric Robinson, who is also heading up the company’s operations in Moses Lake. “We’re going to build the first two modules out on Wheeler Road, and each of these modules will be capable of producing 2,000 tons of our SCC55 (silicon-carbon composite) material each year.” If all works out, Robinson said construction should be complete and production will start next year.

GALLERY: Basin boys soccer

COLUMBIA BASIN – Both Ephrata and Quincy earned wins on the field last week, with the Jacks taking down Cascade (Leavenworth) 3-1 on Thursday and the Tigers defeating Grandview 3-2 on Friday. On March 25, the Royal Knights took down College Place 9-1.

RECAP: Moses Lake, Warden baseball post double-digit wins

COLUMBIA BASIN – Nearly a month into the 2023 season, baseball teams from across the Basin put up some high-powered wins during the previous week of action. See below for an update on how local squads fared in last week’s games. All scores are according to the WIAA...

Fair Committee member sought

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Fair Advisory Committee needs one more member...

Legals for April, 4 2023

Puppy grad

EPHRATA - The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has announced that its new peer support dog, Nitro, completed training late last week. He was trained by Cara Putnam’s Crossroads School of Dog Training, which is based in Quincy.

CWU to offer transfer advisement

MOSES LAKE – Students interested in transferring to Central Washington University can meet with Alissa Scriven, the CWU transfer outreach and onboarding counselor at the CWU-Wenatchee Center on Thursday, April 13...

Newspaper tax break bill passes WA Senate

OLYMPIA – Legislation to help support the news media by exempting them from the state business and occupation tax passed the state Senate Friday. “Local journalists play an essential role to inform the public, hold politicians and government accountable, and make our communities stronger,” said Sen. Mark Mullet (D-Issaquah), sponsor of the bill. “That role is particularly important at the local level, where incredibly important decisions are made that CNN or Fox News will never cover. We need to make sure our small local newspapers can stay afloat and keep serving the public, and this bill will help.” ...

Capped: Washington sets permanent price cap at $35 per month for insulin

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5729 Thursday, which ensures that Washingtonians with diabetes will continue to pay no more than $35 a month for insulin. “This legislation isn’t a perfect solution — I had hoped that Congress would take action to ensure insulin is affordable for all Americans,” said Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines), sponsor of the bill. “But by keeping costs down for people with diabetes, this price cap is going to save lives in Washington.” ...

Tire collection event set for late April

MOSES LAKE — Grant County residents will have a chance to unload those unwanted tires this month, according to a statement from the Grant County Public Works Department...

American Legion Auxiliary national president visits Ephrata

EPHRATA – The American Legion Auxiliary National President Vickie Koutz visited American Legion Post and Unit 28 in Ephrata last week for a celebration of veterans contributions to the community and country. “This is our way of thanking them for all that they do for us,” said Koutz. “I try to thank all the veterans for their service to our country because if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t have the opportunity to even be here today.” ...

QVMC design coming in early May

QUINCY — Details of the design for the new Quincy Valley Medical Center are starting to take shape. Architects and construction experts are still working to nail down costs, said Joe Kunkel, the consultant working with QVMC on the project...

Stanley’s walk-off hit gives Mavs 8-7 win over Othello

EAST WENATCHEE – The final inning in Saturday’s fastpitch contest between Moses Lake and Othello saw two lead changes, including the walk-off hit by Maverick senior Ali Stanley that gave her team an 8-7 win over the Huskies.

Douglas and Beverly Lee

Beverly Lowe Gillett Lee, born at home in Spokane to Harlin and Inez Gillett, January 16, 1933, joining her brother Harlin. She passed away December 17, 2022. Douglas Kekuaokaloaualailiahi Cobb-Adams Lee, aka Douglas K.C.A. Lee came from humble sources as a 3rd generation Cave Man. Born October 18, 1936 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Grebell Cob-Adams and Alfred Burton. He passed away May 3, 2020 from COVID-19.

Hot sand in the Columbia Basin

Sand Scorpions start off spring with dune drag races

MOSES LAKE — Over the weekend local ATV/ORV enthusiast group the Sand Scorpions hosted an event out at the sand dunes called the Run What You Brung Sand Drags, a free off roading event where anyone with a capable machine or vehicle could come and race the dunes. Sand Scorpions member Brandon Douglass said as many as 1,000 people were either riding out on their vehicles or just there to enjoy watching others show off their toys. There were all sorts of different vehicles from trucks to side-by-sides and plenty of custom vehicles, he said.

Seahawks mascot healthy after surgery at WSU

OLYMPIA - The Seattle Seahawks’ live mascot, Taima, will be ready to lead his team onto the field when the NFL season kicks off after undergoing a short procedure at Washington State University to remove a concerning growth from his left foot...

The hidden dangers of salmonella infections in pets

Humans typically avoid raw foods because of the risk of developing a salmonella infection, a common bacterial disease that harms the intestinal tract. While humans can be infected with salmonella more easily than animals, there is still a risk of pets developing the infection as well...

Family flowers

Sisters keep Quincy business in the family while making it their own

QUINCY — Looking over the options, Ashley Ko knew immediately there was one that wouldn’t do. Ko, co-owner of the Flower Basket in Quincy, had an arrangement for a client in mind as she checked the flowers being delivered. “Mmmmm, they’re not going to like the yellow,” she said. Ko and her sister Kristin Mead know their customers and their business - their mom Sue Stetner opened the Flower Basket at its current location, 109 F St. SE, about 20 years ago. Sue Stetner had been working in the flower shop for about 20 years prior to purchasing it, Mead said. The sisters bought it from their mom after she talked about selling it, and they weren’t sure they wanted it to be sold outside the family. “This is our sixth year that we have been doing it together,” Ko said...

Legals for April, 3 2023

Othello man arrested following chase

OTHELLO — An Othello man was taken into custody late Friday after leading Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a chase that ended on Main Street in Othello, according to a statement from the ACSO. The statement said Andres Garza, 35, of Othello, was wanted in connection with a robbery when ACSO deputies located his vehicle and used a pursuit technique to bring his car to a stop. In an ACSO dash-cam video, a sheriff’s deputy pursuing Garza uses the front end of his car to nudge Garza’s vehicle so that Garza was forced to turn, spin out and come to a stop on Main Street.

Watchful neighbor helps GCSO nab burglar

EPHRATA — A Moses Lake man was arrested Friday morning after burglarizing a home thanks to a watchful neighbor, according to a statement released by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. In a statement issued early Saturday, the GCSO said Brandon Cirame, 35, was taken into custody a little after 8 a.m. Friday when a resident on the 4300 block of Road E.9 NE saw him carrying an empty backpack and walking around a nearby unoccupied house. The neighbor then noticed Cirame leave the house with his backpack full, the statement said.

Chavez’s two goals give Tigers 3-2 win over Grandview

EPHRATA – Freshman Ramon Chavez scored two goals to help push his Tiger squad over Grandview on Friday night, earning their second victory of the season in a 3-2 match against the Greyhounds. “I’m happy to win with my team,” Chavez said. “They did a good job of putting in the work out there and executing the game plan we wanted.” Chavez scored his first goal early in the match to give Ephrata a 1-0 lead, but the Greyhounds answered quickly to tie. Later in the 25th minute, a corner kick by junior Vinci Pichardo set up a goal by junior Llandon Ahmann that gave Ephrata a 2-1 lead at the half.

Strong second half gives Jacks fifth-straight win

QUINCY – Even with blustery conditions on the field, the Jackrabbits rallied in the second half for a 3-1 win over Cascade (Leavenworth) on Thursday night in Quincy. The Jackrabbits were down 1-0 after the first half, but goals by freshman Erick Zepeda, senior Isaac Lopez and junior Alexander Murillo powered Quincy to its fifth-straight win. “I think it’s just going to be that type of season where the second half is our part of the game,” Quincy Head Coach Francisco Tafoya said. “The wind was probably a factor in the first half where we just couldn’t break into their side of the field, a lot of it was played on ours.”

Mavs blow out Eisenhower

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks beat out the competition 20-1 and 8-0 in a pair windy home games against the Eisenhower Cadets on Friday, putting the Mavs at 8-1 overall and placing them at the top of the Columbia Basin Big-Nine. The Mavs had just previously played against Eisenhower on Tuesday and were able to find similar success beating them 10-7. Eisenhower was able to make a comeback in the week prior, so the Mavs focused on making sure that wouldn’t happen again, according to Head Coach Donnie Lindgren.

Rain Delay leads to loss for Vikings Baseball

Vikings look forward to their next home game after falling to Blue Mountain

MOSES LAKE — On Wednesday, the Big Bend Community College Vikings were all set to play the Blue Mountain Timberwolves, but play was delayed due to rain and when the postponed games finally resumed on Thursday, the Vikings fell to the Timberwolves in both contests. According to Vikings Head Coach Chase Tunstall, the Timberwolves were able to put up five runs as opposed to the Vikings, who were only able to respond with two by the end of the game. Tunstall said the Vikings were held to about five or six hits in the first game and ended up striking out more than anticipated as well as committing a number of errors on defense that allowed for runs to cross the plate.

The smell of spring

Jackeline Pacheco turns a hot dog wrapped in bacon and jalapeno peppers while Mario Flores watches the deep fryer as they fry up authentic Mexican bacon-wrapped hot dogs outside the commercial building at the Grant County Fairgrounds during the Spring Farmers Market on Saturday. Pacheco and Flores own Porky’s Hot Dog, which sells its Mexican take on the classic American dish from its food truck at venues as varied as Walmart and the Moses Lake Taproom.

Speaker warns of impact that high-potency marijuana can have on youth

MOSES LAKE – Laura Stack, Founder of Johnny’s Ambassadors, spoke at Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center Thursday evening about the impact high-potency marijuana products can have on youth development and mental health. She shared her personal story of losing her son, Johnny, to suicide — something she believes marijuana contributed to. “If it takes another 60 years, like it did with tobacco, this is going to be a nightmare if it doesn’t get regulated,” said Stack.

Growth in Quincy and sports review on Basin Studio Podcast

On this episode of the Studio Basin podcast, senior reporter Cheryl Schweizer sits down with Quincy City Administrator Pat Haley to discuss growth in Quincy and how that growth has affected the area. Next, sports reporter Ian Bivona recaps the previous week of Basin sports action. The Studio Basin podcast can be found on your favorite podcasting apps, or downloaded directly at https://bit.ly/3ZytWoT.

Weather for Monday, April 3, 2023

Monday: A 20% chance of showers after 11 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 51. Calm wind becoming westerly at 5-7 mph in the afternoon, while Monday night should be mostly cloudy with a low around 29. Tuesday: A 20% chance of showers after 11 a.m. and mostly sunny with a high near 52. Tuesday night should be partly cloudy with a low around 29. Wednesday: Sunny with a high near 56 while Wednesday night should be mostly clear with a low around 32. Thursday: Sunny with a high near 58, while Thursday night is expected to see a 20% chance of showers and will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Friday: A 20% chance of showers and mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Source: National Weather Service

Quincy roundabout construction starts Monday

Delays expected to last until mid-July at the intersection of White Trail Road and S.R. 28

QUINCY — White Trail Road will be closed at its intersection with State Route 28 about eight miles west of Quincy, beginning today. Construction crews will be installing a roundabout at the intersection. The new roundabout will be a single lane in each direction, while the total project cost was estimated at about $2.8 million. Miguel Castillo of WSDOT, the project engineer, said SR 28 will be what he called the “preferred route” during construction.

ML looking at Cascade Valley, Wheeler utility expansion

MOSES LAKE — The city of Moses Lake is looking at ways to expand sewer and water coverage to areas of Cascade Valley outside the city limits as well as improve the water supply and sewage treatment for businesses along Wheeler Road. According to City Engineer Richard Law, the city is simply exploring what’s needed, what the improvements might cost and where the money to pay for them might come from. “We have a lot of ideas, but not a lot of concrete plans forward,” Law said.