Othello schools implement new point-of-entry security upgrades

OTHELLO – The Othello School District installed new Secure Access Keypads at all its school buildings Feb. 5. Moving forward, all visitors are required to check in through the keypad, which allows school staff to see and speak with the visitor before letting them enter.

Washington’s H-2A bill aims to enhance data collection, faces fiscal concerns

OLYMPIA - Washington Subsitute House Bill 2226, aims to address wage suppression in the H-2A guest worker program. The bill advances to the Senate with a 54-42 vote. A companion bill, Senate Bill 5996 awaits movement from rules to the Senate floor.

McMorris Rodgers will not run for reelection

WASHINGTON D.C. – Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, announced Wednesday that she will not be running for reelection when her current term ends in early 2025. She said she feels grateful to serve the people of Eastern Washington during her time in office in a formal statement to the press.

CWU selects new dean of Education and Professional Studies

ELLENSBURG – Central Washington University’s College of Education and Professional Studies has chosen Selena Castro to fill its vacant Associate Dean position starting February 16 according to a statement from CWU.

Legislature looks at lowering blood alcohol content statute

OLYMPIA – To curb traffic fatalities, lawmakers are proposing reducing the legal limit for driving while intoxicated.

Reichert’s Showhouse in Othello for sale after 32 years of business

OTHELLO — Bob and Donna Reichert have owned and operated Reichert’s Showhouse 3 in Othello with their son Robert Reichert for 32 years. Now, they are selling the building and retiring from the theater business.

'Such a fabulous night'

Country Sweethearts banquest breaks records for attendenace and fundraising in support of local cancer patients

MOSES LAKE — Saturday night’s Country Sweethearts banquet and auction was the biggest it’s ever been, seating 540 people and raising just over $318,000 for the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation, according to CBCF Director Angel Ledesma. “It was such a fabulous night,” Ledesma said.

30 buzzing years

The Hive in Moses Lake celebrates three decades of buzzing tattoo guns

MOSES LAKE — The Hive was … well, buzzing Friday afternoon as Moses Lake’s first tattoo parlor turned 30.

Overtime flexibility or worker rights? SB 5476 looks at flexible overtime rules for ag workers

OLYMPIA- Senator Curtis King, R-Yakima, introduced Senate Bill 5476 which will grant agricultural employers the flexibility to select up to 12 weeks in a calendar year, during which they can employ workers for up to 50 hours per week without triggering overtime pay requirements.

Modern furnishing decisions

Finding the right tech level when shopping for home goods

EPHRATA — Matt Moore of Moore Furniture in Ephrata said the styles and models of furniture and appliances have remained similar or the same since the pandemic started as furniture and appliance manufacturers have struggled with supply chain issues and such. Good options are out there, but even with the slowdown in model changes, thinking through a purchase is still important. “You had a whole year where you couldn’t get anything, and it was a windfall for us because we actually warehouse and we had stuff to sell,” Moore said. These days though, models that were in the warehouse and showroom now are similar if not the same because of logistics issues. However, that doesn’t mean that some thought doesn’t need to go into a purchase. Integration of technology into what used to be simple furniture is important, he said. People want USB ports to plug in their electronics such as phones, tablets and handheld game consoles. Hidden conveniences go a long way in an era where digital toys are everywhere.

Ephrata’s ‘new’ mayor pro tem looks at growing as residents choose

EPHRATA – After serving on the Ephrata City Council since 2015, Matt Moore has taken on a new title: mayor pro tem.

Senate bill proposes allowing doctors to keep names off prescription bottles

OLYMPIA – When she treated an out-of-state patient from Idaho with pulmonary hypertension. Dr. Jennifer Chin of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists knew her pregnant patient was at risk if she carried the pregnancy to term. She believes her patient could have died without the care she received in Washington.

Vikings take down Timberwolves

MOSES LAKE – Coming off of a tough loss, the Big Bend women's basketball team took the time to look themselves in the mirror and bring to light areas that needed to change moving forward.

GCFD 7 sees improvements in equipment, volunteerism

SOAP LAKE — Grant County Fire District 7 responded to more incidents in less time in 2023 compared to the year before, according to the district’s annual report. GCFD 7 also made strides in equipment and volunteer staffing, according to the district’s annual report, released this month. GCFD 7 covers Soap Lake, Coulee City, the area along SR 17 between between the two towns and the High Hill area east of the coulee, according to county records.

Samaritan payroll faces ‘technical issue’

MOSES LAKE – Samaritan Healthcare staff reported not being paid as they’d expected Friday morning, and the hospital’s administration indicated that a technical issue with one of the companies involved in processing the health care provider’s payroll had been the culprit that caused the issue.

Tribal members confront fentanyl crisis

OLYMPIA – Tribal members in Washington State are four times more likely to overdose and die on opioids than the state average, and advocates are pushing for state programs to address the crisis.

Loera earns Big Sky Player of the Week

FARMINGTON, Utah — For the first time since arriving in Cheney, Jamie Loera was named Big Sky Co-Player of the Week, announced by conference today. Loera earned the award after a week where she carried Eastern Washington to a pair of wins and extended the team's record-breaking win streak to nine games.

Stars on stage

Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars brings a touch of local glamor

MOSES LAKE — The light fantastic was well and truly tripped Friday night at the Wallenstien Theater, as local residents showed their best dance moves at Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars.

Overcoming barriers

Regulation is slowing home construction, raising costs, expert says

MOSES LAKE — Overregulation is standing in the way of building more housing nationwide, a speaker told local housing professionals last week, but it’s not necessarily coming from state governments.

‘A joyful noise’

MLCA polishes up its first band

MOSES LAKE — When the psalmist wrote “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord,” he may not have been referring to a school band. But he would probably approve of the sounds coming from the Moses Lake Christian Academy band. Beginning, but joyful. “We've had choir before, but this is our first year with an actual band,” said MLCA Marketing Director Janeil Koethke. “We’re just building the foundation,” said band director and music teacher Ruth Weger. “I think we've done a lot more this year so far than was even expected.”