Mattawa launching utility rate study

MATTAWA — Water and sewer rates in Mattawa will be reviewed to see if they’re still adequate to pay for the services. “In 2022, we did an update (of a 2019 study) with the new funding packages,” said Jaymin Ankney, engineer with Gray and Osborne, during the Mattawa City Council meeting Aug. 7. “More things were known, more projects were defined, and we updated it.”

Canady to take the reins of Soap Lake PD

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake City Council convened on Aug. 6, during a regular meeting and hired a new police chief, resulting in a 6-1 vote in favor of hiring long-term Ephrata Police Officer Patrick Canady.

Eagle women's golf wins academic awards

CHENEY – Eastern Washington Eagles women’s golf team has been collecting academic hardware as of late, according to statements by EWU athletics and the Big Sky Conference. This week, the Eagles were named academic champions in women’s golf for the 2024-25 season and the Big Sky’s team of the month.

BASIN BOX SCORE: BMXer competes on world stage, local fundraisers, local athletics highlight, and Seahawks

In this episode of the Basin Box Score, Caleb Perez and Mike Maynard discuss this past weeks athletics coverage in the Columbia Basin. Local BMXer travels to Denmark for a world championship race, local athletic director driven to build community, local fundraisers, and player profiles are all covered in this weeks episode. And yeah...the Seahawks are back.

Basin communities meet their protectors at National Night Out

MOSES LAKE — First responders and the people they serve mingled this week in three Columbia Basin communities for National Night Out.

Home sales, prices hold steady

COLUMBIA BASIN — Home sales increased sluggishly in the last year, according to a report by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which tracks real estate trends in 26 Washington counties.

BASIN EVENTS: Aug. 8-16, 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — Who says things have to slow down in August? There’s plenty to do in the Basin this week. Here’s a sample:

Raiders tie Seahawks 23-23 in Pete Carroll's Seattle return

SEATTLE (AP) — Pete Carroll’s Seattle return ended without a winner when Jalan Gaines blocked Daniel Carlson’s 55-yard field-goal try for Las Vegas as time expired, leaving the Raiders and Seahawks tied at 23 on Thursday night. The 73-year-old Carroll, coaching his first preseason game with the Raiders, was narrowly denied the victory in his return to Seattle, where he led the Seahawks to some of their highest moments.

Invasive weeds threaten Columbia Basin ecosystems

MOSES LAKE – The Columbia Basin has become home to a variety of invasive plant species, with the most notorious being noxious weeds. “Weeds are a big issue,” said Nicole Jordan from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “Letting them go out of control can destroy a lot of habitat for other things.”

Basin’s Alli Kay Tatum competes in Denmark BMX tourney

MOSES LAKE – Local BMX rider, Alli Kay Tatum, recently competed in the Union Cycliste Internationale BMX Racing World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. For her first time traveling internationally for BMX, Tatum said it went smoothly. “Overall, it was super organized, my first time there it was a totally different experience, but they had (the track) laid out and really organized,” she said.

Moses Lake Guardians baseball holding team tryouts

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Guardians American Legion baseball team will be holding team tryouts later this month. Guardians head coach, David Serrato, has a plan in place for tryouts. “We’re just going to be doing basic fielding, batting and running,” said Serrato. “Measuring talent and all that kind of stuff so we can work on it during the offseason on the two teams.

Dahlia Festival coming to Royal City next month

ROYAL CITY — The first annual Columbia Basin Dahlia and Cut Flower Festival is coming next month. “Cut flowers and dahlias have become a huge thing, whether it's the backyard cut flower person or somebody that's making a small business out of it,” said Lisa Villegas, owner of Seed Cupboard Nursery in Royal City, which is hosting the festival. “I think it happened during COVID, where people just became fascinated with it.”

MLPD logs for Aug. 8, 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.

Legals for August, 8 2025

Legals for August, 8 2025

Grant Co. Jail health care exceeds standard, despite inmate’s claim

EPHRATA – The Columbia Basin Herald received a letter from a previous inmate at the Grant County Jail, Wayne Symmonds, who expressed concerns around the medical care he has received alongside concerns that several inmates have died during his stay. “This medical at this jail is no help,” Symmonds wrote. “I am afraid I am going to die at this county jail from infection in my body. There was a guy three months ago who had infection going (through) his body and medical was no help to that guy as well. That was how come he die at this jail.”

Mariners collect three wins in series against White Sox

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners wrapped a three-game series up with three wins under their belt Thursday. In competitions against the Chicago White Sox, the Mariners won 8-3 Tuesday, 8-6 Wednesday and capped it off with another W Thursday afternoon

CBAA takes to the big screen

MOSES LAKE — Columbia Basin Allied Arts is branching out into the movies. “(It’s) part of our Civic Series vision,” said CBAA Executive Director Shawn Cardwell, “which is serving new audiences in non-traditional venues focused on collaboration.”

Quincy's Fancher ready for another year of sports

QUINCY – Entering his seventh year as the athletic director for Quincy schools, Brett Fancher is ready for a new season of sports. He said he feels athletics in Quincy serve as the front porch to community gathering, he said. “These events are places for people in the community to gather and support the kids and show community pride and see other people. Those are really important events, especially in small town communities like Quincy,” Fancher said. Fancher serves as an assistant principal in addition to his role as athletic director. He served in a similar role while at Oroville. He was an English and social studies teacher and was the athletic director for three years.

Auditor investigating finances at East Adams Rural Hospital

RITZVILLE — The Washington Auditor’s Office is investigating allegations of financial irregularities at East Adams Rural Healthcare in Ritzville. “We have an active investigation of the hospital district,” Adam Wilson, WSAO assistant director of communications, wrote in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald. “We are in the final stages of writing the report and expect to publish it in September. However, we are aware of new issues in the district that may require further investigation.”