Cougars lose 52-45 to Okanogan in state semis

SPOKANE – Warden’s state championship hopes came to an end Friday evening at the Spokane Arena, falling 52-45 to Okanogan in the 2B Girls State Basketball Tournament semifinals. The No. 2 seed Cougars led the No. 3 Bulldogs 26-14 midway through the second quarter, but a 17-3 Okanogan run from the middle of the second to the beginning of the third quarter erased the deficit.

GCSO seeking missing Pasco woman

GEORGE – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Irene Fleming, 31, of Pasco who went missing near George in the 4900 block of Road U SW.

Othello Schools share strategic planning feedback

OTHELLO – Othello School District Superintendent Pete Perez and Tammy Campbell, Chief Executive Officer of The Scholar First – an educational consulting organization based in Washington – shared a presentation during Monday’s Othello School Board meeting on feedback from the district’s ongoing strategic planning process.

Adams County reviews accountability audit findings

RITZVILLE – Assistant Audit Manager for Washington’s State Auditor’s Office Weston Fink and Assistant State Auditor Brittany Benning met with the Adams County Board of Commissioners Tuesday for the exit interview of their accountability audit covering Jan. 1 2022 through Dec. 31 2022.

Potatoes USA speaker highlights potato trends

KENNEWICK — Potatoes can and should be part of initiatives toward healthy eating, according to Bonnie Johnson, director of nutrition and industry relations for Potatoes USA. Johnson talked about the organization’s efforts to promote the place of potatoes in a healthy diet, among other things, at the Washington-Oregon Potato Conference in late January.

Basin home market more stable than statewide, despite home sales decline

COLUMBIA BASIN — Home sales in Washington in 2023 were down from the previous couple of years, but the change in Grant and Adams counties was much less severe, according to data released recently by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Law enforcement logs for March 1, 2024

The reports below were provided by the sheriff’s office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Cougars advance to state semis with win over Mabton

SPOKANE – The No. 2 seed Cougars punched their ticket to their third consecutive appearance in the 2B Girls State Basketball Tournament’s semifinals Thursday, defeating No. 8 Mabton 72-64 at the Spokane Arena.

BBCC women wrap up 2024 with blowout win

MOSES LAKE — With the final game of the 2024 season in front of them, the Big Bend women’s basketball team hosted the Wenatchee Valley Knights on Wednesday and played like it was their last, according to an announcement from BBCC.

Lions fall to Neah Bay in 1B Boys quarterfinals

SPOKANE – MLCA/CCS’s defense couldn’t slow down the Neah Bay offense during Thursday’s 1B Boys State Basketball Tournament quarterfinals, as the No. 3 seed Lions fell 62-54 to the No. 5 Red Devils in Spokane.

BBCC men finish season on a high note

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College men’s basketball team finished its season on a high note, according to an announcement from BBCC.

ACH Warriors fall to Garfield-Palouse

SPOKANE – No. 5 seed Almira/Coulee-Hartline’s season came to a close Wednesday night in Spokane, falling 41-32 to No. 12 Garfield-Palouse in the Round of 12 in the 1B Girls State Basketball Tournament. The Warriors trailed the Vikings by one point entering the fourth quarter but struggled to score in the final eight minutes.

WDFW to begin prescribed fires in March

SPOKANE – Annual prescribed fires on Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife-managed lands in Eastern Washington are scheduled to start in March, as conditions allow, according to a Thursday announcement from the WDFW.

Gorge shooting court dates rescheduled

EPHRATA – Court documents associated with the trial for James Kelley, the suspect in the shooting that took the lives of two and wounded multiple other victims at the Beyond Wonderland music festival last year, indicate that court dates for the criminal proceedings against Kelley have been rescheduled.

Moses Lake hopes to reduce overwatering with rate adjustments

MOSES LAKE — Some residents in Moses Lake will see a change in their water bills this month. Beginning March 9, irrigation and residential customers who use more than 10,000 cubic feet of water per month will be billed at a new Tier 4 rate.

MLHS speech and debate team surprises coach, each other

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake High School speech and debate coach Kevin Chollman said the plan for the 2023-24 school year was to get a team going again.

An infectious smile

Ephratans remember Jett Johnson

EPHRATA – The halls of Ephrata High and Middle schools have seemed a bit dimmer for the last week and a half. Jett Johnson, a sophomore at the high school and son of Heidi Johnson, a math teacher at EMS, died in a car accident the night of Monday, Feb. 19.

Ephrata School Board makes big changes during Feb. meeting

EPHRATA - The Ephrata School Board discussed many big plans and changes at its Feb. 26 meeting. Some changes included a long-time board member resigning, approval of contracts and acceptance of a $100,000 grant.

House burns twice in same night in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — A residence in southeast Moses Lake burned twice Tuesday, according to a statement from the Moses Lake Fire Department.

Moses Lake Council hears downtown parking frustrations

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake City Council got an earful at its regular meeting Tuesday night, as owners and employees of downtown businesses expressed their feelings about the two-hour parking limit in the city’s center.