New owners celebrate first anniversary at Basin RV

MOSES LAKE — Basin RV has been under new ownership for a year now, and the owners are getting more involved in the community, sponsoring the Brett Reese Memorial Car Show, the Sand Scorpions Bounty Hole, the Cowboy Breakfast and more. “We’ve got five kids ourselves,” said owner RJ McFadden. “They all go to school here in town. So camping in our community is kind of our thing, spreading the dollars here.”

Legals for July, 7 2025

UPDATED: Fire breaks out in field near S. Eastlake Drive in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – A fire has spread across the lakeside part of the field behind S Eastlake Dr and Vue Street. A Moses Lake Fire Department crew is working to put out the fire and prevent further spread across the area. One witness on scene said the fire started at around 9:45 p.m. Witnesses who live in one of the houses near where the fire started said it was likely due to fireworks that are being lit in the area. They also said it might have started about 20 yards away from their home and the wind blew it away from both S. Eastlake Drive and Vue Street. More information on the fire will be provided as the story progresses.

High Fitness brings friends together with a health focus

MOSES LAKE – The Larson Rec Center’s High Fitness class held its Fourth of July-themed High Fitness class this past week. The class is held every Tuesday from 7:45-8:45 p.m. “It gives you a family, it gives you friends, keeps you accountable and makes working out way more fun than doing it by yourself,” said Liza Tait, the instructor for High Fitness at the Rec Center. “And as the participant you don’t have to think, you just show up and I tell you what to do.”

Moses Lake students prepare to head to Japan

MOSES LAKE — Three Moses Lake students will head to Japan this month as part of the Moses Lake-Yonezawa Sister City Exchange. “A lot of people don’t realize that this cultural exchange has been going on for 45 years,” said Moses Lake-Yonezawa Sister City Exchange Program Treasurer Terry Moore. “Everybody knows Yonezawa Boulevard (in Moses Lake), but do they know why it’s called Yonezawa Boulevard? It’s because of the sister city program.”

New shop in Moses Lake carries a little of everything

MOSES LAKE — Determining exactly what kind of store Plume is feels a lot like nailing Jello to the wall. “Some of (the merchandise) was in my house when I was 25 years old,” owner Janine Coutts said. “I lived on a farm that had six outbuildings and was 100 years old, so it was very easy to store stuff.”

Ephrata's Well 3 returns to service today after water quality tests pass

EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata’s Well 3 should be back up and running today, as long as the bacteria test results return from the lab negative, according to Public Works Director Rob Harris. “If water quality and purity and all the required standards, Well Three will be returned into service,” Harris said.

Road construction on hold through July 4 weekend

VANTAGE — People wanting to take to the open road for the July 4 weekend will find it pretty open, with most construction projects on hold until next week. The exception is the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 over the Snoqualmie summit. “We have a project on eastbound I-90 between North Bend and the summit, which is reduced from three lanes to two lanes,” wrote Summer Derrey, Washington Department of Transportation assistant communications manager for the south central region, in response to a question from the Columbia Basin Herald.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: In support of first responders...

A horrific tale unfolded in Coeur d’Alene this past weekend when a man set a wildfire near Canfield Mountain and Nettleton Gulch to draw out firefighters to respond to the event, then began firing at them. Two courageous firefighters lost their lives and another was hospitalized after the event.

Know what you’re getting before investing in an RV

MOSES LAKE — A recreational vehicle is a versatile thing. It can be a portable home for a weekend camping trip, or it can be the home you live in year-round. Either way, it’s important to know what you’re doing when it comes time to buy one, said RJ McFadden, owner of Basin RV in Moses Lake. “A lot of people pull the trigger too fast,” McFadden said. “You want to make sure it fits all your family needs and wants, even though you only use it a few times a year. We use ours 10, 12 times a year, 15 times a year. But most people, they use it five, six times a year. You want to make sure you get what you want to get. Don’t just settle because you’re looking to go camping this weekend.”

Grocery Outlet summer food drive aims to help locals

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Grocery Outlet has kicked off this year’s Independence from Hunger campaign, partnering with Care Moses Lake to connect food with the people who need it.

Fire burns behind Grant Co. Irrigation and Rehabilitation building

MOSES LAKE – On the morning of July 2, the City of Moses Lake Fire Department was dispatched due to multiple reports of a wildfire located in the area of Penn Street and behind the Grant County Irrigation and Rehabilitation District building, north of East Wheeler Road. The fire was reported at about 10:45 a.m. “We made a pretty quick stop of the fire,” said Battalion Chief JR Schwendeman, who was on the scene. “It’s going to continue to burn for probably the next 24 hours in certain areas, but we’re going to be in the area in the next 24 hours continuing to watch it and put out hot spots.”

Adams County Sheriff’s Office jail roster for July 2, 2025

The reports below were provided by the sheriff's office or police department. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This is the active list of inmates for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. The Adams County Jail is closed, so inmates are housed in other jurisdictions.

SAIL classes keep seniors moving and active

MOSES LAKE — It can be difficult to stay mobile, let alone fit, after a certain age, which is why senior centers around the Basin offer SAIL, or Stay Active and Independent for Life, classes. “The physicians in town are even recommending it,” said instructor Kaye Ward, who was leading a SAIL class at the Moses Lake Senior Center Monday. “When you have a knee replacement or something, they tell you to come here and then you don't have to do physical therapy. This is good physical therapy.”

Air Force vet raising funds for cancer treatment Saturday

MOSES LAKE — Cancer is scary, but the standard treatments are no fun either. Chemotherapy, radiation, surgery – all take a severe toll on the human body. Disabled Air Force veteran Noemi Salazar is taking a different approach and needs the public’s help to do it.

Two Coeur d'Alene area firefighters killed in shooting

Were responding to fire said to be intentionally set

Police: Suspected shooter found dead

Increased outdoors fees in effect as of July 1

OLYMPIA — In a controversial decision, Washington State has approved a significant increase in recreational fishing and hunting license fees, which officially took effect yesterday, June 1. “This bill proposes an inflationary adjustment. It’s a significant adjustment, but inflation has been substantial over the last 15 years,” Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) said on the Senate floor. “It also charts a sustainable path forward.”

Big party in Othello for nation’s birthday

OTHELLO — The nation’s 249th birthday will be celebrated in Othello with games and a parade and tournaments and fireworks, just like the tradition. “I love the Fourth of July. It’s the biggest party in Othello,” said Jackie Wilhelm, president of the Greater Othello Chamber of Commerce. Most of the activities will be in Lions Park.

MLSD signs WIAA contract, asks for amendments

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School District signed its 2025-26 membership contract with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association at the regular school board meeting June 25. However, concerns were brought up about the contract’s language. “It's the standard membership form that the WIAA sends out every year,” MLSD Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon said. “The district has been signing a form or a form similar to that for a number of years.”

Red, White and Boom gets a head start on Independence Day

MOSES LAKE — In some ways, Moses Lake is ahead of the curve. Independence Day celebrations are one of those. Like last year, Moses Lake’s Red, White and Boom celebration will be held on July 3. For several years before that, Independence Day festivities were held on the Saturday before July 4. The reason isn’t just because we love to be first out of the gate, said Moses Lake Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director Doug Coutts. “The fireworks company cannot come out for us on the Fourth of July,” Coutts said. “There’s only one that I’ve been able to find that provides the insurance and such that we need is at bigger cities doing larger events that pay more money.”