Schoonover Road construction begins, other road projects progressing

RITZVILLE — A section of Schoonover Road north of Ritzville is closed to traffic as construction crews start work on a complete rebuild. Schoonover Road is closed from Rosenoff to Rehn roads. “Currently the contractor has ground the existing pavement and is working on clearing vegetation on the shoulder, and will then begin the earthwork portion,” wrote Adams County Engineer Scott Yaeger in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald. Construction is scheduled for completion Nov. 4. The old road surface will be removed, the roadbed rebuilt with improved drainage, the road widened, and guardrails added where needed, Yaeger said in an earlier interview. It’s the first year of a multiyear project; the first phase project cost is about $3.13 million.

FIRE REPORT: AUG. 12, 2025

MOSES LAKE – The fires below were burning and causing smoke and air quality concerns regionally as of Tuesday afternoon.

Weather for the week of Aug. 11, 2025

Weather for the week of Aug. 11, 2025

Ephrata works on several city improvement projects

EPHRATA — The City of Ephrata has been busy with a variety of projects this year. Water, sewer and roads have all been areas addressed in 2025. “We finished our street and sewer projects for this year,” City Engineer Shawn O’Brien said. “We'll continue working on street maintenance and sewer maintenance, but those are all projects for next year.”

Othello’s Old Hotel’s class offerings to grow

OTHELLO — The Old Hotel Art Gallery’s art classes are in full swing, and soon there will be more to choose from. “The kids really seem to enjoy them, and adults too,” said the gallery’s director, Samantha Copas.

Ephrata Police Department logs for Aug. 7, 2025

The reports below were provided by the Ephrata Police Department. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. July 22 Report of indecency in the 200 block of Parkside Place. Reporting party said neighbor exposed himself this morning.

Rock Bottom Rocker in need of support

EPHRATA – The Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry, a local backyard rescue based outside of Soap Lake, has two community events on the horizon – including a pop-up vendor event in August and a large garage sale at the end of September. President Shawna Kluge said she is also in need of volunteers and donations before the events.

Watershed celebrates another year at the Gorge

GEORGE – Over the weekend, the Gorge Amphitheatre became the ultimate country paradise as the Watershed Music Festival took center stage. With breathtaking views of the Columbia River Gorge serving as a backdrop, fans flocked to experience an electrifying line-up featuring stars such as Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Bailey Zimmerman and many more.

Second brush fire ignites in Beaumont, 2 acres burnt

MOSES LAKE – A second brush fire ignited Monday evening along Beaumont Avenue, following a weekend blaze in the same area. The latest fire, which burned approximately 2 acres, was reported at 5 p.m. behind the 1600 block of Beaumont Avenue.

Celebrating 50 years of business in Moses Lake

Hamiltons reflects on Michael's, Rock Top and community

MOSES LAKE – Mike Hamilton has a long history of owning restaurants in Moses Lake. He’ll hit 50 years of business in Moses Lake in October. With the help of his wife Krista and his son Jordan, he's created a legacy with Michael’s on the Lake, Michael’s Market and Bistro and Rock Top Burgers & Brew. “I've always known I wanted to own a business,” Mike said.

BASIN COMMUNITY CALENDAR: August 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — July is over and we’re heading into the home stretch of summer. Here are a few of the things happening around the Basin this month:

Sixers become 16U Invitational Champs

MOSES LAKE – The Central Washington Sixers 16U (31-7-2) team finished their summer season at the 16u Invitational Tournament in Seattle last weekend. They rode their momentum coming in and became the Top Tier 16U champions. “It’s always a good feeling, fortunately this team has done a lot of winning, and it’s become an expectation not just with our 16U team, but our program,” said Trey Evans, the Sixers 16U coach. On Friday, the Sixers played the New Level Hetherington 15U where they came out strong with Aaden Montes singling and scoring two, then another two singles giving them a 4-0 lead in the first inning. A double by Ty Breinholt in the third inning extended the lead to 5-0 and two runs in the fourth and a final run in the fifth ended the game with an 8-0 victory for the Sixers.

Brookdale Hearthstone restores chapel to use

MOSES LAKE — The chapel at Brookdale Hearthstone is blessed and ready to serve once again. “This is a sacred place,” said Pastor Rick Garcia. “This is a consecrated place. And today we've come to bless this space and this chapel (and) rededicate it to the Lord.”

BASIN EVENTS: July 25-Aug. 2

COLUMBIA BASIN — The weather is gorgeous and there’s lots happening around the Basin. Here are a few possibilities:

Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing, bicep-busting icon of professional wrestling who turned the sport into a massive business and stretched his cultural influence far beyond the ring, died Thursday in Florida at age 71. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital after authorities in Clearwater responded to a morning call about a cardiac arrest, police said.

American Honey to close out summer concert series

MOSES LAKE — The name came out of the blue. “When we started, we used to do these band barbecues, and we hadn’t come up with a name yet,” said Audre Belt, lead singer of American Honey, which will perform Friday in Moses Lake. “We had come up with these (names) … that seemed really cheesy. And one of the guys started pointing at random things on the table, and we happened to have a bottle of Wild Turkey American Honey whiskey. He pointed at it and said, ‘American Honey’ and we all looked at each other and we just knew from that moment that that was it.” That was in 2017, and the band is still making music around eastern Washington, although Belt is the only remaining original member. American Honey’s show will be the last performance of this year’s Moses Lake Summer Concert Series.

Ephrata Police Department logs for July 24, 2025

Ephrata Police Department

SR 17-Cunningham Road roundabout scheduled for 2026

OTHELLO — A long-delayed roundabout will be coming to State Route 17 and Cunningham Road in spring 2026.

Soap Lake plans upgrades for dog park, Smokiam Campground

SOAP LAKE — In a bid to enhance recreational amenities and boost tourism, the city of Soap Lake is currently undertaking upgrades to both its dog park and the Smokiam Campground. Mayor Peter Sharp elaborated on these enhancements, citing community engagement and improved safety as primary motivators behind the initiatives.

Ozzy Osbourne, who led Black Sabbath and became the godfather of heavy metal, dies at 76

Ozzy Osbourne, the gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the throaty, growling voice — and drug-and-alcohol ravaged id — of heavy metal, died Tuesday, just weeks after his farewell show. He was 76. “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,” a family statement said. In 2020, he revealed he had Parkinson’s disease after suffering a fall. Either clad in black or bare-chested, the singer was often the target of parents’ groups for his imagery and once caused an uproar for biting the head off a bat. Later, he would reveal himself to be a doddering and sweet father on the reality TV show “The Osbournes.”