Immanuel Lutheran Church bell to be rededicated

MOSES LAKE — Immanuel Lutheran Church’s bell will ring out again Sunday. The bell has been out of commission for several years, said Pastor Walter Klockers. After extensive repairs, it’s ready to peal again. Immanuel Lutheran is unusual in having an actual physical bell, Klockers said; most churches these days either use electronic carillons or forgo the tradition altogether. “I was surprised at the size of it,” Klockers said. “Thirty-six inches across and 700 pounds is quite a thing.”

Moses Lakes council votes to fund animal shelter

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake City Council approved up to $1 million in funding for a new facility for Grant County Animal Outreach. Council Member David Skaug was the only dissenting vote in the 6-1 approval.

Joe H. McCullough

Joe McCullough, 76, was born March 31, 1947, to two very loving parents, Mack and Beverly, in Wenatchee, Washington. His beloved Grammy Bert lived with them during Joe’s early years and she was very special to him. That relationship gave Joe a love and respect for older grammy types in his life. Joe’s early years were full of backyard baseball, cars, school, cars, water skiing at Lake Chelan, cars, camping trips, and more cars. He and his dad loved the times they spent together working on their latest project. And Beverly supplied the treats. During his high school years, Joe joined DeMolay, a Masonic youth organization, and he was a very accomplished drummer in various bands.

Throwing starfish

Down syndrome Buddy Walk spotlights parents, caregivers

MOSES LAKE — The annual Columbia Basin Buddy Walk drew a bigger crowd than expected Saturday. “We don’t have a number yet, but more than last year,” said Denise Ketola, one of the event’s organizers. One estimate had between 350 and 400 people, she added...

Walking buddies

Down Syndrome event to spotlight and honor parents, caregivers

MOSES LAKE — People with Down Syndrome, along with their friends and families, will gather Saturday at McCosh Park for the 11th annual Buddy Walk, hosted by the Down Syndrome Society of Grant County. The walk will be the same as in past years, but the festivities beforehand will have a little something extra. “We are honoring caregivers and parents for the first time,” said Denise Ketola, one of the organizers of the event and the mother of a 20-year-old with Down Syndrome. “That’s kind of our theme; it’s the first time we’ve done that.” ...

‘We start today’

Groundbreaking signals start of Quincy Valley Medical Center project

QUINCY — Quincy Valley Medical Center CEO Glenda Bishop characterized the new Quincy Valley Medical Center as a project about the past, present and future...

Masquers announces auditions for ‘Elf: The Musical'

SOAP LAKE — Auditions will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 and 28 for the Masquers Theater production of “Elf: The Musical.” Auditions will be at the theater, 322 East Main St., Soap Lake; actors only need to attend one audition session. Clifford and Stacey Bresee are the directors. The show opens Nov. 25 and will run weekends through Dec. 16. Auditions are open to actors from 9 years of age to adult roles.

'It’s always a good show'

Roundup wraps up with strong showings from competitors

MOSES LAKE — The 80th year of the Moses Lake Roundup was celebrated Thursday through Friday, when competitors from around the world traveled to Moses Lake for a chance to take home thousands of dollars in the rodeo. “It’s a good rodeo, good contractors,” saddle bronc rider Jake Clark said. “Great hospitality – they treat the competitors great here.” The stands in the Rodeo Arena were packed each of the three nights of the Roundup, watching the numerous competitors take part in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, breakaway roping, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding. “This is a great crowd; they all get into it the whole rodeo. It’s not just the bull riding,” bull rider Laramie Mosley said. “It makes it fun when you show up here and see the stands full, everybody cheering and hollering. It makes it enjoyable.”

'23 Showdown

Car show coming to Ephrata this weekend

EPHRATA — Old and new cars, old and new trucks, four wheels, two wheels, cars with tricked-out trunks, cars with tricked-out engines, vehicles still in progress - those cars and any other vehicles beloved by their owners are being invited to the second Basin Summer Showdown car show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The show is in a new location for 2023 the Grant County Courthouse, 35 C St. NW in Ephrata. Organizer Ricardo Gutierrez said that while car guys and car girls own just about every kind of vehicle imaginable, they all have something in common. They love their cars, they love to show off their cars, and they love to see what other people have done with their cars...

Party for pets

Party for the Paws raises more than $20,000 for Adams County Pet Rescue

OTHELLO — Lisa Newton and her good buddy, her cat Crumpet, probably wouldn’t have known each other without Adams County Pet Rescue. Giving other cats and dogs – and the occasional lizard and bird – the same chance as Crumpet was one reason Newton drove over from Seattle to attend the ACPR’s “Party for the Paws” fundraising dinner Saturday night. The dinner raised more than $20,000 for ACPR, according to the group’s social media, and the crowd almost overflowed the venue at Phoenix Family Farms near Othello. The proceeds will be used for shelter operations, said ACPR director Kyya Grant. Newton is a veterinarian who volunteers with ACPR about three times each year. She knew what she wanted when it came to a pet, and she gave Grant a description. “I told Kyya that I wanted an overwhipped whipped cream long-haired calico,” Newton said. “I was over here (on) May 1 two years ago. We were in Ephrata, and as we were finishing the last cat (at a spay/neuter clinic), Kyya sent me pictures of this really mad 17-ounce kitten.”

News Bites for June 16

EPHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is asking for concertgoers to be careful at the Gorge Amphitheater this summer. They recommend taking the following steps to be safe...

Barnyard brawl

Farm machines duke it out at Lind Combine Derby

LIND — In the heart of Adams County, wheat is king. And once a year, its knights meet in the Lind Lions Club Arena for a tournament to rival the most enthusiastic joust, armored in blue jeans and ball caps and mounted on steeds familiar to anyone who lives in farm country: combines...

Memories, pride at MLHS PALS graduation

MOSES LAKE — Six students in the PALS club (the Life Skills class) at Moses Lake High School were recognized for their accomplishments with a special graduation ceremony June 7. “Amazing students,” said Life Skills instructor Cristina Dinges.

John Foryan

August 15, 1942 – June 4, 2023

John A Foryan; beloved brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away on June 4, 2023...

Meeting the unique needs of donkeys

Owning any animal can be both challenging and rewarding. Although they have a reputation for being stubborn, donkeys can make great additions to an animal herd. But owners should first understand what it takes to keep them healthy before buying one...

Spring Fest approaches

Late May festivities set to bring large crowds to Moses Lake with free concerts, loads of activities

MOSES LAKE — It’s an annual tradition in Moses Lake, the town’s biggest festival of the year, and it’s coming up again. The Moses Lake Spring Festival happens every Memorial Day weekend, which this year is May 25-28. Last year’s festival, as life returned to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic, had the highest attendance in the festival’s 43-year history, according to organizers. The goal, said Sean SallisSallispresident of the committee organizing the festival in a January Columbia Basin Herald interview, is “to provide so much stuff that you’ll never get to do it all.” ...

Elden (ET) Trexler

Elden Trexler (ET), 86, left this earthly world on March 29 to the arms of Jesus. Elden was born Sept.1, 1936, in Mason City, Washington to Irene and Gary Trexler. The family lived on the West Coast before moving to Hartline, Washington. After high school he joined the U.S. Army. On Oct. 4, 1958, he married his love Judy Ramm; they would have celebrated their 65th this October. Elden worked for the U and I Sugar Plant until they closed. He went on to work for Darigold and retired from Basic American. Elden always kept busy, never sitting still for long. He was a jack of all trades. He was very talented and figured out how to build and repair most anything; one was building on a nice addition to the family home.

Warriors at 9-0 with wins over Columbia

HARTLINE – With 19-0 and 11-1 wins over Columbia (Hunters) on Tuesday, the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors improved to 9-0 on the year. The Warriors entered Tuesday’s doubleheader coming off 10-0 and 7-4 wins against Northport on Saturday, who was 9-1 entering the weekend...

Speaker warns of impact that high-potency marijuana can have on youth

MOSES LAKE – Laura Stack, Founder of Johnny’s Ambassadors, spoke at Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center Thursday evening about the impact high-potency marijuana products can have on youth development and mental health. She shared her personal story of losing her son, Johnny, to suicide — something she believes marijuana contributed to. “If it takes another 60 years, like it did with tobacco, this is going to be a nightmare if it doesn’t get regulated,” said Stack.

Comeback win!

Huskies rally past deficit on the diamond to overtake Deer Park with solid W.

OTHELLO – Down 2-1 to Deer Park in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Othello bats came alive as the Huskies were able to ring off six runs in seven at-bats and earn a 7-2 win over the Stags. “We got a couple bounces; a couple things went our way,” Head Coach Sonny Garza said. “It’s good to see that. The excitement in the dugout; it was good for the kids.” ...