Legals for October, 21 2025

City of Soap Lake is paying off $11M-plus in loans, interest

SOAP LAKE – The City of Soap Lake will have nearly $11.36 million worth of debt service payments to pay off by the end of 2025. Of that, around $3 million is interest the city has collected over the years, according to Finance Director Jeff Balentine. The city is paying 15 different loans.

Othello voters considering $3.55M pool bond

OTHELLO — Othello voters will be asked to accept or reject a $3.55 million bond to pay for repairs to the Othello Community Pool, and renovations where needed. Othello City Council members voted in July to submit the proposal to voters, and Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said the money will pay for repairs, but few, if any, changes.

STUDIO BASIN: MLSD superintendent discusses promises, district's future

MOSES LAKE — On this episode of the STUDIO BASIN Podcast, Reporter Nance Beston invited Moses Lake School District Superintendent Carol Lewis onto the podcast to discuss promises the district has made to the community about finances and levy spending. This is a follow-up from the statement Carol Lewis made at the previous regular school board meeting and the Columbia Basin Herald article titled: "MLSD's Lewis addresses levy promises, elementary start time," which can be read at: bit.ly/1025MLSD.

Basin football roundup – Week 7

MOSES LAKE – Week seven of Basin football has concluded, and local teams are gearing up for postseason competition. Some teams continued their dominating league play, and others just fell short in their games. See below where your favorite teams stand and their current record.

Mariners head to game 7 after a win and a loss over the weekend

SEATTLE (AP) — The Mariners looked poised to take the ALCS after taking a 3-2 series lead on Saturday. However, the Blue Jays stormed back in game six to tie the series. Both teams head to game seven to decide who will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

Legals for October, 20 2025

MLSD’s Lewis addresses levy promises, elementary start time

MOSES LAKE — Tensions continue between the Moses Lake School District and the Moses Lake Educators Association as discussions continue over a modified elementary school schedule and the restoration of educational programs critical to student learning.

Knights defeat Wahluke, remain unbeaten

ROYAL CITY – On Friday, the Royal Knights (7-0) and the Wahluke Warriors (2-5) met in a South Central Athletic Conference game. The Knights were dominant offensively, defeating the Warriors 65-6.

New complex in Moses Lake ready to rent

MOSES LAKE — The Modern Heights apartments, located smack in the middle of Moses Lake, are almost finished. “We have about half of them ready to go,” said Doug Robins, development coordinator for the project and the designer of the complex. “We have people moving in right now.”

AI learners win prizes, gain skills in NCW Tech Alliance contest

MOSES LAKE — The North Central Washington Tech Alliance Skill-a-Thon has ended, and four Grant County residents are among the winners. “The winners walked away … with some knowledge of cybersecurity and different kinds of AI technology,” said David Estrada, NCW Tech Alliance STEM Program manager for Moses Lake.

Roadwork to close SR 243 south of Mattawa starting Monday

MATTAWA — Drivers heading south of Mattawa can expect State Route 243 to be closed for a short stretch between Mattawa and Desert Aire, beginning Monday.

Basin housing market stabilizing

MOSES LAKE — Just a few years ago, homes for sale in the Basin were few and far between. Today, things seem to have moved more or less back to normal.

Moses Lake council, school board candidates discuss issues at forum

MOSES LAKE — Candidates for the Moses Lake City Council and Moses Lake School District discussed school and city finances, trust and water at a forum sponsored by the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce. Joel Graves, running for city council, said Moses Lake has some challenges to address. “These aren’t problems that we can keep kicking the can down the road on,” he said. Council candidates Deanna Martinez, Graves and Jeremy Davis, and school board candidate Mike Nordsten, answered questions submitted by the forum’s sponsors. Council candidate Jim Perez sent a statement, saying work commitments kept him from attending. Chamber Manager Debbie Doran-Martinez said school board candidate Lila Baker had declined to attend, citing her withdrawal from the race due to health reasons.

BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 17-25

COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you celebrate Halloween or harvest, there’s no shortage of macabre fun this week in the Basin, plus crafts, live music and more. Here are some ideas for getting out and about:

Legals for October, 17 2025

‘Early stages of critical failure’: Funding outlook is grim for WA road upkeep

State transportation officials say they are making the limited dollars for highway and bridge preservation stretch as far as they can — but it’s not far enough. There’s too little money to keep up with repaving roads, repairing aging spans and responding to emergency fixes. “We are in the early stages of critical failure due to lack of funding,” Troy Suing, director of capital program development and management for Washington State Department of Transportation, told a state panel Tuesday. “We are doing everything we can to squeeze out as much service life as we can,” he told members of the Washington State Transportation Commission. “We are underfunded. We are forced to be reactive when we look at our assets right now.”

Ephrata looking for architect to remodel potential new city hall

EPHRATA — The final layout of a former business recently purchased by the city of Ephrata, and the ultimate fate of the existing Ephrata City Hall, are still to be determined. That will be part of the process of remodeling the old Rite-Aid building at 250 Basin St. SW. Ephrata City Administrator Ray Towry said the first step will be hiring an architect. “We’ll budget for a (request for proposals) for an architect to redesign that space for us next year,” Towry said. “Depending on how involved you want to be, and (how much) we want to involve the public in that design, will determine the length of time it takes.” The existing city hall and the possible uses of the old Rite-Aid building were among the items discussed at the regular meeting of the Ephrata City Council Wednesday. Council members also discussed revisions to a union contract and renaming two streets at the site of the new Grant County Jail.

EWU announces stadium renovations

CHENEY — Eastern Washington University Athletics announced they are beginning a series of projects to renovate Roos Field. The first step in this process begins with replacing the track, and EWU athletics held a ceremony for that project on Oct. 10. “The track facility will give our student athletes the space and resources they deserve to train, compete, and pursue excellence,” EWU Athletic Director Tim Collins said. “But make no mistake, the project is about much more than a track. It’s about setting the foundation for the renovation of Roos Field and ultimately, the next chapter of Eagle Athletics.” The envisioned improvements will expand event opportunities, enhance fan experiences, strengthen recruiting efforts, and allow student athletes to compete at the highest levels, the statement said.

Ephrata’s new code enforcement officer focused on standards

EPHRATA – The city of Ephrata hired Ioan Horvat as the new code enforcement and building inspector. Horvat says he aims to bolster the city’s municipal standards and enhance the quality of life for Ephrata residents. “I’ve been working for the last 20 years, mostly in construction and construction management. I focused on quality control, and this is the link to code enforcement,” Horvat said.