Kriete reflects on first half of term, plans to run again

EPHRATA – Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete said Wednesday that he doesn’t like being stagnant and he’s not been able to in the first half of his four-year term as the head of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. GCSO has had challenges but has met several goals he identified before taking office.

Eagles pick up 3 wins in 4 games

SOAP LAKE – The Eagles have won three of their four games since the calendar moved to 2025, picking up wins against Nespelem, Entiat and, most recently, Wilson Creek on Tuesday.

CA fires a good reminder for WA homeowners to check their insurance policies

(The Center Square) – Devastating fires continued to burn across Southern California Wednesday, with homes and other buildings destroyed in Los Angeles County. Five people have been confirmed dead so far, with hundreds injured as they race to flee the flames. Making matters even worse, some families who have lost their homes will not be reimbursed through homeowners insurance policies. That’s in part due to the exodus of insurance companies from California due to the rising losses from wildfires in the state. As reported by Newsweek, several private insurers cut coverage in at-risk areas in California in the last couple of years as state regulators prevented companies from raising premiums to match their growing risk.

Queen Kaylee

Ephrata graduate named Moses Lake Rodeo Queen

EPHRATA — There’s a new queen in Moses Lake, and she’s got Ephrata roots. Kaylee Stump, 20, of Ephrata was named the 2025 Miss Moses Lake Roundup in November. Stump, the daughter of Mike and Miranda Stump, is a 2022 graduate of Ephrata High School. Her coronation will be March 29, said Moses Lake Roundup Rodeo Board Member Amanda Miller.

WA SB 5082 proposes housing funding for foster children aging out of the system

OLYMPIA – Jonas Rios entered foster care at 17 years old and was put in eight different placements before turning 18. He entered the Extended Foster Care program that attempted to cut off support a month before his 21st birthday, forcing him to jump from hotels to college dormitories. He then couch-surfed for six months until he was granted a housing voucher from the Foster Youth Independence Program and received stable housing for the first time at 22.

CTUIR, Corps of Engineers sign pact to improve Mill Creek fish passage

WALLA WALLA — Officials from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held a signing Jan. 10 at the Corps’ Walla Walla District headquarters to honor a joint project to improve fish passage on Mill Creek, according to an announcement from the CTUIR.

Legals for January, 16 2025

Showing the moves

Local hoofers show their moves at Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars

MOSES LAKE — The Wallenstien Theater was almost full Saturday night for the second annual Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars. “It was exciting to see (so many) young people,” said Judy Twigg, vice president of the Central Basin Community Concert Association, which hosted the event. “It shows that if you get the right entertainment in Moses Lake, it draws people.”

‘Hello, Dolly!’

Matchmaking, mayhem and a little and manipulation light up QVAA musical

QUINCY — Audiences can put on their Sunday clothes and cast themselves back to the Gay Nineties this month as Quincy Valley Allied Arts brings “Hello, Dolly!” to the stage.

Legals for January, 14 2025

Country Sweethearts to benefit cancer patients, families

MOSES LAKE — The 16th annual Country Sweethearts benefit auction is coming up Feb. 1 and it’s going to be a doozy, according to Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation Executive Director Angel Ledesma.

Three-point shooting carries Eagles to first Big Sky win

CHENEY — Home court was just what Eastern Washington needed to get back on track in the Big Sky.

Grant County Jail scheduled to open in mid-2026

MATTAWA — Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete said the new Grant County Jail is projected to open in about 18 months. “They’re still targeting for the opening of May of 2026,” Kriete said. “It felt like it was going to be so long when we started, but here we are. We’re getting close.” Kriete gave an update on the project’s progress at a Jan. 9 luncheon sponsored by the South Grant County Chamber of Commerce in recognition of National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. The new jail will hold 512 inmates, more than double the existing jail.

Vikings start conference play with gritty win over Wenatchee Valley

MOSES LAKE -- The Big Bend Community College Vikings continued their impressive run, opening East Region conference play with a hard-fought 63-55 victory over Wenatchee Valley College on January 8th at the DeVries Activity Center. Coming off a strong 11-4 preseason, the Vikings showed their resilience in a game featuring dominance and late drama.

A career of grace

Pastor Walter Klockers prepares to retire

MOSES LAKE — Pastor Walter Klockers has a guiding principle: “This is Christ's Church, and I know my place.” It’s a part of the creed he maintains for his ministry, he said; he regularly reminds himself that he is an imperfect person who is called to proclaim a perfect Gospel and to serve others rather than feed his own ego. “That, I review, because I fail so many times,” he added.

ENZO opens event room, expands kitchen

MOSES LAKE — ENZO owners and staff cut the ribbon on the restaurant’s newest facility, called the Riviera Room, Wednesday. ENZO already had a smaller banquet facility, called the Amalfi Room, owner Rhonda Cacchiotti explained, but it’s also used for everyday dining and even when it’s booked for private functions it can only accommodate 25-30 people. “This (Riviera) room has capacity for 60-80 people.” Cacchiotti said. “It has a private entrance. It has AV equipment (with) a drop-down screen. We have speakers, we have microphones. We have a podium that can be used. We have room to push tables into different configurations, where we can have a small dance floor. We have a full banquet buffet menu that we can also customize.”

Open Mic brings out the talent in Soap Lake

SOAP LAKE — It’s 5:30 p.m, and 11-year-old Jimmy Ocampo is singing “Die with a Smile” in front of an audience of about 25 people. He’s the fourth performer to take the stage in the last half hour, and there’s a long waiting list after him. It’s Open Mic Night, and the sky’s the limit.

Othello teams up with partners to work on improving water storage permitting process

OTHELLO — Othello city officials will be working with a coalition of regional partners to make it easier to work on – and finish – projects to find and build additional water sources.

Beta Lambda brightens Christmas for farm worker families

OTHELLO — Sixty Othello children had a better Christmas this year, thanks to the ladies of Beta Lambda. Members of the women’s service organization took gifts to families at Guadalupe Haven, the low-income housing complex owned by Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington. This is the third year the organization has brought gifts to Guadalupe Haven, Beta Lambda member Trudy Doolittle wrote in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. Guadalupe Haven manager Maria Guzman said a representative of Catholic Charities put her in touch with Beta Lambda.

Medicare out-of-pocket cap on prescriptions takes effect

WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 70,000 seniors in Washington state will save hundreds or thousands of dollars each year thanks to the new annual cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for folks on Medicare Part D, according to an announcement from the office of Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. The new cap is part of the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress in 2022, and it means seniors will pay significantly less for their prescription drugs this year, lowering costs for families and giving them more breathing room, according to the announcement. “Starting Jan. 1, anyone with a Medicare prescription drug plan – also known as Medicare Part D – now has their out-of-pocket drug costs capped at two thousand dollars each year,” Murray wrote in the announcement. “ … As everyone knows, high drug prices come with other painful costs – like stress over how to make ends meet, or what bills to skip in order to fill a prescription, or whether to take the risk of rationing medication. These are impossible choices that no one should ever have to make. But they’re the reality for so many people, and so many seniors especially.”