MLSD facility fees could shut down, cripple after-school programs

MOSES LAKE -- The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin may not be able to offer services at multiple Moses Lake School District campuses if proposed facility usage fees are implemented, the organization’s executive director, Kim Pope said in a Thursday interview.

Ephrata Library offers summer activities

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Public Library, part of the NCW Libraries system, has spent this summer celebrating a theme of “Read, Renew, Repeat” to keep children engaged in reading. The goal is to keep children reading and learning, library staff said.

Pirate regatta returns to Camas Cove Sept. 1

MOSES LAKE — Raiding and pillaging will be the order of the day Sept. 1 at the Camas Cove Pirate Regatta, according to organizer and Camas Cove Cellars co-owner Kathleen Parr. “And massive squirt gun battles,” Parr added.

Enrollment decline projected in Othello School District budget

OTHELLO — Othello School District officials are projecting lower enrollment for the 2024-25 school year and expect enrollment to keep decreasing in the future. District officials will sponsor a question-and-answer session on the 2024-25 budget for Othello School Board members and district patrons 1 p.m. Thursday in the district office, 1025 South First Ave. Amy Suarez, OSD executive director of business services, said it’s time to start looking at the future and getting ready for it. “I want to take you back to last year when we said, ‘We’re going to kick the rock down the road a little bit.’ This year we’re going to pretend that rock is a soda can. What happens when you kick it down the road? It explodes and goes everywhere. That’s what we’re trying to prevent,” Suarez said during a budget presentation Aug. 12.

New high in entries at Moses Lake Roundup

MOSES LAKE — Nearly 600 entries were made into the 81st Moses Lake Roundup, marking a new high in both contestants throughout the weekend of competition.

Quincy SD implements AI policy, other districts exploring similar action

QUINCY — The Quincy School District will add the use of artificial intelligence to the list of online uses subject to district policy, beginning with the 2024-25 school year. The rise of AI presents challenges for schools that QSD officials said needed addressing, and school districts across the Columbia Basin are reviewing policies and determining how they want to address it.

Washington Lands Commissioner primary race heads toward a recount

(The Center Square) – With fewer than 270 votes separating candidates in the second spot for Washington Commissioner of Public Lands, it appears a recount will be required.

Quincy School District to restrict use of cell phones

QUINCY — Student use of cell phones in the Quincy School District will be restricted during the school day under the provisions of a new policy to be implemented Nov. 12. “We would kick it off right after parent conferences,” said Quincy Middle School Principal Scott Ramsey during a presentation at the Aug. 13 Quincy School Board meeting. Quincy Superintendent Nik Bergman said different restrictions will be implemented at different grade levels.

Merrill Spence

Nov. 19, 1924 — Aug. 18, 2024

Merrill Harold Spence, 99, passed at his home on August 18, 2024. A few years ago, Merrill composed the following obituary: Merrill was born on November 19, 1924, to Harold and Mary Spence in Seattle, Washington.

‘It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year’

Effort by nonprofit food vendors at Grant County Fair yields good return

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Lions lion ears were a hit. “I’ve been waiting for these,” a customer said, as she sat down at the picnic table.

Roaring good time

Agri-Service Demo Derby and motorcycle barrel racing draws enthusiastic crowd

MOSES LAKE — There’s something very American about a demolition derby: only a country as obsessed with cars as ours would make a sport out of destroying them. It’s a game of high-speed bumper cars played with tons of metal, roaring engines and flying dirt making the air – and sometimes the audience – as gritty as a spaghetti western.

Desert Artists featured at the Grant County Fair

MOSES LAKE — At the Grant County Fair, there’s a Commercial Building where fairgoers can find things for sale, and there’s an Arts and Crafts building where people can find paintings, drawings and other visual art. Up at the north end of Yarbro Avenue there’s also a building that’s kind of a hybrid, where the Desert Artists have their works out for display and – hopefully, anyway – sale.

ROAD REPORT: Repaving work underway on Road H SE

POTHOLES RESERVOIR — Drivers thinking of using Road H Southeast between Potholes Reservoir and Othello should be prepared for delays as the road gets rebuilt.

Master Gardener plant clinic gives home gardeners a little inside knowledge

MOSES LAKE — The WSU Grant-Adams County Master Gardeners have been at the Grant County Fair this week, answering questions from the public and offering tips for more eco-friendly gardening. They weren’t quite as busy this year as last, said Mary Love, who was staffing the booth with Bobbie Bodenman, because the weather wasn’t as hot. “Last year, people came in and they went ‘whew!’ and they were looking for excuses to stay,” Love said. “They would come over here and they’d think of something to ask us so they could stay (in the air conditioning) longer.” The master gardeners were ready to answer questions of all kinds and had displays about worm composting, sheet composting and something called Hugelkultur, a method of growing a garden without irrigation or fertilization that’s popular in Germany and Eastern Europe. They also had lots of information about bees and how to encourage bee-friendly plants.

Battle Buddies fundraiser brings in $10,000

Ephrata Legionnaires pull together to support nonprofit fighting PTSD with all four paws.

EPHRATA - The American Legion Art Semro Post and Unit 28 held a fundraiser Saturday to raise money for Northwest Battle Buddies, a nonprofit that gifts professionally trained service dogs to veterans battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD.

Home Ec building at the fair a reminder of a bygone age

MOSES LAKE — A traveler from a century ago would recognize the craftsmanship of the displays in the Home Economics Building at the Grant County Fair, possibly more readily than a modern observer.

Grant County Fair officially begins

MOSES LAKE - The Grant County Fair had its opening ceremony yesterday at 10 a.m. around AN empty flagpole with an audience of more than 100 people. The smell of fried goods and livestock filled the air.

Votes show likely Herrera Beutler vs Upthegrove in race for lands commissioner

(The Center Square) - In a race that remains too close to call for the second-place finisher, Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler has secured her top spot for Washington state’s next public lands commissioner.

Federal bill calls for open primaries nationwide

(The Center Square) – A new bill pending in Congress would mandate open primaries across the country, giving roughly 23.5 million registered independents a chance to nominate candidates for federal office.

Grant County Fair opens today for five-day run

MOSES LAKE — Measuring the ingredients for the first batch of elephant ears – no, no, Lion ears – was not an exact science. The proportions of spices added to the mix might’ve been off a little bit. But Susan Hickok, who was leading a refresher for the volunteers in the Moses Lake Lions Club booth at the Grant County Fairgrounds Monday morning, was philosophical. “It’s day one. That’s how it is,” Hickok said. The Lions were installing their cash register, vendors were working to set up their booths in the Commercial Building, entries were being dropped off in the Agriculture and Arts and Crafts buildings. The Grant County Fair starts its 2024 run today.