Ephrata school bus driver takes passengers personally

EPHRATA — Brenda Wurl has become a beloved fixture within the Ephrata School District as a bus driver, where her enthusiasm for children and dedication to safety has set a high standard within the community, according to the Transportation Director Adam Roduner. “Brenda, our longest-serving driver, is a wonderful example of the heart and dedication our entire team brings to their work,” Superintendent Ken Murray said. “We are deeply grateful for Brenda and for every member of our transportation staff who shows up, rain or shine, to serve our students and families.” With over 15 years of experience under her belt, Wurl said she has established a unique rapport with her young passengers and their families, making her not just a driver, but also a trusted role model.

Local schools keep air quality, student safety at the fore

MOSES LAKE – Over the weekend, several high school sporting events were altered or canceled due to poor air quality in the Basin. Othello Athletic Director Carlos Gonzalez said they will always put student safety first. Smoky weather like the Basin has seen recently is one of the factors that could lead to a delay, cancelation or change of venue.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Sept. 10-17, 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN – Fall sports head into week two of play as student athletes begin to get a feel for the season. Check out who your local teams are facing off against this week.

Eagles draw with Air Force

CHENEY — Eastern Washington women’s soccer ended their game against Air Force with a 2-2 draw, according to a statement by EWU athletics. The Falcons scored first but Kendall Moore stuck back in the second half, while Noelle Raczykowski contributed a goal of her own. The Falcons found the equalizer to draw 2-2. “We had some tactical things we wanted out of the day,” said head coach Missy Strasburg. “We really wanted to expose them high and wide against their back three, and we had a lot of success early on. But more than anything, we challenged our group on work rate and those individual battles in transition.” The Eagles came out strong, holding much of the early possession while both sides created good chances. Air Force broke through in the 31st minute with a ball that slipped past Kamryn Willoughby to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Huskies roll ahead of Ellensburg to start season

OTHELLO – The Othello Huskies made a strong start to their season after earning a 49-0 win on the road over Ellensburg Saturday evening. “We’re senior-dominated, we have guys with a lot of experience,” said Huskies defensive coach Kevin Hale. “We have all-state quality guys at certain positions, so we expected to do well, and we did on both sides of the ball.”

Ceremonies planned for 9/11 remembrance

MOSES LAKE — Several local communities will hold remembrances of the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks on Thursday. All are open to the public.

‘It’s gonna be a busy Saturday'

Community events set to fill downtown Moses Lake this weekend

MOSES LAKE – Downtown Moses Lake is going to see a lot of activity this coming weekend with Sip ‘n Stroll, Art on 3rd, the Moses Lake Care Fair and the farmers market all happening Saturday. Not to mention the Columbia Basin Walk to End Alzheimer’s and Colors of Hope events, as well as Kicks & Coffee Streetwear Fair at the Favored Farmhouse.

College football recap

BOISE, Idaho — On Saturday, several collegiate football teams from Washington completed their second week of the season. Some saw success, while others fell short. Eastern Washington According to a statement by EWU Athletics, the Broncos seized the momentum quickly, scoring 14 points in the first five minutes of the game. Boise State put up 20 points in the first quarter and had the game quickly under control. The Eagles broke through in the second quarter, as Jared Taylor engineered a 10-play, 62-yard drive, culminating in a Taylor touchdown run. The Broncos answered right back with a quick touchdown and tacked on a late field goal to go into halftime with a 23-point lead. “There were some bright spots, but not a lot of highlights. We’ll have to watch the film, but we did not play a clean game defensively,” Head Coach Aaron Best said. “We didn’t knock any balls out and missed some tackles. Offensively was not complimentary either. We did not stay on the field on third downs. Punting was inconsistent and we can’t keep putting the defense in between the 40s. We had a short week, and we’ll take tomorrow off, then look at the game on Sunday.”

Mavericks defeat Hermiston at home

MOSES LAKE — On Saturday, the Mavs defeated Hermiston at home 3-1 to secure their first victory of the season. Head coach Krystal Trammell said her players came to play. “The girls were very excited,” Trammell said. “They like playing Hermiston; they are a really good team. They're fast-paced, and they were pretty hyped up to get out there and play again."

Nearly 80,500 acres burning in WA on Monday

MOSES LAKE — Washington’s fire season is heating up with nearly 80,500 acres burning across the state as of Monday. “Part of the reason that you are seeing a lot of those large fires on the landscape is because we had several lightning storms that moved through during red flag conditions,” Department of Natural Resources Public Information Officer Ryan Rodruck said. Despite this, the fire season is still under the 10-year average of about 470,000 acres with the state sitting at around 122,300 acres this year.

Weather for the week of Sept. 8, 2025

Weather for the week of Sept. 8, 2025

Huskies volleyball enters season with renewed confidence

OTHELLO – The Othello Huskies volleyball team is aiming to rebound this season after finishing 2-15 last year and falling out of the district tournament in the first round. “I think it was a lot of young people, and it was kind of just something to adjust to,” said Huskies’ senior Abbie Douglas.

Mavs secure first win on the road

MOSES LAKE – On Thursday, the Mavericks opened their season on the road against Oak Harbor and brought home a 49-6 win. Head Coach Brett Jay said he was happy with what he saw from his team. “I thought our effort was great, and I thought our attitude is great, and we're excited for the win, and we're going to clean some things up moving forward,” he said.

A young Lions team rallies around their junior and senior leaders

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Christian Covenant School Lions volleyball team is preparing themselves for another deep run in the postseason this year after ending the previous season 12-6 record and making a deep run at districts. “Last season I thought was pretty good,” said Head Coach Dean Spurbeck. “We didn’t quite make it to state, (but) they continued to get better.”

Reigning state champs open in dominant fashion

ROYAL CITY – The reigning 1A state champion Royal Knights kicked off their season in dominant fashion. What included a 48-point first quarter, the Knights were victorious over Kiona-Benton 68-0. “We executed pretty well in most areas. Kids were excited to get out there and play, and it was a bit of a mismatch physically. There are some areas we're still looking to get some of the pieces right, we're still working on getting their reads right and things like that, so lots to work on. But it was a great start for us,” Head Coach Wiley Allred said.

Warden volleyball works to repeat past success under new head coach

WARDEN – The Warden Cougars volleyball team is tracking another run at the state tourney this year with new head coach Katie Roylance leading the team. The coach wants to maintain a winning culture this season. “You have those returning players who know where that expectation is and I’m probably just going to bump that bar up just a little bit and just try and hold that expectation,” said Roylance.

NCW Libraries marks Library Card Sign-Up Month

MOSES LAKE — A library card is more than just a little plastic rectangle.

Grant County building permits for Sept. 5, 2025

Grant County building permits for Sept. 5, 2025

Smoke forecast to stick around through Friday

MOSES LAKE — Wildfires and light winds have combined to produce poor quality throughout Eastern Washington, a situation that is forecast to persist for a few days. “We’re kind of under this stable (air) layer,” said Charlotte Dewey, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane. “We don’t have a lot of (air) mixing near the surface.”

COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: Sept. 4-11, 2025

MOSES LAKE – Colleges throughout Washington are starting their first few games of the season. See where your favorite collegiate teams are heading this week.