Columbia Basin events calendar for December 2022

Note: The events below are subject to change without notice at the sole discretion of the organizers. Readers are encouraged to visit the associated websites and call ahead if necessary in order to verify details that may not have been available at press time. Only those legally allowed to consume alcoholic beverages should participate in such events and all event attendees should avoid drinking and driving. Dec. 2 27th Annual Agricultural Parade Join the Downtown Moses Lake Association and other sponsors for the annual street party and ag parade in downtown Moses Lake. Entry is free though vendors will charge for goodies and wares. The street party begins at 5 p.m. and the parade will roll out at 7 p.m. The street party will be centered around Sinkiuse Square and floats will line up in the Surf N’ Slide parking lot. Free admission. For more info, visit http://bit.ly/3gQUilr.

Moses Lake man arrested, charged with weapon theft

MOSES LAKE - A Moses Lake man was arrested Monday morning after allegedly threatening a person with a pistol to then stealing their rifle. Eric Applegate, 45, was arrested on armed robbery and a multitude of other charges according to a press release from the Moses Lake Police Department...

Police logs for Dec. 1, 2022

The reports below were provided by the agencies indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law...

Snow management

Here are how the county and cities manage snow accumulation in Grant County

GRANT CO. - Now that snow has arrived in Grant County, many residents are probably wondering how or why certain streets get plowed, get plowed faster than others or don’t get plowed at all. Each city as well as the county have snow and ice removal procedures. Below you will find those procedures for each city according to their official city website: Grant County Certain roads in the County have a greater volume of traffic and require a higher priority for maintenance to serve the users. The concern of safety, general welfare, and duration of travel...

Cold to stay

Chances of snow to diminish, but it’s going to stay cold

MOSES LAKE — Of course, it’s that time of year, and the first snowfall of the season Tuesday night closed schools, left people with driveways and sidewalks to shovel, discombobulated morning commutes, annoyed a lot of cats and delighted a lot of dogs. And while the snow might get cleared off the road and schools will get going again, the snow is here to stay, at least for a while. Jon Fox, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Spokane, said Wednesday morning that snow showers might linger through Thursday, and possibly into Friday night. New snow amounts are forecast to be minimal, an inch or less. “It’s not going to melt though, unfortunately,” Fox said...

RECAP: ‘Hawks lose second-straight, Kraken keep winning

SEATTLE – The Seattle Seahawks dropped a second-straight game while the Kraken keep winning. Check out this week’s Washington pro sports recap for an update on the teams over the previous week. Seahawks Coming off of the bye week, the Seahawks hosted the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, in what turned out to be a shootout of a game with the Raiders winning 40-34 in overtime. Seattle’s defense struggled mightily against the Raiders, especially in the run game. The Seahawks gave up 283 yards on the ground in Sunday’s loss, 86 of which came on Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs’ game-sealing touchdown run in overtime...

Warden boys, girls hoops fall in season openers

CASHMERE – On a snowy night at the Cashmere High School gym, the Warden Cougar boys and girls basketball teams took to the court against the Bulldogs. Both teams fell in their season openers, with the girl's team losing 53-47 and the boy's team losing 56-48 in their matchups against 1A Cashmere. Girls match “We were excited to play, and we’ve got a tough schedule,” Warden girls basketball head coach Josh Madsen said. “We start out with a really tough opponent, and that’s what we talked about in the locker room. It’ll make us better, we could have scheduled easy and had a cupcake to start with and blown them out, but we don’t need that.” The Cougars left the court at halftime with a 28-21 lead in the girl’s game but came out flat in the third quarter. Warden’s only points of the third quarter came on two converted free throws by junior Lauryn Madsen...

Join the kamp

Echternkamps Guide Services provide Columbia Basin hunting and fishing experiences

MOSES LAKE - Echternkamps Guide Services provides hunting and fishing experiences highlighting the abundance in the Columbia Basin. “We are more concerned about everybody’s experience, (we) want them to have a good time,” said Aaron Echternkamp, owner of Echternkamps Guide Services, which also goes by the name Eastern Washington Guides. The 50-year-old said he started his guide service when he was only 18. When he started, it was mainly focused on waterfowl hunting and later expanded to fishing, although he is focusing on waterfowl currently...

Kriete sworn in as Grant Co. sheriff

EPHRATA - Joey Kriete took the oath of office and was sworn in as the new Grant County Sheriff by Superior Court Judge Tyson Hill on Tuesday at the Grant County Courthouse. “Standing in front and getting sworn in by Judge Hill, I think that's when it became real,” said Kriete. With 57.84% of the vote, Kriete was selected as the Grant County Sheriff in the Nov. 8 election over opponent Joe Harris...

QVMC contractor selection could start by mid-December

QUINCY — A request for bids from construction firms to build the new Quincy Valley Medical Center could be issued by mid-December. In addition, QVMC board members are scheduled to vote on a resolution to sell the bonds to finance the project at the Dec. 19 meeting. Hospital board members received an update on the project at the regular meeting Nov. 28. Joe Kunkel, the consultant working with QVMC officials on the project, said hospital officials will make a presentation Dec. 1 to the Capital Projects Advisory Review Board, asking that the hospital district be allowed to waive some of the requirements of the bid process. If the request is allowed, the district will be able to hire a contractor immediately, Kunkel said...

CDC announces $60M given to Wash. agencies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it is awarding Washington state public health departments over $60 million in grants to strengthen the state’s public health workforce, infrastructure, and capacity. “This pandemic has made it painfully clear these are exactly the kind of investments we need to be making every year,” said U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee...

Giving back

Law enforcement works to support community during holidays

COLUMBIA BASIN — Several local law enforcement agencies are putting on charitable drives for the upcoming holiday season. The Moses Lake Police Department’s Fifth Annual Tip-a-Cop night hosted at Rock Top Burgers and Brew in Moses Lake raises money for the department’s Shop with a Cop Program. Members of the MLPD, Warden Police Department and Grant County Sheriff’s Office along with Columbia Basin...

Pedestrian killed in Moses Lake accident

MOSES LAKE — A pedestrian was struck and killed early Tuesday morning along SR 17 in Moses Lake...

Zags drop to No. 14 in AP poll

SPOKANE – The Gonzaga men's basketball team checked in at No. 14 in the Week 4 AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll this season after suffering its second double-digit early season loss. The Zags (5-2) fell out of the top 10 of the AP poll for the first time since the 2017-18 season. That year, Gonzaga was ranked No. 12 in Week 14 before finishing the season in the No. 2 spot...

Basin sports schedule for Nov. 30-Dec. 6

COLUMBIA BASIN – Welcome to winter sports season here in the Basin! Eleven of twelve local schools begin their quests to bring home state titles this winter season, with a full slate of games and meets on the basketball court, wrestling mat and in the pool. Check out this week’s sports schedule, including the final game of the 2022 fall sports season...

Pulisic goal advances US in World Cup with 1-0 win over Iran

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Christian Pulisic scored while crashing headfirst into the goalkeeper in the 38th minute and the United States advanced to the knockout round of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Iran on Tuesday in a politically charged rematch of their famous meeting a quarter-century ago. Pulisic sprawled on the field and was lying in the goal for about three minutes as he received treatment from the U.S. staff. He reentered the game but was replaced at the start of the second half.

Winter sports season tips off

COLUMBIA BASIN – With 11 of 12 local schools stepping onto the basketball court, wrestling mat and in the pool this week, the 2022-2023 winter sports season is officially in full swing here in the Basin....

Jitka Garza takes over at Othello Anytime Fitness

OTHELLO — Jitka Garza said the goal of a fitness routine is to make life better, whatever that goal might be for each athlete. Garza is the new owner of Anytime Fitness in Othello, and she cut the ribbon at her business on Nov. 23. “That’s the goal, to get you better, in your movement, your mobility, whatever you need,” she said. “Very important for your daily life to do certain movements, to get better.”....

Bluegrass trio to play in George on Saturday

GEORGE — Three Northwestern bluegrass virtuosos will take the stage Saturday at the George Community Hall, according to a statement from the community center...

Tip a Cop fundraiser returns to Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — As a matter of fact, yes, those are police officers and sheriff’s deputies cleaning tables, delivering hamburgers and drinks and occasionally breaking into song. The fifth annual Tip a Cop is scheduled for 5:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 7 at Rock Top Burgers & Brew, 930 N. Stratford Rd. in Moses Lake. Deputies from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and Moses Lake Police Department officers will be working the floor for that two-and-a-half-hour stretch, handing out menus and delivering meals and drinks. The tips they earn go to the Shop with a Cop program sponsored by each department. Rock Top employees make a donation as well as sponsoring the event...