Groff Elementary closed this week after electrical incident

MOSES LAKE – Groff Elementary School students will be attending classes from home this week after an electrical problem caused an unidentified person to be shocked on campus. Moses Lake School District Director of Communications Ryan Shannon said the person’s identity and exact condition could not be disclosed due to privacy regulations.

Dent's ag exemption bill for CCA costs moving forward

OLYMPIA - Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, is working to fulfill lawmakers' promise to exempt Washington farmers and ranchers from cap-and-trade fuel taxes in a newly proposed bipartisan bill. “Finding a solution is a challenge,” Dent said in a public hearing. “We know that, but a promise was made, and we need to find a way to keep that promise.”

Columbia Basin Events for March 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — Spring is finally almost here, and high school plays, crafts, live music and Grant County’s iconic Space Burgers await. Here’s what’s happening in March:

Sale of possible 12th Moses Lake elementary site still pending

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District officials have started a committee that will conduct a review of all district facilities, including the potential construction of a new elementary school. Funding for the new campus was approved by voters in a 2017 bond election but the pandemic and other factors have delayed its development.

Show of skill

CBTECH students to vie at state vocational competition

MOSES LAKE — It seems like everybody is talking about students going to state. Wrestling, basketball, swimming – all the state tournaments have been a topic of discussion. But not every state competition involves coaches and locker rooms.

GCSO seeking citizen use of force committee volunteers

EPHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a volunteer outside of active law enforcement to serve on its independent use-of-force investigative team.

GCSO asks for community assistance with two cases

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Detectives are seeking assistance regarding one case but two different aspects of the case – one regarding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and the other regarding a young girl who was at Slices Pizza.

Law Enforcement logs for Feb. 28, 2025

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

ART OF BARBERS

MOSES LAKE – Owners Jose and Marina Bernal, with their daughter Sofia, cut the ribbon on their new barbershop, Art of Barbers, in Moses Lake, surrounded by staff members (from left): Marco Martinez, barber; Isaac Suarez, Santiago Suarez Collection; Giceramy Machacon; Franley Paniagua, barber; Ishrael Arriaga, hair stylist;Brianna Salazar-Martine, barber; Juan Aguilar, barber. Not pictures: Kevin Koker andAngel Diaz.

Regal girl looking for her royal castle

MOSES LAKE – Marge, a curly-coated mix, is a friendly and social dog who loves being around people. She would prefer to be the queen of the castle and be the only dog in the home. To keep her looking her best, she will need regular grooming, but her personality makes up for her need for spa days. Afterall, a queen needs to look her best. For those interested in taking the regal girl home, visit GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org. If you can’t adopt but still want to help a local shelter visit the website and click “donate.”

Ferguson details proposed budget savings of nearly $4B to address shortfall

(The Center Square) – Gov. Bob Ferguson unveiled his plan for nearly $4 billion in cuts as lawmakers in the Washington State Legislature grapple with a projected four-year operating budget shortfall. Just after taking office last month, Ferguson asked most agencies to find 6% in spending cuts.

Building permits for the week of Feb. 28, 2025

Building permits for the week of Feb. 28, 2025

Bill would expand covenant home ownership, forgive outstanding loans

OLYMPIA — The move toward rectifying Washington’s history of racial segregation in housing could expand, under a bill filed in this year’s legislative session by Rep. Jamilla Taylor, D-Federal Way. HB 1696, sponsored by Taylor and 41 other representatives, would increase the income cap specified in the Covenant Homeownership Program.

More water conservation work to come in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Conservation measures have saved the city of Moses Lake a lot of water over the last two years, but not as much as the city has lost through system leaks. City officials will be working in 2025 to identify leaks and address them. Mayor Dustin Swartz said finding leaks is a priority.

Legals for February, 28 2025

Rosa Reyna

It is with great sorrow that the Reyna family share that Mrs. Rosa Garcia Reyna was called up to the Lord on February 25, 2025, at the age of 87.

Aloha, Moses Lake! Trade the Winter Chill for a Hawaiian Adventure

As the cold winds sweep across Moses Lake and frosty mornings have been the norm, you might find yourself longing for sunshine, ocean breezes, and swaying palm trees. This winter, why not escape to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, where adventure, relaxation, and culture come together in paradise?

Four pins and a championship win

Ephrata’s Adylene Sanchez crowned state champ in 155-pound bracket

EPHRATA – In the bustling atmosphere of the Washington State Wrestling Championship, Adylene Sanchez, a 155-pound junior from Ephrata achieved what many thought was impossible: she ascended from three years of competition—without a placement—to becoming a state champion. “It was very emotional,” Sanchez said on her win. “I was already crying earlier that day because my friend got injured, so I was really on edge during the match.”

Acting SLPD chief investigation discussed during city council

SOAP LAKE – At the Feb. 19 Soap Lake city council meeting, a public comment was made by Karen Dillon, a former City of Soap Lake employee. During her comment, Dillon brought up the Sept. 16, 2022, investigation of acting Soap Lake Police Department Chief Robert Geates during which he admitted to having sex on duty with a female trainee in 2021.

Bring a little chocolate into your life, adopt Cocoa Bean

SOAP LAKE – Cocoa Bean came to the Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry after getting lost from her previous owners and never claimed. She is a smaller chocolate pit/husky mix between two and three years old. She is currently shelter’s favorite comedian. Cocoa Bean is known for her shenanigan's, high energy antics and independent spirit which frequently make the staff giggle. She is a sweet (duh, she’s named after chocolate), friendly, curious and very toy motivated girl. If you need a little more sweetness or maybe a few more laughs in your life, adopt Cocoa Bean by visiting RockBottomRocker.org. For those who can’t adopt but would still like to help the local shelter out visit their website and click the donate button. There are also opportunities to foster pets, if that’s more your speed.