Coulee Dam teacher arrested in underage sting operation

COULEE DAM — Ross Ashenfelter, a 42-year-old fourth-grade teacher at Lake Roosevelt Elementary School, was arrested Monday during a sting operation targeting online predators.

Huskies earn homecoming victory over Tigers

OTHELLO – The Huskies (5-1) earned a 33-21victory over the Ephrata Tigers (3-3) Friday during the Othello High homecoming game. It was a close game between the two conference rivals from start to finish. “It was very exciting,” said Huskies quarterback Quade Gonzalez. “I like games like that, where you’re fighting the whole time, but there’s lot of stuff we can clean up.”

Darnold, Smith-Njigba and defense carry Seahawks to 20-12 victory at Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Having thrown a combined six interceptions in his last two starts in Jacksonville, Sam Darnold refused to get greedy this time around. He played it safe and ended up with a turnover-free performance. Darnold threw for 295 yards, with touchdown passes to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, and Seattle dominated both lines of scrimmage on its way to a 20-12 victory against the Jaguars on Sunday.

Officials analyze EMS in Quincy area

QUINCY — While there are challenges ahead, there are options to reinforce emergency medical response in the Quincy area. In some ways, the Quincy Valley is fortunate because EMS agencies are willing to – and do – work together. Those were the conclusions of a study commissioned by emergency response agencies and the city of Quincy. Grant County Fire District 3 Chief David Durfee said the results provided some options to help strengthen EMS services.

GCSO logs Sept. 29 - Oct. 2

EPHRATA — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office provided the incident details noted below. Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Local cross country teams compete at The Gorge

GEORGE – On Thursday, multiple Basin cross country teams competed in the fifth annual Live Nation Invitational at the Gorge Amphitheater. Mavericks Head Coach Larry Dagnon called the venue one of the more unique races they see all season.

Stoke Space raises $510M for manufacturing of Nova launch vehicle

KENT — Stoke Space Technologies – with facilities in Moses Lake, Kent and Cape Canaveral, Florida – has secured $510 million in funding though Thomas Tull’s US Innovative Technology Fund and Silicon Valley Bank supporting manufacture of the company’s Nova Launch vehicle. The funding more than doubles its total capital raised to $990 million, according to a press release from the company.

Polanco hits winning single in the 15th inning as the Mariners beat the Tigers to advance to ALCS

SEATTLE (AP) — Jorge Polanco hit a game-ending single in the 15th inning, and the Seattle Mariners advanced to the AL Championship Series by outlasting the Detroit Tigers for a 3-2 victory Friday night in the longest winner-take-all postseason game in baseball history.

Mavs split doubleheader to end regular season on the diamond

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks slow-pitch softball team (15-1) split their doubleheader against Eastmont Thursday afternoon. While they ended the regular season with a loss, they are entering the postseason as the top seed in the Big 9.

Mavs compete against Eastmont in home swim meet

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks swim team hosted a meet Thursday, competing against Eastmont in 12 events. The final team scores came close, with Eastmont earning 90 points and Moses Lake earning 87.

Masquers to stage ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

SOAP LAKE— Horror and horticulture are in bloom at the Masquers Theater, with the production of the darkly comedic musical “Little Shop of Horrors.” The play, which opens Oct. 16, is directed by Clifford and Stacy Bresee, who have directed most of the troupe’s musicals over the last decade. “It’s one I’ve wanted to do for quite a few years,” Stacy Bresee said. “So the opportunity came and we took it.” The musical, based on the campy 1960 horror-comedy of the same name by Roger Corman, was written by Howard Ashman and Alan Mencken, who a few years later would fuel the Disney Renaissance with films like “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.” It premiered on Broadway in 1982 and was adapted for the screen in 1986.

BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 10-18

COLUMBIA BASIN — Fall fun is everywhere as we reach the middle of October. Here are a few things happening in the Basin this week.

Getting the bugs out

Pest and weed control service opens in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — With the weather getting colder, some creepy crawly critters are likely to decide that your home should also be their home. A new business in town aims to help evict them. “Spiders, ants, just generally insects,” said Josh Gilliam, owner of Bug Out Pest and Spray. “We’re a very hot and arid environment, but we also have access to a lot of water, so that brings out the bugs.” Bug Out opened for business Aug. 1 and held its official ribbon-cutting Tuesday in Moses Lake. Gilliam has been in the extermination business for about 25 years, he said, first in Spokane and then in Moses Lake. He decided to go out on his own after meeting with his partner Kip Burns, who also owns Blinds for Any Budget and B and B Doors.

Knights cross country shines with top finishes in league meet

ROYAL CITY – On Wednesday, the Knights cross country team competed in the Southern Central Athletic Conference held at the Royal Golf Course. They ran against Connell and Wapato in a boys and girls 5,000-meter race. Head Coach Ben Orth said they had a fun day competing.

Living comic book 'Frankenstein' coming to Wallenstien Theater

MOSES LAKE — A classic story of love, pride and horror will take the stage as a living comic book at the Wallenstien Theater Oct. 18. Columbia Basin Allied Arts will present “Frankenstein: A Living Comic Book,” an adaptation of the 1818 novel “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus” by Mary Shelley.

Legals for October, 9 2025

Assn. of Washington Businesses bus tour comes to Grant Co.

MOSES LAKE — Association of Washington Business President Kris Johnson said the organization’s annual Manufacturing Week tour is designed to give participants a look at businesses – and job opportunities – they may not have known existed.

Basin cross country teams compete in Battle for the 509

MOSES LAKE – High school cross country teams from around the state met at the Spokane Polo Grounds on Saturday to compete in the eighth annual Battle for the 509. Basin teams that were part of the competition included Ephrata, Lind-Ritzville, Moses Lake, Othello, Quincy and Warden.

Mavs find success at Yakima meet

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks swim team traveled to Lions Pool in Yakima last Thursday to compete against Sunnyside and West Valley. At the meet the team found success in the pool and built themselves up for the second half of the season.

Soap Lake celebrates official designation of Creative District

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake community gathered Saturday to mark a significant milestone: the establishment of the Soap Lake Creative District. After years of dedication and collaboration, local leaders, artists, and residents celebrated the district’s official certification, which promises to enrich the city’s cultural landscape and promote its creative economy. The celebration included speeches, displays of artwork, history and community engagement aimed at raising awareness about the district, which is intended to be a hub for creativity and collaboration among local artists and businesses. “We want people to understand that our aim is not just to host events,” Ruthann Tobiason, one of the organizers of the creative district effort, said. “This is about building longer-term plans that will enrich our community and strengthen our creative economy.”