Richard Allison Shrum

1944 — 2025

Richard Allison Shrum passed away on May 4th, 2025, at the age of 81, in his home in Moses Lake Washington. Richard was born on March 22, 1944, in Van Nuys, California, and grew up in Burbank, California.

FIRST RESPONDER FOCUS: Washington State Patrol Trooper Travis Cunningham wears his hat with pride, mind for service

MOSES LAKE — The life of a Washington State Patrol officer isn’t all glamorous, but it does have one thing going for it: the coolest hat in all law enforcement. “I adamantly and wholeheartedly believe that,” said Trooper Travis Cunningham.

Tigers best Huskies in district playoff game

SELAH – The Ephrata Tigers softball team (19-10) held off a comeback attempt by the Othello Huskies (12-13) in the third-place game with a final score of 7-6.

BBCC celebrates Outstanding Student Award winners

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College faculty recognized their top students from the 2024-25 academic year during a ceremony May 6.

Knights qualify for districts

ROYAL CITY – The Royal City Knights tennis team had success at the South Central Athletic Conference Qualifying tournament with multiple players punching their tickets to play in the district tournament today. The top nine players in each category move on to the district tournament.

PUD revamping application fees for industrial users

EPHRATA — Grant County PUD Commissioner Larry Schaapman talked about one of the main questions surrounding the Grant County PUD’s proposal to raise application fees for large industrial customers, while Commissioner Tom Flint detailed one of the reasons for the change. The proposal was presented to commissioners at the commission meeting Tuesday and will be the subject of a further discussion at a workshop May 20.

Tigers, Huskies headed to district finals

YAKIMA – The 2A District 5 tournament finished its second day of matches Friday where local teams have continued to move up in the tournament. The Ephrata Tigers have a boys and girls singles and doubles team each and the Huskies will send first girls doubles team Rylinn Jones and Launa Mollotte to play in the semifinals.

Huskies fall to Selah, will host crossover game

SELAH – The Huskies baseball team (19-5) fell 4-1 to the Selah Vikings on Tuesday in the District 5 2A finals. The Huskies were coming off a dominant win over Ellensburg but were unable to get home again after the first inning.

Building their way to nationals

Ephrata’s Parkway Pizzazz heading to national LEGO robotics championship

EPHRATA – Ten sixth-grade Parkway Intermediate students, two advisors and a Lego robot named Jeff will travel to New Jersey this week for the national Lego Robotics championship. For a handful of the students this is their first time on a plane, for others their first time on the east coast. For all of them, it will be their first time competing in the national Lego championship. “It was a really good experience working together because we all got to work as a team together. We do have some coders that code and people who worked on the innovation project, but we all share what we learned throughout the day,” Liliana Zaets said. “It was a really good experience because we learned a lot of things.” The Parkway Pizzazz team competed in state Jan. 18 and won the “Breakthrough” award at state competition. The award entered them into a lottery to compete at nationals. The group was selected from the lottery and now they are on their way to the American Robotics Open Competiton in New Jersey.

Wilson Creek gearing up to jam

WILSON CREEK — It’s time to rosin the bows, tune up the banjos and dust off the mandolin strings for the third annual Wilson Creek Bluegrass Jam. “It’s a laid-back jam,” said organizer Shirley Billings. “Anybody’s welcome to come, no matter what talent level they are. If they’re just starting out or if they’re great, or even if you just like music and want to just hang out.” Like last year, the Bluegrass Jam will be the second weekend in June, Friday the 13th through Sunday the 15th. The event draws local bluegrass players from all over the area, most of them devoted amateurs who love the genre.

EHS senior Chase Moser recognized as student of the month

EPHRATA — Ephrata High School senior Chase Moser has been named as one of the Students of the Month for May, an accolade that his teachers said highlights his exceptional abilities in writing, public speaking and critical thinking. Moser’s academic journey within Ephrata School District, which began in fourth grade, has been marked by notable achievements and an influential presence both in the classroom and beyond, according to EHS English teacher Don Hendrixson, who nominated him for student of the month. Moser is set to graduate this spring, and he has plans to further his education at Eastern Washington University, where he will pursue a degree in business with a minor in psychology. He emphasized the versatility of a business degree.

‘Whiskey Rebel’

Novel draws on Moses Coulee for isolated setting

MOSES LAKE — Out in the high desert country of Moses Coulee, it’s easy to imagine that strange things are happening just over the next ridge. There’s something peacefully secretive about the area northwest of Ephrata in the southern part of Douglas County, as though time stopped there and nobody was around to notice.

Legals for May, 15 2025

Michael Allen Sievers

1963 – 2025

Michael Allen Sievers, born on November 13, 1963, in Moses Lake, Washington, passed away on May 9, 2025, in Virginia Beach, Virginia at the age of 61. He was a beloved father, son, uncle and brother, known for his adventurous spirit, social nature, and unwavering focus on seeking happiness. His passing leaves a deep void in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.

Space to grow

Moses Lake Catalyst Center gives fledgling businesses a chance to thrive

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake business community got a preview of the future of small business last week when the Chamber of Commerce unveiled its Chamber Catalyst Center downtown. “The first three years of a business are the most critical,” said Chamber Director Debbie Doran-Martinez. “Typically it’s five before you’re really solid.”

MLHS boys golf team, district champs

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks boys golf team became District champs following their first-place finish in the Big 9 District tournament at the Moses Lake Golf Club. “I feel like every single one of us did what they needed to do,” said the Mavs’ Drayson Nighswonger. “We were able to get the win which is great and had a lot of fun.”

Grant Co. Fairgrounds preparing for busy season

90 days until the Grant County Fair opens with food, competitions and carnival attractions

MOSES LAKE — The days are getting warmer and with the Grant County Fair just around the corner, the fairgrounds team is ramping up its preparations. Fairgrounds Director Jim McKiernan announced upgrades to the facility aimed at enhancing safety and overall visitor experience, while simultaneously addressing a crucial staffing shortage for seasonal positions. The legislature decided to table some bills that could have had impacts on the fairgrounds.

Primary races coming for Adams County offices

RITZVILLE — The job of the Lind mayor and three Lind Town Council seats will be on the primary ballot, and Othello will have at least two new city council members. The filing period for the 2025 election was last week.

Mavs tennis heading to districts with high aspirations

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake High School boys and girls tennis teams concluded their regular seasons at Wenatchee on Saturday, falling short 2-5 and 0-7, respectively. “Obviously we would like a little different outcome on both sides, but Wenatchee is a really solid program,” MLHS Head Tennis Coach Jay Dickinson said, “It was really a good opportunity for both those teams to kind of fine-tune some of their game.”

BASIN BASEBALL ROUNDUP: May 7, 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — The regular season for Basin baseball has concluded, and district play has commenced. Below is how the last week of competition has unfolded and results for some district play.