Legals for March, 7 2025

North Elementary closed Wednesday after water issue

MOSES LAKE – North Elementary was closed Wednesday after an unforeseen water issue. According to Moses Lake School District’s Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon, the City of Moses Lake has construction underway nearby, opened a fire hydrant and debris got into the water. Then, when teachers started to arrive at around 8:30 a.m., an unfamiliar smell had filled the building, which caused MLSD to make the decision to bus students to an alternative location.

Area districts respond to OSPI immigration guidelines

OLYMPIA —The Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction released guidelines in January outlining practices it said are to ensure the protection of immigrant students' rights in K-12 public schools. The OSPI report comes after President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14148 rescinded a policy that limited Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s ability to operate in schools, hospitals and places of worship.

Othello resident booked after hiding in field from ACSO

OTHELLO – Monday afternoon at around 3 p.m., the Adams County Sheriff’s Office received a call saying two suspicious males were near the reporting party’s residence in the 800 block of S. Taylor Road in Othello. The deputies arrived on scene and made contact with a vehicle. While deputies were attempting contact with the two men, one of them took off running to a nearby field.

Warnick’s bill extending livestock ID program passes Senate

OLYMPIA - The Senate passed Sen. Judy Warnick’s, R- Moses Lake, bill extending the livestock identification program last week with bipartisan support. It will still need to pass the Washington House of Representatives before moving on to the governor's desk. “Everybody needs to know and wants to know that our animals, especially our commercial animals are being kept safe and free from disease,” said Warnick in a public hearing.

Moore Brewing beer gets the word out about Carp Classic

MOSES LAKE — People who want to learn more about – and support - an unusual fishing tournament on Moses Lake now can do it with a glass of locally brewed summer beer. The Carp Classic is scheduled for May 17; rather than casting a line in the water, participants pull out their bows and arrows. It's an unusual way to get some of the nuisance fish out of Moses Lake and thereby improve lake quality.

Legals for March, 4 2025

Gun show comes to fairgrounds this weekend

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Fairgrounds will be the place to be March 8-9 for firearms enthusiasts, both serious buyers and the folks who just like to look. “I have dealers that come in and set up and (others) are just collectors,” said promoter Reon Warren, owner of Northwest Gun Shows, which puts on the show twice a year at the Grant County Fairgrounds. “They're not really dealers, per se. They like to come in and talk guns and show off what they have.”

Legals for March, 3 2025

Casting time: Trout fishing opens Saturday on some local lakes

MOSES LAKE — There may still be piles of snow around the Basin, but one spring milestone is rapidly approaching: the opening of trout season. About two dozen lakes in Eastern Washington will open Saturday for trout fishing, according to an announcement from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Most other lakes open the fourth Saturday of April, which this year falls on April 26.

Legals for February, 26 2025

FIRST RESPONDER FOCUS: Josh Bronn

Royal SRO brings a safe presence to school

ROYAL CITY — One thing most people can agree on is that schools shouldn’t be dangerous places, especially in a small town. But they can be, especially with undesirable elements in schools. “In typical school fights, you’d have a couple of kids fighting, and then everyone’s gathered around and they’re cheering them on,” said Royal City Police Officer Josh Bronn, who’s the school resource officer for the Royal School District. “But in these fights, the kids were wearing their gang attire. They dropped their backpacks and everyone else would leave. They scattered like ‘We don’t want to be involved in this.’”

Several gun bills working their way through the Washington State Legislature

(The Center Square) – Friday marks a critical cutoff date for bills in the Washington State Legislature. This means bills must pass through a policy committee in their house of origin, or they are likely dead for the year. While several bills related to the regulation of firearms are moving ahead, a bipartisan bill to increase penalties for repeat juvenile offenders when it comes to gun crimes has not received a public hearing.

Ephrata HS Honor Society hosting Oscars for character awards

EPHRATA — The Ephrata High School Honor Society will host its fourth annual Oscar Night today. The event starts at 7 p.m. in the Ephrata High School commons. “It was four years ago; our honor society president came up with the idea for it,” EHS National Honor Society advisor Sheila Massey said. “They were looking for a way to do a little bit more with something that tied in with the pillars of Honor Society, which are scholarship, leadership, service and character. They were hoping to kind of get away from only the focus on scholarship and grades, and so the president at that time kind of brainstormed some ideas and came up with the idea of Oscar night to celebrate character awards.”

NEWS BITES: Feb. 14, 2025

NEWS BITES: Feb. 14, 2025

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.

Safer Internet Day promotes education around children using tech

MOSES LAKE – Today is Safer Internet Day, the global observance is a time to bring attention to internet crimes against children and what can be done to reduce the risk of a child becoming a victim online. “Be a part of your child's life and make sure that you talk with them about the dangers that lurk on the internet,” Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said. “Have a discussion with your children about the dangers of the internet. Explain to them that there are good things and explain to those there are bad people out there looking to cause harm.”

MLSD levy decision tomorrow

MOSES LAKE – Voters must cast their votes by 8 p.m. Tuesday evening in the Moses Lake School District’s educational programs and operations levy. Initial results will be available that night, though a final count will take a bit due to Washington’s mail-in voting system. The levy proposal is for four years.

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.

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.”