Sheila Ray Verhey

April 14, 1936 – Nov. 30, 2025

Sheila Ray Verhey, 89. longtime Royal Slope farm matriarch and co-founder of Verhey's Peaches, passed away peacefully at home on Nov. 30, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. Born on April 14, 1936, in Wenatchee, Washington, Sheila moved with her family to Yakima at age 12. She attended St. Joseph's Academy prep school, where she would meet her future husband, Dan Verhey, a student at neighboring Marquette High School. After Dan completed his tour of duty in Korea, they married and moved to Pullman to begin their family. Following Dan's graduation from Washington State University, he took a job as a teacher at Royal High School, where, with Sheila’s support, he launched the athletic program and was the first athletic director and first coach of football and wrestling. The family settled in Royal City, which barely existed at the time, and soon established their family farm north of town.

Senior events for December 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — The weather outside may be frightful, but the holiday events this month make the chill in the air a little more bearable. Here are some opportunities to get out and about in December:

Naomi Irene Chadwell

Sept. 20, 1928 — Nov. 26, 2025

Naomi Irene (Powell) Chadwell, of Moses Lake, Washington, passed away on Nov. 26, 2025, at the age of 97. Born on Sept. 20, 1928, in Baker, Oregon, to Fred and Eathel Powell, Naomi grew up in Baker City, where she attended local schools and graduated from Baker High School. She continued her education with a two-year college program in business. Naomi married Wallace “Dick” Chadwell, and together they began their family in 1948 in a small cabin on East Eagle Creek in northeast Oregon. In 1951, they moved to Moses Lake, Washington, where they raised their six children.

Gifts sought for MLSD bus drivers’ Tree of Sharing

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake’s school bus drivers still have a few gifts to buy, and they could use a little help.

High winds forecast Tuesday and Wednesday

MOSES LAKE — While the heavy rain, heavy snow and flooding is expected to stay north of the Columbia Basin, the Basin won’t escape the storms forecast to roll through the region this week. According to the National Weather Service, it’s going to get pretty windy. “We do have a very busy week ahead of us,” said Antoinette Serrato, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane.

BASIN EVENTS: Dec. 12-20

COLUMBIA BASIN — It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas out there, and there are holiday goings-on galore in the Basin. Here are a few things to make your spirits bright:

Small-town miracle

Othello’s Christmas celebration features parade, tree lighting and fireworks

OTHELLO — Othello showed its small-town holiday spirit Saturday at the town’s annual Miracle on Main Street. “When I first had the dream to start this event, I just said, ‘Imagine Othello like a Hallmark movie,’” said Tania Morelos, head of the event committee and originator of the festival. “That was the goal and it looks like (people) are feeling it.”

More rain for Cascades, high winds for Columbia Basin this week

LEAVENWORTH — A second strong winter storm is projected to hit Washington this week, bringing heavy rains back to areas that were hard-hit by rain and flooding last week. Steve Bodnar, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Spokane, said rain is forecast to start Monday, but won’t last as long.

Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry launches Angel Tree program for rescue pets

SOAP LAKE — As the holiday spirit fills the air, Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry animal rescue is ready to spread some cheer to furry friends waiting for their forever homes. This year, the organization announced the launch of a pilot program inspired by traditional angel giving tree initiatives. However, this project takes a twist: it centers on the animals at the rescue.

BASIN EVENTS: Dec. 5-13

COLUMBIA BASIN — The holiday season is in full swing with community festivals, bazaars, performances and more. Ignore your inner Grinch, get out and celebrate with your neighbors. Here are some of the festivities happening in your community:

Mattawa Winter Festival includes crafts, cocoa and ugly sweaters

MATTAWA — Mattawa’s annual Winter Festival will take place Wednesday. “The goal is to bring families together to celebrate the holiday and to make crafts as a family,” said Mattawa Mayor Maria Celaya. The event is put together by a coalition of community stakeholders including the city of Mattawa, Wahluke School District, the Mattawa Community Medical Clinic and Columbia Basin Health Association, Celaya said. Crafts play a large part in the Winter Festival, Celaya said. Local first responders will have a table where children can decorate cookies with police officers, and MCMC will have a space where children can write letters to Santa. The Wahluke High School Future Business Leaders of America will have a booth where children can make a Christmas ornament for the 50-foot tree in the school commons. The craft materials are donated by CBHA, Celaya said.

Boys and Girls Club logo allegedly used in Moses Lake scam

MOSES LAKE — Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin officials are warning people that scammers apparently are using the club’s logo and claiming to be affiliated with the organization. The scammers allegedly were soliciting money door to door along Third Avenue early Tuesday afternoon.

All Georgine wants for Christmas is a home

MOSES LAKE — Meet Georgine, a sweet German Shepherd mix who’s ready to wrap herself around your heart this holiday season. Spayed, vaccinated, and microchipped, this medium-sized girl is dreaming of a cozy home by the Christmas tree. Give her the gift of love—adopt Georgine today by visiting GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org and fill out her application. If you can’t adopt right now but would like to help a local shelter, visit the website and click “donate.”

Section of Blewett Pass closed Thursday

LEAVENWORTH — Travelers between Ellensburg and Wenatchee are advised to look for a different route Thursday due to the daylong closure of U.S. Highway 97 over Blewett Pass. Crews will be cleaning up debris from September’s Labor Mountain Fire from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to a press release from the Washington Department of Transportation. “Crews with the U.S. Forest Service and WSDOT have identified multiple sites to remove trees that could be a hazard and debris north of the summit,” the WSDOT release said. “The full closure of the road allows crews to work at several locations on the pass at once and expedite the work without pausing to allow traffic through the work zone.”

Options for responding to challenging times at annual WSTFA meeting

WENATCHEE — The last couple of years have been a bumpy ride in the orchard, and it didn’t matter if it was an apple, cherry or pear orchard. Organizers of the annual meeting of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association asked its speakers and panelists to talk about where the industry has been and where it’s going. It was the 121st annual meeting, so the industry has been through profitable years and lean years before. Industry veteran Welcome Sauer said the process of adjustment hurts, but that growers have always made the adjustment. “I think we’ll see some pain in the short term,” Sauer said. “We’ll see some replacement of old, less productive orchards that produce a lower percentage of fruit in the money zone being replaced, either by bare land or by orchards that have access to high-quality new genetics.”

Hammy wants to hog your heart this Christmas

MOSES LAKE — Don’t go bacon Hammy’s heart—he’s ready to ham it up under your Christmas tree. This 7-year-old Basenji mix is the whole holiday feast: neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. He’s not just a snack, he’s the main course of joy. Adopt Hammy from Grant County Animal Outreach and let him bring you a season of paws, hams and happiness – because nothing says ‘Merry Woof-mas’ like a ham-tastic best friend. Visit GrantCountyAnimalOuteach.org and fill out his application. If you can’t adopt but would like to help a local shelter this holiday season, visit the website and click “donate.”

Moses Lake tree lighting kicks off the holidays

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake has reached a landmark, according to Downtown Moses Lake Association Executive Director Mallory Miller.

Idaho town hall battery trial ends in mixed verdict

Trouette convicted on some battery charges, acquitted on others

Trouette convicted on some battery charges, acquitted on others

Mini-farm for sale has deep Grant County roots

SOAP LAKE — There’s a little piece of history in the mini-farm for sale east of Soap Lake. “It’s been with the same owner since the 1930s,” said Anna Van Diest of Moses Lake Realty Group, who is listing the 25.19-acre property at 20226 NE Adrian Road, just south of SR 28. The well, still in use, was dug in 1931, she added, more than two decades before the Columbia Basin Project brought irrigation water to the Basin. There’s not much left now of the town of Adrian, but if things had gone a little differently in 1910, the Grant County Courthouse might have been located where the farm now stands. When Grant County was formed out of the eastern part of Douglas County in 1909, the city of Ephrata, then just over 300 people, was named the county seat. The people of Adrian got up a petition the following year to grab the county seat away, according to the Washington history site historylink.org, but were defeated in a 945-802 vote. A few remnants of the town and the railroad cutoff nearby are still visible from the road or in aerial photos.

Revised Moses Lake ordinance designed to recover some MLFD costs

MOSES LAKE — An ordinance revision approved by the Moses Lake City Council will allow more consistent billing of insurance companies in cases of emergency response by the Moses Lake Fire Department. In certain circumstances, property owners or vehicle owners may be responsible for paying whatever emergency response costs are not covered by insurance. The revisions passed on a 6-1 council vote Tuesday, with council member Victor Lombardi voting no.