Road projects under consideration near The Gorge

QUINCY — Grant County officials are working on options to alleviate traffic congestion on Silica Road and around the Gorge Amphitheater. One project already has been approved by the Grant County Commissioners; two more are under discussion with the goal of making improvements next spring...

Sip & Stroll, Care Fair set for Saturday in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Some wine, some art, information on volunteer opportunities – downtown Moses Lake will be full of events Saturday afternoon...

Legals for September, 8 2023

Wisconsin run game a focus for Cougars on Saturday

PULLMAN – The Washington State Cougars will welcome in No. 19 Wisconsin on Saturday, a rematch of last season’s Week 2 matchup where WSU took a 17-14 victory in Camp Randall Stadium. Even with new offensive schemes for the Badgers this season, the game will still be decided upon whether or not the Cougars can stop the Wisconsin rushing attack, according to WSU Head Coach Jake Dickert. “There’s no secret to want to start there, by cutting the head off the snake and stopping the run,” Dickert said at a press conference on Monday. “That’s always been the successful point of any defense that I’ve ever been a part of – this week will really be big.”

Garden party!

Cloudview Farm to host fundraiser supporting educational programs.

EPHRATA – Non-profit Cloudview Farm will be hosting a Garden Party fundraiser for their Educate and Empower programs Sept. 16 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event is for adults only, with dinner and drinks included in the cost of the $30 ticket. The main fundraising portion of the evening will be a silent auction for items donated by local and regional businesses, said Cloudview’s Education and Community Coordinator Julie Johnston...

Pauline Lepsche

May 15, 1935 — Aug. 21, 2023

Pauline Sarah Lepsche went to be with her Lord and Savior and the rest of her family on August 21, 2023, in Moses Lake with family at her side...

Brand-new Almira School rises from the ashes

ALMIRA — It was an emotional moment Thursday as the new Almira School was unveiled to the community. The school gym was packed, with a crowd of about 350 people almost shoulder to shoulder. Almira School District Superintendent Dan Read led the crowd in the first flag salute in the new building, then spoke about the outpouring of support the tiny district had received...

Frances (May) Walker

1993 — 2023

Frances Elizabeth (May) Walker, age 30, passed away in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 8, 2023, following a brief illness. Frances was born in Pocatello, Idaho, in 1993 to James Alfred and Alison Gwinn May...

Regional utility companies work to mitigate wildfire risks

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — The interaction of electrical lines and the landscape around them, especially trees, often ends badly - it can cause power outages any time of year, but in the summer in particular it can cause fires. Keeping fires from happening requires close attention to power lines and the areas around them, and that’s not just a summer job. “Fire season is a condition that can exist at any time of year,” wrote JoDee Black of NorthWestern Energy, based in Missoula, Montana via email. “Each year’s weather conditions impact those situations differently: Early season rains encourage plant growth which fuels fires later in the growing season, and winters with little snow leave dry plant material available for late season fires.” ...

Running for more

Knights aim for fourth-straight title in 2023

ROYAL CITY – Hoisting a state championship trophy is something that every high school football player dreams of at some point in their career – now, the Royal Knights are aiming to do the same thing for the fourth straight full season.

Tigers look to build off strong 2022

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Tigers flipped the script on the 2022 season, rallying from a 1-4 start to qualify for the 2A state playoffs and nearly upsetting No. 2 seed W.F. West.

'Every single game matters'

Broncos aim for state berth after 2022 crossover loss

RITZVILLE – After a 7-2 season that ended with a loss to Okanogan in the District 6/7 Crossover last season, the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos are entering 2023 with the goal of returning to the state playoffs.

New-look Cougars to hit the field in 2023

Former rugby player Dallyn McLean takes over program

WARDEN – There will be a new head coach patrolling the sidelines at Warden High School this fall, as South Africa native Dallyn McLean takes over the Cougar football program.

Ephrata dismisses Parks and Rec director

EPHRATA — Ephrata city officials are considering options to replace Parks and Recreation Director Traci Bennet after her employment was terminated. Ephrata City Council members confirmed Bennet’s firing on a 6-0 vote at the regular meeting Aug. 16...

On the front line

Job Corps students get first-hand experience fighting fires

MOSES LAKE — Wildfire season is frustrating. There’s smoke in the air, closed-off roads and evacuation alerts galore, but other than being careful with barbecues and praying for the firefighters’ safety, most area residents don’t see the fire line except in the newspaper or on TV. At the Columbia Basin Job Corps Center in Moses Lake, that isn’t the case. Students from the local center, along with Job Corps students across the country, are heading off to the firelines for weeks at a time, both to fight the fires and as support firefighting crews...

Ray E. Richardson

July 20, 1953 — Aug. 14, 2023

Ray E. Richardson, 70, of Moses Lake, Washington passed away on Aug. 14, 2023, after a long battle with cancer. Ray was born to Bobbie E. Richardson and Shirley M. Reddell on July 20, 1953, in Wichita County, Texas. Ray moved to Washington with his family in 1983. Ray’s favorite pastimes were fishing, hanging out with his dog Baby Doll, playing cribbage, drinking Coca-Cola while eating sweet treats and watching his dog play in the yard while it was snowing. Ray enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren whenever time would allow. Ray also liked having long talks with Katrina while traveling for his treatment.

Police logs for Aug. 25, 2023

The reports below were provided by the sheriff’s office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law...

Japanese beetle found near Pasco; more could be hiding

PASCO — A Japanese beetle was confirmed in Pasco in July, according to a statement from the Washington State Department of Agriculture. A Franklin County Horticultural Pest and Disease Board trapper found the beetle and state officials responded to the catch, verified the beetle, and set up a delimiting trapping grid around the find, according to the statement. “This is an excellent example of just how important agency collaboration is,” Camilo Acosta, WSDA Japanese beetle eradication project coordinator, wrote in the statement.

Enrollment projections drop in Othello School District

OTHELLO — Othello School District officials anticipate district enrollment for 2023-24 school year to be the equivalent of about 4,463 students, a decrease of seven students from actual enrollment in the 2022-23 school year. The preliminary budget was presented to Othello School Board members at the Aug. 14 meeting.

William Graham

Elder William Gaston Graham was born Dec. 25, 1936. The eldest son of a sharecropper reigning from Raleigh, North Carolina, often Elder Graham would testify saying he was born one step from slavery and look how far God had brought him from. He was humbled that God took a little black boy from the tobacco fields and anointed him to preach the Gospel. He joined the U.S. Force April 15, 1954. He was stationed in Austin, Texas where he met the love of his life, Billie Joyce Bonner, at a skating rink. He called her “floor glider” because she could and loved to dance. His term of endearment for his wife remained “love of his life” and for 66 years they enjoyed the blessings of the covenant of marriage.