Eagles seniors reflect on season after concluding at home

SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake Eagles (2-6) finished their season at home against Oroville, where they fell 0-54 by the end of the night. Despite the loss, the Eagles were still proud of the efforts that they put out and are happy with the season they had.

Longwill’s first year brings culture shift to Jacks football

QUINCY – On Oct. 30, the Quincy Jacks (1-8) finished their season with a loss to the Othello Huskies. Head Coach Seth Longwill still came out proud of the foundation his team built in his first year leading them.

Quincy railroad crossing work scheduled for 2026

QUINCY — Roadwork for 2025 isn’t quite finished in Quincy, and plans are underway for projects in 2026. Upgrades to the railroad crossing on Columbia Way are among them, and Quincy Engineer Aerial Belino said that’s the first in a series of upgrades to railway crossings.

Legals for November, 7 2025

Ephrata info portal gives residents planning insights

EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council got a look at some long-term plans and the grants to fund them at its meeting Wednesday evening. The information was on a new interactive website, and City Engineer Dave Bren walked the council through them.

Grant County Jail roster as of Nov. 6, 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.

Light Up Columbia Basin

Do you have what it takes to be the Champion of Lights?

MOSES LAKE — Basin residents can turn loose their inner Clark Griswold and help students at the same time.

Oliver voted in as Ephrata mayor-elect

EPHRATA — The initial Nov. 4 ballot count shows Steve Oliver winning the Ephrata Mayoral election with 630 votes, or nearly 55% of the vote. Incumbent Bruce Reim had 516 votes, or about 45% of the vote. The election will be certified on Nov. 20.

Northwest Sport Management Summit returns to CWU for sixth year

ELLENSBURG – The sixth-annual Northwest Sport Management Summit is returning to Nicholson Pavilion on Thursday, November 13, and anyone in the community is welcome to attend.

Considering dementia's warning signs

MOSES LAKE — About 42% of adults over 55 will develop dementia eventually, according to the National Institutes of Health. Yet for such a common phenomenon, it’s very little understood.

Mavs volleyball players make All-League

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks announced the All-League selections for Big 9 volleyball this season. Mavs Head Coach Krystal Trammell said these players were selected for their work both in sports and in the classroom.

Basin teams heading to state XC meet

MOSES LAKE – This weekend, four Basin schools will be represented in the WIAA state cross country meet across three different levels. In 1A, the Royal Knights are sending two runners, freshman Akleigh Hebdon and senior Carlos Barajas.

Homeschool Science Fair showcases student learning

EPHRATA – What do electricity, water, food, volcanos and slime have in common? These were some of the topics covered at this year’s science fair for the Little House in the Desert homeschool group in Ephrata on Saturday, Nov. 1. Six-year-old Joshua Wilson made homemade slime. He learned “that if you put in more water, the more it stretches.”

Groff Elementary renovations underway

MOSES LAKE – The ongoing renovation of Groff Elementary School is making significant strides, as the Moses Lake School District takes measures to rectify construction deficiencies within the building, according to Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon. The district has been actively removing elements that pose safety concerns, including the complete removal of the gym floor. In an official statement released on October 31, 2025, the district confirmed that the previous gym floor was fully removed due to necessary mitigation efforts.

GCSO to purchase new drug detection K-9

EPHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is currently in the process of purchasing a drug detection K-9 for use both inside the Grant County Jail and for deployment into the field. "The addition of a drug detection K-9 not only adds safety for inmates and jail employees but also helps improve the quality of professional service our corrections staff delivers to the community," said Phil Coats, Chief Deputy of Corrections in a statement from GCSO. "This enhancement will start at the existing jail and will move with us as we enter our new jail in 2026." The K-9 is being funded in part by settlement money received from Washington state lawsuits filed against three U.S. opioid-distribution companies for their role in the opioid epidemic. GCSO is investing nearly $28,000 to purchase the K-9, train it and its handler and provide opioid overdose-reversal kits.

Educational programs and operations levy proposal goes to Wahluke voters Feb. 10

MATTAWA — Wahluke School District voters will decide the fate of a four-year educational programs and operations levy in a special election Feb. 10. If it’s approved, it would replace the four-year levy approved by voters in 2022. Property owners would pay an estimated $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, the same as the current levy. District superintendent Andy Harlow said that due to the way taxes are structured, the proposed rate can change as property values change.

Car club raises $4,000 for first responders

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Classic Car Club will donate the proceeds from its Cars, Cops, Coffee and First Responders car show at a ceremony today. The event, which was held Oct. 18, raised $4,000 for local emergency services, according to club member Dave Robins. The money was raised through entry fees into the car show, Robins said, and also through donations from local residents and businesses.

JoAnna Jean Thompson

April 29, 1931 – Oct. 27, 2025

JoAnna, 94, passed away peacefully on Oct. 27, 2025, in Moses Lake, Washington. She was born on April 29, 1931, in Nampa, Idaho to Earl and Elda Arzt, though everyone remembers her loving stepfather Orval Lyle as her dad. She married Clinton (Bud) Thompson on Nov. 12, 1949, in Colville, Washington. They moved to Odessa, Washington in 1953 and became part-owners of Empire Electric with Bud as an electrician and JoAnna the bookkeeper. She also kept busy being a homemaker, florist, caterer and decorator extraordinaire. JoAnna was a member of the Heritage Church and their women’s group, helping with countless church dinners, receptions and funerals.

Moravida honors departed loved ones, celebrates Hispanic culture

MOSES LAKE — After all the Halloween candy is gone, the costumes are put away and the decorations are brought inside, it’s time to get down to the solemn part.

Piper Barn Show opens Wednesday

MOSES LAKE — There’s a lot going on at the Piper Barn Show this week, but one thing not to miss is the cinnamon rolls. “They are amazing,” said Julie Piper Phipps, who organizes the four-day market every year. “People line up and wait for them. They make about 400 a day and they sell out by noon.” Phipps’ daughters and daughters-in-law – whom she calls “her girls” – make the rolls, she said, much like she did when the show debuted in 1988. Phipps’ mom, Sheila Piper, started the show on the family farm with a friend in 1988. Circumstances forced them to close it up in 2001, but when Phipps and her husband moved back to Moses Lake in 2012, she decided to start the ball rolling again.