Gary M. Thoren

February 11, 1945 – January 22, 2025

Gary Thoren passed away peacefully in the early morning of Jan. 22, 2025, just short of his 80th birthday. Gary was born Feb. 11, 1945, to Cecil and Naomi (Evers) Thoren in Amira, Washington. The family moved to dryland wheat and cattle ranch near Bridgeport, Washington. He was raised with brothers John, Denny and Bob (deceased) and sisters Betty and Donna (Deede).

Samuel Curtis Winzler

1954 – 2025

Samuel Curtis Winzler, 70, of Moses Lake, Washington, passed away Friday, January 17, 2025, from melanoma. Sam was born on August 27, 1954, to Arthur Sidney Winzler and Sherrill Ruth Jeppsen in Portland, Oregon.

UPDATE: Porterhouse moves up closing date

MOSES LAKE -- The Porterhouse Steakhouse owners have decided to close the restaurant earlier than anticipated with March 22 being the final day of operations. Owners Sam and Cale Russell said this is to help the new owner with the transition process. The steakhouse will be open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, then 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Afterwards, the building will begin its transition to an Elks Club.

Mavs start winter swim and dive

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake High School Mavericks boys swim and dive team began their season last Thursday with a home meet against Eastmont, Eisenhower, Wenatchee, West Valley, Sunnyside and Davis. Mavs Head Coach Tony Preston said the meet was a great way to get the season started. “I thought it went really well,” said Preston. “This was a non-scored meet so we couldn’t really see how we stacked up there, but between us and Wenatchee we’re two pretty deep teams.” The meet consisted of five swim events and a diving event with the Mavs seeing multiple athletes making top ten placements in each. In the 50-yard Freestyle, Mathew Molitor took third with 23.30, Lennox Leeder took fourth with 23.32, Sam O’Shea took fifth with 23.34, Sam Molitor tied for eighth with 23.85 and Josiah Wallace took tenth with 23.89.

Sam Darnold leads Seahawks to easy 38-14 win over Commanders, who lose Jayden Daniels to arm injury

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Sam Darnold was in the type of groove a quarterback rarely experiences. Then someone told him about it. “Someone at halftime said to me that I hadn't thrown an incompletion,” Darnold said. “So I think he's to blame for throwing an incompletion in the second half.”

Sam Darnold impresses in preseason debut with Seattle Seahawks, win against Kansas City Chiefs

SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold looked the part of a franchise quarterback in his first appearance at Lumen Field as the Seattle Seahawks beat the Kansas City Chiefs 33-16 in a preseason game on Friday night. Darnold, who did not appear in the Seattle Seahawks’ preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, completed 4 of 4 passes for 34 yards on the opening drive.

Sam Darnold throws for 244 yards 2 TDs as Seahawks beat the Titans 30-24

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Both Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks bounced back quite nicely from their first road loss this season. Darnold threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns , and the Seahawks beat the Tennessee Titans 30-24 Sunday for their fifth win in six games. The quarterback, picked off four times in last week's loss to the Rams, put the Seahawks ahead to stay with a 63-yard TD pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the second quarter.

Porterhouse Steakhouse to close after 15-year run

Russell brothers reflect on restaurant's legacy, sense of community

MOSES LAKE – The Porterhouse Steakhouse will be closing its doors March 29. Brothers Sam and Cale Russell have owned the restaurant for more than 15 years; however, they said it’s time for the restaurant to move onto its next era. The restaurant will remain open for normal business hours until then.

UW baseball falls to fifth ranked Oregon

EUGENE, Ore. – The Huskies (27-25) lost a competitive game against fifth ranked Oregon (38-13) with a final score of 5-3 on Sunday afternoon, according to a statement by University of Washington Athletic Communications.

Zags season ends after loss to San Diego

LAS VEGAS – Gonzaga baseball's 2025 season ended with a 16-7 loss to top-seeded San Diego at the West Coast Conference Baseball Tournament on Friday at Las Vegas Ballpark, according to a statement by Gonzaga Athletics. San Diego took a big lead in the first and never looked back as they extended their season to at least another game.

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.

David's pick sets up winning FG as Bucs beat Seahawks 38-35 in duel between Mayfield and Darnold

SEATTLE (AP) — Lavonte David slid toward the middle of the field in anticipation as Buccaneers teammate Antoine Winfield Jr. pressured Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. After a deflection off defensive end Logan Hall’s helmet, David found himself in the right spot to intercept Darnold with 58 seconds left. His pick set up Chase McLaughlin's 39-yard field goal as time expired, and Tampa Bay escaped with a thrilling 38-35 win over Seattle on Sunday.

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.

Rosalind Grogan

Nov. 24, 1939 - Feb. 22, 2025

Rosalind J. Grogan, (Roz) was born Nov. 24, 1939, in Conrad, Montana. to Mel and Lila (Whealy) Johnson. She had three younger brothers, Ron, Bill and Bob.

Rosalind Grogan

Nov. 24, 1939 – Feb. 22, 2025

Rosalind J. Grogan, (Roz), 85, was born Nov. 24, 1939, in Conrad, Mont. to Mel and Lila (Whealy) Johnson. She had threeyounger brothers, Ron, Bill and Bob.

The stakes are high as the Seahawks and Rams square off in a game with division title implications

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Sam Darnold was far from his best the last time he and the Seattle Seahawks squared off against his hometown team and he is amply aware he will need to perform better than when he tossed four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 16. Darnold and the Seahawks' rematch Thursday night with the Rams carries significant NFC West title implications. The Seahawks (11-3) and Rams (11-3) are tied atop the division and a game ahead of the 49ers, and a win for either team would put them in the driver’s seat to secure the title and potentially the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

Darnold could revive the Seahawks

MOSES LAKE – As we creep closer to the start of the NFL season, fans across the league will be clamoring to see how their team’s retooled rosters will fare against the competition. One player that will be viewed under a microscope by fans this season is Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold had been labeled a draft bust after failing to live up to the expectations of the New York Jets. After short stints with the Panthers and 49ers, Darnold signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Up until that point, he had never thrown more than 19 touchdowns in a season.

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?

Smith-Njigba, defense show out again for Seahawks in 27-19 win against Texans

SEATTLE (AP) — Jaxon Smith-Njigba called it spontaneous. Sam Darnold was simply surprised. The reserved Smith-Njigba, who has let his play speak for itself while leading the NFL in yards receiving this season, decided to celebrate his fourth touchdown catch of the season in style. After corralling an 11-yard pass from Darnold in the end zone to give the Seattle Seahawks a 14-0 lead on the Houston Texans late in the first quarter , Smith-Njigba effortlessly and gracefully slam-dunked the football on the crossbar of the goalposts. He drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the process, but helped guide the Seahawks to a 27-19 win on Monday night.

Darnold, Smith-Njigba and defense carry Seahawks to 20-12 victory at Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Having thrown a combined six interceptions in his last two starts in Jacksonville, Sam Darnold refused to get greedy this time around. He played it safe and ended up with a turnover-free performance. Darnold threw for 295 yards, with touchdown passes to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, and Seattle dominated both lines of scrimmage on its way to a 20-12 victory against the Jaguars on Sunday.