Huskies finish third in 2A state tournament

OTHELLO – The Othello Huskies (22-6) finished third in the 2A State Tournament after falling to Anacortes 3-0 on Friday and defeating Selah 3-1 on Saturday. Head coach Sonny Garza said he was happy to see his team go out on top on Saturday.

Law Enforcement Logs for May 30, 2025

The reports below were provided by the sheriff's office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Legals for May, 30 2025

Ephrata schools mulling bond package for spring 2026

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Facility Study Group meeting discussed several options for potential bond packages for the upcoming school year. “We really began this work about a year and a half ago when it became apparent that we were going to need to defuse some of the dollars that were associated with the 2019 bond,” Ephrata School District Superintendent Ken Murray said. “We weren't going to be able to complete all the projects that we believed we were going to be able to in that bond.”

Knights fall in second round of state tourney

WHITE SALMON, Wash. – The Knights boys soccer (16-4) was defeated 2-1 by King’s High School (13-5-2) at Columbia High School on Friday. Head coach Jens Jensen spoke about his players struggles against King’s. “We didn't really have the opportunity to show our ability to move the ball, our ability to have some creativity. There was really no provision for speed, because there's nowhere to go,” he said.

ACH headed to final four

COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (16-3) are back in the final four of the 1B State Tournament after defeating Wahkiakum 7-3 in the first round Saturday. According to head coach Hunter Lee, getting back to this point has been the goal all season. “We definitely expected to be here, because we were in the state championship game last year, so if we didn’t make the Final Four, I think that would not have met our expectations,” he said. ACH will play the defending state champion DeSales in the semifinals. DeSales defeated the Warriors in the 2024 state title game. The Warriors started the game against Wahkiakum with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. ACH was able to work through their batting rotation during the inning. An error gave them their first run, Carter Pitts executed a single that scored a run, and Brody Pitts singled and scored two runs. Wahkiakum responded at the top of the second with two runs of their own but would be held to no runs for the next three innings.

New WA law granting unemployment benefits to striking workers draws praise, concern

(The Center Square) – Depending on who you ask, Engrossed Senate Bill 5041 – signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson earlier this week – is either a much-needed social safety net for workers and their families or something that will incentivize and prolong strikes and imperil Washington state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. ESB 5041 extends unemployment insurance benefits to striking or locked-out workers in Washington. Depending on the strike date, benefits would start 15 to 21 days after the strike begins. If the contract is resolved before that time, no benefits would be issued. Per the bill, striking workers would be able to access unemployment benefits for up to six weeks. Sen. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, is the sponsor of the bill.

Tigers fall to Woodland on day two of state tourney

EPHRATA – The Tigers softball team fell to the Woodland Beavers 6-2 on day two of states at Carlon Park. On Friday, they lost in the first round to the Olympic Trojans and were bumped to the consolation bracket. “They have rallied every game, they never said die,” head coach Heather Wood said.

CWU's Ntekpere wins national champion honors

PUEBLO, Colo. – Central Washington Track and Field finished seventh at the NCAA Division Two Outdoor Championships over the weekend. Wildcats runner, Emy Ntekpere finished with national champion honors in the women’s high jump and triple jump, according to a statement by Central Washington Athletics.

Law enforcement logs for May 23, 2025

The reports below were provided by the sheriff's office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

All-conference teams announced for Basin fastpitch

COLUMBIA BASIN – The Central Athletic Conference has announced their All-Conference teams for fastpitch softball. Basin softball saw two teams represented across the first and second teams.

Memorials to honor the fallen Monday in the Basin

COLUMBIA BASIN — Among the barbecues, festivities and relaxation of the three-day weekend, many Basin communities will take a solemn moment to recognize the reason for Memorial Day weekend. The Moses Lake Spring Fest, a tradition for more than 40 years, is adding a little patriotic remembrance into its Grand Parade at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, said Spring Fest Committee member Lori Valdez. “(This year) we ordered a very, very large flag that is going to encompass the street, and we have people who have volunteered to carry the flag. It will bring a tear to your eye if you’ve had a loved one serve.”

Legals for May, 23 2025

U.S. House passes Trump-endorsed budget reconciliation bill

(The Center Square) – Republicans in the U.S. House Thursday morning passed the multi-trillion dollar budget reconciliation bill after more than a day of debate in committee before reaching the full House floor. The vote in the House was razor thin, 215-214, with two Republicans joining all Democrats in voting against it.

Legals for May, 22 2025

Washington will pay unemployment benefits to striking workers

OLYMPIA — Labor advocates scored a win on Monday after Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a new law to extend unemployment benefits to striking workers in Washington. The governor’s conference room was packed with advocates and lawmakers who gathered to see Ferguson sign the law with his blue felt tip pen. “Allowing striking workers to access unemployment insurance benefits creates a more level playing field for workers to have the resources they need to effectively bargain for better working conditions,” Ferguson said before putting his signature on Senate Bill 5041.

Spokane Tech Hub must reapply for $48M grant under Trump's new criteria

(The Center Square) – A Spokane-based aerospace manufacturer must reapply for $48 million in funding after the Trump administration announced changes to the grant program on Friday. Established under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, the Tech Hubs Program intends to bolster semiconductor manufacturing nationwide. The Biden administration allocated $500 million to the initiative just before leaving office, but President Donald Trump wants to pull some of that back. Nearly half of the allocation relied on future revenues while awarding grants to six of 31 hubs based on applications from almost a year ago. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on Friday that each awardee must reapply and compete against the other hubs for the funding.

Tigers victorious over East Valley, advance to state

EPHRATA — The Tigers softball team, 21-10, defeated East Valley, 19-5, with a final score of 17-1 Saturday. The Tigers’ second and fourth inning efforts propelled them to victory. “We hit the ball really well, we played some pretty errorless defense,” Head Coach Heather Wood said, “They had a goal in mind, and they achieved it.” The Tigers opened the game on fire, scoring two runs in the first inning and exploding for six in the second. A two-out rally against East Valley boosted their efforts in the second inning.

Employers ready to recruit at WorkSource Hiring Event

MOSES LAKE — Folks who are looking for work will stand a good chance of finding it May 30 at WorkSource’s Spring Hiring Event.

Knights secure back-to-back district titles

ROYAL CITY – The Knights boys soccer team (16-3) defeated the Wapato Wolves (14-5) 3-1 to win their second straight 1A district championship Saturday. Anderson Brown contributed heavily for the Knights, accounting for two goals in the first half.