CBIT continues jail death investigation

EPHRATA – The Central Basin Investigative Team determined that Richard Lambert’s death at the Grant County Jail was due to sepsis caused by an accident prior to his arrest, according to a statement from Ephrata Police Department Captain Troy Froewiss. Froewiss was not available for comment Thursday.

Regional college sports schedule for Feb. 14-20

MOSES LAKE – Check out this week’s college sports schedule, complete with basketball, tennis, track and field, swimming and wrestling events for Big Bend, Central Washington, Eastern Washington, Gonzaga and Washington State.

Nat Washington Way roundabout coming summer 2025

EPHRATA — Construction is planned this summer on a new roundabout at the intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way near the new Grant County Jail construction site. Grant County Central Services Director Tom Gaines said there is a tentative timeline.

Coyotes take second at Winter Classic

MOSES LAKE – The 18U Moses Lake Coyotes took second place at their home Winter Classic two weekends ago, falling 6-3 to Vancouver Minor C5 in the tournament’s championship game on Feb. 2. “We had twice as many shots as them, they just had an absolutely phenomenal goalie that we couldn’t quite get enough pucks past,” Davies said. “The kids played excellent. Second place, but in our eyes, it was such a good game that could have gone either way.”

BASIN HOOPS ROUNDUP: District playoffs begin

MOSES LAKE – District playoff action for boys and girls basketball across the Basin is in full swing. Read along for a breakdown of where local teams finished in their league standings, as well as a recap of recent district playoff games.

Joann Fabric and Crafts Moses Lake location to close

MOSES LAKE — The Joann Fabric and Crafts location in Moses Lake is one of 21 stores that will be closing as the company continues bankruptcy proceedings. Locations in East Wenatchee, Walla Walla and Clarkston also will be closing, along with one of two locations in Spokane and one location in Spokane Valley.

NEWS BITES: Feb. 14, 2025

NEWS BITES: Feb. 14, 2025

Ephrata police logs for Feb. 10-12, 2025

The reports below were provided by the Ephrata Police Department. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Reports from other area agencies are in flux due to the change to a new dispatching system. Ephrata is utilizing the prior system for blotter purposes during this time, but other agencies have chosen not to do so.

Legals for February, 14 2025

Black History Month celebrated at B&G clubs of the Columbia Basin

MOSES LAKE – The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin invited Maryamu Givens to speak about Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday Friday as part of a presentation for Black History Month.

Moses Lake man pleads guilty to possession of child pornography

OTHELLO — A Moses Lake man will be sentenced April 8 after pleading guilty to three counts of possessing sexually explicit images of children Tuesday. Dustin Blaske, 40, pleaded guilty in Grant County Superior Court to three counts of first-degree possessing depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He was caught following an investigation in 2021, according to a release from the Othello Police Department.

2025 special election turnout in line with five-year trends

EPHRATA — As of Tuesday, 35.78% of eligible voters in five Grant County school districts cast ballots in the February special election, according to the Grant County Auditor’s Office. That’s a preliminary estimate; it may change as additional ballots are counted. Updated vote totals will be announced Friday afternoon. The election certification date is Feb. 21.

Soap Lake appoints mayor pro tem, council member steps down

SOAP LAKE — Karen Woodhouse was named mayor pro tem at the Feb. 5 Soap Lake City Council meeting. The council passed Woodhouse’s appointment unanimously. Council Member JoAnne Rushton also gave the council a letter prior to the meeting stepping down from her role on the council, opening a city council spot, according to Mayor Peter Sharp.

COLUMN: Supporting addiction prevention for youth

The epidemic of drug addiction we are currently experiencing demonstrates the need for local communities all around the country to act. It’s natural for many people to think treatment centers, jail, and increased enforcement are the solution. While those options are important and necessary, prevention is a fiscally responsible and effective long-term solution that should be a major focus for our community. This is the first article in a series I am writing to share what substance use prevention is, and why we know it works.

Soap Lake council members earn certifications

SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake City Council Member Susan Carson recently earned a Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities, a program designed to enhance the skills and effectiveness of elected officials across the state, according to an announcement from Soap Lake Mayor Peter Sharp. Carson and other city leaders have completed extensive training in key areas essential to effective municipal leadership.

Legals for February, 13 2025

MLSD levy passing

Oft-debated ballot measure appears to have gained sufficient voter support after long year.

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School District Educational Programs and Operations levy was leading with yes votes by 58.77% on Tuesday night when 10,058 of the ballots were counted. The next ballot count will be Feb. 13. “First, I would like to thank the community and those that supported the school district and the board in this effort,” MLSD Board Chair Kirryn Jenson said. “We are thrilled to have made great strides in earning back the trust of our community. We are committed to continuing transparency and accountability. We will be focused on responsibly funding education and improving student achievement and success.”

Mavs swimmers qualify for several events at state

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks finished second as a team at Saturday’s Columbia Basin Big 9 district championship meet finals, scoring 478.5 points to finish second to the Wenatchee Panthers. Moses Lake qualified for nine events at next week’s 4A State Swimming and Diving Championships.

Grant Co. working to update plan to address homelessness

EPHRATA – Grant County has announced its intention to hire a strategic planning consultant to help develop its updated Homeless Housing Five-Year Strategic Plan. The deadline for proposals is 3 p.m. March 12 with a completion target for the updated plan in December 2025.

Ephrata Schools EP&O levy passing in initial results

EPHRATA – The Ephrata School District Board of Directors voted in favor of asking district voters to approve an educational programs and operations levy on Nov. 25 of last year and initial results from Tuesday evening show the measure to be passing. “We are incredibly grateful that initial election results indicate the Ephrata community continues to support our students and staff,” said Ephrata School District Superintendent Ken Murray.