Wahluke gearing up for annual Outdoor Career Fair

MATTAWA — The Wahluke School District will be hosting its annual Outdoor Career Fair April 26 for Wahluke High School and Junior High students at the high school to connect with and learn from professionals in various outdoor careers.

Legals for April, 10 2024

Zamora scores four goals, Mavs defeat Cheney

MOSES LAKE – The Mavericks snapped a six-game losing skid with Monday night’s 4-2 win over Cheney, with senior Joshua Zamora leading his squad by scoring all four of Moses Lake’s goals in the win. “We’ve been dealing with injuries with players throughout the season, so (Monday) we had a gameplan of making sure we touched and moved – that way we can avoid injuries and be ready for the second half of the season,” Moses Lake Head Coach Miguel Segura said. “That was working for us really well, and all the communication that we were doing was helping a lot.”

Vikings swept by Blue Mountain

MOSES LAKE – Coming off dropping two games to Blue Mountain CC earlier in the week, the Big Bend Vikings traveled to face the Timberwolves in a doubleheader on Saturday, losing both games by scores of 7-2 and 6-5.

The uncertain future of natural gas in Washington

(The Center Square) – There is ongoing debate over a newly-enacted law and its effect on natural gas in Washington state. The state's largest utility provider says it does not affect natural gas for new or future customers, but others argue that the new provisions set the stage for turning the shut-off valve for good.

Box Score roundup for April 9

COLUMBIA BASIN – Basin baseball and softball box scores for April 5-6

Moses Lake library to offer English classes for beginners

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Library will offer a free beginning English for Speakers of Other Languages class starting this month. “We're going to be starting with the alphabet and with simple conversations,” said Brandee Miller, who’s teaching the class. “I will be also providing materials for them to study to take home to work with if they like.” The class begins Thursday and will meet from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. once each week. The 11-week course will cover the basics of speaking, reading and writing in English. It’s particularly geared toward Spanish speakers.

Port of Moses Lake names new director

MOSES LAKE — The Port of Moses Lake has selected Dan Roach as its new executive director, port commissioners said at their meeting Monday.

Ybarra sees wins, disappointments in 2024 legislative session

OLYMPIA — Washington state Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, who represents the 13th legislative district, said there are a lot of things that went well during the short 60-day 2024 legislative session in Olympia. Ybarra said this was his sixth and best session, as he was able to put a lot more bills into the legislature. “I think it went better than the first five sessions I was at. This was the best session yet, because we're always playing catch-up,” he said. “There's nothing that we can pass because we lack votes, and that’s just a given, so because of that we always just basically try to stop bad bills.”

DIAMOND RECAP: Local squads stay busy over spring break

COLUMBIA BASIN – Even with many teams off last week for spring break, there was still plenty of action across the Basin baseball and softball fields.

Double jump: Jacks take doubleheader from Royal

QUINCY — The Quincy Jackrabbits baseball team used good pitching, some timely hits and aggressive baserunning to take both games of a non-league doubleheader from the Royal Knights Saturday.

LETTER: Appreciation and a bit of hindsight

Dear editor, Over the 53 years of living in Moses Lake, we have had kids and grandchildren attend the schools. If I’ve calculated right – from September 1970 through June of 2024 – they have attended 153 years of school in total. Make that nine months a year, which equals 1,377 months. This includes my four children and ten grandchildren.

STUDIO BASIN: Fentanyl challenges and sports successes

MOSES LAKE – In this episode of the STUDIO BASIN Podcast, Managing Editor R. Hans “Rob” Miller sits down with Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete to discuss the issues the county is facing with Fentanyl. The pair discuss what the challenges are for law enforcement as officers work to stem the tide of the dangerous drug in the county and review statistics for Washington and the county in relation to fentanyl overdoses.

LETTER: Be mad about the past, but don’t make our kids pay for it.

As someone who worked really hard to keep the second high school that was approved by voters in the 2017 bond election, I’m very troubled when I hear people citing that situation as a justification for voting no on the current levy election. Levies directly benefit students. If this levy was put up for a vote in 2018, I’d still vote in favor of it. My focus is on doing what is best for the kids, and that’s what the community should focus on as well.

First Cinco de Mayo celebration coming to Othello

OTHELLO – Othello’s recently formed Hispanic Committee will be partnering with the Othello Rotary Club to put on the city’s first Cinco de Mayo celebration May 4 at Lions Park. The free festivities will go from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

MLHS alum Maximus Zamora earns All-American honors at NAIA tournament

MOSES LAKE – The success of Moses Lake's storied wrestling program stretches beyond the high school ranks. Maximus Zamora, a 2021 graduate of Moses Lake High School, recently proved that at last month’s National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championships after battling through injuries throughout the season.

Legals for April, 8 2024

Bills combating fentanyl, opioid addiction in Washington state made law

OLYMPIA/(The Center Square) – Washington state now has more tools to deal with fentanyl addiction in the form of a pair of bills sponsored by Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale, that were signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee.

Local doubleheader

Quincy's Evander Stephen's hits an inside the park home run to give the Jacks an 8-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning of the first game of a doubleheader with Royal Saturday. The full story will be available in the Tuesday Columbia Basin Herald.

Grant Co. health report highlights disease and mortality rates

MOSES LAKE — LIfe expectancy in Grant County went down in 2020, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and life expectancy in Grant County was lower than the statewide average in 2020. Statistics on life expectancy were among the information included in the “Community Health Assessment” released by the Grant County Health District Friday.