GCSO dealt with 49 incidents during Bass Canyon EDM concert

GEORGE – The Gorge Ampitheatre hosted its annual three-day electronic dance music festival, Bass Canyon, over the weekend. The festival security managed by both Grant County Sheriff’s Office and a private security organization had a busy weekend according to Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman.

Starch Madness remains in Boise through 2031

MOSES LAKE — In a statement by the Big Sky Conference, the Starch Madness tournament will remain in Boise through 2031. The conference and Idaho’s state capital agreed to terms that keeps the annual men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in Idaho Central Arena.

MLPD continues proactive approach to homelessness

MOSES LAKE – The Open Doors Sleep Center in Moses Lake has been closed for about seven weeks and Jeff Sursely, police captain with the Moses Lake Police Department, said Moses Lake PD has not seen any increase in calls for disturbances or property crimes. “It’s pretty stable, that’s how I’d describe it,” said Sursely.

Grant PUD budgets for projects in 2026

EPHRATA — Grant County Public Utility District customers will have through Dec. 9 to submit their comments on the 2026 PUD budget. The PUD’s preliminary budget projects about $236.9 million in hand at the end of the 2026, but Public Information Officer Christine Pratt said the final budget could, and will, look different. “Department budgets are still being written, so those numbers are sure to change,” Pratt said in answer to an emailed question from the Columbia Basin Herald.

Legals for August, 19 2025

Court cases moving forward in March 21 drive-by fatality shooting

EPHRATA – Two men, Mattew Valdez, 18, and Jose Beltran Rodriguez, 20, both of Moses Lake, were arrested in late April in association with a drive-by shooting in Moses Lake that led to one death and several injuries. Their legal process is moving forward and both have court dates set for September and October.

One killed in Mattawa shooting

MATTAWA – At around 10 p.m. Sunday, officers from the Mattawa Police Department responded to a shooting near Hund Memorial Park, according to a Mattawa PD media release. Upon arrival, officers located an individual with apparent gunshot wounds. Medical personnel were immediately requested, and the victim was transported to a regional hospital for treatment, it said.

Grant County Fair safety measures effective, organizers say

MOSES LAKE – While there were some minor heat injuries and a few mischievous teens during the 2025 Grant County Fair as of Saturday afternoon, the event went off without any serious incidents according to fair organizers and law enforcement. In part, that’s due to added security measures taken over the past year.

Law enforcement focused on impaired drivers

Drunk or high driving will be the focus for police in Grant County through Sept. 1

MOSES LAKE — Grant County law enforcement agencies are participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” emphasis patrols through Sept. 1. The campaign started Aug. 13.

Legals for August, 18 2025

Cage riders take danger for granted

MOSES LAKE — Sometimes zooming around on motorcycles inside a cage runs in the family.

Traffic collision sends at least one to hospital Friday

MOSES LAKE — A traffic jam has been cleared at the intersection of Walmart Road and North Stratford Road following a collision. At least one person was transported for medical care.

GALLERY: Horse riding and demo derby’s at the fair

MOSES LAKE – At the Grant Country Fair, community members were treated to Demo Derbys full of dusty crashes and local horse-riding competitions put on by the Grant County Youth Equine Program.

Plant clinic offers insights at Grant County Fair

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Fair brings a lot of interactive experiences for the community to engage with. Sometimes these experiences can be educational, like the Master Gardeners’ clinic. “Our job here is to provide a plant clinic that is for anybody who comes in and asks a question about what’s what they need, either about watering, gardening or pruning,” said Barbara Guilland, a volunteer for Washington State University’s Master Gardener Program. WSU’s Master Gardener Program and the Columbia Basin Conservation District had educational booths in the Agriculture Building. WSU had a lot of information about plant care for this time of year.

Realtors step up with school supply drive

MOSES LAKE — We’re still a few weeks away from the beginning of the school year, but the Moses Lake-Othello Association of Realtors got a head start Aug. 7, handing over a heap of school supplies to the Moses Lake School District.

Legals for August, 15 2025

New Grant County prosecutor sets goals

EPHRATA — Brandon Guernsey was sworn in Aug. 4 as the new Grant County Prosecutor. He replaces Kevin McCrae, who announced his resignation in May, effective Aug. 3. Guernsey said he has set some goals for the prosecutor’s office, one of the most important being to improve morale. The prosecutor’s office does not have a sufficient staff of attorneys, he said, and he wants to remedy that. “For me personally, cracking down on drugs and gangs,” he said. “That’s really where my passion is, to stop drug cartels from destroying our lives.” Attorneys in the prosecutor’s office, he said, should be accessible. “We should be holding ourselves accountable to the community,” Guernsey said.

Hit-and-run east of Othello injures four

OTHELLO — Four people were transported to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland after they were injured in a crash about 20 miles east of Othello Wednesday. One of the drivers involved in the three-car collision fled the scene. Nelly Kereiyian, 32, Pullman, and Timothy Oronge, 41, Everett, a 6-year-old boy and a 10-year-old boy were transported to Kadlec after the van they were in rolled down an embankment, according to a statement from the Washington State Patrol. Passengers Fatina Jepleting, 26, and Erick Kayioni, 37, both of Pullman, were unhurt, the WSP wrote. Kereiyian was driving east on state Route 26 at the Highway 395 overpass at about 5 p.m. Wednesday when a vehicle heading stopped at the top of the Highway 295 offramp pulled out in front of her, the statement said. Kereiyian attempted to avoid the vehicle and lost control, crossing into the eastbound lane.

City of Moses Lake announces new fire chief

MOSES LAKE — Arthur Perillo III has been hired as the new chief of the Moses Lake Fire Department. “I was initially drawn to the Moses Lake fire chief position because of the area’s abundance of sunshine, the wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities and the energy of a growing community,” Perillo wrote in a statement from the city of Moses Lake. “What truly solidified my interest was learning more about the professional and dedicated men and women who work for the city and the Moses Lake Fire Department. Perillo will take over the job Sept. 22. He replaces Brett Bastian, who retired in February. Currently Perillo is the assistant chief of emergency medical services for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue.

Attorneys behind landmark Bruen gun case take on WA high-cap magazine ban fight

(The Center Square) – The law firm that successfully argued the landmark Bruen case has agreed to take up the high-profile Gator’s Custom Guns case concerning Washington state’s prohibition on the sale, manufacture and distribution of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. In 2022, the law firm of Clement & Murphy successfully argued the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, a United States Supreme Court decision that significantly expanded the scope of the Second Amendment's protection of the right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.