George M. Whitney Jr.

June 30, 1953 - November 11, 2025

George Marvin Whitney Jr., 72, passed away peacefully at his residence in Moses Lake, Washington, on Nov. 11, 2025, after a short illness. George was born on June 30, 1953, to Marvin and Iris Whitney. George is survived by his wife Lisa; his children Pauline (Keaton) and Rose (Adam); his three grandchildren Kate, Leo, and Cole; and his brother Ray (Norma) and their family: Mark (Aunna), Lauren (Clay), and Nathan (Mariah).

Judith ‘Judy’ Church

August 24, 1937 – November 3, 2025

Judith “Judy” Ann Church, 88, beloved mother, grandmother, sister and friend, passed away on Nov. 3, 2025, in Federal Way, Washington. Born on Aug. 24, 1937, in Portsmouth, Ohio to Eugene Samuel Crull and Eileen Pearl Hawkins Crull, Judy was the eldest of three sisters and a former resident of Moses Lake and Othello, Washington. A celebration of life will be held on Dec. 6 at Pillar Rock Golf Course in Moses Lake from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dress in your holiday colors. Join for lunch and share a story.

Considering dementia's warning signs

MOSES LAKE — About 42% of adults over 55 will develop dementia eventually, according to the National Institutes of Health. Yet for such a common phenomenon, it’s very little understood.

‘Puffs’

QHS play celebrates magical background characters

QUINCY — Some people are born to save the world. And some are born to, well, sit next to those heroes in class. “It’s really about the underdogs,” said director Haliey Weber. “They don’t want fortune or fame. They don’t care to be super smart or brave or cunning. They just are really loyal and they care about the people they care about.” The world of “Puffs” will look familiar, but don’t be fooled. Sure, there’s a boarding school with four houses – the Braves, the Smarts, the Snakes and the Puffs – and a dark lord, and messages delivered by owl and lots of wizardy classes, but “Puffs” is not to be confused with the more famous story. Rather, it tells the story of Wayne (Sawyer Golay), Megan (Jasmine Vasquez-Navarro) and Oliver (Jerrod Miller), who happen to be in the background while all that is going on. Wayne is a math-loving nerd who wasn’t born to wizardry but is trying to catch up, Megan is a would-be goth girl who resents being a Puff, and Oliver is an orphan raised by his uncle. Together, the three navigate the pitfalls of learning magic, as well as competing in a tournament, battling a giant snake and resisting the Death Buddies, one of whom is Megan’s mom. All while living in the shadow of the great young wizards of the other story.

Clarence Hamilton

Sept. 25, 1935 — Oct. 17, 2025

Clarence Edward Hamilton, 90, a longtime Colfax, Washington resident, passed away on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. He went by many names: Dad, Pops, Papa, FP (i.e. Favorite Person), Gramps, Grandpa, Sweetheart and Honey. Clarence passed very peacefully from this life into eternity, surrounded by Laura (his wife of 19 years), his three children, their spouses and his faithful dog Buddy. Clarence had dealt with the effects of dementia for approximately seven years. He was always fearful of ending up in a nursing home, and the family is eternally grateful for his loving caregivers who made his wish of passing at home possible. His caregivers were his daughter-in-law Soni Hamilton, stepdaughter Denise Beck and family friends Molly Overby and Rindy Waldo, as well as several of his other family members and Gentiva Hospice.

A princess looking for her castle

SOAP LAKE – Meet Princess Ebby, a brave, playful cuddle bug with a heart of gold. She’s overcome so much and still greets the world with joy and curiosity. One leg is shorter, but her spirit? Unstoppable. Adopt Ebby and gain a lifelong snuggle buddy who’ll fill your days with love, laughter, and belly rubs. She is spayed, vaccinated and ready to go home to a luxurious castle, a house or an apartment will do. If she seems like your type of girl, visit RockBottomRocker.org and fill out her application. If you can’t adopt right now but would like to help a local shelter, visit the website and click “donate.”

WA fuel prices hold steady as second most expensive in nation

MOSES LAKE – For the third week in a row, Washington has the second highest average fuel prices in the nation at $4.52, a four-cent decrease from last week. California, the only state in the nation with higher prices, is sitting at $4.66, according to AAA.

WA fuel prices second highest in nation

MOSES LAKE – Last week, Washington led the nation with the highest fuel prices, beating both California and Hawaii. These states have traditionally led the charts this year, according to AAA. This week, California is once again leading the nation at $4.67 with Washington close behind at $4.62, or a four-cent decrease from last week. Hawaii is third in the nation at $4.47.

Down Syndrome Buddy Walk set for Sept. 27

MOSES LAKE — This year’s Buddy Walk will honor some people who don’t get much publicity: siblings of people with Down syndrome. “We’ve done parents and caregivers, so we decided it needed to be siblings this year,” said organizer Denise Ketola.

Moses Lake City Council Q&A

MOSES LAKE – There are two candidates running for Moses Lake City Council position five including Joel Graves and Jim Perez. Both Graves and Perez were concurrently presented with the questions below and given identical deadlines and word count restrictions for their answers. Both submitted their responses in a timely manner.

Moses Lake Roundup brings excitement to the Grant County Fairgrounds

MOSES LAKE – In the last few days of the Grant County Fair, community members were treated to the annual Moses Lake Roundup. From Thursday to Saturday, the rodeo took center stage with several events like bareback riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling and bull riding. “I just love being able to go around all the crowds and different people that you see and being able to put on a show for them and get on great bucking horses. It's awesome, and I love it,” Jay McAllister said.

Ultra-sweet treats at GCAO

MOSES LAKE -- Four sweet pups are up for adoption at Grant County Animal Outreach including Swiss Roll, Cosmic Brownie, Nutty Buddy and Star Crunch. Swiss Roll and Star Crunch are girls and Nutty Buddy and Cosmic Brownie are boys. All are spayed or neutered, up to date on vaccines and microchipped. If one, or four, or these pups have your heart, visit GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org and fill out an application. If you can't adopt right now but you would like to help a local shelter, visit the website and click "donate."

Donald Stuart McDowall, Sr.

Sept. 27, 1933 — Aug. 3, 2025

Don was born and raised in a log cabin in the Canadian Rockies just north of Glacier National Park, in Alberta. His childhood was the difficulties of the Great Depression and then the struggle of World War II, which for Canada began in 1939.

Average Joes become Moses Lake lower division champs

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Men’s softball league held division games Thursday evening at Paul Lauzier Athletic Complex. The lower division entered the championship round and the upper division decided who will play in the championships on Friday. “It’s just nice to get the buddies together,” said Nick Overland, the coach for the Average Joes. “It’s nice to interact with other teams, make new friends.”

Warden wrestling holding annual charity golf tournament

WARDEN — On Saturday, the Cougars wrestling program will hold its fourth annual charity golf tournament at Sage Hills Golf Course in Warden. According to assistant wrestling coach Alan Martinez, all proceeds from the event will go to the wrestling program at Warden High School. “It’s been really successful the last three years, and it’s gotten bigger every year, and now it’s turned into one of the biggest tournaments that I know of in the area,” said Martinez, “It’s all for a good cause, and one of the lines that we hammered to everybody is, ‘Every cent, every dollar, goes straight to the kids.’” Martinez said that money raised from this event has helped enabled the program to buy new wrestling mats, singlets for wrestlers, camps for the youth to attend and clinicians to come to the school.

Paw-sitive saving adoption event at Umpqua Bank on Friday

MOSES LAKE – On Friday, Umpqua Bank will host the "Paw-sitive Savings Adoption Event" to help Grant County Animal Outreach find loving homes for local pets in need. The event will feature six to seven adoptable dogs, with discounted adoption fees aimed at encouraging attendees to adopt.

Tim Flint

Tim Flint passed away on June 11, 2025, at the age of 85 in Othello, Washington. Tim is survived by his devoted wife of 64 years Susan Flint; daughters Dawn Donahoo (Doug), Kimberly Detwiler and Becky Jo Flint (Scott Rodgers); grandson Jake; and granddaughters Ashley, Alyson and Jessica. Tim was born in Los Angeles, California, and attended schools in California. He graduated from Sierra High School and went on to Reedley College. In 1959, a blind date led to a lifelong partnership with Susan and they married in 1960. His early career included PG&E of California, but Tim’s passion for the outdoors led him to pursue a career in Wildlife Management and a move to the Pacific Northwest. Encouraged by his wife, Tim returned to college in his 30s, earning a BS degree in Wildlife Resources from the University of Idaho in 1974. He immediately joined the Washington Department of Fish and Game, where he served with distinction until he retired in 1987 due to post-polio syndrome. Tim’s life was one of quiet determination, deep love for family and a strong connection to nature.

Basin baseball represented in all-star game

RICHLAND – Players from Moses Lake and Othello joined their peers from Yakima at the Columbia Basin Series All-Star Game Wednesday in Richland. “It was really nice and bittersweet to end my high school career here. I'm going to go play college baseball, and hopefully I'll see some of these guys, but it was nice to play against guys that I have played the last 10 years of my life,” Mavericks player Cooper Hancock said.

Felix, your future furry adventure buddy

SOAP LAKE – Ready to bring joy and excitement into your life? Meet Felix, a 1-year-old husky mix with captivating eyes and a zest for adventure. Standing at 45 pounds, Felix is intelligent, playful and incredibly friendly. Neutered, microchipped, and up to date on his vaccines, he's all set to join your family and explore the world with you. Visit Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry in Soap Lake, Washington, and let Felix rock your world with love and happiness. Fill out this handsome boy’s application at RockBottomRocker.org. For those who would like to help a local shelter but can’t adopt right now visit the website and click “donate.”

‘Whiskey Rebel’

Novel draws on Moses Coulee for isolated setting

MOSES LAKE — Out in the high desert country of Moses Coulee, it’s easy to imagine that strange things are happening just over the next ridge. There’s something peacefully secretive about the area northwest of Ephrata in the southern part of Douglas County, as though time stopped there and nobody was around to notice.