Linda Hermeone Taylor

1936 – 2025

Linda Hermeone Taylor was born on December 14, 1936, in Havre, Montana, to Leo and Edith Wall. Linda did not meet her father, Leo, as he died the day before she was born.

BASIN EVENTS: Nov. 7-15

COLUMBIA BASIN — This week celebrates veterans, and there are several events honoring those who served. There are also holiday markets, live performances and much, much more. Here are a few possibilities:

Fairy tale: Othello HS to stage ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

OTHELLO — It’s your typical teenage drama. Boy loves girl. Girl’s father wants her to marry someone else. Girl runs away and both boys look for her. A mischievous fairy sprinkles a potion on everybody that makes them all fall in love with the wrong people. Wait, what?

Ephrata info portal gives residents planning insights

EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council got a look at some long-term plans and the grants to fund them at its meeting Wednesday evening. The information was on a new interactive website, and City Engineer Dave Bren walked the council through them.

Ephrata general election update

EPHRATA – Ephrata voters had nine candidates and the Columbia Basin Hospital Bond to vote upon during the general election. Of those races, seven of them were candidates who ran unopposed.

Soap Lake general election update

SOAP LAKE – As of Wednesday at 5 p.m., both Soap Lake Council members Andrew Arnold and Kayleen Bryson have been re-elected by voters, both running unopposed. Rebecca Leavell is leading in the Soap Lake school board position five. The Soap Lake mayoral race is still too close to call. According to the Grant County Auditor, there are still around 4,600 ballots left to count. Around 10,000 ballots have been counted already.

GALLERY: Highlights from Basin sports

MOSES LAKE — The last week of Basin sports saw a lot of stiff competition as district tournament games continue. Here are a few highlights from those games.

Soap Lake fun run to support veterans set for Saturday

SOAP LAKE – On Saturday, a 2k and 5k fun run is being held at 10 a.m. at Smokiam Park in Soap Lake. The fundraiser event is aimed at raising more awareness around Veteran’s Day, said event organizer Britton Baker.

Marjorie "Marjie" Miles

1939 – 2025

Marjorie “Marjie” Miles, 86, passed away on October 13, 2025, peacefully in the comfort of her home in Kirkland, surrounded by her family.

COLUMN: Shaheed trade an underrated move

As defensive stars like Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams were getting traded out of New York, the Seattle Seahawks made an underrated move. They got an absolute speedster, Rashid Shaheed, from the New Orleans Saints for a fourth and fifth round draft pick in 2026.

Ephrata hospital bond fails with voters for second time

EPHRATA – Columbia Basin Hospital ran its $30 million bond proposition for a second time during the general election. The proposition as of 8 p.m. Nov. 4 ballot count has been rejected with about 1,100 votes, or nearly 56% of voters against it. Around 44%, or almost 830 people voted in favor of the bond. There are still around 900 ballots to count. The election will be certified Nov. 20.

Ephrata water tower 20% full

EPHRATA – On Tuesday, the City of Ephrata began filling its new water tower after completing disinfection and pressure testing. As of Wednesday, the tower is 20% full, with mandated testing beginning. The tower, if results come back clean, will be filled the rest of the way and operational by Thanksgiving, according to Public Works Director Rob Harris.

Oliver voted in as Ephrata mayor-elect

EPHRATA — The initial Nov. 4 ballot count shows Steve Oliver winning the Ephrata Mayoral election with 630 votes, or nearly 55% of the vote. Incumbent Bruce Reim had 516 votes, or about 45% of the vote. The election will be certified on Nov. 20.

Irvin 'Dean' Callahan

Nov. 10, 1945 — Nov. 1, 2025

Irvin “Dean” Callahan, 79, of Royal City, Wash., passed away while on vacation in Butte, Mont., on Nov. 1, 2025.

Basin teams heading to state XC meet

MOSES LAKE – This weekend, four Basin schools will be represented in the WIAA state cross country meet across three different levels. In 1A, the Royal Knights are sending two runners, freshman Akleigh Hebdon and senior Carlos Barajas.

Ephrata Senior Center Thrift Store gets new wheels

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Senior Center Thrift Store has a new truck, thanks to a grant from the Paul Lauzier Foundation. “We asked the board for $10,000 budget to get a new one,” said Store Manager Tandra Harrington. “We found some different options, and about that time the Paul Lauzier grant opened up. So instead of using the $10,000 that (the board) granted us, we went ahead and wrote for the grant and the Paul Lauzier Foundation granted $40,000.” it wasn’t a quick process, Harrington said. The previous truck’s engine had blown up six or eight months earlier, she said. The new truck is a 2021 Ford Econoline, Harrington said. It will be used primarily for pickup and delivery. “We do two pickups per week,” Harrington said. “And then its used for any materials or supplies needed for the store, and for dump runs.”

Grant County General Election results 2025

EPHRATA — Quincy, Ephrata and Soap Lake voters are picking a mayor, Columbia Basin Hospital district voters are considering a construction bond proposal and there are contested races for Quincy and Moses Lake city council seats. Unofficial results from the 2025 general election are below. Some ballots remain to be counted and updates will be provided as the County Auditor's Office completes tabulation in the days to come.

Dick Cheney, one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in US history, dies at 84

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dick Cheney, the hard-charging conservative who became one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S. history and a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq, has died at 84. George W. Bush’s vice president died Monday from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said Tuesday in a statement. In Cheney’s hands, the vice presidency became a nexus of influence and manipulation — no longer the timid office whose occupants had tended their boss’s ambitions, gone to endless banquets and often waited in the wings for their own shot at the prize. When he bunkered in secure undisclosed locations after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, that was less an inconvenience for Cheney than a metaphor for a life of power that he exercised to maximum effect from the shadows.

WA college football recap – Week 10

MOSES LAKE – October football has concluded, and several Washington college football teams are looking to take the next step in the last leg of the season. Some stumbled in week 10 while some get rest up on a bye week. See below how your favorite teams fared over the weekend and their current record.

Groff Elementary renovations underway

MOSES LAKE – The ongoing renovation of Groff Elementary School is making significant strides, as the Moses Lake School District takes measures to rectify construction deficiencies within the building, according to Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon. The district has been actively removing elements that pose safety concerns, including the complete removal of the gym floor. In an official statement released on October 31, 2025, the district confirmed that the previous gym floor was fully removed due to necessary mitigation efforts.