Gonzalez named Othello AD

OTHELLO — Carlos Gonzalez has been selected as the new Athletic Director for the Othello School District, taking over the position after previous director Jenny McCourtie stepped away from the position. “My hopes are to see how athletics and activities can help provide the best schooling experience for kids on top of their safety and their learning,” said Gonzalez.

Adams County Jail inmate roster for July 29, 2025

RITZVILLE – The inmate information below was provided by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Paving project to close I-90 ramps near Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — The project involving repaving a section of Interstate 90 near Moses Lake will require temporary closures of the off and on ramps from Exit 174 to Exit 179 to allow Washington State Department of Transportation contractors to work on the lanes leading up to the ramps. “They are part of what’s necessary to get the paving project that’s going on in that region completed,” said Sebastian Moraga from the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Communications department.

Janet K. Cassiano

1952 — 2025

Janet K. Cassiano was born January 3, 1952, to Glenn Brown and Beulah (Casteel) Brown. In 1970, Janet met her high school sweetheart, Joe Cassiano Jr., and they were married in 1972. She passed away at the age of 73 with her loving family at her side.

Four lanes to stay on E. Wheeler Road

MOSES LAKE — A section of East Wheeler Road won’t be reconfigured to one lane in each direction and a left-turn lane. Moses Lake City Council members voted 6-1 July 22 to agree to a request from businesses along Wheeler Road to keep the current lane configuration.

Cowboy Breakfast in new hands this year

MOSES LAKE — ’Round these here parts, the Cowboy Breakfast is almost as much of a tradition as the rodeo. So when the Kiwanis Club wasn’t able to organize it this year, the Chamber of Commerce saddled up. “The Rodeo Association came to us and we said ‘Sure. We don’t want to see it go away,’” said Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce Director Debbie Doran-Martinez.

Sixers 14U rake in two solid wins in Saturday play

ELLENSBURG – On Saturday, the Central Washington Sixers 14U began their final tournament of their summer season. They went 2-0 in their two games Saturday. Head coach Ray Lopez had praise for one of his players' efforts. “Our first game kind of started off a little slow there, but we put some bats together. Drake Hansen started off for us, and got a triple in there, cleared the bases, so that kind of set the momentum,” Lopez said.

ROAD REPORT: I-90, SR 282 projects under way

MOSES LAKE — It being the height of summer – long sunny days, long warm evenings, the swimming pool, barbecues – it's also the height of construction season. Drivers going to and from Ephrata and traveling certain sections of Interstate 90 through Grant County already know about the delays.

Civil Air Patrol cadets take to the skies over Ephrata

EPHRATA — There couldn’t have been a better climate to teach teenagers to fly in. “We’ve had really good weather,” said Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Kathy Maxwell. “Usually by now we’ve had a smoke day or a windy day, or an overcast day.” The CAP cadets are wrapping up the second week of this year’s Desert Eagle National Flight Academy, held every year at Camp Boucher at the Port of Ephrata. Nineteen cadets from around the country, plus one from Japan, came to Ephrata to learn the basics of flying: airplane systems, pre- and post-flight procedures, navigation. In between they’re flying around the Ephrata Airport, first with instructors, then finally solo. The skies between Ephrata and Moses Lake are pretty mellow for flying, but that doesn’t mean there will be no surprises, cadets said.

Legals for July, 25 2025

RITZVILLE CITY COUNCIL: Michelle Plumb

RITZVILLE – Michelle Plumb is up for reelection for Ritzville City Council. Plumb has served on the City Council for nine years and said she wants to continue helping move the city along. “Making sure that (the city) serves its citizens effectively and efficiently is definitely huge on my list of reasons why I continue to participate,” said Plumb.

‘Everyone Has a Why’

Campaign seeks to bring opioid addiction out of the shadows

MOSES LAKE — The reasons for addiction are many, but everybody has one. That’s the point of a campaign by the Grant County Health District to highlight opioid addiction and overdoses. It’s part of a two-phase campaign to explain some of the reasons behind addiction, and encourage people to seek help. “It can be loss, or pain, or struggle, but everyone has a reason that they may start using substances,” said Lexi Smith, communications coordinator for the Grant County Health District. “But on the flip side of that, everyone has a reason that they don’t, or that they choose to help someone who does.” The tagline for the Everybody Has a Why campaign is “Make addiction a conversation, not a secret,” and removing the shame of seeking help is a primary aim.

Legals for July, 24 2025

Sixers announce tryout dates for select softball

MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Sixers have announced tryout dates for their new start-up program for select softball for 10U, 12U, and 14U. The 10U tryouts will be 5-7 p.m. July 31, and the tryouts for 12U and 14U will be Aug. 4 at the Six Athletic Training Facility. “It’s going to be an opportunity for these girls to just come out and show us what (they’ve) got,” said Emma McKay, Central Washington Sixers General Manager of Softball. McKay said the overall structure for the Sixers is based around developing athletes physically, mentally and emotionally. With the success of the baseball players over the years, the Sixers decided it was time to do the same for softball.

Irrigation canal critical to Yakima Valley is at risk of failure after wildfire damage

A 115-year-old canal in the Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District that was severely damaged during the Rimrock Retreat Fire last year is now at imminent risk of failure. Fixing the 12-mile waterway will cost an estimated $229 million and involve work spread over more than a decade. But if the canal suddenly goes out of service, officials say it could cause up to $3 billion in losses over three years for 35,000 acres of farms and 28,000 acres of orchards in the Yakima Valley that are part of the irrigation district. Surrounding communities also rely on the canal to deliver water to fire hydrants and other municipal fire suppression systems.

Community comes together for Daniel Alcala’s family following shooting

EPHRATA — In the wake of a shooting incident in Ephrata July 20, the local community is rallying around the family of Daniel Alcala, who was fatally shot during an altercation at a gas pumps. Alcala, 30, was a husband and father to three children. According to the Grant County Coroner Investigator Maxwell Yoder, his death resulted from multiple gunshot wounds. The death has officially been ruled a homicide, according to a statement from the City of Ephrata.

The Mariners need to seize the moment

Whenever a trade deadline rolls around, it’s always a great opportunity to assess your favorite team’s production. For the Seattle Mariners, they sit right on the fence of opportunity. Depending on what moves they make before the trade deadline on July 31, they could go from just being a playoff hopeful, to a World Series contender. Their success this season cannot be denied.

The Kids become men’s softball upper division champs

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake Men’s softball season ended Monday evening when the Desert Dawgs faced The Kids in a double header for the upper division championships. The competition was close, but The Kids came out on top to become upper division champions. “We did good. We hit the ball when we needed to. We locked down,” said The Kids team captain Sakiel Garza. “A lot of scoreless innings on defense which was good. A lot of just taking our base one at a time.” The Kids entered the night with the advantage as the higher placed team, only needing to win the first game to become champions. The Dawgs entered Monday’s matchup coming off of their Thursday victory against the Ten Pin Brewts.

Fiscal Fallout: How Washington Medicaid spending quintupled over a decade

(The Center Square) – Washington state’s Medicaid spending has quintupled, or increased five times over, since the 2013-15 biennium, according to an analysis by The Center Square.

Othello Bench Road annexation request delayed until October

OTHELLO — A public hearing on a request to annex 658 acres into the city of Othello will be continued to October. Mayor Shawn Logan said people who either oppose or support the annexation of property along Bench Road will have one additional opportunity to testify. “We’re going to continue this public hearing until Oct. 13 during the regular council meeting,” said Mayor Shawn Logan. City attorney Hilary Evans said rescheduling a new public hearing would mean any existing testimony would be eliminated from the record. After some discussion, council members decided to continue the hearing and allow people who had already testified, but who wanted to testify again, to do so.