EU leaders agree on Belarus sanctions after plane diversion

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union agreed Monday to impose sanctions on Belarus, including banning its airlines from using the airspace and airports of the 27-nation bloc, amid fury over the forced diversion of a passenger jet to arrest an opposition journalist.

Advancing education: Warden STEM Day connects students with career pros

WARDEN – The Warden School District held its first Post-Secondary Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Day fair Thursday evening in the Warden High School Gym, with STEM professionals visiting the school to hear students’ presentations on different career paths, followed by a networking event.

More Adams Co. jail staff leaving, Wagner discusses needed maintenance

RITZVILLE – Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner spoke with the Adams County Commissioners during Tuesday’s regular meeting to discuss the Adams County jail’s staffing and maintenance issues...

Gang activity low in Warden, police chief says

WARDEN – Warden Chief of Police Rick Martin said Warden’s gang activity has been significantly lower since the 2010s but the city still works with surrounding communities and within its own boundaries to prevent gang issues from returning.

Huskies surge late, defeat Moses Lake 38-28

MOSES LAKE – It took until the final matches to decide the outcome of Wednesday’s dual between Moses Lake and Othello, with the Huskies winning four of the final five matches to take a 38-28 win.

City planning, contracts and cargo containers

Mattawa council works to plan for the future of the city at Thursday meeting

MATTAWA – Mattawa’s regular City Council meeting Thursday featured a public hearing on the city’s updated comprehensive plan, SCJ Alliance’s contract with the city, the city’s Parks and Recreation visioning workshop, discussion of cargo containers in the city and approval of city’s contract with NCW Libraries.

‘Jaku Mumor’

Ghanaian multi-media performance heads to Moses Lake April 27

MOSES LAKE — The multi-media performance event “Jaku Mumor,” created and led by artist Okaidja Afroso, will be making its way to Moses Lake through the Columbia Basin Allied Arts. The performance will be held April 27 at Big Bend Community College’s Wallenstien Theater at 7 p.m. Afroso is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and traditional dancer from Ghana, West Africa, according to his website. “I've presented him to Allied Arts selection committees a couple of times over the years, and it's never seemed to fit,” said CBAA Executive Director Shawn Cardwell. “‘Jaku Mumor’ is a very new project that he has been creating since the world opened up again after COVID, and he's been back and forth to Ghana a few times, meeting and working with artists there. Artists are coming from Ghana for this tour to perform with him. He's worked with videographers, fashion designers, he's worked with dancers, vocalists, musicians, to tell the story of the Ghanaian Ga-Dangme fishermen.”

Historic celebration

George’s Patriotic Observance combines solemnity with festivity

GEORGE — The flag raised at George’s Patriotic Observance on Independence Day has only 48 stars. “The flag we’re flying is a World War I vet’s casket flag,” said Mark Owens, who is the quartermaster for Grant County’s Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter.

A memory of the Mount St. Helens eruption 44 years later

Guillermo V. Castaneda of Granger sent this poem to the Columbia Basin Herald in commemoration of the eruption of Mount St. Helens, which took place 34 years ago Saturday. At the time of the eruption, Castaneda was the director of the Migrant Health Clinic in Wenatchee and was in the process of setting up a community medical and dental clinic for migrants in Moses Lake, he wrote.

National issues have local impacts, Newhouse says

MOSES LAKE — There are issues that are important to Central Washington, but the region is not immune from national concerns, said U.S. Congressman Dan Newhouse.

GALLERY: The pets of ACPR

OTHELLO – Adams County Pet Rescue in Othello has numerous dogs and cats available for adoption. Each of these animals is looking for a new home to join.

ACH, Soap Lake wrap up spring practices with jamboree

COULEE CITY – Spring football practices came to a close Friday for Almira/Coulee-Hartline and Soap Lake, capping off with a jamboree hosted by the Warriors and attended by five other eight-man football squads from across the east side of the state.

Othello Community Hospital now hosting Ritzville mobile clinic

OTHELLO – Othello Community Hospital has begun partnering with the Ritzville-based East Adams Rural Healthcare to provide mobile primary care clinic services once a week in Othello, outside the hospital. The clinic, a 40-foot motorcoach, is fully equipped to provide clinic services on the go. OCH Chief Executive Officer Connie Agenbroad explained the need behind the partnership.

RISING JUNIORS: MLCA/CCS’s Johnny Ferguson

MOSES LAKE – While tip-off of the fourth/sixth-place game at the 1B Boys State Basketball Tournament was an early one for the Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School boys basketball team, sophomore Johnny Ferguson wasn’t going to let the Lions finish the year with a loss.

Quincy’s Nancy Schanze retires after 32 years with the city

QUINCY — Nancy Schanze has deep roots in Quincy. “We moved there when I was five,” she said. “I was a 12-year senior. I raised my daughter there, and I have sisters that live there with their families. We’re a Quincy family.”

Last piece of steel framing goes into place at Samaritan Hospital

MOSES LAKE — That short piece of steel framing had been around. It was the last steel beam going into the framing at the new Samaritan Hospital. Samaritan Healthcare Chief Executive Officer Theresa Sullivan chronicled some of its travels before it was tacked into place. The last piece of framing marks a milestone, and it’s treated accordingly.

ECBID doing well, Odessa project flowing along

OTHELLO – The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District is finally at a point where it has been able to start to implementing infrastructure improvements to its coverage area, mainly for the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program, according to ECBID Secretary-Manager Craig Simpson.

CBDL still pushing Columbia Basin Project forward

CASHMERE — Despite the completion of the Columbia Basin Project being potentially decades away, according to Columbia Basin Development League Executive Director Sara Higgins, the CBDL is still hard at work as the project’s nonprofit arm and advocacy group.

GALLERY: Basin competitors at state basketball

MOSES LAKE – Congratulations to the five local basketball teams that qualified for their respective state tournaments this season; the Almira/Coulee-Hartline girls, the MLCA/CCS boys, the Royal boys, the Soap Lake boys and Warden girls.

Fire focus: GCFD 8 Commissioner speaks at candidate forum.

MATTAWA – Last week’s South Grant County candidate forum featured unopposed candidate for Grant County Fire District 8 Commissioner Debra Crain, who spoke during the forum about GCFD 8 and gave advice to the public.