ROAD REPORT: Road resurfacing to continue in Moses Lake next week

MOSES LAKE — Drivers using Moses Lake’s downtown streets should be prepared for some delays or find routes around some streets as crews continue to resurface downtown streets, East Hill Street and East Wheeler Road.

GCSO blotter for Sept. 12-15, 2025

The reports below were provided by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. Suspects in the incidents are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Cougars fall to La Salle Lightning

WARDEN – The Warden Cougars volleyball team fell 0-3 to the La Salle Lighting in their first home game of the season Wednesday evening putting their record at 0-2.

Charity golf tournament needs more volunteers

WARDEN – On Sept. 27, the ‘Dude! Where’s my Cart!?’ charity golf tournament will be held at Sage Hills Golf Course. Event organizer Karisti Cox said the tournament is to help raise awareness for Alzheimer's. “The fundraising is all designed to go towards the Alzheimer's Association, more specifically, to the Columbia Basins Walk to End Alzheimer's but ultimately, it all goes to the same place,” Cox said.

Mavericks state runners heading to Woodbridge Invitational

MOSES LAKE – On Saturday, the Mavericks will be represented by six runners in the Woodbridge Invitational held in Orange County Great Park, California. Senior Liam O’Shea said the team has been thinking about this event for a long time. “This past week, me personally, I've been eating and sleeping California, there's no amount of preparation that I want to forego, or I want the team to forgo. We've really been making sure to get in every small thing so that when we step up to that line Saturday, we can really perform our best,” O’Shea said.

Local riders take first in BMX Gold Cup in Seattle

MOSES LAKE – Last weekend, best friends KJ Gilman and Logan Vela placed first in their respective groups in the northwest Gold Cup Finals at the SeaTac BMX track. KJ said it was a great experience. “The ride over there was really nice and calm. As soon as I got that first (place) I was super happy,” he said.

Crews extinguish small fire in rural Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – Grant County Fire Districts 5, 7, and 12 were called to a brush/structure fire in the 5000 block of Highland Drive in rural Moses Lake at around 1:30 p.m. Thursday. “What was thought to be a manufactured home, we think was more likely just a collection of debris and not a structure,” Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Sept. 18-24. 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — The air is getting cooler as local athletes head into their third week of fall sports. See where the local high school teams are heading this week.

A Tex(as)-sized heart

MOSES LAKE – Tex has a problem and he’s looking for you to fix it. He’d like a good home with a loving family and maybe a chew toy or ten to keep him entertained. He’s an American Blue Heeler mix who’s almost three years old and he’s had all of his shots. Like all of the pets at Grant County Animal Outreach, he’s been neutered/spayed, so you won’t have to worry about puppies being his fault anytime soon. If you’re interested in meeting Tex, stop by at 6725 Randolph Road NE Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. or call 509-762-9616 for more information. If you are unable to adopt but want to help, call or donate at grantcountyanimaloutreach.org.

LETTER: The cost of fire service

To the Editor, Othello is in the middle of elections, and its contract with Adams County Fire District No. 5 has become an issue. Unfortunately, some of the campaign responses being shared has caused confusion.

Royals score four in the eighth to snap Seattle's 10-game winning streak

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Adam Frazier hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the eighth inning and the Kansas City Royals went on to beat Seattle 7-5 on Wednesday night and snap the Mariners' 10-game winning streak. Eugenio Suárez snapped an 0-for-32 skid with four hits, two RBIs and two runs for Seattle, which, with Houston's win, dropped a half-game back of the Astros in the AL West.

New Grant Transit center to open next week

EPHRATA — The new Grant Transit Authority transit center in Ephrata should be ready for bus passengers Monday. Transit Authority General Manager Eric Loomis said next week’s opening is the first phase of a longer-term plan.

Ephrata Sports Complex changes on the way

EPHRATA – Several changes to the Ephrata Sports Complex are in the planning stages in the city of Ephrata, as the Parks and Recreation Department works to accommodate increased use of the facility and encourage economic activity associated with it. “With the addition of middle school sports over the past few years, the middle school has used that facility for some of their events,” said City Administrator Ray Towry.

Local Job Corps students keep wildfire crews functioning

MOSES LAKE — Firefighters are battling fires across Washington – 20 of them Tuesday morning – but they’re not doing it alone. Back at the fire camp, at a safe distance from the fire, Job Corps students are working to ensure the firefighters have everything they need.

Huskies get first win over Tigers

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies got their first win of the season Tuesday after defeating the visiting Ephrata Tigers 3-1. Huskies Head Coach Steve Parris said he was glad to get their first win at home. “We’ve needed this, and so we’re glad that it happened tonight on our home floor, and hopefully we’ll just keep moving up,” Parris said. It was a game of momentum between the Huskies and Tigers. From the first set, the teams took turns going on small runs to score a few points. The score remained so tight that both teams were tied at 24, which led to either team needing to win by two instead of the typical score to get to 25. The Huskies would ultimately prevail 28-26.

Legals for September, 18 2025

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Community matters...

As I write this, I just finished speaking at the Ephrata Rotary Club’s weekly meeting at Country Deli in Ephrata. The banquet room in the back of the restaurant was filled with more than a dozen folks who were there not just to grab a meal, but to share some positivity and talk about the work they can do to make the community an even better place to live.

Hayden Homes honored with awards for company culture

REDMOND, Ore. — Hayden Homes, which has built housing developments in Moses Lake and Othello, was honored by Great Place To Work® and Fortune Magazine with two prestigious awards representing its positive culture, employee experience, leadership and community-driven work, according to an announcement from the company.

Moses Lake council weighing water concerns

MOSES LAKE — Water use, guaranteeing water supply and making sure there’s enough water as Moses Lake grows was the subject of an extensive discussion during a daylong planning session of the Moses Lake City Council Tuesday. City Engineer Richard Law said staff members are studying water rates and working on an overall plan for the water system to help make some of those decisions easier. “They’re coming together,” Law said.

Ephrata School District considering spring 2026 bond

EPHRATA — After more than a year and a half of work, the Ephrata School District’s District Facility Study Group has decided to recommend putting a $75 million bond package on the February 2026 ballot. The goal of the workgroup, said Ephrata School District Superintendent Ken Murray, was to ensure all of Ephrata’s students had quality learning spaces. “Primarily, people had an opportunity to see what we were able to accomplish with our 2019 bond and the facilities that are in place at one of our elementaries, and then, obviously, at Ephrata Middle School,” Murray said. “And one of the real goals, initially, was they saw how safe those facilities are. They saw how (those facilities incorporate) current trends in terms of the types of spaces that you could create for students.” Murray said the bond package, if approved, would have a tax bill impact but allow the district to remodel and expand Ephrata High School, replace Grant Elementary and Parkway Intermediate schools and provide a better Performing Arts Center for students. Some of the work had initially been approved by voters in 2019 along with funding, but inflation caused by the pandemic and other factors caused their cancelation and the funding was zeroed out through a process called defeasement.