CALEB PEREZ

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.

Huskies girls show dominance on the court

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies girls tennis team (8-0) earned a 4-1 team victory Wednesday afternoon against Toppenish to continue their undefeated streak. The Huskies had multiple players playing through illness but powered through to find success on the court.

Huskies boys earn close team wins over Toppenish

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies boys (6-2) tennis team earned a 4-1 victory at home against Toppenish Wednesday afternoon. Once again, multiple players filled roles where they were needed and found success. “Even when we’re shorthanded, we have players that can step up big,” said Huskies Boys Coach Caleb Tovar. The Huskies boys started the afternoon with George Arevalo stepping up from second doubles to fill in the first singles position, as the starting singles player is still out with a knee injury. Arevalo battled hard against a tough Luis Godines from Toppenish, but ultimately, Toppenish took the first match 4-6, 5-7. Tovar said he was very proud of the effort that Arevalo gave Wednesday and noted that his match was the closest any of the Othello players have come in facing Godines on the court.

Jacks win with overtime PKs against Tigers in Battle of the Basin

QUINCY — The Quincy Jackrabbits (4-4) faced the Ephrata Tigers (5-6) Tuesday evening in a rivalry matchup that remained close throughout. The two teams battled all the way into overtime penalty kicks where the Jacks earned the 3-2 victory.

Local sheriffs weigh in on SB 5904

MOSES LAKE — Four sheriffs across Eastern Washington, John Nowels of Spokane County, Glenn Blakeslee of Pend Orielle County, Brad Manke of Stevens County and Ray Maycumber of Ferry County, have taken legal action to challenge SB 5974, which was signed by Governor Bob Ferguson April 1. Those four sheriffs, along with others across the state, have stated that there are aspects of the bill that go against the rights of the voter to choose their leaders in law enforcement. “The big piece of it is how it removes the right of the voters to be able to specifically select their sheriff as well as (the ability) to remove that sheriff from office if need be,” said Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete. “The whole philosophy of removing and stripping the right of voters is the primary concern of this whole bill.”

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: April 9-16, 2026

MOSES LAKE — College athletes continue through their spring seasons as the weather gets warmer and the competition gets more intense. Check out where your favorite college teams will be heading this week.

Sand Scorpions host annual egg hunt and poker run

MOSES LAKE — The Sand Scorpions ORV group brought the community out for an afternoon in the Sand Dunes for their annual Easter Egg Hunt and Poker Run Saturday. Brandon Douglass, the event organizer for the Sand Scorpions, said this year showcased another successful event. “It went really well,” said Douglass. “Weather was awesome, tons of kids, tons of eggs, lots of fun. I didn’t see a single unhappy face.” The Easter Egg Hunt kicked off at noon with 34,000 eggs hidden across five acres of the dunes. He said that there were so many eggs that hiding them was no longer an option, and the dunes were spotted with a variety of different colored eggs.

Wildcats go 3-1 against MSUB over the weekend

BILLINGS, Mont. — The Central Washington University Wildcats faced Montana State University Billings in a four-game series with the Wildcats earning three wins over the weekend, according to a statement from CWU Athletics. In the first game Saturday afternoon, the Wildcats got an early lead on , MSU Billings, scoring two runs in the first inning and one in the second. Montana responded in the bottom of the second with four runs to claim the lead which would later be reclaimed by Central as they pulled ahead to claim a 9-6 victory. Logan Blank led CWU at bat in the first game, with three hits and two runs followed by Kaiden Hernandez and Ethan Swenson with two hits and one run each. Austin Cupic pitched six innings where he allowed five runs, seven hits and struck out three.

ACH takes two wins over Mary Walker

COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (4-2) earned a pair of strong victories over Mary Walker in Saturday afternoon’s doubleheader. The Warriors dominated the weekend, winning the first game 15-0 and the second game 17-2. “It went really good,” said Warriors Head Coach Faye Butler. “We knew that we were pretty safe going into it, so I was able to play some younger players just to give them some experience.” The Warriors got off to a hot start in game one, holding Mary Walker scoreless in the top of the first inning and going on to score 14 in the bottom of the inning.

E-sports finds a foothold in the Basin

COLUMBIA BASIN — Among the activities that students can participate in, e-sports, or organized competitive video gaming, often goes unrecognized but is growing quickly across the nation. In the Basin, Ephrata Tigers and Wahluke Warriors teams have established strong gaming programs that have developed in their own ways.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: April 6-13, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — Multiple basin teams head into spring break this week, while others return to compete through league matchups in the second half of the season. Check out where the local teams are heading this week.

Wahluke pulls ahead of Warden in SCAC matchup

WARDEN — The Wahluke Warriors (6-2) earned a 7-0 victory on the road as they faced the Warden Cougars (2-6). The Warriors improve into the top four teams of the South-Central Athletic Conference while the Cougars are focused on rallying themselves for a stronger second half of the season.

Boys Tribe 5th grade team takes third in state

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Tribe boys fifth-grade basketball team placed third overall in the Gold Division at the state tournament this season. A strong team bond and skills built over the years have head coach Matt Ahmann confident in what the team can accomplish in the future.

Othello’s Bernie Garza suffers health issue

OTHELLO — Bernie Garza, Othello’s head soccer coach, spoke from the sidelines of the game Tuesday against East Valley. He said he was being careful due to a recent health concern.

Huskies defend their home field against East Valley

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (5-1) played a tight game against East Valley (7-1) Tuesday evening, where a single score by Huskies junior Orlando Farias won the game. Following what the Othello coaches called a “gutsy win,” the Huskies prepare to head deeper into league play as the season heats up. “Our game plan to come into (Tuesday) was to see what we were able to do,” said Huskies Assistant Coach Kevin Hensley. “Combat their style of play, the way they play out of the back. Apply pressure there and make things uncomfortable for them. Hope to get a goal early in the match and then play with a defensive mindset from that point forward.”

Grant Transit Authority to provide paratransit service for qualifying riders

EPHRATA — The Grant Transit Authority will be providing curb-to-curb bus service for qualifying riders beginning July 1. Previously, GTA had a contract with People for People for that bus service. “We decided not to renew or update (the contract),” said GTA General Manager Eric Loomis. “We have the ability to bring it in-house.” The transit authority is hiring drivers and buying seven new buses to provide the service, he said.

Huskies dominate over Prosser in strong home matchup

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (5-2) earned a 14-0 victory over a Central Washington Athletic Conference rival, Prosser, Tuesday afternoon. This victory follows another strong victory over Prosser for the Huskies last week, where they won 13-0 on the road. “We had a good plan going in. We were going to use a couple pitchers,” said Huskies Head Coach Sonny Garza. “We were really aggressive at the plate, something that we’ve been talking to our guys (about). They executed and did what they needed to do.” The Huskies got off to a hot start as they got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, after Ryan Martinez doubled to score two runs, an error scored two runs, and a wild pitch scored one run.

Huskies best Tigers on the court

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies earned 5-0 team victories from both the boys and girls Tuesday afternoon after facing the Ephrata Tigers. “It was a good day,” said Huskies Boys Head Coach Caleb Tovar. “I think we had a couple players step up big as far as just being down that one singles player and having to shift people around. I think everyone did a good job just stepping up no matter where I put them.” One of the closest matches of the afternoon was in the first singles match between Huskies player Max Harris and Tigers player Avery Morris. The coaches said both of these players stepped up into the first singles position with the starting players on both sides facing injury or illness Tuesday.

Basin Easter Events 2026

Huskies go 2-1 over the weekend against Northwestern

SEATTLE — The University of Washington Huskies (12-15) found success on the diamond over the weekend after hosting a three-game series against the Northwestern Wildcats (9-14-1). The Huskies finished the stretch 2-1 with a 7-2 victory Friday, 9-10 loss Saturday and a 7-2 victory Sunday, according to reports from UW Athletics.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: March 30 – April 6, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — Students head into spring break this week, but spring sports continue to pick up as local athletes continue to get their season underway. Check out where your local teams will be headed this week.

Huskies best Jacks in doubleheader

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies earned two solid victories in a doubleheader against the Quincy Jackrabbits Thursday afternoon to start their first games of league play this season. The Huskies won their games 13-0 and 20-3. “I think what helped us out the most is that we stayed on top of each other and really just brought each other together,” said Huskies senior Alizay Pruneda. “Every mistake, every bad thought, we just flushed it down the toilet, moved on, and we got better.”