Primary election ballots due Tuesday

MOSES LAKE – Voting for the primary election is coming to a close Tuesday. For those who would like to vote in the election, ballots need to be postmarked on or before Aug. 5, according to Grant County Auditor Michele Jaderlund.

BASIN COMMUNITY CALENDAR: August 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — July is over and we’re heading into the home stretch of summer. Here are a few of the things happening around the Basin this month:

Home prices down in Grant Co., up in Adams Co.

COLUMBIA BASIN — Home prices are down slightly in Grant County, and they’re also selling more slowly, according to the real estate website Redfin. On the other hand, Adams County is running somewhat in the opposite direction.

Rental market slowly loosening in Grant County

MOSES LAKE — The rental market in Grant County is slowly thawing as more inventory comes into the market.

Knights’ Brown eager to hit the pitch for the Huskies

ROYAL CITY – On May 28, Knights soccer player, Anderson Brown, announced his commitment to play for the University of Washington’s soccer program. According to Brown, he is glad to finally put this decision behind him. “It was a long decision, but (I feel) little sense of relief, but also some hunger, too, to get ready to be at the division one level,” Brown said.

Sixers become 16U Invitational Champs

MOSES LAKE – The Central Washington Sixers 16U (31-7-2) team finished their summer season at the 16u Invitational Tournament in Seattle last weekend. They rode their momentum coming in and became the Top Tier 16U champions. “It’s always a good feeling, fortunately this team has done a lot of winning, and it’s become an expectation not just with our 16U team, but our program,” said Trey Evans, the Sixers 16U coach. On Friday, the Sixers played the New Level Hetherington 15U where they came out strong with Aaden Montes singling and scoring two, then another two singles giving them a 4-0 lead in the first inning. A double by Ty Breinholt in the third inning extended the lead to 5-0 and two runs in the fourth and a final run in the fifth ended the game with an 8-0 victory for the Sixers.

ROAD REPORT: Aug. 1, 2025

MOSES LAKE — Drivers should be ready for single lane traffic, delays and temporary ramp closures along sections of Interstate 90 between Dodson Road and Road O Northeast. Sections of the road and the access ramps are being repaved, with the work expected to continue through the end of the construction season.

FIRE REPORT: Aug. 1, 2025

MOSES LAKE – The fires below were burning and causing smoke and air quality concerns regionally.

Building permits for July 2025

Building permits for July 2025

Legals for August, 1 2025

Lightning causes fire at Moses Lake cold storage facility

MOSES LAKE – A structure fire at a Moses Lake cold storage warehouse in the 3200 block of Road N Northeast Thursday afternoon appears to have been caused by a lightning strike, according to a City of Moses Lake press release.

Troopers increasing patrols near Gorge this weekend

MOSES LAKE — The Washington State Patrol will ramp up enforcement this weekend around the Gorge Amphitheatre, according to an announcement from the WSP. The High-Visibility Enforcement, or HiVE, patrols are meant to reduce serious injury and fatality collisions, the WSP wrote. The WSP will partner with other law enforcement agencies in the effort.

Moses Lake city offices closed for Fuhr memorial

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Police Department office will be closed Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday to allow MLPD officers and staff to attend the service for former Moses Lake Police Chief Kevin Fuhr.

Soap Lake School District passes balanced budget

SOAP LAKE – With major facility upgrades and full staffing on the horizon, the Soap Lake School District has approved a balanced $12.5 million budget for 2025–26.

Chamber snips its own ribbon

MOSES LAKE – State Rep. Alex Ybarra, flanked by Rep. Tom Dent and Boys and Girls Club Director Kim Pope and surrounded by Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce members, cuts the ribbon Wednesday on the chamber’s Catalyst Center at 301 W. Broadway.

Ephrata SD passes 2025-26 budget

EPHRATA – The Ephrata School District Board of Directors unanimously passed the district's 2025-26 budget at its regular school board meeting Monday. “The process of developing a quality budget that's fiscally responsible, but also responsive to the needs of your staff and your students, is always incredibly challenging, but I feel very blessed to be in a position where we truly believe we're going to be able to do those things again,” Superintendent Ken Murray said.

First responders to connect with communities at National Night Out

COLUMBIA BASIN — Police, firefighters and other agencies will have a chance to rub elbows with the communities they serve next week at National Night Out. “Anytime you can engage (with) the officers (when they’re not) having to enforce the law brings out a better goodwill towards the community,” said Ritzville Police Chief Mike Suniga. “I think it's great for each other to see the human side instead of just the work side.”

Basin thunderstorms possible Thursday and Friday

MOSES LAKE — One more day of hot weather will be followed by a gradual temperature drop down into the mid-80s by next week, but there is the chance of thunderstorms between today and those cooler temperatures.

Building a community at Garb & Gizmos

SOAP LAKE – Garb & Gizmos, a hobby and gaming store in Soap Lake, recently celebrated one year of being in business. Kala Seim, who owns the business alongside her husband Clark, said she wants to provide a comfortable space for people to come and enjoy their hobbies with others. “Basically, building a community in the area for the nerds,” said Seim. “We’re trying to build a fun, cozy space for people to come in, hang out, play games and purchase things that they need for (hobbies).”

Ending summer school with a splash

WARDEN — The Warden School District celebrated the conclusion of its summer school program with an exciting Field Day, an event designed to showcase the social and emotional growth of students while offering a vibrant finale to six weeks of enriching activities. “Field Day is kind of a big finale to our six-week program,” said Warden Summer School Supervisor Lisa Lucas. “The kids participate in different sports and games, practicing their social emotional skills and just bonding with one another.” This year’s summer school program hosted approximately 200 students, with a total enrollment of around 270 when including the high schoolers. The program catered to a diverse age range, welcoming students from kindergarten through 11th grade, and provided a unique learning environment over the course of 18 days.