Leigh Ann Nielson

Jan. 6, 1961 — Jan. 12, 2025

Leigh Ann Nielson was a math teacher at Frontier Middle School for 22 years. She also officiated little league baseball, middle and high school baseball, middle and high school softball, and middle and high school volleyball for many years. She was diagnosed with ALS in November 2019. She passed away at home exactly as she wanted, surrounded by loving family and friends. For a life cut short, it was lived fully and mostly in service to others. Donations can be made to the Team Gleason Foundation. Leigh Ann held a celebration of life with her family and friends while she was alive and there are no further services planned.

Basin student named one of 2024 Presidential Scholars

ODESSA – Odessa High School student Jacob Scrupps was one of 161 high school seniors named 2024 United States Presidential Scholars and one of five Washington students who received the honor, according to a Thursday announcement from the U.S. Department of Education.

Alfred Waco "Al" Cordell

Feb. 24, 1947 – May 18, 2024

Alfred "Al" Waco Cordell, Jr., aged 87, passed away peacefully on May 18, 2024, at his home in East Wenatchee, Washington, surrounded by his family. He was a beloved father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend and community leader, who will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

SLSD adopts alternative learning experiences program

Soap Lake School District has launched its Soap Lake Pathways Learning alternative learning experiences program and online learning option, according to an announcement from the district. The program, available for students in grades K-12, offers flexible learning opportunities for families seeking an alternative educational option within the district. The ALE program, designed for grades K-8, provides educational support in compliance with Washington state requirements through a partnership between families, students, and certificated mentor teachers, according to the announcement. Students in grades 9-12 can also participate in a more independent and self-directed learning program, with written student learning plans and regular progress reviews.

Fundamentals, communication key to Wahluke baseball strategy

MATTAWA – Wahluke Head Baseball Coach Chet Bangs said he’s feeling optimistic as his team moves into the spring season. Five seniors are returning this year, and he’s had players step up to ensure the team’s success. “(We’ve got) five seniors stepped up this year, showing a lot of leadership together,” Bangs said. “It’s starting out pretty good.”

New year for Royal softball after state championship

ROYAL CITY — Coach Lisa Lawrence said the Royal Knights softball team will be one to watch in 2025, although they have some holes from the team that won the state championship in 2024.

Broncos hope to build on softball success

RITZVILLE — After qualifying for the state playoffs in 2024, the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague softball team is looking to for ways to continue that success in 2025.

Leigh Ann (Sams, James) Nielson

1961 – 2025

Leigh Ann (Sams, James) Nielson passed away peacefully in her home at the age of 64 with her loved ones at her side on January 12, 2025. She was born January 6, 1961, in Seattle, Washington to Darrel and Karen (Stickley) Sams.

Big Bend's Upward Bound program inducts 35 new members

MOSES LAKE — Thirty-five high school students from Grant and Adams counties were formally welcomed into Big Bend Community College’s TRiO Upward Bound Program Tuesday night. The program aims to get more high school students into college, and by joining Upward Bound, students are pledging their commitment to pursuing a college education. That commitment is a big deal, and deserves to be recognized, said Big Bend TRiO Upward Bound Director Anita De Leon.

Twin artists on exhibit at Old Hotel

OTHELLO — The July Artist of the Month at the Old Hotel Art Gallery in Othello is actually two artists: twin brothers Aldemar and Valdemar Saavedra-Guerrero.

Moses Lake’s Gephart signs with CWU

MOSES LAKE – Friends, family and coaches gathered in the gymnasium at Moses Lake High School to celebrate senior Sylvie Gephart signing her letter of intent to run cross country and track and field at Central Washington University on Tuesday afternoon.

Wahluke Warriors starting tough to play strong soccer

MATTAWA – The Wahluke Warriors soccer team is working the pitch to ensure a successful season and Head Coach Cele Lopez said he’s hoping to set the team up to represent their school, community and families well. He’s working to address the gaps left by last year’s graduates while building up returning players.

Muscle for a cause

MOSES LAKE – Car lovers eye the chrome-highlighted vehicles at the Brent Reese Memorial Car Show. The show was organized by Reese’s son, Jeremy Reese, who said his dad simply loved vehicles of all sorts. The show ran from 3-9 p.m. Saturday and attendees had the opportunity to contribute to the battle against ALS by donating to the ALS Foundation and Team Gleason Foundation.

LETTER: Grandma Green supports levy (English/Espaniol)

Tuesday, Feb. 11 is when we must vote yes on the upcoming school levy. It’s a big vote for our community, especially our kids. My family moved to Moses Lake in the spring of 1970. In the past 54 years, we have staunchly supported and voted for every levy.

‘We had baserunners in traffic all night’

ACH Legion reaches AA state tournament

SPOKANE – The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Senior Legion baseball team locked up a berth in the AA State Tournament with a fourth-place finish in the Area 3 AA district tournament over the weekend, where they went 4-1 in games to reach next week’s state competition.

Brent Reese Memorial Car Show raises $4K to fight ALS

MOSES LAKE — The first Brent Reese Memorial Car Show attracted old cars and new cars, muscle cars and street rods, tricked-out trucks and rat rods, and more than enough cars to fill the Scotty’s Auto Repair parking lot. The event gave locals an opportunity to enjoy cars while raising money to fight Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

WSU student turns textile scraps into wearable art

PULLMAN — When Kiah Conway first walked into a Washington State University storage room filled with hundreds of pounds of fabrics, remnants, and scraps, a sense of overwhelming possibility hit her hard. That hasn’t changed, even nearly a year later. “Every time I go into that room, I see why some of it has sat there so long,” said Conway, a junior double majoring in apparel design and merchandising. “But sometimes I find something that’s so gorgeous, I’m shocked to see it. The more you dig, the better it gets. It feels like scavenging, but you can find gold in there.” Conway recently created two garments, a dress and a jacket, using almost nothing but leftover material from the storage closet. The closet is full of donated fabrics and remnants, sewing supplies, and scrap materials from different student design projects in WSU’s Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles. The materials are kept so they don’t go into landfills.

Charlie Clark re-tapped to head DFI

OLYMPIA – Charlie Clark has been reappointed director of the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, according to a Monday announcement from Governor-elect Bob Ferguson. Clark’s reappointment was announced with that of another agency head.

Son honors his dad at Brent Reese Memorial car show

MOSES LAKE — His son said Brent Reese loved vehicles that had some power. Of course he had cars, Jeremy Reese said, but it didn't have to have four wheels. A motorcycle, a boat - it didn’t matter.

Tigers looking to grow toward success on the diamond

EPHRATA – The Ephrata baseball program had a really solid turnout this year with about 40 students, resulting in a good mix of players at all skill levels, according to Tigers Head Coach David Tempel. “We have 12 on varsity, 13 on our JV and then 15 on our C-squad,” Tempel said.