Elizabeth Mary 'Betty' Warnick

1925 – 2025

Elizabeth Mary “Betty” (Vickerman) Warnick, 100 years old, passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, November 27, 2025, surrounded by her family. Betty was the beloved matriarch of the Warnick family to her seven children, children-in-laws, foster children, many grandchildren, grandnieces and grandnephews, great-grandchildren, friends and community members.

Knights aiming high for success this season

ROYAL CITY — After an 11-12 season, the Knights are ready for more, according to Head Coach Farrah Wardenaar. After leaving it all on the court last season, they went into the offseason with a renewed drive to succeed. “We had a really good summer; we put in a lot of work. We went to a great team camp at Gonzaga, and I took 20 kids with me this summer. That just shows me the level of dedication (they have) is improving every year, so I think that's great,” Wardenaar said. With their investment into developing in the offseason, Wardenaar said she feels her team will be different this season. The Knights return a strong group of upperclassmen and a freshmen class. Taking both of those into account, she feels this roster is a strong depth to work with.

We are Ephrata Town Hall set for Dec. 10

EPHRATA — The Columbia Basin Herald and the Ephrata School District will once again host the “We are Ephrata” Town Hall on Dec. 10 at the Ephrata High School Performing Arts Center.

Celtic Christmas returns to Moses Lake Dec. 12

MOSES LAKE — Fiddler Geoffrey Castle will bring his Celtic Christmas show to Moses Lake again Dec. 12.

Verify before responding to charitable requests

MOSES LAKE — Along with many other things, Christmas is the season of charity. But because scammers are still out there even during the Christmas season, the Washington Attorney General’s Office suggests that people verify before they donate. Othello Police Interim Chief Aaron Garza said a good way for people to protect themselves from charity scammers is to be proactive.

Trade group: High taxes, regulations straining WA restaurants to the breaking point

(The Center Square) — The holidays are typically the busiest time of year for restaurants, but if trends continue in Washington state, it might be a blue Christmas for eatery owners and operators. “Costs have gone up, and customers are really pushing back on price,” said Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association, in an interview last week with The Center Square.

Moses Lake Parks and Rec offering day camp while schools are closed

MOSES LAKE — The Larson Recreation Center is offering an Explorers Day Camp until the Moses Lake School District work stoppage ends. The program offers students between the ages of six and 12, the opportunity to learn, play and hangout with peers and school is postponed.

Gas prices drop nationally, locally

MOSES LAKE — Grant County, Washington and national average gas prices saw decreases this week. However, Adams County saw a slight increase in average fuel prices this week.

Moses Lake teachers begin strike Monday as negotiations continue

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District teachers gathered outside of their respective campuses Monday morning, holding signs reading “On Strike!” School was closed for the district’s students Monday and will be Tuesday as well. Sunday night, it was announced that Moses Lake Education Association, the district’s teacher union, would begin a work stoppage Monday, after nearly six months of negotiations with the district on a contract.

Steven L. Gilbert

1958 – 2025

Steven L. Gilbert, devoted husband and father, passed away peacefully on November 23, 2025. Steve lived heroically with the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s for 18 years, but it never daunted his loving spirit and sense of humor. Steve was a gentle giant and leaves a legacy of strength during trial, humor in hard times and an enduring love of God, family and ice cream.

Seahawks blank Vikings 26-0 for their first shutout victory in 10 years

SEATTLE (AP) — Ahead of the season, Ernest Jones IV set a goal of finishing the year with six interceptions. With six games left, the Seahawks linebacker already has a career-high four picks, including the one he returned 85 yards on Sunday for the first touchdown of his career. That was the first of five takeaways by Seattle's dominant defense as the Seahawks blanked the Minnesota Vikings 26-0 for their first shutout victory in more than a decade.

WA senators pushing on federal legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington senators are making progress on several pieces of legislation at the federal level. Washington’s two senators have been able to pass four pieces of legislation in one chamber this session, so far. Of those, two are resolutions designating April as the “Month of Military Child” and designating a week in Feb. as “National School Counseling Week.”

Weather for the first week of December 2025

MLSD closed Monday as teachers opt to strike, negotiations to continue

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District will be closed Monday as a precaution for a potential strike by the Moses Lake Education Association, the district’s teacher's union. MLEA said their executive board voted to initiate a strike starting Monday, if an agreement was not reached by Sunday night after negotiations ended.

Students stacking up

Ephrata Lego robotics teams share presentations with school board

EPHRATA — The Ephrata School District board room was packed Wednesday night with people standing off to the side after all the seats filled, just to get a glimpse of the presentations. Children sang, shared their science projects and captured the attention of the school board.

GALLERY: November 2025 in review

COLUMBIA BASIN — November in the Basin began with memorials for the departed, surged through state sports championships and finally began to look like winter during Thanksgiving week. Here are a few highlights from last month.

Moses Lake teachers commit to Monday strike, if no agreement reached

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Education Association executive board voted to initiate a strike Monday if an agreement is not reached with the Moses Lake School District by the end of mediation Sunday, according to a statement from MLEA issued Friday afternoon.

Commerce Department names Economic Development and Competitiveness czar

OLYMPIA — Andrea Chartock has been tapped to lead the state’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness, according to an announcement from the Washington State Deparetment of Commerce, which administers that office. Chartock was previously with the international development company DAI and has more than 25 years of experience in global economic development, spanning more than 30 countries.

Lions basketball returns with experience

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions are returning to the court this week with a team of experienced players after having no seniors last season. This year, Lions Head Coach Josh Kast said the team is going to use their experience to advance further. “They’re a young group and they’ve been doing nothing but progressing,” said Kast. “That’s the cool thing about a young group of kids is they’re going to grow and they’re going to learn significantly throughout their eighth-, ninth-, 10th-grade seasons and by the time they’re juniors and seniors they’re able to compete at a higher level.” The Lions concluded the previous season with a 13-9 record, qualifying them for the district tournament where the team won in the first round against Cascade Christian Academy, but fell in the second round against Soap Lake.

BASIN EVENTS: December 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — Now that the Thanksgiving turkey coma has passed, it’s time to get off the couch and start the December festivities. Here are some things happening this month.