Washington State Patrol plans emphasis patrol around Gorge Amphitheater

QUINCY — The Washington State Patrol will be conducting additional patrols in the area around the Gorge Amphitheater this weekend, the first of a number of “High Visibility Enforcement” patrols scheduled over the summer. Jeremy Weber, WSP District 6 public information officer, said the goal is to ensure people get where they’re going and back home without incident.

Troopers increasing patrols near Gorge this weekend

MOSES LAKE — The Washington State Patrol will ramp up enforcement this weekend around the Gorge Amphitheatre, according to an announcement from the WSP. The High-Visibility Enforcement, or HiVE, patrols are meant to reduce serious injury and fatality collisions, the WSP wrote. The WSP will partner with other law enforcement agencies in the effort.

Quick change

George hotel turns from Microtel to Holiday Inn Express overnight

GEORGE — The Holiday Inn Express in George appeared literally overnight. “On (April) 10 we closed the transaction and then at 7 p.m. IHG, which is the brand where Holiday Inn Express comes from, gave us the green light to open the hotel,” said General Manager Jed Jonathan. The hotel, which was built in 2020, had been a Wyndham Microtel up until then. It hadn’t been listed for sale, Jonathan said, but the owner had put out a few feelers. Jonathan owned several storage businesses under the name Dream Storage. When he became interested in branching out into the hospitality sector, Jonathan reached out to a number of hotel chains looking for a franchise, he said, and IHG was the first one that called him back. IHG put him in contact with A1 Hospitality in Tri-Cities, which owned about 20 hotels. Between then they created Dream A1 Hospitality, which is the official owner of the hotel.

Gorge shooting trial rescheduled to 2026

EPHRATA — The trial in the case of James Kelly, the man charged in the June 2023 shooting that led to the deaths of two women at the Beyond Wonderland music festival held at The Gorge Amphitheatre, has been bumped to early next year, according to court documents.

GCSO dealt with 49 incidents during Bass Canyon EDM concert

GEORGE – The Gorge Ampitheatre hosted its annual three-day electronic dance music festival, Bass Canyon, over the weekend. The festival security managed by both Grant County Sheriff’s Office and a private security organization had a busy weekend according to Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman.

Melodie Ann Scruggs

Melodie Ann Scruggs of Moses Lake, Washington, died on Aug. 10, 2024, at age 54. Born in Germany, Melodie moved with her parents Deborah Johnson and Robert Scruggs to Jefferson City, Missouri, for a bit and then to California, where she spent her years in Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara, where she raised her only child, Sarah. When Sarah moved to Moses Lake, Melodie and her partner Daniel followed. She spent her time in Washington camping, visiting nearly every lake and state park the state has to offer, as well as crossing off a major item on her bucket list: seeing her favorite band, Dave Matthews Band, live at the Gorge.

Watershed celebrates another year at the Gorge

GEORGE – Over the weekend, the Gorge Amphitheatre became the ultimate country paradise as the Watershed Music Festival took center stage. With breathtaking views of the Columbia River Gorge serving as a backdrop, fans flocked to experience an electrifying line-up featuring stars such as Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Bailey Zimmerman and many more.

Local cross country teams compete at The Gorge

GEORGE – On Thursday, multiple Basin cross country teams competed in the fifth annual Live Nation Invitational at the Gorge Amphitheater. Mavericks Head Coach Larry Dagnon called the venue one of the more unique races they see all season.

Gorge shooting trial rescheduled for late August

EPHRATA – The trial for James Kelly, the suspect in the shooting that occurred during the Beyond Wonderland Music Festival in June of 2023, has been postponed again. An omnibus hearing is set for July 28, a readiness hearing for August 25 and the trial for August 27. The trial had been set for July 23.

Gorge shooting suspect appears in court

EPHRATA – James Kelly, the suspect in the June 2023 shooting at the Beyond Wonderland music festival, appeared in court Tuesday morning when his defense team requested a continuance for his omnibus hearing.

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.

The Side Project to play in Moses Lake – for real, this time

MOSES LAKE — When The Side Project takes the stage June 20, the city of Moses Lake’s Summer Concert Series will pick up where it left off, sort of. “They were supposed to be our last concert last summer,” said Jenni Shelton, creative programs coordinator for the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center. “It was the night of a really bad storm, and we had to cancel for the weather. It was one of the nights they even evacuated to the Gorge (Amphitheatre).” The Side Project consists of wife-and-husband Suzie and Ben Bradford, according to its website. The duo, originally from Spokane, have recorded six albums and have performed up and down the west coast for 20 years, according to the announcement. Their music has been broadcast in Starbucks and featured on television shows “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” as well as scoring a positive review in Music Connection Magazine.

Multiple shooting cases moving through Grant Superior Court

EPHRATA — Multiple cases associated with shootings are winding their way through Grant County Superior Court, including the case of James Kelly, the suspect in the shooting at the Beyond Wonderland music festival at The Gorge Amphitheater in June 2023.

50 years of art

Old Hotel Gallery celebrates golden anniversary at auction Saturday

OTHELLO — The Old Hotel Art Gallery will celebrate its 50th anniversary at its benefit auction Saturday.

American Honey to close out summer concert series

MOSES LAKE — The name came out of the blue. “When we started, we used to do these band barbecues, and we hadn’t come up with a name yet,” said Audre Belt, lead singer of American Honey, which will perform Friday in Moses Lake. “We had come up with these (names) … that seemed really cheesy. And one of the guys started pointing at random things on the table, and we happened to have a bottle of Wild Turkey American Honey whiskey. He pointed at it and said, ‘American Honey’ and we all looked at each other and we just knew from that moment that that was it.” That was in 2017, and the band is still making music around eastern Washington, although Belt is the only remaining original member. American Honey’s show will be the last performance of this year’s Moses Lake Summer Concert Series.

New Wyndham Microtel coming to Ephrata

EPHRATA – Ephrata residents can look forward to additional hospitality options as a new Wyndham Microtel is set to break ground next year. The owners expect to open the doors by June or July 2026. The hotel, which will feature 81 rooms—including 16 suites—will occupy a footprint of nearly 36,000 square feet, making it about 25% larger than the existing Holiday Inn Express in George, spokesperson Dustin Canfield said.

More than just birds

The Othello Sandhill Crane Festival has something for everyone

OTHELLO — The Othello Sandhill Crane Festival is about much more than just the majestic birds it’s named for. Since the first festival 27 years ago, the Sandhill Crane Festival has ballooned to include tours and lectures to appeal to a wide range of enthusiasts. This year’s lineup includes lectures by experts in photography, geology, botany and more.

QUINCY CITY COUNCIL POS. 5: David Dormier

QUINCY — Dave Dormier said he’s running for a new term on the Quincy City Council because he thinks Quincy has made progress, and he wants to continue that progress. He cited the case of family friends as an example. “A young couple who graduated from Quincy High School. They didn’t go to college, but they were able to get good jobs in town, and after four years they were able to buy a brand-new house,” Dormier said. “That’s our goal, to have our town be that way. I want to be able to continue to have good job opportunities for people who want to stay and build their lives here.” Dormier is running for council Position 5. He’s being challenged by Pete Shelton. Ricardo Ruesga Loera also filed for the seat, but told the Columbia Basin Herald that he’s not actively campaigning.

Financially, 2025 best year yet for Moses Lake Airshow

MOSES LAKE — Attendance was down at the 2025 Moses Lake Airshow, but it was a very good year financially. Board member Micah Trautman said the airshow finished 2025 with a carryover for 2026.

Rage play first tournament of season

MOSES LAKE — Last weekend, the Washington Rage 18U (2-3) traveled to Carlon Park for their first softball tournament of the summer season. According to head coach Bob Richardson, they are a young team but were able to build chemistry over the course of the weekend. “Saturday was rough,” Richardson said. “We lost all three games, but being able to come out Sunday and flip it. We started to gel a little bit in the third game, played a little better than we had the first two games.” On Saturday, the Rage played three games and lost each of them. In the first two games, they combined for nine errors, according to Richardson. He said the main issue that plagued the team was their youth and inexperience with each other.