BBCC to host 30th annual job and career fair

June 22 event set to connect employers and job hunters.

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College (BBCC) Job and Career Fair will be returning to the Big Bend Campus at the end of June for its 30th consecutive year.

Little Big Show '23

Wilson Creek hosts annual car show

WILSON CREEK — The little town of Wilson Creek more than doubled in numbers Saturday. The town, which had a population of 207 at the last census, welcomed more than 300 visitors to its annual Little Big Show, according to organizer Nicholas Odorizzi. “Good turnout this year,” Odorizzi said. “We had, I think, 104 cars. We had more vendors this year, which was great. One of our food vendors sold out. So that was a good problem to have.” ...

Law enforcement records for June 15, 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.

Quincy schools look to get more parents involved

QUINCY — Encouraging parents to get more involved in school is easier when school officials start with something familiar to the parents. Victoria Hodge, director of support services and programs for the Quincy School District, said that’s been a lesson reinforced during the 2022-23 school year. “The first strategy is to expand parent groups in each building,” Hodge said during a presentation to the Quincy School Board at its regular meeting Tuesday...

Water conservation considered by Moses Lake council

MOSES LAKE — With the obvious decline of water levels in the aquifers that provide Moses Lake with water drinking, bathing, cleaning and lawns, the time has come for the city to stop looking at the problem and focus on solutions, according to Council Member Mark Fancher. “We know the problem. We’ve got to not spend so much time on the problem,” Fancher said during a regular city council meeting on Tuesday. “We have got to start spending a lot of hours on the solution.” ...

WSP to conduct motorcycle emphasis patrol

MOSES LAKE — Washington State Patrol troopers will be conducting additional patrols along Interstate 90 June 23-25 to teach bikers and drivers about motorcycle safety. The patrols will span I-90 from Snoqualmie Pass to Spokane, according to a press release from the Grant County Health District...

REC secures financing leverage

MOSES LAKE — REC Silicon has secured a $30 million loan from New York’s Standard Chartered Bank to help fund the company’s restart as well as proposed expansions, according to an REC press release...

Fire season starts in Grant Co.

SOAP LAKE — Fire season has kicked off in Grant County with three fires in less than 24 hours – one just north and east of Soap Lake, one at the intersection of State Route 17 and Stratford Road in Moses Lake on Tuesday and another at Rocky Ford Creek between Ephrata and Moses Lake on Wednesday...

Triple play

Knights, Mavs and Jacks wrap up spring ball with scrimmage play

ROYAL CITY – Three local football squads wrapped up spring practices in Royal City on Tuesday, with Moses Lake, Quincy and Royal competing in a scrimmage at David Nielsen Memorial Field in Royal City...

Barnyard brawl

Farm machines duke it out at Lind Combine Derby

LIND — In the heart of Adams County, wheat is king. And once a year, its knights meet in the Lind Lions Club Arena for a tournament to rival the most enthusiastic joust, armored in blue jeans and ball caps and mounted on steeds familiar to anyone who lives in farm country: combines...

Desert Aire Fly-In scheduled for Saturday

DESERT AIRE — People will get a chance to see some cool airplanes and eat a pancake breakfast at the Desert Aire Airport Saturday. The annual Desert Aire Fly-In is scheduled for 7 to 11 a.m. at the airport hangar at 121 Desert Aire Place. “It’s really intended to provide an opportunity for the community to come together, see some airplanes, talk to pilots,” said Joyce Trantina, the event organizer. “It’s the airport’s only fundraiser, but that’s not its main purpose. It’s for community building.” ...

Royal parents learn to identify drug risk factors

ROYAL CITY — Between 20 and 30 people gathered at Royal Intermediate School June 8 for Healthy Youth, Healthy Families. The bilingual event, sponsored by Educational Service District 105, among other organizations, was designed to help families identify signs of substance abuse in youth. “My demographic right now is particularly 10- to 13-year-olds,” said Ariana Martinez, a student assistance professional for ESD 105 attached to the Royal School District. “They're the ones kind of keeping up with the Tik Tok trends, whether that's using tampons to get drunk, putting them in alcohol, or challenges (to see) who can show up the highest at school and not get caught.” ...

Exploring macro worlds

Macro photography exhibit brings bugs into focusing

MOSES LAKE — It all started with some boozy bugs. “I went out in the front yard, and I went up to a tree in which there were always tens of butterflies, and I couldn't figure out why,” said Walter Klockers, whose macro photography is currently on exhibit at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center...

News Bites for June 14

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake Police Department officers arrested Byron Combs, 30, of Moses Lake on Monday after receiving a call that took them to the 800 block of Loop Drive, according to an MLPD statement. Contractors working nearby had overheard a man and woman arguing and believed the woman was being assaulted. The workers wenter to intervene when Combs reportedly pulled a firearm, pointed it at the workers and threatened to kill them...

ACH grads sent off with a song

COULEE CITY — The 15 graduating seniors of the Almira Coulee Hartline High School class of 2023 gathered on the stage in the gym on the afternoon of Saturday, June 10, to receive their diplomas. And in each one of those diplomas was a sticky note with a song title. “I thought of a conversation I’d actually had with (co-valedictorian) Isabel (Brink) earlier when she was working on her valedictorian speech,” said Kelley Boyd, who is both Superintendent of the Almira Coulee Hartline School District and principal of ACH High School.

Gratitude marks Ephrata 2023 graduation

EPHRATA — One of the things Ephrata High School graduating senior Kacie Shannon said she came to realize in high school is that no one is solely responsible for their own success. “In every case, there was some type of support system in place, whether it be a friend, a family member, a teacher or a mentor. In some cases, success was derived directly from a bit of friendly competition,” Shannon said during her speech at the Ephrata High School class of 2023 graduation ceremony on June 2.

‘Exude compassion’

Lind-Ritzville students ready for the next challenge

RITZVILLE — “Exude compassion.” That was the advice given to Lind-Ritzville High School seniors at their graduation ceremony Saturday by LRHS history teacher and guest speaker Bryce Court. “When I say to do that, I mean it should be the defining attribute of your character, the thing you are and do by accident,” Court said. “And I believe compassion should be separated from synonyms like love and charity. Compassion is distinguishable from love because, while I know it's difficult to love those whom you strongly disagree with, you can always show those darn angry fools compassion.”

Lions roar out of The Den

MLCA’s class of 2023 looks to the future and thinks back on the past

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake Christian Academy graduating senior Jeff Boorman said his favorite memories of his time at MLCA were the bonds he was able to make with friends and classmates. Benjamin Eldred said his favorite memories involved being able to play baseball with his friends. At MLCA’s 2023 graduation ceremony, both young men and their classmates said they were excited to be moving on to new adventures in their adult lives. The aspiring entertainers, engineers, athletes, pilots and academics are the first class to utilize MLCA’s new gym, The Den, for their graduation ceremony.

Excitement, mixed emotions at Othello graduation

OTHELLO — Luis Alvarado, Othello High School class of 2023, admitted to mixed emotions as he left Huskie Stadium after OHS graduation ceremonies. “Happy. Most definitely,” he said.

‘Do hard things’

Royal High School grads prepare to change the world

ROYAL CITY — One hundred eleven Knights sallied forth from the Royal High School football field Friday, June 2, ready to take on any dragons that might come their way. “Many things make you an exceptional graduating class,” said RHS Principal Courtney McCoy in her welcoming remarks. “You are driven. You are strong. You are gregarious. You get things done. You have that we-can-do-things we-are-going-to-do-things je ne sais quoi about you … So take that magical mojo of yours and always remember the American author Glennon Doyle's mantra: ‘We can do hard things every day.’ You can do hard things. Do them: the big, the small, things for you, things for others, things for the entire world. Our world is waiting for you, Royal High School’s wildly capable Class of 2023.”