Legals for July, 7 2025

Soap Lake Conservancy meeting highlights challenges for lake health

SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake Conservancy held a special meeting Saturday to discuss Soap Lake water level trends. The meeting brought in experts from the Washington Department of Ecology, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District. “A couple of years ago, a few of the people in this room started calling the Department of Ecology with concerns,” DOE Eastern Region Contact, Jaime Short said. “The lake level was going down. What's going on?”

Mattawa crash injures one

MATTAWA — A Renton man was transported to Kadlec Regional Medical Center Wednesday after he drove off the road and rolled his semitruck. Kibret Ghulbet, 39, was driving south on State Route 234 about 13 miles south of Mattawa Wednesday when he ran off the road, according to a press memo from the Washington State Patrol. Ghulbet overcorrected and rolled his truck. The crash closed SR 243 for about four hours.

Moses Lake facility among those affected by Group14 layoffs

MOSES LAKE — An undisclosed number of employees received layoff notices from the Group14 facility in Moses Lake July 1. Moses Lake facility manager Don Kersey said construction on the facility is continuing. “We did have a layoff (July 1),” Kersey said. “We can’t get into numbers, but we did rebalance our workforce to ensure the long-term resilience (and) competitiveness of our business. (The layoffs were) not just here in Moses Lake, but Group14 here in Washington state. It’s very unfortunate.”

UPDATED: Fire breaks out in field near S. Eastlake Drive in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – A fire has spread across the lakeside part of the field behind S Eastlake Dr and Vue Street. A Moses Lake Fire Department crew is working to put out the fire and prevent further spread across the area. One witness on scene said the fire started at around 9:45 p.m. Witnesses who live in one of the houses near where the fire started said it was likely due to fireworks that are being lit in the area. They also said it might have started about 20 yards away from their home and the wind blew it away from both S. Eastlake Drive and Vue Street. More information on the fire will be provided as the story progresses.

High Fitness brings friends together with a health focus

MOSES LAKE – The Larson Rec Center’s High Fitness class held its Fourth of July-themed High Fitness class this past week. The class is held every Tuesday from 7:45-8:45 p.m. “It gives you a family, it gives you friends, keeps you accountable and makes working out way more fun than doing it by yourself,” said Liza Tait, the instructor for High Fitness at the Rec Center. “And as the participant you don’t have to think, you just show up and I tell you what to do.”

Moses Lake students prepare to head to Japan

MOSES LAKE — Three Moses Lake students will head to Japan this month as part of the Moses Lake-Yonezawa Sister City Exchange. “A lot of people don’t realize that this cultural exchange has been going on for 45 years,” said Moses Lake-Yonezawa Sister City Exchange Program Treasurer Terry Moore. “Everybody knows Yonezawa Boulevard (in Moses Lake), but do they know why it’s called Yonezawa Boulevard? It’s because of the sister city program.”

GCFD 5 responds to fire near Grant Co. Fairgrounds

MOSES LAKE - Grant County Fire District 5 personnel are mopping up the scene of a brush fire just east of the Grant County Fairgrounds.

Johnny H. (Jay) Johnson

1941 – 2025

We are heartbroken to announce the loss of our father and grandfather, who passed away June 9, 2025, at the age of 83. Johnny H. (Jay) Johnson was born to Leo Hilstead Johnson and Afton Johnanna Hansen in Preston, Idaho on December 14, 1941. Jay told many loving stories about growing up in Southeastern Idaho with his five siblings. He was especially proud of the summers he spent herding sheep by himself for months at a time.

Dr. C. Larry Wright

1935 – 2025

Dr. C. Larry Wright, a dedicated physician, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on June 21, 2025, in Moses Lake, Washington. He was 90 years old. Born in 1935 on a sharecropper’s farm in Casey, Iowa, during a fierce winter blizzard in the midst of the Great Depression, Larry's life was rooted in perseverance, service and faith.

Roosters looking for ravishing home

SOAP LAKE – The Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry has several breeds of rooster available for adoption. Last year, Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry President Shawna Kluge purchased two dozen chicks from various feed stores, and she got more roosters than hens. Kluge got the chicks in hopes of having fresh eggs, so the roosters are not much help to that effort. There are several breeds available including Buff Orrington roosters, Rhode Island red roosters, Well Summer Roosters and Barred Rock roosters. Kluge said the best way to contact her about the roosters is by texting her phone at 509-237-5722. If flying friends are not what you are looking for, the shelter also has several dogs and cats available for adoption. Visit RockBottomRocker.org to learn more about the other animals. If you can’t adopt any friends right now, but would like to help a local shelter, visit the website and click “donate.”

New shop in Moses Lake carries a little of everything

MOSES LAKE — Determining exactly what kind of store Plume is feels a lot like nailing Jello to the wall. “Some of (the merchandise) was in my house when I was 25 years old,” owner Janine Coutts said. “I lived on a farm that had six outbuildings and was 100 years old, so it was very easy to store stuff.”

Local doctor finds new calling with Eudaimonia

MOSES LAKE – Dr. Hollie Matthews has begun a new journey in the medical field by opening Eudaimonia Medical Spa at 124 E Third Ave #212. Her goal is to provide services that guide her patients toward optimal health and personal fulfillment. “I’m learning a lot about business, which I had never been interested in,” said Dr. Matthews. “I always say I’m a scientist first, now a businesswoman, which was not an expectation, but I just would like to be able to stay open and still help some people.”

Ephrata High Class of ‘55 celebrates 70 years

EPHRATA - There are 39 “kids” still living from the Ephrata High School Class of 1955, Jerry Pitts said, and he and his classmates still get together as much as they can. This year, 11 Tigers got together from June 13 to 15 to catch up. “We had a three-day meet the 13th, 14th and 15th,” Pitts said. “Of course, the 15th was Father’s Day, and we met at 12 Hawks in Ephrata.”

AG World raises $80,000 in annual golf classic

MOSES LAKE – On Thursday June 5, AG World hosted its 12th annual golf classic at the Links at Moses Pointe where they raised money for the Ronald McDonald house in Spokane. Event organizer and AG World CEO, Bryan Henninger, said the event was a success. “We had a good turnout here at Moses Pointe. We were close to capacity,” Henninger said. “It was a good day, and we do things a little different. We've got lots of activities and fun stuff on the course, including some food on the course. So, we try and keep it upbeat and a little different than your normal golf events.”

Texas State joins cougs in Pac-12 conference

SAN MARCOS, Texas – On Monday, the Pac-12 conference announced that the Texas State Bobcats are joining the Pac-12 conference, beginning in the 2026 season. They will be the conference’s ninth team. “We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12," said Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould. “It is a new day in college sports and the most opportune time to launch a new league that is positioned to succeed in today's landscape with student-athletes in mind.”

Road construction on hold through July 4 weekend

VANTAGE — People wanting to take to the open road for the July 4 weekend will find it pretty open, with most construction projects on hold until next week. The exception is the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 over the Snoqualmie summit. “We have a project on eastbound I-90 between North Bend and the summit, which is reduced from three lanes to two lanes,” wrote Summer Derrey, Washington Department of Transportation assistant communications manager for the south central region, in response to a question from the Columbia Basin Herald.

Darnold could revive the Seahawks

MOSES LAKE – As we creep closer to the start of the NFL season, fans across the league will be clamoring to see how their team’s retooled rosters will fare against the competition. One player that will be viewed under a microscope by fans this season is Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold had been labeled a draft bust after failing to live up to the expectations of the New York Jets. After short stints with the Panthers and 49ers, Darnold signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Up until that point, he had never thrown more than 19 touchdowns in a season.

GALLERY: A look back at June 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — June marked the end of the school year and the beginning of summer in the Basin. Here’s a look back at some memorable moments.

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.”