CALEB PEREZ

Fire burns around 2,200 acres along SR 24

MATTAWA — A nearly 2,200-acre fire briefly closed state Route 24 Sunday evening. Grant County Fire District 8 Chief Matt Hyndman said firefighters were informed of the fire at about 8:16 p.m. with local fire departments working together to get the flames under control.

Basin Sports Schedule: May 12-18, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — Postseason play has begun in the Columbia Basin and local athletes are competing in districts to qualify for state. Check out where the local teams will be heading this week.

Tigers split games to move into final round of districts

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers (11-13) split their games over the weekend in the district tournament, winning 17-4 over Prosser and falling 4-20 against Selah. The Tigers prepare for one final game of districts to qualify for the district crossover. “I think the majority of our focus is going to be on communication and just situational softball,” said Tigers Head Coach Lesa Trevino. “Definitely clean defense, at this point in the season, everybody can play. The difference comes down to handling pressure in situations, eliminating mistakes and responding quickly.” After coming off a tough loss to East Valley in the first round of the tournament last Wednesday, the Tigers entered the next round against Prosser with new energy. In the bottom of first inning Ephrata put up six runs with a single from Ella Piturachsatit scoring a run, a single from Bailey Falconer scoring another run, Piturachsatit scoring after tagging up, Bayleigh French singling for two runs and Cami Martinez singling for a run.

Brush fire closes Hwy 24

OTHELLO — A large brush fire has broken out along Highway 24 near Hendrix Road south of Othello. The area was blocked off around 8:30 p.m. while fire crews work to put out the flames. The roadway reopened at around 1 a.m., but units from Grant County Fire District 8 were dispatched once again as the fire started back up again Monday morning. This is a developing story and updates will be made as they become available.

Vehicle fire sets two cars ablaze

MOSES LAKE — A vehicle fire destroyed one car and ignited a second one on Parkway Avenue Northeast in Moses Lake early Friday morning.

Knights claim district win over Okanogan

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (14-1-2) got the best of Okanogan Thursday evening with a 2-1 victory as they move on to the next round of the district tournament. The game was tight in the beginning, but the offensive efforts from the Knights allowed them to claim a win. “It was competitive; we had a close game,” said Knights junior Brayan Miron. “We had a couple of mistakes, but we got back and we just fought to the end.”

Knights fall to Connell in district first round

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (12-9) fell just short of victory Thursday afternoon after a 2-4 loss against Connell. Despite taking a loss, the Knights prepare to get back on track Saturday for the next round of districts. “We started out a little slowly, we had close plays and just didn’t get the ball to bounce our way,” said Knights Head Coach Tony Jenks. Connell was the first on the board in the top of the first as they earned a single run and the Knights were unable to respond in the bottom of the inning. Both teams went scoreless for the next three innings, until Connell put up an additional three runs in the fifth inning.

Tigers fall in first round of districts

YAKIMA — The Ephrata Tigers (10-12) fell in a tough district tournament game against East Valley Wednesday afternoon, going 0-10 against the number one seed. The season is still alive for Ephrata as they continue on the road to Selah High School. “We just didn’t play aggressive softball,” said Tigers Head Coach Lesa Trevino. “We were hesitant at times, especially offensively and against any good team like East Valley, you can’t sit back.”

Mavs prepare for district play after tough end to regular season

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks boys and girls teams finished out the regular season with a tough schedule as they went from the Inland Empire Tournament to three back-to-back meets against competitive league rivals. The Mavs now prepare for the postseason as 12 players head to the district tournament Saturday. “I think they’re feeling well,” said Mavs Head Coach Mark Thompson. “They are looking ahead to districts and what we’re going to do there.”

Eagles and Huskies compete in final meets of the regular season

CHENEY — The Eastern Washington Eagles and the University of Washington Huskies wrapped up the regular season with the teams splitting up to compete at the Desert Heat Classic in Arizona and the OSU High Performance Invite in Oregon. “Championship time is here, and we ended the regular season with a bang,” said Erin Tucker, the Director of Track and Field at EWU.

Huskies 10-run Toppenish to win district play-in

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (9-11) move on in the 2A District 5 tournament after earning a 10-0 win over Toppenish during a windy Wednesday afternoon. With this victory, the Huskies head into a two-game series on the road in Yakima. “I think it went well; everyone had their spirits up and their energy, so it was a good game,” said Huskies senior Maylen Valdez. “Obviously with the weather we had a lot of errors, but we picked up and we did good in the end.” Both teams had a slow start as neither Othello nor Toppenish scored in the first two innings. The Huskies finally got on the board in the bottom of the third as Evony Gomez grounded out and Alizay Pruneda doubled with each scoring a run.

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: May 7-14, 2026

MOSES LAKE — College athletes are in the final stretch of their seasons as they battle for new records and championship titles. Check out where your favorite teams will be heading this week.

Cougars earn dominant victory over Goldendale in district tournament

WARDEN — The Warden Cougars (13-8) earned a 14-0 victory over Goldendale in the first round of the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference tournament Tuesday afternoon. The Cougars now prepare for Friday’s games to determine their seeding for the 2B District 5 tournament. “It went well, pretty much like I thought it would,” said Cougars Head Coach Randy Wright. “It was a good tune (up) for Friday’s game against Kittitas.” The game started out slow as neither team scored in the first two innings. After holding Goldendale scoreless once again in the top of the third inning, Warden came up with 10 runs in the bottom of the third to claim a steep lead over the opposition.

Huskies victorious in first round of districts

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (18-3) came out victorious over the number four seeded Selah in the first round of the District 5 2A tournament Tuesday afternoon. With their 9-2 victory, the number one-seeded Huskies get to host their opponents once again Saturday. “Down 2-0 in the first four innings, came back, nine runs at the end of the game. That’s what the best team in the state does,” said Ryan Martinez from the Huskies. The Huskies had a slower start during Tuesday’s game as Selah put up two runs in the top of the first inning. Othello stayed persistent throughout the next four innings but was unable to score any runs.

Grant County hosts household hazardous waste collection events

MOSES LAKE — Grant County Public Works is hosting two household hazardous waste collection events this weekend. The first will be taking place May 8 from noon to 4 p.m. at Lauzier Field in Quincy and the second is May 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Grant County Road District Shop in Moses Lake.

ACH claims victories on the road over Lions

MOSES LAKE — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (12-6) earned two victories over the Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions (4-13) Monday afternoon. This game marked a key learning experience for both teams as they prepare for the league tournament this weekend. “I think we did really good today,” said ACH junior Madison Brink. “Our pitchers were really good, our hitting was really good. Overall, I think we did a really good job today.” The Warriors got off to a strong start in game one as they went up eight runs in the top of the first inning. The Lions worked to close the gap as they put up three runs in the bottom of the inning.

BBCC eyes budget and spring enrollment

MOSES LAKE — During Big Bend Community College’s April 30 board meeting the college President, Sarah Thompson Tweedy, shared the counts for spring enrollment and Full Time Enrollment numbers for Spring of 2026 along with updates on where the budget sits. “We still have some work to do in terms of systematically going through our expenses and seeing how much of the requests that we have before us, how many of those we can put off,” said Thompson Tweedy. “There’s the opportunity to close that gap by reducing our expenses, but the challenge is, we’ve also had some expenses go up.” As of April 15, 2026 the spring quarter head count was up nearly 18% from 2025, but total FTE’s and state-funded FTEs were down 6.9% and 11.6% respectively, according to the board agenda.

Huskies best Tigers in OT

Othello moves on to second round of districts

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (11-5) extended their postseason push after earning a close 2-1 victory in overtime against the Ephrata Tigers (7-10) in the first round of the 2A district tournament. The game winning goal came in second overtime when Othello sophomore Samuel Marroquin knocked the ball into the back of the net. “It was a tough game, Ephrata is definitely a tough opponent, but I feel like we had prepared well for the week,” said Marroquin. “We definitely had a good game plan and we just gave everything. We knew if this was our last game we were going to go out with a bang.” The game was a tight battle from the very beginning as the Tigers and Huskies battled under the hot sun. Othello scored in the first half and maintained their lead in throughout, going into halftime 1-0.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: May 4-11, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — The postseason has begun for high school athletes in our area with teams gearing up to compete against the best of the best. Check out where our local teams are heading this week.

Huskies best Toppenish in senior night doubleheader

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (8-11) had an exciting end to the regular season Friday where they earned a pair of victories over Toppenish during their senior night. The Huskies were dominant in both their matchups, winning 6-0 in the first game and 13-3 in the second. “I know it definitely felt a little rocky. We always start off kind of rough, but then toward the end of the game we’re always strong and hype each other up,” said Huskies senior Alizay Pruneda. In game one, the Huskies went up three in the bottom of the first with a double by Alizay Pruneda, a dropped third strike and a double by Jena DeLeon. Othello extended their lead in the bottom of the third when Alexa Prochet stole home.

Huskies victorious on senior night

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies boys (12-4) and girls (16-0) tennis teams secured victories on senior night. The Huskies boys secured a 3-2 victory and the girls 4-1 to add onto their undefeated season and secured a league championship. “I’m so proud of my girls,” said Huskies Girls Coach Priscilla Tovar. “We’ve been talking from the beginning; the team goal was to be league champs again. I’m just so proud of them showing up every day.”

BBCC’s Franz and Richards given Trustee Emeritus status

MOSES LAKE — During Big Bend Community College’s April Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, Anna Franz and Juanita Richards were given Trustee Emeritus status.

Mavs earn home victory over a formidable Selah

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (12-1) gained 9-3 a home victory Wednesday afternoon against the Selah Vikings in a non-conference matchup. Selah is one of the top teams from the Central Washington Athletic Conference, sitting second in their league rankings. “We’re super excited about getting a win against a super high-quality opponent,” said Mavs Head Coach Mike Hofheins. “They’re a solid club, they’re probably going to place at the 2A state tournament, which is exactly why we wanted to play them.”

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: April 30-May 7, 2026

MOSES LAKE — College athletes head get ready for postseason appearances as the final weeks of the season draw near. See where your favorite teams will be competing this week.

Eagles honor seniors in final home meet

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Eagles competed in their final two home matches facing Manson Monday and Liberty Bell Tuesday. The senior class was honored Tuesday for their accomplishments, and Eagles Head Coach Lee Leavell said it was a great moment to appreciate this special group of students. “It’s been an experience that I don’t think I’ll ever forget... (They’re) a class that’s going to be a defining moment in my career,” said Leavell.

Tigers and Huskies show sportsmanship in Ephrata senior night

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers (8-9) earned a pair of convincing victories over the Othello Huskies (6-7) during the Tigers senior night. Both games were high energy as the Tigers honored their lone senior Dakota Durfee, with the excitement getting members of the opposing dugout involved in the fun. “Our first game was really good, we had some really good defense, we were there offensively,” said Durfee. “Second game, we had a little slump in the road, but we ended up getting the win.”

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: April 27 – May 4, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — The regular season of spring sports is beginning to wind down, but competition is heating up as teams begin preparations for postseason play. Check out where the local teams will be heading this week.

Mavs fall to Wenatchee but look ahead to Inland

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks tennis team played in a competitive home matchup against Wenatchee, but in the end the boys fell 1-6 and the girls fell 0-7. Despite coming up short, Mavs Head Coach Mark Thompson said he was proud of how the team performed against a tough league rival. “Wenatchee is pretty much the top of our league right now ... they haven’t lost a match on the boys side or the girls side yet this season,” said Thompson. “Going into it, we were kind of changing some things up because we were more looking forward to districts and Inland.” Both the boys and girls Mavs players were experimenting with different lineups against Wenatchee, which translated to some successes on the court. This allowed players to face off against unfamiliar opponents in different positions, giving more experience in preparation for the tough schedule ahead.

WA College Sports Schedule: April 24-30, 2026

Jacks earn close victory over Tigers

QUINCY — The Quincy Jackrabbits (6-9) battled against a Central Washington Athletic Conference rival, the Ephrata Tigers (3-15), Tuesday evening in the first of their two Battle of the Basin games this season. The Jacks came out victorious on their home field with a 3-2 win over the Tigers. “We did what we needed to do,” said Jacks Head Coach David Garza. “We were able to make plays that kind of slowed everything down for Ephrata. There were a couple mental errors on both sides, but we were able to take advantage of their mistakes and capitalize.” The Jacks were the first on the board as they scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning after Jaxon Porter walked and Rocko Reyes hit a sacrifice fly, each scoring one run. The Tigers struggled to get things going as they went scoreless in the first three innings.

Eagles claim a strong victory at home

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Eagles (3-5-1) hosted the Entiat Tigers, Tuesday evening and earned a 6-2 victory. As the Eagles make their way through the remainder of the season, they hope to keep up their steady improvement. “I think the first half went kind of slow, the wind was on our side, but we still couldn’t make the shot,” said Nazar Goloborodko from the Eagles. “(In the) second half we gained more confidence; that’s where the game went up.” The game started out contested as neither team put up a score in the opening half. Soap Lake was persistent at the opposing goal toward the end of the half; the Eagles went into halftime with 13 shots on goal, but no points earned.

Basin sports see cancellations from rain

COLUMBIA BASIN — The heavy rainfall that moved across the state had a direct effect on spring sports Wednesday as multiple matchups had to be cancelled or rescheduled for a later date. Below is a list of games that have been affected and their new dates along with other schedule changes.

DOL takes services on the road to Mattawa

MATTAWA — The Department of Licensing “DOL2Go” unit, along with the Department of Social and Health Services, is coming to Mattawa on April 30 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Columbia Basin Health Association Wahluke Clinic, 601 Government Road. This event will provide a variety of resources for the community to utilize.

Warriors claim two home wins over Inchelium

COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors earned a pair of dominating victories over Inchelium during Saturday’s doubleheader, winning the first game 19-4 and the second 13-4. Warriors Head Coach Faye Butler said the team is coming together nicely as they work through the second half of the season. “I feel like the girls’ bats are getting more alive these days; (it) just takes them a little bit of getting into the season,” said Butler. The Warriors gained a strong lead in the bottom of the first inning with eight runs scored off hits from Josie Bayless, Grace Erickson, Savannah Monson, Lainee Baergen and Grace Okamoto. ACH’s push was stalled in the second inning as they were held to one run from Emma Brummett stealing home and Inchelium got on the board in the third with two runs.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: April 20-27, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — The weather is beginning to heat up and so is the competition for spring sports as athletes head into the final weeks before postseason play. See where the local high school teams will be headed this week.

Eagles fall at home against Okanogan

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Eagles had a hard-fought battle against Okanogan Thursday evening but ultimately fell 1-5 by the end of regulation. As the Eagles make their way further into their second soccer season, they plan on making consistent improvement and further gel as a team. “It was a pretty good first half, it was intense,” said Eagles senior Lenny Campos. “They came out hard just like us.”

Tigers dominate on the road against Toppenish

TOPPENISH — The Ephrata Tigers (5-8) earned two dominating victories in Tuesday’s doubleheader on the road against Toppenish. At the end of the evening, the Tigers went home with 28-8 and 24-3 victories. “The girls have been playing phenomenally; they’re finally clicking, which is really cool to see,” said Tigers Head Coach Lesa Trevino. “They’ve hit a spot where they are knowing each other, having each other’s backs, but also knowing what everybody’s strength is.” The Tigers got off to a hot start as they scored 10 runs in the first inning and immediately followed with an additional eight in the second while holding Toppenish to one run. After a scoreless third inning, Ephrata got back on track with seven runs in the fourth and three runs in the fifth, while only allowing seven more Toppenish runs, closing out the game 28-8.

Mavs girls fall one match short against Sunnyside

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks girls tennis team came just short of a team victory as they fell 3-4 to Sunnyside Wednesday. Mavs Head Coach Mark Thompson said the young team is still putting in great work as they head into a tough schedule next week. “They’re doing alright, we’ve got a lot of learning to do as a young team right now,” said Thompson. “It’s kind of a brand new varsity lineup for the girls, so they’re figuring things out.”

Mavs boys earn full team victory over Sunnyside

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks boys tennis team earned a shutout victory, defeating the Sunnyside Grizzlies 7-0 at home. The Mavs prepare for a tough week ahead as they head into the final matchups of the regular season. “They had some really great matches,” said Mavs Head Coach Mark Thompson.

Jacks earn convincing road victory over Huskies

OTHELLO — The Quincy Jackrabbits (6-10) earned a close 3-2 victory over the Othello Huskies (10-3) while on the road Tuesday. This victory was earned following the Jacks 1-19 loss at home last week to the Huskies. “Coming off this win is huge,” said Jacks senior Ashton Barnes-Keller. “I think it really boosts our confidence as a team, especially since Othello is a top contender in the whole state.” With two scoreless innings to start out the game, the Jacks were the first to score in the top of the third when Barnes-Keller singled to the right side of the infield, Jace Reyes singled to left field and Rocko Reyes grounded out with each scoring a run.

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: April 16-23, 2026

MOSES LAKE — College athletes around the state continue to compete through the remainder of the spring season as postseason draws near. Check out where your favorite teams are headed this week.

Lions split doubleheader with Waterville-Mansfield

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions (3-6) split their home doubleheader against Waterville-Mansfield Tuesday, earning an 18-8 victory in the first game and falling 2-17 in the second. Lions Head Coach Todd Gregory said the victory in the first game was the team’s most convincing win this season. “The first game was the best game I’ve seen them play all year. It was great,” said Gregory. “If they play like that, they can play anybody, so you just got to figure out how to do it in two games.” Waterville was the first to score in game one with a homerun that scored three runs in the first inning, but the Lions responded with two runs of their own. In the second inning, Waterville added five runs to the scoreboard and MLCA/CCS trailed just behind with three runs to put the game at 5-8.

Eagles fall to Entiat on the court

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Eagles boys and girls tennis teams both fell 2-3 against Entiat Tuesday evening. After a long day of matchups going back and forth, the Eagles came just short of earning team victories on both sides. “It was good, that was our second time playing them, and I felt like the kids played a lot better,” said Eagles Head Coach Lee Leavell. “I was a little nervous with them coming back from break, but they responded pretty well and despite us losing, I was pretty happy with it.”

Wildcats finish 1-3 in weekend series against St. Martins

LACEY — The Central Washington University Wildcats (9-29) wrapped up their road trip over the weekend 1-3 against Saint Martin’s with a 6-2 victory in game three Sunday, according to a statement by CWU Athletics. Their victory in game three was led by the Wildcats pitcher Zoey Theophilus. “Zoey had an outstanding weekend and was a huge reason we stayed competitive in every game, giving our offense the chance to do its job,” said Wildcats Head Coach Ronnie Ladines. “This team continues to improve each weekend, and it’s exciting to see the progress.”

Basin tennis roundup, April 4-11

MOSES LAKE — While many took a rest during their spring break, a handful of Columbia Basin tennis teams competed fiercely in matches as their seasons march forward. See below how your favorite teams have performed.

One arrested in theft from Dollar General

WARDEN — Warden Police Department arrested Brian Sanchez-Martinez, a 19-year-old male from Warden on suspicion of stealing two cases of alcoholic beverages from Dollar General Sunday morning, according to a statement from Warden PD.

Getting last-minute taxes done right

MOSES LAKE — The April 15 tax deadline is just one day away and across the nation there are still those who might not have filed yet. Pillar Rock Accounting’s tax expert Mandy Schuh said it is ideal for taxpayers to have all their tax documents together by April 1, but if there are any issues in making deadline, there are still some steps to take to avoid being late. “If they’re getting close to the deadline, then they’re going to want to extend, and there are some options out there that they can extend on their own for free,” said Schuh. There are two ways an individual can request an automatic six-month tax-filing extension, according to the IRS website. The first is to use IRS Free File at IRS.gov/freefile and the second is using File Form 4868, Automatic Extension of Time to File.

Cougars earn home victory over Lake Roosevelt

WARDEN — The Warden Cougars (3-10) earned a convincing 9-2 home victory over Lake Roosevelt Thursday evening. The Cougars remained dominant throughout the game and will have some time between games to prepare for the remainder of the season. Warden came out strong in the first inning, holding Lake Roosevelt scoreless in the top of the inning and earning three runs when scoring off an error and Kameron Jensen grounding out to score two runs, according to stats from GameChanger. The Cougars added to their lead in the bottom of the second inning with Jensen singling to score two runs, Carson Whitaker grounding out to score a run and another error scoring a run.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: April 13-20, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — High school athletes around the Columbia Basin return from spring break for the second half of the season as teams begin setting their sights on postseason play. Check out where the local teams will be heading this week.

Cougars go 1-2 in three game series over the weekend

WARDEN — The Warden Cougars (5-3) competed in a three-game series starting with an 11-1 victory over Lake Roosevelt Thursday afternoon then followed by a 4-10 loss to Adna and a 0-10 loss to Pe Ell-Willapa Valley. The Cougars entered the series determined to come back after falling in two games the weekend prior. “We wanted to come back stronger (Thursday) and win,” said Cougars player Jamylex Pruneda.