Ellington

MLSD cross country students threatened with firearm

MOSES LAKE — Frontier and Endeavor middle school cross country students were approached by a vehicle whose occupants threatened them with a firearm Tuesday afternoon, according to Moses Lake School District Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon. “As we understand, law enforcement is actively investigating and nothing has been completely confirmed by law enforcement, but we were told that a vehicle drove up to a group of students and a gun was pointed at the students,” Shannon said. “That is where we are at this point; law enforcement is actively investigating the situation.” All students and staff are safe, and no injuries occurred. The students were en route to return to Frontier Middle School to be reunited with families as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. Around 60 students were participating in the cross-country activity, Shannon said, and all of the parents and guardians of those students will receive a phone call from him explaining the situation. “The safety of our students and staff is the top priority of the Moses Lake School District,” Shannon said. “Regarding the situation this afternoon, we will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement and provide all information to the public as it becomes available to us.”

Washington’s minimum wage to top $17 in 2026

OLYMPIA — Washington state’s minimum wage will surpass $17 per hour in 2026. It will rise 2.8% to $17.13 per hour, starting Jan. 1, the state Department of Labor and Industries announced Tuesday. The current $16.66 per-hour wage already leads the nation, though California and parts of New York are close at $16.50. The federal minimum wage is set at $7.25. The cities of Seattle, Bellingham, Burien, Everett, Renton, SeaTac and Tukwila all set minimum wages higher than the state. As does unincorporated King County. Advocates in Lynnwood are looking to join that list, as they gather support for a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage to $20.24 per hour there.

Oct. 1 brings new taxes for Washington businesses and consumers

(The Center Square) – A new slate of taxes goes into effect on Wednesday. The changes were passed as part of the 2025-27 biennial budget package, which lawmakers approved in May, and are projected to generate billions in revenue.

Moses Lake man arrested after Coulee City standoff

COULEE CITY — A Moses Lake man was arrested and booked in the Grant County Jail Monday on a felony warrant from Pasco. Kelly Joe Blackburn, 42, was found hiding at a house in Coulee City and refused to come out. Grant County Sheriff’s deputies found Blackburn at a residence in the 100 block of First Street in Coulee City, according to a GCSO media release. The Pasco Police Department had issued an arrest warrant on suspicion of rape. “A tip on Monday afternoon led deputies to the home,” the GCSO release said. Deputies acted on the tip at about 2 pm. Monday, but Blackburn refused to come out of the house. Deputies eventually found him at about 5 p.m., hiding in a pile of clothes in an upstairs bedroom, the release said.

Othello candidate forum Oct. 7

OTHELLO — Othello-area voters will get a chance to listen to candidates for local offices at a forum Oct. 7 at The Showhouse, 130 N. Broadway Ave., Othello. Showhouse co-owner Tania Morales said the forum is the continuation of what its former and current owners consider a public service. “The previous owners, the Reicherts, actually have held several candidate forums here,” Morales said. “And community members have approached us and told us, ‘You guys should consider doing this.’” School board positions are among the races on the 2025 ballot, which makes it difficult to use school district locations, she said. “The Showhouse has a stage, and lights and sound and everything. This is where the Reicherts (sponsored) them. A lot of people came up to us and said, ‘Hey you guys should do this.’ And we (said), ‘We’ve never done it before,’ and then we just said, ‘Hey, why not?’ So, we decided to go for it,” she said.

Ephrata man injured in SR 17 collision

EPHRATA — The Washington State Patrol is investigating a collision at the intersection of state Route 17 and state Route 28 Monday that sent an Ephrata man to Kadlec Regional Medical Center. Danny Rhoads, 43, was driving east on SR 28 at about 4 p.m. Monday when a motorhome driven by Cody Johnson, 71, Soap Lake, failed to stop at the stop sign, according to WSP press memo. Johnson pulled in front of Rhoads’ vehicle, the memo said, and Rhoads ran into the motorhome. Johnson and a passenger in Rhoads’ vehicle, a 17-year-old boy, were not injured.

Adams County public works director resigns for new job

RITZVILLE — Adams County Engineer Scott Yaeger will serve as the interim public works director while county officials search for new one. Longtime public works director Todd O’Brien resigned to take a job with the state County Road Administration Board. O’Brien said he has been employed by Adams County since a summer job in high school. “It’s been an honor and a pleasure to do what I’ve done for the last 35 years,” O’Brien said. Adams County Commissioner Jay Weise said the search is underway.

Basin Volleyball round up – Sept.24 - Sept. 29

MOSES LAKE – As the 2025 Basin volleyball continues, teams are preparing to make their push for a spot in the post season. See below where your favorite teams stand. The numbers in parenthesis indicate the team's current record.

Vikings fall short against CBC

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings volleyball team (2-13) played in a close three-set match against Columbia Basin College Friday evening, but ultimately fell to their opponent 0-3. “(CBC) has some solid hitters that just came in with a lot of speed and quickness,” said Vikings head coach Lindsey Linthicum. “We’re just still trying to find that inner confidence.” The Vikings started off slow, losing their first set 12-25. Linthicum said she had the players trying out a different rotation to switch things up, but this caused the team to struggle.

College football recap

MOSES LAKE – Another week of college football in Washington has wrapped up. Some teams fell short in conference play, while others were an imposing force over their opponents. See below where your favorite collegiate football programs stand.

Mavs compete at Mukilteo Invitational

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks’ girls swim and dive team traveled to Cascade High School to compete in the Mukilteo Invitational on Saturday where they earned fourteenth overall out of the 31 teams. “It went good – that’s the pool where we go back for our state competition in November, so it was getting some of the girls used to it that have never been there. And for other people that have been there, they get a chance to compete against some of the top swimmers in the state in probably the fastest pool in the state,” said Mavs head coach Tony Preston. The top finish for the Mavs came in the 100-yard freestyle event, where senior Bria Bodenman earned seventh place with a final time of 57.16. Dallie Cobb earned twenty-third in the event with a final time of 59.90 and twenty-second in the 50 Freestyle event.

Jacks earn first win of the season

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks (1-3) earned their first win of the season Friday, overcoming the Wapato Wolves 35-14 on the road. Head Coach Seth Longwill said he was happy with what he saw from his players. “I thought the kids really stepped up and they wanted it, they just kept fighting and playing hard, which is what we’ve been encouraging, not getting down and working together,” Longwill said. In the first quarter, the Jacks struck first after quarterback Pierce Bierlink found Jace Reyes on a 21-yard touchdown pass. The Wolves did not respond offensively, and the Jacks finished the first quarter with a 7-0 lead.

Ephrata PD logs for Oct. 2, 2025

The reports below were provided by the Ephrata Police Department. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Adams County Sheriff’s Office Jail Roster for Oct. 2, 2025

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. This is the active list of inmates for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office listed in order of the date of arrest. The Adams County Jail is closed, so inmates are housed in other jurisdictions.

WorkSource Job Fair coming Friday

MOSES LAKE — Job seekers will have a chance to connect with employers at the WorkSource Job Fair Friday.

Charles Frederick Widmer

Nov. 8, 1943 — Sept. 22, 2025

Charles Frederick Widmer, 81, of Moses Lake passed away peacefully on Sept. 22, 2025, with his wife and son at his side. He was born in Woodburn, Oregon on Nov. 8, 1943, to the late John and Louise Grant and later adopted by Albert and Hannah Widmer of Warden, Washington. Charles was a dedicated family man, a loving husband to his wife of 54 years Carol and a proud supportive father to his three children Deborah, Charles Jr. and Christopher. He attended Big Bend Community College before being drafted into the Army and sent to Vietnam. He returned to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, as a sergeant E5. He served his country from July 21, 1969, to April 19, 1971. He returned back to Warden, Washington and farmed until he retired.

Live grenade discovered in family’s front yard

HARTLINE – Grant County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a residence in 600 block of Willard Street in Hartline Monday after a three-year-old boy found a live hand grenade in his family’s front yard.

Thi Sahn Ayers

Jan. 1, 1936 — Sept. 23, 2025

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Thi Sanh Ayers, who peacefully departed on Sept. 23, 2025, in Moses Lake, Washington, at the age of 89, after a long battle with various illnesses. Born on Jan. 1, 1936, in Can Tho, Vietnam, Thi Sanh moved to the United States in 1975 and dedicated the last 50 years to making Moses Lake her beloved home. A devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Sanh will be cherished for her fierce fighting spirit, her incredible survivor mentality, and her deep passion for gardening, cooking, and fishing.

Ephrata welcomes a sweet new shop

Moonbeam Sweets and Treats opens on First Avenue and offers desserts galore.

EPHRATA – Moonbeam Sweets and Treats is the newest addition to local businesses in Ephrata. The shop is located at 156 First Ave NW and features a variety of different sweet treats.

Palmer’s Adventure Farm kicks off Fall Fest

MOSES LAKE – Palmer’s Adventure Farm has begun its Fall Fest over the weekend. Formerly known as StrawBelly’s, the farm held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday afternoon to celebrate their new branding and new location.

Samaritan Hospital opening scheduled for March 2026

MOSES LAKE — The projected opening day for the new Samaritan Hospital is about six months away. “We expect that we would get the temporary certificate of occupancy Dec. 12,” said Samaritan Chief Executive Officer Theresa Sullivan. “And then the first patients March 7, 2026.” Construction has reached the stage of painting walls, installing doors, finishing installing lights and starting to install equipment. Crews were putting together some of the imaging equipment Tuesday morning.

UMANI Festival hosts second lucha wrestling show

MOSES LAKE — On Saturday, Columbia Basin Allied Art and Northwest Pro Wrestling hosted the Lucha and Lowriders Wrestling show at the Youth Dynamics building. It was the UMANI festival’s second time hosting the wrestling show. CBAA Executive Director Shawn Cardwell called Saturday’s event a dream. “I thought the crowd was amazing,” Cardwell said. “We had papas bringing their daughters and grandchildren. It’s a dream for any presenter to have a crowd like that, to work with performers like that, and to be hosted by venues like (Youth Dynamics). It was so good all around.” This year’s show was held indoors, unlike last year when it was held outside on Division Street, Cardwell said. Holding the event indoors made it more family-friendly, she said. Fans packed into front of the event space. Ahead of them on the basketball court was a ring with a blue mat, ropes taped yellow, white and blue, and a black curtain lining the outside of the ring.

Legals for September, 30 2025

WA fuel prices still second-highest in nation

MOSES LAKE — For the second week in a row, Washington has the second-highest average fuel prices in the nation at $4.56 per gallon, an eight-cent decrease from last week. California, the only state in the nation with higher prices, is sitting at $4.66, according to AAA. “Pacific Northwest drivers are getting some relief now that a pipeline issue has been resolved and pump prices are trending downward,” AAA wrote in a statement Thursday. “The Atlantic hurricane season is halfway over, but the tropics remain a concern for the next two months if there’s storm activity in the Gulf that affects refineries in the area.”

Zolman retires from Quincy hospital commission after 20 years

QUINCY — Randy Zolman said he didn’t know much about the job when he joined the Quincy Valley Medical Center commission in 2005. “I had no idea,” he said. “I thought it would be interesting.” Zolman resigned earlier this month after 20 years as a QVMC commissioner; his term would have ended in December. Ronald Huxtable is running unopposed for the position and was appointed to the QVMC commission at its Sept. 22 meeting.

FIRE REPORT: Sept. 30, 2025

MOSES LAKE — Over the weekend, there was growth of around 28,000 acres burning in Washington. As of Monday afternoon, there were nearly 167,000 acres burning across the state. The two fires that saw the most growth are both located outside of Wenatchee.

Eagles Blank Bengals for First Big Sky victory

CHENEY – Eastern Washington women's soccer earned its first Big Sky win of the season on Sunday, defeating Idaho State 2–0 at the EWU Sports & Recreation Soccer Field. The Eagles controlled the match from the opening whistle, according to a EWU media release, fueled by defensive intensity and timely goals from Delani Walker and Chloe Pattison.

Paws for applause: Meet PeePaw

MOSES LAKE – In the heart of Grant County Animal Outreach, a star is born! PeePaw, the one-month-old prodigy pup, is wagging his way into hearts with his ruff-et-table charm. This neutered, vaccinated and microchipped mixed breed is ready for his "furever" home. PeePaw may be pint-sized, but he's got a paw-sitive outlook bigger than the biggest of breeds. Don't let this opportunity paws by; come say hello to PeePaw, our little tail-wagging newsworthy nugget. If he happens to steal your heart, fill out his application at GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org. If you can’t adopt right now, but would like to help a local shelter, visit the website and click “donate.”

Port of Ephrata to host aerial applicators fly-in

EPHRATA — The Port of Ephrata will serve as the venue for the third annual fly-in pancake breakfast, hosted by the Association of Washington Aerial Applicators, on Saturday, Oct. 4. This event is set to showcase the role aerial applicators play in Washington’s agricultural industry while offering community members an engaging opportunity to learn about low-level aviation. The pancake breakfast will kick off at 8 a.m. and is priced at $20 per person, with children under 10 eating free. The event is open to the public at no charge, said Dave Lanman, executive director of the Port of Ephrata

Tigers’ Pichardo in the running for Youth Athlete of the Year

EPHRATA – Ephrata Tigers junior soccer player Diego Pichardo was nominated for the 2025 Youth Athlete of the Year award and placed fourth overall in the rankings after making it to the semifinal round.

Basin Football Round up – Week 4

MOSES LAKE – We are already a month into the 2025 Basin football season. With league play beginning, championship teams will begin to stand out as the season continues. See below where your favorite teams stand.

Charity golf raises funds for Alzheimer's awareness

WARDEN – On Saturday, Karisti Cox held the third annual “Dude! Where’s my Cart!?” charity golf tournament. The tournament aims to put a fun and educational spin on raising awareness for Alzheimer’s, she said. “The fundraising is all designed to go towards the Alzheimer's Association, and, more specifically, to the Columbia Basin Walk to End Alzheimer's, but ultimately, it all goes to the same place,” she said.

Phyllis Ribble

Phyllis Ribble, 77, of Ephrata, died Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. Arrangements are by Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee.

Diesel storage tank fire near George

GEORGE – At around 11 a.m. Grant County Fire District 3 was dispatched to a 4,000 gallon above ground diesel storage fire at Williamson Precision, according to Grant County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman. The fire, located in the 3500 block of Adams Rd. S.W., was out by around 2:15 p.m., Foreman said.

One injured in Mattawa shooting

MATTAWA – The Mattawa Police Department is asking for the public’s help in the investigation of an incident that left an unidentified victim wounded.

Kelda, pre-trained and ready to be adopted

OTHELLO – Meet Kelda, a remarkable Ridge Dog graduate from the Coyote Ridge Correctional Center in Connell, Washington. With her stunning athleticism, gentle demeanor, and playful spirit, Kelda is a joyful companion waiting to enrich your life. She thrives on human interaction and is always eager to meet new friends, making her the ideal addition to a loving family. Kelda has undergone an extensive training program, mastering commands such as sit, stay, lie down, and come when called.

Gene (Clinton) Smith

June 11, 1952 — Sept. 23, 2025

Gene Smith, 73, passed away peacefully, Sept. 23, 2025, at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, Washington. Gene was born June 11, 1952, to Clinton and Geneva Smith in Seattle, Washington. They moved to Moses Lake in 1957 where he went to school and raised a family. Gene graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1971 and married Naomi Johnson that same year. They were married 54 years at the time of his death. Gene worked for Americold, then moved on to Columbia Colstor where he retired. He quickly became bored and went to work at Genie until he had to quit working.

Jeffrey Sparr

Aug. 10, 1958 — Sept. 11, 2025

Jeffrey Scott Sparr, 67, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. Jeff was born on Aug. 10, 1958 in Red Oak, Iowa to Max and Lynn Sparr. He grew up in a loving household with five siblings. He moved to Moses Lake, Washington with his family when he was a teenager. Jeff started working at Ranch and Home when he was 15 years old. He became general manager of the store, now called North 40 Outfitters, and worked there for over 45 years. He loved spending time at the store, and the good friendships that he developed through the store. While growing up, Jeff enjoyed riding the minibike he built and helping on his grandparents' farm. His favorite pastimes include working on vehicles, fixing things, fishing, watching Gonzaga basketball and taking trips to see his friends in Mexico. He was recognized as Moses Lake Roundup Man of the Year in 2015. Jeff was a hard worker, good-natured, loved helping people and was always smiling.

Merlin D. Jones

Jan. 12, 1948 — Sept. 26, 2025

Merlin Daniel Jones, 77, passed away Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, at Othello Care. He was born Jan. 12, 1948, in Ephrata, Washington to Clifford and Evelyn Salkield Jones of Mae Valley. He went to school in Moses Lake until he joined the Army in 1966. He was in transportation in Germany which gave him the opportunity to travel much in that country which he grew to love. He served in Vietnam then return to Germany where he met and married Suse Knoedler in 1972. He was transferred to the U.S. about 1975 and retired from the Army in 1981. He moved back to Moses Lake. He retired from Basic American Potato around 2013 due to advancing Parkinson’s.

Police searching for theft suspect near Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – Law enforcement officers are currently searching for a theft suspect with drones and K-9 units on Road P Northeast and Road 3 Northeast near Moses Lake.

Kershaw works 5 1/3 scoreless innings in final regular-season start as Dodgers top Mariners 6-1

SEATTLE (AP) — Clayton Kershaw tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings in the final regular-season start of his 18-year major league career and helped the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Seattle Mariners 6-1 on Sunday. Kershaw (11-2) scattered four hits, three of them singles, and struck out seven, including the last batter he faced — the Mariners’ Eugenio Suárez. The 37-year-old left-hander turned to his slider in the top of the sixth to retire Suárez for the 3,052nd strikeout of his career. He then left the game to a standing ovation from a sellout crowd at T-Mobile Park.

Gaines appointed Grant County Administrator

EPHRATA — Grant County Central Services Director Tom Gaines has been appointed as interim Grant County Administrator. Grant County Commissioner Cindy Carter said it’s something commissioners have been thinking about for a while, and advertised for applications about two months ago.

NCW Libraries offers civics, discourse programs

MOSES LAKE – North Central Washington libraries will host a digital Fall Program series for adults in partnership with Oregon Humanities and the NCW Equity Alliance that centers on the core values of listening, learning and building community. “The idea is just to bring people together to have reflective conversations,” said Alicia O’Dell, Adult Services Manager at NCW Libraries. “To think and share together and just kind of reevaluate what we think and hear from different perspectives with the goal of learning from one another.”

Local legislators to present at Ephrata City Council

EPHRATA – The Ephrata City Council is set to host an open house featuring a state senator and two state representatives, all local Republicans, on Oct. 1.

Reptiles, learning and local fun

April the Reptile Lady coming to Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – The City of Moses Lake Museum and Art Center is hosting free family Saturday, Oct. 4, featuring a presentation from April Jackson or as she’s better known, April the Reptile Lady.

Weather for the week of Sept. 29, 2025

Weather for the week of Sept. 29, 2025

Mavs slow pitch remains undefeated

MOSES LAKE – On Thursday, the Mavericks (10-0) took care of business after having to pivot and move their game to home field due to air quality. They swept the Wenatchee Panthers 14-2 and 19-3 in doubleheader action.

Huskies dominate Vikings, remain undefeated

OTHELLO – On Friday, the Huskies (4-0) secured a 46-13 victory over the Selah Vikings. Despite the big win over an undefeated opponent, Huskies Defensive Coordinator Kevin Hale said they still have some things to clean up.

Quincy-area fire burns 350 acres

QUINCY — A fire in an area difficult to access about 11 miles north of Quincy Thursday eventually grew to about 350 acres and required crews to remain on the scene overnight. The fire was reported about noon Thursday and Bob Horst, assistant chief for Grant County Fire District 3, said the scene is near GCFD 3’s boundary.

Moses Lake parks plan includes new Longview park

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake city officials want to make some changes to Sinkiuse Square and build a new park in the Longview neighborhood. Those were the projects included in the city’s capital projects improvement plan for parks.

Woman, 82, found in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — At around 12 p.m. Friday, Grant County Sheriff's Office received a call that a body had been found by a fisherman in Moses Lake - the body of water - near the 7000 block of Dune Lake Road.

Tigers defeat Mavericks in overtime on the pitch

MOSES LAKE – On Thursday, the Ephrata Tigers stormed Lions Field and brought home an overtime victory against the Mavericks. After a scoreless game in regulation, the Tigers’ fate would be decided by goalkeeper Airan Valle. The Tigers secured the victory after holding their own in penalty kicks 4-2. “I'm just like, ‘Okay, let's stay calm, and let's just save these goals,’” Valle said.

Mavs dominate at home

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks regained a home game on their schedule Friday after air quality shifted their away game against Wenatchee to Lions Field. Grabbing ahold of the home-field advantage, the Mavs showed off their strength with a 56-0 victory over the Panthers. “We had a rough week and then we came out and balled,” said Mavs receiver Carter Anderson.

Kiké Hernández hits 2-run HR, Dalton Rushing has 2 hits and a key RBI as Dodgers beat Mariners 3-2

SEATTLE (AP) — Kiké Hernández hit a two-run home run, Dalton Rushing had two hits and a key RBI, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Friday night. Justin Wrobleski, the second of seven Dodgers pitchers in a bullpen game, got the win. Wrobleski (5-5) gave up three hits and struck out three in two innings. Tanner Scott got the last three outs, pitching out of a bases-loaded jam, for his 23rd save.

Body found in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — At around 2:00 p.m. Grant County Sheriff's Office received a call that a body had been found in Moses Lake near the 7000 block of Dune Lake Road. Sheriff’s deputies are on scene. There will be more updates as information is released to the public.

Jason Myers boots 52-yard FG on final play, lifting Seahawks to 23-20 win over Cardinals

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks could have been shell-shocked, giving up a 14-point lead during the latter half of the fourth quarter and turning their comfortable advantage into a tie game with 33 seconds left. It looked like they might need overtime to make amends.

BASIN BOX SCORE: Local sports recap, Mariners, and upcoming top matchups

MOSES LAKE - On this episode of the Basin Box Score, hosts Mike Maynard and Caleb Perez discuss recent events in Basin sports. The Moses Lake cross country team recently returned from the Woodbridge Invitational in California. The Mavericks slow pitch team remains undefeated. Caleb shares an update on youth football in Moses Lake. The Mariners finishing their historic season strong and Washington football has a big weekend ahead of them.

Evolve with Chrysallis

OTHELLO – Chrysallis is about four months old boy and is a mix of this and that with a whole lot of love and adorable thrown in. Two siblings, both females, joined Chrysallis at Adams County Pet Rescue and are available for adoption. Like all pets up for adoption at ACPR, Chrysallis is up to date on all vaccinations and has been neutered/spayed. Visit adamscountypetrescue.com or call 509-488-5514 for more information. If you are unable to adopt but would like to support the shelter, click the “donate” button at the top of the website.

BASIN EVENTS: Sept. 26-Oct. 31

COLUMBIA BASIN – Spooky season is right around the corner to be followed with feasting and holiday cheer. Yes. Already. While you’re waiting though, there’s no reason to be bored with plenty of things going on during the last week of September and into October.

Cars, Cops, Coffee and First Responders event cruising in

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Classic Car club will be hosting the annual Cars, Cops, Coffee and First Responders Thank You Salute Show ‘n Shine Saturday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 944 W Third Ave at the old Ace Hardware lot in Moses Lake.

Construction debris solutions available

MOSES LAKE — There’s a lot of construction going on in the Basin right now, and sometimes it can get a little messy. A construction site generates a lot significant amount of trash, and when the wind picks up, it sometimes of trash, and when the wind picks up, sometimes it ends up in the neighbors’ yards. There’s a way to deal with that, said City of Moses Lake Building Inspector Will Mumma.

MOSES LAKE CITY COUNCIL: Martinez vs. Davis

MOSES LAKE — Jeremy Davis is challenging incumbent Deanna Martinez for Position 1 on the Moses Lake City Council. Both candidates were sent identical questions with a 150-word limit.

ROAD REPORT: Construction season winding down

MOSES LAKE — Fall is officially here – chilly mornings, shorter days, pumpkin spice lattes, all the things. With fall’s arrival, the end of road construction season is in sight, but there are still projects underway throughout the Columbia Basin.

Reserve Deputy Rob Harris retires from GCSO

Retirement ends reserve program for sheriff's office

MOSES LAKE – Grant County Reserve Sheriff’s Deputy Rob Harris worked his last night of service last Friday and has officially retired from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s kind of surreal, I’ve been a reserve with them for over 13 years, and I’ve absolutely loved what I did,” said Harris.

NCW Library renovations progress regionally

EPHRATA – The North Central Washington Library District is making strides towards the remodeling of several public library facilities across the region, but delays in the Ephrata Library renovations have raised questions about the timeline of future projects. The project, according to Supervising Librarian Aaron Loeffelbein, was supposed to start at the beginning of 2026. However, the district is now expecting a start date closer to March or April of 2026.

Moses Lake Police Department logs for Sept. 26

MOSES LAKE — The reports below were provided by the Moses Lake Police Department. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Quincy Police Department logs for Sept. 9, 2025

QUINCY — The reports below were provided by the Quincy Police Department. Any suspects named are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Veterans support fair set for Saturday

Veterans resource and job fair happening at Grant Co. Fairgrounds on Saturday

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Veteran Advisory Board is hosting its annual Veteran Resource and Job Fair on September 27th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Grant County Fairgrounds' Commercial and 4-H Buildings. This long-standing event, which has been a staple of community service for nearly 20 years, aims to connect veterans and their families with crucial resources and employment opportunities in a single, accessible location.

FIRE REPORT: Sept. 26, 2025

MOSES LAKE – The fires below are burning nearly 139,000 acres across Washington as of Thursday afternoon. This is around 9,000 acres more than Monday and 29,000 more acres than last Thursday.

Washington state drivers could see some relief at the gas pump this fall

(The Center Square) – Motorists in Washington state – home to some of the highest gas prices in the nation – could see some relief from spiking fuel prices this fall, due to various factors. According to AAA, the average price of standard, or regular grade, gas in Washington is $4.598 per gallon as of Wednesday afternoon, up from last week’s $4.657. However, prices have increased substantially compared to last year, when gas was $4.101.

Fire burns in rugged terrain north of Quincy

QUINCY — Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to a brush fire about 11 miles north of Quincy around 1:45 p.m. Thursday. Air tankers were brought in to fight the fire as well.

Oregon-Penn State and Ohio State-Washington highlight Big Ten slate this week

Things to watch this week in the Big Ten: Game of the week No. 6 Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) at No. 3 Penn State (3-0, 0-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

Basin Soccer roundup for Sept. 26, 2025

MOSES LAKE – Basin girls soccer has put out several competitive matchups already as the first month of high school sports wraps up. See below where your favorite teams stand heading into October. Numbers in parentheses indicate the team's record season-to-date.

Jr. Mavs dominate in weekend matchups

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Jr Mavs had another successful day of football last Saturday, with each team that played at home earning a win. The fourth, fifth and seventh-grade teams all hosted at Lions Field. “Our fourth-grade boys played another tough game and were the most physical team,” said fourth-grade head coach Josh Herrod. “It’s fun watching their growth and progression. Everything we’ve thrown at them; they’ve been able to handle so far. We’ve worked hard on winning at the snap on both sides and you can see the progress.”

Mavericks earn hardware at Woodbridge Invitational

MOSES LAKE – Last weekend, 16 Moses Lake Mavericks cross country runners travelled to Irvine, California, for the 44th Woodbridge Invitational Classic. Head Coach Larry Dagnon said it was a significant milestone for the Moses Lake High School squad. Five athletes walked away having earned hardware.

Such a coo-l dog

MOSES LAKE -- Pigeon, a mixed breed puppy, is looking to be adopted at Grant County Animal Outreach. He is around two months old, very fly and is known for stealing. Well, stealing people's hearts that is. He is neutered, microchipped and up to date on his vaccinations. Now, he just needs someone to put in his adoption application, get accepted and take him home. If that sounds like something you would be interested in providing for this sweet boy, visit GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org and get started on that application. If you can’t adopt right now but would like to help a local shelter visit the website and click “donate.”

Mariners win AL West for 1st time in 24 years as Raleigh reaches 60 homers in 9-2 win over Rockies

SEATTLE (AP) — Only fitting it was Cal Raleigh who catapulted the Seattle Mariners to their first AL West championship in 24 years Wednesday night. The switch-hitting catcher launched two more homers to give him a major league-best 60 this season, and the streaking Mariners clinched the fourth division crown in the franchise's 49-year history with a 9-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Tigers’ Pichardo in the running for Youth Athlete of the Year

EPHRATA – Ephrata Tigers junior soccer player Diego Pichardo was nominated for the 2025 Youth Athlete of the Year award. The winner of the award will be featured in a 3BRAND advertisement in Sports Illustrated and receive a $25,000 prize. “I’ve just been loving (soccer) so much,” said Pichardo. “The sport has been everything to me basically.” Pichardo played as a winger for the Tigers in the past and is now looking to become a midfielder. He has enjoyed playing soccer his whole life and said he got into the sport through his father’s love of the game.

Ephrata rebrands with new logo, website and app

EPHRATA – A rebranding initiative reflecting the evolution of the City of Ephrata is officially underway, with a new logo, a redesigned website, and an upgraded mobile app set to launch on Thursday. This overhaul signifies not just a visual update, but also a forward-thinking commitment to community engagement and effective governance, City Administrator Ray Towry said.

Grid Kids Football enters the midseason

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Grid Kids football season is now in its fourth week. The program’s administrator, Brian Gwinn, said the season has been going great. along with the addition of a separate girls' flag football part of the program.

’90s Flannel Fest and more coming to Grant County Fairgrounds

MOSES LAKE – The Grant County Fairgrounds has a plethora of events coming up with the first up this weekend being the Fall National Antique Tractor Pull, followed by the 90’s Flannel Fest next weekend.

Port of Ephrata launches car rental services

EPHRATA – The Port of Ephrata has officially launched a rental car service in a move that aims to enhance airport services and stimulate local economic growth. Executive Director Dave Lanman announced that the port has partnered with Hertz to provide rental cars on-site, a service that is expected to attract more traffic to the airport and benefit the surrounding community.

Legals for September, 25 2025

Big Sky Now: Montana vs. Idaho preview and Week 4 recap

Montana rolled past Indiana State, Montana State stalled in the second half, and Idaho let a huge one slip away against San Jose State.

Yakima man, woman arrested for suspected burglaries

MOSES LAKE — A Yakima man and woman were arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail on suspicion of residential burglary after alleged multiple robberies of a storage shed at a residence near Moses Lake.

Moses Lake gets $2.1M grant to resurface S. Pioneer Way

MOSES LAKE — Upgrades are coming to South Pioneer Way in 2027. Moses Lake City Council members voted to accept a $2.1 million grant to pay most of the cost of rebuilding the driving lanes of South Pioneer Way from Clover Drive to West Broadway. The grant was awarded through the Washington Department of Transportation.

New MLFD chief sworn in

MOSES LAKE — Art Perillo was introduced as the new Moses Lake Fire Department Chief during a short ceremony at the Moses Lake City Council meeting Tuesday.

Tigers grab victory over Ellensburg on the pitch

EPHRATA – On Tuesday, the Tigers secured a 2-1 win over the Ellensburg Bulldogs. The Tigers’ Head Coach Gary Klepec said his team earned a good win but still has some things to work on. “We played really well; we controlled the match for the most part. We had multiple chances (to score), we just have to start finishing those opportunities that we have in front of the goal. We're playing good soccer,” Klepec said.

COLLEGIATE SPORTS SCHEDULE: Sept. 25 - Oct. 1

MOSES LAKE – Collegiate athletes continue to compete and strive for greatness throughout the state. See where your favorite college team will be heading this week.

Mavs suffer first loss in overtime

MOSES LAKE – On Tuesday, the Moses Lake Mavericks (4-1) lost a heartbreaker to the Wenatchee Panthers in a 7-6 shootout. The Mavs came out strong but struggled to put Wenatchee away. Head Coach Alysha Overland said they beat themselves.

COLUMN: Can the Huskies upset the Buckeyes?

On Saturday, the Washington Huskies will play in arguably their biggest game since the 2024 national championship game where they lost to Michigan. Or as I like to call them, ‘that team up north.’

Karen Ann Crook

1941 — 2025

Karen Ann (Blair) Crook of Moses Lake, Washington, age 84, died September 16, 2025, peacefully at home with her family by her side. Karen was born September 1941 to Virgil and Belle Blair in Longview, Washington. Karen had one sister Barbara Easley who preceded her in death.

Teachers address MLSD elementary schedules, activities

MOSES LAKE – At the Moses Lake School District Board meeting on September 18, concerns were brought to the board from district staff and community members regarding lingering reductions in elementary school schedules and the implications for student learning, particularly in areas such as physical education, music, library access and special education services.

QUINCY CITY COUNCIL POSITION 2: Spence vs. Madera

QUINCY — Incumbent Jeff Spence and challenger Rob Madera are running for Position 2 on the Quincy City Council. Both candidates were provided with identical questions that included a word limit. Madera did not respond after several requests for comment.

Favored Farmhouse expanding services

MOSES LAKE – The Favored Farmhouse coffee shop is expanding its services with plans for a new food truck court and a recurring night market. “We’ve owned the farmhouse for about seven years and originally the plan was to just help propel other small businesses,” said Daphne Martinez, who owns Favored Farmhouse with her husband Derek.

CAST for Kids ignites a love of fishing

MOSES LAKE – The Catch a Special Thrill for Kids foundation is a nonprofit public charity that helps children who have special needs and disadvantages enjoy a day of fishing. The organization has been around since 1991 and has since expanded to 26 states, including Washington. “I think these kids deserve to be celebrated and included,” said Melissa McCalmant, CAST’s Western Operations Manager and NW/Rocky Mtn. West Regional Manager. “Just spending a day with them and watching the excitement on their face, it’s just life-changing.”

Adams County Jail Roster for Sept. 24, 2025

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. This is the active list of inmates for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office listed in order of the date of arrest. The Adams County Jail is closed, so inmates are housed in other jurisdictions.

Legals for September, 24 2025

Royal City food truck ordinance under review, revision

ROYAL CITY — A vote is expected sometime in late October or during November on revisions to Royal City’s food truck ordinance. Royal City Mayor Michael Christensen said Royal City City Council members plan to ask residents for their opinions once there’s a final draft.

Changes to Medicaid spark controversy, confusion

MOSES LAKE — New requirements for applicants and recipients of Medicaid, scheduled to go into effect in 2027, have caused confusion and controversy. Who qualifies and how recipients maintain eligibility have been the subject of extensive discussion since HR 1, the bill that established them, was approved by Congress in July. Democrats have claimed the bill will devastate health care for Americans, while Republicans have boasted about the measure's savings and potential to reduce the national debt.

OTHELLO MAYOR: Logan vs. Johnson

OTHELLO — Two candidates are running for the job of Othello Mayor, Ken Johnson and incumbent Shawn Logan. Both were sent identical questions, with a 150-word limit. Johnson did not submit any answers.

Sports Schedule Sept. 24-31, 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN – The weather is cooling down but fall sports for our local athletes are red hot. Check out who the local high school teams will be facing this week.

Washington football recap

MOSES LAKE – Local Washington college football programs have played another week of games on the gridiron. While the Cougs and the Huskies faced off in the Apple Cup, the Eastern Washington Eagles earned their first win of the season, see below how each team fared last weekend.

ACH Warriors suffer first loss of the season

COULEE CITY – The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (1-1) fell short 44-18 at home to Liberty Christian Friday. Head Coach Brandon Walsh said that, despite the loss, it was good to have a game against a high-quality opponent. “It was one of those matchups that you want to have this time of year to see where you're at against a high-quality opponent, and it didn't go our way, but now we know where we need to go to get better. They played hard and competed the whole game,” Walsh said.

Tigers roar past Ellensburg

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Tigers’ football team earned a strong 43-20 home victory over Ellensburg Friday night to improve their record to 2-1. “We started off kind of shaky, we made a few mistakes, but we tied it together, and then we came out and did what we needed to do to win,” said Tigers junior Ty Plaisted.

LETTER: Support our teachers and students

To the Editor, There was a buzz in the air that something special was going to happen at the ML school board meeting Sept. 18. I decided to go. As I pulled into the Columbia Basin Tech driveway, I was surprised to see so many people and cars. What’s going on? I parked and went in and took a seat at the board meeting. A few moments later, many people in red shirts streamed in. Well over a hundred. Ah – all the buzz was on point.

Wayne C. Brown

1940 — 2025

Wayne Clair Brown, 85, of Royal City, Washington, passed away September 17, 2025. He was born on June 13, 1940, in Victor, Montana, the fourth child of Harold D. Brown and Lila May Steffensen Brown. The family moved to Charlo, Montana, when Wayne was two, and he grew up there alongside his eight siblings.

Bob Burress

Feb. 21, 1936 — Sep. 20, 2025

Bob Burress was born February 21, 1936, in Gordon, Nebraska. He passed away on September 20, 2025, at home in Moses Lake, Washington, after a long hard-fought battle with cancer.

A dapper dude

Sammi, a professional business pup, is ready to be hired for the very important job of being the bestest boy. He does not have thumbs, so he was unable to type up a resume. However, he is known for being a sweet boy — look at those honey-colored eyes and you’ll see. In this role, he said he hopes to excel at chasing toys, eating treats, taking naps and accepting pets. He is a 6-year-old terrier mix who is vaccinated, neutered and microchipped. If he seems like the perfect “hire” for you, visit GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org and fill out his application. He would do it for you, but again, no thumbs. If you can’t adopt the hardest worker, but you would still like to help a local shelter, visit the website and click “donate.”

Museum booth at UMANI Festival part of global day of play

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Museum & Art Center announced their participation in the Our World: Worldwide Day of Play event this Saturday as part of the activities at its booth at the UMANI Festival. The festivities are set to run from noon to 6 p.m.

WA fuel prices second highest in nation

MOSES LAKE – Last week, Washington led the nation with the highest fuel prices, beating both California and Hawaii. These states have traditionally led the charts this year, according to AAA. This week, California is once again leading the nation at $4.67 with Washington close behind at $4.62, or a four-cent decrease from last week. Hawaii is third in the nation at $4.47.

Basin volleyball teams compete in Ephrata tournament

EPHRATA – On Saturday, several Basin volleyball teams took to the hardwood in Ephrata for a varsity tournament. Though it does not count toward their regular season record, tournaments are a great opportunity to fine tune certain things Head Coach Krystal Trammell said. “We always decide if we want to go for that kill, or do we want to fix some things and get everyone a lot of playing time. What we did was kind of both this weekend, and so we were able to get some people in different positions, get a lot of playing time for everybody, and also work on more of our serving and different defenses. All in all, they went three and one and they had a really good weekend,” Trammell said.

FIRE AND AIR QUALITY REPORT: Sept. 23, 2025

MOSES LAKE – The fires below have burned nearly 130,000 acres combined across Washington as of Monday afternoon. This is around 20,000 acres more than Thursday.

‘Blockbusters to Broadway’

Central Basin Community Concert Association opens season with Jason Lyle Black

MOSES LAKE — The Central Basin Community Concert Association kicks off its 2025-26 season Thursday, with a performance by Jason Lyle Black’s Electric Trio.

Legals for September, 23 2025

MLSD holding steady in standardized testing

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School Board met Sept. 18 to discuss recent state and local test scores in the district. Both the SMARTER Balance Assessment and the science assessment are done at the state level. The district does local testing called iReady to see if students are at or above grade level for English and math.

QUINCY CITY COUNCIL POSITION 4 Q&A: Royer vs. Esparza

QUINCY — Andrew Royer, the incumbent, and Rey Esparza are running for Position 4 on the Quincy City Council. The Columbia Basin Herald provided identical questions to each candidate, including a word limit. Esparza did not respond to several requests for comment.

Othello man injured in collision near Royal City

ROYAL CITY — An Othello man was seriously injured when the car he was driving was hit by another driver Sept. 19, about five miles east of Royal City.

Eagles fall to Dayton at home

Slow start, multiple injuries lead to 46-16 loss for Soap Lake

SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake Eagles football team fell 16-46 against Dayton on Friday putting their record at 1-1 for the season. “We came out slow and then once we got it to 30-8 we played them even from then on out,” said the Eagles’ head coach Garrett Devine. “I felt like it was a pretty evenly matched team for us, but they came out really hot and they had a good game plan, and we just didn’t come out hot.”

Basin football round-up week three 2025

MOSES LAKE – Week three of Basin football has concluded. While schools like Moses Lake hosted their first home games, others hit the road. See below how your favorite Basin football teams did. Numbers in parentheses indicate the team's record season-to-date.

Mavs win big in double header against Ike

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks softball team earned two big wins against Eisenhower Thursday afternoon, putting the team 6-0 on the season. “I think our games went really well,” said Mavs player Hayden Morris. “We really played as a team, and I think our freshmen came up big for us today in both games.”

Huskies dominate Cougars in Apple Cup

PULLMAN – On Saturday, the Huskies were victorious 59-24 over the Cougars in the 117th Apple Cup. Huskies Head Coach Jedd Fisch said the team is happy to have the Cup back in Seattle. “I thought they came out ready to play,” Fisch said. “This is a game that we had to win, we had to come out and play our best football.”

Moses Lake man arrested after high-speed chase

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man was arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail early Saturday morning after leading Grant County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a high-speed chase on Interstate 90 late Friday night.

Crawford's grand slam and Raleigh's 58th homer lead Mariners to sweep over Astros

HOUSTON (AP) — J.P. Crawford hit a grand slam and Cal Raleigh slugged his major league-leading 58th home run to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday night. The Mariners completed a three-game sweep that gave them a three-game lead in the AL West over the Astros with six remaining.

Quincy Food Bank raising money for new facility

QUINCY — The Quincy Food Bank is trying to build a new facility to meet growing needs in the community.

Ephrata releases findings following water leak incident

EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata released an after-action review following a significant water leak incident that occurred Sept. 1. The leak, which was detected in the early morning hours, prompted a week-long precautionary boil water advisory for residents. The review was an analysis of what transpired, highlighting both successes and areas for improvement.

WDFW takes over Beezley Hills Preserve

EPHRATA – In a move for conservation efforts in Washington State, the Nature Conservancy has transferred ownership of the 9,000-acre Beezley Hills Preserve to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The goal is to bolster habitat conservation efforts, particularly for endangered species such as the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, and provide opportunities for low-impact public recreation, according to WDFW Communications Contact Nicole Jordan.

Martinez makes MLHS volleyball history

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake Mavericks volleyball player Kardyn Martinez made school history during Thursday’s game against West Valley, becoming the first athlete in Moses Lake High School history to reach 500 kills on the volleyball court “It’s kind of surreal because I’m a soccer player, personally, so I never thought that I would be in this position right now,” said Martinez. “It’s honestly so cool.”

Ephrata priest gets last-minute visa reprieve

EPHRATA — The Columbia Basin nearly lost a popular priest due to a government glitch. But in a twist that could almost be called miraculous, it didn’t happen. “My visa … expired on June 30,” said Fr. Cesar Izquierdo, pastor at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Ephrata. “In order for me to continue (my work), I needed a permit because it’s a paid position.” Izquierdo was working in the U.S. on an R-1 visa, which is a special visa issued to religious workers – priests, pastors, missionaries, nuns and so forth – to conduct their ministries in the United States. R-1 visas are good for a maximum of five years, and during that time, the holder can apply for a green card, which Izquierdo did.

Tory Horton returns punt 95 yards for TD and has TD catch in Seahawks' 44-13 rout of Saints

SEATTLE (AP) — Rookie Tory Horton returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown — the longest punt return in Seahawks franchise history — and caught one of Sam Darnold's two TD passes in Seattle's 44-13 rout of the winless New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Kenneth Walker III ran for two TDs for the Seahawks (2-1), with the first set up by another big play on special teams. D’Anthony Bell blocked a punt by Kai Kroeger deep in New Orleans territory, and Walker's 3-yard run gave Seattle a 21-0 first-quarter lead.

One killed in Sunday collision on SR 283

UPDATE: QUINCY — An investigation by the Washington State Patrol is underway following a head-on collision early Sunday afternoon that killed driver of one of the vehicles. EPHRATA — Drivers are being advised to avoid State Route 283 south of Ephrata due to a serious two-car collision that is fully blocking both lanes as of 2 p.m. Sunday.

Big Sky Now: Montana's thriller, Idaho's upset, and Week 4 predictions

The Montana Grizzlies edged North Dakota in a thriller, Montana State secured its first victory of the season, and Idaho powered past Utah Tech with a ground-heavy attack.

Sale ends Quincy port’s attempt to develop Bishop Rec Area

QUINCY — The sale of a piece of Port of Quincy property signals the end of an attempt to establish a recreation area near Crescent Bar. Port commissioners approved the sale of what was known as the Bishop property Sept. 11. “(The property) was sold to a private party,” said Port Commission Chair Curt Morris.

Suárez homers and Woo exits after 5 innings as Mariners beat Astros 4-0 to take over 1st in AL West

HOUSTON (AP) — Eugenio Suárez hit his 47th homer, three other Mariners went deep and Bryan Woo pitched five effective innings before leaving unexpectedly as Seattle beat the Houston Astros 4-0 on Friday night to take over first place in the AL West.

Knights ‘battle’ Wahluke for on-the-road win

MATTAWA – On Thursday, the Royal Knights went into enemy territory and defeated the Wahluke Warriors in a competitive 3-0 game. Knights Head Coach Lisa Lawrence said her team battled to the very end. “It was a battle, and we've got some things to work on and clean up, but the girls had a lot of heart and fought all the way through to the end. I'm really proud of them for just getting it done,” Lawrence said.

Mavericks dominate Grizzlies in first home win of ‘25

MOSES LAKE – On Friday, the Moses Lake Mavericks defeated the Sunnyside Grizzlies 49-13 in their first home game of the season. Head Coach Brett Jay said it was great to finally have a game out home in front of their fans. “Good to get back home, we had two games on the other side of the mountains. It's fun to get back in front of our home crowd, great crowd tonight, youth football night, fun to see all the youth football players, but just proud of our team, it was a total team effort,” Brett said.

Basin teams hit the court Saturday

EPHRATA – Quincy’s Alyana Quntanilla (13) prepares for an incoming serve from Lake Roosevelt. The Jacks, among eight other Basin teams, competed in a varsity volleyball tournament in Ephrata on Saturday. Full coverage of the all-day varsity tournament will be published in Tuesday’s edition of the Columbia Basin Herald.

Knights force shut out against Wahluke

MATTAWA – On Thursday, the Knights went on the road and defeated the Wahluke Warriors 4-0. Knights’ junior Maggie Frank said the game was a good opportunity to build confidence as a team. “It's definitely an improvement from the last couple games,” Frank said. “The last couple games, it's been hard for us connect passes a lot, and in this game, there's a couple moments where we were connecting passes really well. I think that's definitely an improvement.”

Serious injury crash reported near Royal City

UPDATE: One man was airlifted from the scene of a two-car collision about five miles east of Royal City Friday night. ROYAL CITY — Emergency crews are on the scene of a two-vehicle collision about five miles east of Royal City.

Man wanted on Idaho charges arrested near Othello

OTHELLO — A man wanted on grand theft charges in Idaho was arrested Friday afternoon near Othello.

Ritzville man convicted of assault

RITZVILLE — Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 6 in the case of a Ritzville man convicted of second-degree assault Sept. 17.

MLPD stops alleged drug shipment in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – On Friday, Moses Lake Street Crimes intercepted an alleged shipment of drugs traveling through Moses Lake, according to a statement from the Moses Lake Police Department. At around 3 a.m. Friday, the Moses Lake Tactical Response Team initiated a vehicle takedown of a subject in the Winco parking lot.

A sitdown with Mavericks volleyball senior Kardyn Martinez and Head Coach Krystal Trammell

MOSES LAKE - On this episode of the Basin Box Score, hosts Caleb Perez and Mike Maynard sit down with Kardyn Martinez and Krystal Trammell of the Moses Lake Mavericks volleyball team. Martinez shares her experience setting a school record and opens up about her time in the Mavs program.

Early morning search warrant served in Quincy

QUINCY — The Quincy Police Department is asking for the public’s help in an investigation that so far has resulted in the execution of a search warrant in the 100 block of L Street Southwest.

BASIN EVENTS: Sept. 19-27

COLUMBIA BASIN — Fall officially begins next week and there’s a lot going on in the Columbia Basin. Here are a few things to enjoy:

Warden welcomes new police chief: Jeff Gann

WARDEN – The Warden Police Department has a new leader, Chief Jeff Gann, an officer with nearly two decades of law enforcement experience. Gann started his job Monday and will be officially sworn in by the mayor during the Sept. 23 regular council meeting. Following a career at the Castle Rock Police Department, he honed his skills in a variety of roles, including as a defensive tactics' instructor and as a corporal, he said.

Coffey Anderson concert to honor veterans in Quincy

QUINCY — Nationally known country artist Coffey Anderson will honor veterans in Quincy and beyond with a Veterans Day concert. “(Anderson) is considered the most popular current country artist who’s not associated with a recording studio,” said Daniel Chisholm, founder of Veterans Operation Creation, which is sponsoring the concert. “He writes his own music; (he’s) a very patriotic Christian man. And he is a storyteller. So when he performs he has meaning behind the words.”

Houseplant guru offers advice at farmers market

MOSES LAKE — Some people are intimidated by houseplants, fearing that the plants won’t survive in their home. The problem may not be the owner but the plant itself, said Fred Bergold, owner of King’s Garden Nursery in Othello.

City and Port of Ephrata to join forces on grant application

EPHRATA — The city of Ephrata will partner with the Port of Ephrata to apply for a grant that would pay most of the cost of analyzing city and port infrastructure needs. Ron Sell, Ephrata planning director, said the city would pay half of the required match, about $10,000, if the grant is awarded.

BUILDING PERMITS: Sept. 19, 2025

Mark and Diane Valentine, 900 block of Road 10 Southeast, Othello, carport, $68,848. Ruslan Yevchuk, 5500 block of Road 6.9 Northeast, Moses Lake, shop, $109,627.20. Mindi Person, 16500 block of South Frontage Road West, Quincy, addition to garage, no valuation given. Esmerada Orozco Perez et al, 2500 block of Road 12.2 Northeast, Moses Lake, reset manufactured home, no valuation given.

Likely remains of Travis Decker, wanted for killing his daughters in Chelan County, found

WENATCHEE – The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday the discovery of human remains believed to be those of Travis Decker, who has been the subject of a months-long manhunt after the bodies of his three daughters were found near the Rock Island Campground near Icicle Creek due west of Leavenworth.

FIRE REPORT: Sept. 19, 2025

MOSES LAKE – The fires below are burning nearly 111,000 acres across Washington as of Thursday afternoon. This is around 11,000 acres more than Monday. The two fires that showed the most growth were the Lower Sugarloaf Fire, gaining around 3,000 acres since Monday. It remains as the second largest blaze in the state. The Bear Gulch Fire also showed growth of around 6,000 acres since Monday. The growth makes it the third largest fire in the state and bumps the Crown Creek Fire out of the largest three.

Soap Lake council addresses creative district, city position and dog park

SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake City Council met Thursday to discuss appointing a mayor pro tempore and to receive updates from city officers and committees.

ROAD REPORT: Road resurfacing to continue in Moses Lake next week

MOSES LAKE — Drivers using Moses Lake’s downtown streets should be prepared for some delays or find routes around some streets as crews continue to resurface downtown streets, East Hill Street and East Wheeler Road.

GCSO blotter for Sept. 12-15, 2025

The reports below were provided by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. Suspects in the incidents are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Cougars fall to La Salle Lightning

WARDEN – The Warden Cougars volleyball team fell 0-3 to the La Salle Lighting in their first home game of the season Wednesday evening putting their record at 0-2.

Charity golf tournament needs more volunteers

WARDEN – On Sept. 27, the ‘Dude! Where’s my Cart!?’ charity golf tournament will be held at Sage Hills Golf Course. Event organizer Karisti Cox said the tournament is to help raise awareness for Alzheimer's. “The fundraising is all designed to go towards the Alzheimer's Association, more specifically, to the Columbia Basins Walk to End Alzheimer's but ultimately, it all goes to the same place,” Cox said.

Mavericks state runners heading to Woodbridge Invitational

MOSES LAKE – On Saturday, the Mavericks will be represented by six runners in the Woodbridge Invitational held in Orange County Great Park, California. Senior Liam O’Shea said the team has been thinking about this event for a long time. “This past week, me personally, I've been eating and sleeping California, there's no amount of preparation that I want to forego, or I want the team to forgo. We've really been making sure to get in every small thing so that when we step up to that line Saturday, we can really perform our best,” O’Shea said.

Local riders take first in BMX Gold Cup in Seattle

MOSES LAKE – Last weekend, best friends KJ Gilman and Logan Vela placed first in their respective groups in the northwest Gold Cup Finals at the SeaTac BMX track. KJ said it was a great experience. “The ride over there was really nice and calm. As soon as I got that first (place) I was super happy,” he said.

Crews extinguish small fire in rural Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – Grant County Fire Districts 5, 7, and 12 were called to a brush/structure fire in the 5000 block of Highland Drive in rural Moses Lake at around 1:30 p.m. Thursday. “What was thought to be a manufactured home, we think was more likely just a collection of debris and not a structure,” Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Sept. 18-24. 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — The air is getting cooler as local athletes head into their third week of fall sports. See where the local high school teams are heading this week.

A Tex(as)-sized heart

MOSES LAKE – Tex has a problem and he’s looking for you to fix it. He’d like a good home with a loving family and maybe a chew toy or ten to keep him entertained. He’s an American Blue Heeler mix who’s almost three years old and he’s had all of his shots. Like all of the pets at Grant County Animal Outreach, he’s been neutered/spayed, so you won’t have to worry about puppies being his fault anytime soon. If you’re interested in meeting Tex, stop by at 6725 Randolph Road NE Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. or call 509-762-9616 for more information. If you are unable to adopt but want to help, call or donate at grantcountyanimaloutreach.org.

LETTER: The cost of fire service

To the Editor, Othello is in the middle of elections, and its contract with Adams County Fire District No. 5 has become an issue. Unfortunately, some of the campaign responses being shared has caused confusion.

Royals score four in the eighth to snap Seattle's 10-game winning streak

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Adam Frazier hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the eighth inning and the Kansas City Royals went on to beat Seattle 7-5 on Wednesday night and snap the Mariners' 10-game winning streak. Eugenio Suárez snapped an 0-for-32 skid with four hits, two RBIs and two runs for Seattle, which, with Houston's win, dropped a half-game back of the Astros in the AL West.

Ephrata Sports Complex changes on the way

EPHRATA – Several changes to the Ephrata Sports Complex are in the planning stages in the city of Ephrata, as the Parks and Recreation Department works to accommodate increased use of the facility and encourage economic activity associated with it. “With the addition of middle school sports over the past few years, the middle school has used that facility for some of their events,” said City Administrator Ray Towry.

Local Job Corps students keep wildfire crews functioning

MOSES LAKE — Firefighters are battling fires across Washington – 20 of them Tuesday morning – but they’re not doing it alone. Back at the fire camp, at a safe distance from the fire, Job Corps students are working to ensure the firefighters have everything they need.

New Grant Transit center to open next week

EPHRATA — The new Grant Transit Authority transit center in Ephrata should be ready for bus passengers Monday. Transit Authority General Manager Eric Loomis said next week’s opening is the first phase of a longer-term plan.

Huskies get first win over Tigers

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies got their first win of the season Tuesday after defeating the visiting Ephrata Tigers 3-1. Huskies Head Coach Steve Parris said he was glad to get their first win at home. “We’ve needed this, and so we’re glad that it happened tonight on our home floor, and hopefully we’ll just keep moving up,” Parris said. It was a game of momentum between the Huskies and Tigers. From the first set, the teams took turns going on small runs to score a few points. The score remained so tight that both teams were tied at 24, which led to either team needing to win by two instead of the typical score to get to 25. The Huskies would ultimately prevail 28-26.

Legals for September, 18 2025

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Community matters...

As I write this, I just finished speaking at the Ephrata Rotary Club’s weekly meeting at Country Deli in Ephrata. The banquet room in the back of the restaurant was filled with more than a dozen folks who were there not just to grab a meal, but to share some positivity and talk about the work they can do to make the community an even better place to live.

Hayden Homes honored with awards for company culture

REDMOND, Ore. — Hayden Homes, which has built housing developments in Moses Lake and Othello, was honored by Great Place To Work® and Fortune Magazine with two prestigious awards representing its positive culture, employee experience, leadership and community-driven work, according to an announcement from the company.

Moses Lake council weighing water concerns

MOSES LAKE — Water use, guaranteeing water supply and making sure there’s enough water as Moses Lake grows was the subject of an extensive discussion during a daylong planning session of the Moses Lake City Council Tuesday. City Engineer Richard Law said staff members are studying water rates and working on an overall plan for the water system to help make some of those decisions easier. “They’re coming together,” Law said.

Ephrata’s new booster pump station finished

EPHRATA — City officials announced Wednesday that the long-awaited Booster Pump Station located at B Street and Division is now operational. This is part of a comprehensive water system improvement initiative, which also includes enhancements to the city’s water tower infrastructure.

Ephrata School District considering spring 2026 bond

EPHRATA — After more than a year and a half of work, the Ephrata School District’s District Facility Study Group has decided to recommend putting a $75 million bond package on the February 2026 ballot. The goal of the workgroup, said Ephrata School District Superintendent Ken Murray, was to ensure all of Ephrata’s students had quality learning spaces. “Primarily, people had an opportunity to see what we were able to accomplish with our 2019 bond and the facilities that are in place at one of our elementaries, and then, obviously, at Ephrata Middle School,” Murray said. “And one of the real goals, initially, was they saw how safe those facilities are. They saw how (those facilities incorporate) current trends in terms of the types of spaces that you could create for students.” Murray said the bond package, if approved, would have a tax bill impact but allow the district to remodel and expand Ephrata High School, replace Grant Elementary and Parkway Intermediate schools and provide a better Performing Arts Center for students. Some of the work had initially been approved by voters in 2019 along with funding, but inflation caused by the pandemic and other factors caused their cancelation and the funding was zeroed out through a process called defeasement.

COLUMN: The Mariners need to win on the road

As of Wednesday morning, the Mariners are on a 10-game win streak, the highest of any team in the entire MLB. The second closest team is the Toronto Blue Jays who are on a six-game win streak. The Blue Jays currently sit firmly in first place in the American League. The Mariners are currently fourth with an 83-68 record. Easily one of the hottest teams in the MLB, Seattle is well equipped to make their final push for a top playoff spot. However, there’s some work to do on their part.

Knights pull off win in OT

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights soccer team had a close game against Naches Valley where the Knights came out on top in overtime with a 3-2 victory. “We’re still trying to figure things out,” said the Knights Head Coach Jens Jensen. “We’re getting better, but we’re still making a ton of mistakes.” The first half went back and forth between the two teams until late in the half Naches Valley scored and the teams went into halftime with the Knights behind 0-1. Jensen said the team had to make some key adjustments before they went into the second half such as keeping an eye on Naches Valley’s strong players and prevent them from scoring again.

Knights earn a convincing win at home

ROYAL CITY — The Royal City Knights volleyball team earned a 3-0 victory at home against Naches Valley Tuesday evening. “I think it went pretty good. The first two sets were really good and then the last set we didn’t do too hot, but we came back and pushed,” said Knights player Maddie Allred. The Knights started the evening off strong, taking and maintaining the lead in the first set and winning 25-14. They repeated this success in the second set, holding their opponents under 10 points for the majority of the time. Naches Valley tacked on a few more points before the set ended at 25-14 in favor of the Knights.

Freewind Martial Arts places top 10 in competition

MOSES LAKE — Over the weekend, Freewind Martial Arts competed in the Warriors Way Cup at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. In addition to Freewind, 20 other schools attended and competed. Freewind Instructor Brandi Guertin had high praise for her group. “Freewind achieved a commendable ninth place overall. Our team results included four first-place, four second-place, and four third-place finishes. We are honored and proud to represent our community in martial arts competition,” she wrote in a statement. Freewind Martial Arts celebrated its 44th birthday on Sept. 16, said Guertin.

Patricia "Pat" Ledbetter

1940 – 2025

Patricia "Pat" Ann Ledbetter, age 84, passed away on Monday, August 25, 2025, in Moses Lake, Washington. She was born on September 22, 1940, in Elgin, Illinois, the daughter of Charles and Phyllis (DeGaris) Gerber.

Henry W. Hintz

Henry W. Hintz passed away April 20, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Pearl Hintz. They were married on January 23, 1982, until his passing.

Grant PUD commitment: Our lowest possible rates for core customers

Grant Public Utility District commissioners and leadership are committed to ensuring that our “core customers” – residential, ag, irrigation and small/medium-sized business – continue to receive the most favorable rates this utility can offer.

Shenzi looking for a new yard to play in

OTHELLO – Shenzi is a male puppy currently spending time with the folks at Adams County Pet Rescue in Othello at 1961 W. Bench Road. Like all of the animals there, Shenzi, a Belgian Shepherd-Malinois mix is neutered/spayed and up to date on all vaccinations. He’s a pup now, but will grow to a be a medium-large dog and will need ample space to play. Find out more about Shenzi by calling 509-488-5514. If you are unable to adopt, but want to contribute, you can call the shelter or donate through their website at adamscountypetrescue.com.

Same-day crowns now available at Moses Lake Community Health

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Community Health Center has taken a step forward in dental technology, according to an announcement from MLCHC. The CEREC Primemill system, now in operation at the clinic in Moses Lake, allows patients to receive custom dental crowns in just one visit, according to the announcement.

Ag contributions recognized at FCAD in Quincy

QUINCY — The contributions of Quincy’s farmers and agricultural workers were recognized with a parade and a big party at Farmer Consumer Awareness Day Sept. 13.

Warrior Journeys returns with help of Wahluke Alumni Association

MATTAWA — Graduates of Wahluke High School are working to form an alumni association, and one of their first projects is the revival of a favorite high school program. Veronica Quintero, who’s one of the people working on the alumni association, said the group is looking for WHS graduates who want to participate in Warrior Journeys. Wahluke High School principal Cody Marlow said Warrior Journeys was started by former WHS counselor Jan Phillips. “(Phillips) had the idea of bringing Wahluke alumni to speak to current students,” Marlow wrote in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald. “We had everything from college students to entrepreneurs to CEOs. After Mrs. Phillips retired Warrior Journeys stopped happening.”

COLLEGIATE SPORTS SCHEDULE: Sept. 18-25, 2025

MOSES LAKE — Collegiate athletes around the state prepare for another week of facing strong opponents and battling longtime rivals. See where your favorite college team is heading this week.

Legals for September, 17 2025

Proposals sought for old Royal City Library building

ROYAL CITY — With a new Royal City Library open and operating, Royal City officials are asking residents for proposals on uses for the old one. Already on the table is a pending offer from an existing landowner to swap the property.

Basin Volleyball roundup 2025 – Week 2

MOSES LAKE — The Basin volleyball season is well underway. Teams have faced their fair share of challenging competition right out of the gate. See below how your favorite teams are doing so far.

‘Right there’ on construction of new GCAO shelter

MOSES LAKE — Grant County Animal Outreach directors hope to start construction on a new shelter by the end of the year. Outreach board president Sara Thompson Tweedy said the construction permit is pending approval from the city of Moses Lake. “As soon as we get that permit, then we’ll be able to line up our contractors,” Thompson Tweedy said.

Washington college football recap

MOSES LAKE — Another week of college football has concluded. Before the next slate of games begin, see below how Washington football teams fared against their competition last weekend.

Jr Mavs play in first home game of the season

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Jr Mavs football teams took to Lions Field on Saturday to play in their first home game of the season. “It was a great effort and great play across the board,” said Tyson Olson, president of the Moses Lake Jr Maverick Football program. “That’s what we told our seventh-grade team and I know it was echoed across all of our teams that we were really pleased with everybody’s efforts across the board, not just the ones that got to start, but also coming in off the bench. Everybody stepped up and played really well.” The full day of football started with the seventh- and eighth-grade teams facing off against the Kennewick Jr Lions with the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade teams playing in the afternoon against the Ephrata Jr Tigers.

ACH Warriors open season with win

COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (1-0) opened their season on the road against the Garfield-Palouse Vikings with a 40-12 victory last Friday. After having their first game canceled due to smoke, Head Coach Brandon Walsh said his team was excited to hit the gridiron.

Dueling narratives over impacts of 'Big Beautiful Bill' on WA health care system

(The Center Square) – State Democrat officials continue to push a narrative that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will harm the state’s health care system, while Republicans argue it’s a scaremongering effort to distract from decisions made by the majority party.

Adopt Crispy Chicken and give him a biscuit

MOSES LAKE – Crispy Chicken, a three-month-old, male domestic shorthair is looking for an egg-cellent home. He is a good egg who comes neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. He has plenty of energy and loves good cat tree climb, pom-poms and cuddles. If he seems like your type of cat, visit GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org and fill out his application. If you can’t adopt right now but would like to help a local shelter, visit the website and click “donate.”

LETTER: Setting the record straight about fire rates

Othello is in the middle of elections, and its contract with Adams County Fire District No. 5 has become an issue. Unfortunately, some of the campaign responses being shared have caused confusion. Here are the facts: the contract requires the city to pay the same rate as fire district property owners. This was an increase compared to past rates, and the city decided to cancel the contract. The fire district must maintain this rate for public safety. Costs for service have risen significantly due to inflation, and call volumes in the city have increased by 43.5% over the past four years. It would not be fair for district property taxpayers to subsidize emergency services for the city.

Robert Redford, Oscar-winning director, actor and indie patriarch, dies at 89

(AP) - Robert Redford, the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters, died Tuesday at 89. Redford died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. No cause of death was provided.

FIRE REPORT: Sept. 16, 2025

MOSES LAKE – Last week, the Chelan County Commissioners declared a State of Emergency for the Lower Sugarloaf and Pomas Fires which are burning around 20,000 acres. There are several level one “Be Ready,” level two, “Get Set,” and level three “Go” evacuations in the county. As a result, the commissioners declared the county a disaster, according to a statement from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.

Down Syndrome Buddy Walk set for Sept. 27

MOSES LAKE — This year’s Buddy Walk will honor some people who don’t get much publicity: siblings of people with Down syndrome. “We’ve done parents and caregivers, so we decided it needed to be siblings this year,” said organizer Denise Ketola.

Gesa donates more than $24,000 to Moses Lake schools

MOSES LAKE — Student activities in the Moses Lake School District got a boost last week, as Gesa Credit Union handed Moses Lake High School and Vanguard Academy more than $24,000. “These dollars are important to what we're doing and important to our students,” Shannon said.

Grant County Sheriff’s Office blotter for Sept. 11 & 12, 2025

The incident information below was provided by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. All suspects named are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

ACSO jail roster for Sept. 16, 2025

The reports below were provided by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This is the active list of inmates for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office listed in order of the date of arrest. The Adams County Jail is closed, so inmates are housed in other jurisdictions.

Legals for September, 16 2025

Basin football round up week two 2025

MOSES LAKE – Week two of Basin high school football is in the books. Some teams secured key rivalry wins, while others look to find ways to improve. See below how your favorite teams did over the weekend.

Basin XC teams compete at Highlander Invitational

MOSES LAKE – The Ephrata Tigers, Lind-Ritzville-Sprague Broncos, Moses Lake Mavericks, Quincy Jacks, and Warden Cougars cross country teams met with over 50 other schools at Shadle Park on Saturday for the Highlander Invitational. “We did really well,” said the Mavs’ head coach Larry Dagnon. “Our athletes showed up, they raced, there were a lot of big schools there and we just came in and we had a lot of athletes break school records and just run pretty well.”

Cougs fall on the road to North Texas

DENTON, Texas — The Washington State Cougars fell to the North Texas Mean Green 59-10 over the weekend at DATCU Stadium. This was the first meeting between the two teams, and the loss dropped the Cougars to 2-1 while the Mean Green improved to 3-0.

Jacks win two straight on the pitch

QUINCY — The Quincy High School Jacks (4-0) went undefeated in their second week of competition. They defeated Brewster 2-0 on Thursday and Othello 1-0 on Saturday. Head Coach Jesse Villalobos is pleased with his team’s recent success. “We've been able to reflect on what we've been doing in practice as far as positioning and possession and creating chances,” Villalobos said.

Othello Rodeo results 2025

OTHELLO — Over the weekend, the Othello Rodeo came to town with all its traditional fanfare. Fans packed the stands at the Othello Rodeo arena Friday and Saturday to see the competitions put on by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Remembering Charlie Kirk

MOSES LAKE – Dozens of people gathered for a peaceful memorial for Charlie Kirk the online political influencer, activist and founder of Turning Point USA who was assassinated last week at an event on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah. After Kirk’s passing, a variety of gatherings have been held calling for peaceful political dialogue after escalations in political attacks over the past few years.

South Grant Co. forum examines challenges, opportunities

MATTAWA — Improvements to state Route 243, more options for solid waste disposal, increased housing in southern Grant County, and more apprenticeship and job opportunities for young people. Those were among the recommendations that emerged from a forum sponsored by the South Grant County Chamber of Commerce Sept. 10.

Washington fuel prices highest nationwide

MOSES LAKE – For the first time this year, gas prices in Washington are the highest in the nation with the state bypassing both California and Hawaii’s average fuel prices, according to AAA.

Moses Lake’s downtown sees busy Saturday

MOSES LAKE — There was a lot going on Saturday in downtown Moses Lake, with a fundraiser walk, an art festival, a wine-and-music tour and a nonprofit expo all happening more or less at once. The day started at McCosh Park, where the Walk to End Alzheimer’s drew more than 200 people to raise money for dementia research.

Robert 'Rob' Douglas Chudomelka II

Rob was born and was raised in Moses Lake, Washington. He graduated from Moses Lake High School, attended Big Bend Community College and served in the United States Marine Corps. He was extremely proud to be a Marine and to have had the opportunity to serve his country.

Mariners increase win streak to nine

SEATTLE (AP) — Mariners increase their win streak to nine straight after their weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels.

Shots fired suspect in Moses Lake turns himself in

MOSES LAKE – On the evening of Sept. 6, it was reported that shots were fired at 1842 West Broadway Avenue, according to Moses Lake Police Department.

Quincy steps out for B Street Block Party

QUINCY – Music thumped and children played games while the Quincy High School class of 1975 celebrated their 50th reunion Friday night at the B Street Block Party in Quincy. The event filled the block on B Street SE between Road Q NW and First Ave SE Friday from 5:30-10 p.m.

Community learning centers coming to Othello schools

OTHELLO — The Othello School District will be implementing new before-school and after-school programs for elementary and middle school students with the help of a five-year, $2.5 million federal grant. Josh Meek, OSD executive director of teaching and learning, said the “community learning centers” will start in January 2026.

Fair entertainers rule the stage

OTHELLO — Elvis Presley passed away in 1977, despite the occasional tabloid rumor to the contrary. But the man singing “Jailhouse Rock” at the Othello Fair Thursday made a believable substitute. “I just loved Elvis,” said Danny Vernon. “(I) found my father’s records when I was a kid, and there was so much to listen to. Movie songs were fun because there’s always a different theme: you’re racing a car, or you’re in Hawaii or in the army.” Vernon was part of the entertainment lineup at the Othello Fair Thursday, which included Penelope the Clown, Reptile Isle, balloonist Cody Williams and juggler Paul Isaak. Some of them performed on the two stages at the fairgrounds, and some roamed around the grounds. Most of them had at least two performances every day.

Weather for the week of Sept. 15, 2025

Weather for the week of Sept. 15, 2025

Power outages affect hundreds in Moses Lake and Ephrata on Sunday

MOSES LAKE – On Sunday morning at around 10 a.m., Grant Public Utility District announced there was a power outage affecting nearly 300 customers in the Ephrata and Winchester area. An outage later in the day impacted more than 700 residences on the Moses Lake peninsula later in the day.

Opportunistic Seahawks take advantage of Steelers miscues in 31-17 victory

PITTSBURGH (AP) — George Holani pounced on a live ball in the end zone for an improbable touchdown, and the Seattle Seahawks took advantage of sloppy play by the Pittsburgh Steelers to pull off a 31-17 surprise on Sunday. The Seahawks had taken a 3-point lead early in the fourth quarter on Jason Myers' 54-yard field goal when the ensuing kickoff bounced over the hands of Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson and into the end zone.

Tigers win Battle of the Basin

QUINCY – On Friday, the Tigers traveled to meet the Jacks in the Battle of the Basin and came out on top 49-14. Tigers Head Coach Patrick Mitchell said he was proud of his team for bouncing back from a tough loss last week to Prosser. “Small town football is amazing, I thought they did a great job, and they played us tough, super proud of our guys, they came out with the right mentality that we were wanting from last week's game. We wanted to start fast and impose what we wanted in our game plan right away, and I felt like we did that in the first half for sure,” Mitchell said.

Othello Rodeo coverage incoming

OTHELLO – On Friday, the Othello Rodeo kicked off its weekend of competition with bareback riding, barrel racing, bull riding and more. Full coverage and results of the Othello rodeo will be in Tuesday’s edition of the paper.

Mavs hold off Sunnyside

MOSES LAKE – On Thursday, the Mavericks (2-0) hosted Sunnyside and were victorious 3-2 in a competitive game. The Mavs host Davis on Sept. 16 at Lions Field with a 6 p.m. start.

Mariners grab wins in first two games against Angels

SEATTLE (AP) - The Mariners worked hard to solidify their ranking in the AL West Thursday and Friday with two wins against the Los Angeles Angels.

Knights defeated at home

ROYAL CITY – On Thursday, the Royal Knights hosted the Cashmere Bulldogs where they were defeated at home 3-0. Though the scoreboard may not reflect it, Head Coach Lisa Lawrence saw her team fight to the very end. “Cashmere is a tough team, and we knew going into (the game) it was going to be tough. They're one of the best teams in the state, so our goal was to improve each set, which we did, and our score reflected that, and we kept fighting all the way through, which I think is really important,” Lawrence said.

Knights learn from fall to Cashmere

ROYAL CITY – The Knights were defeated at home 1-0 Thursday by the visiting Cashmere Bulldogs. Head Coach Jens Jensen said that despite the loss, his team gained valuable experience for later in the season. “I thought the girls played hard. I thought this was a good learning experience. They're growing as a team. We will get better and better as the season goes on,” Jensen said.

Ephrata man killed in SR 28 crash

SOAP LAKE — Jesse Perez, 36, of Ephrata was killed Wednesday night when he lost control of the motorcycle he was riding and crashed. He was lying in the road and was discovered an undetermined amount of time later, when a second car struck him.

Moses Lake looks to plan ahead for financial sustainability

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake residents will be asked to weigh in on the opportunities and choices – possibly some tough choices – facing the city in 2026 and beyond. City manager Rob Karlinsey said residents will be asked for their thoughts on the future during the budget process and in early 2026.

BASIN BOX SCORE: Basin sports recap of soccer, volleyball, football and slow pitch, and upcoming sporting events

MOSES LAKE - On this episode of the Basin Box Score Mike Maynard and Cheryl Schweizer recap the previous week of Basin sports as the new season has kicked off. From football to volleyball and soccer, Basin teams have started the season on fire. Additionally, we look ahead at the upcoming slate of Basin action this weekend and the Othello Rodeo.

Carl Edward Osborn

It is with deep love and sadness that we announce the passing of Carl Edward Osborn, 73, on Saturday, September 6, 2025. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather whose greatest joy in life was his family, especially his beloved grandchildren.

Touted rookie Harry Ford delivers off bench as Mariners top Angels in 12 to tie for 1st in AL West

SEATTLE (AP) — Rookie pinch-hitter Harry Ford drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 12th inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-6 on Thursday night to move into a tie with Houston atop the AL West. It was the second straight walk-off victory in extra innings for the Mariners, who extended their win streak to six games. Leo Rivas hit a two-run homer in the 13th inning Wednesday night to complete a series sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Columbia Bank celebrates rebranding

MOSES LAKE — With a snip of the scissors and a burst of confetti, Columbia Bank presented its new face to the community Wednesday at a ribbon-cutting and open house. “I've been trying to reintroduce our bank to the community, building it back up, giving it a new vibe, making sure that it's one that's positive and helpful and all of those things,” Branch Manager Kristine Bailey said.

Home listings, sales up in Grant County

KIRKLAND — More homes are on the market in Washington than a year ago and closed sales are up in Grant County but down over much of the state, according to data released this week by Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which tracks real estate trends in 27 Washington counties.

Othello Rodeo holds annual Demo Derby

OTHELLO – On Wednesday, loud motors, mud and collisions filled the Othello Rodeo arena for the annual Demolition Derby. Drivers from all over the Basin flocked to the Othello Fair to partake in chaotic competition. “I like being able to let out the aggression, it’s no holds barred. To be able to smash (into other cars) and get away with it,” Jake Sligar from Quincy said.

BASIN EVENTS: Sept. 12-20

COLUMBIA BASIN — It’s the last official week of summer and the Basin is brimming with fun things to do. Here are a few:

Flowers, pumpkins and a fall market at Rue & Sage

MOSES LAKE — There’s a lot growing at Rue & Sage this fall. The floral business offers a U-pick pumpkin patch and hosts a fall pop-up market, and now they’ve expanded into U-pick flowers as well. Home decorations and furniture will be available at the event.

GALLERY: Othello Fair 2025

OTHELLO — The Othello Fair is in full swing through Saturday, with a carnival, livestock showings, food, entertainment and more. Here are a few scenes from Thursday’s fair.

GCSO announces new emergency notification number

MOSES LAKE – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has announced a change in the phone number used for its emergency alert system, Everbridge. Residents will now receive calls from 509-260-3440, a Cle Elum phone number.

Wenatchee Valley College receives $130,000 for workforce development

WENATCHEE – Wenatchee Valley College has secured $130,000 in workforce development funds from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. The funding, going to just 12 colleges, is part of a broader initiative to bolster local economic growth and meet industry demands, according to WVC. In its recent announcement, the SBCTC emphasized the importance of these funds, stating they are designed "to help industry thrive and expand in Washington state while continuing to support the development of a skilled workforce." The funds are aimed at projects that adapt to the evolving needs of both industry and prospective students as well as to strengthen local workforce development efforts.

FIRE REPORT: Sept. 12, 2025

MOSES LAKE – The fires below are burning around 91,400 acres across Washington as of Thursday afternoon. The blazes were causing air quality concerns regionally.

‘We’ll take it from here’

First responders, students honor the fallen heroes of 9/11

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake remembered the fallen heroes of 9/11 in ceremonies downtown and at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center Thursday morning.

ROAD REPORT: Chip-sealing coming to downtown Moses Lake next week

MOSES LAKE — Chip-sealing is scheduled to begin in the downtown area of Moses Lake sometime during the week of Sept. 15. East Hill Avenue and sections of East Wheeler Road are being chip-sealed this week. Drivers should be prepared for temporary detours and traffic control while chip-sealing is underway.

Efforts to promote water conservation coming to Quincy

QUINCY — Water is a critical commodity throughout the Inland Northwest, and it’s even more critical in growing cities like Quincy. City officials are working on a program to encourage city residents to conserve water, starting with a booth at Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day. Bob Davis, water program manager for the city, said he’s going to be wearing an, um, eye-catching costume.

Warden to get new police chief, approves updating planning documents

WARDEN – The Warden City Council met Tuesday to discuss the hiring of a new Warden Police Department Chief, acknowledge the clerk-treasurer assistant, receive updates on city projects, approve adding a climate element to the comprehensive plan and approve the development of a planning document for the wastewater facility and general sewer plan.

Warriors volleyball earns win over Eagles

SOAP LAKE – The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors earned a 3-1 victory over the Soap Lake Eagles volleyball team Tuesday evening. “It was an incredible match, we battled, and we needed to battle because Soap Lake is a quality team,” said the Warriors’ head coach Katie Walsh. “They had offense, they had defense, every ball it felt like every opportunity we tried to put down, they were putting up, and they were attacking with consistency.”

Moses Lake Jr. Mavericks kick off season with action-packed weekend

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Jr. Mavericks roared into the 2025 youth football season this past Saturday, as all five teams hit the road for a thrilling opening weekend of competition across Eastern Washington. The fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade squads traveled to Othello to face off against the Jr. Huskies, and they came ready to play. The fourth-grade Mavericks set the tone early with a dominant 25-0 shutout victory. The fifth-grade followed with a hard-fought 27-19 win, and the sixth-grade team completed the sweep, blanking Othello 31-0 in a commanding performance.

Mavs sweep season opener

MOSES LAKE — On Wednesday, the Mavericks slowpitch team opened the 2025 season with a doubleheader against Sageview (Pasco) and Chiawana. The Mavs defeated Sageview 21-4 and Chiawana 17-12. Head Coach Mike Hofheins said it was a good first test for his team.

Mavericks’ soccer triumphs over Huskies

OTHELLO — The Moses Lake Mavericks soccer team went on the road and earned a 2-0 victory over the Othello Huskies Tuesday evening. “I think that we did really good today,” said Mavs player Chelsea Gonzalez. “I feel like we had really good chemistry, and we were passing good and we just took advantage of our opportunities.”

Sweet as ‘Cake

MOSES LAKE – Grant County Animal Outreach introduces an irresistible treat. Meet Strawberry Shortcake, the small mixed-breed darling who's as delightful as her namesake. This fruity little gem is all about love and cuddles, dishing out endless sweetness. If you're longing for a little flavor in your life, Strawberry Shortcake is the perfect recipe for happiness. She is spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. Whisk her away and start a new chapter filled with wagging tails and furry affection by filling out her application at GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org. If you can’t adopt now but would like to help a local shelter, visit the website and click “donate.”

LETTER: Disappointed in the PUD

To the Editor, The Public Utility District says it serves the community. Yet on August 26, 2025, it just condemned our family’s land, ignoring four other viable routes that would have spared private property. Instead of fairness and negotiation, we’ve been met with force and dismissal.

Vern Griffith

1941 - 2025

Vern Leon Griffith was born on Sept. 27, 1941, to Harold and Isabelle (Scrimsher) Griffith in Spokane, Washington. He spent his early years in Twisp, Washington, where his father served as superintendent of schools. The family later moved to Yakima, where Harold became the superintendent for West Valley School District. Vern graduated from West Valley in 1959.

WA small business owners not as optimistic due to pending tax hikes

(The Center Square) – Small business owners in most of the U.S. feel more upbeat, according to the National Federation of Independent Business’ Small Business Optimism Index for August, which increased by half a point from the previous month to 100.8 – the highest level in more than a year.

Ephrata man killed in SR 28 crash

SOAP LAKE — An Ephrata man was killed Wednesday night when he lost control of the motorcycle he was riding and crashed. He was lying in the road and was discovered an undetermined amount of time later, when a second car struck him.

Lawmakers eye immigrant farmworker legal status, protections

(The Center Square) – Bipartisan lawmakers reintroduced a bill designed to give immigrant farm workers an opportunity to pursue temporary legal status in the United States. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act proposes allowing immigrant farm workers to apply for Certified Agricultural Worker status, which can be renewed indefinitely, given a noncitizen’s continued employment as a farmworker.

Rivas hits walk-off homer in 13th to give streaking Mariners a 4-2 win over Cardinals

SEATTLE (AP) — Leo Rivas led off the bottom of the 13th inning with a two-run homer and the Seattle Mariners outlasted the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Wednesday night for their fifth consecutive victory. Seattle completed a three-game sweep and remained one game behind Houston atop the AL West. The Mariners lead Texas by 1 1/2 games for the final American League wild card.

Grant Co. Jail construction on schedule for summer 2026 opening

EPHRATA — Construction of the new Grant County Jail is progressing rapidly, with Chief Deputy of Corrections Phillip Coats of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office expressing optimism about the facility’s completion. The new jail will comprehensively address the current needs of inmates, staff, and the community, with several innovative solutions integrated into its design, Coats said.

Youth and suicide: Knowing the signs and accessing resources can save lives, experts say

MOSES LAKE — Suicide is the second-leading cause of death in Washington for people between the ages of 10 and 24, according to the Washington State Department of Health. Youth suicide is on the rise regionally, according to locals who work with people in crisis.

Farmer Consumer Awareness Day returns to Quincy on Saturday

QUINCY — The agricultural industry – and agricultural bounty – of Quincy and its surrounding area will be celebrated at the annual Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day Saturday. Leia Watkins, FCAD president, said recognizing agriculture and the contributions of farmers is as important as ever. “Especially in this day and age, so many people don’t understand the importance of agriculture,” Watkins said.

COLLEGIATE SPORT SCHEDULE: Sept. 11-18

MOSES LAKE – Washington’s collegiate athletes head into another week of new competition. See where your favorite college team will be playing this week.

Walk to End Alzheimer’s coming Saturday

MOSES LAKE — There will be more purple shirts and multicolored flowers on the streets of Moses Lake Saturday at the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s than ever before, according to Julie Reathaford, who manages the event.

Ephrata PD Blotter for Sept. 4-8, 2025

EPHRATA – The reports below were provided by the Ephrata Police Department. Suspects listed are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Legals for September, 11 2025

Ephrata school bus driver takes passengers personally

EPHRATA — Brenda Wurl has become a beloved fixture within the Ephrata School District as a bus driver, where her enthusiasm for children and dedication to safety has set a high standard within the community, according to the Transportation Director Adam Roduner. “Brenda, our longest-serving driver, is a wonderful example of the heart and dedication our entire team brings to their work,” Superintendent Ken Murray said. “We are deeply grateful for Brenda and for every member of our transportation staff who shows up, rain or shine, to serve our students and families.” With over 15 years of experience under her belt, Wurl said she has established a unique rapport with her young passengers and their families, making her not just a driver, but also a trusted role model.

Big Sky Now: Who made their mark in Week 1, results from Week 2, plus our Week 3 predictions

On Today's episode of Big Sky Now, we discuss Big Sky players that made their mark Week 1. Then we jump to Week 2 results that saw Montana kick off its season at home. And finally, we give our analysis for the upcoming Week 3 games with our weekly picks!

COLUMN: Panic in Seattle after week one?

Many Seahawks fans packed Lumen Field in great anticipation to see the newest version of their favorite team. I imagine many questions filled their minds. Can Mike MacDonald take the next step? Are Cooper Kupps best behind him? Was Sam Darnold a one-year wonder?

Arozarena's 4 RBIs lift Mariners over Cards 5-3

SEATTLE (AP) — Randy Arozarena hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the third inning as part of a four-RBI night as the Seattle Mariners beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 on Tuesday to close within one game of the AL West lead.

Broncos victorious over the Cougars

RITZVILLE – On Tuesday, the Lind-Ritzville Broncos hosted the Warden Cougars to open the 2025 season. The Broncos controlled the game, winning the first three sets to secure their first win of the season with a final score of 3-0. “One thing I appreciate watching is that it can be hard to play teams that are playing at a different pace than what we're used to, and I think we did a good job not changing our style so much, and that's not always easy to do,” Broncos Head Coach Cari Galbreath said.

Mavs secure road win against Huskies

OTHELLO – The Moses Lake Mavericks volleyball team travelled to face the Othello Huskies Tuesday evening where the Mavs secured a 3-0 victory. “I think the first two sets we started off a little slow, but once we have our energy up and we all start having fun with each other, that’s when we really come together and we play as a team,” said Mavs player Madison Witwer.

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk dies after being shot at Utah college event

OREM, Utah (AP) — Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday at a Utah college event in an act that drew renewed attention to the threat of political violence across the United States. The death was announced on social media by Trump, who praised the 31-year-old Kirk, the co-founder and CEO of the youth organization Turning Point USA, as “Great, and even Legendary.” “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account. The suspected shooter has not been arrested, Orem, Utah, Mayor David Young said. A person who was taken into custody by law enforcement at the university where Kirk was speaking was not the suspect, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Samaritan hosting 24th annual charity golf tournament

MOSES LAKE – Samaritan Healthcare Foundation is hosting its 24th annual Desert Golf Classic charity golf tournament tomorrow with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. at the Links at Moses Pointe golf course.

EXPLAINER: Funding libraries in North Central Washington

MOSES LAKE – The North Central Washington Libraries operate under a unique funding model reliant on local taxpayer dollars, primarily property tax revenue. NCW Libraries runs 30 branches in five counties.

Local schools keep air quality, student safety at the fore

MOSES LAKE – Over the weekend, several high school sporting events were altered or canceled due to poor air quality in the Basin. Othello Athletic Director Carlos Gonzalez said they will always put student safety first. Smoky weather like the Basin has seen recently is one of the factors that could lead to a delay, cancelation or change of venue.

Basin football roundup week one

MOSES LAKE – The first week of Basin football is in the books. See below how your favorite teams did in week one.

'They were kids at heart'

Local couple have memorial bench and plaque dedicated to them for contributions to community

MOSES LAKE — On Friday, a park bench and plaque were unveiled to commemorate Don and Mary Cunnington’s contributions to the Moses Lake community. Friends and family gathered outside the Surf ‘N Slide Water Park, formerly known as the Moses Lake Aquatic Center, to celebrate the couple. “They loved kids because they were kids at heart,” Dawni Cunnington said.

Mattawa clinic puts levy proposal on November ballot

MATTAWA — Grant County Hospital District 5, also known as the Mattawa Community Medical Clinic, is asking voters to consider a proposal to change the amount of money collected through the hospital district levy in the Nov. 3 general election. District 5 Commissioner Barb Davis said the “levy lid lift” would raise the amount of money collected through the clinic’s existing maintenance and operations levy.

Classical singer, pianist to perform Saturday in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — The public is invited to a collaborative recital Saturday by pianist Oksana Ejokina and singer Misha Myznikov, according to an announcement from the Moses Lake – Central Basin Music Teachers Chapter of the Washington State Music Teachers Association, which is sponsoring the concert.

Moses Lake Police Blotter for Aug. 30-Sept. 2

MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake Police Department provided the reports below. Suspects identified are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Legals for September, 10 2025

Ephrata PD officer stops theft of nearly $600,000

EPHRATA – In early June, a call was made by Grant County Public Works to the Ephrata Police Department for a theft through deception of three checks totaling nearly $600,000. Ephrata PD Officer Zach Smith, who has been with the department for nearly five years, responded to the call and began investigating the theft.

OTHELLO CITY COUNCIL POSITION 1 Q&A: Dorow vs. Camp

OTHELLO — Incumbent Genna Dorow is being challenged by Kelli Camp for Position 1 on the Othello City Council. The Columbia Basin Herald provided identical questions to each candidate that included a word limit.

Supreme Court fast tracks Trump tariff case

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — The Supreme Court granted an unusually quick hearing on President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on Tuesday, putting a policy at the center of his economic agenda squarely before the nation's highest court.

‘Conflict of interest’ alleged in complaint against Solicitor General Noah Purcell

(The Center Square) – A complaint against Solicitor General Noah Purcell with the Washington State Executive Ethics Board has been rejected for investigation despite allegations that the decision by Executive Director Kate Reynolds was made amid a conflict of interest.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Sept. 10-17, 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN – Fall sports head into week two of play as student athletes begin to get a feel for the season. Check out who your local teams are facing off against this week.

Eagles draw with Air Force

CHENEY — Eastern Washington women’s soccer ended their game against Air Force with a 2-2 draw, according to a statement by EWU athletics. The Falcons scored first but Kendall Moore stuck back in the second half, while Noelle Raczykowski contributed a goal of her own. The Falcons found the equalizer to draw 2-2. “We had some tactical things we wanted out of the day,” said head coach Missy Strasburg. “We really wanted to expose them high and wide against their back three, and we had a lot of success early on. But more than anything, we challenged our group on work rate and those individual battles in transition.” The Eagles came out strong, holding much of the early possession while both sides created good chances. Air Force broke through in the 31st minute with a ball that slipped past Kamryn Willoughby to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Lions take a road loss against Odessa

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Christian Covenant School Lions volleyball team fell on the road in their season opener Tuesday evening against Odessa with a final score of 1-3.

Surfin' into your heart

OTHELLO – Surf, a Jack Russell Terrier mix isn’t looking so much to ride waves but instead he is more of a couch surfing kind of guy – as in he would like to switch from one couch to another for his naps. He is a small adult dog, who is microchipped, vaccinated and neutered. He gets along with other furry friends, so if your current pup needs a pup, he’s the guy for you. If you're sold on this sweet boy, visit AdamsCountyPetRescue.com and fill out his application. If you can’t adopt right now but would like to help a local shelter visit the website and click “donate.”

Huskies roll ahead of Ellensburg to start season

OTHELLO – The Othello Huskies made a strong start to their season after earning a 49-0 win on the road over Ellensburg Saturday evening. “We’re senior-dominated, we have guys with a lot of experience,” said Huskies defensive coach Kevin Hale. “We have all-state quality guys at certain positions, so we expected to do well, and we did on both sides of the ball.”

Darayl Larsen

Darayl Larsen of Moses Lake passed away on August 26, 2025, at the age of 83, following a brief illness. T

Josh Naylor’s late go-ahead double helps Mariners beat Cardinals 4-2

SEATTLE (AP) — Josh Naylor hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the sixth inning to help the Seattle Mariners beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Monday night. Naylor, who homered in his last two games, turned on a hanging curveball from Cardinals reliever Gordon Graceffo (3-1) for a two-run shot after Julio Rodríguez got Seattle on the board with an RBI single. After his double, Naylor made a heads-up play and stole third base, allowing him to score with ease on a sacrifice fly from Jorge Polanco.

Ceremonies planned for 9/11 remembrance

MOSES LAKE — Several local communities will hold remembrances of the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks on Thursday. All are open to the public.

MLSD committee recommends replacement of North, Larson Heights

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School Board heard a presentation from the district’s Facility Advisory Committee recommending that Larson Heights and North elementaries be demolished and replaced with a new elementary that would serve students from both campuses. The board did not vote on whether to accept the recommendation.

‘It’s gonna be a busy Saturday'

Community events set to fill downtown Moses Lake this weekend

MOSES LAKE – Downtown Moses Lake is going to see a lot of activity this coming weekend with Sip ‘n Stroll, Art on 3rd, the Moses Lake Care Fair and the farmers market all happening Saturday. Not to mention the Columbia Basin Walk to End Alzheimer’s and Colors of Hope events, as well as Kicks & Coffee Streetwear Fair at the Favored Farmhouse.

'Please please please' adopt Sabrina Carpenter

MOSES LAKE – Meet Sabrina Carpenter, the furry superstar ready to make your heart sing. This 5-month-old mixed breed wonder is spayed, vaccinated, and microchipped—truly a "Thumbs" up for puppy perfection. She's "Almost Love" loyal. Bring this "Fast Times" pupper into your home and let her fill your life with "Nonsense,” wagging tails and adorable zoomies. Swing by Grant County Animal Outreach to meet your new "On Purpose" best friend. “Please Please Please” adopt this “Short n’ Sweet” girl by visiting GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org and filling out her application. If you can’t adopt right now, but want to help a local shelter, “bet u wanna,” visit the website and click “donate.”

Legals for September, 9 2025

College football recap

BOISE, Idaho — On Saturday, several collegiate football teams from Washington completed their second week of the season. Some saw success, while others fell short. Eastern Washington According to a statement by EWU Athletics, the Broncos seized the momentum quickly, scoring 14 points in the first five minutes of the game. Boise State put up 20 points in the first quarter and had the game quickly under control. The Eagles broke through in the second quarter, as Jared Taylor engineered a 10-play, 62-yard drive, culminating in a Taylor touchdown run. The Broncos answered right back with a quick touchdown and tacked on a late field goal to go into halftime with a 23-point lead. “There were some bright spots, but not a lot of highlights. We’ll have to watch the film, but we did not play a clean game defensively,” Head Coach Aaron Best said. “We didn’t knock any balls out and missed some tackles. Offensively was not complimentary either. We did not stay on the field on third downs. Punting was inconsistent and we can’t keep putting the defense in between the 40s. We had a short week, and we’ll take tomorrow off, then look at the game on Sunday.”

Groff repairs on schedule, campus to reopen 2026-27

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District Superintendent Carol Lewis told the MLSD Board of Directors Thursday that Groff Elementary will open back up for the 2026-27 school year. While physical construction just began, assessments have been completed to ensure the campus’s deficiencies are addressed. “There's not a whole bunch of construction equipment crawling all over the campus and knocking things down and things like that,” Lewis said. “There is a lot going on that's starting to happen. It looked a little slow to outside observers at first, because there was a lot of assessment that had to be done, lots of people walking around with clipboards and things, and not necessarily the actual construction that needs to happen to fix that building.”

Basin teams compete at Ellensburg Invitational

ELLENSBURG — The Ephrata Tigers, Othello Huskies, Royal Knights, Wahluke Warriors and Warden Cougars cross country teams all travelled to Irene Rhineheart Park in Ellensburg Saturday morning to compete in an Invitational Relay event. “The Ellensburg Relay provides a great opening race for the season,” said Tigers coach Lyndsy Roberts. “The coed relay feature helps build team chemistry and the distance of 1.5 miles gives athletes a chance to race fast over a manageable distance. The knee-deep water feature also brings an exciting and memorable moment.” The event featured an individual race as well as a team race where both boys and girls ran together. Ephrata and Othello were two of the top teams in the boys individual race one, with the Tigers taking second and the Huskies taking fourth. Ephrata and Royal also made the leaderboard in the girls relay with the Tigers taking ninth and the Knights taking 13th.

Mavericks defeat Hermiston at home

MOSES LAKE — On Saturday, the Mavs defeated Hermiston at home 3-1 to secure their first victory of the season. Head coach Krystal Trammell said her players came to play. “The girls were very excited,” Trammell said. “They like playing Hermiston; they are a really good team. They're fast-paced, and they were pretty hyped up to get out there and play again."

Arlington man arrested for vehicle theft in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – Colin James Golden, 37, of Arlington was lodged into Grant County Jail Sunday for the investigation of a driving under the influence, attempting to elude police, resisting arrest, obstructing law enforcement and possession of a stolen vehicle, according to GCSO.

Future of Moses Lake to be discussed at daylong council meeting

MOSES LAKE — The future of Moses Lake, and how to plan for it, will be the subject of a daylong Moses Lake City Council meeting Sept. 16. City Manager Rob Karlinsey said Moses Lake has some challenges ahead, and planning for them will make it easier to meet them. “The morning will be spent going through capital improvement plans,” Karlinsey said. “(In the afternoon) we’re going to be talking about the water systems plan. And then we’ll be talking about the water resources strategy, and that, to me, is going to be a highlight of the day. What are we going to do wean ourselves off this reliance on the deep basalt aquifer?”

Moses Lake man convicted in child pornography case

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man was convicted last week of possessing child pornography, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. Michael Boyer, 69, was convicted in Grant County Superior Court on four counts of first-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to the GCSO statement. In September 2023, GCSO and Moses Lake Police Department detectives received a case referral from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Seattle. The tip was from Google, identifying Boyer as the suspect, along with his birthdate, phone number and two email addresses. “The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is a national network of 61 task forces, and their mission is to investigate, prosecute and develop effective responses to the Internet Crimes Against Children,” GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said.

Shots fired on West Broadway Avenue

MOSES LAKE – On Saturday at around 9 p.m. there was a report made of shots fired at 1842 West Broadway Avenue, according to Moses Lake Police Department. Upon police arrival, officers determined a physical altercation had occurred. During the fight, one of the individuals involved produced a firearm and discharged several rounds.

Gas prices saw increase in WA, Grant Co. and nationally

MOSES LAKE — There were slight increases to average gas prices in Grant County, Washington and nationwide this week, according to AAA. Adams County saw a slight decline in prices. “Most of the nation’s 50 states saw gas prices rise over the last week, while some Great Lakes states saw significant relief thanks to the restart of BP’s Whiting, Indiana, refinery after severe weather caused a temporary outage,” wrote Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, in a statement.

Nearly 80,500 acres burning in WA on Monday

MOSES LAKE — Washington’s fire season is heating up with nearly 80,500 acres burning across the state as of Monday. “Part of the reason that you are seeing a lot of those large fires on the landscape is because we had several lightning storms that moved through during red flag conditions,” Department of Natural Resources Public Information Officer Ryan Rodruck said. Despite this, the fire season is still under the 10-year average of about 470,000 acres with the state sitting at around 122,300 acres this year.

QUINCY CITY COUNCIL POSITION 5: Dormier and Shelton

QUINCY — Incumbent Dave Dormier is being challenged by Pete Shelton for Position 5 on the Quincy City Council. The Columbia Basin Herald gave identical questions to each candidate, with a word limit.

Darrell Lee Liechty

May 27, 1934 — Aug. 5, 2025

Darrell Lee Liechty, 91, of Moses Lake, Washington, passed away peacefully on August 5, 2025, in Moses Lake.

Third-stringer Jake Tonges' late TD catch gives the 49ers a 17-13 win over the Seahawks

SEATTLE (AP) — When Brock Purdy commanded the huddle ahead of the San Francisco 49ers’ final drive, he provided a clear message to third-string tight end Jake Tonges and the rest of the offense. “He’s confident, he’s poised, he’s like, ‘Let’s go win this thing,’” Tonges said. “We didn’t want to kick a field goal. We didn’t want to go to overtime. We wanted to win it right there.”

Mariners complete successful weekend series against Braves

ATLANTA (AP) — The Seattle Mariners brought home two wins in a weekend series against the Atlanta Braves.

Weather for the week of Sept. 8, 2025

Weather for the week of Sept. 8, 2025

Othello Fair & Rodeo coming Wednesday

Fair may be small, but it makes up for it with friendly atmosphere, welcoming community

OTHELLO — Longtime volunteer Becky Flint said there’s just something about the Othello Fair. “We may not be the biggest, but we definitely are the friendliest,” she said.

Moses Lake residents invited to Comprehensive Plan forum

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake city officials are inviting residents to learn about the city’s comprehensive plan and the process of updating it at a community forum at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Moses Lake Civic Center, 401 S. Balsam St.

Huskies volleyball enters season with renewed confidence

OTHELLO – The Othello Huskies volleyball team is aiming to rebound this season after finishing 2-15 last year and falling out of the district tournament in the first round. “I think it was a lot of young people, and it was kind of just something to adjust to,” said Huskies’ senior Abbie Douglas.

Warriors lose heartbreaker in week one

MATTAWA – On Friday, the Wahluke Warriors lost 21-20 to Naches Valley at home. A nail-biter to the end, they fought back several times in the second half. Head Coach Anfernee Cortez was proud of what he saw from his players, despite the loss.

GCSO wins 10th annual Battle of the Badges

MOSES LAKE – The Grant County Sheriff's Office has been crowned 2025 Battle of the Badges champions. This was their 10th annual softball game. According to Sheriff Joey Kriete, this year's turnout looked to be their best yet.

Minor injuries when driver of stolen car attempts to flee police

MOSES LAKE — The driver of a stolen car received minor injuries when the unidentified driver lost control of the car while attempting to flee from law enforcement.

No injuries in separate shots-fired incidents

MOSES LAKE — No injuries were reported in separate disturbances that involved shots fired in Moses Lake and Quincy late Saturday and early Sunday.

The Big Cheese looking for a heart to melt

MOSES LAKE – For some reason, I think I’m the big cheese, perhaps because Big Cheese is literally my name. The folks here at Grant County Animal Outreach know how to give a pup a name that builds him up. I’m a mix of this and that and the folks here at the shelter say I’m around 44 pounds at just over three years old. I’d love to meet you and see if we click and can hang out together for the long term. Feel free to provide cheesy treats. If this big lump of cheddar seems like your type, visit GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org and fill out his application today. If you can’t adopt right now but would like to help a local shelter, visit the website and click “donate.”

Mattawa officials discussing food-based fundraising rules

MATTAWA —Mattawa residents will be asked for their opinions on possible changes to existing ordinances to regulate the sale of food-based fundraisers by groups and individuals at a community meeting sometime this fall. Mattawa City Council members continued an ongoing discussion Thursday about what should and should not be allowed.

Fire alarms but no fire at Moses Lake civic complex Friday

MOSES LAKE — An electrical interruption triggered fire alarms in Moses Lake municipal buildings Friday night but didn’t cause any damage.

Western states launch vaccine alliance amid CDC shake-up

(The Center Square) – The states of California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii are launching the West Coast Health Alliance to provide immunization recommendations to their residents amid concerns of federal politicization of science.

Shell of new Quincy pool scheduled to arrive this month

QUINCY — While it’s not scheduled to open until next summer, the new Quincy Aquatic Center will really start taking shape this fall. Construction crews started excavating the site in July, and Quincy Parks and Recreation Director Russ Harrington said there’s been a lot of progress below ground level.

Soap Lake updates Smokiam fee schedule

SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake City Council updated the fees for Smokiam Campground and allowed for future changes to be done by resolution instead of changing the city code.

Warden starts season with 32-13 win

WARDEN – The Warden Cougars football team started their season off strong with a 32-13 victory over Medical Lake as they push to solidify themselves as a top contender in the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference. “It was pretty good,” said Cougars running back Danny Martinez. “First half blocks were settling in kind of flaky, but by the second half they actually got good blocks they got a good hold and actually earned some yards.”

Mavs secure first win on the road

MOSES LAKE – On Thursday, the Mavericks opened their season on the road against Oak Harbor and brought home a 49-6 win. Head Coach Brett Jay said he was happy with what he saw from his team. “I thought our effort was great, and I thought our attitude is great, and we're excited for the win, and we're going to clean some things up moving forward,” he said.

A young Lions team rallies around their junior and senior leaders

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Christian Covenant School Lions volleyball team is preparing themselves for another deep run in the postseason this year after ending the previous season 12-6 record and making a deep run at districts. “Last season I thought was pretty good,” said Head Coach Dean Spurbeck. “We didn’t quite make it to state, (but) they continued to get better.”

Reigning state champs open in dominant fashion

ROYAL CITY – The reigning 1A state champion Royal Knights kicked off their season in dominant fashion. What included a 48-point first quarter, the Knights were victorious over Kiona-Benton 68-0. “We executed pretty well in most areas. Kids were excited to get out there and play, and it was a bit of a mismatch physically. There are some areas we're still looking to get some of the pieces right, we're still working on getting their reads right and things like that, so lots to work on. But it was a great start for us,” Head Coach Wiley Allred said.

Tigers’ cross country ready to compete at state level

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Tigers Cross Country team is preparing for another year of competition after finding success last season but just missing out on the state tournament. “This year we’re looking to go for some redemption to earn a state spot,” said Tigers Head Coach Lyndsey Roberts. “We’ve got most of our runners returning and we’re really excited about the potential.” Last year, the boys team finished second in the Central Washington Athletic Conference and qualified for state, but missed out on the championship by a few points, said Roberts. The girls team was in the middle of the league, but had strong front-runners, including Abigail Chamberlain, Savannah Harper and Hannah Malone.

Jacks hope to build in year two of CWAC

QUINCY – After a promising first season in the Central Washington Athletic Conference, the Jacks girls soccer team is motivated. Head Coach Jesse Villalobos said he was thrilled with what his team accomplished last year. “We were pretty happy with how far we got last year. We were able to win a district game the first year in the CWAC. We’re pretty proud of that accomplishment,” he said.

Warriors girls soccer looks to overcome new challenges

MATTAWA – After going 9-11-1the Wahluke girls soccer team will be facing some new challenges this season. According to Head Coach Cele Lopez, the Warriors have a young roster. “We have a new team, a lot of freshmen, a lot of girls who want to play, but they have never really played before. That's really a challenge,” Lopez said. “‘How can you combine the experienced girls with their groups?’”

Mavs volleyball playing with a warriors mentality

MOSES LAKE — After going 12-6 last season and falling short in the District Five 4A Championship, the Mavericks volleyball team is ready to run the table. Each year, they pick a new mantra, this year's being ‘Warrior mentality.’ “I looked at the team that we had coming back and the personalities. I asked them, ‘Why did I pick this?’ and they nailed it. They are goal-oriented. They're athletes, they want to win, they want to succeed, they don't give up, they strive to be better, they're constantly asking questions,” Head Coach Krystal Trammell said. Trammell said a mutual feeling of excitement filled the gymnasium when practices began. The Mavs volleyball team is energized and ready to start the new season.

Big Sky Now: Week 2 preview plus Gold Rush showdown, practice squads, and upsets

The 2025 Big Sky football season is rolling, and the Big Sky Now podcast is breaking down everything you need to know from Week 1 and looking ahead to Week 2.

Warden volleyball works to repeat past success under new head coach

WARDEN – The Warden Cougars volleyball team is tracking another run at the state tourney this year with new head coach Katie Roylance leading the team. The coach wants to maintain a winning culture this season. “You have those returning players who know where that expectation is and I’m probably just going to bump that bar up just a little bit and just try and hold that expectation,” said Roylance.

Eagles volleyball boasts strong senior class

SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake Eagles are preparing for another successful season after finishing the last season 16-5 and earning second in districts and making the second round of the state tourney. “Last season was probably our best season since I’ve been coaching,” said Eagles Head Coach Niki Noble. “I was really proud of the girls for how hard they worked.”

Huskies look for success with a younger team

OTHELLO – The Othello Huskies girls soccer team ended their last season with a record of 6-9-2, which qualified them for districts, but they were eliminated in the first round. This year the team has a younger roster, but hopes for a deeper postseason run. “Last year we were a young team and it kind of showed when we went into playoff play,” said Huskies head coach Victor Quiroz. “We had a good regular season, but we were knocked out in the first round of playoffs.” The Huskies graduated nine seniors from the team in the offseason, which were complemented by the seven freshmen who were on the team last year. This year’s team is returning fewer seniors, with a roster heavy in underclassmen.

Broncos cross country ready to compete

RITZVILLE – As the 2025 cross country season begins, the Lind/Ritzville Broncos are ready to learn. Head Coach Christina Heater said her team is a bit bigger than last year. “We're a pretty small team. Last year we had two seniors graduate, but I knew it would be growing for this year, because we had a number of eighth graders who would be freshmen,” Heater said.

Former athlete highlight, athlete development, fall sports guide and upcoming events

MOSES LAKE - On this episode of the Basin Box Score, Mike Maynard and Caleb Perez discuss recent coverage of Basin sports and upcoming fall sporting events. From a former local athlete and her journey battling injury to looking at how local athletes develop. Then a review of the Fall Sports Guide and what to expect from local athletic programs in the Basin.

ACH Warriors playing with a chip on their shoulder

COULEE CITY — This season, the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors volleyball team will be looking to bounce back. Head Coach Katie Walsh said the team feels they fell short of what they wanted to accomplish last year. “Definitely a feeling of disappointment at the end of last season, not getting where we hoped to get. I think we didn’t perform as well as we could have. I think it’s different if you’re playing at your peak when you need to and you come up short, but we just didn’t perform like we knew we could, and so that was a bummer,” Walsh said. Last season, the Warriors finished 12-12. They graduated their only senior, Emma Whitaker, last season and return an experienced roster this season, Walsh said. She said the team was frustrated with last season’s ending.

Arrests made in Mattawa homicide

MATTAWA — Two juveniles have been arrested and booked into the Chelan County Juvenile Detention Center in connection with the murder of a Mattawa man Aug. 17. The Mattawa Police Department announced the arrests Thursday night.

Pratt Hills preparing to go vertical in Royal City

ROYAL CITY — Some long-awaited homes are finally about to take shape in Royal City.

Knights cross country ready to work

ROYAL CITY – For the Knights cross country team, it’s about more than getting to the finish line. Head Coach Ben Orth said it's about becoming your best self. “It's a competition amongst other teams, but the challenge is to be the best version of ourselves as we can be, and that's just the beauty of what cross country really is,” he said. “Every kid has to realize that challenge and be consistent, be disciplined, and put in the work and feed their bodies with good nutrition and get good sleep and all those things that help us make those incremental improvements.”

Grant helps fund WSU residency program at Samaritan

MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare and Washington State University have received a $750,000 federal grant to begin planning for residency program at Samaritan. Students in the family medicine program at WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine will receive some of their training in Moses Lake.

NCW Libraries marks Library Card Sign-Up Month

MOSES LAKE — A library card is more than just a little plastic rectangle.

GE donation lights up Carousel of Smiles restoration project

Good things truly are being brought to light for the Carousel of Smiles, thanks to a donation of several hundred lightbulbs by General Electric to the Sandpoint nonprofit.

Grant County building permits for Sept. 5, 2025

Grant County building permits for Sept. 5, 2025

Dance club offers squares and rounds

MOSES LAKE – The 4x8’s dance club, a local nonprofit group with more than 70 years in Moses Lake, will host a series of lessons starting Monday. The group dances to a variety of genres, according to a statement from the group, and offers a chance to socialize and have fun.

Soap Lake council receives community updates

SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake City Council met Thursday and got updates from Soap Lake Police Department, Grant County Fire District 7, Public Works, Soap Lake Chamber of Commerce, Soap Lake Creative District, Lake Liaison Committee and the Soap Lake Prevention Coalition.

WAHLUKE SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTOR: Candidates Q&A

MATTAWA – There are two candidates running for the Wahluke School District Director District 5 position. The candidates are Elia Mendoza and board president and incumbent Luke Jenne.

Audit shows $32K misappropriated from East Adams hospital

RITZVILLE — A former employee at East Adams Rural Healthcare misappropriated about $32,000 in 2023, according to a report released Thursday by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. The report said the former accounting clerk pleaded guilty to four charges in April 2024 and served 60 days in jail.

North Central ESD Board of Directors calls for 2025 elections

WENATCHEE - The North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) has announced a call for candidates for four seats on the Board of Directors. Candidates must file their declaration of candidacy between Sept. 1 and Sept. 16.

Brush fire engulfs house in Ephrata

EPHRATA – There was a report made of a brush fire in the 2200 block of Basin Street in Ephrata at around 12 p.m. Thursday, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman. When crews arrived on scene, it was discovered that there was a house involved in the fire. “The one occupant of the house was rescued safely by sheriff’s deputies,” Foreman said.

Darayl D. Larsen

Darayl D. Larsen, 83, of Moses Lake, Washington, passed away August 26, 2025. Services will be held at the Moses Lake Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 3:30 p.m.

Ephrata boil advisory lifted

EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata has officially lifted its boil advisory after the water sample testing came back negative for contaminants, according to City Administrator Ray Towry. “We apologize for the inconvenience,” Towry said. “We understand the stress that it puts on people and local businesses.”

Royal City Lions Park Phase I upgrades near completion

ROYAL CITY — A new soccer field in Royal City’s Lions Park should be ready for use in early October. “The project is not complete, (but) the major part is complete,” Royal City Mayor Mike Christensen said. “The turf is down; the fence is in.”

Smoke forecast to stick around through Friday

MOSES LAKE — Wildfires and light winds have combined to produce poor quality throughout Eastern Washington, a situation that is forecast to persist for a few days. “We’re kind of under this stable (air) layer,” said Charlotte Dewey, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane. “We don’t have a lot of (air) mixing near the surface.”

Trainers, coaches, athletes discuss benefits of summer programs

MOSES LAKE – As high school sports kick off this weekend, that means summer athletics is officially coming to an end. Local athletes all over the Basin have spent their summer playing in leagues like the Central Washington Sixers program.

Simple sounds: George Bluegrass Festival to feature homemade music and players

GEORGE — There’s something very user-friendly about bluegrass music. “If you know three chords and have a capo, you can play with any group of musicians that are playing bluegrass,” said Terry Enyeart of Steelhead, one of the bands slated to perform at the George Bluegrass Festival Sept. 15-21. A capo, he explained, is a device you can put on the neck of a stringed instrument to change keys easily. “(Bluegrass) is usually based on two or three chords, and if you know even the basics of guitar or mandolin, you can sit there and strum along and be part of the music.”

Gesa helping to fight food insecurity

RICHLAND — September is Hunger Action Month, and Gesa Credit Union is partnering with Food Lifeline and Second Harvest to fight food insecurity, according to an announcement from Gesa.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Municipal roles...

One of the things that’s become apparent as my team and I have covered certain civic issues over the past few months is that there is a lack of understanding in the communities of Grant and Adams counties about which municipalities – cities, school districts, counties and so forth – do in the big scheme of thing.

COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: Sept. 4-11, 2025

MOSES LAKE – Colleges throughout Washington are starting their first few games of the season. See where your favorite collegiate teams are heading this week.

Ephrata wastewater plant recognized by DOE

EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata’s Water Reclamation Facility was recognized by the Department of Ecology for outstanding performance in 2024. The city received a letter from DOE Water Quality Program Manager Joe Kenning on Aug. 20.

Legals for September, 4 2025

Roundabout near Ephrata complete days early

EPHRATA — The new roundabout at the intersection of Nat Washington Way and State Route 282 is officially open, marking the end of a detour that has been in place for several weeks. The project was completed 8–9 days ahead of schedule, according to Grant County Central Services.

Ephrata boil advisory still in effect

EPHRATA – Ephrata remains on a boil advisory as it waits for test results to return from Pasco after a broken pipe led to a low pressure situation that requires testing under state health codes.

SOAP LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT POS. 5 Q&A: Leavell vs. Novik

SOAP LAKE – There are two candidates running for the Soap Lake School District Director position 5 role. The candidates are Rebecca Leavell and Mark Novick. Both candidates were given the questions below and given identical deadlines and word count restrictions for their answers.

Huskies head to Dallas for Texas Three-Step

SEATTLE - The Huskies are headed for Texas this week and their first top-25 test as 11th-ranked SMU plays host to the DoubleTree Invitational in Dallas. The Huskies take on the Mustangs this Thursday, Sept. 4, live on ACC Network at 5 p.m. Pacific time. After that, the Huskies (1-2) will stay at SMU to face Stony Brook on Friday at 2 p.m. and Northern Iowa on Saturday at 9 a.m.

COLUMN: Huskies enter Big Ten strong

The first weekend of college football is in the books. Fans were treated to highly competitive matchups like Ohio State versus Texas, Miami versus Notre Dame or LSU versus Clemson. While each of those top matchups delivered on their hype, I was also paying attention to another situation.

BASIN EVENTS

COLUMBIA BASIN — This is a busy week in the Basin, with a fair, community festivals, art, live music and more. Here are some things to check out:

Courtright takes over as CBCCA president

MOSES LAKE — The gavel has been passed at the Central Basin Community Concert Association, as Caren Courtright succeeded Frances Irwin as president last week.

Libraries to host Hispanic trivia events

WENATCHEE — NCW Libraries will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of trivia events at three branch libraries in Grant County, according to an announcement from the library system.

Donald I. Temple Jr.

Donald I. Temple, Jr., 80, passed away Aug. 30, 2025. Don was born in 1945 to Ellen (Fortner) and Donald I. Temple in Seattle, Washington. Don married his high school sweetheart, Janice Goetschius. Together they had two children, Angela and Donald Eric. While raising the children Don coached soccer, was a member of the Soap Lake, Washington, volunteer police and participated in bowling leagues.

Junior Caminero's 40th homer and 100th RBI help Rays beat Mariners 6-5

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Junior Caminero hit his 40th homer and drove in four runs to reach 100 RBIs as the Tampa Bay Rays held on to beat Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners 6-5 on Tuesday night. Raleigh hit his 51st homer, extending his major league record for home runs by a catcher, but he popped out with two men on base to end the game against Garrett Cleavinger, who earned his second save.

GCFD 8 commissioner candidates discuss visions for future

MATTAWA – A candidate forum for the upcoming fire commissioner election for Grant County Fire District 8 was held at Wahluke High School on August 28. The forum included two candidates running for the fire commissioner seats, Josh Seanard and Richard “Dick” Jenkin, both of whom are running unopposed for their respective positions.

‘Softball saved me’

Ciarrah Knoll discusses her unwavering love for softball

MOSES LAKE – Ciarrah Knoll’s journey through softball is full of twists and turns to say the least. However, her love for the sport was never lost. In fact, she said the sport has somewhat saved her. “Softball was definitely my escape,” she said. “It was my way to just put my mind at ease. I would always ask my dad, like, ‘Hey, can we just go to the fields? Even if it's just for two buckets of BP, like whatever it may be, can we just go to the fields?’ And he was always willing to do that with me.”

WARDEN SCHOOL BOARD: Candidate Q&A

WARDEN – There are two candidates running for the Warden School District Director District 5 position. These candidates are incumbent Shawn Clausen and candidate Ryan Arredondo. Both candidates were given the questions below and given identical deadlines and word count restrictions for their answers.

Leitz discusses challenges, future of Port District 3

MATTAWA – Matthus Leitz, the unopposed candidate for the Grant County Port District 3 Port Commissioner position 2 seat, shared his vision for the local economy and community development during a candidate forum held at Wahluke High School on Thursday evening. Leitz, who was born and raised in the area, emphasized his commitment to restoring the port’s fiscal responsibility and enhancing economic diversity.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Sept. 3-10, 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN – School has officially started back up, and with that comes the first week of sports. See where your favorite basin sports team is headed for their first game of the year below.

Grant Co. Democrats award prizes in candy count game

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Democrats have tabulated the results of their Count the Candy game at the Grant County Fair this year, according to an announcement from Vice Chair Jill Springer Forrest.

‘A Tortured Land’

Moses Lake Museum exhibit showcases the stark beauty of the Columbia Basin

MOSES LAKE — Central Washington artist Don Nutt will return this month to the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center after a long time away, according to an announcement from the museum. “It’s been over a decade since we had the pleasure of showing his work in our space,” Museum Communication Coordinator Natalia Zuyeva wrote in the announcement.

Columbia Physical Therapy debuts new pool in open house

OTHELLO — Columbia Physical Therapy has finally realized a longtime dream. “We just added the pool,” said physical therapist Ken Jones, who shares the clinic with physical therapist Nate Stott. “That year-long construction project was just finished.”

Legals for September, 3 2025

Moses Lake couple injured in car crash

ELLENSBURG — A Moses Lake woman was transported to Harborview Medical Center after the car she was driving hit an embankment and rolled Aug. 29.

Celebrating all things Warden

WARDEN — The annual Warden Community Days kicked off this past weekend, drawing crowds for a series of events celebrating the region’s agricultural heritage and community spirit. As the Labor Day festivities unfolded, residents gathered to enjoy activities ranging from a vibrant parade to an inflatable costume race, marking the occasion with laughter and camaraderie. “Warden Community Days is a way for us all to come together,” said Warden Mayor Rosaelia Martinez. “It’s wonderful to see everyone supporting one another. This event brings a great sense of pride to our agricultural community.” The event began on Saturday with a classic car show, followed by a free community dinner featuring hamburgers and hot dogs—a highlight for many attendees.

Wahluke School District Board candidates discuss future goals

MATTAWA – A forum was held on August 28 at Wahluke High School, bringing together the three candidates for the Wahluke School Board: Luke Jenne, Elia Mendoza and Nick Trejo. Incumbents Jenne and Trejo are seeking re-election, while Mendoza is challenging Jenne for Director Position 5.

Options under discussion for former Red Rock Elementary building

ROYAL CITY — The condition of the former Red Rock Elementary building, and its eventual fate, is prompting discussion among Royal City residents and city officials. “We’ve had some concerns with people continuing to break in,” said Royal City Mayor Michael Christensen. The building, located at the intersection of Calla Street and Hawthorne Avenue Northwest, originally was sold in 2005 by the Royal School District, according to records from the Grant County Auditor’s Office. The property is held jointly. Any plans to remodel or use the property haven’t materialized, Christensen said.

Moses Lake Police Department logs for Sept. 1, 2025

Moses Lake Police Department records

Ephrata Police Department logs for Sept. 4, 2025

Ephrata Police Department logs

Memorial bench to honor local community members

MOSES LAKE – On Friday, a park bench will be unveiled to honor the memory and legacy of Don and Mary Cunnington. Event organizer Rich Victor is excited to celebrate two members of the Moses Lake community that had an impact on him, he said.

George Raveling passes away at 88

PULLMAN – Washington State Athletics legend and Hall of Fame Basketball Coach George Raveling, who elevated the Cougar men's basketball program to national prominence during his time in Pullman, has passed away at the age of 88, WSU said in a statement.

McGill earns offensive player of week after Rodeo Bowl win

ELLENSBURG – Wildcats quarterback Kennedy McGill was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week, according to a statement by the conference. This comes after he aided the Wildcats to a 41-14 win over Colorado Mesa in the Rodeo Bowl.

Ephrata boil notice to extend at least to Thursday

EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata has issued a boil advisory for residents after a water line leak was discovered Monday near the old juvenile detention building. “They are currently grabbing the samples for the test results right now,” City Clerk Katie Kapalo said Tuesday morning. “They're going into the different parts of town and making sure they're getting an accurate sample of the whole city. Then those are being taken to the state lab.”

EWU to offer law enforcement leadership program

CHENEY — Eastern Washington University plans to launch a Law Enforcement Leadership & Practice program in the fall of 2026 to help working police officers build practical skills, advance in their careers, and meet the evolving challenges of modern policing, according to an announcement from the university.

WA businesses preparing for new retail sales taxes to hit consumers Oct. 1

(The Center Square) — One month from Labor Day, a slew of Washington businesses will be subject to new retail sales taxes, which will be passed onto consumers. The 2025 Washington State Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill (ESSB) 5814, which added new business activities to the definition of retail sales. Those new taxes will be collected starting Oct. 1. According to the Washington Department of Revenue, new business activities impacted by the tax include advertising services, live presentations, information technology services, custom website development services and more. “Not only is it going to be a significant new tax on a

Baz stops losing streak as Rays rout Mariners 10-2 for fourth straight win

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Shane Baz pitched six shutout innings to end his eight-game losing streak and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Seattle Mariners 10-2 on Monday night for their fourth consecutive victory. Nick Fortes hit an early three-run homer and scored three times. Tristan Gray also went deep and Yandy Díaz had a two-run double for the Rays (68-69), who moved within 4 1/2 games of the Mariners for the last American League playoff spot.

Welcome back Tigers

Ephrata begins the 2025-26 school year

EPHRATA — The Ephrata School District kicked off the 2024-25 academic year on Aug. 28 with a palpable sense of excitement among students and educators alike. As the first day of school unfolded, school administrators expressed their eagerness to engage with returning students and enhance their educational experience.

Cougars soccer aims high with senior leadership

WARDEN – The Warden Cougars girls soccer team is returning to the field for the Fall season with aspirations to build off what they accomplished last season. “It was a good season, we didn’t make it to finals, but we played hard,” said head coach Barbara Landeros. “We had a lot of new girls coming from middle school, so we had a strong team. There was a lot of learning and fun experiences throughout the season.”

Food fundraisers are important part of Warden Community Days

WARDEN — It is true the line at the Warden High School Class of 2026 booth was not as long as that at the Queen of All Saints Catholic Church booth. Nevertheless, by 12:30 p.m. it was clear the seniors had underestimated the demand. “We’re running out of pizzas already,” said Bryce Cox, who oversaw the seniors’ pizza fundraiser.

Othello Chamber celebrates start of school with community

OTHELLO — Technically summer has a couple more weeks to run – Sept. 22 is officially the first day of fall – but summer seems to end when school opens. Othello schools opened last week, but the Othello Chamber of Commerce couldn’t let summer go without one last party.

Mavericks slow pitch motivated to win this fall

MOSES LAKE – After a strong 17-6 slow pitch season last fall, the Mavericks are eager to top their semifinal appearance in states this year. As the school year has started, they have returned to the field for practice.

FIRE REPORT: Sept. 2, 2025

Air quality moderate across most of Washington

COULEE CITY – A fire broke out between Soap Lake and Coulee City just west of Lenore Lake Monday afternoon on the rimrock area overlooking the lake and State Route 17. According to radio traffic, it began as a fire in light flashy vegetation and quickly grew to 60 acres and had reached about 400 acres by the end of the day. Several units, including a helicopter, were reportedly fighting the fire. The cause was unknown as of press time.

Gas prices see uptick in Grant Co. and nationally

MOSES LAKE – Gas prices saw a slight increase in Grant County and nationwide; however, Washington and Adams County prices remained stable for the week, according to AAA.

Legals for September, 2 2025

Glen Williams water access to be closed for improvements

MARDON – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will temporarily close the Glen Williams Water Access Area on Potholes Reservoir beginning Sept. 8 to allow for planned improvements. The closure is expected to last through Oct. 23.

Anchor AS becomes majority shareholder in REC Silicon

MOSES LAKE — Enough shareholders responded to an offer to buy outstanding shares of REC Silicon to increase the proportion of shares owned by Anchor AS to more than 50%. Anchor AS is a subsidiary of the Hanwa Group, which owned about 45% of REC Silicon previously.

Ms snap losing streak Sunday after two losses to Guardians

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Seattle Mariners managed to break a seven-game losing streak over the weekend with a 4-2 victory against the Cleveland Guardians. The two teams played a three-game series with Cleveland taking two wins to Seattle’s one.

Friday jamboree helps area teams finalize strategies

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Tigers hosted a jamboree Friday afternoon to kick off the football season. The Tigers were joined by the Moses Lake Mavericks, the Royal City Knights and Wenatchee High Panthers. “I think it just kind of gives that little taste of competition against that other team where then you can’t wait to play that next game,” said Tigers head coach Patrick Mitchell.

BASIN SENIOR EVENTS: September 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — The grandchildren are back in school, the summer family visits are done and there are plenty of things to get out and do this month. Here are a few:

Ephrata residents asked to boil water, minimize water use due to broken water pipe

EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata issued a boil water advisory Monday morning after a primary water line broke on the west side of the irrigation canal behind the juvenile facility, according to City Administrator Ray Towry.