Senior events calendar for November 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — Holiday shopping, music, crafts and fun await this month in the Basin. Here are a few things to put on the calendar.

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.”

Soap Lake council makes allegations against mayor

SOAP LAKE — On Oct. 15, at the regular council meeting, several Soap Lake City Council members made allegations against Mayor Peter Sharp of unlawful recording in city buildings, including the Soap Lake Police Station, Soap Lake City Hall and the Soap Lake Tourism Center, sending an inappropriate email to city staff and misuse of city credit cards.

P.E.A.C.E. from the Lord’s Kitchen

Local ministry serves meals without fanfare or judgment

MOSES LAKE — The Bible says that man does not live by bread alone, but that doesn’t mean that food isn’t pretty important.

Weather for the week of Nov. 3, 2025

Weather for the week of Nov. 3, 2025

Knights advance in district soccer

ROYAL – The Knights (13-3) defeated Omak 5-0 in the first round of the 1A district tournament on Thursday. Head Coach Jens Jensen said the Knights became dangerous once they settled into the game.

Hayden opens model home at Sand Hill Place

MOSES LAKE — Sand Hill Place is coming along well, Hayden Homes Marketing manager Gina Donangelo Barnecut said Tuesday.

Ephrata’s Employee of the Year: Will Koziol receives Pillars of Excellence Award

EPHRATA — Will Koziol, a member of the City of Ephrata’s Public Works Department, has been honored with the prestigious Pillars of Excellence award, recognizing him as Employee of the Year. With three years of service to the city, Koziol has made significant contributions to the community and earned the respect of his peers for his work ethic, leadership skills, and unwavering commitment to public service, according to his supervisor Stephen Grout.

‘Puffs’

QHS play celebrates magical background characters

QUINCY — Some people are born to save the world. And some are born to, well, sit next to those heroes in class. “It’s really about the underdogs,” said director Haliey Weber. “They don’t want fortune or fame. They don’t care to be super smart or brave or cunning. They just are really loyal and they care about the people they care about.” The world of “Puffs” will look familiar, but don’t be fooled. Sure, there’s a boarding school with four houses – the Braves, the Smarts, the Snakes and the Puffs – and a dark lord, and messages delivered by owl and lots of wizardy classes, but “Puffs” is not to be confused with the more famous story. Rather, it tells the story of Wayne (Sawyer Golay), Megan (Jasmine Vasquez-Navarro) and Oliver (Jerrod Miller), who happen to be in the background while all that is going on. Wayne is a math-loving nerd who wasn’t born to wizardry but is trying to catch up, Megan is a would-be goth girl who resents being a Puff, and Oliver is an orphan raised by his uncle. Together, the three navigate the pitfalls of learning magic, as well as competing in a tournament, battling a giant snake and resisting the Death Buddies, one of whom is Megan’s mom. All while living in the shadow of the great young wizards of the other story.

BASIN EVENTS Oct. 31-Nov. 30

COLUMBIA BASIN — As we move out of the spooky season and into the holidays, here are a few things to check out this month.

Bad debt, charity care expenses rising at Samaritan in 2026

MOSES LAKE — While bad debt and charity care expenses at Samaritan Hospital were lower than anticipated in September, they’re higher than projected for the first three quarters of the year. Chief Administrative Officer Alex Town said that’s a reflection of the way people are paying their bills, and that trend may continue in 2026. Town said Samaritan administrators have increased the amount of anticipated uncompensated care from the original 2026 budget projections.

Halloween events around the Basin

COLUMBIA BASIN — Still looking for something to do today? Here are some Halloween activities for young and old:

USApple acts as industry advocate in Washington DC

WASHINGTON DC — Where there is information, there is misinformation, and one of the jobs of USApple is to combat misinformation that’s out there. Jim Bair, president and chief executive officer, cited the case of an applesauce recall over concerns about elevated levels of lead. “It was a cinnamon-flavored applesauce; the lead was coming from the cinnamon,” Bair said. “In fact, the applesauce was imported, as was the cinnamon. It wasn’t even a U.S. product. But consumers, all they hear is ‘applesauce is bad.’ So we try to provide information to make that messaging something that’s useful to the consumer,” Bair said. USApple is supported by growers, packers, processors and other groups in the apple industry to advocate for industry interests at the federal level, as well as working to provide accurate information about apples and apple production.

Ephrata SD moves forward on $75M bond election

EPHRATA – The Ephrata School District Facility Study Group proposed a $75 million bond to the Ephrata School Board Monday night. The board unanimously approved Superintendent Ken Murray to move forward with a bond resolution for the board to vote on. If passed by the board, the bond will appear on the Feb. 2026 ballot.

OTHELLO SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTOR POS. 3: Fought vs. Garcia

OTHELLO – There are two candidates running for the Othello School District Director District 3 position this year which are Birdie Fought and Juan “Jerry” Garcia. Both candidates were given the questions below and given identical deadlines and word count restrictions for their answers.

Twisting, shouting and giving

Youth Dynamics auction breaks fundraising records

MOSES LAKE — Youth Dynamics’ auction Oct. 18 was a record-breaker. “We had 245 people in attendance,” said Moses Youth Dynamics Director Sean Sallis. “We took in $70,000. The highest I’ve (seen) is $50,000, so that’s very encouraging.” The theme for the night was “Twist and Shout,” and attendees came in their best poodle skirts, penny loafers and bobby socks. The Moses Lake Classic Car Club brought some vintage vehicles to add to the atmosphere, and Firehouse BBQ grilled hamburgers served by Youth Dynamics students in red-and-white aprons. Auctioneer Chuck Yarbro Jr. conducted the live auction in a University of Idaho letterman’s jacket. Some of the money raised goes to maintain the Youth Dynamics building on Third Avenue, Sallis said, and some goes to provide meals for the youth who hang out there. Some also go to help students, who otherwise couldn’t afford it, go on outdoor adventures with Youth Dynamics. None of the money goes to pay the Youth Dynamics staff, Sallis added; all of them raise their own support from community donors.

COLUMN: Experiencing dementia: my simulated journey to better understanding

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a unique and thought-provoking simulation designed to help participants experience the challenges faced by individuals living with dementia at the Monroe House in Moses Lake.

WA directs state dollars to food banks as SNAP funding cliff nears

Washington state will give food banks $2.2 million per week as they deal with the potential end of food stamp benefits due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Othello port, city considering need for Reynolds Road roundabout

OTHELLO — If, and how, a roundabout at State Route 26 and South Reynolds Road in Othello is built, and how to pay for it, prompted a sometimes-bitter debate that spilled over to the Othello City Council meeting Monday. That followed the rejection on Oct. 13 of a proposal for city officials to work with the Port of Othello to look for funding. Commissioner Deena Vietzke said port officials are interested in getting a roundabout at that intersection.

Basin volleyball roundup Oct. 21 – Oct. 20

MOSES LAKE – The end of Basin volleyball is near, and teams are gearing up for district tournament competition. See below where your favorite team stands and their current record.