MLPD blotter for July 14, 2025

The reports below were provided by the police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Ephrata and Quincy police blotters for July 10, 2025

The reports below were provided by the police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Francis 'Frank' Bodway III

1942 – 2025

Francis “Frank” Bodway III passed away at home after a short battle with cancer at the age of 82. Frank was born on August 27, 1942, to Francis Bodway II and Helen (Branniger) Bodway in Riverside County, California. He was raised in Petaluma, California where he attended & graduated from Catholic School, he then joined the Navy and served from 1960-1963 where he took part in nuclear bomb testing.

Audrian Huff

1940 – 2025

Audrian Eleanor Huff passed away at home July 2, 2025, in Moses Lake, WA with her husband Michael Riggs at her side. She was 84. While her passing means she is no longer suffering, it leaves an absence in the hearts and lives of those who were lucky enough to call her wife, mother, grandma, or friend.

Church fire and wildfires take center stage week of July 4

MOSES LAKE – A church fire and two small wildfires set the backdrop for the weekend of July 4 in the Moses Lake area and the Columbia Basin starting last Wednesday and continuing through the evening of July 4.

Ephrata's Well 3 returns to service today after water quality tests pass

EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata’s Well 3 should be back up and running today, as long as the bacteria test results return from the lab negative, according to Public Works Director Rob Harris. “If water quality and purity and all the required standards, Well Three will be returned into service,” Harris said.

Know what you’re getting before investing in an RV

MOSES LAKE — A recreational vehicle is a versatile thing. It can be a portable home for a weekend camping trip, or it can be the home you live in year-round. Either way, it’s important to know what you’re doing when it comes time to buy one, said RJ McFadden, owner of Basin RV in Moses Lake. “A lot of people pull the trigger too fast,” McFadden said. “You want to make sure it fits all your family needs and wants, even though you only use it a few times a year. We use ours 10, 12 times a year, 15 times a year. But most people, they use it five, six times a year. You want to make sure you get what you want to get. Don’t just settle because you’re looking to go camping this weekend.”

Ephrata and Soap Lake blotters for July 3, 2025

The reports below were provided by the sheriff's office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Burn restrictions announced prior to July 4 holiday

SPOKANE — The Bureau of Land Management has increased fire restrictions for Eastern Washington starting on the July 4 holiday, citing increased fire danger with hot, dry weather in the region. “Know before you go and be prepared before visiting your public lands this summer,” said Fire Management Officer for the BLM Spokane District Lonnie Newton. “Pack a shovel and fire extinguisher and follow BLM’s fire restriction orders to help prevent fires.”

Danny L. Claussen

1945 — 2025

Danny Lee Claussen, 79, of Ephrata, Wash., passed away surrounded by his family May 10, 2025. Dan was born in Colfax, Wash., on Oct. 20, 1945, to August and Janette (Freeburg) Claussen. Dan and his sister and four brothers resided in Thornton with their mom and dad.

Fire burns behind Grant Co. Irrigation and Rehabilitation building

MOSES LAKE – On the morning of July 2, the City of Moses Lake Fire Department was dispatched due to multiple reports of a wildfire located in the area of Penn Street and behind the Grant County Irrigation and Rehabilitation District building, north of East Wheeler Road. The fire was reported at about 10:45 a.m. “We made a pretty quick stop of the fire,” said Battalion Chief JR Schwendeman, who was on the scene. “It’s going to continue to burn for probably the next 24 hours in certain areas, but we’re going to be in the area in the next 24 hours continuing to watch it and put out hot spots.”

Air Force vet raising funds for cancer treatment Saturday

MOSES LAKE — Cancer is scary, but the standard treatments are no fun either. Chemotherapy, radiation, surgery – all take a severe toll on the human body. Disabled Air Force veteran Noemi Salazar is taking a different approach and needs the public’s help to do it.

Raleigh extends MLB lead with 33rd homer in Mariners' win over Royals

SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 33rd homer and Randy Arozarena connected twice as the Seattle Mariners beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Monday night. Raleigh led off the seventh inning with a home run against reliever Daniel Lynch IV, prompting chants of “MVP! MVP!” from the home crowd.

Construction starts on Quincy Aquatic Center

QUINCY — The main parking lot for East Park in Quincy will close to traffic this week as construction crews start working on the new Quincy Aquatic Center. Russ Harrington, Parks and Recreation Director, said crews are already excavating the site. “They’re already ripping some of the ground up,” Harrington said.

Ephrata well repairs to be completed late this week

EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata was at a standstill on repairs to Well 3 throughout the weekend because the parts ordered were not delivered Friday morning, as previously anticipated. “We're kind of at a standstill,” Ephrata Public Works Director Rob Harris said. “(Irrigation Technology & Control) will finish rebuilding the pump so that it's all ready to go. As far as the city, there's nothing we can do until those parts are in.”

State fire marshal encourages home sprinkler installation

MOSES LAKE — They’re in commercial and industrial buildings everywhere you go, but fire sprinklers are still a rarity in homes, where they could save lives, according to a statement from the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office. “Home fire sprinklers are designed to activate individually, targeting only the area affected by fire, which minimizes water damage,”Fire Marshal Chad Cross wrote in the statement. “They can be seamlessly integrated into new constructions or retrofitted into existing homes.”

Ephrata's Well 3 remains under repair as more damage discovered

EPHRATA — The city of Ephrata has issued updates regarding the ongoing emergency repairs to Well 3 following a failure in its supply line Wednesday. Community efforts to conserve water remain critical as city crews work to repair the well, according to a statement from the city. "We found a broken piece, but we've got to continue. We're going to go ahead and pull the pump all the way out and check it over to make sure that it wasn't damaged," Ephrata Public Works Director Rob Harris said Thursday morning.

Ephratans asked to conserve water after well pump goes down

EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata is asking all residents and businesses to conserve water after a failure occurred in one of the city’s main water wells. “Well Three experienced a main shaft break between the motor and the pump, and we have a contractor coming on site this morning to start pulling the pump to hopefully replace or repair the main shaft and get it back online as soon as possible,” Ephrata City Public Works Director Rob Harris said.

Raleigh hits one of Seattle's four homers as Mariners romp over Twins 11-2

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 32nd home run on Monday, one of four by the Seattle Mariners in their 11-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Fireworks ignite wildfire outside Ephrata

EPHRATA – On Saturday evening at around 1:30 a.m., Grant County Fire District 13 was called out to the 1300 block of State Route 28 West for a wildfire. The cause is assumed to be fireworks, according to GCFD 13 Assistant Chief Todd Hufman.