Othello man arrested in connection with house fire

OTHELLO — An Othello man was arrested on suspicion of arson Wednesday following a Tuesday afternoon fire that destroyed a trailer about one mile west of Othello. No one was injured. Petronilo Osorio-Mendoza, 35,was arrested on suspicion of first-degree arson, burning a dwelling, according to a statement from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. The fire was reported at about 3:15 p.m. in the 600 block of Danielle Road. Law enforcement and firefighters arrived to find the home fully engulfed in flames. Adams County Fire District 5 Chief Gary Lebacken said 10 firefighters responded. Fire crews were on scene for about three hours, he added. “The responding fire units extinguished the burning structure and limited damage to adjoining properties,” the ACSO statement said. Osorio-Mendoza also was charged with third-degree assault in connection with an incident while he was in a temporary holding area of the sheriff’s office, the post said.

Upcoming criminal trials and the potato conference on the Studio Basin Podcast

MOSES LAKE – On this episode of the Studio Basin podcast, managing editor Rob Miller and senior reporter Charles Featherstone recap this week's Washington-Oregon Potato Conference, followed by discussing the murders of Yanira Cedillos and Theresa Bergman as trials approach in the near future. To close the episode, sports reporter Ian Bivona recaps the previous week in Basin sports action as regular seasons begin to come to a close. The Studio Basin podcast can be found on your favorite podcast apps, or downloaded directly at https://bit.ly/3WHuYgQ.

Johnson-O’Brien stadium to host 1B, 2B state baseball championships

EPHRATA — Johnson-O’Brien Stadium at Ephrata High School is set to host the 1B and 2B WIAA State Baseball Championships in May, the school district announced on Friday. This is the first time that Ephrata has hosted a state championship event. “It is a huge honor to host a state championship in any sport,” Ephrata High School Athletic Director Bryan Johnson said in the release. “Given Ephrata’s rich baseball history, this acknowledgment is extraordinarily special. We have a talented and experienced tournament staff that’s hosted several Babe Ruth World Series events. We feel prepped and ready for this new opportunity.” The 1B and 2B state championships will be played over Memorial Day weekend, on Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27. Ephrata joins Funko Field in Everett and Joe Martin Stadium in Bellingham as state championship sites. “We’re excited to show off Johnson-O’Brien Stadium and the community of Ephrata while putting on a great tournament for the B schools,” said Johnson. “We’ve always thought it was a special place for baseball. It’s nice to have others recognize it, too.” According to the release, Johnson-O’Brien stadium was chosen for its facilities along with its previous experience hosting tournaments.

A team-focused mentality

COULEE CITY — After a 2-3 start with a roster chocked full of underclassmen, the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warrior boys basketball team has rallied and grown together on the court throughout the regular season. “Being really young and just starting, that made it a big challenge,” ACH Head Coach Graham Grindy said. “We had some lopsided losses there (at the beginning of the season), but they were still good learning experiences.” Those losses came against 2B schools, on the road against Lind-Ritzville and Lake Roosevelt. After the 2-3 start, ACH went on a six-game winning streak before later moving to 12-6 on the year. “The slow start was from losing, and getting that in our head and being pissed off a little bit – wanting to win really encouraged us; it lit a fire under us,” ACH sophomore Carter Pitts said. “That helped us a lot.” Pitts is one of the Warriors with veteran experience, having come off the bench for last year’s state runner-up Warrior squad.

Moses Lake boys, girls fall to Grizzlies

MOSES LAKE – A comeback bid for the Moses Lake girls basketball fell short in the closing seconds, while the boys team fell victim to second-half turnovers in losses to Sunnyside on Friday night. The Moses Lake girls lost 43-41, with the boys later falling 67-51

Weather for Monday, Jan. 30, 2023

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 25. Calm south wind around 6 mph in the morning. Monday night is expected to be mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28, and Tuesday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. Wednesday night is expected to be mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37, while Thursday night should be mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37.

GCSO honors Foreman

EHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has announced that Emergency Management Specialist Kyle Foreman, center, was honored as the department’s employee of the month for November 2022. The announcement was a bit delayed due to the busy time the department had through the holidays. Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations Josh Sainsbury, right, nominated Foreman for his assistance in helping the Ephrata School District be prepared in the instance an active shooter situation might occur. Sheriff Joe Kriete, left, has expressed appreciation for Foreman’s aid in communicating with the public.

Country Sweethearts fundraiser set for Feb. 4

Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation event sold out as community fights against cancer

MOSES LAKE — The Country Sweethearts Benefit Auction sponsored by the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation is so popular it’s already sold out, and it’s still more than a week away. “Sold out, and we have a waiting list,” said CBCF Director Angel Ledesma...

Home sales drop, but show signs of bouncing back

MOSES LAKE — Home sales dropped pretty hard last month. According to data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, home sales in Washington dropped from 8,017 in December 2021 to 4,524 in December 2022, a 43.57% decrease. Grant County followed the trend with a drop of 44.57% from 2021. For the year as a whole, 1,103 homes were sold in Grant County in 2022 compared to 1,311 in 2021, a dip of 15.87%. Adams County sales dropped from 163 in 2021 to 139 in 2022, a 14.72% decrease. “There was nothing for anyone to buy,” said Tera Zerbo, a Realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Mann Realty. “Nobody was putting their stuff on the market, so it made it really hard for you to move. Because you had your house you could sell, but where were you going to go? So there's no movement … Inventory was just non-existent. And the thing is last year, the interest rates were great, and people wanted to move and take advantage of all of that. And the appreciation in homes was fantastic. It's just we just didn't have any inventory.”

Confluence names new chief of nursing, vice president,

WENATCHEE — Kelly Allen has been named as the chief nursing officer for the Confluence Health system. She has been working as the assistant to the CNO for about a year, according to a statement from Confluence...

Graham proposes bill to recognize parental rights

OLYMPIA - Representative Jenny Graham (R-Spokane) proposed legislation in the Washington House this week that lists a specific set of rights that parents should have as they relate to the care, well-being, education, and upbringing of their children. “It's time for the state to officially recognize the rights of parents,” said Graham in a release by her office...

Tater plates

KENNEWICK — The Washington State Potato Commission wants state residents who grow potatoes — or simply like to eat them — to be able to celebrate that with a state potato license plate.

Potato business

Celebrating commerce at the potato conference

KENNEWICK — Tim Prickett said the annual Washington-Oregon Potato Conference is the most important conference he goes to all year. “It’s the only conference we do all year,” said Prickett, the owner of Rashco Farm Supply in Moses Lake. “We don’t hardly do any other conferences.” Prickett stood in the midst of a major display showing off what his company sells — new and used farm equipment, lubricants, various and sundry spare parts including hoses, rollers and sprockets, in the main conference hall of the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick on Thursday...

Ephrata Schools release new emergency resources

EPHRATA - Ephrata School District has recently created new resources for families to understand the school district’s preparedness for and responses to emergency situations. In November, Ephrata Schools worked with local first responders on a tabletop exercise to coordinate their responses to a school emergency. A release by the school district states that the district plans to be proactive in communicating with families about their emergency procedures and preparedness so the community will know what to expect from the district in emergency situations...

QSD upgrades

2 Quincy schools to receive utility upgrades, district office to move

QUINCY — A project to upgrade the heating-cooling systems at Pioneer and Mountain View elementary schools should go out for bid in late February or early March. It’s one of two remodeling projects planned by the district with proceeds from the sale of 155 acres south of town. The second project will remodel a district-owned building into a new district office. Quincy School Board members approved a proposal from the Spokane architectural firm NAC for design services for the heating-cooling project at the regular board meeting Tuesday. Quincy Superintendent Nik Bergman said after the meeting the total project cost will be about $1.1 million. The NAC contract, which is included in the total cost, is about $109,000...

Washington Head Start receives national grant

VIRGINIA - A Washington Head Start program is one of only 10 recipients across the country to receive $5,000 through a grant program to get children interested in and learning about gardening. “It’s so important for children to have access to fresh foods and to get outside, and gardens provide an opportunity for both,” said Brian Herrington, president of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation. “Helping kids discover the wonder of growing is incredible. We look forward to the new and updated garden experiences our grant recipients will create this year.” ...

Quincy to host Bring Home Da Beef tourney this weekend

QUINCY — The Quincy Bring Home Da Beef girls wrestling tournament returns this Saturday, bringing in teams from all around the state. Joining the Jackrabbits are local squads from Ephrata, Moses Lake, Othello, Royal and Wahluke. After having short notice to put the tournament together last year, this year’s Bring Home Da Beef tournament will welcome around 30 teams to Quincy’s home mat. “Last year we threw it together on three days’ notice out of necessity because another tournament got canceled because of COVID,” Quincy Head Coach Devan Silva said. “It was a labor of love from the team moms in Quincy, to Royal – all over the state people were coming in. Because of that, the tournament felt really special.”

Leading the charge

Quincy’s Aidan Bews helping lead Jacks to success

QUINCY — Aidan Bews isn’t a new face for the Quincy Jackrabbits boys basketball team, though he is in a new role for the team, which became the 2022-2023 Caribou Trail League champions Tuesday. “(In the past) I was a rebounder, I was probably the third option offensively,” Bews said. “We had two seniors, pretty good scorers. I didn’t really have to do much, I could kind of just be out there running and we’d still win. This year, it’s different.” A returning two-year starter in the frontcourt, Bews, a junior, has transitioned into the lead player for the Jacks this season and has brought along his teammates to Quincy’s 13-6 record this year. “It’s a brand-new team, so everyone just had to find their roles,” Bews said.

Kraken finally topple Canucks with convincing 6-1 victory

SEATTLE (AP) — Oliver Bjorkstrand wasn't around for the struggles the Seattle Kraken endured during their disappointing inaugural season, but he understood the significance of their 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.

Farm efficiency

Tech advances help farmers manage crops

MOSES LAKE – As technology advances for fancy cars, trucks and devices in our pockets, so do advances in equipment used to grow our food. With employees stretched thin, advances in agricultural tech can help keep ag pros going. “One of the biggest situations is labor,” said Tim Prickett, co-owner of Rashco Farm Supply in Moses Lake, Washington. “(The response to) the increases in cost of labor is to mechanize, improve their processes. So that's kind of what we try to do is to find equipment that is going to reduce their inputs and increase their outputs.” ...