Ukelele time

NCW Libraries to host learn-to-play program

QUINCY – NCW Libraries will be hosting Aaron Canwell, founding member of Portland-based children’s band Micah & Me, at five Grant County libraries from Aug. 9 to 10 for learn-to-play ukulele programs, according to the NCW Libraries website.

FRESH NEWS: Water lower but warmer while fishing remains good

MARDON - The water level on the Potholes Reservoir is 1030.80 feet – dropping another 1.7 feet this week. The water temperature is in the upper-70s on the main reservoir. The water temps in the sand dunes are in the mid-80s.

Quincy schools project higher enrollment

QUINCY — Quincy School District officials expect a slight increase in enrollment for the 2023-24 school year. The projected enrollment for 2023 is the equivalent of 3,160 students, according to information provided to the Quincy School Board at the July 25 meeting. That’s an increase from the 20223-23 school year. Enrollment for 2022-23 was the equivalent of 3,103 students, which was slightly below the budget projection...

Moses Lake temple tour

New Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints shows its new facility to the community.

MOSES LAKE — “Holiness to the Lord,” reads the sign over the door. “The House of the Lord.” Those words are engraved above the front entrance of every temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the world, said Elder Shayne Bowen...

CHS donates to Adams County Fire District 5

ADAMS COUNTY – CHS, Inc. announced in a July 14 press release that Adams County Fire Protection District #5 will receive $10,000 to replace older hydraulic extrication tools through the CHS Seeds for Stewardship program...

Multiple E. Washington towns threatened by fires

SPOKANE — The Red Cross has set up a shelter for those evacuated from the West Hallett fire, according to an announcement from the organization. The fire, located on a hill above Spokane-Cheney Road a few iles southwest of Spokane, was discovered about 2 p.m. Monday and by 4:30 was up to 200 acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center...

Mavs wrestling camp this weekend

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake High School wrestlers have the opportunity to learn from collegiate wrestler Frank Almaguer at this weekend’s Chasing Gold Camp, a two-day camp at Moses Lake High School...

Othello hosts baseball tourney

Kirkland American wins Little League contest in Othello

OTHELLO – The week-long Washington Little League 8/9/10U State Tournament ended on Saturday in Othello, with Kirkland American coming out on top of Magnolia with a 7-3 win in the tournament’s title game. “It (took) great teamwork,” Kirkland Head Coach Todd Greenberg said. “We had our ups and downs throughout the whole tournament, every game different players stepped up whether it was offensively or defensively. They picked each other up.” ...

Senior events calendar for August 2023

Below are just a few events that older residents of the Columbia Basin may enjoy. If you have an event you would like listed in the paper, please submit it through the events page at columbiabasinherald.com...

Washington Day Trip: Bygone Byways Interpretive Trail

LEAVENWORTH – Travel about 30 miles northwest of Leavenworth on U.S. 2, and you’ll find the Bygone Byways Interpretive Trailhead. Wrapped in a bow-shaped piece of land between the highway and Nason Creek, the trailhead offers public restrooms and a walking path of about a mile that overlooks the stream and offers opportunities to see wildlife...

Weather for Monday, July 31, 2023

Weather for Monday, July 31.

BBCC hires Desiree Zavala to lead women's wrestling

MOSES LAKE – Big Bend’s newest women’s wrestling coach Desiree Zavala is a Washington native who comes to the program with goals of competing at the national level. “I’m very excited,” Zavala said. “I think that Big Bend has all the resources need to have a great team. A couple years ago they were national champions, so I am coming into a team that needs a lot of growth but has a lot of opportunities. I’m excited about that.”

GALLERY: Washington Little League 8/9/10U State Tournament

OTHELLO – The week-long Washington Little League 8/9/10U State Tournament came to a close on Saturday in Othello, with the Kirkland Americans taking down the Magnolia All-Stars 7-3 in the championship game...

Bureau of Reclamation provides funding to Yakima Nation

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Bureau of Reclamation announced Thursday in a news release that the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation will receive approximately $293,000 for hydrologic modeling to improve groundwater recharge and flood control activities in Toppenish Creek Watershed...

Navy ship to be named for Washingtonian

WASHINGTON D.C. – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced Wednesday that a future Navajo-class Towing, Salvage, and Rescue ship will be named after Billy Frank Jr., a Nisqually tribal member, according to a press release from the U.S. Navy...

Samaritan makes money in first half of 2023

MOSES LAKE — After a few years of discombobulation, a more typical pattern of hospital use – and because of that a more typical pattern of revenue – is starting to return at Samaritan Healthcare. “What we’re starting to see is we’re getting back to that cycle, where you’d see that push (of patients) at the beginning of the year, and then you see that lull,” said Chief Administrative Officer Alex Town. “There were so many midsummers where we were just slammed, and we couldn’t figure out why.” ...

MLSD projects 2023-24 enrollment increase

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District is projected to have the equivalent of about 8,299 full-time K-12 students for the 2023-24 school year. Moses Lake School Board members reviewed the preliminary budget at the regular meeting Thursday. Director of Finance Stefanie Lowry said district officials don’t anticipate much change, if any, between the preliminary and final budgets. The budget will be approved at the board’s Aug. 24 meeting...

Moses Lake city staff share public participation plan for development code

MOSES LAKE — The Director of Moses Lake’s Community Development Department Kirsten Peterson presented the Public Participation Plan portion of the city’s new development code to the city council during Tuesday’s regular meeting. “I guess really I’m referring to it now as a development code rewrite,” said Peterson. “We are going to be basically just starting over with an entirely new code. We’re not just editing it or revising it; we are putting together a brand-new development code.” ...

Hot, dry spring dries up Eastern Washington

OLYMPIA — Water, water everywhere… or maybe not. The irrigation situation in Eastern Washington has made a turnaround compared to recent years. “We are not in a drought, officially,” said Emily Tasaka, communications manager with the Washington State Department of Ecology. “We've issued a statewide drought advisory. That's not the same thing as a drought emergency. It's not that we won’t call one later, but at this time we haven't issued a formal statewide drought emergency.” ...

Swinging into golf

Oasis RV Park and Golf Course manager shares tips and tricks to start golfing.

EPHRATA – Summer is the perfect time of year to go out on the green and learn how to golf, but for some, it may not seem like the easiest hobby to get into. Daneile Litterell from Oasis RV Park and Golf Course in Ephrata has some useful tips on how anyone can learn to become a golfer. According to Litterell, the first step to getting into golf is to go out and buy a set of clubs. The simple act of buying the equipment and getting out there is the first step to starting any new hobby, she said. For any rookie golfers, another good idea would be to start off on smaller courses such as the one at Oasis. A new player will feel less overwhelmed with their shot on a smaller course as opposed to a course that is larger, she said...