New Hope

Local organization offers support, way forward for domestic violence, sexual assault survivors

MOSES LAKE — Domestic violence and sexual assault leave a lot of damage and chaos behind them – that’s true of all crimes, in fact. The job of the advocates at New Hope is to help people who’ve survived domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes work through the chaos and deal with the damage. “We’re really proud of the fact our hotline is staffed by our advocates,” said New Hope Director Suzi Fode. “It’s not an answering service, it’s not a volunteer (service). It’s someone who’s trained as an advocate. It’s the same person you’d see if you walked through the door. We have 12 advocates here and they rotate that 24-hour shift.” New Hope’s main office is at 311 W. Third Ave. in Moses Lake; Fode said there are offices in Quincy, Othello, Ephrata, Mattawa and Royal City as well.

BBB advises caution, patience with holiday charity donationations

TACOMA — With the holiday season upon us, there will be a lot of charities asking for donations. The Better Business Bureau (bbb.org), which also evaluates and accredits charities as well as businesses, wants people to know it’s okay to resist the emotional appeal and make sure the charity they give to will use the money wisely and well. “What we see quite often is these overly emotional appeals,” Hickle said of holiday charity fundraisers. “So you know, if an appeal is bringing tears to your eyes, just make sure it's also clear about what the charity intends to do to address those issues.

Mt. Rainier National Park changes access due to staffing

ASHFORD – Mount Rainier National Park announced updates Tuesday to winter 2022-23 recreational access due to staffing. “Mount Rainier National Park offers terrific winter recreational opportunities and making this access change will help visitors make plans knowing that weather permitting, the road to Paradise will be open on weekends when the most visitation typically occurs,” said Greg Dudgeon, park superintendent in the release. “The park did not make this decision lightly, but safety is at the forefront of everything we do. We believe these winter access changes are the safest choice for our staff and visitors during the winter season.” ...

CDC announces $60M given to Wash. agencies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it is awarding Washington state public health departments over $60 million in grants to strengthen the state’s public health workforce, infrastructure, and capacity. “This pandemic has made it painfully clear these are exactly the kind of investments we need to be making every year,” said U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee...

Giving back

Law enforcement works to support community during holidays

COLUMBIA BASIN — Several local law enforcement agencies are putting on charitable drives for the upcoming holiday season. The Moses Lake Police Department’s Fifth Annual Tip-a-Cop night hosted at Rock Top Burgers and Brew in Moses Lake raises money for the department’s Shop with a Cop Program. Members of the MLPD, Warden Police Department and Grant County Sheriff’s Office along with Columbia Basin...

Bluegrass trio to play in George on Saturday

GEORGE — Three Northwestern bluegrass virtuosos will take the stage Saturday at the George Community Hall, according to a statement from the community center...

Tip a Cop fundraiser returns to Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — As a matter of fact, yes, those are police officers and sheriff’s deputies cleaning tables, delivering hamburgers and drinks and occasionally breaking into song. The fifth annual Tip a Cop is scheduled for 5:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 7 at Rock Top Burgers & Brew, 930 N. Stratford Rd. in Moses Lake. Deputies from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and Moses Lake Police Department officers will be working the floor for that two-and-a-half-hour stretch, handing out menus and delivering meals and drinks. The tips they earn go to the Shop with a Cop program sponsored by each department. Rock Top employees make a donation as well as sponsoring the event...

Winter storm watch issued for Basin

SPOKANE — The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch Monday for large parts of the Columbia Basin. A winter storm watch means that conditions are favorable for a winter storm event that is a threat to life or property, according to the National Weather Service website, but that the event’s occurrence, location and timing are still uncertain...

Thin Blue Line

Mary and Joe Stoddard, right, pose with Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner, left, and a handmade thin blue line flag. Mary told department officials that it takes about six hours to create an item like the one that was donated.

Pet of the Week: Wallee

As of Nov. 23, Wallee had an unfortunate anniversary at Adams County Pet Rescue - he’d been at the shelter for a year. His caretakers at ACPR say he has a playful disposition and is full of joy. He loves people and other dogs and enjoys walks and playing with his toys. Wallee will need a yard with a tall fence as he’s prone to climbing over them and should not be in a home with cats. Like all of the pets available for adoption at ACPR, Wallee is up to date on all of his shots and has been neutered and has a microchip. For more information on Wallee and his fellow furry friends at ACPR, visit www.adamscountypetrescue.com or call the shelter at 509-488-5514. The shelter is also welcoming donations to help support the four-legged members of the Columbia Basin community.

Cognitive decline in aging dogs: What pup owners should know

Just as humans may develop neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease as they grow older, our aging canine friends also can develop dementia, also referred to as canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CCDS), a complex of behavioral and neurological symptoms the prevalence of which increases with age. Dr. Brian Gray Barnett, a veterinary research fellow in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and member of the Dog Aging Project research team, says that as the level of veterinary care we are able to provide canine companions improves, the number of dogs affected by CCDS rises as well. This is because the biggest risk factor for developing CCDS is age, with onset usually occurring between 12 and 15 years old...

Adopting a shelter cat part 2: Purr-paring your home

After finding the perfect feline friend at a rescue or shelter to add to the family, many people cannot wait to bring their new addition home. Because cats from a shelter or rescue will need time to adjust to a new environment, Paula Plummer, a Cat Friendly Veterinary Professional certified technician at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, offers some general guidelines to help ensure that everyone will start off on the right paw...

Weather forecast for Nov. 28

This week's weather looks to be cold again with lows in the teens and highs around 30.

Zach Edey scores 23, No. 24 Purdue tops No. 6 Gonzaga 84-66

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Zach Edey and his Purdue teammates were admittedly too excited early on for the chance to compared themselves to one of the top teams in the country. Once the 24th-ranked Boilermakers calmed down, they showed they are worthy of their own consideration as a top team after a thorough 84-66 thumping of No. 6 Gonzaga in the semifinals of the Phil Knight Legacy tournament on Friday night.

Wenatchee approves $142 million 2023 budget

WENATCHEE — The city of Wenatchee approved a $142 million budget for 2023 at a special council meeting. Council members on Nov. 17 had a public hearing before approving the general fund, the city's main operating fund — which includes $35.3 million of recurring expenses and $31.7 million in recurring revenues. Officials said they weren't concerned about the $3.6 million gap. "Our recurring expenses are barely more than our recurring revenues, but the budget is a conservative planning document, said Brad Posenjak, city finance director, in an interview. "We actually expect that our revenues to come in above budget and expect our expenses to come in under budget." ...

Studio Basin: Budgets, turkeys and high stakes sports

MOSES LAKE – Senior reporter Charles Featherstone and staff writer Joel Martin discuss the City of Moses Lake passing its 2023 budget along with a Thanksgiving celebration at Rick’s Eatery and Entertainment. In sports, sports reporter Ian Bivona joins to preview the 2022 Apple Cup and Royal’s 1A state football semifinals matchup against the Freeman Scotties. The Studio Basin podcast can be found on your favorite podcast apps or downloaded directly at http://bit.ly/3XBde8g.

State AG calls for retail crime unit

OLYMPIA — Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Tuesday he is asking the state legislature for $1.5 million annually to fund the creation of a 10-member organized retail crime unit, according to a press release from the Attorney General’s office. The request follows Ferguson’s convening of an organized retail crime task force to improve cooperation between law enforcement agencies in dealing with organized retail crime, which involves the theft of goods from retail stores for resale. Such criminal activity costs major retailers billions in losses every year, the press release noted...

Hanford Reach steelhead fishery closed

RICHLAND/PASCO — The Hanford Reach has closed its steelhead fishing and retention from Nov. 20 until further notice.

Icy roads result in increased accidents

GRANT COUNTY — Icy roads led to a busy day for first responders across Grant County on Tuesday. “Unfortunately, every year on the first day (of icy weather), there's always multiple accidents,” said Grant County Fire District 7 Administrator Josh Chambers. “Now, we don't usually see the fatalities we saw yesterday, but it's always pretty chaotic that first day; people have a hard time adjusting to the icy roads.” Chambers said they responded to two weather-related calls. The first call was a motor vehicle fatality and the second was a medical call because parents did not feel comfortable driving their child to the hospital on the icy roads. While they also responded to a second fatality, they do not believe that one was related to the weather...

ML Council OKs $111.5 million 2023 budget

MOSES LAKE — At a regular meeting on Tuesday, the Moses Lake City Council formally adopted the city’s $111.5 million 2023 budget, including $15 million to build a new police station on North Central Drive. The adopted budget is 33% greater than the $83.6 million the city approved for 2022. “There’s significant support for a new police station,” said City Manager Allison Williams, referring to a summer survey of residents the city conducted. The largest item in the city’s 2023 budget is the general fund, which pays for regular city operations like police and fire protection, administration, parks and recreation, the library and administration. The council approved a general fund budget of $35.1 million, a 13.3% increase from the 2022 budget, including $11.4 million for the Moses Lake Police Department (up 16.6% from 2022), $5.4 million for the Moses Lake Fire Department (up 9.2%) and $7.5 million for parks and recreation (up 3%)...