Area students make UW dean’s list

SEATTLE – Students from the Columbia Basin have been named to the Dean's List at the University of Washington for the Spring 2023 quarter. To qualify for the dean's list, a student must have completed at least 12 graded credits and have a grade point average of at least 3.5...

Baseball season swings into action

Warden and ACH start strong as other teams work to ramp up.

COLUMBIA BASIN – Baseball season is in full swing here in the Columbia Basin. See below for a recap of each team’s games over the past week, complete with scores and team records. All scores and records are according to the WIAA...

An 80-hour week is child’s play

Ephrata realtor thrives on job she loves to pass time with.

EPHRATA – For Kim Meaney Randolph of Ephrata, an 80-hour work week is normal, but only because she loves what she is doing. Randolph, a real estate agent with Kellar-Williams, has a very outgoing personality and has a passion for the Basin...

Rough morning

QUINCY - The Grant County Sheriffs Office responded to an accident near the intersection of Adams Road North and Road 9 NW Monday morning. The driver had fled the scene of the accident wherein the pictured vehicle hit a power pole, causing an unspecified number of Grant PUD customers to go without power for a time. The investigating deputy later made contact with the driver, who was not arrested. The unnamed driver told GCSO he’d fallen asleep behind the wheel on his way home from working a night shift. GCSO officials said no decision had yet been made on whether to file charges against the driver.

Chapman serves as page for Ybarra

OLYMPIA – Jacob Chapman, 15, a Selah homeschool student, recently traveled to Olympia to serve as a page in the state House of Representatives by sponsorship from District 13 Representative Alex Ybarra. "It was a pleasure sponsoring Jacob," said Ybarra (R-Quincy), in a release by his office. "I hope he enjoyed his week at the state Capitol making new friends and learning the ropes at the Legislature. I know he represented the 13th District well." ...

Pioneering espresso stand still brewing strong in Othello

OTHELLO — Kelly Carvo said her husband Kevin was skeptical when she told him she wanted to open a drive-thru espresso stand. After all, espresso stands weren’t as popular and widespread in 2001. “We went back and forth for five years. And he kept telling me, ‘It’s a fad, it’s going to go away,’” she said. “I wanted to do it for so long.”

Warriors draw 1-1 to Wolves

MATTAWA – The Wahluke Warriors left the field with a 1-1 draw against Wapato on Saturday after both squads couldn’t break a second-half tie. Wapato and Wahluke traded goals just before the second half but couldn’t convert shots in the second half. “We need to create space and move off the ball,” Wahluke senior Orlando Nunez said. “Just go for it. Some of those, we hesitate to take some (shots). Sometimes we’ve just got to let it go.”

Two men arrested in connection with stolen lawnmower

SOAP LAKE — Two Moses Lake men were arrested on suspicion of second-degree vehicle prowling, second-degree theft and second-degree criminal trespassing after allegedly stealing equipment from a property near Soap Lake. Troy Hughes, 43, and Gabriel Gonzalez, 43, were arrested Thursday afternoon, according to a release from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred in the 2000 block of Road 20 NE.

Development, housing to be subject of Mattawa workshop

MATTAWA — Mattawa residents are being invited to review some of the ideas for regulating development and adding housing at a workshop scheduled for 6 p.m. March 30 at the Mattawa City Hall, 521 Government Rd. Spanish translation will be provided.

Search leads to catalytic converter seizure

KENNEWICK — Hundreds of catalytic converters were seized from a Kennewick business a day after the search of a Moses Lake business and home by officers with the Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement officers served a search warrant at PDX Scrap Metal Wednesday afternoon, according to a GCSO press release. They seized 533 catalytic converters, the press release said, as well as raw materials from catalytic converter cores and equipment used to extract precious metals from catalytic converters.

Grant County tax statements mailed

EPHRATA — Grant County property owners who have not received tax statements by today should contact the Grant County Treasurer’s Office, according to a press release from the GCTO. Grant County Treasurer Darryl Pheasant wrote that tax statements have been mailed, including statements to landowners with delinquent taxes and assessments. Treasurer’s office employees are working on amended statements for property owners who made changes after the original statements were written, he wrote.

Big Bend looks to increase Mattawa offerings

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College is looking at expanding the college’s offerings in Mattawa, according to President Sara Thompson Tweedy during a meeting of the BBCC Board of Trustees on Wednesday. Tweedy said the college teaches English language classes, high school completion courses, a commercial driver's license class, pre-elementary education, and business information and management classes in Mattawa. Tweedy said the college is looking at offering medical receptionist certificates, medical assisting, and college in the high school.

Newhouse hears from Central WA constituents about priorities for Farm Bill

BENTON CITY – Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Yakima, held three roundtable discussions in Central Washington this week to discuss priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill from farmers and other industry professionals. “We want to get it right,” said Newhouse. “We want to make sure the Farm Bill actually helps; all the places it can be improved and the programs that we have that could work better – areas that may need to be beefed up a little.”

Basin Winter Sports all-league lists

COLUMBIA BASIN – Over 150 high school athletes in the Columbia Basin earned all-conference awards for their achievements in the 2022-2023 winter sports season. See below for a list of those athletes, including a handful of players of the year.

Warrants served in catalytic converter trafficking case

MOSES LAKE - Search warrants were served at a business and home along Stratford Road Wednesday morning in connection with the suspected trafficking of catalytic converters. “Catalytic converters (thefts) are a hot topic again, with so many going on, so we want people to know that we've identified at least some of the people who are involved in that crime enterprise,” said Kyle Foreman, Public Information Officer for the Grant County Sheriff’s Office...

State wealth tax bill garners support in WA Senate hearing

OLYMPIA – A bill currently before the Washington State Senate would levy a special wealth tax on financial assets with an assessed value of more than $250 million. “We have an upside-down tax code that’s deeply in need of reform, and we continue to have massive needs for investments in education, housing, services for those with disabilities, and so much more,” said Senator Noel Frame, sponsor of Senate Bill 5486...

WA Senate passes bill to create battery recycling program

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Legislature is looking at a measure that legislators hope will increase battery recycling in the state. “We know that the use of batteries will continue to increase and it’s urgent we take action to ensure these products containing hazardous materials don’t continue to pile up in our landfills or other places they can cause health and safety concerns,” Sen. Derek Stanford, D-Bothell, sponsor of Senate Bill 5144, said in a press release...

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...

Royal City man arrested on cocaine charges

ROYAL CITY — A Royal City man was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute following a search of his home Wednesday.

Summer fixes

Quincy School District schedules summer remodeling projects

QUINCY — Quincy School District officials will remodel the former High Tech High building into a new district office this summer, among other projects, at an estimated cost of about $842,000. Quincy School Board members reviewed the list of construction projects and how district officials will pay for them at the regular meeting Tuesday...