Mavericks slow pitch motivated to win this fall

MOSES LAKE – After a strong 17-6 slow pitch season last fall, the Mavericks are eager to top their semifinal appearance in states this year. As the school year has started, they have returned to the field for practice.

Food fundraisers are important part of Warden Community Days

WARDEN — It is true the line at the Warden High School Class of 2026 booth was not as long as that at the Queen of All Saints Catholic Church booth. Nevertheless, by 12:30 p.m. it was clear the seniors had underestimated the demand. “We’re running out of pizzas already,” said Bryce Cox, who oversaw the seniors’ pizza fundraiser.

FIRE REPORT: Sept. 2, 2025

Air quality moderate across most of Washington

COULEE CITY – A fire broke out between Soap Lake and Coulee City just west of Lenore Lake Monday afternoon on the rimrock area overlooking the lake and State Route 17. According to radio traffic, it began as a fire in light flashy vegetation and quickly grew to 60 acres and had reached about 400 acres by the end of the day. Several units, including a helicopter, were reportedly fighting the fire. The cause was unknown as of press time.

Gas prices see uptick in Grant Co. and nationally

MOSES LAKE – Gas prices saw a slight increase in Grant County and nationwide; however, Washington and Adams County prices remained stable for the week, according to AAA.

Legals for September, 2 2025

Glen Williams water access to be closed for improvements

MARDON – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will temporarily close the Glen Williams Water Access Area on Potholes Reservoir beginning Sept. 8 to allow for planned improvements. The closure is expected to last through Oct. 23.

Anchor AS becomes majority shareholder in REC Silicon

MOSES LAKE — Enough shareholders responded to an offer to buy outstanding shares of REC Silicon to increase the proportion of shares owned by Anchor AS to more than 50%. Anchor AS is a subsidiary of the Hanwa Group, which owned about 45% of REC Silicon previously.

Friday jamboree helps area teams finalize strategies

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Tigers hosted a jamboree Friday afternoon to kick off the football season. The Tigers were joined by the Moses Lake Mavericks, the Royal City Knights and Wenatchee High Panthers. “I think it just kind of gives that little taste of competition against that other team where then you can’t wait to play that next game,” said Tigers head coach Patrick Mitchell.

BASIN SENIOR EVENTS: September 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — The grandchildren are back in school, the summer family visits are done and there are plenty of things to get out and do this month. Here are a few:

Cougars rally behind new coach ahead of fall season

WARDEN — The Warden Cougars are striving to go above and beyond this season and bring up a new love for football in the community. “I’m ready to get some dubs, have some good times with my teammates and make lots of memories,” said junior Kameron Jensen, Cougars quarterback. For senior tight end Hunter Golladay, this season will be about returning to full swing following an injury that took him out of the final three weeks last season. He said that he broke his kneecap and irritated an old tear in his meniscus and made a full recovery in the spring, just in time to prepare for the fall season.

Lions look forward to increased roster for ’25-26 season

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions are preparing for the upcoming football season with high expectations as they enter their third year of the school’s football program. “We have most of our team back, only lost a few seniors, so looking to build our team chemistry and do good this year,” said Johnathan Ferguson, Lions quarterback. Athletic Director and Head Coach Josh Kast said the team ended its previous season 5-5, earned second in the Central Washington 1B league, and played in the state tournament. “(We) ended up having a tough matchup first round,” Kast said. “We got beat up pretty good over against Naselle in the playoffs.

Jacks ready for new chapter under new leadership

QUINCY — This season, the Jacks will be under a new leadership but led by a familiar face: Seth Longwill. Longwill takes over as the Jacks new head coach this season and is focused on taking a different approach to practice. “We're really going to focus on doing the practices the right way," Longwill said. “We've already talked about our mentality in the off-season as well in the weight room and everything."

Eagles set sights on state

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Eagles are preparing to come back into this season after ending last year with a 5-4 record and being two points away from making the state playoffs. “(We) had a couple of costly fumbles in a couple of different games,” said Eagles Head Coach Garrett Devine. “We were right there, but the top three from our league go to state and we ended up fourth.”

Wreck on SR 17 between Moses Lake and Othello

MOSES LAKE – First responders are on the scene of a rollover accident on State Route 17 between Moses Lake and Othello near the intersection with Road 4 SE. Additional details are unavailable at this time. Those traveling that portion of the road are advised to exercise caution.

Big Sky Now: Week zero takeaways and bold week one picks

Big Sky Now breaks down an action-packed Week 0 in Big Sky Conference football and looks ahead to an exciting Week 1 slate.

Thomas “Tommy” Brice

1960 – 2025

Thomas “Tommy” Lamar Brice, of Moses Lake, Washington, left this earth and joined R.D., Betty (mom and dad), Melvin and Larry (siblings) on August 23, 2025 at the age of 65. Born August 16, 1960, in Arcadia, LA.

Tigers enter 4th year under Coach Mitchell

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers are returning to the field for the 2025 season with a sense of confidence. They ended their previous season with a 5-5 record and plan to improve that record and make a deep playoff run. “We had a few key players leave last year, but I think we’re able to bounce right back just with the guys that played not as much,” said Tigers quarterback Brady Hendrick. “I think everyone on the team is ready to go.” Hendrick is one of the seniors with the Tigers this season and is coming into his third year starting. He said that during just the first few days of practice, he is starting to see strong chemistry between each of the players, where they’re building a tight friend group on a senior-heavy team.

BASIN EVENTS: September 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — The days are cooling off – well, maybe a little – and the kids are back in school, which means fall is just around the corner. Here are some things to do to help you recover from the summer.

Positive drama: High school theater gives students confidence, people skills

MOSES LAKE — If, as Shakespeare wrote, all the world’s a stage, then a high school drama club must be the perfect place to prepare for life. “(Students who participate in drama) have a place where doesn't matter what's going on in school,” said Marla Allsopp, drama advisor at Ephrata High School. “They might feel like they don't quite fit in, but when they come to the theater, they're part of that group.”

Mavs motivated for a state run this season

MOSES LAKE — As the start of the 2025 season hits, the Mavericks bring in an experienced roster that has stayed hungry for a state title opportunity. Head Coach Brett Jay said the team has homed in on player development in the offseason. “We're going to focus on our locker room and develop every player we have. It's a yearlong process, our offensive linemen are all bigger and stronger, our receivers are bigger and faster, our backfield (quarterback and running back) is bigger and faster, and so it's exciting,” Jay said.