Baird Springs fire calming, others burn statewide

CRESCENT BAR — Evacuation warnings were downgraded Wednesday morning to Level 1 for the Crescent Bar and Trinidad communities just north of Quincy, according to a statement from Southeast Washington Incident Management Team 1, which is in charge of firefighting efforts...

Beckie's on 1st Ave.

Boutique celebrates the one-year anniversary of store moving

EPHRATA – Beckie Lewis is the proud owner of Beckie’s on First and The Kids Kloset on First Avenue in Ephrata where they sell a variety of clothing and other items. This year they celebrate the one year anniversary of moving the store into the new building.

Fire report for July 11, 2023

MOSES LAKE — Basin fire crews were kept busy over the weekend, with a couple of sizable brush fires that fortunately involved no injuries or structure damage, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Foreman.

Outlet of support

Grocery Outlet owners, customers work to help the community

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Grocery Outlet co-owner Kris Emerson said the store’s involvement in community projects is a way to pass on the support that was given to her and husband Paul, back in the beginning...

Legals for July, 6 2023

Washington fire update for July 6

OTHELLO — An Othello-area home was completely destroyed by fire in the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to a statement from Adams County Fire District 5. Two vehicles were also destroyed, but all occupants got out of the house safely. The investigation determined that the cause of the fire was fireworks that had been collected and placed in a trash can...

EPA allocates $1.17 million to improve access to drinking water in Washington

SEATTLE – The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday they are allocating $1.17 million in grant funds for disadvantaged communities in Washington state to support access to clean and safe drinking water...

Reyna convicted in Adams Co. Jail attack

RITZVILLE — A man who assaulted his cellmate and a corrections officer at Adams County Jail has been found guilty, according to a statement from Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner...

Othello juice bar burglarized two weeks before opening

OTHELLO – Heavenly Fresh, a juice bar located at 126 East Hemlock Street in Othello, was burgled of more than $5,000 of gaming and computer equipment the morning of June 14, just two weeks shy of its official opening. “We’ve lived here our whole life and we’ve never had something like this happen before,” said Emily Cordero, who started Heavenly Fresh with her husband Salvador De Jesus Solano. “I’m 21, it’s my first business, so it was a very big shock.” ...

GCSO will up water safety enforcement

EPHRATA — Operation Dry Water, a national boating under the influence awareness and enforcement campaign, begins Saturday, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office...

Wildfire update for June 29, 2023

EPHRATA – According to the Washington Department of Natural Resources, only two significant fires were burning in the state as of Wednesday afternoon. To date, Washington has had 598 wildfires reported and just less than 17,000 acres have been burned as a result. Of those, 142 fires were caused by debris burning such as in a trash pit and 116 have undetermined causes. May and June have been the busiest fire months with 121 occurring in May and 123 in June so far. May saw 191 DNR managed acres burned, while that number has jumped to 909 in June, to date...

Celebrating safely

Fireworks restrictions vary across county, but safe mindset it key.

COLUMBIA BASIN — Independence Day is next Tuesday and residents can expect a lot of booms, bangs and whistles, but in a dry climate like this, fireworks get out of hand easily and set off wildfires, said Grant County Fire District 7 Chief Chris Baker. “We have warmer, drier conditions that are going to be affecting the area,” Baker said. “In our jurisdiction, especially the north portion, we haven't had a whole lot of fires in recent years, so we have a lot of light, flashy fuels that are of concern. And of course, the increase in vacationers in the area means that there's a potential for even more issues. If we do have a fire that means evacuations, potential for people to get trapped, things like that.” ...

Temp staff costs push up Samaritan expenses

MOSES LAKE — The effort to recruit employees to fill open positions at Samaritan Healthcare may not bear fruit until 2024. Samaritan Chief Administrative Officer Alex Town said temporary employee expenses have not dropped as much as hospital officials hoped...

CWU police expect therapy dog to make positive impacts

ELLENSBURG - The Central Washington University Police Department has a new best friend. And once the rest of campus gets to know him, they will, too. During a brief ceremony on May 30, Chief Jason Berthon-Koch swore in Archie, a therapy dog and the newest member of the police department. In a letter to colleagues, the chief said Archie's primary mission will be to provide support, comfort, and stress relief to CWU students, faculty, and staff — and "lend a helping paw when it matters the most." ...

Legals for June, 23 2023

George council OKs chickens, tables park district

GEORGE — Pavement, parks and poultry were among the topics of discussion at the George City Council meeting Tuesday. The first order of business was bids for street improvements to North Washington Way and East Montmorency Boulevard. The low bidder was Wheeler Excavation, which City Attorney Chuck Zimmerman pointed out had performed street improvements on South Washington Way. The council voted to award the contract to Wheeler for just less than $1.2 million...

News Bites for June 20, 2023

OTHELLO — Caring Neighbors, a nonprofit established by Big Bend Energy Cooperative, donated $2,375 to Adams County Fire District 5 on Thursday, according to an announcement from ACFD 5. The money will help to fund the replacement of older extrication tools, the announcement said.

News Bites for June 16

EPHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is asking for concertgoers to be careful at the Gorge Amphitheater this summer. They recommend taking the following steps to be safe...

Royal parents learn to identify drug risk factors

ROYAL CITY — Between 20 and 30 people gathered at Royal Intermediate School June 8 for Healthy Youth, Healthy Families. The bilingual event, sponsored by Educational Service District 105, among other organizations, was designed to help families identify signs of substance abuse in youth. “My demographic right now is particularly 10- to 13-year-olds,” said Ariana Martinez, a student assistance professional for ESD 105 attached to the Royal School District. “They're the ones kind of keeping up with the Tik Tok trends, whether that's using tampons to get drunk, putting them in alcohol, or challenges (to see) who can show up the highest at school and not get caught.” ...

Knox hired as Ephrata boys wrestling coach

EPHRATA – The Ephrata School District announced that Joe Knox will be taking over the Tiger boys wrestling program in a release on Tuesday. According to the release, the selection committee sought an experienced leader, with a strong background in both coaching and building relationships with student-athletes...