Walls set to start going up this month at Group14

MOSES LAKE — Construction is underway on a new facility in Moses Lake to produce silicon materials that will, its owners say, contribute to making substantial improvements to the next generation of batteries. Grant Ray, vice president for global marketing strategy for Group14, said the company’s new facility on Wheeler Road will produce an important component in the quest to produce batteries that last longer and are quicker to charge...

Smokey skies prompt health warning

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Health District has issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for all areas of the county. Wildfires in Washington and British Columbia are affecting air conditions in Grant County, according to the advisory, and air quality is expected to be in the moderate to unhealthy range into the weekend.

AC 101: Maintaining your air conditioner

An air conditioner's filters, coils, and fins require regular maintenance for the unit to function effectively and efficiently throughout its years of service. Neglecting necessary maintenance ensures a steady decline in air conditioning performance while energy use steadily increases...

Othello police logs for Aug. 16

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

Law enforcement logs for Aug. 11

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

Legals for August, 9 2023

Lightning, rain cause electrical outages

MOSES LAKE — A lightning strike during a Monday morning thunderstorm cut power to customers in the Warden and Moses Lake areas, while the same storm resulted in other outages throughout Grant County. The outages affected about 5,500 customers countywide, said Christine Pratt, PUD public information officer...

‘Cancer sucks’

Moses Lake police chief faces cancer with family, community and Fred Hutch by his side

MOSES LAKE — “Cancer sucks.” That’s what it says on the new cancer survivor’s ribbon tattoo on Moses Lake Police Chief Kevin Fuhr’s abdomen, which he got recently after having surgery to have his gallbladder and surrounding cancerous tissues removed...

Vehicles destroyed in Soap Lake area fire, other fires continue statewide

SOAP LAKE — A fire east of Soap Lake burned about 9.5 acres, according to statements from Grant County fire districts 7 and 13. The fire, in the 3800 block of SR 28, destroyed about 20 vehicles, five recreational vehicles and nearly 100 appliances. Volunteers fought the fire until about 4 a.m. Saturday, returning later in the morning for mopping up, according to GCFD 7...

Early delivery

Embankment work to be completed this month at Priest Rapids Dam

EPHRATA — A project to reinforce an embankment at Priest Rapids Dam should be completed by the end of this month, about a year ahead of schedule. “We’re in the final push of that project,” said Dale Campbell, senior manager of power production for the Grant County PUD. “If you haven’t taken a tour, you don’t have much time left. It’s going to be done (by) the middle of August.” ...

Baird Springs fire prompts guardrail repairs this week

QUINCY — Travelers between Quincy and Wenatchee could face delays Monday and Tuesday as contractors make repairs to guardrails that were damaged by fire July 10...

MLFD responds to multiple fires, statewide fire season continues

MOSES LAKE — One building was seriously damaged when a series of four fires sprang up along I-90 Wednesday evening, according to Moses Lake Fire Department Battalion Chief Dave Hollie. The fires were reported a little before 7 p.m., according to the wildfire alert website Watch Duty. All of the fires were in town and on the north side of I-90, Hollie said...

Police logs for Aug. 4, 2023

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...

Commentary: Don’t forget trucking on the road to employment

This back-to-school season, consider other career paths besides college

While August in the Pacific Northwest is still prime summer vacation time, it’s hard to fight off the rapidly encroaching back-to-school vibes. By the end of August, most kids in the U.S. are heading back to school. For secondary students nearing the end of their high school career, they need to start making post-graduate plans. What should they do after high school? For the last several decades, there has seemingly been only one answer to that question: college. With the sky-high price of college tuition, there has never been a better time for young people to make sure they consider all of their options. Among them, foregoing college to pursue a good-paying job that turns into a rewarding career in the commercial trucking industry. The job that likely first comes to mind in the commercial trucking industry is truck driver.

Proud to serve

Veteran remembers Pearl Harbor attack, war service

MOSES LAKE — Sometimes memory fades, sometimes things that happened a long time ago get overlaid with new experiences. Sometimes the memories remain, though. Geb Galle turned 102 years old in mid-July, and he still remembers that Sunday morning, even though a lot of things happened afterward...

Soap Lake pet rescue gets big help with vet bills

SOAP LAKE — The Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry in Soap Lake got a sizable boost recently from the Moses Lake-Grant County Humane Society. It wasn’t the first time the MLGCHS had helped out the fledgling animal rescue, said Shawna Kluge, who started and runs Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry, but it was certainly more than she expected...

“It’s raised our profile”

TV coverage, playoff seeding and more in Wistrcill’s State of the Conference Address at Big Sky Media Day

SPOKANE – Growth in the conference’s television coverage, playoff seeding, the transfer portal and name, image and likeness were all part of Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill’s State of the Conference Address on Monday in Spokane, going over the previous year in the Big Sky as well as looking at the future. “It’s raised our profile,” Wistrcill said of the growth in media coverage. “People out east and in the midwest – they know about the Big Sky Conference, but I think what it showed to them is that we are a premier conference in FCS football and how big-time it is to be a part of Big Sky – the conference and certainly our football programs.” ...

Law enforcement records for July 27

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...

Ephrata gets airborne

National Flight Academy challenges local youth with fun

EPHRATA — The days start early - breakfast at 5 a.m. - are filled with classes, and in the middle of summer, too. But nobody cares. They get to fly. That’s the point of the National Flight Academy sponsored by the Civil Air Patrol. It gives young people the chance to get in the air. Cadets from throughout Washington and the West are attending the annual “Desert Eagle” academy at the CAP facility at the Ephrata Municipal Airport...

Fire Report for July 25, 2023

GOLDENDALE — The Newell Road fire in Klickitat County had burned 30,000 acres about 17 miles east of Goldendale Saturday morning. The fire, which was discovered about 3:30 p.m. Friday, was 0% contained Saturday afternoon and the costs had mounted to $750,000, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.