'It’s the brotherhood we have'

Defense shines during Royal’s 2023 campaign

ROYAL CITY – While the Knight offense lit up scoreboards this fall, it was the play of Royal’s defense that stomped out the dreams of opposing teams looking to pull off an upset, surrendering just eight touchdowns in 13 games this season.

Soap Lake receives $2.15M streets grant

SOAP LAKE — The city of Soap Lake will be doing some work on its streets in 2024 with the help of a $2.15 million grant from the Washington Transportation Improvement Board.

Elizabeth (Betty) Holben

May 13, 1925 — Dec. 9, 2023

Longtime Moses Lake resident Elizabeth (Betty) Holben passed away peacefully on December 9 at the age of 98. She is survived by five children: Cynthia Holben, Sylvia Allen, Kirk Holben, Bruce Holben, and Katherine Hogan. Her husband Melvin and son Marcus preceded her in death. She also leaves behind seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Royal music students strike holiday note

ROYAL CITY — Holiday music both traditional and contemporary was in the air as the Royal Middle School and Royal High School bands and choir performed Wednesday evening in the Royal High School gym.

LETTER: Religion in Colonial America

Most Americans assume the colonies had one form of Christianity. However, religion was more diverse than that.

Legals for December, 8 2023

Calm before the fun

Cloudview Farm spending the winter to prep for busy 2024

EPHRATA – Growing season may be done at Cloudview Farm but the ag attraction’s Education and Community Coordinator Julie Johnston and Operations Manager Anna Moore are hard at work prepping for another year of events at the Ephrata business.

Eagles improve to 3-0 with win over Pateros

SOAP LAKE – The Eagles dominated in transition during Tuesday’s 86-26 win over Pateros, forcing Billygoat turnovers early in the game to jump out to an impressive lead. “It was all the fastbreak points and us moving the ball,” Soap Lake senior Andrey Sushik said. “I feel like we could have moved the ball a little better on moving the ball and a little on defense, but overall I think we played good.”

News Bites for Dec. 6, 2023

A selection of news briefs from the Columbia Basin.

Bright Quincy: Lights, pictures, the Christmas story at community celebration

QUINCY — Grant County Fire District 3 decked out their ladder truck in lights, Santa posed for pictures and the Quincy Valley Historical Society and Museum told the Christmas story during the Quincy Valley Christmas celebration Friday night.

WSDOT updating Highway System Plan

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Transportation held a virtual public meeting Thursday regarding its draft for the 2024 Highway System Plan update. According to the plan, the previous version was released in 2007. WSDOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multimodal Development & Delivery Kerri Woehler introduced the draft.

Tiger victory: Ephrata girls take first home game of season 56-36

EPHRATA — The Ephrata High School girls basketball team took an early lead and never looked back in a 56-36 win over Pullman High School in the first home game for the Tigers Saturday.

Firefighters for Kids gets boost from Boeing

MOSES LAKE — Some families in the Columbia Basin will have a merrier Christmas, courtesy of The Association of Washington Business, Boeing and local firefighters. Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce directors dropped by Moses Lake Fire Station 1 on Thursday to present Moses Lake Firefighter Mike Miner, president and founder of Firefighters for Kids, with a “Santa Box” that included a $5,000 donation. The goodies came through a donation by the Boeing Company to the AWB’s Holiday Kids’ Tree Project, which raises money for families in rural communities, said Chamber Director Debbie Doran-Martinez. Boeing specified that its contribution be used in the Columbia Basin because of its close ties to the Moses Lake community, she added.

Ag appreciation: Annual parade lights up snow-covered Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – There was snow on the ground, but spirits were high at the annual Ag Appreciation Parade and Street Party in downtown Moses Lake Friday. The party started at 5 p.m., with the parade at 7 p.m. The weather was chilly, at about 24 degrees, but downright balmy compared to the 2022 parade’s temperatures in the teens.

Four straight!

Knights defeat Lakeside 49-7 for 1A football crown

SEATTLE – For the fourth consecutive season, the Royal Knights finished the season on top of the 1A classification on the gridiron. No. 1 seed Royal defeated No. 2 Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) 49-7 in Friday afternoon’s 1A State Football championship game in Seattle. “Even in the crowd as kids, you’ll see it happen, and then when it’s your chance you don’t want to mess it up,” Royal junior Lance Allred said. “You put in all the work in the off-season and then you go and win it like this – it’s awesome.” ...

Legals for December, 1 2023

Moses Lake chamber talks water, education with governor

MOSES LAKE — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee had an opportunity to hear about the challenges facing Moses Lake at a round table discussion at the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce Wednesday. Besides Chamber President Debbie Doran-Martinez and Marketing Director Lori Robins, the governor met with Moses Lake Mayor Don Myers, City Administrator Kevin Fuhr, Grant County Economic Development Council Executive Director Brant Mayo, Port of Moses Lake Director of Business Development Richard Hanover, Big Bend Community College President Sara Thompson Tweedy and Group14 CEO Rick Luebbe. Accompanying Inslee was Washington Department of Commerce Engagement and Outreach Specialist Soo Ing-Moody. “First of all, Governor, we want to thank you for the $36 million that went into the budget to help us with water, more specifically getting surface water to do more irrigation,” Doran-Martinez told Inslee. “Also there was $4 million that was in the transportation budget that helped with bridges. So we were able to widen some bridges, put some bigger culverts in to deliver more water into the Columbia Basin Project. And then we've leveraged that and got more federal dollars as well for that project. We still don't have enough money to get it over the finish line, but every little bit helps.”

Sharp shooting seals win for Big Bend

MOSES LAKE – After a tough past weekend of play, the Lady Vikes hoped to get on track in a preseason match-up versus a conference opponent as they hosted the Spokane Falls Community College Sasquatch on Tuesday at the Devries Activity Center.

Frank Harold Sparks

Frank H. Sparks, 87, of Royal City, Washington, passed away on Nov. 25, 2023, surrounded by his family. Frank was born in 1936 to Frank and Dorothy Sparks in Mohler, Idaho. The oldest of six children, Frank spent his childhood in Idaho. He married Jessie Tapio on June 28, 1958, and moved to Royal City, where they farmed and raised six children. Frank honorably served a term in the National Guard. Frank met and married Mary Summers on March 19, 2010, and added three stepchildren and five grandchildren to his family.

A note from 2023 Ag Parade Grand Marshal Cheryl Driggs Elkins

MOSES LAKE – I go to all the Moses Lake parades with the Ag Parade being a favorite because it features the gard working men and women who farm now and those in our history who helped Moses Lake become the town that it is. It was totally unexpected when I was asked to be the Grand Marshal this year, but pride in my family’s past allowed me to accept as a way to honor and respect them.