Wampum auction to support Wheat Land Communities Fair coming

RITZVILLE — A small fair will be supported in a big way next weekend. Wampum, the annual auction for the Wheat Land Communities Fair, will take place Saturday at the Wheat Land Fairgrounds in Ritzville. The event will include a barbecue dinner and a live and silent auction.

MLHS welders heading to state competition

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake High School welders will be heading to state competitions March 27 and 28. The team this year consists of freshman Connor Nelson, sophomore Roenin Matosich and junior William Bennet. According to welding teacher Jimmy Herrin, the students just received the design for this year’s project, a tripod grill. Students then will work on welds and skills they think they will need to complete the object. The students will receive blueprints for the project 24 hours before the competition.

Wahluke looks to continue building team cohesion after strong start

MATTAWA – Wahluke soccer has started their 2025 season 2-1 and Coach Cele Lopez expressed pride in the team that has been built so far. This season the team has added new faces to the roster and is working on building a new defense. On top of this Coach Lopez has noticed a particularly strong bond that has been building among his players.

Referee shortage hits local fields

EPHRATA – Local communities have been feeling the impact of the nationwide officiating shortage which has had an impact on all sports. According to Bruce Shields, an officiant signer for Washington State, before COVID the area had over 100 umpires ready to officiate for baseball and as of last year that number had dropped down to 37.

NEWS BITES: March 21, 2025

NEWS BITES: March 21, 2025

Two candidates announce for Moses Lake City Council

MOSES LAKE — Santiago (Jim) Perez and Joel Graves have announced their candidacy for the Moses Lake City Council.

Area experts walk potential first-time home buyers through the process

MOSES LAKE — How to facilitate a first home purchase was the topic of a seminar in Moses Lake Tuesday. The Homebuying Process Workshop, hosted by Opportunities Industrialization Center, or OIC, of Washington, featured three experts in home purchasing and a ton of advice for people new to the process.

BASIN EVENTS CALENDAR: March 21-29, 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — The sun is shining; the cranes are in flight and there’s a host of things to do in the Basin this week. Here are a few:

Road work set for next week in Quincy

QUINCY — Spring is in the air, and that means, among many other things, the start of road construction season. Road crews will be doing some crack-sealing work at night along State Route 28 in Quincy beginning Sunday night. Drivers should plan for some delays through Wednesday night at least, according to a press release from the Washington Department of Transportation.

Law enforcement logs for March 21, 2025

The reports below were provided by the sheriff’s office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Legals for March, 21 2025

Devon Leavitt

1993 – 2025

Devon M Leavitt, 32, entered into the Kingdom of Heaven on March 5, 2025. Devon was born to Darlene Schrag and Michael Leavitt on March 2, 1993, in Moses Lake, Washington. He spent his early years playing with his cousins and sister Danielle, creating mischief and getting into trouble in the backyard. He moved back and forth between Clarkston, Washington and Warden, Washington during his younger years. When he was about 12, he moved back to Warden and spent most of his time when not in school with his grandparents, Steve and Nadine.

Gorden Dale Melcher

1938 – 2025

Gorden Dale Melcher, 87, of Moses Lake, Washington went to be with his Savior on March 14, 2025. He was born on February 21, 1938, in Odessa, Washington to Carl Melcher and Yetta Greenwalt Melcher.

Double dose of adoptable adorable

SOAP LAKE – Lily, left, and Misa, right, are a bonded pair of sisters who are looking for their forever home. The two must be adopted together. When the girls arrived at the Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry, Lily had been shot in the neck and Misa was pregnant. The vet was able to save Lily’s life and also helped Misa by delivering her litter. Both dogs are doing well now. Normally, the shelter charges $350 per dog adoption, however, to keep the girls together they are offering the two to be adopted for $150. Both dogs are mixed breed, spayed, up to date on shots and microchipped. If these girls have stolen your heart, visit RockBottomRocker.org and fill out an adoption application. If you can’t adopt the sisters but would like to help a local shelter visit the website and click “volunteer” or “donate.”

Teen writers wanted for library fiction contest

WENATCHEE — North Central Washington Libraries is accepting submissions for the 2025 Teen Short Fiction Competition. NCW Libraries oversees the operation of libraries in and near Grant County, among others.

‘We owe it to them’

New Hope copes with rising need and falling funding

MOSES LAKE — The need for New Hope’s and Kids Hope’s services is growing, but the money to fund them isn’t, according to Director Suzi Fode. “Overall … my program is looking at a 24% cut (in funding),” said Fode.

Ephrata PD joins BlueBridge Alliance to foster community ties

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Police Department announced its partnership Tuesday with the BlueBridge Alliance, an initiative aimed at enhancing community relations by providing help to the needy. This partnership helps provide immediate help to residents facing challenging circumstances.

St. Rose of Lima, Young Ladies Institute partner for blood drive

EPHRATA — St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church is once again uniting its community for a noble cause. On April 16, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the Young Ladies Institute and Knights of Columbus will collaborate to host a blood drive at the Ephrata Recreation Center. This annual event aims to bolster the local blood supply, which is persistently in high demand.

Funding a challenge for some Adams Co. projects

RITZVILLE — The second phase of a project to upgrade Schoonover Road that Adams County officials thought had received federal funding may not be getting it after all. A rules revision that allowed four bridges over the East Low Canal to qualify for complete federal funding also may have been eliminated.

Respite from violence: New Hope shelter offers escape for domestic abuse victims

MOSES LAKE — More than 500 people find help at New Hope on an annual basis as they work to escape domestic violence situations and abusive relationships that can often feel like traps they’ve fallen into. Fear of the unknown, psychological challenges and fear of homelessness are all factors that can add to that feeling of being trapped.