Legals for February, 26 2025

Taters take center stage in Olympia

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Potato Commission served about 1,600 baked potatoes last Tuesday. The commission sponsors the annual event and brings farmers, legislators and other stakeholders in the potato industry to Olympia to discuss the challenges and opportunities present in the potato industry.

48 Columbia Basin wrestlers place at Mat Classic

Five wrestlers bring home championship titles

TACOMA — Five Columbia Basin wrestlers came home with championships and three wrestling teams finished in the top three at Mat Classic XXXVI last weekend. Four Basin wrestlers finished second and nine finished third. The champions include Almira/Coulee-Hartline’s Noah Butler, at 215 pounds; Ephrata’s Adylene Sanchez, 155; Brock Tracy, Lind-Ritzville, 285; Othello’s Anthony Solorio at 215 and Alejandria Espindola of Othello, 235. The Othello Huskie girls team brought home a second-place trophy in Class 2A with 221.5 points. The Royal girls also finished second in Class 1B/2B/1A with 181.5 points. The Othello boys team secured third in Class 2A with 178.5 points.

FIRST RESPONDER FOCUS: Josh Bronn

Royal SRO brings a safe presence to school

ROYAL CITY — One thing most people can agree on is that schools shouldn’t be dangerous places, especially in a small town. But they can be, especially with undesirable elements in schools. “In typical school fights, you’d have a couple of kids fighting, and then everyone’s gathered around and they’re cheering them on,” said Royal City Police Officer Josh Bronn, who’s the school resource officer for the Royal School District. “But in these fights, the kids were wearing their gang attire. They dropped their backpacks and everyone else would leave. They scattered like ‘We don’t want to be involved in this.’”

Ferguson orders assessment of data center impacts

OLYMPIA— Earlier this month, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed an executive order to create a workgroup aimed at assessing the impacts of data centers on energy use, state tax revenue, and the environment. The order stemmed from concerns about the sustainability of data centers – large warehouses filled with stacked computers that power the modern internet – which consume significant amounts of energy putting a strain on Washington’s power grid. “We must ensure Washington remains a leader in technology and sustainability – these experts will help us do that,” Ferguson said in a public statement. “This group will help us balance industry growth, tax revenue needs, energy constraints, and sustainability.”

Legals for February, 25 2025

Bill proposes higher fees for Discover Pass

OLYMPIA – It will cost more to visit a state park next year, if a proposal in the state Legislature wins approval. Senate Bill 5390, proposed by Sen. Derek Stanford, R-Bothell, increases the cost of a Discover Pass from $30 to $45 and the day pass fee from $10 to $15. As an avid user of state parks, Rep. Beth Doglio, D-Olympia, the primary sponsor of the House version of the bill, said this increase was long overdue.

Wahluke, MLSD, Ephrata levy requests approved by voters

EPHRATA — Voters in the Moses Lake and Ephrata school districts approved maintenance and operations levies and Wahluke School District voters approved a capital projects levy. The results of the Feb. 11 special election were certified Friday. Moses Lake School District patrons approved a four-year levy request with 6,690 yes votes to 4,533 no votes, 59.61% approving. The passage came after levy voters twice rejected a levy request in 2024. At the same time district officials discovered that accounting errors and inaccurate enrollment counts had drained MLSD reserves.

After two-year-plus effort, Soap Lake Creative District is official

SOAP LAKE – Anyone who’s been to Soap Lake for a bite to eat at the Del Red Pub and heard live music there or seen a production at the Masquers Theater knows that Soap Lake has a thriving arts scene. The arts are an important part of the community, and now even the State of Washington recognizes that.

Lady Vikings extend win streak to 10 with gritty win over Spokane Falls

MOSES LAKE - Looking to make it 10 wins in a row, Big Bend Community College hosted the Spokane Falls Sasquatch on Wednesday, February 19th, at the DeVries Activity Center. The Lady Vikes came out swinging in the first quarter, establishing an early lead by knocking down 41% of their shots and playing elite defense. They held Spokane to just 20% from the floor and finished the opening 10 minutes with a commanding 16-8 lead.

Student performance fuels school funding debate

OLYMPIA – Holly Koon of Mount Baker School District struggles every day in her freshman biology classes to help students achieve, but sometimes it seems like a losing battle. Chronic absenteeism, growing class sizes and fewer classroom helpers all get in the way of student learning, she said. “All students can absolutely learn, and they can learn to standard,” she said. “I have a biology class right now with 36 students in it; I have one instructional aid. How do you – in 60 minutes a day – individualize and support all 36 students?”

Eagles fall short in high-offensive battle with ‘Jacks

CHENEY — The style of play was different from Thursday night, as Eastern Washington women's basketball and Northern Arizona faced off on the court. Eastern dropped the game, 88-77, in a fast-paced offensive battle. EWU's record now drops to 6-9 in the Big Sky and 10-17 overall. Both teams shot over 40 percent for the game, with the Eagles at 41.7 percent and the Lumberjacks recording a 41.2 percentage.

Weather for the week of Feb. 24, 2025

Weather for the week of Feb. 24, 2025

Othello man faces animal cruelty charges

OTHELLO — Dogs were confiscated from an Othello man Feb. 18 after a report that the animals were neglected. Ulises Neponoceno Pineda was cited for second-degree animal cruelty, a gross misdemeanor, according to a release from the Othello Police Department. The dogs were initially taken to a local veterinarian.

Legals for February, 24 2025

Ditch the Winter Gloom: Why Moses Lake Residents Should Escape to Maui

Aloha, Moses Lake! As the winter chill continues, that doesn’t mean you have to endure months of gray skies and freezing temperatures. Instead of bundling up against the cold, why not trade your heavy coats for tropical breezes and sandy toes?

Moses Lake swim team looking for improvement at state meet

FEDERAL WAY — Moses Lake High School boys swimming coach Tony Preston said his team is ready to climb up the rankings at the state meet this weekend. “The top 16 (placers) go on to swim on Saturday, and we really want to do that,” he said. “Only two or three of our swimmers are ranked in the top 16, but I think we’re going to do a lot better than that.”

MLHS girls place sixth after first day at Mat Classic

TACOMA – The Moses Lake High School girls wrestling team competed at the Tacoma Dome with 11 wrestlers competing across several weight classes. The girls, at around 7 p.m. Thursday, were in sixth place with 95.5 points. However, several matches are still ahead. The day kicked off with freshman Kayla Gonzalez in the 100-pound bracket starting her day with a victory, pinning Lillian Adams from Graham-Kapowsin in just 1:56. She followed this up with another win over Alyse Gudde from Arlington, who she defeated in a fall at 5:58.

SkillSource offers skills development, employment aid

MOSES LAKE — Finding a job can be tricky. Job seekers may not have the right skills, or may need help polishing up their qualifications. They might need help making the right connections or face other challenges. Emily Anderson, career and training manager for SkillSource in Moses Lake, said its job is helping people find not only new jobs, but new careers.

Columbia Basin Events for Feb. 21-March 1

COLUMBIA BASIN — Spring may not be here, but you can almost see it coming. Here are a few things to check out while you watch the ground thaw: Feb . 21 LJ Polmateer Live performance by local musician LJ Polmateer of One Soulution. 5:30 p.m. at Michael’s Market & Bistro, 221 W. Broadway Ave., Moses Lake. Info: 509-765-4177. Open Mic Night