STUDIO BASIN: Soap Lake School District, traffic updates and Maverick baseball

MOSES LAKE — A developing story in Soap Lake, awards for local law enforcement officers for their heroism and summer traffic season in the Columbia Basin were the subjects of the STUDIO BASIN podcast for March 29.

The Soap Lake School Board asked for the resignation of Superintendent Aaron Chavez during the board meeting March 25, and board members also declared a financial emergency. According to the resolution, the financial emergency could lead to reductions in school district staff.

Law enforcement officers from the Moses Lake Police Department, Grant County Sheriff’s Office and Quincy Police Department received recognition for acts of heroism. Quincy officer Stephen Harder received the Carnegie Medal for Heroism for his part in rescuing an unconscious woman from a burning house in January 2023. Moses Lake officers Edgar Salazar, Kyle McCain, Omar Ramirez and Curt Ledeboer, along with Korey Judkins from the GCSO received the Washington State Medal of Honor for their actions in saving a woman during a shooting at the Gorge Amphitheater in June 2023.

And it being spring and road repair season, traffic is back in the news. Road crews will begin repaving State Route 17 through Moses Lake Monday. Drivers can expect delays during work hours, which for this project will be 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday. 

Construction work has already started on the Vantage Bridge, and drivers are encouraged to look for alternative routes on busy summer weekends, when heavy traffic could lead to significant delays.

In sports, Moses Lake High School's baseball team traveled to Seattle to practice at T-Mobile Park, the home of the Seattle Mariners. The opportunity to practice on an MLB field came after the field was resurfaced by Moses Lake-based Northwest Turf Solutions, and grounds crew at the ballpark were searching for a team to run a practice to ensure the field was ready for the Mariners. 

The Royal boys soccer team defeated College Place 5-1 on March 23, including a two-goal outing by senior Freddy Cabrera. Royal stands at 6-2 so far this season.

The Almira/Coulee-Hartline baseball and softball teams maintained their unbeaten starts to the season after sweeping Wellpinit in their respective doubleheaders Tuesday. The Warrior baseball team won 17-1 and 16-1, while the softball earned wins by a score of 16-0 and 19-2.

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