‘To Washington, I bid you fair winds and following seas’

Inslee delivers his final State of the State Address before leaving office

OLYMPIA — In his final State of the State address delivered before a joint session of the Washington Legislature on Jan. 12, Governor Jay Inslee reflected on his 12 years in office and emphasized the achievements and challenges that lie ahead for Washington state.

Basin sports schedule Jan. 15-21

MOSES LAKE – Check out this week’s sports schedule for high school athletics across the Columbia Basin, including bowling, competitive cheerleading, basketball, swim and dive and wrestling events.

NEWS BITES: Jan. 15, 2025

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Police Department warned the public Monday regarding fake Facebook posts. EPD said to be wary of profiles with profile pictures that are unrealistic, low friend counts, exaggerated claims, poor grammar and spelling, copied-and-pasted content and the ability to comment is turned off on all posts. The department asks that people not reshare posts that look suspicious and report it to Facebook.

Legals for January, 15 2025

Legals for January, 14 2025

Teresa Jean Galliart

1960 — 2024

Teresa Jean Galliart, age 64, passed away unexpectedly on November 29, 2024, at home in Moses Lake, Wash. Teresa was born on May 5, 1960, to Marilyn and Kenneth in Kirkland, Wash.

Ferguson proposes $4 billion in cuts to ease budget deficit

Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson unveiled a budget-cutting plan to ease a projected $12 billion statewide budget deficit during a 2025 legislative preview in Olympia Jan. 9.

Lions off to 10-1 start

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School boys basketball team has opened the season with a near-perfect mark, improving to 10-1 with Friday night’s road win over Oroville. The Lions have won nine straight games since a Dec. 7 loss to Tonasket and are 4-0 in Central Washington B games this winter. “It’s coming together with team chemistry, and we’re settling into our roles,” Head Coach Emerson Ferguson said. “They’ve changed this year with new players in the lineup. We’ve been playing our brand of basketball that we’ve been playing for the last few years.”

Sen. Warnick outlines legislative priorities for 2025 session

OLYMPIA — In anticipation of the upcoming 2025 legislative session, starting today, Washington State Senator Judy Warnick discussed her key priorities and strategies aimed at improving policies that impact her constituents. As she prepares for the session, Warnick said she is keenly aware of the challenges posed by a shifting political landscape, particularly in light of a newly elected Democratic governor and a budget shortfall that will influence the agenda. Warnick's legislative priorities center around three themes: affordability, public safety and education—specifically the safety and educational advancement of children.

Grant County Jail scheduled to open in mid-2026

MATTAWA — Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete said the new Grant County Jail is projected to open in about 18 months. “They’re still targeting for the opening of May of 2026,” Kriete said. “It felt like it was going to be so long when we started, but here we are. We’re getting close.” Kriete gave an update on the project’s progress at a Jan. 9 luncheon sponsored by the South Grant County Chamber of Commerce in recognition of National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. The new jail will hold 512 inmates, more than double the existing jail.

Washington Democrats resurrect rent control proposal

(The Center Square) – Democrats in the Washington State Legislature are taking another run at rent control with pre-filed legislation to that effect for the 105-day session that starts Monday. Rep. Emily Alvarado, D-Seattle, pre-filed House Bill 2117 this week. “It caps rent increases at 7% annually, but it lets landlords set the rent however they like at the start of the tenancy,” Alvarado explained at a Friday morning press conference announcing the legislation. The lawmaker said she’s constantly hearing from renters in her district about out-of-control rent increases.

Elderberry juice shows benefits for weight management, metabolic health

SPOKANE, Wash.—Elderberry juice may be a potent tool for weight management and enhancing metabolic health, according to a recent Washington State University-led study. A clinical trial published in the journal Nutrients found that drinking 12 ounces of elderberry juice daily for a week causes positive changes in the gut microbiome and improves glucose tolerance and fat oxidation. Elderberry, a small dark purple berry found on elder trees native to Europe, is commonly used as a medicinal plant and supplement to promote immune function. Its other potential health benefits are poorly understood, however.

Legals for January, 13 2025

Teresa Jean Galliart

May 5, 1960 – November 29, 2024

Teresa Jean Galliart, 64, passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 29, 2024, at home in Moses Lake, Washington. Teresa was born on May 5, 1960, to Marilyn and Kenneth in Kirkland, Washington. Teresa was married to William “Eric” Galliart in October 1993 and they lived happily in Moses Lake for 31 years. She had a very eventful life, from the amazing cruises she went on with family to the fun concerts she went to. She worked so hard at everything she did, being a mom, wife, sister and daughter.

Challenge, innovation, appreciation at law enforcement luncheon

MATTAWA — Staffing, recruitment and innovation were among the subjects discussed by Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete and Yakima County Sheriff Robert Udell during a luncheon in Mattawa Thursday recognizing law enforcement contributions.

Moses Lake School District EP&O levy on February ballot

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School District will submit an educational programs and operations levy to district voters on the Feb. 11 ballot. The levy, using local taxes, provides funding for programs and services beyond the state’s basic education requirements.

Ephrata’s Dave Johnson inducted into ABCA Hall of Fame

EPHRATA — Dave Johnson has received plenty of recognition at the local and state level for the success his baseball teams had while serving as the head coach at Ephrata High School, but the former Tiger baseball coach received a new honor last week – being inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Concerns remain over data collection for AGO police use of force database

(The Center Square) – Ongoing concerns remain among 911 dispatch centers in the state over the use of certain data by a police use of force database project headed by Washington State University under the guidance of the State Attorney General’s Office. In 2023, WSU received a contract from the AGO following a request for proposal to create a police use of force database that would collect certain information from law enforcement agencies regarding use of force incidents. That information would then be available for anyone to view and download from the website. However, the project has experienced numerous setbacks due to a variety of factors, including stipulations with vendors that they hand over their intellectual property.

Interest rates continue to drag down housing market in Washington

KIRKLAND — 2024 ended with a disappointing housing market statewide, according to data released by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which tracks real estate across 26 of Washington’s 39 counties. Interest rates were responsible for much of the gloom, according to the NWMLS. While potential home buyers and sellers had hoped for a reprieve, the Federal Reserve’s three interest rate cuts in 2024 failed to produce a significant increase in the market. Rather, in early January the average 30-year mortgage rate was 6.91%, the highest it’s been since last July. Median home prices went up statewide by 4.3% between December 2023 and December 2024. In Grant County, however, the median price dropped very slightly from $360,950 to $356,582 over the last year, and in Adams County the median price dropped 10.3% from $322,500 to $292,300, the second-lowest median home price of any county.

Basin events for Jan. 10-17, 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — Crafts, hoops, dancing and handbells are just part of what’s in store for the Basin this week. Here are a few things to check out: