Legals for August, 16 2024

Battle Buddies fundraiser brings in $10,000

Ephrata Legionnaires pull together to support nonprofit fighting PTSD with all four paws.

EPHRATA - The American Legion Art Semro Post and Unit 28 held a fundraiser Saturday to raise money for Northwest Battle Buddies, a nonprofit that gifts professionally trained service dogs to veterans battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD.

Quincy Special Olympics sees strong first year

QUINCY – When a Special Olympics team was announced as coming to Quincy, co-Coordinator Yesenia James said there was a positive reaction among residents hearing the news. “They were saying, ‘Finally, something’s happening!’” she said.

2024 Royalty

MOSES LAKE - The 2024 Grant County Hay King is Stevens Hay Growers, the Mid-Columbia Basin Hay Growers announced Tuesday. Owners Kye and Brynna Stevens, shown here with their boys Hudson, 1, and Callahan, eight months, are second-generation growers who farm near Soap Lake.

FIRE REPORT: Kachess Complex continues burning

CLE ELUM — The Kachess Complex consists of three lightning-sparked fires that began in the Cle Elum Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on August 9 and 10, 2024, according to InciWeb, an interagency wildfire-tracking website.

Soap Lake mayor, mayor pro-tem step down

City council appoints new mayor pro tempore, considers careful mayoral selection

SOAP LAKE – Allen DuPuy stepped down as the Soap Lake Mayor at the city council meeting on Aug. 7. DuPuy was elected as the mayor on Nov. 29, 2023, after he beat incumbent Michelle Agliano. DuPuy served eight months of his four-year term.

FIRE REPORT: Retreat Fire remains steady as containment improves

NACHES – The Retreat Fire is the largest fire in Washington as of Tuesday. The fire has scorched 45,600 acres of land but is 70% contained as of Tuesday – a 10% improvement from the prior day. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Fun night out

Mattawa National Night Out features police, firefighters and monster burritos

MATTAWA — All across America, communities turned out for National Night Out the first week of August, when police, firefighters and other community agencies throw a party and invite the whole town to see what they do. But in Mattawa, they took it a little further and combined National Night Out with a back-to-school event.

FRESH NEWS: Excellent bass fishing this week

MARDON -- The current water level on the Potholes Reservoir is 1,030.3 feet – dropping 2 feet this past week. We are currently 3.80 feet above low pool. The water temperature on the main lake is right around 75 degrees. The water temperatures in the sand dunes are in the upper 70s to low 80s.

Votes show likely Herrera Beutler vs Upthegrove in race for lands commissioner

(The Center Square) - In a race that remains too close to call for the second-place finisher, Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler has secured her top spot for Washington state’s next public lands commissioner.

Fairchild AFB wing honored

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE — The 92nd Air Refueling Wing received the 2023 Omaha Trophy in the Global Operations category Aug. 7 from U.S. Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command during a ceremony at Fairchild Air Force Base, according to an announcement from the Air Force.

EWU men’s hoops add three to staff

CHENEY – Eastern Washington men’s basketball announced three new hires on Friday, with Will Turgeon and MicGuire Monson named as Eagle assistant coaches and Alex Hobbs hired as the director of Player Development.

More questions than answers in quiet attempt to invalidate WA initiatives

(The Center Square) - Plenty of questions remain about last Friday’s Washington Supreme Court rulings on two lawsuits related to voter initiatives set for placement on the general election ballot in November.

Combining fashion and video games merges passions of new WSU graduate

PULLMAN — Clothing is a mandatory part of life, whether for real people or video game characters. And if digital players must be covered, why not make them fashionable? That was the general idea behind Colby Van Dyk’s master’s thesis project at Washington State University. “My inspiration came from thinking about what I like besides fashion,” said the Enumclaw, Washington, native, who defended her thesis in July. “I love playing video games and thought, ‘Why not combine these interests?’” Van Dyk took the expertise gained while earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WSU’s Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles and created virtual designs only to be worn by pixels.

FIRE REPORT: 1,500 acres scorched in Douglas County

COULEE CITY — On Saturday evening a fire broke out near state Route 17 and Road 9 Northeast in Douglas County. The fire burned approximately 1,500 acres, according to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Crews got to the fire, and most of the initial attack was contained by 11:30 p.m. on Saturday night. The responding agencies included Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department, Electric City Fire Department, Coulee City Fire Department, Douglas County Fire District 3, Douglas County Fire District 5 and others.

NEWS BITES for Aug. 13, 2024

GEORGE — A man allegedly pointed a handgun at three people in the town of George on Saturday, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff's Office. The suspect left with another man in a blue Ford Explorer on Road 1 Southwest. A vehicle matching the suspect’s vehicle description was found near South Frontage Road West and Road 1 Southwest. When the deputies arrived, the suspect was inside the vehicle but refusing to exit or obey commands. After ignoring commands from deputies, two flash grenades were discharged outside the vehicle and several pepper ball projectiles were introduced inside the vehicle. Fredesvindo Alvarado Martinez, 25, George, was in custody at 6:55 p.m. on Sunday and lodged at Grant County Jail. He is being treated for exposure to a deployed pepper ball. The other man was released after questioning.

Ephrata School Board makes cell phone rules, trademarks logos

At the Ephrata School Board meeting on July 29, several important decisions were made that will impact the upcoming school year according to a release. One of the highlights from the meeting was the purchase of secure cell phone boxes for Ephrata High School and Ephrata Middle School. These boxes will be used to store students' cell phones during class to minimize distractions and improve focus on learning. The district is committed to studying the impact of this new policy in collaboration with students, families, and staff members. According to recent reports from Pew Research Center and Common Sense Media, a significant number of teens are constantly online, with many receiving numerous notifications on their phones each day. By implementing the use of secure cell phone boxes, Ephrata Schools aims to create a more conducive learning environment for students. The district has allocated approximately $5,500 to purchase these boxes for all classrooms at EHS and EMS.

SLSD adopts alternative learning experiences program

Soap Lake School District has launched its Soap Lake Pathways Learning alternative learning experiences program and online learning option, according to an announcement from the district. The program, available for students in grades K-12, offers flexible learning opportunities for families seeking an alternative educational option within the district. The ALE program, designed for grades K-8, provides educational support in compliance with Washington state requirements through a partnership between families, students, and certificated mentor teachers, according to the announcement. Students in grades 9-12 can also participate in a more independent and self-directed learning program, with written student learning plans and regular progress reviews.

Grant County Sheriff’s Office recommends safety measures for GC Fair

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office will be giving out free wristbands to parents and guardians who stop by the GCSO booth at the Grant County Fair. Family members will be asked to write the phone number of the child’s caregiver on the wristband to make it easier to reunite children and their families if somebody goes astray. It’s one of the safety tips released Monday by Kyle Foreman, GCSO public information officer. Foreman also suggested parents and caregivers take pictures of their children when entering the fairgrounds, another way to identify any children that get lost.

Ceremony at Ephrata Armory signals change of command

EPHRATA — Golf Company, the Ephrata unit of the Washington Army National Guard, received a new commander in a ceremony Saturday morning that included a literal handing over of the unit emblem