Huskies win over East Valley

Othello baseball headed to CWAC title game after successful Saturday outing

OTHELLO – A three-run bottom of the second inning helped push Othello over East Valley (Yakima) in Saturday’s Central Washington Athletic Conference district semifinal, with the Huskies defeating the Red Devils 4-2. “We were excited and confident,” Othello junior Sonny Salazar said. “We worked all year for this – all summer, the winter – we were ready and prepared.”

Mattawa working to upgrade, restart Well 2, implement park improvements

MATTAWA – Mattawa Public Works Director Juan Ledezma and Gray & Osborne Civil Engineer Jamin Ankney provided an update to the Mattawa City Council on ongoing Well 2 re-equipping design and construction and park improvements at Hund Memorial Park during Thursday’s regular meeting.

WA ranchers bearing brunt of grizzlies returning to North Cascades

(The Center Square) - After years of discussion and public meetings, the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have signed a final agreement to bring grizzly bears back to the North Cascades Mountain range. The plan calls for a “founder population” of 25 bears over the next five to 10 years, releasing the animals in remote parts of the forest.

Lawmaker hopes to ensure WA bridges aren't vulnerable to Baltimore bridge collapse

(The Center Square) – More than five weeks after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, the remains of a fifth construction worker were recovered on Wednesday. The victim was identified as Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, 49, of Glen Burnie, Md., state officials said in a news release. Gonzalez was one of six workers who went missing in the collapse. One additional worker remains missing.

Last piece of steel framing goes into place at Samaritan Hospital

MOSES LAKE — That short piece of steel framing had been around. It was the last steel beam going into the framing at the new Samaritan Hospital. Samaritan Healthcare Chief Executive Officer Theresa Sullivan chronicled some of its travels before it was tacked into place. The last piece of framing marks a milestone, and it’s treated accordingly.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Vetting national and regional news

MOSES LAKE — Today’s media landscape often looks like a big bowl of spaghetti tossed against a wall already splattered with curry, leftover taco meat and gummy worms. It ain’t pretty, and it’s not always easy to decide, especially for national and global news, where to get information.

Filling a need: New homes coming to Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Last year, looking for a new home in Moses Lake was like a bad dream. The home construction industry was in a slump, and people who needed a place to live were out of luck. Add to that a spate of manufacturers setting up operations in town, and the crunch became even greater.

Chip sealing underway near Othello, Royal City next

ROYAL CITY — Road crews will start chip-sealing on a 30-mile section of State Route 26 in the Royal City area beginning in mid-May. Crews are scheduled to finish chip-sealing on a section of SR 26 near Othello later this week. Additional chip seal work is scheduled for US Highway 97 between Tonasket and Oroville in Okanogan County, according to a press release from the Washington Department of Transportation.

DIAMOND RECAP: Welcome to the postseason

COLUMBIA BASIN – District playoffs in both baseball and softball have started across the Columbia Basin, with local squads looking to qualify for their respective state tournaments.

WSU partners with community colleges to enhance urban forests

PUYALLUP — Washington State University is working with four community colleges to improve tree canopy cover in several urban areas throughout the state. The five-year project, designed to increase resilience amid a changing climate, is supported by a nearly $1.8 million Inflation Reduction Act grant from the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program. WSU researchers will collaborate with faculty and students at Spokane Community College, Highline Community College (Des Moines, Washington), Whatcom Community College (Bellingham, Washington), and Tacoma Community College to create thriving urban forests in neighborhoods near those schools.

The Cost of farming: Irrigation expenses follow a unique set of rules

MOSES LAKE — When it comes to the cost of farming, irrigation – especially in the Columbia Basin – is a cost that has to be factored in and planned for with each acre having a place in the water-cost equation.

Mavericks open series with a win over West Valley

MOSES LAKE – A three-run bottom of the third inning was enough to send Moses Lake over West Valley (Yakima) in Tuesday’s Columbia Basin Big 9 matchup, with the Mavericks later winning the ballgame 4-1.

Hundreds attend Mattawa Children’s Day celebration

MATTAWA – Hundreds of residents in and around Mattawa headed to Hund Memorial Park Saturday to celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros, also known as Day of the Children and Day of the Book.

Metal by the lake: Springfest offers hard rock and R&B lineup and family fun in the park

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Spring Festival just keeps getting bigger and bigger. “A representative from the county called us (after last year’s Springfest) and said, ‘Hey, just so you guys know, your fest is no joke.’” said Spring Festival Committee Member Lori Valdez. “They counted 57,000 attendees from Thursday to Sunday at our festival.”

Tigers, Huskies split doubleheader

EPHRATA – Monday’s Central Washington Athletic Conference doubleheader matchup between Othello and Ephrata saw each team pick up a win, with the Huskies winning the first game 6-3 before the Tigers claimed a 6-3 win of their own.

Bourbon & Bowties organizers express gratitude

MOSES LAKE — With framing going up for the new Samaritan Hospital, Chief Executive Officer Theresa Sullivan told the packed house at the Bourbon & Bowties fundraiser that it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of hospital district residents.

Last Stand Rodeo back for 72nd year

COULEE CITY — The PRCA Last Stand Rodeo returns for its 72nd outing this May, hosted at the Coulee City Rodeo Grounds. The three-day rodeo is hosted over Memorial Day weekend, beginning the night of May 24. “The only year we didn’t have the rodeo was the year Mount St. Helens blew and the COVID year,” said Pete Thiry, president of the Coulee City Rodeo Association.

WA Cares private insurance exemptions cause confusion

(The Center Square) – There seems to be some confusion among certain state agencies about workers who received exemptions from WA Cares, Washington’s mandatory long-term care benefit program.

Grant Co. rail expansions to aid economic growth

MOSES LAKE — Four Grant County port districts are working on projects to expand rail transport options available to existing and future businesses. The ports of Moses Lake, Quincy, Warden and Ephrata are researching, designing, planning, and getting ready for construction to expand or add rail service. Some received federal or state funding this spring. Representatives of each of the ports said the expansion of rail service in and around the county would help draw additional tenants to the port and likely the county as a whole. The expansion would provide options for manufacturers and others to bring in needed supplies. It will broaden the area’s cargo transport options to add rail to easy access to air, over-the-road and river-based industrial transport.

Powering affordability

OneD Battery Sciences plant almost online

MOSES LAKE — More affordable electric vehicles are on the way. That was the takeaway from a tour that OneD Battery Sciences offered to a small contingent of Moses Lake community members Thursday afternoon at the company’s SINANODE plant on Road N Northeast.