'I want to just train'

Othello’s The Grind Gym offers small-group training

OTHELLO – Resting on a side street off of South Broadway Avenue in Othello is The Grind Gym, a family-run gym owned by Othello natives Jacob and Meghan Johnston. The Grind Gym offers numerous small-group training classes as well as other programs including spin classes and personal training. “Group training is probably my number one (program),” Jacob Johnston said. “I like to keep small groups, so you’ll never have more than 10 to a class.” ...

Columbia Basin Sports Schedule

COLUMBIA BASIN — The last few days of winter break feature a full slate of basketball and wrestling tournaments for local teams. Basketball and wrestling return to league play throughout the Basin during the first week of January. Wednesday, Dec. 28 Moses Lake boys varsity swimming and diving at Walla Walla High School - noon. Ephrata girls basketball West Valley (Spokane) tournament - 1:30 p.m. Quincy girls basketball at Freeman Tournament - 2 p.m. Ephrata boys basketball at West Valley (Spokane) tournament - 5 p.m. Moses Lake boys basketball vs. Spanaway Lake at Fort Vancouver Tournament - 5:30 p.m. Othello boys, girls basketball vs. Warden - 6, 7:30 p.m. Quincy boys basketball at Freeman Tournament - 6:30 p.m. Moses Lake girls basketball vs. Pasco at Lady Mavericks Christmas Mixer - 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 29 Royal boys basketball at Wilbur-Ellis Sundome Shootout, Yakima - opponent and time to be determined. Wahluke boys, girls basketball at Granger Christmas Tournament - opponent and time to be determined. Moses Lake boys, girls wrestling at Hanford Winter Cup tournament - Hanford High School, 9 a.m. Quincy boys, girls wrestling at Hanford Winter Cup tournament - Hanford High School, 9 a.m. Ephrata boys, girls wrestling at Hanford Winter Cup tournament - Hanford High School, 9 a.m. Wahluke boys, girls wrestling at Hanford Winter Cup tournament - Hanford High School, 9 a.m. Othello boys, girls wrestling at Hanford Winter Cup tournament - Hanford High School, 9 a.m. Royal boys, girls wrestling at Hanford Winter Cup tournament - Hanford High School, 9 a.m. Warden boys, girls wrestling at Hanford Winter Cup tournament - Hanford High School, 9 a.m. Moses Lake girls basketball vs. Lake Stevens at Lady Mavericks Christmas Mixer - 1:30 p.m. Moses Lake boys basketball Fort Vancouver Tournament - opponent and time to be determined Warden girls basketball vs. Woodinville at Lady Mavericks Christmas Mixer - 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30 Royal boys basketball at Wilbur-Ellis Sundome Shootout - opponent and time to be determined. Wahluke boys, girls basketball at Granger Christmas Tournament - opponent and time to be determined. Moses Lake girls basketball vs. Othello at Lady Mavericks Christmas Mixer - 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3 Moses Lake girls varsity bowling at Eastmont - 2 p.m. Royal boys, girls basketball at Kiona-Benton City - 6, 7:30 p.n. Moses Lake boys, girls basketball at AC Davis - 5:45, 7:30 p.m. Quincy boys, girls basketball vs. Chelan - 5:45, 7:15 p.m. Wahluke boys, girls basketball at Toppenish - 6, 7:30 p.m. Othello boys, girls basketball vs. Selah - 6, 7:30 p.m. Ephrata boys, girls basketball at East Valley (Yakima) - 6, 7:30 p.m.

Othello 2023 budget includes park, city hall upgrades

OTHELLO — The city of Othello is projected to spend about $31.4 million on city services and projects in 2023. Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said city officials have put together a long list of projects for next year. “This 2023 budget is an ambitious budget that’s designed to accomplish a lot of things,” Logan said. The city’s general fund was budgeted at about $8.3 million in 2023; the general fund pays for most city employee salaries and operations not funded through specific departments. The city’s sewer utility fund was budgeted at about $5.7 million, and the water utility fund at about $4.3 million. Operation of water and sewer services are paid for out of those funds. The street fund is budgeted at $2.175 million. The city also has about $1.25 million of the money the city received to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Booking history

Carnegie library in Ritzville looks to serve community

RITZVILLE - It’s a long way from Dunfermline, Scotland to Ritzville, Washington. Four thousand, three hundred eighty miles as the crow flies, in fact. (A very, very determined and untiring crow.) So why is the name of a child laborer from Dunfermline engraved proudly above a building in Ritzville? Because Andrew Carnegie loved books and wanted other people to enjoy them. “Being an immigrant and being poor when he first got here, he was really into helping the working class work their way up,” said Millie Hopkins, circulation manager for the East Adams Library District, which operates the Ritzville Carnegie Library...

Youth leadership

Warden’s Anthony Gutierrez, a sophomore captain, named Athlete of the Week

WARDEN – After a 43-point performance in Warden’s 86-80 win over Granger, Warden sophomore point guard Anthony Gutierrez was named Athlete of the Week by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association last week. “My teammates got me some open looks,” Gutierrez said. “(Granger) knew who I was, they knew I was going to shoot the three-ball. I was working off the ball, I really didn’t get that many layups. Most of my points were from threes.” ...

Quincy city service rates to increase in 2023

QUINCY — Quincy residents will see a 10% increase in their water, sewer and garbage rates in 2023. Quincy City Council members approved the rate increase by a unanimous vote at the regular meeting Dec. 20. “We haven’t had a rate increase for a couple of years,” City Administrator Pat Haley said....

Weather for Monday, Dec. 26, 2022

Weather report for Monday, Dec. 26, 2022 from the National Weather Service.

Power interrupted after truck hits pole

OTHELLO — A truck that slid off the road about three miles east of Othello Friday morning led to a brief power outage. Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner said the collision occurred about 7 a.m. near the intersection of West Cunningham Road and South Billington Road. Slick road conditions contributed to the accident, according to a post from the ACSO. The truck came to rest on its side, knocking down a power pole and interrupting service. Power was restored before 4 p.m. No further information on the collision was available at press time.

Masquers Theater announces ‘Sing On’ auditions

SOAP LAKE — The Masquers Theater will be holding auditions for the company’s production of “Sing On” Jan. 6 and 7. Auditions will be at 6 p.m. Jan. 6 and 1 p.m. Jan. 7 at the theater, 322 E. Main St., Soap Lake...

Moses Lake pushes through weather challenges

MOSES LAKE — The City of Moses Lake has spent nearly all of the money it allocated in its 2022 budget for snow removal. “The city’s budget included funds for this snow event,” wrote Assistant City Manager Rich Huebner in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. “If we have another significant snow event before the end of the year, the City Manager has the authority to authorize an emergency expense, and a subsequent budget allocation can be completed.” ...

Happy holidays from the Columbia Basin Herald

During the 2022 calendar year, the staff here at the Columbia Basin Herald have been blessed to serve an amazing community. We’ve had a chance to cover a wide variety of community events, from tragedies and deaths to blessings and births, we’ve been allowed inside of people’s lives. With humility and gratitude for your support, the team here at CBH wishes all of our community a joyous holiday season and a wonderful 2023....

Highway oasis

Java Bloom serves weary travelers and antique lovers

WASHTUCNA – For a lot of SR 26, there’s not a lot to see. One wheat field follows another as the interminable miles blur together. Then you dip into a small coulee and there before you, at the edge of Washtucna, is Java Bloom. “We wanted to do something at the corner here to help travelers since we're out in the middle of nowhere,” said Patricia Hulett, who owns Java Bloom with her husband Bill. “To give people a place to stop and refresh.” ...

Defense powers Ephrata girls to 50-34 win over Quincy

EPHRATA — The Ephrata girls basketball team used aggressive defense to pull away from the Quincy Jacks and take the 50-34 win Wednesday night in Ephrata. Tigers coach Alain Black said she prefers a man-to-man defense, but Quincy forced the Tigers to switch...

‘One point and about three seconds’

Ephrata wins Battle of the Basin overtime thriller

EPHRATA — Ephrata boys basketball coach Rick Walter detailed the difference between the Tigers and the Quincy Jacks in Ephrata’s 61-60 overtime win Wednesday in Ephrata. “One point and about three seconds,” Walter said. Hayden Roberts hit the winning shot with about two seconds left, after Julian Ibarra had given the Jacks the lead, 60-59, with about eight seconds left. Quincy’s Pierce Bierlink got off a shot at the buzzer, but it bounced off the rim...

Japanese beetle quarantine area expanded

OLYMPIA — Officials with the Washington State Department of Agriculture are seeking the expansion of the state’s internal Japanese beetle quarantine area after a number of beetles were found outside the quarantine area, which was established earlier this year. According to a WSDA press release, while most beetles have been found in or just outside the Grandview quarantine area in Yakima County, a number of beetles have also been reported in Wapato and one was confirmed found as far east as Richland...

Snowdrift closes Quincy-area road, strands drivers

QUINCY — Snowdrifts closed sections of Road 8 NW and Road 9 NW and temporarily stranded some drivers late Wednesday night. No one was stranded overnight, although some vehicles were stuck in the snowdrift until morning. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office issued a travel advisory at about 11:47 p.m., asking drivers to avoid the two roads between Road M.7 NW and Adams Road North. Grant County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman wrote in a release that multiple vehicles were stuck, including a delivery truck blocking the roadway...

Ephrata adopts 2023 budget, cancels next city council meeting

EPHRATA - The Ephrata City Council adopted their 2023 budget and decided to cancel their next meeting set for Jan. 4 amongst other things at the meeting Wednesday evening...

Soap Lake considers creative district

SOAP LAKE - The City of Soap Lake announced Wednesday that they are holding a public meeting to get community feedback on pursuing the creation of a creative district in the city. The meeting will be held Jan. 5 at the Soap Lake Community and Senior Center, located at 121 2nd Ave Se, at 6 p.m. Additional coverage to follow.

Ferguson sues pharmacies over opioid prescriptions

OLYMPIA — Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson is suing three major national pharmacy chains, claiming the three failed to do anything to prevent the state’s opioid epidemic. Ferguson filed suit in King County Superior Court against Albertsons, Kroger and Rite Aid, and includes Albertsons subsidiary Safeway, Rite Aid subsidiary Bartell Drugs, and Kroger subsidiaries QFC and Fred Meyer, according to the press release. In the lawsuit, Ferguson alleges the retail pharmacies ignored federal regulations and “put profits over safety” by oversupplying prescription opioids in Washington state, the press release said...

Douglas, Chelan unemployment rises

ELLENSBURG — Unemployment in Douglas and Chelan counties rose in November 2022 to 5.1% from 4.4% the previous year despite a decline in the two counties’ combined workforce, according to data published this week by the Washington State Employment Security Department.