120 flags in Ephrata

Memorial Day ceremony commemorates more than a century of military service

EPHRATA — Kimberly Thomas, commander of American Legion Post 28 in Ephrata, and the auxiliary president Mardi Carroll read off the names of the people commemorated in the Aisle of Flags set up to commemorate Memorial Day. “For those of you who weren’t counting, there were 120 of them,” said former Post 28 commander Mike Montaney when the two women had finished...

Huskies swing into 3rd

Othello places well in 2A state tourney

SELAH – After an opening-round loss to No. 12 seed Olympic, the No. 5 Othello Huskies rallied off five-straight wins to take home a third-place trophy at the 2A State Softball Tournament over the weekend. Othello notched its second-straight top-three finish with an 8-2 win over Aberdeen in the third/fourth-place game on Saturday at Carlon Park...

Warriors rally from early loss

ACH takes fourth on the diamond at 1B tournament

YAKIMA – The No. 5 seed Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors left the 1B State Softball Tournament with a fourth-place finish, rallying after a first-round loss to DeSales to reach the third/fourth-place contest against Mossyrock. “It’s pretty incredible,” ACH Head Coach Graham Grindy said. “It’s been a great season. They played very well in league in the regular season. In districts and regionals, we had to play through some adversity and lose a game, and do what was necessary to qualify. I think that was the most impressive thing about this group, is that they came together and fought and battled.” ...

Honoring heroes

Moses lake ceremony honors those who died in service.

MOSES LAKE — A small crowd gathered at the Port of Moses Lake on Monday to honor the 87 members of the U.S. military who died in a plane crash at Larson Air Force Base in 1952. “So many things go unnoticed or they get forgotten over the years,” said Larry Godden, general manager of Million Air at the Grant County International Airport and one of the people who helped get the memorial built in 2020. “We’re just here to keep the memory alive.” ...

The Massage Cottage

Massage therapist uses a variety of techniques to alleviate chronic pain, relax and soothe clients and help them live healthier lives

EPHRATA — Kathi Johnson, owner and operator of The Massage Cottage in Ephrata, makes it her mission to relieve stress, tension and pain in the body. She’s been doing it for 23 years, she said. “Get them feeling relaxed, less stressed and pain-free,” said Johnson...

Basin Business Journal looking for 40 standouts under 40

COLUMBIA BASIN — The squeaky wheel may get the grease, but sometimes the other wheels are working just as hard without making noise. That’s true in the business world, too: sometimes the people making the most difference are the quiet ones, flying under the radar. The Basin Business Journal would like to know about those people...

‘There were carp everywhere’

Carp bowhunters harvest 13,000 pounds from Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Ty Swartout said I came close to spearing a carp, but I honestly don’t think so. “Oh, that was close,” Swartout told me as we stood on the bow of his bass fishing boat as it slowly drifted across a very shallow portion of Moses Lake parallel to SR 17. “I think you got a piece of his tail.” I was holding a green compound bow with a reel attached by a long string to a big yellow arrow. It had been a long time since I shot a bow, and even longer since I went fishing. Standing on a boat trying to shoot fish? Well, this I’d never done before. “Remember to aim below the fish,” Swartout told me.

Moses Lake School Board approves new elementary design

MOSES LAKE — The new Moses Lake elementary school scheduled for construction in Mae Valley should go to bid in late fall. Moses Lake School Board members approved a design for the building at the regular meeting Thursday. “The goal (is) to bid the project this year, before Christmas and the holidays,” said Matt Whitish of Design West, the lead architect on the project. “The construction schedule hasn’t changed. We’re looking to have a contractor on board at the very early start of 2024, and (to) still have construction completed in time for the school year in 2025.” ...

Warden Elementary cuts ribbon on new playground

WARDEN — The rules for using the new playground equipment at Warden Elementary School are fairly simple, according to Principal Curtis Weber. “When we’re on the swing, we have to sit on our bottoms only,” Weber said as he spoke to a large gathering of Warden Elementary students sitting outside. “You can face either direction if you want to, but you have to sit on your bottom.” ...

‘Beautiful cars’

Spring Festival car show fills the street with cool rides

MOSES LAKE — Two full blocks of cool cars. Their owners thought so, of course, and so did the spectators that filled West Third Avenue in front of Frontier Middle School for the Spring Festival car show Saturday. “Beautiful cars. Beautiful cars I haven’t seen in years,” said Noland Dominguez of the Lakesiders Car Club...

RECAP: State tennis results

COLUMBIA BASIN – Eight tennis players from the Columbia Basin advanced to state tournaments across the state, with four placing in the 4A and 2A classifications.

Knights place second in 1A state tournament

Nearly 18-hour delay forces final three innings to be played on Sunday

RICHLAND – From the first pitch to the final out, It took 17 hours and 32 minutes to decide the winner of Saturday’s 1A State Fastpitch Softball Tournament, as the Montesano Bulldogs outlasted a weather delay that postponed the late innings to be played on Sunday morning, and defeated Royal 8-2.

Mavs fall to Richland, Eastmont in 4A tournament

RICHLAND – In its return to the 4A State Softball Tournament, the No. 13 Moses Lake Mavericks fell 7-1 to No. 4 Richland in the first round and 5-1 to No. 12 Eastmont in the first round of the consolation bracket at Columbia Playfield in Richland on Friday. Moses Lake was held to two hits against the Bombers and five hits against the Wildcats.

Ann Klobucher

Ann Frances (Schlaefer) Klobucher passed away on May 22, 2023, at the grand age of 102. Born to Boyd and Frances Schlaefer in Spokane, Washington on March 7, 1921, Ann moved with her family to Forks, Washington when she and her younger brother and sister were quite young. Her parents started the first telephone company on the Olympic Peninsula. She had many stories of operating the old-fashioned switchboard with party lines when she was in high school and home on break from Washington State College (now Washington State University). College was where she met her future husband, Victor W. Klobucher Jr., who happened to be the lab teaching assistant in her chemistry class. They were married on Febr. 6, 1945. She fell in love with dance during college and she and Vic enjoyed dancing throughout their marriage. Following Vic's discharge from the Army at the end of World War II, Ann and Vic moved around the United States to his various National Weather Service assignments, and then to medical school in Portland, Oregon.

State golf results; Round 2 - 2023

WASHINGTON – In this week’s state golf tournaments, nine Basin golfers qualified for Round 2 of their respective tournaments, including four with top-15 finishes...

Five Basin squads move on to state softball tournaments

COLUMBIA BASIN – State tournaments have finally arrived for five local softball teams, with ACH, Moses Lake, Othello, Royal and Warden all moving on to the final weekend of the season in their respective classifications. ...

Ephrata to host 2B,1B state baseball this weekend

EPHRATA – The 2B/1B State Baseball Tournament will be hosted at Ephrata High School on Friday and Saturday, the first time the school has hosted a state championship event, according to a release by the Ephrata School District. Semifinal games for both the 2B and 1B classifications are on Friday beginning at 10 a.m., with Mount Vernon Christian taking on Liberty Christian in the 1B semifinals. State championship games and third/fourth-place games will be held on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. Each game will begin 45 minutes after the conclusion of the previous game.

Eight Basin tennis players move on to state

COLUMBIA BASIN – Eight Columbia Basin tennis players are heading to state tournaments across the state this weekend. See below for first-round matchups from each of the five tournaments...

‘Big Bend Changed that for me’

Cellarbration! raises money for BBCC students

MOSES LAKE — The community once again showed its commitment to education Saturday with a full turnout at Big Bend Community College Foundation’s 22nd annual Cellarbration! For Education banquet and auction. The event, which brought in about 225 people, raised $167,000 to put toward scholarships for Big Bend Community College students, according to college spokesman Matt Killebrew.

Moses Lake’s Araiza, Bone sign to play college football at Whitworth

MOSES LAKE – Maverick seniors Iden Bone and David Araiza signed their national letter of intent to play college football at Whitworth University on Tuesday, sending the Moses Lake duo to Spokane. “I’m happy,” Araiza said. “Here with my family, all the hard work for four years. It’s really exciting going to play at the next level.”