CCA Ag exemption bill moves through Senate

OLYMPIA – The Washington House of Representatives has approved a bill aiming to help farmers receive cap-and-trade tax exemptions promised under the Climate Commitment Act. The legislation passed the floor with a 94-4 vote and was heard in the Senate Wednesday, March 26, for further consideration. “There was a promise made, and we're going to try to keep that promise,” main sponsor, Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, said in a public hearing.

ACSO handles two high-speed chases Thursday

RITZVILLE – Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputies had an eventful day Friday that included two high-speed chases which led to a combined total of four arrests. In the first incident, two Ritzville men were arrested on suspicion of car theft and other charges following a pursuit through Ritzville and the Lind area March 27.

Quincy wins Battle of the Basin against Ephrata

Jacks gain momentum in the second half, securing 2-1 victory

QUINCY – The Quincy Jacks win the Battle of the Basin against the Ephrata Tigers in a hard fought 2-1 victory. “Our key to winning was in our second half mainly,” said Jacks player Jesus Carrillo. “We picked up our intensity and we connected more as a team”

Working connections

BBCC Job Fair to bring job seekers together with employers April 17

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College will play matchmaker between businesses and the people they’re looking for at the BBCC Job Fair April 17. This is the 32nd year Big Bend has held the fair, said coordinator Michelle Arceo. Last year it attracted about 1,000 job seekers, she said. The fair will include Big Bend students, but anyone who’s interested in starting or furthering a career is invited. There’s no charge to attend.

Columbia Basin Events for April 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — Spring has sprung in the Basin and it’s time to check out the flowers in Othello and Quincy, art in Coulee City, businesses in Ephrata and jobs in Moses Lake, among a host of other things. Here’s what’s happening in April:

Second of three suspects arrested in Moses Lake drive-by case

BEAVERTON, Ore. - The Moses Lake Police Department announced the arrest of Mathew Valdez, 18, or Moses Lake in Beaverton, Oregon with the assistance of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon and the U.S. Marshals Service.

WA Legislature passes school safety bill

Unanimous vote in both houses moves Nikki Torres's bill to Ferguson's desk

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Legislature has passed Senate Bill 5004, aimed at modernizing emergency response systems in K-12 schools, in a unanimous vote of 98-0 by the House and 49-0 by the Senate. The bill focuses on implementing advanced safety measures, including panic or alert buttons, to improve response times during emergencies. The bill is now making its way to Governor Bob Ferguson for review.

Tigers Boys best Grandview 4-1

Ephrata's two first-year varsity coaches look to build on strong start

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Tigers tennis team faced Grandview Tuesday afternoon with the boys winning 4-1. “It’s hard to complain when you have a 4-1 victory over a good school like Grandview,” said the Tigers’ boys Coach Greg Becker.

MLHS softball falls to Richland

Mavs take loss as an opportunity to strengthen their resolve

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks softball team fell to Richland 3-8 Wednesday evening. “Overall, as a team, I think we have a lot to work on, but I think we’re going places,” said junior Samantha Kling. “Everybody as a team works together and I think if we put some more work into our bats that we’re going to go places.”

Basin events for March 28-April 5

COLUMBIA BASIN — This week’s goings-on in the Basin include a car wash, an off-season farmers market, fundraiser auctions, movies and more. Here are some suggestions:

Wahluke boys and girls tennis fall to Connell

MATTAWA—Wahluke's tennis teams both lost to Connell. The girls went 1-4 on the day, and the boys went 0-3, with a lack of second and third doubles matches. “They have a couple players that have gone to state in the past and we’re still a young team, but we have some older players,” said Wahluke coach Adrian Sandoval. “They’re doing really good so we’re just learning more every day.”

Boys & Girls Club earns awards for nutrition education

MOSES LAKE — The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin have been recognized yet again. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction recently honored the club with not one, but three awards for excellence in nutrition education, according to an announcement from the club.

Building permits for March 28, 2025

Building permits for March 28, 2025

Law enforcement logs for March 28, 2025

The reports below were provided by the sheriff's office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Legals for March, 28 2025

Two men sought in connection with fatal drive-by shooting

MOSES LAKE — Two Moses Lake men are being sought in connection with a drive-by shooting March 21 that left a 14-year-old Moses Lake boy dead.

Advancing Tigers

Highly Capable Program lets students enrich their education

EPHRATA — A school district has all kinds of children in it, and those children learn at different paces. Some have learning disabilities and need a little extra help, while others excel in one or more academic fields.

ECBID’s Bischoff promoted to deputy assistant manager of operations and maintenance

OTHELLO — The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District has announced the promotion of Bobby Bischoff to Deputy Assistant Manager of Operations and Maintenance. A veteran of the ECBID with 15 years of service, Bischoff previously held the role of Special Projects Administrator.

Tigers fall to Selah 1-6 in first league game of ‘25

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers fell to Selah Tuesday night 1-6 in their first league game of the year. “(Selah is) perennially one of the top teams in our league,” said Tigers head baseball coach David Tempel. “Had a couple of innings where we gave them some freebies in terms of walks ... and those tend to come around to hurt you.”

Tigers and Huskies tie 1-1

Ephrata defense able to hold up against Huskies’ strong offense

EPHRATA – The hard-fought soccer game between the Ephrata Tigers and the Othello Huskies ended in a tie Tuesday night with both teams scoring one goal in the second half on the Ephrata pitch. “It was kind of back and forth and it came down to the wire; within the two-minute range they got a corner kick ... and put a goal on us,” said Tigers head coach Ivan Garay. “We didn’t let that break us up or put us down, we turned it around really quick.”