P.E.A.C.E. from the Lord’s Kitchen

Local ministry serves meals without fanfare or judgment

MOSES LAKE — The Bible says that man does not live by bread alone, but that doesn’t mean that food isn’t pretty important.

Weather for the week of Nov. 3, 2025

Weather for the week of Nov. 3, 2025

Huskies seize victory over Jacks

OTHELLO – The Othello Huskies (8-1) earned a 63-0 win to end off the regular season during their senior night on Thursday against the Quincy Jackrabbits (1-8). The Huskies now prepare to head into the postseason following their victory.

Ephrata’s Employee of the Year: Will Koziol receives Pillars of Excellence Award

EPHRATA — Will Koziol, a member of the City of Ephrata’s Public Works Department, has been honored with the prestigious Pillars of Excellence award, recognizing him as Employee of the Year. With three years of service to the city, Koziol has made significant contributions to the community and earned the respect of his peers for his work ethic, leadership skills, and unwavering commitment to public service, according to his supervisor Stephen Grout.

‘Puffs’

QHS play celebrates magical background characters

QUINCY — Some people are born to save the world. And some are born to, well, sit next to those heroes in class. “It’s really about the underdogs,” said director Haliey Weber. “They don’t want fortune or fame. They don’t care to be super smart or brave or cunning. They just are really loyal and they care about the people they care about.” The world of “Puffs” will look familiar, but don’t be fooled. Sure, there’s a boarding school with four houses – the Braves, the Smarts, the Snakes and the Puffs – and a dark lord, and messages delivered by owl and lots of wizardy classes, but “Puffs” is not to be confused with the more famous story. Rather, it tells the story of Wayne (Sawyer Golay), Megan (Jasmine Vasquez-Navarro) and Oliver (Jerrod Miller), who happen to be in the background while all that is going on. Wayne is a math-loving nerd who wasn’t born to wizardry but is trying to catch up, Megan is a would-be goth girl who resents being a Puff, and Oliver is an orphan raised by his uncle. Together, the three navigate the pitfalls of learning magic, as well as competing in a tournament, battling a giant snake and resisting the Death Buddies, one of whom is Megan’s mom. All while living in the shadow of the great young wizards of the other story.

BASIN EVENTS Oct. 31-Nov. 30

COLUMBIA BASIN — As we move out of the spooky season and into the holidays, here are a few things to check out this month.

Halloween events around the Basin

COLUMBIA BASIN — Still looking for something to do today? Here are some Halloween activities for young and old:

Buck’s penalty delivers Big Ten regular season championship to Washington

SEATTLE – In a moment 25 years in the making, the No. 17 Washington women's soccer team secured its first conference championship since 2000, according to a statement by University of Washington athletics. They claim the Big Ten Regular Season Championship with a 1-0 win over No. 15 Wisconsin at Husky Soccer Stadium on Sunday.

Huskies best Toppenish in first round of districts

OTHELLO – The Othello Huskies volleyball team (8-9) won 3-0 over Toppenish in the first round of the Central Washington Athletic Conference District 5 tournament Wednesday evening. This win moves the team to the next round of district play on Saturday.

USApple acts as industry advocate in Washington DC

WASHINGTON DC — Where there is information, there is misinformation, and one of the jobs of USApple is to combat misinformation that’s out there. Jim Bair, president and chief executive officer, cited the case of an applesauce recall over concerns about elevated levels of lead. “It was a cinnamon-flavored applesauce; the lead was coming from the cinnamon,” Bair said. “In fact, the applesauce was imported, as was the cinnamon. It wasn’t even a U.S. product. But consumers, all they hear is ‘applesauce is bad.’ So we try to provide information to make that messaging something that’s useful to the consumer,” Bair said. USApple is supported by growers, packers, processors and other groups in the apple industry to advocate for industry interests at the federal level, as well as working to provide accurate information about apples and apple production.

Greater Health Now launches new podcast: Care & Consequence

KENNEWICK– Greater Health Now, a nonprofit organization committed to enhancing population health, has officially launched its monthly podcast, “Care & Consequence: Perspectives on a Social Care Network,” aimed at dissecting the complexities surrounding health care.

Ephrata SD moves forward on $75M bond election

EPHRATA – The Ephrata School District Facility Study Group proposed a $75 million bond to the Ephrata School Board Monday night. The board unanimously approved Superintendent Ken Murray to move forward with a bond resolution for the board to vote on. If passed by the board, the bond will appear on the Feb. 2026 ballot.

Ephrata Food Bank faces growing needs amid uncertainty

EPHRATA – As local food banks brace for potential increases in demand, Phyllis Fuglie, Director of the Ephrata Food Bank, is reaching out to the community for assistance. Fuglie outlined the pressing needs of the food bank as it strives to serve families amid changing federal support for low-income households.

OTHELLO SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTOR POS. 3: Fought vs. Garcia

OTHELLO – There are two candidates running for the Othello School District Director District 3 position this year which are Birdie Fought and Juan “Jerry” Garcia. Both candidates were given the questions below and given identical deadlines and word count restrictions for their answers.

Meeting essential needs

Thriving Together Toward Tomorrow conference focuses on building community through collaboration

WENATCHEE — A growing turnout gathered at the Wenatchee Convention Center on October 22 for Thriving Together NCW’s Thriving Together Toward Tomorrow Summit, an opportunity for regional organizations to focus on meeting the essential needs of Washingtonians in their respective areas through networking and collaboration.

EWU men’s basketball launches 'Read Like an Eagle' program

CHENEY — Eastern Washington University Men's Basketball has taken its passion for teamwork and learning beyond the court with the launch of Read Like an Eagle, a community outreach program designed to inspire a lifelong love of reading among elementary students across the Spokane and Cheney school districts.

Mavs fall to Eisenhower in conference matchup

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks (7-5-1) played at home against Eisenhower Tuesday evening, where they fell 1-4. Mavs head coach Alysha Overland said it was a tough loss for the team, but the team will bounce back for their next matchup.

Edge Physical Therapy

Local wellness center works to improve quality of life for patients

MOSES LAKE — When it comes to health, sometimes you have to start in the middle.

Twisting, shouting and giving

Youth Dynamics auction breaks fundraising records

MOSES LAKE — Youth Dynamics’ auction Oct. 18 was a record-breaker. “We had 245 people in attendance,” said Moses Youth Dynamics Director Sean Sallis. “We took in $70,000. The highest I’ve (seen) is $50,000, so that’s very encouraging.” The theme for the night was “Twist and Shout,” and attendees came in their best poodle skirts, penny loafers and bobby socks. The Moses Lake Classic Car Club brought some vintage vehicles to add to the atmosphere, and Firehouse BBQ grilled hamburgers served by Youth Dynamics students in red-and-white aprons. Auctioneer Chuck Yarbro Jr. conducted the live auction in a University of Idaho letterman’s jacket. Some of the money raised goes to maintain the Youth Dynamics building on Third Avenue, Sallis said, and some goes to provide meals for the youth who hang out there. Some also go to help students, who otherwise couldn’t afford it, go on outdoor adventures with Youth Dynamics. None of the money goes to pay the Youth Dynamics staff, Sallis added; all of them raise their own support from community donors.

COLUMN: Experiencing dementia: my simulated journey to better understanding

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a unique and thought-provoking simulation designed to help participants experience the challenges faced by individuals living with dementia at the Monroe House in Moses Lake.