MLHS grad makes chancellor's list

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Moses Lake High School graduate Taylor Carpenter has been named to the fall 2022 Chancellor’s List at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, according to a university press release...

Othello continues water project research

OTHELLO — Water supply and getting additional water were the subject of a substantial discussion at Monday’s Othello City Council meeting. Council members approved a $25,000 contract with Aspect Consulting LLC, and council member John Lallas said the contracted services will build on work already done. “This is in addition to the previous study we already paid for,” Lallas said. “They compiled a bunch of data. Now they’ve got to do further work with that data to satisfy the requirements of continuing (the project).” ...

Copenhaver to take helm at RMS

ROYAL CITY — Jerred Copenhaver will be the new principal at Royal Middle School, according to a statement from the Royal School District...

Othello Community Hospital announces births for March 2023

OTHELLO – Congratulations to the families below who welcomed new members to the Columbia Basin in March at the Othello Community Hospital...

Basin sports schedule April 12-18

COLUMBIA BASIN — With schools returning from spring break, spring sports teams around the Basin are returning to a full slate of games, matches and meets. Check out this week’s sports schedule for a complete listing of this week’s events. Wednesday, April 12 Gamble Sands Girls Golf Invite - begins at 1 p.m., includes Ephrata, Quincy and Royal. LRS tennis at Chewelah - 3 p.m. Moses Lake softball vs Richand - 4 p.m. Quincy baseball vs Cashmere - 4:30 p.m.

Othello’s Little Guy program wrestles well at state tournament

SPOKANE — Thirty-two Othello youth wrestlers competed at the Jason Crawford Memorial Wrestling tournament in Spokane over the weekend, with many bringing home placements and successful experiences from the tournament. Fourteen Othello wrestlers competed in the finals, with eight bringing home titles. Overall, 23 wrestlers brought home medals “They did really well, everyone seems to be really happy with their performance,” said Abraham Gonzalez, head coach of the Othello Little Guy wrestling program. “All the kids seemed to really enjoy the experience. It was pretty cool being on such a big stage compared to when I was there and it was a lot smaller venue.”

‘Proudly fueled by sugar’

Big Bend Percussion works to impress audiences with high-tempo show.

MOSES LAKE – Big Bend Vikings Percussion is a musical group for the college that performs music using various percussion instruments. The Group recently won first in state and is led by Big Bend’s music instructor John Owens who was able to share more about the group. “It’s basically marching percussion meets concert percussion,” he said. “We have marimbas, vibraphone, drum set, bass and guitars, and then we have snare drums tenors, and multiple bass drums.” ...

CJ's Custom Meats cuts ribbon

MOSES LAKE - CJ's Custom Meats staff and members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce gathered Monday for a formal ribbon cutting at the business's shop in downtown Moses Lake. The business sells a variety of meats along with outdoor cooking equipment.

Burglary arrest, wreck, mental health call keep GCSO busy over weekend

EPHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office arrested Eliseo Valdobinos, 22, of Quincy Friday in association with investigations into multiple daytime burglaries, according to a GCSO statement...

Fire season approaching

Preparation can help reduce the potential for damage from wildfires, say firefighters.

MOSES LAKE — It’s spring at last - sun, warmer temperatures, longer days. Unfortunately, spring brings with it an increased risk of wildfires, even in early spring. “We’re starting to have wildland fires and we’re in April. The vegetation is starting to dry out,” said Cpt. Travis Svilar of Grant County Fire District 5. People whose residences could be vulnerable to wildfire can - and should - take precautions to make their property less susceptible, according to local fire officials. Grant County Fire District 3 Chief Tony Leibelt said the potential for people to get in the way of a fire has increased as development has pushed further and further into previously undeveloped land. He cited the Wenatchee area as an example, with more homes being developed among stands of trees...

Changes recommended to Quincy sewer accounting

QUINCY — Auditors with the Washington Auditor’s Office recommended city of Quincy officials “strengthen internal controls” over billing for its wastewater treatment system in a management letter attached to the city’s 2020-21 audit released last week...

Samaritan Healthcare construction bond goes to voters

MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare voters will be asked to approve or reject a $130 million construction bond request in a special election April 25. Ballots were mailed to voters late last week, according to officials at the Grant County Auditor’s Office. If the bond is approved, property owners would pay $1.10 per $1,000 of assessed property value. If it’s approved, the owner of land assessed at 250,000 would pay $275 per year, and the owners of property assessed at $300,000 would pay $330 per year. The bond has a 30-year payback provision. Samaritan Hospital commissioners voted to approve the construction of a new hospital in October 2018. Chief Executive Officer Theresa Sullivan said that originally district officials and commissioners thought a bond wouldn’t be required to help pay for the project...

Bill abolishing advisory votes passes WA House

OLYMPIA – The State House of Representatives passed legislation Monday, sponsored by Sen. Patty Kuderer (D-Bellevue), to remove the state’s requirement for advisory votes on revenue legislation...

MLIRD bill passes

County treasurer says there is still a problem

OLYMPIA – Senate Bill 5460, a bill intended to restore Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District’s ability to fund itself, passed the state House Wednesday. The bill doesn’t hit the mark according to local officials, but legislators feel that it at least restores MLIRD’s ability to raise money. “I think what we’ve done with that (bill) is allow it to continue to be effective for the community and continue to assess what’s needed to meet the (MLIRD) budget,” said Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake), prime sponsor of the bill. The bill, which has passed both the House and Senate unanimously, specifically applies to Moses Lake because the MLIRD is the only district of its kind in the state. Due to this special circumstance, and the legislation that applied to the special district had been recently ruled on in county court, current legislation wasn’t sufficient to meet the district’s needs in being able to assess and collect the assessments. However, the passed legislation limits the amount of money that can be raised to about $150,000 when past budgets for the district have called for roughly $2 million or a little less...

Diamond recap: Basebal and softball in the Basin

COLUMBIA BASIN – Even though several baseball and softball teams across the Basin had last week off for spring break, a handful of local squads took to the field for game action. See below for an update on how teams fared along with upcoming games for this week. All scores are according to the WIAA...

Relevant classic

Mavs drama students to present ‘Little Women’

MOSES LAKE — The classic tale of four sisters growing to adulthood comes to the Moses Lake High School stage this week. The MLHS production of “Little Women” opens Friday at the theater, 803 E. Sharon Ave. “Little Women” is the story of the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, growing up in a small Massachusetts town during the Civil War. The family has its challenges - their father is a military chaplain, off on the front lines, and even when he’s home there’s not enough money...

House work: A day in the office with Wash. Rep. Tom Dent

OLYMPIA — A day in the life of a legislator never looks the same from one day to the next, but here’s a snippet into a day at the Capitol for Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake. Wednesday, April 5, started with a meeting at 7 a.m. for Dent for a weekly media interview to discuss various bills. After discussing proposed legislation such as House Bill 1134 that implements supporting infrastructure to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Dent headed from his office in the John L. O'Brien Building to the Capitol Building only a few hundred feet away...

WSU Department of Viticulture and Enology outlines future at WineVit conference

KENNEWICK - The WineVit conference recently returned to Kennewick, Washington, drawing a multitude of Washington State University faculty, students, and staff, as well as grape growers, tasting room managers, and other Washington wine industry players. The event, which serves as a catalyst for growth and innovation in the industry, highlighted the V&E department’s efforts in key research areas such as grapevine disease and pest management, clean plant certification, and hyper-accurate weather data. It also highlighted how the department is preparing graduates for successful careers...

Knights joust Jacks

Seven-run fifth inning sends Royal to win over Quincy

ROYAL CITY – A seven-run fifth inning helped propel the Royal Knights over Quincy Saturday morning, eventually going on to win 9-5 over the Jacks. “A lot of progress,” Royal Head Coach Brandon Jenks said. “We’re a very young team, missing a few kids that we would have liked to have out, but these kids are growing and getting better every day. A lot of perseverance.” ...

Mavs split doubleheader to Eastmont

EAST WENATCHEE – After falling 2-1 in extra innings in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday to Eastmont, the Moses Lake Mavericks came out strong in the nightcap to ride out to a 5-3 win over the Wildcats. “I think the biggest thing was we didn’t come prepared today,” Moses Lake Head Coach Donnie Lindgren said. “For whatever reason, there’s no excuse. We didn’t have the energy and effort that we’ve normally had. That was the most disappointing thing, we just weren’t ready to go.” ...