Dertings named GCCA Cattlemen of the Year

EPHRATA, WASH. – Will and Nicole Derting were recognized as the 2022 Grant County Cattlemen of the Year at the Grant County Cattlemen’s Association banquet in January...

Bill supports state employees fired over vaccine mandate

OLYMPIA – House Bill 1814, if passed, would prioritize reemployment and pension service credit of public employees separated from service due to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate...

Nurse license compact passes committee

OLYMPIA — A bill allowing Washington to join the interstate Nursing Licensure Compact passed the House Committee on Postsecondary Education and Workforce Friday. “We’re prioritizing the areas where we have a lack of workers,” said Rep. Alex Ybarra (R-Quincy), the ranking member on the Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee. Ybarra said the House has already passed interstate compacts for dentists, dental hygienists, speech-language therapists and mental health counselors this session. There is also a bill for an interstate compact for massage therapy but it has not gotten out of committee...

WA House committee considers traffic stops, train length and per-mile tax

OLYMPIA — Washington legislators are considering a trio of bills that, if passed, would alter what law enforcement officers can do during traffic stops, limit the length of trains in the state, and establish a voluntary pilot program statewide to charge vehicles a per-mile road use tax. During a hearing of the Washington State House of Representatives Transportation Committee on Tuesday, legislators discussed a measure, House Bill 1513, from Rep. Chipalo Street, D-Seattle, that would limit the ability of police officers, sheriff's deputies and Washington State Patrol officers to use traffic stops for non-moving violations like busted tail-lights.

Meeting will determine what’s required to reopen Adams Co. Jail

RITZVILLE — What it will take to reopen the Adams County Jail, and how to make plans for the jail’s future, was the subject of an hour-long discussion at the Adams County Commission meeting Tuesday. “We need to start coming up with an actual game plan to address what we currently have, and what we’re going to do going forward,” Wagner said. “And it needs to be faster than slower.” The jail was closed and has been the subject of continuing discussions among the commissioners and Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner. Wagner said the jail actually has been a subject of discussion between different commissioners and three different sheriffs for over a decade, and it needs attention now...

Adams Co. economy shows signs of slowing in December

RITZVILLE — After declining for 19 consecutive months, the year-over-year unemployment rate in Adams County increased in November and December 2022. The county’s unemployment rate in December 2022 was 7.6%, up from 5.9% in December 2021. Unemployment also increased between November and December 2022. November’s unemployment rate was 4.9%...

MLHS Torres signs with Wenatchee Valley

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake High School’s Jazlynn Torres signed to play both volleyball and softball with Wenatchee Valley Community College Tuesday. “She’s consistent, she’s coachable, she’s a leader,” said MLHS softball coach Mike Hofheins. “I mean, she’s got all those things, those check marks you want for a college athlete so she’s going to be a huge asset to Wenatchee.” Being able to play both sports was a large part of her decision to choose WVCC, Torres said...

Not spring yet

Temperatures in low teens to return this week

COLUMBIA BASIN — Spring is coming, isn’t it? After all, temperatures crept north of 50 degrees over the weekend - in fact they got close to 60 degrees. February is almost over, so that winter weather, those cold temperatures heading down toward zero, that’s all in the rear-view mirror, right? ...

Advocates press for highly capable testing for all students

OLYMPIA - School districts should be required to test all students to see if they qualify for more challenging classes. That is the message behind Substitute Senate Bill 5072, proposed by T’wina Nobles, D-Fircrest. It requires districts to screen all students during the school day for participation in a “Highly Capable Program (HCP)...

Mavs swim best times at state

FEDERAL WAY – The Moses Lake Mavericks left this weekend’s State Boys Swimming and Diving Championships in Federal Way with their heads high, and some new personal bests to hang their hats on. Moses Lake had swimmers advance to the finals in six different events and placed 20th as a team with 28.5 points...

Huskies take third at 2A Mat Classic

Othello’s Freeman wins 195-pound title, capping high school career

TACOMA – The Othello Huskies finished third at the 2A Mat Classic for the second-straight year over the weekend, and senior Terrill Freeman wrapped up his high school career with a state title in the 195-pound bracket. Othello, who had 11 wrestlers qualify to compete at the Mat Classic in Tacoma, had eight wrestlers place; junior Isaac Campos (113), freshman Mason Russell (120), junior Anthony Abundiz (126), senior Forrest Roylance (138), senior Brandon Garza (182), Freeman (195) and senior Josue Solorio all took home medals...

RECAP: Mat Classic placings

TACOMA – Thirty-four Basin athletes placed at the 2023 Mat Classic at the Tacoma Dome over the weekend, including Moses Lake’s Ashley Naranjo, Royal’s Alondra Morales and Othello’s Terrill Freeman taking home state titles. See below for a full list of Mat Classic placers, including scores for teams.

Royal girls take third at Mat Classic

Three Knights place, Morales takes second straight title

TACOMA – Just like last year, Royal senior Alondra Morales returned to Royal City with a state championship after defeating Toppenish freshman Islah Alcala in the 145-pound finals of the girls 2A/1A/2B/1B Mat Classic...

Mavs girls take gold

Moses Lake hits the mat in Tacoma and leaves with championship

TACOMA – After taking sixth in the girls division at last year’s Mat Classic, the Mavericks came out on top at the Tacoma Dome this weekend and took home a first-place trophy and scored 136 points as a team. This year’s girls wrestling season was the first to divide the girls into two separate brackets; a division for 3A/4A schools, and a division for 2A/1A/2B/1B schools...

Evergreen State looks to go greener

Renewable energy topic of conversation at Capitol as Washington legislative session rolls on.

OLYMPIA – Looking to go green, the Washington House and Senate are considering a bill requested by the governor that would identify possible clean energy sites across the state and create a council to evaluate clean energy projects with the goal of transitioning off fossil fuels. “Eastern Washington is blessed by incredible things the Creator has given, which is water, beautiful topsoil, great growing conditions; but the Creator also gave them the two biggest resources of energy which is the sun and the wind,” Washington Governor Jay Inslee told the Herald...

State dinosaur passes House chamber

OLYMPIA – A bill, designating the Suciasaurus Rex as the official state dinosaur, passed the Washington House of Representatives Monday. “This is a DINO-mite piece of legislation,” said Representative Melanie Morgan (D-Parkland) on the House floor...

Rodriguez signs with Yakima Valley Community College

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake High School soccer player Abril Rodriguez will take the field for Yakima Valley Community College next fall. Rodriguez signed a letter of intent to attend YVCC last week. “It was close to home, and the coach was very friendly. I thought we could work well together,” Rodriguez said. “And I just really liked the campus, too.”

A day in the life of a legislator

Showing what it's like to work in Olympia

OLYMPIA - During session, legislators have many different things that they do throughout the day and Senator Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake) gave an insight to what that looked like last week. “The people I meet and being able to help solve problems,” Warnick said, is her favorite part of being a legislator.

Weather for Monday, Feb. 20, 2023

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 54. Southwest wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Monday night should be mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Breezy. Tuesday: A chance of rain and snow, mainly after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 46, and breezy. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Tuesday night is looking at a 30% chance of snow, mainly before 10 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Blustery. Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 26 and windy. Wednesday night is expected to be mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. Blustery. Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 24, while Thursday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 10. Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 30.

ML to fund 2023 fireworks, looking at Ag Parade drone show

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake City Council voted to hold a traditional 4th of July fireworks celebration in McCosh Park this year, but is also looking at the possibility of having a drone show as part of the annual Ag Parade later in the year. Speaking at a regular meeting of the council on Tuesday, Moses Lake Museum and Art Center Manager Dollie Boyd said the city’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department would organize this year’s fireworks display since neither the Downtown Moses Lake Association nor the Moses Lake Farmers Market wanted to take on the task.