Othello mayor elect says a number of issues need attention

OTHELLO — Ken Johnson leads the race for Othello mayor in unofficial results updated Thursday afternoon, and said some issues require immediate attention if he wins. As of Thursday, Johnson had 478 votes to 398 for Logan.

Ephrata info portal gives residents planning insights

EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council got a look at some long-term plans and the grants to fund them at its meeting Wednesday evening. The information was on a new interactive website, and City Engineer Dave Bren walked the council through them.

Soap Lake general election update

SOAP LAKE – As of Wednesday at 5 p.m., both Soap Lake Council members Andrew Arnold and Kayleen Bryson have been re-elected by voters, both running unopposed. Rebecca Leavell is leading in the Soap Lake school board position five. The Soap Lake mayoral race is still too close to call. According to the Grant County Auditor, there are still around 4,600 ballots left to count. Around 10,000 ballots have been counted already.

GALLERY: Highlights from Basin sports

MOSES LAKE — The last week of Basin sports saw a lot of stiff competition as district tournament games continue. Here are a few highlights from those games.

Soap Lake fun run to support veterans set for Saturday

SOAP LAKE – On Saturday, a 2k and 5k fun run is being held at 10 a.m. at Smokiam Park in Soap Lake. The fundraiser event is aimed at raising more awareness around Veteran’s Day, said event organizer Britton Baker.

Marjorie "Marjie" Miles

1939 – 2025

Marjorie “Marjie” Miles, 86, passed away on October 13, 2025, peacefully in the comfort of her home in Kirkland, surrounded by her family.

COLUMN: Shaheed trade an underrated move

As defensive stars like Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams were getting traded out of New York, the Seattle Seahawks made an underrated move. They got an absolute speedster, Rashid Shaheed, from the New Orleans Saints for a fourth and fifth round draft pick in 2026.

Ephrata hospital bond fails with voters for second time

EPHRATA – Columbia Basin Hospital ran its $30 million bond proposition for a second time during the general election. The proposition as of 8 p.m. Nov. 4 ballot count has been rejected with about 1,100 votes, or nearly 56% of voters against it. Around 44%, or almost 830 people voted in favor of the bond. There are still around 900 ballots to count. The election will be certified Nov. 20.

Light Up Columbia Basin

Do you have what it takes to be the Champion of Lights?

MOSES LAKE — Basin residents can turn loose their inner Clark Griswold and help students at the same time.

Legals for November, 6 2025

Ephrata water tower 20% full

EPHRATA – On Tuesday, the City of Ephrata began filling its new water tower after completing disinfection and pressure testing. As of Wednesday, the tower is 20% full, with mandated testing beginning. The tower, if results come back clean, will be filled the rest of the way and operational by Thanksgiving, according to Public Works Director Rob Harris.

Oliver voted in as Ephrata mayor-elect

EPHRATA — The initial Nov. 4 ballot count shows Steve Oliver winning the Ephrata Mayoral election with 630 votes, or nearly 55% of the vote. Incumbent Bruce Reim had 516 votes, or about 45% of the vote. The election will be certified on Nov. 20.

ACFD 5 voters approving levy lid lift

OTHELLO — The “levy lid lift” approved by Adams County Fire District 5 voters will help fill the funding gap left when the city of Othello broke off contract negotiations in 2024, but ACFD 5 Chief Tom Salsbury said it won’t fill that gap completely. “It doesn’t come close to what we were getting,” Salsbury said.

Mavs volleyball falls to Ike in districts

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks (9-8) volleyball season came to a close Tuesday evening after falling 0-3 to Eisenhower in the Big 9 district play-in round. The Mavs played in a tight three set match but fell short at the end of each.

Wahluke upsets Knights at Royal City

ROYAL CITY — The Wahluke Warriors (12-6) defeated the Royal Knights (13-4) 1-0 on Tuesday after outdueling them in overtime penalty kicks. It was a physical game from the beginning; Warriors Head Coach Cele Lopez said he was proud of the way his players stuck through it.

Mavs soccer secures victory in district play

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks soccer team (8-6-1) earned a 3-0 win during the Big 9 district play-in round against West Valley Tuesday evening to move on to the next round in the district tournament. “I think we really came out to play today and I’m very proud of us,” said Mavs senior Miciah Higley. “Just very excited for what comes next.”

Irvin 'Dean' Callahan

Nov. 10, 1945 — Nov. 1, 2025

Irvin “Dean” Callahan, 79, of Royal City, Wash., passed away while on vacation in Butte, Mont., on Nov. 1, 2025.

Considering dementia's warning signs

MOSES LAKE — About 42% of adults over 55 will develop dementia eventually, according to the National Institutes of Health. Yet for such a common phenomenon, it’s very little understood.

Mavs volleyball players make All-League

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks announced the All-League selections for Big 9 volleyball this season. Mavs Head Coach Krystal Trammell said these players were selected for their work both in sports and in the classroom.

Basin teams heading to state XC meet

MOSES LAKE – This weekend, four Basin schools will be represented in the WIAA state cross country meet across three different levels. In 1A, the Royal Knights are sending two runners, freshman Akleigh Hebdon and senior Carlos Barajas.