Moses Lake Food Bank delivers Thanksgiving meals in drive-thru fashion

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Food Bank kicked off Thanksgiving week Monday by serving patrons through a drive-thru style pick up of their Thanksgiving meals. “It works wonderfully,” said Peny Archer, Operations Manager for Community Services of Moses Lake. Archer said this way of distributing food allows the clients to be able to stay in their cars, stay warm and not have to struggle to get several boxes of food to their vehicles. She also noted Monday before Thanksgiving is usually their busiest day and they expected to serve 1,000 meals by the end of the week...

Basin athletes make all-league lists for accomplishments

COLUMBIA BASIN – Congratulations to all the local athletes here in the Basin on garnering all-league honors. For a full list of all the athletes in the Basin’s 12 schools to make all-league lists, see below.

Huskies’ season ends at Enumclaw

Othello football finishes year with 9-2 record

ENUMCLAW – The No. 5 seed Othello Huskies traveled to Washington’s west side for a state quarterfinals matchup against Enumclaw, with the Hornets eventually prevailing in a physical, 20-17 win. “It was pretty intense,” Othello Defensive Coordinator Kevin Hale said. “State quarterfinal matchup, the weather was absolutely beautiful – about 50 degrees at game time. The support from the Othello community, our stands were completely full. It was a real intense environment.” Senior running back Julian Alegria found the end zone early in the game, and a field goal by senior Brandon Garza gave Othello its first nine points of the afternoon. Still, Enumclaw’s high-powered offense kept them in the game against a stout Othello defense. With the Hornets up 13-9 and facing a fourth-and-two in the fourth quarter, Enumclaw was able to convert and score a touchdown to go up 20-9 late in the game...

NCW Libraries kick off winter reading program

CENTRAL WASHINGTON - With the weather getting colder, it’s a good time to curl up in front of the fire with a good book, and North Central Washington Libraries has just the thing. The library district’s annual all-ages Winter Reading Program kicks off Dec. 1 with a goal of collectively reading 1,000 books across North Central Washington through the end of January, according to a statement from NCW Libraries. The winter program is designed to motivate people to read by setting goals, logging their completed books or minutes read, and getting ideas from library staff and other library patrons, the statement said...

Soap Lake suspends search for city administrator

SOAP LAKE - At the Nov. 16 city council meeting, the mayor of Soap Lake announced that she was stopping her search for a permanent city administrator. “After looking at our budget, a proposed budget for 2023, I cannot in good conscience recommend a city administrator at this time,” said Soap Lake Mayor Michelle Agliano in the meeting. In an interview after the meeting, Agliano said she is trying to be a fiscally responsible mayor and felt that there was no room in the budget for 2023 to hire a full-time city administrator. She said the funds would be better used to pay off some of the loans or debts the city has. That move, she said, would put Soap Lake in better financial standing...

Stoking industry

Local aerospace firm Stoke Technologies looks to remake rocketry in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — On roughly 23.5 acres of what used to be sagebrush-covered scrubland north of Moses Lake, engineers with Stoke Space Technologies are working to build the future of spaceflight. “Moses Lake is where we do our engine develop testing,” said Andy Lapsa, Stoke CEO and co-founder of the company with Tom Feldman. “We’ve started with our second-stage rocket engine. And, you know, as we need to grow our testing needs, we are hopeful that we can do that in Moses Lake as well.” Both Lapsa and Feldman are veteran rocket engine and propulsion engineers with Blue Origin, the Kent, Washington-based reusable rocket company founded by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, whose single-stage, reusable New Glenn rocket took actor William Shatner on a 10-minute ride to the very edge of space in October 2022. In addition to the New Glenn suborbital rocket, Blue Origin is working on its New Shepard launch vehicle, the company’s counterpart to SpaceX’s reusable first-stage-to-orbit Falcon 9 and rocket. Making rocket stages reusable reduces the cost of sending things like satellites, people and Tesla Roadsters into orbit and then across the solar system...

Washington State defense paces 31-20 win at Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Nakia Watson scored two touchdowns and Washington State intercepted former quarterback Jayden de Laura four times in a 31-20 Pac-12 road victory over Arizona on Saturday. Watson scored on a 4-yard pass from Cameron Ward in the first quarter and on a 2-yard run in the second, giving him six scores in the past three games. He finished with 86 all-purpose yards for the Cougars (7-4, 4-4 Pac-12).

Eberle scores in OT, Kraken beat Kings 3-2 for 7th win in 9

SEATTLE (AP) — Jordan Eberle scored at 2:23 of overtime to lift the Seattle Kraken to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night. Jared McCann and Daniel Sprong also scored for Seattle, which has played in three straight overtime games —winning the last two. Martin Jones had 27 saves to help the Kraken improve to 7-1-1 in their last nine games.

Bolton's 24 points lead No. 2 Gonzaga over No. 4 Kentucky

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Gonzaga coach Mark Few wasn't sure how the No. 2 Bulldogs would play against No. 4 Kentucky after losing at No. 11 Texas earlier in the week. He needn't have worried. Rasir Bolton scored 24 points, Drew Timme added 22, and Gonzaga beat cold-shooting Kentucky 88-72 on Sunday night in the off-campus Spokane Arena.

Weather Report for Monday, Nov. 21

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 35 and calm wind. Monday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 21 and continued calm wind. Tuesday: A slight chance of rain and snow between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., then a slight chance of rain after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 34. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Mostly cloudy in the evening with a low around 22. Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. Wednesday evening is expected to be mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Thanksgiving Day Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. The evening is expected to be mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 42. SOURCE: National Weather Service

‘That’s what I heard about Moses Lake, the strength was in the people’

Moses Lake School District Superintendent sees challenge, opportunity ahead

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District Superintendent Monty Sabin said transparency and visibility are important, both in themselves and because they help build trust. Sabin was hired as the new superintendent in March, replacing former superintendent Josh Meek, who parted ways with the district in 2021. Sabin’s hiring also followed two years of turmoil as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The relationship between school districts throughout the country and their communities was damaged as a result. “I’m really hopeful of trying to earn the trust back. We don’t always agree on everything - which is understandable, it would be a boring world if we all thought alike,” Sabin said. “But no matter what we do as a district, I hope that people know we’re acting with integrity and with people’s best interest at heart, no matter what we’re doing. “You can disagree on an issue, a policy or a decision, but as long as you can do that knowing that the information was out there (and) that people understand why you did it, you can respect each other,” he said.

Knights on to semi-finals with 41-9 win over Montesano

ROYAL CITY – Even with being down 9-7 early in the first quarter, the No. 1 seed Royal Knights were unfazed by the situation. The No. 8 Montesano Bulldogs had broken off big plays to reach scoring position through the first seven minutes of game time, something they wouldn’t be able to do again in Royal’s 41-9 win on Saturday. “It was great,” Royal Head Coach Wiley Allred said. “We knew they would be a good team, I thought they were underseeded at No. 8. I was really happy with the first half, I was really happy with the second half.” Montesano could not recreate its first-quarter offense throughout the rest of the game on Saturday, only totaling 152 total yards over its next 10 drives. Thirty-eight of those yards came on a fourth-quarter run while Royal was down by 32 points. “Our defense settled into what they were doing, and I didn’t think we were going to give up the big play all day long,” Allred said. “Once we settled into what we were supposed to do, that’s what helped our defense.” This isn’t the first time that the Knights and Montesano have squared off late in the season, with Royal having lost to the Bulldogs in the 1994 and 2012 state title games.

BPA to hold line on 2024-25 power rates

PORTLAND — The Bonneville Power Administration, which markets and sells electricity generated by 31 federally owned and operated dams in the Pacific Northwest, is not going to increase power rates in 2024 and 2025, according to a BPA press release. According to the press release, the BPA does not need to raise rates for the next two years because of the organization’s strong financial performance in fiscal year 2022, which ended on Sept. 30. “This is one of those bountiful years where all the elements and timing came together is such a manner that we can consider staving off inflation for another two years by keeping rates flat for our power and transmission customers,” said BPA Administrator John Hairston in the press release. The BPA provides wholesale electricity to utilities in Washington, Idaho and Oregon as well as parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Montana. The agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy, is a nonprofit entity and is allowed to charge rates that cover power generation, maintenance and upkeep, the press release said. The agency sets power rates for commercial customers in two-year increments, with the current rate cycle scheduled to last through fiscal year 2023, which ends on Sept. 30, 2023.

Nothing disturbed after break in at Adams County Auditor’s Office

RITZVILLE — County officials said nothing was missing or disturbed following an apparent attempt to break into the Adams County Auditor’s Office Nov. 11. Auditor Heidi Hunt wrote in a press release that the county’s elections administrator was summoned to the office at about 3:15 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day. The Adams County Courthouse was closed on Veterans Day. “The Ritzville Police Department was already on the scene, as they had responded to an active intruder alarm,” Hunt wrote. “Nothing was found to be missing or disturbed. Because of the security system in place, all ballots remained secure at all times.” The case is still under investigation, Hunt wrote.

‘You don’t need to be alone on Thanksgiving’

Moses Lake bar and grill offers a little bit of home for the holiday

MOSES LAKE — If you need a place to go for thanksgiving, Rick Biery will have a hot meal and some company for you. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Biery said he will be serving Thanksgiving dinners — complete with turkey and ham — to anyone who comes by his business, Rick’s Eatery and Entertainment at 819 W. Third Ave. in Moses Lake. “The focus is on veterans, folks from broken homes, if you’re having trouble or have no place to go if you’re alone,” said Biery. “You don’t need to be alone on Thanksgiving.” There will also be free haircuts for anyone in need, provided for by Blessed Barbershop, though a free haircut requires a referral letter from a community outreach agency, Biery said. Officially, Biery said Rick’s will be closed that day, and because the Thanksgiving dinner is a family meal, alcohol will not be served. So anyone wanting a meal needs to come in the side entrance on Holly Street across from the OIC of Washington office. But he’s hoping to see many people there who need company and a meal. “No one will be turned away. We’ll go until we run out of food,” he said. For more information, or to volunteer, contact Paul Carney at EDUBS C/S at (702)539-6538.

Holiday cheer comes to CBTech

MOSES LAKE — It got as low as 9 degrees Fahrenheit at the Grant County International Airport early Saturday morning, according to data from the National Weather Service. Which means that winter is well and truly here, even if it doesn’t officially arrive for another month. That also means the first of the area’s indoor seasonal markets have arrived too, with the P.E.O. Sisterhood’s Holiday Bazaar at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center kicking off cold-weather shopping refuge and a chance for anyone with something to sell — caramel popcorn, beeswax candles, leather bags and purses, assorted Christmas tchotchkes, abandoned art altered to include Bigfoot — the chance to get out of the cold and find some customers. “This is one of our big fundraisers for the year,” said Brittany Courtright, a P.E.O. Sisterhood member and one of the organizers of this year’s bazaar. “We collect our vendors and they come in and we give them a place to sell their goods.” The Des Moines, Iowa-based P.E.O. — Philanthropic Educational Organization — was founded in 1869 to help provide scholarship and support to young women across the world, according to the organization’s web page. Courtright said all of the proceeds from the bazaar, which includes a bake sale and a soup lunch, will go for local scholarships to high school students and women studying at Big Bend Community College. The organization also has an emergency fund, Courtright added. “We are a women’s Christian sorority,” she added. “All of this goes directly back into scholarships.”

Devils look to improve this season

WILSON CREEK – Finishing the 2021-2022 season 5-12, the Wilson Creek boys basketball team will look to improve on their record as this season comes around. The Devils tip off their year on the road against Riverside Christian on Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Wilson Creek Boy’s Basketball Schedule Dec. 9 - @ Riverside Christian - 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 - vs Entiat - 5 p.m. Dec. 16 - vs Soap Lake - 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 - @ Pateros - 6 p.m. Jan. 3 - vs Thorp - 6 p.m. Jan. 6 - vs Waterville-Mansfield - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 - @ Oroville - 6 p.m. Jan. 10 - vs Cascade Christian Academy - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 - @ Entiat - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17 - vs MLCA/CCS - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 - vs Thorp - 6 p.m. Jan. 20 - @ Soap Lake - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24 - vs Riverside Christian - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 - vs Pateros - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31 - @ Waterville-Mansfield - 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 - @ Cascade Christian Academy - 7:30 p.m.

Becoming recognizable

Wahluke coach wants to make mark on wrestling landscape

MATTAWA — Wahluke boy’s wrestling Head Coach Jose Marin wants the program to be recognizable not just around Mattawa, but around the region and state. “We wanted to make sure that the team is recognized throughout the state, and that at all levels of district, regional and state, we get kids participating in all those three tournaments because they’re really important to us,” Marin said. Marin, who is in his second year as head coach of the Warrior boys wrestling program, said this has been a goal of his since he began working at the Wahluke Junior High School in 2018.

ACH looks forward to ‘regular’ wrestling season

COULEE CITY - The Almira/Coulee-Hartline High School wrestling team is looking forward to making the most of a regular season. “I’m looking forward to having a normal season,” said Head Coach Brandon Walsh. Walsh explained that over the last couple of years, all the regulations and testing requirements for COVID-19 created a lot of stress and work for the athletes which he feels may not have given some of them the opportunity to grow to their potential. “And not having that hang over our heads, which I think will just be a real benefit to the kids in terms of being able to prepare the right way for wrestling and then along with that I’m really just looking forward to seeing how they all develop,” Walsh said.

Othello boys wrestling looks to keep on improving

OTHELLO — The Othello High School boys wrestling team came a long way last season, and coach Rudy Ochoa II said he hopes to build on that success for the 2022-23 season. “Last year was a unique year, in that we started the season with only one state participant on our team,” Ochoa said. The Huskies made up for that lack of experience – Othello finished third in class 2A at the 2022 Mat Classic after winning the district and regional championships.