Soap Lake council makes allegations against mayor

SOAP LAKE — On Oct. 15, at the regular council meeting, several Soap Lake City Council members made allegations against Mayor Peter Sharp of unlawful recording in city buildings, including the Soap Lake Police Station, Soap Lake City Hall and the Soap Lake Tourism Center, sending an inappropriate email to city staff and misuse of city credit cards.

Knights advance in district soccer

ROYAL – The Knights (13-3) defeated Omak 5-0 in the first round of the 1A district tournament on Thursday. Head Coach Jens Jensen said the Knights became dangerous once they settled into the game.

NCW Libraries conversation to examine divisions in America

WENATCHEE — What we all have in common – and what we don’t – will be the subject of a virtual program at North Central Washington Libraries this month. “Can We Get Along? Examining Our Personal Experiences of Connection and Community” will be streamed on Zoom Nov. 13. “(It’s) an hour-and-a-half conversation about how do we come together to connect, especially when we're coming with different experiences in life (and) different opinions,” said Alicia O’Dell, director of adult programs for NCW Libraries. “How do we find ways to build community during divided times?”

‘Puffs’

QHS play celebrates magical background characters

QUINCY — Some people are born to save the world. And some are born to, well, sit next to those heroes in class. “It’s really about the underdogs,” said director Haliey Weber. “They don’t want fortune or fame. They don’t care to be super smart or brave or cunning. They just are really loyal and they care about the people they care about.” The world of “Puffs” will look familiar, but don’t be fooled. Sure, there’s a boarding school with four houses – the Braves, the Smarts, the Snakes and the Puffs – and a dark lord, and messages delivered by owl and lots of wizardy classes, but “Puffs” is not to be confused with the more famous story. Rather, it tells the story of Wayne (Sawyer Golay), Megan (Jasmine Vasquez-Navarro) and Oliver (Jerrod Miller), who happen to be in the background while all that is going on. Wayne is a math-loving nerd who wasn’t born to wizardry but is trying to catch up, Megan is a would-be goth girl who resents being a Puff, and Oliver is an orphan raised by his uncle. Together, the three navigate the pitfalls of learning magic, as well as competing in a tournament, battling a giant snake and resisting the Death Buddies, one of whom is Megan’s mom. All while living in the shadow of the great young wizards of the other story.

BASIN EVENTS Oct. 31-Nov. 30

COLUMBIA BASIN — As we move out of the spooky season and into the holidays, here are a few things to check out this month.

Ephrata SD moves forward on $75M bond election

EPHRATA – The Ephrata School District Facility Study Group proposed a $75 million bond to the Ephrata School Board Monday night. The board unanimously approved Superintendent Ken Murray to move forward with a bond resolution for the board to vote on. If passed by the board, the bond will appear on the Feb. 2026 ballot.

OTHELLO SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTOR POS. 3: Fought vs. Garcia

OTHELLO – There are two candidates running for the Othello School District Director District 3 position this year which are Birdie Fought and Juan “Jerry” Garcia. Both candidates were given the questions below and given identical deadlines and word count restrictions for their answers.

Meeting essential needs

Thriving Together Toward Tomorrow conference focuses on building community through collaboration

WENATCHEE — A growing turnout gathered at the Wenatchee Convention Center on October 22 for Thriving Together NCW’s Thriving Together Toward Tomorrow Summit, an opportunity for regional organizations to focus on meeting the essential needs of Washingtonians in their respective areas through networking and collaboration.

New Samaritan Hospital scheduled to open March 7

MOSES LAKE — The new Samaritan Hospital should officially become the property of the hospital district Dec. 12. Consultant Joe Kunkel said Tuesday the first day of operation has been determined. “From today we’re 129 days from seeing our first patient, on March 7,” Kunkel said Tuesday evening.

Mavs fall to Eisenhower in conference matchup

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks (7-5-1) played at home against Eisenhower Tuesday evening, where they fell 1-4. Mavs head coach Alysha Overland said it was a tough loss for the team, but the team will bounce back for their next matchup.

Edge Physical Therapy

Local wellness center works to improve quality of life for patients

MOSES LAKE — When it comes to health, sometimes you have to start in the middle.

COLUMN: Experiencing dementia: my simulated journey to better understanding

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a unique and thought-provoking simulation designed to help participants experience the challenges faced by individuals living with dementia at the Monroe House in Moses Lake.

Tigers conclude season in second round of districts

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Tigers (6-8) soccer season ended Tuesday evening in the second round of the Central Washington Athletic Conference against Ellensburg with a final score of 1-4. Tigers head coach Gary Klepec said it was a tough postseason matchup, but he is proud of how the team performed this season.

2025 Community Health Partnership Fund award recipients announced

MOSES LAKE – On Oct. 28, Confluence Health and the Wenatchee Valley Medical Group announced in a statement the selection of recipients for the 2025 Community Health Partnership Fund grants.

Work continuing on new Othello animal shelter

OTHELLO — Othello city officials will be advertising for bids for the new municipal animal shelter. “It’s still in development,” said Othello Mayor Shawn Logan Tuesday.

Mavs prepare for swim and dive district finals

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks hosted a Big 9 League Invitational for the league championships on Thursday. This invitational was not scored but helped prepare the teams for the district meet this weekend.

Royal, Wahluke compete in SCAC League Championship

WALLA WALLA – The Royal Knights and Wahluke Warriors cross country teams travelled to Walla Walla Point Park on Saturday to compete in the South-Central Athletic Conference League Championships. This meet prepared the teams for the coming District 5 1A Championships to qualify for the state meet.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Consider your perspective...

A few weeks ago, Wendy Brzezny of Thriving Together NCW contacted me and asked me to attend the organization’s 2025 summit, with the theme, “Thriving Together Toward Tomorrow.” The event was held at the Wenatchee Convention Center, and I’m grateful that I decided to go rather than deflecting it because I was worried about being out of the office. I tend to do that a lot, then wonder why I get deflated and feel burnt out.

Ephrata School Board to consider potential bond Monday

EPHRATA – At the regular school board meeting Monday, the board will receive a presentation from the Facility Study Group for the board to consider placing a $75 million bond on the Feb. 2026 ballot.

BASIN EVENTS Oct. 24-Nov. 1

COLUMBIA BASIN — Halloween is next weekend, and there are events galore, both scary and not. Here are some things to check out.