Legals for October, 21 2025

City of Soap Lake is paying off $11M-plus in loans, interest

SOAP LAKE – The City of Soap Lake will have nearly $11.36 million worth of debt service payments to pay off by the end of 2025. Of that, around $3 million is interest the city has collected over the years, according to Finance Director Jeff Balentine. The city is paying 15 different loans.

WA fuel prices third highest nationally

MOSES LAKE – After a month-long reign as the second-most expensive state to purchase fuel in, Washington’s fuel prices have dropped below Hawaii’s.

Othello voters considering $3.55M pool bond

OTHELLO — Othello voters will be asked to accept or reject a $3.55 million bond to pay for repairs to the Othello Community Pool, and renovations where needed. Othello City Council members voted in July to submit the proposal to voters, and Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said the money will pay for repairs, but few, if any, changes.

Hundreds rally in Moses Lake to protest Trump admin.

MOSES LAKE — Almost 300 people turned out Saturday for the “No Kings 2.0” rally in Moses Lake, according to Grant County Democrats Vice Chair Jill Springer Forrest, considerably more than the rally held in June.

Co-responders provide behavioral health assistance, support

MOSES LAKE — Sometimes a disturbance or a welfare check that requires a law enforcement response is also a mental health crisis. Renew, Grant County’s behavioral health organization, the Moses Lake Police Department and Grant County Sheriff’s Office are partnering on a program to make help available for people facing a crisis when it’s needed.

Keep Halloween safe for little monsters

QUINCY — Next Friday, hordes of little ghosties, ghoulies and things that go bump in the night will be on the streets with one thing on their minds: massive amounts of sugar. And when they’re that focused, they don’t always watch out for themselves.

Summit to bring together regional community advocates

WENATCHEE — The Thriving Together Toward Tomorrow summit will bring together people from across North Central Washington Wednesday with a single goal – to make the communities they live in better, according to Thriving Together NCVW Director of Network Development Veronica Farias.

Legals for October, 20 2025

MLSD’s Lewis addresses levy promises, elementary start time

MOSES LAKE — Tensions continue between the Moses Lake School District and the Moses Lake Educators Association as discussions continue over a modified elementary school schedule and the restoration of educational programs critical to student learning.

Basin housing market stabilizing

MOSES LAKE — Just a few years ago, homes for sale in the Basin were few and far between. Today, things seem to have moved more or less back to normal.

Moses Lake council, school board candidates discuss issues at forum

MOSES LAKE — Candidates for the Moses Lake City Council and Moses Lake School District discussed school and city finances, trust and water at a forum sponsored by the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce. Joel Graves, running for city council, said Moses Lake has some challenges to address. “These aren’t problems that we can keep kicking the can down the road on,” he said. Council candidates Deanna Martinez, Graves and Jeremy Davis, and school board candidate Mike Nordsten, answered questions submitted by the forum’s sponsors. Council candidate Jim Perez sent a statement, saying work commitments kept him from attending. Chamber Manager Debbie Doran-Martinez said school board candidate Lila Baker had declined to attend, citing her withdrawal from the race due to health reasons.

BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 17-25

COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you celebrate Halloween or harvest, there’s no shortage of macabre fun this week in the Basin, plus crafts, live music and more. Here are some ideas for getting out and about:

Legals for October, 17 2025

‘Early stages of critical failure’: Funding outlook is grim for WA road upkeep

State transportation officials say they are making the limited dollars for highway and bridge preservation stretch as far as they can — but it’s not far enough. There’s too little money to keep up with repaving roads, repairing aging spans and responding to emergency fixes. “We are in the early stages of critical failure due to lack of funding,” Troy Suing, director of capital program development and management for Washington State Department of Transportation, told a state panel Tuesday. “We are doing everything we can to squeeze out as much service life as we can,” he told members of the Washington State Transportation Commission. “We are underfunded. We are forced to be reactive when we look at our assets right now.”

Renewed legal battle ramps up over Columbia Basin dams and salmon

A long-running court battle over how to balance protections for endangered fish with hydropower dams in the Columbia River Basin has resumed after a two-year pause. Conservationists, anglers and clean energy groups, along with the state of Oregon, asked a federal court Tuesday to grant a preliminary injunction that would change how eight dams on the lower Columbia and Snake rivers operate. They argue that these changes would improve the conditions for salmon and steelhead survival.

Wildcats rank second in conference preseason poll

ELLENSBURG — On Oct. 14, the Greater Northwest Athletic Conference announced its preseason poll for the upcoming women’s basketball season. The Central Washington Wildcats were voted the second-best team in the conference and received four first-place votes, according to the statement by GNAC. Just ahead of them by a point and ranked first are the Western Washington Vikings. After finishing 23-8 last season, the Wildcats advanced to their first sweet 16 in the NCAA Division II tournament after overcoming Point Loma and Chico State. Heading into this season the Wildcats have reloaded and are poised to make another run, their coach said.

EWU announces stadium renovations

CHENEY — Eastern Washington University Athletics announced they are beginning a series of projects to renovate Roos Field. The first step in this process begins with replacing the track, and EWU athletics held a ceremony for that project on Oct. 10. “The track facility will give our student athletes the space and resources they deserve to train, compete, and pursue excellence,” EWU Athletic Director Tim Collins said. “But make no mistake, the project is about much more than a track. It’s about setting the foundation for the renovation of Roos Field and ultimately, the next chapter of Eagle Athletics.” The envisioned improvements will expand event opportunities, enhance fan experiences, strengthen recruiting efforts, and allow student athletes to compete at the highest levels, the statement said.

GCSO blotter Oct. 3-4, 2025

EPHRATA — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office provided the incident details noted below. Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Ephrata’s new code enforcement officer focused on standards

EPHRATA – The city of Ephrata hired Ioan Horvat as the new code enforcement and building inspector. Horvat says he aims to bolster the city’s municipal standards and enhance the quality of life for Ephrata residents. “I’ve been working for the last 20 years, mostly in construction and construction management. I focused on quality control, and this is the link to code enforcement,” Horvat said.