Bill proposes higher fees for Discover Pass

OLYMPIA – It will cost more to visit a state park next year, if a proposal in the state Legislature wins approval. Senate Bill 5390, proposed by Sen. Derek Stanford, R-Bothell, increases the cost of a Discover Pass from $30 to $45 and the day pass fee from $10 to $15. As an avid user of state parks, Rep. Beth Doglio, D-Olympia, the primary sponsor of the House version of the bill, said this increase was long overdue.

Cedar lookin' for a place to saw logs

MOSES LAKE – Hey there, I’m Cedar and I’ve got to tell you, I’d like to come home with you. I’m more than a little adorable and I’m eager to find a place to settle in, get spoiled rotten and love on a wonderful person or family. I’m a smidge over two years old and I’ve had all of my shots, I’ll never have to worry about paying child support, and frankly, I’m cute enough to melt just about any heart. My friends here at Grant County Animal Outreach – grantcountyanimaloutreach.org - are treating me well, but I’d really like to come home with you. Also, if you can’t take me home, you could help get me some kibble by clicking the “donate” button at the top of the GCAO website.

Melodie Ann Scruggs

Melodie Ann Scruggs of Moses Lake, Washington, died on Aug. 10, 2024, at age 54. Born in Germany, Melodie moved with her parents Deborah Johnson and Robert Scruggs to Jefferson City, Missouri, for a bit and then to California, where she spent her years in Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara, where she raised her only child, Sarah. When Sarah moved to Moses Lake, Melodie and her partner Daniel followed. She spent her time in Washington camping, visiting nearly every lake and state park the state has to offer, as well as crossing off a major item on her bucket list: seeing her favorite band, Dave Matthews Band, live at the Gorge.

Building business

Construction the theme of the Moses Lake Business Expo

MOSES LAKE — It’s hardly a secret that Moses Lake is growing, and that’s why this year’s Business Expo March 4 will have a construction theme.

Lions win fourth straight Central Washington 1B district title

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Cascade Christan School boys basketball team won their fourth consecutive Central Washington 1B District 6 championship Feb. 21 with a 49-26 win over Waterville-Mansfield. The Lions were among local teams looking to qualify for the state tournament over the weekend.

Wahluke, MLSD, Ephrata levy requests approved by voters

EPHRATA — Voters in the Moses Lake and Ephrata school districts approved maintenance and operations levies and Wahluke School District voters approved a capital projects levy. The results of the Feb. 11 special election were certified Friday. Moses Lake School District patrons approved a four-year levy request with 6,690 yes votes to 4,533 no votes, 59.61% approving. The passage came after levy voters twice rejected a levy request in 2024. At the same time district officials discovered that accounting errors and inaccurate enrollment counts had drained MLSD reserves.

Five-year-old boy forges connection with local first responder

MOSES LAKE – Five-year-old Preston Thomas has had more challenges than the average young man his age. He was born prematurely due to a car accident when his mother was just 25 weeks pregnant. Preston was born weighing one pound and 11 inches long.

Moses Lake student sings national anthem at Mat Classic

TACOMA — Nearly 300 schools were at the first day of the Mat Classic wrestling tournament at the Tacoma Dome Thursday, with thousands of wrestlers, parents, coaches and fans. But one voice cut through the air at the opening ceremonies, and that voice belonged to a Moses Lake Maverick.

After two-year-plus effort, Soap Lake Creative District is official

SOAP LAKE – Anyone who’s been to Soap Lake for a bite to eat at the Del Red Pub and heard live music there or seen a production at the Masquers Theater knows that Soap Lake has a thriving arts scene. The arts are an important part of the community, and now even the State of Washington recognizes that.

Lady Vikings extend win streak to 10 with gritty win over Spokane Falls

MOSES LAKE - Looking to make it 10 wins in a row, Big Bend Community College hosted the Spokane Falls Sasquatch on Wednesday, February 19th, at the DeVries Activity Center. The Lady Vikes came out swinging in the first quarter, establishing an early lead by knocking down 41% of their shots and playing elite defense. They held Spokane to just 20% from the floor and finished the opening 10 minutes with a commanding 16-8 lead.

Student performance fuels school funding debate

OLYMPIA – Holly Koon of Mount Baker School District struggles every day in her freshman biology classes to help students achieve, but sometimes it seems like a losing battle. Chronic absenteeism, growing class sizes and fewer classroom helpers all get in the way of student learning, she said. “All students can absolutely learn, and they can learn to standard,” she said. “I have a biology class right now with 36 students in it; I have one instructional aid. How do you – in 60 minutes a day – individualize and support all 36 students?”

Eagles fall short in high-offensive battle with ‘Jacks

CHENEY — The style of play was different from Thursday night, as Eastern Washington women's basketball and Northern Arizona faced off on the court. Eastern dropped the game, 88-77, in a fast-paced offensive battle. EWU's record now drops to 6-9 in the Big Sky and 10-17 overall. Both teams shot over 40 percent for the game, with the Eagles at 41.7 percent and the Lumberjacks recording a 41.2 percentage.

Legals for February, 24 2025

Ditch the Winter Gloom: Why Moses Lake Residents Should Escape to Maui

Aloha, Moses Lake! As the winter chill continues, that doesn’t mean you have to endure months of gray skies and freezing temperatures. Instead of bundling up against the cold, why not trade your heavy coats for tropical breezes and sandy toes?

Moses Lake swim team looking for improvement at state meet

FEDERAL WAY — Moses Lake High School boys swimming coach Tony Preston said his team is ready to climb up the rankings at the state meet this weekend. “The top 16 (placers) go on to swim on Saturday, and we really want to do that,” he said. “Only two or three of our swimmers are ranked in the top 16, but I think we’re going to do a lot better than that.”

MLHS girls place sixth after first day at Mat Classic

TACOMA – The Moses Lake High School girls wrestling team competed at the Tacoma Dome with 11 wrestlers competing across several weight classes. The girls, at around 7 p.m. Thursday, were in sixth place with 95.5 points. However, several matches are still ahead. The day kicked off with freshman Kayla Gonzalez in the 100-pound bracket starting her day with a victory, pinning Lillian Adams from Graham-Kapowsin in just 1:56. She followed this up with another win over Alyse Gudde from Arlington, who she defeated in a fall at 5:58.

SkillSource offers skills development, employment aid

MOSES LAKE — Finding a job can be tricky. Job seekers may not have the right skills, or may need help polishing up their qualifications. They might need help making the right connections or face other challenges. Emily Anderson, career and training manager for SkillSource in Moses Lake, said its job is helping people find not only new jobs, but new careers.

13th district lawmakers discuss session

OLYMPIA - Residents of Washington’s 13th legislative district gathered virtually Wednesday evening with lawmakers to discuss key legislative topics and address constituent concerns. The webinar began with lawmakers highlighting their recent legislative activities. Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, discussed her bills promoting agro-tourism and livestock identification while Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, spoke about HB 1253 which expands the types of joint agreements public utilities can make with private entities regarding energy resources. Ybarra’s bill recently passed through the House and is now under Senate consideration.

Mavs boys in 12th after first day of Mat Classic

TACOMA – The Moses Lake High School boys wrestlers won most of their matches in the opening round of the Mat Classic tournament in Tacoma. Getting into second-round matches though, several wrestlers lost their bouts and went into the consolation bracket. As of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the boys were in 12th place with 40 points in the Boys 4A tournament. However, several matches continued past press time. The Columbia Basin Herald will have an updated story in the Monday paper.

Ephrata PD blotter for Feb. 21, 2025

EPHRATA - The reports below were provided by the Ephrata Police Department. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Other agencies are working on resolving issues with new dispatching software and will be providing blotter information once that has been resolved.