Mark Randall Call

1950 — 2025

We are sad to announce the passing of Mark Randall Call on July 20, 2025. He was our brother, uncle and dear friend. Mark was born on February 23, 1950, in Pasco, Washington to Mark and Lucille Call. In 1952, the family moved to Quincy, Washington, where Mark lived most of his life.

Othello pool bond headed to Nov. ballot

OTHELLO — Othello residents will be asked to approve or reject a $3.55 million construction bond to make repairs and upgrades to the Othello Community Pool. The bond will be on the ballot in the Nov. 4 general election. The unanimous decision from the Othello City Council came after a lengthy discussion of the options. “I don’t think this is a very easy decision,” said Chris Dorow, the chair of a committee tasked with looking at the options.

Two fires in the Basin over the weekend

WILSON CREEK — Two small fires happened over the weekend, with one fire Saturday on Road O Northeast and Road 30 Northeast between Wilson Creek and Coulee City and another near Sunday near Lind.

NEWS BITES: July 28, 2025

EPHRATA — Grant County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Josh Erickson recently earned Certified Jail Manager certification through the American Jail Association.

Moses Lake Police Department logs for July 28, 2025

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Police Department provided the incident details noted below. Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Building permits for July 25, 2025

City of Moses Lake Hayden Homes, 4300 block of Cove West Drive, new residence, $311,655.49. Pro Made Homes, 4200 block of North Sandy Court, fence, no valuation given. Jennifer Bell, 800 block of North Paxson Drive, plumbing, no valuation given. Carlos Socorro, 5400 block of Owen Road, addition, $20,000.

Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing, bicep-busting icon of professional wrestling who turned the sport into a massive business and stretched his cultural influence far beyond the ring, died Thursday in Florida at age 71. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital after authorities in Clearwater responded to a morning call about a cardiac arrest, police said.

Ephrata Police Department logs for July 24, 2025

Ephrata Police Department

Irrigation canal critical to Yakima Valley is at risk of failure after wildfire damage

A 115-year-old canal in the Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District that was severely damaged during the Rimrock Retreat Fire last year is now at imminent risk of failure. Fixing the 12-mile waterway will cost an estimated $229 million and involve work spread over more than a decade. But if the canal suddenly goes out of service, officials say it could cause up to $3 billion in losses over three years for 35,000 acres of farms and 28,000 acres of orchards in the Yakima Valley that are part of the irrigation district. Surrounding communities also rely on the canal to deliver water to fire hydrants and other municipal fire suppression systems.

Ahead of permit to purchase, WA experiencing a surge in concealed pistol licenses

(The Center Square) – The Washington State Department of Licensing is seeing a surge in applications for concealed carry permits for firearms.

Fiscal Fallout: How Washington Medicaid spending quintupled over a decade

(The Center Square) – Washington state’s Medicaid spending has quintupled, or increased five times over, since the 2013-15 biennium, according to an analysis by The Center Square.

Fire scorches around 10 acres near Wilson Creek

WILSON CREEK – On Monday at around 2 p.m., Grant County Fire District 12 was paged out to a brush fire in the 19000 block of Stratford Road.

Arthur Sergio Castro

July 9, 1955 — July 6, 2025

Arthur was born to Cesar and Victoria Castro, who immigrated to Moses Lake from Mexico in 1949. The couple settled in a small farmhouse off of Stratford Road near Crab Creek. Arthur, the fifth of eight children, grew up a farm kid with his brothers and sisters. The Castros raised animals and young Art would fetch fresh milk from the farmer down the road. He and his brothers loved fishing near the creek and Art became an avid bass fisherman as an adult. Once, near Block 40, Art reeled in a largemouth bass that weighed nearly 12 pounds. Throughout his childhood and teenage years he worked construction jobs, drove potato trucks and learned mechanics. He graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1974 and soon after met the love of his life, Salina. Art and Salina were married in Moses Lake in 1979 and would raise four children in the Knolls Vista neighborhood.

OTHELLO CITY COUNCIL POS. 1: Kelli Camp

OTHELLO — Kelli Camp said she thinks the Othello City Council may need a different approach, and that led her to run for an open position. “There has not been much, if any, turnover on the city council in a decade, as far as the seats that were open. I really felt like that was somewhere I could potentially bring fresh eyes and new ideas,” she said.

OTHELLO CITY COUNCIL POS. 1: Genna Dorow

OTHELLO — Genna Dorow said she’s running for a new term on the Othello City Council because she wants to see Othello grow in a way that doesn’t cause problems in the future, and thinks she has the skills to help do that. “I care about the future of Othello,” Dorow said. “As our city continues to grow, I want to make sure we do the right things the right way, with strong infrastructure, affordable housing, smart sustainable planning (and other things). I have a passion for service (for) the city, and there are reasons for that, because of my background. I bring a unique combination of know-how to lead Othello forward. I want to do my best for the people of Othello, and I want Othello to be its best.”

Moses Lake Police Department logs for July 21, 2025

The reports below were provided by the Moses Lake Police Department. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Climbing to new heights in Landfall Games’ ‘Peak’

MOSES LAKE – There have been a variety of cooperative games released in the past couple of years including an indie game released last month called “Peak” made by Aggro Crab and Landfall games. “Peak” presents players with both a challenging and rewarding gameplay loop and is worth the try for anyone interested in a unique take on the action-adventure genre.

Classic cars, cool cars, Spud Run at All city Classic Car Show this weekend

OTHELLO — Slow drags, fun cars and the Spud Run return to Othello Friday and Saturday at the 29th All Cities Classic Car Club Show and Shine. Longtime organizer Jim Purdy said it’s open to all vehicles with wheels. “Cars, bikes, pedal bikes – bring them down,” Purdy said.

GCSO blotter for July 15, 2025

The reports below were provided by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Temporary repairs completed on damaged Moses Lake wastewater pipe

MOSES LAKE — The first phase of repairs has been completed on a broken wastewater line keeping people and pets out of Moses Lake near Montlake Park. People are still being advised to stay out of the lake next to the park until further notice. Chris Campbell, the city’s wastewater manager, said in a city press release that he appreciated the patience of the residents near the worksite. “We put in some very long hours last week, and I am more than certain we disrupted your peace, quiet and sense of smell,” Campbell said. “There will be no more late nights unless absolutely necessary.” The partially broken line was discovered July 6; it connects to the city’s Dunes wastewater treatment facility. Temporary repairs were completed in less than a week, with the damaged line going back into use at 1 a.m. July 12.