Signing off

Moses Lake Fire Chief Brett Bastian retires after 33 years

MOSES LAKE — A 33-year era ended as Moses Lake Fire Chief Brett Bastian retired Friday. His tenure as firefighter and then chief was celebrated at a small party at the Moses Lake Civic Center. “Chief’s first day of work was April 20, 1992,” said MLFD CARES Coordinator Heather Kok. “The population of Moses Lake at that time was about 12,000 people. Today we're at 25,000, roughly. The jurisdiction for the Moses Lake Fire Department was nine square miles. Today it is 23-ish square miles … They had 14 career firefighters, which is roughly the amount of firefighters that we have on an average day today. The number of apparatus that they had at the time was one engine, one wildland truck (and) a command vehicle that was shared ... Today we have five engines, two ladders, three wildland vehicles, two tenders and a handful of special technology vehicles. And a lot of that has been done in the last five years. So congratulations, Chief. That’s a huge win for our crew.”

Celebrated French horn quartet Genghis Barbie to perform at CWU

ELLENSBURG — The renowned French horn quartet Genghis Barbie will be returning to Central Washington University on Thursday for a 7 p.m. performance in McIntyre Hall. Heralded as “the leading post post-feminist feminist all-female horn experience, the most innovative and energizing chamber ensemble of its generation and beyond,” the all-female horn ensemble delivers a visceral and unadulterated musical adventure. The group last performed at CWU in November 2012, presenting arrangements of pop music from the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, and today. They are regarded as one of the most versatile and expansive groups on New York’s classical/pop/rock/jazz/indie/alternative/punk/electro-acoustic scene.

CWU honor rolls include 101 Basin students

ELLENSBURG — More than 100 Central Washington University Wildcats from the Columbia Basin were named to the honor roll for fall quarter 2024, according to an announcement from the university. To qualify, a student must complete a minimum of 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

STUDIO BASIN: Immigration concerns, levies and girls wrestling

MOSES LAKE – On this episode of the STUDIO BASIN podcast, Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer discusses local immigration concerns and the response from law enforcement and school districts from across the Basin, the upcoming levies in the Ephrata, Moses Lake and Wahluke school districts and the City of Quincy preparing to break gound on its new aquatic center.

GCFD 3 pays off two fire stations

QUINCY — A facilities committee will be evaluating Grant County Fire District 3 stations to determine priorities for upgrades following the final payment on the bond that built the main fire station in Quincy. Fire district officials announced last week the bond was paid off at the end of 2024.

WA Lawmakers revisit bill that would prohibit police deception in interrogations

OLYMPIA — Lawmakers in Olympia are revisiting a bill that would block law enforcement from lying during interrogations after a similar measure failed to advance to the Senate last session.

CBIT continues investigation on Grant Co. Jail death

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Police Department Captain Troy Froewiss released a statement regarding Central Basin Investigations Team regarding the death of Richard Lambert in the Grant County Jail. Lamber was found deceased in his bunk at the Grant County Jail Dec. 31.

Three Quincy residents booked for fuel theft, possessing stolen goods

QUINCY – On Thursday morning, three Quincy residents were arrested after their vehicle ran out of fuel with a bed full of suspected stolen property, according to a statement from Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

8 Basin students honored at Gonzaga

SPOKANE — Gonzaga University has released its President’s List and Dean’s List for fall quarter 2024, including eight students from Grant and Adams counties, according to the announcement.

Basin students make WSU President's List

PULLMAN — Washington State University has released its President’s List for fall quarter 2024, which includes 117 students from the Columbia Basin, according to the announcement. A student qualifies for the President’s list if they maintain a grade point average of 3.75 or higher while enrolled in at least nine graded credits, or a GPA of 3.5 for at least 15 cumulative credits if the semester GPA is a 3.0 or better, according to the university.

Ephrata High grad honored at University of Tennessee

MARTIN, Tenn. — An Ephrata High School graduate has been honored at the University of Tennessee, Martin, according to an announcement from the university.

Superintendents discuss reading, math skills locally, statewide

OLYMPIA – The National Center for Education Statistics released the 2024 results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress Thursday, revealing that Washington’s fourth grade students continue to outperform many peers nationally in reading and math, while eighth graders experienced a decline, particularly in math.

From ‘Just Say No’ to ‘Maybe So’? Olympia reconsiders legalizing psychedelics

(The Center Square) – The potential legalization of magic mushrooms is heading to Olympia next week as state lawmakers prepare to hear testimony on two bills that could change the landscape of mental health treatment.

Revised Washington law makes it easier for youth to get identification

OLYMPIA — It will be easier for young people 16-18 years of age to get a Washington identification card without a parent’s or guardian’s signature under revisions to ID laws that took effect Jan. 1.

BBCC Baseball set to kick off 2025 season

MOSES LAKE -- With baseball season right around the corner, Big Bend Community College is gearing up to begin its 2025 campaign under the leadership of Head Coach Chase Tunstall, who enters his fourth season at the helm. Coach Tunstall shared his thoughts on the upcoming season and the expectations for his squad.

Two major power outages in Grant County

MARDON — On both Wednesday and Thursday, Grant Public Utility District had large-scale power outages. A major outage affects more than 50 customers, according to the PUD.

LETTER: A statement from MLSD board president Kirryn Jensen

I want to take a minute to talk directly with you about something I know is on a lot of people’s minds –our district’s finances and the calls for a forensic audit. I’ve heard your concerns loud and clear, whether it’s been through conversations, at meetings, or even on social media. I get it. This has been a tough situation, and people want answers. Right now, we’re in the middle of a deep dive with the state’s comprehensive audit. This isn’t just a quick once-over; it’s a full-scale review to figure out what went wrong, how we got here, and what needs to change. I think it’s important to let that process play out before making any big decisions, like committing to a forensic audit. But let me be clear: I’m not ruling it out. If the state audit shows it’s needed, I will absolutely consider it and take it to the rest of the board for discussion.

Legals for January, 31 2025

Under the sea

Royal Middle School robotics team clinches championship with plastic-eating worms

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Middle School Oceanic Outlaws robotics team is headed to Nationals. The eight seventh- and eighth-grade students took home the Champion Finalist award at the FIRST LEGO League state competition in Spokane Jan. 18, according to their coach, RMS science teacher Theresa Piper. “We started robotics back in September, and they've been working really hard on investigating a problem and then developing an innovative solution based on this year's theme for research,” Piper said. “The theme was ocean exploration, and they've been talking to experts all over the world and developing different solutions, testing out and deciding which was the best.”

BBCC releases President’s List

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College has named 338 Basin students to the President’s List for fall quarter 2024, according to an announcement from the college. The designation is given to those who complete 12 or more graded credits with a GPA of 3.75 and above. Almira: Natalie Evers Beverly: Imelda Barajas, Jacob Ruiz Velasco Coulee City: Beth Okamoto Ephrata: Sienna Addink, Ashleigh Alcala, Grace Brewer, Esmeralda Fernandez, Alexa Gonzalez, Izzlee Haney, Timothy Hann, Tyler Kono, Justin Larsen, Luke Leslie, Trevor Middleton, Angelica Munguia Villanueva, Leanne Neville, Mikaela Oneel, Dallin Plaisted, Allison Razey, Allex Rogers, Wyatt Schluckebier, Fabiola Vargas-Sanchez, Leandra Wahl