Glen Bensch

Glen Lee Bensch, 53, of Ephrata passed away July 17, 2023. Glen was born in Brewster Sept. 12, 1969, to Jim and Dorothy Bensch. He was fifth of seven children, born three hours before his twin sister Glenda. As twins, Glen and Glenda shared a special, close relationship. Glen grew up in Ephrata, but lived most of his adult life in Colorado. He had various jobs in his life like roofing and landscaping, but his favorite was working on oil rigs in Colorado. The happiest time of Glen’s life was while he worked in the oil fields and he was married to Haley. He loved family life with Haley and her two children.

Eat up!

Annual Cowboy Breakfast, traditional fair and rodeo kickoff, set for Friday

MOSES LAKE — Following the tradition that any gathering of cowboys and cowgirls starts with a good breakfast, the annual Cowboy Breakfast is scheduled for 7-10 a.m. Friday in Sinkiuse Square. The breakfast is the traditional kickoff to the Grant County Fair and Moses Lake Roundup; the fair opens its gates Aug. 15, the annual demolition derby is Aug. 15-16 and the rodeo is Aug. 17-19...

Legals for August, 7 2023

Confluence Health honored with two heart care awards

WENATCHEE – Confluence Health announced Thursday in a press release that they were recently awarded the 2023 Award of Excellence in Cardiovascular Surgery by the Foundation for Health Care Quality, as well as a performance award from the American Heart Association...

Raging success

18U, 14U Rage claim top-three finishes at NAFA nationals

NEWBERG, Ore. – Two Washington Rage fastpitch softball teams brought back hardware from the North American Fastpitch Association Summer Nationals, with the 18U and 14U Rage placing second and third in their respective brackets. “For our teams to go down there and do as well as they did, it’s pretty exciting,” said Bob Richardson, general manager of the Washington Rage organization and head coach for the 18U and 14U teams. “It bodes well for the future, especially with these younger girls.” ...

Scientific collaboration takes Wildcat Rocketry to NASA competition

ELLENSBURG – Every year, a dedicated team of Central Washington University students assembles a rocket, and launches it 5,000 feet into the air as part of NASA’s Student Launch(link is external) competition in Huntsville, Alabama...

Cougs to face Boise State in Spokane this December

PULLMAN – The Washington State men's basketball team will face Boise State in a neutral site game, Dec. 21, 2023 at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, as part of the Numerica Holiday Hoops 2023 supporting Numerica CARES for Kids, the organizations announced in partnership with the Spokane Chiefs and Brett Sports.

Soap Lake looks to digitize records

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake City Council unanimously voted during Wednesday’s regular meeting to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to digitize city records. The meeting also featured a notice from the Soap Lake Community Prevention Coalition as well as the swearing-in of a new Soap Lake Police Officer...

‘The future is happening in our town’

Port tour highlights aviation, innovation

MOSES LAKE — A group of about 60 people – including a number of state legislators and Lt. Gov. Denny Heck – got a first-hand look at the future Wednesday, on a tour that included stops at Big Bend Community College, Boeing and other businesses at the Port of Moses Lake, as well as presentations by three local cutting-edge companies...

Eagles eye defense

EWU football team excited for season as fall camp opens

CHENEY – Coming off a 3-8 season, the Eastern Washington defensive unit has been the subject of a months-long focus among players since January, which players and coaches got to get a first look at on Thursday at the opening of fall camp...

Community policing

MLPD hosts National Night Out to build relationships with the public

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Police Department partnered with other city departments and organizations to host National Night Out Tuesday evening in McCosh Park. The event featured games, activities, informational booths and free food. MLPD Evidence Technician Miranda Martínez is responsible for community outreach from the department, including National Night Out...

Commentary: Don’t forget trucking on the road to employment

This back-to-school season, consider other career paths besides college

While August in the Pacific Northwest is still prime summer vacation time, it’s hard to fight off the rapidly encroaching back-to-school vibes. By the end of August, most kids in the U.S. are heading back to school. For secondary students nearing the end of their high school career, they need to start making post-graduate plans. What should they do after high school? For the last several decades, there has seemingly been only one answer to that question: college. With the sky-high price of college tuition, there has never been a better time for young people to make sure they consider all of their options. Among them, foregoing college to pursue a good-paying job that turns into a rewarding career in the commercial trucking industry. The job that likely first comes to mind in the commercial trucking industry is truck driver.

Power, water, workforce and dams subjects during Murray visit

MOSES LAKE — Senator Patty Murray said Wednesday that she would not support the removal of four dams along the lower Snake River, at least until the Pacific Northwest has met the challenges the removal would create. Murray said she had researched the issues involved in dam removal in partnership with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and their conclusions were released last year...

News bites for Aug. 3, 2023

RITZVILLE — The newest deputy with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office swapped his blue uniform for a green one. Deputy Mark Cameron, who was sworn in Wednesday, comes to ACSO after 16 ½ years with the Ritzville Police Department, according to an announcement from the ASCO. “We want to wish Mark great success in this new adventure in his career with the Adams County team,” the ACSO wrote in the announcement.

WSU breaks ground on new Plant Sciences building

PULLMAN – Federal officials joined Washington lawmakers and Washington State University leaders Tuesday afternoon for the groundbreaking of the new U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Plant Sciences Building on the WSU Pullman campus.

Cloudview Farms celebrates summer, sunflowers, and community

EPHRATA – Hundreds of community members came out Saturday to Cloudview Farm for the Second Annual Summer Sunflower Fest, which featured numerous local vendors, booths and activity stations for children and adults. “We have grown our reach and had double the amount of people that attended from the first year,” said Julie Johnston, Cloudview’s education and community coordinator...

Soap Lake pet rescue gets big help with vet bills

SOAP LAKE — The Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry in Soap Lake got a sizable boost recently from the Moses Lake-Grant County Humane Society. It wasn’t the first time the MLGCHS had helped out the fledgling animal rescue, said Shawna Kluge, who started and runs Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry, but it was certainly more than she expected...

Senior events calendar for August 2023

Below are just a few events that older residents of the Columbia Basin may enjoy. If you have an event you would like listed in the paper, please submit it through the events page at columbiabasinherald.com...

Washington Day Trip: Bygone Byways Interpretive Trail

LEAVENWORTH – Travel about 30 miles northwest of Leavenworth on U.S. 2, and you’ll find the Bygone Byways Interpretive Trailhead. Wrapped in a bow-shaped piece of land between the highway and Nason Creek, the trailhead offers public restrooms and a walking path of about a mile that overlooks the stream and offers opportunities to see wildlife...

Legals for July, 31 2023