Box score roundup for April 22-23

MOSES LAKE – Box scores for baseball and softball games from April 22-23.

Diane Dunbar

Oct. 11, 1932 — April 20, 2024

Diane Patricia Donhoff Dunbar passed peacefully to be met by the loving arms of our Lord surrounded by family at her home April 20, 2024. Born in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 11, 1932, and raised by loving parents Wayne and June Donhoff, Mom enjoyed a truly happy childhood with her younger brother Ron and grandparents Fred and Grace Wells. Slated to be a concert pianist, Mom dashed her parents' dreams by marrying her first love, John Beatty, in December 1949 before the Air Force transferred him out of the area. Their first son, John Richard (Rik), was born in September 1950 and the three were sent to Alaska. Mom loved to recount stories of life in Shemya, the second-to-the-last of the chain of Aleutian Islands. Gary followed in May 1953, born at Donaldson Air Force Base in South Carolina. Retiring from the Air Force, John and Diane returned to Los Angeles where Steven Jay joined the family in August 1956. A daughter, Michelle Diane (Shelley), was born in February 1960 and Lori Patricia completed the family in January 1965.

Grant GOP resolves leadership crisis

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Republican Party has had an identity crisis for the past several months after some Precinct Committee Officers opted to remove David Hunt as Grant County Party Chair during an Oct. 5, 2023 meeting, citing legal issues Hunt is facing and electing Andrew Koeppen as chair. Hunt said the October meeting’s chair election is invalid. Washington GOP Chair Jim Walsh expressed frustration in a letter to both sides of the issue.

Play ball!

Moses Lake Youth Parade ushers in season

MOSES LAKE — Forget the flowers, the showers and the red, red robin. The true sign of spring in Moses Lake is when the youth baseball and softball season kicks into gear with the annual Moses Lake Youth Parade.

Legals for April, 24 2024

Gas leak shuts down stores, streets in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — A gas leak closed streets and caused some businesses to be evacuated Tuesday morning in Moses Lake. At just before 8 a.m., a construction crew was excavating at Penn Plaza, at North Stratford and Mart roads, when workers struck a natural gas line, according to Moses Lake Police Chief David Sands. “(It) caused a significant enough leak to spread pretty far and wide, so out of an abundance of caution we closed down the area as best we could,” Sands said.

Photographer to speak on shooting the stars

MOSES LAKE — Shooting photos of outer space will be the topic of a presentation in Moses Lake Thursday. Astrophotographer Mike Brady will discuss the techniques of capturing the night sky, the equipment needed and the processing that’s needed to make the photos clear at the Moses Lake Civic Center auditorium, starting at 6 p.m. Admission is free, but seating is limited to the first 200 attendees. Brady, who graduated from Big Bend Community College, went on to earn a degree in biology from Central Washington University, followed by a career in the army. When he retired, he taught biology at a community college in North Carolina before coming back to Columbia Basin College in Pasco, where he became the director of the observatory. That’s where he fell in love with photographing the heavens, he said.

Candidate Filing Week 2024 begins May 6

OLYMPIA — Citizens who want to run for public office in Washington will have their chance in early May, according to an announcement from the Washington Secretary of State’s office. The opportunity to declare candidacy formally for the 2024 elections opens May 6 at 8 a.m. online and at elections offices across the state, according to the announcement. Mailed declarations are being accepted now and must be received with payment no later than 5 p.m. on May 10, when filing week ends. During the May 6-10 filing period, candidacies can be declared for more than 400 federal, state, judicial, legislative, county and other offices scheduled for 2024 elections, according to the announcement. All statewide executive offices, all congressional seats, a U.S. Senate position, and the majority of state Legislature seats will be on the ballot. This year for the first time, candidates for Superior Court and all legislative districts must file with the Office of the Secretary of State, which can be done via the office’s website, by mail, or in person.

WA GOP chair defends handling of state convention in Spokane

The Center Square – Hurt feelings may be lingering for some Republicans following the GOP party convention in Spokane last weekend, but the state party chair tells The Center Square that the media coverage of the event was unfair. Multiple news organizations reported the three-day gathering of candidates and delegates as “chaotic” with “rules being broken” to support certain candidates. But Jim Walsh, chair of the Washington State Republican Party, says that was not at all the case. “I was telling people in the media for months, it’s going to be a real convention, it’s going to be unscripted and not a coronation,” said Walsh, who also serves as a state representative from Aberdeen.

Othello to close community pool over safety concerns

OTHELLO — Mayor Shawn Logan announced during Monday’s Othello City Council meeting that the Othello Community Pool will have to be closed indefinitely and eventually replaced due to safety concerns. The announcement came after a presentation from Othello Public Works Director Curt Carpenter on his recent investigation into improper pipe installation and poor construction when the pool was built in 2007.

Othello Public Library Children’s Day celebration a success

OTHELLO — The Othello Public Library, one of the branches of Tri-Cities-based Mid-Columbia Libraries, hosted a special celebration Saturday for El día de los niños/El día de los libros, otherwise known as Day of the Children and Day of the Books, celebrating children and children’s literacy. Branch Manager Georgia Reitmire said the event, which took place at the branch’s location on East Main Street during the branch’s normal storytime, was very popular. “It went really well,” Reitmire said. “We all kind of feel like we just don't have enough space. It got pretty crowded, but all the kids seemed really happy and the parents were happy … We probably had about 120 or more people here in those two hours.”

News Bites for April 23, 2024

News Bites for April 23, 2024

Legals for April, 23 2024

Washington to fund more non-armed vehicle pursuit technology for law enforcement

(The Center Square) - As restrictions on law enforcement pursuing criminals are set to take effect on June 6 after passing in the Legislature, the state is offering police agencies a second funding opportunity to buy equipment capable of pursuing suspects without the use of firearms.

OneD to hold thank-you event Thursday

MOSES LAKE — OneD Battery Sciences will show off its Moses Lake facility in a pilot manufacturing event Thursday, according to an announcement from the company.

Warden High to host Vitalant open blood drive April 30

WARDEN – Warden High School will be hosting a blood drive April 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., run by nationwide blood center Vitalant. The drive is open to both students and the public.

Plethora of I-90 projects coming this summer

VANTAGE — Travelers going over Snoqualmie Pass this summer should add pencil in a little extra time for delays due to road work, and not just at the Vantage Bridge. Most of the work is concentrated between North Bend and Ellensburg and will involve lane closures, sometimes all eastbound or westbound lanes for short times.

Wildcats, Zags, Cougars week in review

MOSES LAKE – Area college baseball teams continue to battle for positioning with postseason baseball quickly approaching.

Vikings split, yet again

MOSES LAKE – Seeming to play one quality, well-rounded ball game and one where a major aspect whether it be defense, offense or pitching struggles seems to be the norm for the Vikes. After three consecutive splits, the Vikings needed to take two on Saturday to make up ground in the Eastern Region playoff race.

DIAMOND RECAP: Baseball, softball enter the final stretch of the regular season

COLUMBIA BASIN – District tournaments across the Columbia Basin begin as soon as next week, as local squads aim to finish the regular season on a high note. Read along to see where Basin squads stand late in the regular season.