F.O.U.R. Steps to Celebrate July 4th in a Dementia-Friendly Manner

MOSES LAKE — Fireworks and gatherings are staples of the July 4th holiday, but these can create unique challenges for families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related illnesses. With Independence Day approaching, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is advising families to follow the F.O.U.R. steps to create a dementia-friendly 4th of July.

SAIL classes keep seniors moving and active

MOSES LAKE — It can be difficult to stay mobile, let alone fit, after a certain age, which is why senior centers around the Basin offer SAIL, or Stay Active and Independent for Life, classes. “The physicians in town are even recommending it,” said instructor Kaye Ward, who was leading a SAIL class at the Moses Lake Senior Center Monday. “When you have a knee replacement or something, they tell you to come here and then you don't have to do physical therapy. This is good physical therapy.”

Air Force vet raising funds for cancer treatment Saturday

MOSES LAKE — Cancer is scary, but the standard treatments are no fun either. Chemotherapy, radiation, surgery – all take a severe toll on the human body. Disabled Air Force veteran Noemi Salazar is taking a different approach and needs the public’s help to do it.

Early Literacy Fair gets children comfortable with reading

MOSES LAKE — If you can get children reading and learning early, they’ll never stop. That’s the theory behind the Moses Lake Public Library’s Early Literacy Fair. “We have a variety of what are called the big books,” said children’s librarian Zach Walker, holding up an ABCs book that looked to be about 12 inches by 18. “The letters are all nice and big, so (children) can more easily start with the big stuff and work their way down to the smaller ones.” The Early Literacy Fair is the library’s way to give small children, mostly under 5 years old, a chance to get acquainted with books and other brain-stimulating activities. Several activity stations were set up Thursday in the children’s section of the library, with books, coloring sheets and crayons and activities to engage little hands and young minds.

Sixers 14U go undefeated in Saturday games

MOSES LAKE – The Washington Sixers 14U team went undefeated last weekend as they were victorious over TC Bashers and LC Closers. According to head coach Rey Lopez, pitching led the way for the Sixers.

Bookmobile brings the library to the rural Basin

MOSES LAKE — It’s a Tuesday afternoon and the library has just rolled in at Doolittle Dream Park, to stay for an hour before moving on. “We’ve had as many as 12 or 15 (people come in),” said librarian Elizabeth McNall. “(The Boys and Girls Club of the Columbia Basin) is doing a free lunch here this summer, but our time is not right for them, so we’ll try to coordinate next year with that.”

BASIN COMMUNITY CALENDAR: Ending June and into July 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — July will sizzle in the Basin, both the weather and the events scene. Here are a few things coming up this month:

Building permits for June 27, 2025

Unincorporated Grant County

Soap Lake schools get major repairs

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake School District is in the process of making around $6.6 million worth of repairs. “The work is fantastic,” Superintendent Angela Rolfe said. “We're really excited to be able to upgrade and modernize some things that needed to be done.”

Moses Lake Airshow showcases aviation on all scales

MOSES LAKE — The wind wasn’t powerful at the Grant County International Airport Saturday – just enough to make papers blow around and sweep the occasional hat away – but it was enough to make some pilots happy.

Moses Lake Family Picnic draws strong community support

MOSES LAKE — The annual Moses Lake Family Picnic took place on Saturday at Neppel Landing, celebrating the joys of community and family engagement in a day filled with activities, food and local vendors. According to Downtown Moses Lake Association Executive Director Malory Miller, this year’s event significantly outperformed last year’s, drawing an estimated 600 attendees.

CWU honors 94 Basin students

ELLENSBURG — Ninety-four students from Grant and Adams counties were named to Central Washington University’s Honor Roll for spring quarter 2025, according to an announcement from the university

Know the local law before setting off fireworks

MOSES LAKE — The calendar is counting down to Independence Day, and fireworks stands are offering combustible fun all over the Basin. Before you start lighting fuses, however, make sure you know the local laws.

Reopening of Soap Lake Library marks new chapter for community engagement

SOAP LAKE – The grand reopening of the Soap Lake Library Friday is showcasing a transformation that promises to reinvigorate the community's access to resources and programming, temporary librarian Stephanie Jackson said.

One fire blazing in WA

ENTIAT — The Pomas Fire, reported on June 13, has rapidly grown to 910 acres in size as of Thursday. The fire is situated 36 miles northwest of Entiat, within the rugged Glacier Peak Wilderness, according to a report on Inciweb. There are no updates on containment as of Thursday. “This is an extreme(ly) tough piece of ground with all the dead and down timber from the 2015 Wolverine Fire and 10 years’ worth of thick regeneration,” said Holly Krake in a statement from Entiat-Chelan District Ranger for the Forest Service. “The smokejumpers and pilots are doing everything they safely can to keep fire from becoming established on the east side of the Entiat River and down in Snowbrushy Creek.”

Little Big Show

Wilson Creek’s annual car show brings vehicles of all vintages

WILSON CREEK — Sometimes, a car owner just can’t help himself. “Originally I bought it because I needed a commuter,” said Ricky Gutierrez, who was showing his 2019 Subaru at the Little Big Show in Wilson Creek Saturday morning. “I work for the county, and I drive everywhere, so I needed something better on gas mileage.” That didn’t last long, he said. “I grew up modifying cars, so I was like, I’ll add wheels, and then suspension,” Gutierrez said. “And then I (thought) it wasn’t fast enough, so I made more horsepower out of it, and kind of decided to do it into a show car. Full air ride, suspension, the carbon fiber hood, the trunk, the seats inside, and just the little details that add up a lot.”

Moses Lake Library critical part of substance use prevention

MOSES LAKE — In a world where substance use among youth is a growing concern, the Moses Lake Library is a resource in promoting prevention through community engagement, mentorship and diverse programming, according to Moses Lake Community Coalition members.

BBCC celebrates record-breaking graduation

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College held its 62nd commencement ceremony on Friday night at Lions Field, where it celebrated the largest graduating class in the college’s history. A total of 663 graduates received their degrees. Sara Thompson Tweedy, BBCC’s 10th president, highlighted the importance of the occasion. “We are here tonight to recognize and celebrate our graduates, as well as to honor the friends and family, faculty and staff who helped our graduates arrive on this day,” she said. The ceremony was attended by graduates and their families from across the United States, including California, Hawaii, and Idaho, as well as international attendees from Canada and Israel.

The Side Project to play in Moses Lake – for real, this time

MOSES LAKE — When The Side Project takes the stage June 20, the city of Moses Lake’s Summer Concert Series will pick up where it left off, sort of. “They were supposed to be our last concert last summer,” said Jenni Shelton, creative programs coordinator for the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center. “It was the night of a really bad storm, and we had to cancel for the weather. It was one of the nights they even evacuated to the Gorge (Amphitheatre).” The Side Project consists of wife-and-husband Suzie and Ben Bradford, according to its website. The duo, originally from Spokane, have recorded six albums and have performed up and down the west coast for 20 years, according to the announcement. Their music has been broadcast in Starbucks and featured on television shows “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” as well as scoring a positive review in Music Connection Magazine.

Winds forecast to increase fire danger through Wednesday

MOSES LAKE — Summer officially starts Saturday, but really it’s already here, and elevated fire danger is one of the signs. It's been dry in Central Washington over the last 30 days, and winds are expected to increase ahead of a cool front forecast for the weekend. Daniel Butler, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane, said the highest risk is Wednesday.