Mavs’ Koziol signs with Dordt University

MOSES LAKE – Baseball season in the Columbia Basin is still about a month away from beginning, but there’s already one Moses Lake baseball player making waves – senior Holden Koziol, who had his signing ceremony Thursday to play baseball at Dordt University. “I’m full of excitement,” Koziol said. “Ready to move on and go to the next thing, go play college ball. A little bit nervous, going to be far from home, but it’s a new adventure. Get to learn about a different part of the country.”

Immigration protest held in Moses Lake Saturday

MOSES LAKE – Saturday afternoon, around 250 people gathered in protest of immigrant deportations on the sidewalks along North Stratford Road in Moses Lake. According to several protesters, there were sightings of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement trucks spotted in both Othello and Warden Friday and Saturday. However, this information could not be confirmed by press time. The Columbia Basin Herald will have a follow-up article regarding the issue.

Othello takes down Prosser 51-20

OTHELLO – Thursday's dual win over Prosser closed out the regular season for the Othello boys wrestling team, defeating the Mustangs 51-20 to finish 7-1 in league duals this winter. “I know the kids were excited, they got a fresh set of singlets and were excited to show them off,” Othello Head Coach Rudy Ochoa II said. “Prosser’s tough – we've seen Prosser all year, so we were excited to see some matchups. Thankfully, we came out on top of a couple of them.”

Quincy man faces controlled substance homicide charge

QUINCY – On Thursday, Abraham Cristobal Flores Velazquez, 32, of Quincy was arrested for controlled substance homicide in relation to a Yakima overdose death. The arrest was made by Yakima County’s Law Enforcement Against Drugs task force, after which he was transferred to detectives from the Grant County Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team, also known as iNET,and booked in the Grant County Jail.

Cougars host Saturday girls tourney

WARDEN – The Cougars hosted the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference league tournament Saturday, bringing in teams from across the league. Check out Tuesday’s edition of the Columbia Basin Herald for full coverage from the tournament.

Need refreshment? Adopt Pepsi.

MOSES LAKE – Pepsi, 3 months old, is looking to bring a pop to someone’s home! He is a mixed breed expected to weigh around 44 pounds, fully grown. Pepsi said he will add a little pep to his new owner's life. So, if you’re feeling flat, adopt Pepsi and add some fizz to your life. For those unable to adopt you can still support Grant County Animal Outreach by clicking the “donate” button at the top of the website. grantcountyanimaloutreach.org

Lawmakers look to ban time caps on anesthesia coverage in proposed bipartisan bill

OLYMPIA - Washington is taking proactive measures to preserve insurance coverage for anesthesia care. After facing harsh public criticism, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield rolled back a policy that would establish a time cap on anesthesia used in procedures. The policy was initially introduced in Connecticut, New York, and Missouri before being rescinded, yet many states are taking action to prevent similar policies.

Legals for February, 10 2025

Basin Events for the week of Feb. 7-14, 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — In this weather it might seem like the only thing do is to hunker down under a heap of blankets, but for those willing to bundle up and brave the wind there’s a whole world of fun out there. Here are a few suggestions:

Looking to party? Adopt Marge!

MOSES LAKE -- Marge is a friendly and social dog looking for people to party with her! She prefers to be the only pet in the household though. To keep her looking her best, she will need normal grooming but the effort is definitely worth her charming personality. She comes spayed, up to date on vaccinations and microchipped. Visit GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org to learn more about how to adopt this sweet girl. For those unable to adopt but who would like to support the shelter, consider donating by clicking the “donate” button at the top of the website.

'It’s a killer show’

Murder and laughter mix in Masquers Theater’s ‘Clue: On Stage’

Prepare to don your detective hats and gather your wits, because the Masquers Theater is about to unravel a mystery that promises both laughter and intrigue.

iNET works at identifying, mitigating narcotics in the Basin

Local joint task force works to mitigate the flow of controlled substances into Grant, Adams counties

EPHRATA – If you live in the Columbia Basin, you've seen coverage from the Columbia Basin Herald and other outlets regarding the prevalence of drugs such as fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in the area. The Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team, otherwise known as iNET, is tasked with fighting the drug epidemic in the region. “We have a mission – I would say mandate – but our mission is to target middle to upper-level narcotics traffickers in drug trafficking organizations,” said the group’s lead detective. “... Our primary area of responsibility is Grant and Adams counties.”

SLPD chief now 13 weeks on paid admin leave, investigation ongoing

SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake Police Chief Ryan Cox was placed on paid administrative leave on Nov. 15, 2024, making it 13 weeks, today. Robert Geates has been the acting police chief since Cox was placed on leave. Mayor Peter Sharp confirmed an investigation was underway.

Wrestling with confidence

Quincy’s Alvarez sets win record

QUINCY – Quincy senior Saidt Alvarez entered the 2024-25 season 23 wins shy of etching his name into the Jackrabbit wrestling history books – well, another mark for the three-time state placer. Alvarez was seeking to become Quincy’s all-time winning wrestler.

Newhouse introduces bill to increase promotion money in export markets

YAKIMA — Additional funding could be available to promote farm products from Washington and throughout the nation under the terms of a bill introduced by Fourth District Congressman Dan Newhouse Thursday. The “Agriculture Export Promotion Act of 2025” has bipartisan co-sponsors from other parts of the country, including Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, California and Maine.

Barkley a key difference in Super Bowl rematch

MOSES LAKE – Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley has captured the headlines for the Eagles this season, and for good reason; he’s a key reason why the Eagles are in a Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.

Regional college sports schedule for Feb. 7-13

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

Future and development focus of ML council discussion

MOSES LAKE — Water, urban growth and future development was the focus of an extensive discussion by the Moses Lake City Council while they considered amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan. The council considered an extensive list of amendments, with the discussion focusing on the city’s urban growth boundary. That prompted a question from council member Deanna Martinez.

Bill to protect seniors’ roommate options considered in Olympia

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Legislature took a step last week toward making senior housing costs more stable. House Bill 1204, which passed the House Housing Committee Jan. 30, would allow residents of senior mobile and manufactured home communities to have at least one roommate, as long as that roommate also meets the age requirements of the park. “It’s a national problem with mobile homes, especially senior mobile home communities, that the properties are being purchased, and in some instances, there has been a lack of maintenance and upgrades in the communities,” said State Rep. Carolyn Eslick, R-Sultan, who introduced the bill. “And that new person or corporation starts doing all the work, and then they start increasing the land leases.”

Building Permits for Feb. 7, 2025

Unincorporated Grant County, Jan. 11-17