Regional fire report for July 27

PULLMAN — The Wawawai fire, about five miles west of Pullman, had burned 526 acres Wednesday, according to a statement from the Northeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team. The fire, which was discovered Monday evening, is located about two miles from Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River and about a mile and a half from Wawawai County Park. Level 1 evacuation notices (“Be ready”) have been issued for a small area between the river and Wawawai-Pullman Road, according to the NWIIMT. 170 personnel are on site, the statement added...

Parents honor son’s love of fashion with scholarship

PULLMAN - Max Pitts is impossible to characterize in just a few words. His family and friends describe him as a loyal, fun-loving, social butterfly. He was a Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity member and a basketball and football fan. He also had a passion for streetwear and fashion, leading him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in apparel merchandising through Washington State University’s Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles (AMDT)...

Dog days

Moses Lake vet offers tips for keeping pets safe in the heat

MOSES LAKE — Summer is a time of fun in the sun, but for pets it can be very different as the heat can be hazardous to their health. It is important during this time to take responsibility for our furry friends. Dr. Dick Maier of Pioneer Veterinary Clinic has some advice for pet owners to ensure that their pets are able to stay cool during the hotter days of the summer. First, it is important to make sure that pets have plenty of water and shade, especially when they are exclusively outdoor animals, he said. “If they don’t mind getting wet and they’ve got space for a kiddie pool that’s always good,” he said. “They can get in and cool down.” There are certain breeds of dogs that should not be out in the heat for long, particularly the “smush face” breeds like Frenchies and bulldogs who are not genetically built like most other dogs and have a hard time breathing, Maier said.

Legals for July, 26 2023

Royal schools passes ‘23-24 budget

ROYAL CITY — The Royal School Board approved the district’s 2023-24 budget at its monthly meeting Monday. “We typically start a budget process in February, when we start talking about enrollment,” said RSD Business Manager Greg Pike. “And then here we are in late July, where we're adopting a budget, and then the final step is to submit the final resolution adopted budget by Aug. 1 to (the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction).” ...

'I’m very excited for the guys to get back at it.'

Eagles looking forward to ‘23 season at Big Sky Media Day

SPOKANE – Coming off a 3-8 season, Eastern Washington Head Coach Aaron Best showed his enthusiasm about moving on to the upcoming 2023 campaign at Monday’s Big Sky Media Day in Spokane. “We didn’t have the best season last year, (there’s a) bad taste in your mouth,” Best said. “I’m very excited for the guys to get back at it.” ...

CWU expects art history program to draw students regionally

ELLENSBURG - Central Washington University’s newest degree program has been a long time coming, and this fall it will finally become a reality. After ironing out the details for the past 18 months, the Department of Art + Design will be introducing a Bachelor of Arts in Art History, giving a number of current students an opportunity to pursue their passion without having to go elsewhere. The new degree offering will also provide incentive for art history aficionados to consider Central...

14U River Dogs fall in regionals

FERNDALE — After a strong start in pool play at the 14U Babe Ruth Pacific Northwest Regional, the 14U Columbia Basin River Dogs fell to the Stilly Venom in Saturday’s semifinal round of the tournament. The game was a rematch of this month’s North Washington State Tournament championship game, where the River Dogs won 4-1 on July 9 in Moses Lake. “Playing earlier in the morning compared to playing later in the day was really the only change,” Fulbright said. “The boys seemed upbeat and ready; we just didn’t come out on top in that one.” Stilly jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Saturday’s semifinal matchup, a lead that carried on until the sixth inning according to Fulbright. From there, the Venom maintained the lead into an eventual 4-1 win over the River Dogs.

I-90 closes for vehicle fire

VANTAGE — A vehicle fire closed down I-90 just west of Vantage Monday, according to the Washington State Patrol. A semi traveling westbound near the Ryegrass summit caught fire a little after 1 p.m., according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The cause of the fire may have been electrical, said Trooper Jeremy Weber, spokesman for the Washington State Patrol, but the cause hasn’t yet been ascertained. The driver, who was alone in the vehicle, was able to get out safely, Weber added.

Quincy to research property annexation requests

QUINCY — Quincy city officials will consider a request to annex two pieces of property on the east side of town into the city limits. If they are annexed, both properties will be zoned industrial. Municipal Services Director Carl Worley told Quincy City Council members July 18 that the application doesn’t commit the city to annexation. “The staff will proceed with the studies and analysis to see what impacts they have (on the city) and what they may have to provide to mitigate those impacts,” Worley said.

Floodfest floods Dry Falls Visitor Center with guests

COULEE CITY — Ice Age Floodfest returned to the Dry Falls Visitor Center over the weekend, attracting a wide array of people interested in celebrating and learning more about the history of the unique geology of the area. Floodfest is an annual event hosted by Washington State Parks at the Dry Falls Visitor Center to educate and celebrate the ice age floods that created the landscape along the Coulee Corridor. Other groups and organizations participated in the event with interactive booths and presentations set up around the grounds of the visitor center. The event has been hosted annually for over a decade but had a brief hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police testify in Patriot Front trial

The lead detective who investigated the 31 members of Patriot Front found crammed into a U-Haul truck on their way to a 2022 Pride celebration in Coeur d’Alene testified he doesn’t think the group planned to commit violence.

Moses Lake council candidates detail views at forum

MOSES LAKE — Homelessness, growth, water and water use were among the topics addressed by four candidates for Moses Lake City Council at a forum Tuesday. Incumbent David Eck and challengers Jeremy Nolan, Gerrit Klein and Victor Lombardi answered questions and talked about what they see as the issues facing the city. Nolan said that, in his opinion, all the interest in the council race is a good sign, given that council incumbents often have run unopposed in the past. “I love that there are four of us up here sharing best ideas in this type of forum for this one position this year,” Nolan said. All four candidates said they got in the race because they wanted to make the community better.

Soap Lake proposed for Outstanding Water Resource protections

SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake could be designated for special status and protections, according to an announcement from the Washington State Department of Ecology. Ecology is proposing to designate Soap Lake as a Tier III(B) Outstanding Resource Water, according to the announcement. This designation, created under the federal Clean Water Act, supports the unique qualities of Washington's largest saline lake and the recreational value it provides. This level of protection would place extra requirements on new or expanded discharges to ensure pollution from wastewater is kept to a minimum, the announcement said.

“We’ll all be under one roof”

A look CWU’s Nicholson Pavilion renovation

ELLENSBURG – Built in 1959, Nicholson Pavilion at Central Washington University began going under renovation in the fall of 2021. When the fall quarter rolls around, the new facilities will be available for both academic and athletic use according to CWU Director of Athletics Dennis Francois. “Nicholson is a shared academic and athletic facility, priority of usage it to academics,” Francois said. “That is our Sport and Movement Studies Department who’s housed here. They have pedagogy, physical education, dance, sport management program, outdoor leadership and things of that nature.” ...

CWU anthroplogy grad looks to bring Indigenous perspective to her profession

ELLENSBURG - When Raelynne Crow arrived at CWU, she had no idea she would be interested in anthropology, let alone that the university even had a program...

Ephrata car show shines with another large turnout year

EPHRATA — The 2023 Anything with Wheels Car Show and Shine brought out car enthusiasts of all ages to C Street in Ephrata Saturday. While the turnout for the show this year was slightly smaller than last year, 130 cars in total turned out to shine, Ephrata Chamber of Commerce Director Rita Witte said. “You have to enjoy working on them,” said Kelly Cash. “I’m just an old hotrodder from back in the late ’50s and ’60s; I was running on the drag strip and that kind of stuff.” Cash, who lives in Coulee Dam, brought a 1956 Chevrolet half-ton pickup to the show. The black truck is special to him because it is the same type of car he used to drive when he worked for the U.S. Forest Service. “I’ve owned this since the early ’80s, so it’s been with me a long time,” Cash said.

On to regionals

River Dogs to vie for World Series spot

FERNDALE — The 14U Columbia Basin River Dogs begin pool play in the Babe Ruth Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament on Monday, aiming to reach bracket play for a chance to reach next month’s 14U World Series in Virginia. “The boys are really excited to be going,” Head Coach Jaret Fulbright said. “They’re getting prepared all week and are looking forward to some good competition this coming week to hopefully book our trip to the World Series.” Many of the players on the River Dog roster were on last year’s 13U squad that also reached regionals, but fell short of qualifying for a World Series berth. The past experience of playing in a regional tournament will help guide and motivate the River Dogs, according to Fulbright.

River Dogs open Midsummer Classic with 10-2 win

SPOKANE – Playing in the Gonzaga Midsummer Classic, the 18U Columbia Basin River Dogs opened the tournament with a 10-2 win over Spokane Select on Thursday. Games in the Midsummer Classic alternate between Whitworth University and Gonzaga University, allowing players the chance to play in a collegiate baseball stadium...

CWU students pursue success in apparel, textiles and merchandising

ELLENSBURG - Each year, the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) hosts the Apparel, Textiles and Design Juried Showcase to recognize excellence in the field through a double-blind, peer-reviewed competition. The Central Washington University Apparel, Textiles and Merchandising (ATM) program typically submits a few entries. But, this year, program coordinator Andrea Eklund submitted five designs—and all of them were accepted...