Preventing invasion

State asks outdoors enthusiasts to clean their gear and pets to prevent the spread of invasive plants.

OLYMPIA — State agencies are asking people to clean up their gear, pets and clothing to prevent invasive plants from establishing here, according to a statement from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. State law requires landowners to control noxious weeds when they are present on their properties, the statement said, but when people are coming and going on public lands, that’s not completely possible...

Fees waived for Get Outdoors Day

PORTLAND, Ore. — Day-use sites in Washington and Oregon will be free on June 10 in celebration of National Get Outdoors Day, the USDA Forest Service announced Monday, as a way of encouraging people to explore the outdoors...

Dodson Road project underway

Grant County works to upgrade roadway between I-90 and Ephrata.

EPHRATA — Drivers using Dodson Road between State Route 282 and Road 4 NW will be experiencing some delays as that section of the road gets a new layer of asphalt. “It’s under construction right now,” said Grant County Engineer Dave Bren...

GALLERY: Saturday graduations

COLUMBIA BASIN – Graduations continued over the weekend with students walking stages across the Columbia Basin on Saturday at Wilson Creek, Lind-Ritzville and Covenant Christian School. Below are some photo highlights of those graduations. Full coverage of area graduations will be printed in a keepsake edition of the paper on June 14 so that area students can have something with themselves and their friends from throughout the region in one collective regional “yearbook” of sorts. The staff at the Columbia Basin Herald applaud this year’s graduates and wish them the best of luck in their academic and professional lives as they move forward.

Roy Emery Colver

Roy Emery Colver passed away on June 1, 2023, after a six-year struggle with cancer. He is survived by his loving wife, Gina Marie Adams Colver, and their three children Lillian B. Diediker, Roy Kenneth and Rose Vera. He is also survived by his mother and father Roy Dean and Patricia Ann Colver and nine siblings and their spouses: Arthur Dean (Suzy), Forest Allan (Teren), Justin Lane (Nina), Jessica Ann Morris (Jeff), Tadd Nathaniel (Carol), Andrew Ross (Paweena), Monty Alexander (Erica), Preston Samuel (Michelle) and Mitchell Cameron. He was a beloved uncle to 61 nieces and nephews, and even two great-nieces and -nephews. He was loved by all his in-laws and friends. Roy was an easy person to love.

Mavs kick off spring practices

MOSES LAKE – The Maverick’s season-opener is still nearly three months away, but the Moses Lake football team began its spring practices on Tuesday last week to give players an opportunity to get back on the field as a team. “It’s new and fresh to finally get out there,” Moses Lake Head Coach Brett Jay said. “See the new squad, a bunch of new faces. See everybody that’s put in the work and grown, skillsets are better. It’s a lot of fun.” ...

Weather for Monday, June 5, 2023

Weather report from the National Weather Service.

Post office clerk retires after 30 years

MOSES LAKE — Phil Bilodeau said he wants his customers to know he appreciated their business. Bilodeau retired Friday after 30 years with the U.S. Postal Service, most of them at the customer counter at the Moses Lake Post Office.

New class comes to BBCC this fall

MOSES LAKE — A new class being offered this fall at Big Bend Community College, HUM 102, will investigate how the representation of women has changed over the last century in popular culture. The class, called “Kick Ass Women in Popular Culture”, will be taught by Dr. Allison Palumbo. The class, as described by Palumbo, helps students gain critical literacy skills that will make them more effective and inclusive readers and thinkers. “I hope students walk away understanding that we can analyze our fantasies and see if those fantasies actually reflect our true values or if they’re convincing us to accept things that aren’t really good for us,” Palumbo said. “Ultimately it’s about learning how to critically engage with media.”

Middle school swimmers compete at Future Maverick Invite

MOSES LAKE – Middle school swimmers from Columbia, Endeavor and Frontier middle schools competed against one another at the Future Maverick Invite on Thursday, the second meet that the Moses Lake swim program has hosted this spring. “It diversifies the swimming community – brings in different kids who may not get to do club for commitment or financial reasons,” said Jason Hart, head swim and dive coach at Moses Lake High School. “We can be able to reach out with a good product to help them in their lives.” ...

GRAD GALLERY: Celebrating the class(es) of 2023

COLUMBIA BASIN – Celebrations aplenty occurred throughout Grant and Adams counties over the weekend as about two weeks of graduations at area high schools began. Below are some photo highlights of the festivities. The Columbia Basin Herald will have full coverage of the graduation ceremonies in a special keepsake edition of the paper on June 12 so that area students can have something with themselves and their friends from across the region in one place. We congratulate the class of 2023 and we wish them nothing but success as they venture onto the next stages of their lives.

Mattawa council approves housing action plan

MATTAWA — After about five months of discussion, the Mattawa City Council approved a housing action plan at its regular meeting Thursday. City officials are working to apply for funding to upgrade and expand the city’s water and sewer systems, and updating development regulations, including an action plan, is part of that. “The plan has also been reviewed by the (Washington Department of) Commerce and it is sufficient,” said Rachelle Bradley of SCJ Alliance, the city’s planners...

9 taken into custody in MLPD emphasis patrol

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Police officers, assisted by members of the Washington State Department of Corrections and agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, arrested a number of people in what the MLPD calls an emphasis patrol of a Moses Lake hotel Wednesday afternoon. “We’ve been receiving complaints from citizens regarding the Econo Lodge,” MLPD Detective Sgt. KyleMcCain said, noting concerns about foot traffic around the hotel and suspicions people might be selling and buying drugs...

Salmonella outbreak hits Washington state

OLYMPIA — An outbreak of salmonella has sickened 13 people in Washington state, one of them in Grant County, according to a statement from the Washington State Department of Health. This is part of a nationwide outbreak that has sickened 104 people in 31 states, the statement said. In Washington, four people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported, it said...

911 upgrades

Grant County call center looking at improving systems to serve community.

MOSES LAKE — Grant County’s Multi-Agency Communications Center fielded a record number of calls in May — over 10,000 for the month — according to MACC Technical Services Manager Gerrit Klein. “On the 28th (of May), we, for the first time in our history, surpassed 10,000 calls for service in one month. Our computers actually crashed,” Klein said. “We ran out of (case) numbers.” ...

Summer reading programs offer books, events

WENATCHEE — With sunny weather and warm days dead ahead, summer reading programs are beginning at local public libraries. The Mid-Columbia Libraries system, which includes the Othello Public Library, already started its “Summer Reading Challenge.” Children and adults can participate; the challenge requires participants to read or listen to books for a minimum of 15 hours prior to Aug. 18...

GALLERY: Spring Fest Headliners

MOSES LAKE – Tone Loc, Montell Jordan and Vanilla Ice headlined Spring Fest in Moses Lake this year. The photos below highlight portions of their shows which celebrated the music of the ‘90s and had the rappers performing some of their hits from that era.

RECAP: Basin teams conclude baseball, softball seasons

COLUMBIA BASIN – High school baseball and softball seasons across the Basin wrapped up last weekend, with four teams taking home hardware from their respective state tournaments. Read along to see how each team finished in 2023. All scores and records are according to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association...

News Bites for June 2, 2023

The Quincy Police Department participated in the Fire on Top-Cop on Top fundraiser last Friday, teaming up with other first responder agencies to raise money for Special Olympics, according to an announcement from the department. Officers and firefighters were taken up in a scissor lift for a squirt gun battle with local youth, according to the announcement....

Ephrata schools to offer free summer meals to children

EPHRATA — The Ephrata School District will provide free meals to children 18 and younger this summer beginning on Wednesday, June 14, and lasting through Thursday, July 27, according to a press release from the Ephrata School District...