Sip & Stroll draws wine, art, music lovers downtown

MOSES LAKE — A warm sunny day brought wine and spirit aficionados, art lovers, music lovers and shoppers to downtown Moses Lake Saturday. The annual Sip ‘n Stroll was sponsored by the Downtown Moses Lake Association. Association board president Denise Kinder said in midafternoon that participants had been arriving in a steady stream. “It’s been a really great turnout,” Kinder said...

Moses Lake Ministerial Association hosts first United Community Worship Night

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Ministerial Association presented the city’s first inter-congregational United Community Worship Night Friday in the sanctuary of Restore City Church. Campus Coordinator at Youth Dynamics and Worship Leader at Grace Harvest Church Davie Sawyer, who was part of Friday’s worship team, explained the goal of the event...

Soap Lake mayor under investigation for inappropriate conduct

SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake Mayor Michelle Agliano has taken a leave of absence from city administration after city staff made claims against her indicating that she had acted inappropriately and possibly illegally. “These things are all being investigated, I am on leave until after the election at which time I will comply with whatever the City Attorney (Julie Norton) has recommended to the (Soap Lake City) Council,” Agliano said in a written statement to the Columbia Basin Herald...

ACFD 5 hosts annual open house

OTHELLO – Adams County Fire District 5 hosted its annual Fire Prevention Week open house Oct. 12 at their station in Othello, alongside several other emergency services and agencies.

Samaritan officials look to gather community reaction at open house

MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare officials displayed their proposals for a new Samaritan Hospital at an open house Wednesday evening, part of their ongoing effort to solicit public opinion and ideas on the project. Samaritan commissioners originally approved the construction of a new hospital in late 2018, and groundbreaking tentatively was scheduled for summer 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic discombobulated that timetable. In addition, Samaritan was affected by the same changes that hit healthcare systems nationwide. Hospital board chair Katherine Christian said officials wanted to come back to the community and explain the new realities...

Maverick girls soccer aims to create chemistry

New coach takes reins at school she graduated from

MOSES LAKE — First-year Moses Lake girls soccer Head Coach Alysha Overland has put an emphasis on team bonding for the 2022 Mavericks, and the results are beginning to show on the field. “I knew I wanted to coach wherever I ended up,” Overland said. “Thankfully I ended up back here in town, and then got a position as one of the assistants my first year back. I worked my way in, and once Liz (Bigger) left and the position opened up I said ‘Hey, that’s what I want to do,’ and I knew I had a passion for it.” Overland, a Moses Lake native, played soccer at Moses Lake High School before going to play at the collegiate level at Washington State University. “I grew up here in Moses Lake, I was born and raised here,” Overland said. “I played soccer my entire life, went through the program here as a Chief when (the mascot) was still Chiefs.” ...

“It just seemed like the right thing to do”

CB Tech teacher and ex-MLPD chief on detaining suspect

MOSES LAKE — Dave Ruffin does not teach his law enforcement students at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center to do what he did on Wednesday when he detained a male suspect believed to have a gun in the school’s parking lot. “Absolutely not,” Ruffin said. “We don’t teach civilians to intervene in short, dangerous situations. But you know, it just seemed like the right thing to do.” A former Moses Lake Police Chief who teaches law enforcement at CB Tech, Ruffin responded on Wednesday when two students reported they were threatened by a man with a gun who had been driving white Mercedes in the CB Tech parking lot. The school went into lockdown and Ruffin said he instructed staff to call 911 while he went out to look for the suspect, later identified as Leonel Balderas-Mondragon, 22, who had apparently come to campus to pick up relative.

GALLERY: Quincy Mat Animal Invitational

QUINCY — Tonasket came out on top of the second annual Quincy Mat Animal Invitational with 200 team points over the weekend, followed by Wapato (167.5 points), Lake Side (161), Naches Valley (140) and Ephrata (130.5) rounding out the top five.

UW offense shines in Apple Cup

Huskies deliver as Coug's defense sputters in second half

PULLMAN – During WSU’s three-game win streak over Stanford, Arizona and Arizona State, the Cougars jumped out to early leads that held true despite only scoring 20 combined points in the second half of the wins. The second-half offensive woes reared their head again in the Cougs’ 51-33 loss to Washington in the Apple Cup, their eighth loss in the previous nine meetings of the rivalry. “Just not doing our job, individually,” WSU quarterback Cameron Ward said in a postgame press conference. “Whether that’s with me, like the third-and-19 I threw a (pass) for one yard, that’s completely on me. Everyone’s responsible for it, we all take accountability for it.” ...

‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ to open in Othello

OTHELLO — A story of young men who deceive, and the romantic trouble it causes them, comes to the stage in Othello this weekend. The Othello High School production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 10 through 12 on the stage at McFarland Middle School, 790 S. 10th Ave. The Oscar Wilde play premiered in 1895, and director and OHS theater arts teacher Thomas Christesen said that for him it hasn’t lost its appeal. “I love the show,” Christensen said. “And this particular batch of kids, I felt were up to the challenge. Because it’s not easy.” ...

Tigers prep for CWAC title against Ellensburg

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Tigers find themselves in a similar situation as they prepare to face off against Ellensburg for the Central Washington Athletic Conference title game on Thursday, having defeated the Bulldogs 3-2 in the 2021 CWAC title game. “It’s always a good game against Ellensburg,” Ephrata senior Kacie Shannon said. “Long rallies, good plays on our side and theirs. I think that’s the exciting part.” Ephrata advanced to the title game after defeating Prosser 3-1 in the first round and knocking off No. 2 seed Selah 3-2 on their home court. Both Shannon and senior Halee Moore said that the energy of the team played a significant role in their wins to open the tournament. “I think that our energy, especially playing our last two games, was out of the roof,” Moore said. “We had so much energy, and that’s really how can excel in volleyball. Energy is really important, and if you don’t have that energy as a team sometimes it’s hard to work together.” ...

New Americans

25 people take oath of citizenship in Wenatchee

WENATCHEE — It was an emotional, ebullient moment when 25 immigrants to the United States took their oaths of citizenship Tuesday in Wenatchee. “Citizenship is a unique bond that unites people around the civic ideals and a belief in the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution,” said Patrick Molitoris, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services officer in his opening remarks. “So today, we will we celebrate citizenship and the bond we will soon share as fellow Americans.” The Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center was the venue for the ceremony, and it was filled with not just prospective citizens but their families and friends as well. Members of the local community came to welcome the new citizens as well including the mayors of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, police officers, teachers and volunteers...

Winter growing

Moses Lake ag students work to raise veggies in the off season

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake High School students Anita Berecyk and Isabella Lodienoi carefully tend the okra they’ve been growing in pots in one of the MLHS greenhouses. They are getting ready to finish this horticulture project, and both students have definite opinions about how it’s gone so far this winter. “It was good at first and then it started dying because we have a bunch of bugs in our garden. Because it’s a greenhouse,” Berecyk said...

Seahawks collapse in 2nd half of playoff loss to 49ers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — When Charles Omenihu knocked the ball out of Geno Smith's hands, Seattle's chances began to go away as well. The turnover spoiled a scoring chance for the Seahawks and soon the game as San Francisco turned a tight game into a blowout.

Huskies travel to the west side for quarterfinals matchup

OTHELLO – Coming off a 49-12 win over No. 12 seed Washington High School, the No. 5 Othello Huskies now prepare to travel to an undefeated No. 4 Enumclaw team, whose high-scoring offense has averaged 51.6 points per game this season. “They’ve got multiple weapons. They’ve got a running back that’s really, really good,” Othello defensive coordinator Kevin Hale said. “Their quarterback is solid, they’ve got very athletic playmakers at wide receiver. Certainly, we’re going to have our hands full, but we feel like they haven’t faced a defense like ours that’s as athletic and physical and can match their physicality and athleticism.” Riding high after a big win in the first round of the playoffs, the first for the Huskies in nine years, energy has been strong in practices this week.

Holiday cheer comes to CBTech

MOSES LAKE — It got as low as 9 degrees Fahrenheit at the Grant County International Airport early Saturday morning, according to data from the National Weather Service. Which means that winter is well and truly here, even if it doesn’t officially arrive for another month. That also means the first of the area’s indoor seasonal markets have arrived too, with the P.E.O. Sisterhood’s Holiday Bazaar at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center kicking off cold-weather shopping refuge and a chance for anyone with something to sell — caramel popcorn, beeswax candles, leather bags and purses, assorted Christmas tchotchkes, abandoned art altered to include Bigfoot — the chance to get out of the cold and find some customers. “This is one of our big fundraisers for the year,” said Brittany Courtright, a P.E.O. Sisterhood member and one of the organizers of this year’s bazaar. “We collect our vendors and they come in and we give them a place to sell their goods.” The Des Moines, Iowa-based P.E.O. — Philanthropic Educational Organization — was founded in 1869 to help provide scholarship and support to young women across the world, according to the organization’s web page. Courtright said all of the proceeds from the bazaar, which includes a bake sale and a soup lunch, will go for local scholarships to high school students and women studying at Big Bend Community College. The organization also has an emergency fund, Courtright added. “We are a women’s Christian sorority,” she added. “All of this goes directly back into scholarships.”

Praying for the peace of the city

Pastors, law enforcement gather to promote cooperation, community building

MOSES LAKE — Law enforcement cannot, on its own, keep the peace and enforce the law, according to Grant County Interim Sheriff Ryan Rectenwald. “It takes a village,” Rectenwald told an audience attending Saturday’s Faith and Blue event at McCosh Park. “Policing is only as good as the will of the people, and it’s as simple as that. In order to get that engagement, you have to be with the people. You have to stop your car, get out, have conversations and be present.” Rectenwald was one of 10 speakers on Saturday’s event, which brought the Grant County Sheriff’s Office together with the Moses Lake Police Department and local pastors Sabrina Valdez of Restore City Church, Andry Grenier of First Baptist Church in Moses Lake, Glen Hughes of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, Dan Dufner of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Parish, local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints High Council member Josh Dale, Eric Frey of Moses Lake Presbyterian Church, and Peter Fendich of Source of Life Church in Moses Lake at McCosh Park for a time of fellowship and food and to show that the community and law enforcement officers stand together, support each other and help keep the peace.

Grant Co. Jail project planning moves forward

EPHRATA — A request for proposals for site preparation for the new Grant County Jail is tentatively scheduled to be issued in December. A preliminary plan for the new facility is in the works and is still subject to change due to construction costs, among other factors. “That’s why it’s important for us to get this general contractor on board,” Grant County Central Services Director Tom Gaines said. “Because as we start to really detail all this stuff out, we’ll start getting pricing. And we’ll start to get a real idea of what our budget is going to look like, and then we’ll know if we’re overextended or not. We have a plan that we want to stick to.” County voters approved a three-tenths of 1% increase in the county’s sales tax in 2019, with the money going toward law and justice projects including a new jail. Grant County Commissioners approved the sale of up to $90 million in limited tax general obligation bonds for the project in July...

A heartbeat in Soap Lake

Drum circle organizers look to foster community

SOAP LAKE - A drum circle in Soap Lake is the gathering point to foster community and reconnect with nature, according to two locals who are heading up the circle. “That’s the biggest part of why we are doing this, just to bring the community together, especially after two years of COVID-19,” said Dusty Bolyard. Bolyard and Blayne Walsh are two of four owners of Cloudview Kitchen in Soap Lake that have taken up the task of hosting the drum circle each time it is held. The circle drums from sunset to the rising of the moon, which is about an hour, at the sundial at East Beach Park...

Electric flight

Eviation's Alice aircraft makes initial battery-powered test flight in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — The very first test flight Tuesday morning of Eviation’s battery-powered Alice airplane only lasted about eight minutes. However, the implications for commercial flight could last for decades to come. “What we’ve done is made aviation history. This is about changing the way we fly,” said Eviation President and CEO Greg Davis as he stood with company test pilot Steven Crane on the ramp behind the main terminal at the Grant County International Airport. “And we are, well. obviously beaming with pride on this beautiful sunny day here at Moses Lake as we've just completed this flight.” Founded in Tel Aviv in 2015 by Omer Bar-Yohay and Aviv Tzidon, Eviation signed a deal with Seattle-based AeroTEC to test and certify the Alice at the Paris Airshow in 2019 and moved its headquarters to Arlington, Washington, in 2020. The company hopes to eventually produce passenger, cargo and executive transport versions of the all-electric, battery-powered aircraft for short-haul flights of 200 nautical miles (about 230 standard miles) or less...