WA fuel prices second highest in nation

MOSES LAKE – Last week, Washington led the nation with the highest fuel prices, beating both California and Hawaii. These states have traditionally led the charts this year, according to AAA. This week, California is once again leading the nation at $4.67 with Washington close behind at $4.62, or a four-cent decrease from last week. Hawaii is third in the nation at $4.47.

Basin volleyball teams compete in Ephrata tournament

EPHRATA – On Saturday, several Basin volleyball teams took to the hardwood in Ephrata for a varsity tournament. Though it does not count toward their regular season record, tournaments are a great opportunity to fine tune certain things Head Coach Krystal Trammell said. “We always decide if we want to go for that kill, or do we want to fix some things and get everyone a lot of playing time. What we did was kind of both this weekend, and so we were able to get some people in different positions, get a lot of playing time for everybody, and also work on more of our serving and different defenses. All in all, they went three and one and they had a really good weekend,” Trammell said.

FIRE AND AIR QUALITY REPORT: Sept. 23, 2025

MOSES LAKE – The fires below have burned nearly 130,000 acres combined across Washington as of Monday afternoon. This is around 20,000 acres more than Thursday.

‘Blockbusters to Broadway’

Central Basin Community Concert Association opens season with Jason Lyle Black

MOSES LAKE — The Central Basin Community Concert Association kicks off its 2025-26 season Thursday, with a performance by Jason Lyle Black’s Electric Trio.

Legals for September, 23 2025

MLSD holding steady in standardized testing

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School Board met Sept. 18 to discuss recent state and local test scores in the district. Both the SMARTER Balance Assessment and the science assessment are done at the state level. The district does local testing called iReady to see if students are at or above grade level for English and math.

QUINCY CITY COUNCIL POSITION 4 Q&A: Royer vs. Esparza

QUINCY — Andrew Royer, the incumbent, and Rey Esparza are running for Position 4 on the Quincy City Council. The Columbia Basin Herald provided identical questions to each candidate, including a word limit. Esparza did not respond to several requests for comment.

Othello man injured in collision near Royal City

ROYAL CITY — An Othello man was seriously injured when the car he was driving was hit by another driver Sept. 19, about five miles east of Royal City.

Eagles fall to Dayton at home

Slow start, multiple injuries lead to 46-16 loss for Soap Lake

SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake Eagles football team fell 16-46 against Dayton on Friday putting their record at 1-1 for the season. “We came out slow and then once we got it to 30-8 we played them even from then on out,” said the Eagles’ head coach Garrett Devine. “I felt like it was a pretty evenly matched team for us, but they came out really hot and they had a good game plan, and we just didn’t come out hot.”

Basin football round-up week three 2025

MOSES LAKE – Week three of Basin football has concluded. While schools like Moses Lake hosted their first home games, others hit the road. See below how your favorite Basin football teams did. Numbers in parentheses indicate the team's record season-to-date.

Mavs win big in double header against Ike

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks softball team earned two big wins against Eisenhower Thursday afternoon, putting the team 6-0 on the season. “I think our games went really well,” said Mavs player Hayden Morris. “We really played as a team, and I think our freshmen came up big for us today in both games.”

Huskies dominate Cougars in Apple Cup

PULLMAN – On Saturday, the Huskies were victorious 59-24 over the Cougars in the 117th Apple Cup. Huskies Head Coach Jedd Fisch said the team is happy to have the Cup back in Seattle. “I thought they came out ready to play,” Fisch said. “This is a game that we had to win, we had to come out and play our best football.”

Moses Lake man arrested after high-speed chase

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man was arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail early Saturday morning after leading Grant County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a high-speed chase on Interstate 90 late Friday night.

Quincy Food Bank raising money for new facility

QUINCY — The Quincy Food Bank is trying to build a new facility to meet growing needs in the community.

WDFW takes over Beezley Hills Preserve

EPHRATA – In a move for conservation efforts in Washington State, the Nature Conservancy has transferred ownership of the 9,000-acre Beezley Hills Preserve to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The goal is to bolster habitat conservation efforts, particularly for endangered species such as the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, and provide opportunities for low-impact public recreation, according to WDFW Communications Contact Nicole Jordan.

Martinez makes MLHS volleyball history

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake Mavericks volleyball player Kardyn Martinez made school history during Thursday’s game against West Valley, becoming the first athlete in Moses Lake High School history to reach 500 kills on the volleyball court “It’s kind of surreal because I’m a soccer player, personally, so I never thought that I would be in this position right now,” said Martinez. “It’s honestly so cool.”

Ephrata releases findings following water leak incident

EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata released an after-action review following a significant water leak incident that occurred Sept. 1. The leak, which was detected in the early morning hours, prompted a week-long precautionary boil water advisory for residents. The review was an analysis of what transpired, highlighting both successes and areas for improvement.

Ephrata priest gets last-minute visa reprieve

EPHRATA — The Columbia Basin nearly lost a popular priest due to a government glitch. But in a twist that could almost be called miraculous, it didn’t happen. “My visa … expired on June 30,” said Fr. Cesar Izquierdo, pastor at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Ephrata. “In order for me to continue (my work), I needed a permit because it’s a paid position.” Izquierdo was working in the U.S. on an R-1 visa, which is a special visa issued to religious workers – priests, pastors, missionaries, nuns and so forth – to conduct their ministries in the United States. R-1 visas are good for a maximum of five years, and during that time, the holder can apply for a green card, which Izquierdo did.

Tory Horton returns punt 95 yards for TD and has TD catch in Seahawks' 44-13 rout of Saints

SEATTLE (AP) — Rookie Tory Horton returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown — the longest punt return in Seahawks franchise history — and caught one of Sam Darnold's two TD passes in Seattle's 44-13 rout of the winless New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Kenneth Walker III ran for two TDs for the Seahawks (2-1), with the first set up by another big play on special teams. D’Anthony Bell blocked a punt by Kai Kroeger deep in New Orleans territory, and Walker's 3-yard run gave Seattle a 21-0 first-quarter lead.

One killed in Sunday collision on SR 283

UPDATE: QUINCY — An investigation by the Washington State Patrol is underway following a head-on collision early Sunday afternoon that killed driver of one of the vehicles. EPHRATA — Drivers are being advised to avoid State Route 283 south of Ephrata due to a serious two-car collision that is fully blocking both lanes as of 2 p.m. Sunday.