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.

Grant County launches survey for Five-Year Homeless Housing plan update

GRANT COUNTY — The Grant County Board of Commissioners, in partnership with regional stakeholders and LDC, Inc., is leading the development of the Five-Year Homeless Housing Plan Update for the period 2025-2030.

Soap Lake plans upgrades for dog park, Smokiam Campground

SOAP LAKE — In a bid to enhance recreational amenities and boost tourism, the city of Soap Lake is currently undertaking upgrades to both its dog park and the Smokiam Campground. Mayor Peter Sharp elaborated on these enhancements, citing community engagement and improved safety as primary motivators behind the initiatives.

OTHELLO CITY COUNCIL POS. 1: Genna Dorow

OTHELLO — Genna Dorow said she’s running for a new term on the Othello City Council because she wants to see Othello grow in a way that doesn’t cause problems in the future, and thinks she has the skills to help do that. “I care about the future of Othello,” Dorow said. “As our city continues to grow, I want to make sure we do the right things the right way, with strong infrastructure, affordable housing, smart sustainable planning (and other things). I have a passion for service (for) the city, and there are reasons for that, because of my background. I bring a unique combination of know-how to lead Othello forward. I want to do my best for the people of Othello, and I want Othello to be its best.”

Boys & Girls Clubs honored with Turnip the Beet! Award

MOSES LAKE — The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin has brought home yet another prize, having received the Turnip the Beet! For 2024. “This is one I’ve been working toward for the last three years since I started, so I was really excited,” said the club’s Operations Director Cecily Hendricks. “(We’ve been) revamping our food program and it’s taken some time but I feel like we’re finally there.”

$30M hospital bond goes before Ephrata voters

EPHRATA – Those living in and around Ephrata will see a measure on their ballot for the August 5 election for a $30 million bond measure requested by Grant County Public Hospital District 3 – which most residents likely know as Columbia Basin Hospital. The measure has been in the works for some time. “The board started talking about this more seriously right before COVID, and then COVID hit, and everything took a back burner to that,” said GCPHD 3 Board President Amy Paynter.

Mavericks Eli Anderson competes at Fargo National Championship

MOSES LAKE — On July 14, Mavericks boys wrestler Eli Anderson competed in the Fargo National Championship in Fargo, North Dakota. While he did not get the outcome he hoped for, Anderson feels like it was a valuable experience. “The tournament itself was really big, and there was a lot of good talent there from across the nation, and so I felt like just being there was really special and unique. I learned a lot as well,” Anderson said.

QUINCY CITY COUNCIL POS. 5: David Dormier

QUINCY — Dave Dormier said he’s running for a new term on the Quincy City Council because he thinks Quincy has made progress, and he wants to continue that progress. He cited the case of family friends as an example. “A young couple who graduated from Quincy High School. They didn’t go to college, but they were able to get good jobs in town, and after four years they were able to buy a brand-new house,” Dormier said. “That’s our goal, to have our town be that way. I want to be able to continue to have good job opportunities for people who want to stay and build their lives here.” Dormier is running for council Position 5. He’s being challenged by Pete Shelton. Ricardo Ruesga Loera also filed for the seat, but told the Columbia Basin Herald that he’s not actively campaigning.

Kicking it in McCosh Park

MOSES LAKE — On Friday, Freewind Martial Arts held the third and final seminar of a three-part series in McCosh Park. According to Freewind Manager and Assistant Instructor Brandi Guertin, the seminars were a success. “I'm really happy about the success. Everybody that came got more than what we had anticipated them getting out of it, to witness the growth and the confidence; that's why we do this,” she said.

Legals for July, 21 2025

Summerfest draws crowds to Royal City

ROYAL CITY — Any way you measure it, Summerfest was a success. “I would say on Friday we had over 2,500 people, and then after the parade on Saturday, we had over 3,000 people in the park,” said Summerfest Committee Chair Jill Larsen. That’s more than the population of the town, she added, which was about 1,900 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census.

‘Fresh every day’

Kallstrom Corn stands a staple in the Basin and back again for summer

MOSES LAKE – As summer arrives in full bloom, the sight of Kallstrom Corn stands dotted throughout the Columbia Basin has returned, marking the beginning of the sweet corn season for locals awaiting the taste of the Kallstrom sweet corn. “The corn crop looks really healthy. It has a nice dark green color,” co-owner Mark Kallstrom said. “The weather started out cool, but it warmed up just enough; we got the heat units to bring it out a couple of days earlier.”

Montemayor closing chapter at Othello

OTHELLO – When Jordan Montemayor looks back at his baseball career at Othello High School, he said he wouldn't change a thing. “It's crazy that it's over. It went by in a heartbeat, but I had a lot of fun, and I wouldn't change anything if I went back. I would do it all the same way again,” he said.

QPlex design paused for more research

QUINCY — Quincy Valley Parks and Recreation commissioners have reconsidered the original design of the fieldhouse in Lauzier Park, known as the QPlex. Pat Haley, parks and recreation executive director and Quincy city administrator, told Quincy City Council the reconsideration of the design started with a conversation about facility operations. “It quickly became evident that it was going to be a big organization, and the simple structure that we had in mind wasn’t going to be suitable,” Haley said.

Freewind martial arts hosts weapons Wednesday seminar

MOSES LAKE – On Wednesday, Freewind Martial Arts hosted the second of three seminars with Weapons Wednesday. Attendees were led by instructor Jacob Guertin through various movements with wooden sticks. Guertin said he was happy with the turnout and teaching kids something new. “Everybody got (to learn) something new, even if they had prior experience. For those that haven't done martial arts in the past, I feel like it was a good introduction to weapons,” he said.

Legals for July, 18 2025

Detours near Ephrata, delays near Moses Lake as construction ramps up

MOSES LAKE — The balmy summer days where there’s almost no delay for road construction are coming to an end – the part with no road construction, not the balmy summer days. Work starts Monday on some major projects, including a roundabout at the intersection of Nat Washington Way and State Route 282. Tom Gaines, Grant County central services director, said the work will require closing SR 282 at the intersection. “This is a major impact,” Gaines said.

Legion A splits doubleheader in playoffs

HARTLINE – On Wednesday, the ACH Legion A Warriors hosted the first round of their playoffs in Hartline. They split their doubleheader against the Trail Orioles A and the Cheney Summer Hawks A teams. Head coach Hunter Lee said he was proud of how his team rallied. “We got the job done. We want at least one (win), so we get to advance to the knockout round this weekend, but we definitely have to limit the walks and hits by pitches,” Lee said.

Larry Allen Weis

May 17, 1953 – July 15, 2025

Larry Allen Weis, 72, of Ephrata, Washington, passed away peacefully on July 15, 2025, with his wife Debbie and daughter Autumn by his side. Born in Walla Walla, Larry was the youngest son of Bob and Emma Lou Weis. He grew up in Richland and graduated as a proud Richland Bomber in 1971. Known affectionately as “Big Guy,” he was loved for his big heart, humor, and generosity.

Moses Lake homelessness debate continues

MOSES LAKE — Alleviating homelessness and its impact on the community continues to be the subject of discussion in Moses Lake. An ordinance under consideration by Moses Lake City Council is the latest chapter in that discussion. Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce executive director Debbie Doran-Martinez said that, from her perspective, chamber members are looking for responses that improve the overall situation. “We would just like to see something that would move the needle in the right direction,” Doran-Martinez said.