Quincy Shop with a Cop pairs families with officers

QUINCY — Ten Quincy families will have a brighter Christmas through the Quincy Police Department’s Shop with a Cop event Dec. 6. “Seeing how excited the kids get and how thankful the families are, it’s awesome,” said QPD Ofc. Danya Mercado, who organized the event with Ofc. Jessica Diaz.

ACH Warriors off to undefeated start

COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (4-0) are off to an undefeated start to their season after defeating the Neah Bay Red Devils 71-49. Head Coach Graham Grindy was complimentary of his teams defensive effort. “Collectively, the defense was great. Along with that, we rebounded really well, and that allowed us to get out in transition. I would say we were pretty balanced inside and out, and also balanced with our scoring,” he said.

MLPD logs for Dec. 15-17, 2025

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

Three arrested in Royal City area thefts case

ROYAL CITY — Three men were arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail on suspicion of possessing stolen property after a search was served on a home near Beverly Thursday.

Seahawks overcome 16-point deficit to stun Rams 38-37 in OT in NFC West showdown

SEATTLE (AP) — Mike Macdonald was in no mood to play for a tie, and the Los Angeles Rams’ defense had no interest in letting Sam Darnold connect with any of his top receiving options. After Darnold hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a touchdown in overtime, Macdonald entrusted his quarterback to win it for Seattle. Darnold did just that, hitting a wide-open Eric Saubert for the 2-point conversion, and the Seahawks overcame a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Rams 38-37 on Thursday night for a one-game lead in the NFC West.

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.”

‘Our favorite time of year’

Shop with a Cop brings smiles to both children and officers

MOSES LAKE — The heavy police presence outside local stores recently wasn’t because of a crime wave. It was police officers engaging in their favorite annual event. “This is one of those times throughout the year that we don't have to go and ask for volunteers to help,” said Moses Lake Police Chief David Sands. “The first day we put it out, I think we got 20-some people say ‘Yeah, we’re in.’ That's just under half the department right away.“

Chimney maintenance is essential for safety

MOSES LAKE — With Christmas just around the corner, lots of folks are using their fireplaces for warmth, roasting chestnuts or just a pleasant atmosphere. But before Santa pays your chimney a visit, you should make sure it’s in good working order. Chimney fires are responsible for more than three-fourths of residential building heating fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Regular inspections and cleaning are the best way to prevent that, said Michael Harper, known as The Chimney Guy. “If they’re using (the fireplace) aesthetically – date night, Christmas, New Year’s, show-off times, something in the background here and there, (they should) have it inspected once a year for peace of mind,” Harper said. “If they’re using it two to three days a week religiously through the winter months, they need to have it cleaned once a year.”

More park improvements planned for Royal City in ‘26

ROYAL CITY — Lions Park in Royal City now has a soccer field, so city officials will be working on the next phase of improvements in 2026. The first phase of upgrades to Apple Avenue also is scheduled for 2026, and both are among the projects reflected in the city’s 2026 budget. The budget was approved by Royal City City Council members Tuesday.

Legals for December, 19 2025

Mavericks shine on the road

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (2-0) are off to a strong start to their season after defeating the West Valley Rams 54-24 Tuesday. Head Coach Jose Tanguma said he was glad to see his wrestlers make improvements.

Moses Lake Police Department logs for Dec. 12-14, 2025

Moses Lake Police Department logs for Dec. 12-14, 2025

Qualifying irrigation-only wells approved by Moses Lake council

MOSES LAKE — Public agencies and semi-public organizations will be allowed to drill individual wells to water fields and other publicly accessible green spaces under the terms of an ordinance approved by the Moses Lake City Council at the last meeting of 2025. Council members have been discussing the ordinance for about three months, following a meeting with Moses Lake School District officials.

Overdraft is ready to merge assets with you

MOSES LAKE — This holiday season, diversify your portfolio with purrs. Overdraft is a big, lovable cat who is fully vaccinated, microchipped and neutered. Overdraft looks forward to crediting someone’s life joy. If you want to skip the interest rates, visit GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org and apply for Overdraft because he offers unlimited returns in love. If you can’t adopt right now but would like to make smart investment in helping a local shelter, visit the website and click “donate.”

Xi Beta Xi raises money for Othello Food Bank

OTHELLO — The ladies of Xi Beta Xi showed their support for the Othello Food Bank last week, to the tune of $2,413. “We held a holiday auction,” said Xi Beta Xi Vice President Debbie Pegram. “All of us in the group (brought) silent auction items, and we invited all the other groups in town.”

Cops for Tots

Moses Lake Police collect toys for local children

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Police Department is focused on supporting local children this year with their revamped annual toy drive. “We had been doing this for a while, through Toys for Tots,” said MLPD Public Records Technician Cristina Valdez. “But last year we decided to change it to Cops for Tots so that we could make sure the toys stayed within our own community.” Officers and support staff stationed themselves outside both entrances of the Moses Lake Walmart Saturday evening.

Moses Lake BMX showed growth, strength in ‘25

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake BMX group had a big year in 2025 as they experienced growth in their riders and the facility. With the season ending in November, Jeff Niehenke, President of Moses Lake BMX, has had time to reflect and plan for what’s to come at the start of the next season. “This year went really well,” said Niehenke. “We were in two new beginner leagues, and we just had a lot of growth from the beginner leagues.”

Newhouse to retire from Congress

WASHINGTON D.C. — Fourth District Representative Dan Newhouse has announced he will not seek reelection to the US Congress in 2026. The announcement was made Wednesday. “This decision comes with no reservations or remorse, only gratitude for the tremendous opportunity to have represented my home state in Congress,” the statement said.

Legals for December, 18 2025

Ephrata water tower up and running

EPHRATA — After several weeks of waiting, the City of Ephrata has finally got its state test results back for the water tower, showing the water is negative for any contaminants. “We are looking forward to getting everything online,” Ephrata Public Works Director Rob Harris said.