SGL Carbon chief executive officer to resign

WIESBADEN, Germany — The Chief Executive Officer of SGL Carbon, parent company of the facility in Moses Lake, has announced his resignation effective May 31, 2025. Torsten Derr will stay on as CEO until his replacement is appointed or until May 31, 2025, according to a company press release issued Wednesday. Derr said the company is in a good financial position. “SGL Carbon is once again a strong and stable company whose profitable development I will continue to work on with all my strength until the last day. SGL Carbon is now sailing in stable waters and my transformation work will be completed shortly,” he said.

Inslee signs bill creating stricter penalties for animal cruelty

OLYMPIA — Washington House Bill 1961, aimed at deterring acts of animal cruelty through increased criminal penalties for perpetrators, has been signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee, according to a March 14 announcement from the Washington State House Republicans. Under HB 1961, all instances of Animal Cruelty in the First Degree – which is already a class C felony – will now be classified as a seriousness level III offense. The statement said this reclassification ensures perpetrators of these crimes will be held accountable by removing the possibility of inconsistent and potentially lenient sentencing. The statement said judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys will have a clear understanding of the severity of these offenses and the corresponding penalties, leading to more equitable justice for animal victims.

Blending education and technology a goal for Wellman

OLYMPIA – On the last Monday morning of the 2024 legislative session, Washington State Sen. Lisa Wellman’s office brimmed with sunlight, an early peek at spring, as she sipped tea from a white mug.

GALLERY: Basin baseball, softball and soccer

MOSES LAKE – Spring sports kicked off less than three weeks ago, and local squads are wrapping up their non-league slates before heading into their respective conference matchups.

Knights open season with 11-0 win over Selah

ROYAL CITY — The Knights opened the 2024 season with a double-digit defeat of Selah, winning 11-0 in five innings. Royal scored seven runs off of six hits in the bottom of the third inning to grow its earlier 1-0 lead.

Tigers defeat Wenatchee 10-3

EPHRATA — A four-run bottom of the third gave Ephrata the lead for good in Tuesday’s non-league softball contest against Wenatchee, defeating the Panthers 10-3 and improving to 3-2 this spring.

Experts preview 2024 Washington apple industry

MOSES LAKE — Several factors will likely play a significant role in 2024’s apple industry, including labor shortages, legislation, water availability issues, a strong export market and last year’s opening of the Indian market, according to representatives of the Washington Apple Commission and the Washington Tree Fruit Association. Washington State Tree Fruit Association President Jon DeVaney said it is too early for a real crop prediction. “We will not really start trying to do an initial estimate for talking to our members until later in the spring,” DeVaney said. “Crops can be affected by so much weather in between the early part of the season and when harvest begins. We try not to make too many firm predictions too early.”

Future leaders

Ephrata High FBLA students learn applicable skills on their way to state competition

EPHRATA — Future Business Leaders of America is the largest career and technical organization in the U.S., said J. Ryan Shannon, a communications teacher and advisor for the FBLA chapter at Ephrata High School. “It’s the largest career and technical student organization in the country, facilitating students learning and opportunities within the business community and learning the skill sets that will help them be successful in various aspects of business, whether that be the actual operational or the technical side of the business,” he said. Aided by fellow EHS teachers Scott Sandberg, Katie Cummings and Keeva Kimble, Shannon helps EHS FBLA’s 81 members work on a variety of projects in multiple fields to develop the skills they need to pursue a variety of careers. Skills have a wide range of fields from broadcast journalism to client services and simply understanding how to conduct themselves professionally as they network or develop relationships in a work environment, Shannon said. The various fields of development are evaluated in three categories at state-level competition: objective testing, roleplaying and presentations.

Advancing education: Warden STEM Day connects students with career pros

WARDEN – The Warden School District held its first Post-Secondary Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Day fair Thursday evening in the Warden High School Gym, with STEM professionals visiting the school to hear students’ presentations on different career paths, followed by a networking event.

Basin sports schedule March 20-26

COLUMBIA BASIN – Check out this week’s sports schedule, featuring local baseball, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and track and field events.

Othello Sandhill Crane Festival this weekend

OTHELLO — Birds, lectures, birds, tours, birds, geology, birds, activities, birds and all things birding await birdwatchers at the 2024 Othello Sandhill Crane Festival, scheduled for Friday through Sunday in Othello.

Patricia Whitefoot influenced generations of Indigenous students

WHITE SWAN - At home in White Swan, Washington, on the reservation of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Patricia Whitefoot has evidence that her decades advocating for Native American education have been well-spent.

Property crimes such as vandalism may qualify as hate crimes in WA

OLYMPIA – Some property crimes now can be classed as hate crimes if they are racially motivated or if they target other marginalized communities. Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, said he was motivated to press for changes in what can be classed as a hate crime when vandals attacked a gay pride display in Spokane that shocked the community.

Work underway on some county roads, scheduled for others

EPHRATA — Drivers who frequently travel on Road 9 Northwest between Dodson Road and State Route 283 already know it, but drivers who don’t might want to find an alternate route while the road gets some work. Road construction also is planned for a section of Road H Southeast near Royal City, and upgrades to sidewalks and pedestrian ramps in the Larson area north of Moses Lake.

Building trust in police a key goal, Lovick says

OLYMPIA – Sen. John Lovick describes himself as a Black man with brown skin who wore a blue uniform for a combined 37 years as a former state trooper and Snohomish County Sheriff.

Moses Lake man arrested after fleeing on motorcycle

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man was arrested Thursday following a short pursuit near Moses Lake, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

Quincy baseball wins two for two against Wahluke

QUINCY — The Quincy Jackrabbits baseball team took a doubleheader from the Wahluke Warriors Saturday, in a match of what both coaches said are young teams with room to learn.

Governor signs bills supporting firefighters

OLYMPIA- Gov. Jay Inslee signs two bills that aid in honoring deceased firefighters and assist in firefighter training. The two bills, House Bill 2091, and House Bill 2003 were created by request of the Department of Natural Resources, and the Washington State Patrol.

Othello Municipal Court achieves first anniversary

OTHELLO – It’s been a bit more than a year since the city of Othello ended its interlocal agreement with Adams County for court services in favor of establishing its own Othello Municipal Court. Municipal Judge Carolyn J. Benzel said the court has since grown into a well-functioning system.

Jacks softball takes two Ws from Wahluke Warriors

QUINCY — A pair of hard-fought games went to the Quincy Jackrabbits softball team in a doubleheader against the Wahluke Warriors Saturday.