MLSD, MLEA address school day, finances during final meeting of 2025

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District Board of Directors held its final meeting of 2025 Thursday. During the meeting, both the Moses Lake Education Association and district administration discussed the ongoing concern of school day length.

Pledge leader

Ephrata girl leads Pledge of Allegiance for past two years

EPHRATA — Summer Rocheleau, an Ephrata resident, has been leading the Pledge of Allegiance at council meetings for over two years. After she finished leading the council in the pledge, Wednesday night, she was recognized by Mayor Bruce Reim, along with the entire council for her public service.

Cougs to play Utah state in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

PULLMAN — The Washington State University Cougars football team (6-6) is set to play Utah State (6-6) in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, Monday, with kickoff at 11 a.m. This will be the Cougs’ 20th bowl game in program history and ninth in the last ten full seasons.

ACH Warriors off to undefeated start

COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (4-0) are off to an undefeated start to their season after defeating the Neah Bay Red Devils 71-49. Head Coach Graham Grindy was complimentary of his teams defensive effort. “Collectively, the defense was great. Along with that, we rebounded really well, and that allowed us to get out in transition. I would say we were pretty balanced inside and out, and also balanced with our scoring,” he said.

Seahawks overcome 16-point deficit to stun Rams 38-37 in OT in NFC West showdown

SEATTLE (AP) — Mike Macdonald was in no mood to play for a tie, and the Los Angeles Rams’ defense had no interest in letting Sam Darnold connect with any of his top receiving options. After Darnold hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a touchdown in overtime, Macdonald entrusted his quarterback to win it for Seattle. Darnold did just that, hitting a wide-open Eric Saubert for the 2-point conversion, and the Seahawks overcame a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Rams 38-37 on Thursday night for a one-game lead in the NFC West.

Chimney maintenance is essential for safety

MOSES LAKE — With Christmas just around the corner, lots of folks are using their fireplaces for warmth, roasting chestnuts or just a pleasant atmosphere. But before Santa pays your chimney a visit, you should make sure it’s in good working order. Chimney fires are responsible for more than three-fourths of residential building heating fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Regular inspections and cleaning are the best way to prevent that, said Michael Harper, known as The Chimney Guy. “If they’re using (the fireplace) aesthetically – date night, Christmas, New Year’s, show-off times, something in the background here and there, (they should) have it inspected once a year for peace of mind,” Harper said. “If they’re using it two to three days a week religiously through the winter months, they need to have it cleaned once a year.”

Mavericks shine on the road

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (2-0) are off to a strong start to their season after defeating the West Valley Rams 54-24 Tuesday. Head Coach Jose Tanguma said he was glad to see his wrestlers make improvements.

Moses Lake Police Department logs for Dec. 12-14, 2025

Moses Lake Police Department logs for Dec. 12-14, 2025

3 council members renew oaths of office in Ephrata

EPHRATA — Three Ephrata City Council Members were sworn in Wednesday evening after winning their respective races. Mayor Bruce Reim administered oaths of office to Matt Moore, Kathleen Harris and Phil Borck during council’s regular meeting.

Ephrata water tower kept offline due to programming issue

EPHRATA — The Ephrata water tower could not be connected yesterday, as originally planned, according to Public Works Directors Rob Harris. Instead, the city will have to wait another one to two weeks for some programming issues to be fixed.

Braden Huff scores a career-high 37 points as No. 7 Gonzaga beats Campbell 98-70

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Braden Huff scored a career-high 37 points on 16-for-18 shooting as No. 7 Gonzaga beat Campbell 98-70 on Wednesday night. Graham Ike added 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Steele Venters had 13 points for Gonzaga (11-1).

The stakes are high as the Seahawks and Rams square off in a game with division title implications

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Sam Darnold was far from his best the last time he and the Seattle Seahawks squared off against his hometown team and he is amply aware he will need to perform better than when he tossed four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 16. Darnold and the Seahawks' rematch Thursday night with the Rams carries significant NFC West title implications. The Seahawks (11-3) and Rams (11-3) are tied atop the division and a game ahead of the 49ers, and a win for either team would put them in the driver’s seat to secure the title and potentially the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

Moses Lake BMX showed growth, strength in ‘25

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake BMX group had a big year in 2025 as they experienced growth in their riders and the facility. With the season ending in November, Jeff Niehenke, President of Moses Lake BMX, has had time to reflect and plan for what’s to come at the start of the next season. “This year went really well,” said Niehenke. “We were in two new beginner leagues, and we just had a lot of growth from the beginner leagues.”

Newhouse to retire from Congress

WASHINGTON D.C. — Fourth District Representative Dan Newhouse has announced he will not seek reelection to the US Congress in 2026. The announcement was made Wednesday. “This decision comes with no reservations or remorse, only gratitude for the tremendous opportunity to have represented my home state in Congress,” the statement said.

COLUMN: Seahawks ready for a Super Bowl run?

Ahead of their Thursday night showdown against the Los Angeles Rams (11-3), the Seattle Seahawks are currently 11-3 and one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The sea birds are on a four-game win streak. Their last loss?

Ephrata water tower up and running

EPHRATA — After several weeks of waiting, the City of Ephrata has finally got its state test results back for the water tower, showing the water is negative for any contaminants. “We are looking forward to getting everything online,” Ephrata Public Works Director Rob Harris said.

Mavs cheer qualifies for state competition

MOSES LAKE — The Mavericks cheer team has qualified for state competition after scoring in the 80’s at a competition at Hanford High School on Dec. 5. Since they have qualified, they will have a chance to compete for their ninth straight co-ed championship. “At this point, there is an expectation that we will do well,” Moses Lake High School Cheer Head Coach Mikey Carlile said. “It's more nerve wracking for me now; we're the defending co-ed state champions for the last eight years in a row. So, there's just pressure... just that expectation to continue that.”

Legals for December, 17 2025

Huskies best Boise State in LA Bowl

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The University of Washington Huskies football team (9-4) earned a 38-10 victory over the Boise State Broncos in the LA Bowl over the weekend to officially close out their season.

Jacks show fight in home loss

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks (1-4) fell in a competitive 67-47 game at home to the Grandview Greyhounds Saturday. Head Coach Scott Bierlink said his players competed against the Greyhounds but dug themselves too deep of a hole to climb out of.