As coronavirus mandates change, Quincy schools adjust

QUINCY — Students and staff are no longer required to wear masks indoors in Quincy schools as of Monday. Masks won’t be required on Quincy school buses moving forward either. Some protocols instituted to fight the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to be mandated by state authorities...

WA legislature examines active shooter drills

Effectivness, frequency debated in Olympia

OLYMPIA - Washington schools will soon have to follow new guidelines when practicing active shooter drills under legislation signed by Gov. Inslee last week. House Bill 1941 intends to address rising mental health concerns around the state; legislators in support of the bill claim active shooter drills cause unnecessary trauma and are not preventative in a shooting. In a Senate floor debate earlier this month, Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, opposed...

‘Warden takes care of its own’

Local food pantry helps people make ends meet, but needs community support

WARDEN — As Ed Backell walks up to the front door of the tiny Warden Food Pantry, he looks down to see a yellow plastic sack sitting on the front porch. It’s filled with cans. A donation left anonymously. “Warden takes care of its own,” he said...

Another fall sports season filed away

MOSES LAKE — Another fall sports schedule is in the books, with winter sports well in swing around the area.

Warriors at 9-0 with wins over Columbia

HARTLINE – With 19-0 and 11-1 wins over Columbia (Hunters) on Tuesday, the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors improved to 9-0 on the year. The Warriors entered Tuesday’s doubleheader coming off 10-0 and 7-4 wins against Northport on Saturday, who was 9-1 entering the weekend...

Law enforcement logs for April 20

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...

Jacks fall to Connell in 1A playoffs

QUINCY – Despite a late goal to tie the game in the second half, Quincy fell 3-2 to Connell in penalty kicks in the first round of the 1A State Boys Soccer Tournament on Friday. Connell and Quincy were tied 1-1 at the end of the first half, and both sides traded goals in the second half to force overtime. With no goals in either overtime, Connell outshot the Jacks 4-2 in the penalty shootout...

Comeback win!

Huskies rally past deficit on the diamond to overtake Deer Park with solid W.

OTHELLO – Down 2-1 to Deer Park in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Othello bats came alive as the Huskies were able to ring off six runs in seven at-bats and earn a 7-2 win over the Stags. “We got a couple bounces; a couple things went our way,” Head Coach Sonny Garza said. “It’s good to see that. The excitement in the dugout; it was good for the kids.” ...

Margaret V. Spies/Sala

Margaret V. Spies/Sala went to see her Lord and many dear friends, passing away peacefully in her Moses Lake lakeside home on Feb. 21, 2023, at the age of 90. Margaret was born the youngest daughter to Jay Wynn and Daisy Wynn on Jan. 20, 1933, in Brimley, Michigan, and in 1945, with her parents and sister Ruth, moved to Moses Lake, Washington. Margaret met and married Robert E. Spies, to whom she was married for 28 years. They had two wonderful sons Daniel (Dan/Danny) J. Spies and James (Jim/Jimmy) E. Spies, whom Margaret was devoted to because of her strong belief in family ties. Spending time together was more important to her than anything else. She continued to hold that strong family belief up to her death.

Keeping the foundation

New Country Deli owners look to preserve menu, serve community

EPHRATA – Country Deli on Basin Street in Ephrata was recently bought by siblings Gabriela and Jeovani Dircio. The pair said they’re committed to staying the course and keeping the current menu the same while doing a bit of a refresh in other aspects of the business. “It’s a great place,” said Gabriela. “We were raised in Ephrata and Grant County and Country Deli holds a lot of great memories to ourselves and the community.”

CJ’s Custom Meats

New meat market offers ML carnivores a variety of options with a local focus.

MOSES LAKE — CJ’s Meats is Moses Lake’s newest meat store located at 210 S. Gumwood Street. Here you can find a variety of locally raised meats and other food items. CJ’s originated in Wapato, said Store Manager Dawn Leslie, and all the beef comes from farms around the Wapato butcher shop. The pigs come from 4-H in Ellensburg...

ML Council delays discussion of homeless site purchase, talks new PD

MOSES LAKE -- The Moses Lake City Council met for nearly four hours Tuesday and failed to discuss all of the items on the council agenda, including selecting a new site for the city's sleep center for the homeless...

Blue Palm Frozen Yogurt

Prepping for a cool treat as the year heats up.

MOSES LAKE — Palm trees may not be native to the Columbia Basin, but one local business has a blue palm tree perfect for finding shade under in the upcoming summer heat. “Obviously the big palm trees and the deck is kind of what (the business is) known for and we liked that,” said Cody Hall...

Mavs weather a delay, down Eastmont 5-2

MOSES LAKE – Following an hour-long weather delay, the Moses Lake Mavericks used a strong first inning to get past Eastmont on Tuesday evening, winning 5-2 over the Wildcats. The win was the ninth-straight for Moses Lake, who now holds a 9-1 record on the year.

Knights defeat Wahluke 3-0 in SCAC opener

ROYAL CITY – The Royal Knights claimed a win in Thursday’s South Central Athletic Conference (East) contest against Wahluke, opening up league play with a 3-0 win over the Warriors. While the win is nice, Royal Head Coach Jens Jensen said the Knights are remaining humble after the league opener...

Knights down Othello 42-7

ROYAL CITY – The Royal defense came up in big moments in the Knight’s 42-7 win over Othello on Friday night, intercepting four passes and sacking the quarterback twice. Royal’s first interception of the night led to the Knights taking a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, and the second pick came as the Huskies were driving with the hope of cutting into the lead before the half...

Groundbreaking held for new Royal City Library

ROYAL CITY — The golden shovels did their job Wednesday in Royal City as the Royal City Friends of the Library broke ground for the new library building downtown, tangible evidence of a dream a long time in the making...

New Discovery in town

Discovery Cider Company set to open in Ephrata in early November

EPHRATA – A building on Basin Street will soon be home to a new business in Ephrata, the Discovery Cider Company. “So, initially, we opened a cidery on the west side, in Tacoma,” said Brennan James, who owns the cidery with his wife, Berlyn Sandstrom. “We opened it as Tin Hat Cider Company, and it started because I just liked cider.” ...

Elevate Othello

Community event looks at building opportunities and enjoying ice cream this Saturday

OTHELLO — Othello residents are invited for some ice cream and a wide-ranging discussion about increasing opportunities in town Saturday afternoon. Organizers of the “Elevate Othello” project will host an ice cream social from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Othello City Hall, 500 E. Main St., to talk about what they’ve learned so far, and where residents want to go from here.

Eagles bring more experience into new season

SOAP LAKE – A returning corps of starters will be featured on the court for the Soap Lake Eagles volleyball team this season, as they aim to develop what is still a young roster.