CALEB PEREZ

Friday jamboree helps area teams finalize strategies

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Tigers hosted a jamboree Friday afternoon to kick off the football season. The Tigers were joined by the Moses Lake Mavericks, the Royal City Knights and Wenatchee High Panthers. “I think it just kind of gives that little taste of competition against that other team where then you can’t wait to play that next game,” said Tigers head coach Patrick Mitchell.

Cougars rally behind new coach ahead of fall season

WARDEN — The Warden Cougars are striving to go above and beyond this season and bring up a new love for football in the community. “I’m ready to get some dubs, have some good times with my teammates and make lots of memories,” said junior Kameron Jensen, Cougars quarterback. For senior tight end Hunter Golladay, this season will be about returning to full swing following an injury that took him out of the final three weeks last season. He said that he broke his kneecap and irritated an old tear in his meniscus and made a full recovery in the spring, just in time to prepare for the fall season.

Huskies aim for a state championship title

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies return to football again following their success last season. Last year the Huskies finished the season with a 9-2 overall record and made the state tournament. “It sounds cliché, but there was quite a bit of adversity with our starting quarterback going down and other injuries,” said Huskies Defensive Coach Kevin Hale. “The kids managed to fight through it; it could have been a situation where they could have easily folded, but that didn't happen, and we made the state playoffs.”

Lions look forward to increased roster for ’25-26 season

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions are preparing for the upcoming football season with high expectations as they enter their third year of the school’s football program. “We have most of our team back, only lost a few seniors, so looking to build our team chemistry and do good this year,” said Johnathan Ferguson, Lions quarterback. Athletic Director and Head Coach Josh Kast said the team ended its previous season 5-5, earned second in the Central Washington 1B league, and played in the state tournament. “(We) ended up having a tough matchup first round,” Kast said. “We got beat up pretty good over against Naselle in the playoffs.

Eagles set sights on state

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Eagles are preparing to come back into this season after ending last year with a 5-4 record and being two points away from making the state playoffs. “(We) had a couple of costly fumbles in a couple of different games,” said Eagles Head Coach Garrett Devine. “We were right there, but the top three from our league go to state and we ended up fourth.”

Tigers enter 4th year under Coach Mitchell

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers are returning to the field for the 2025 season with a sense of confidence. They ended their previous season with a 5-5 record and plan to improve that record and make a deep playoff run. “We had a few key players leave last year, but I think we’re able to bounce right back just with the guys that played not as much,” said Tigers quarterback Brady Hendrick. “I think everyone on the team is ready to go.” Hendrick is one of the seniors with the Tigers this season and is coming into his third year starting. He said that during just the first few days of practice, he is starting to see strong chemistry between each of the players, where they’re building a tight friend group on a senior-heavy team.

QUINCY MAYORAL RACE: Candidate Q&A

QUINCY — The Quincy Mayoral Race consists of candidates, incumbent Paul Worley and Manny Rodriguez. Both candidates were given the same deadline and set of questions, that they answered as follows. Q: Data Centers and food processing are the two major industries that we see in Quincy. What diversification of the city’s economy would you like to see and how would you go about making that happen? Worley: I would like to see all types of businesses come to Quincy. Motels, fruit and vegetable processors, industries, retail stores like Target, and various types of sit-down restaurants. We will continue working with the Port District, Chamber of Commerce, along with the School, Hospital, and Fire Districts to make Quincy an inviting place to attract businesses for our citizens to enjoy.

GALLERY: Basin football almost here

MOSES LAKE – The 2025 football season is almost a week away with local high school football teams hitting the gridiron and preparing for week one. Here’s another glimpse into their practices. Our annual Gridiron Guide publication is right around the corner. Pick up a copy of the Columbia Basin Herald on Friday, Aug. 29, for a look at the upcoming high school football season.

Warden council passes property maintenance resolutions

WARDEN – The Warden City Council held its regular meeting Tuesday with all members in attendance. The meeting called into discussion an update on Public Works projects, the approval of the Port of Warden Annexation and weed abatement rules.

RITZVILLE CITY COUNCIL: Candidate Q&A with Michelle Plumb

RITZVILLE – The race for the Ritzville City Council consists of two candidates, Michelle Plumb and Eric Ottmar. Plumb responded to a set of five questions presented as follows.

OTHELLO SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTOR DISTRICT 3: Candidates Q&A

OTHELLO – There are two candidates running for the Othello School District Director District 3 position in this year’s election. These candidates are Birdie Fought and Juan “Jerry” Garcia. Both candidates were given the questions below and given identical deadlines and word count restrictions for their answers. Garcia did not respond within the given deadline of Aug. 25 at 12 p.m. which resulted in his answers not being published.

Former Quincy athlete enters final soccer season at collegiate level

QUINCY – Israel Perez has led a full athletic career, participating in a variety of sports as a Quincy Jackrabbit, but soccer has been the sport that has stuck with him the most over the years. “I used to live in front of a park when I lived in a different state, we just saw the rec league and signed up,” said Perez. “Then, when I came over (to Quincy), I got into club soccer in middle school with a couple of friends.” Perez said he played with the club soccer team, Quincy United, throughout his middle school years before moving on to play for the Jacks at the high school level. His career with the Jacks was met with an unexpected bump when COVID caused both his sophomore and junior seasons to be cancelled.

Warden welcomes new AD

WARDEN – The Warden School District has hired Greg Lucas as the new Athletic Director. Lucas moved to the area from Wisconsin and said he is ready to learn about the community and help athletics grow at Warden schools.

GALLERY: Basin gridiron practices continue through the weekend

MOSES LAKE – Since Wednesday, local football teams have returned to the gridiron for their first practices of the 2025 season. Over the weekend, some of the teams have been able to put the pads on and get into full swing for the upcoming season. Our annual Gridiron Guide publication is right around the corner. Pick up a copy of the Columbia Basin Herald on Friday, August 29 for a look at the upcoming high school football season.

GALLERY: Basin gridiron action coming soon

MOSES LAKE – On Wednesday, local football teams returned to the gridiron for practice. As they prepare for the upcoming season, players hit the field to shake any rust off and dust off the pads.

Soap Lake staffing up with new police chief, departmental staff

SOAP LAKE – During the Soap Lake city council meeting held Wednesday evening, the city officially swore in Patrick Canady as the new police chief for Soap Lake Police Department. The city also has a fully staffed Public Works Department, which allows for smoother operations.

Structure fire on Road 5 NE results in fatality

MOSES LAKE – Grant County Fire District 5 with the aid of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and the Moses Lake Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Road 5 Northeast near Road E Northeast Thursday morning.

'Let's take it beyond that'

Cox named new Warden football head coach

WARDEN – Former Warden Athletic Director Brent Cox has been selected as the new head football coach at Warden High School. “I’m happy to be head coach, and I want these kids to compete and get after it,” said Cox. “We’ve got to change the culture a little bit around Warden and get these kids thinking bigger, instead of just being part of a football team I want them to be part of a winning program.”

Hellewell becomes first inductee in Moses Lake Demo Derby Hall of Fame

MOSES LAKE – During the second day of the Demo Derby, the Moses Lake Round Up organization honored Vern Hellewell as the first inductee into the Moses Lake Demo Derby Hall of Fame. Hellewell said he has been participating in the event since it first started at the fairgrounds. “I was there from the beginning and from that point until (today) it’s just been tremendous,” said Hellewell.

MLPD continues proactive approach to homelessness

MOSES LAKE – The Open Doors Sleep Center in Moses Lake has been closed for about seven weeks and Jeff Sursely, police captain with the Moses Lake Police Department, said Moses Lake PD has not seen any increase in calls for disturbances or property crimes. “It’s pretty stable, that’s how I’d describe it,” said Sursely.

Moses Lake Demo Derby concludes

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Demo Derby held the second half of its events Wednesday night with more drivers, dirt and another round of demolition. “It’s always easier on the second day because everybody is going with the flow already” said Aaron Schrodt, organizer for the Moses Lake Demo Derby. “Everybody did great, we had a couple roll roll-overs, but everybody was safe.”

GALLERY: Horse riding and demo derby’s at the fair

MOSES LAKE – At the Grant Country Fair, community members were treated to Demo Derbys full of dusty crashes and local horse-riding competitions put on by the Grant County Youth Equine Program.

Young demo drivers take the stage

MOSES LAKE — Day two of the Moses Lake Demo Derby kicked off with a special exhibition, the Youth Power Wheels Demo, just before the main event. “They love it,” said Mackenzie Cafferty, whose children participated in the event. “They don’t get to run into things at home, so it’s better for them to come out and run into other kids and have a good time.” Cafferty said she got her two children, Wesley and Hadley, involved in the Power Wheels Demo Derby through her father, Stan Cafferty, who’s on the board of directors with Moses Lake Roundup and is heavily involved in the events that take place at the Grant County Fair. She said she enjoys having her children involved and staying with the family traditions.

First day of the Moses Lake Demo Derby

MOSES LAKE – The first night of Miner Services’ Demolition Derby kicked off Tuesday with a variety of racing and knockout events, concluding with a last man standing demo derby with Seth Dompier coming out on top. “It’s just a great time,” said Dompier. “It’s a lot of fun coming out here with your friends and a lot of good people (and being) in front of the fans and just having a great time wrecking some cars.”

Grant County Fair officially begins

MOSES LAKE – The 2025 Grant County Fair held its opening ceremony Tuesday at 10 a.m. to kick off the festivities for the week. Fair volunteers and advisors, local politicians, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office were all in attendance to celebrate. “Everybody can be proud of probably one of the best fairground facilities in the state of Washington,” said Jim McKiernan, director of the Grant County Fairgrounds.

Amazon warehouse opening in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – Amazon has opened a warehouse at 5451 North Owens Road in Moses Lake and is currently hiring.

Invasive animals pose risks to the Basin

MOSES LAKE – The Washington Invasive Species Council has 29 animals and insects listed on their site as priority invasive species that have either found themselves at home in the state or are of concern around the country. The Columbia Basin has become home to a number of these species.

Lady Jacks to hold soccer tryouts

QUINCY – The Quincy High School Lady Jackrabbits soccer team will be holding tryouts Aug. 25 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the high school soccer field. “Looking at the big idea, I just want as many girls to play as much as possible,” said Jacks head coach Jesse Villalobos.

Vehicle catches fire in Coulee City

COULEE CITY – A call has been put out for a structure fire that has broken out at 301 W Locust Street in Coulee City. It came in as a brush fire at first, but it has since been discovered as a vehicle fire.

Grant Co. making progress on 6-year roads plan

EPHRATA – Grant County has updated a six-year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), as outlined in a signed resolution from 2025 to 2030, with drafts extending the resolution from 2025-2030 and drafts going into 2031.

Basin communities meet their protectors at National Night Out

MOSES LAKE — First responders and the people they serve mingled this week in three Columbia Basin communities for National Night Out.

Invasive weeds threaten Columbia Basin ecosystems

MOSES LAKE – The Columbia Basin has become home to a variety of invasive plant species, with the most notorious being noxious weeds. “Weeds are a big issue,” said Nicole Jordan from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “Letting them go out of control can destroy a lot of habitat for other things.”

Moses Lake Guardians baseball holding team tryouts

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Guardians American Legion baseball team will be holding team tryouts later this month. Guardians head coach, David Serrato, has a plan in place for tryouts. “We’re just going to be doing basic fielding, batting and running,” said Serrato. “Measuring talent and all that kind of stuff so we can work on it during the offseason on the two teams.

MLHS Pals Club fundraiser supports special needs athletes

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake High School Pals Club held a Unified Booster fundraiser outside of Moses Lake’s Crumbl Cookie Tuesday evening from 5-8 p.m. to raise money for Unified Basketball and Soccer for the 2025/26 school year. “This is just one of our fundraisers we did this year, it was our second Crumbl Cookie fundraiser,” said Sarah White, Mavs’ assistant coach for unified sports.

Keeping an eye on the Basin’s at-risk species

MOSES LAKE – A number of animal species in Washington State are listed as threatened or endangered on the state or federal level including species native to the Columbia Basin region including Grant and Adams Counties. “We protect them on our state land,” said Nicole Jordan from Region 2 of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “There’s different categories, there’s endangered, protected and threatened, there’s protected and sensitive and there’s just protected in general.”

One injured in Desert Aire shooting

DESERT AIRE — One man sustained life-threatening injuries in a shooting at the Shell gas station at 5 Desert Aire Drive SW in Desert Aire Saturday around 5:30 p.m. The case is still under investigation.

Celebrating 50 years of business in Moses Lake

Hamiltons reflects on Michael's, Rock Top and community

MOSES LAKE – Mike Hamilton has a long history of owning restaurants in Moses Lake. He’ll hit 50 years of business in Moses Lake in October. With the help of his wife Krista and his son Jordan, he's created a legacy with Michael’s on the Lake, Michael’s Market and Bistro and Rock Top Burgers & Brew. “I've always known I wanted to own a business,” Mike said.

Fatality collision closes Road 4 NE in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – Road 4 NE was closed near Road F NE in Moses Lake late Monday afternoon due to a two-vehicle collision that resulted in one fatality and one injured, said Kyle Foreman, Public Information Officer for Grant County Sheriff’s Office. The road is closed until further notice as officials investigate and remove vehicles from the scene. More information on the collision will be provided as it becomes available.

One injured in Desert Aire shooting

DESERT AIRE — One man sustained life-threatening injuries in a shooting at the Shell gas station at 5 Desert Aire Drive SW in Desert Aire Saturday around 5:30 p.m. The case is still under investigation.

Moses Lake Junior Mavs look ahead to coming season

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Jr. Mavericks organization is preparing for the start of the Fall 2025 season. The program through Columbia Basin Youth Football is open to grades K-8 with regular registration ending August 16. “Our mission extends beyond the field. We aim to instill discipline, teamwork, and resilience in our young athletes while creating a seamless developmental path that prepares them for future success – both in football and in life,” said Tyson Olson, president of the Moses Lake Jr Maverick Football program.

Sixers become 16U Invitational Champs

MOSES LAKE – The Central Washington Sixers 16U (31-7-2) team finished their summer season at the 16u Invitational Tournament in Seattle last weekend. They rode their momentum coming in and became the Top Tier 16U champions. “It’s always a good feeling, fortunately this team has done a lot of winning, and it’s become an expectation not just with our 16U team, but our program,” said Trey Evans, the Sixers 16U coach. On Friday, the Sixers played the New Level Hetherington 15U where they came out strong with Aaden Montes singling and scoring two, then another two singles giving them a 4-0 lead in the first inning. A double by Ty Breinholt in the third inning extended the lead to 5-0 and two runs in the fourth and a final run in the fifth ended the game with an 8-0 victory for the Sixers.

Building a community at Garb & Gizmos

SOAP LAKE – Garb & Gizmos, a hobby and gaming store in Soap Lake, recently celebrated one year of being in business. Kala Seim, who owns the business alongside her husband Clark, said she wants to provide a comfortable space for people to come and enjoy their hobbies with others. “Basically, building a community in the area for the nerds,” said Seim. “We’re trying to build a fun, cozy space for people to come in, hang out, play games and purchase things that they need for (hobbies).”

Moses Lake athletes attend gridiron camp

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Youth Football Camp hosted by the Mavericks football team concluded yesterday. The camp was held July 28, 29 and 30 and was open to youth from kindergarten to eighth grade. “I just love the environment, these little kids are out here having fun,” said Carson Huberdeau, who is a senior on the Mavs football team this year. “This is fun for us, coaching, it’s awesome.”

ACH Legion 18U finishes season with loss in state tournament

COULEE CITY – The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Legion 18u (16-13) baseball team concluded the summer season in the state tournament at Shade Park’s Ron Brooks Field. The team entered as the fifth seed in the tournament and took two losses over the weekend.

Othello searching for new softball head coach

OTHELLO — The Othello High School softball team is looking for a new head coach for the 2025/26 season. The new athletic director, Carlos Gonzalez, will be looking into candidates in the coming weeks. “I know that (former head coach) Rudy Ochoa built an amazing program here that lasted more than 20 years,” said Gonzalez. “Those are very big shoes to fill and when you think of the legacy that he left behind, but also the players that have come through the program that could help potentially continue to carry our tradition of being a competitive team in our state, we’re going to explore every option to find and encourage the most qualified people to apply to this position.” Candidates for the position are open to include other coaches and administration within the school district alongside people in the community who might be qualified to coach. He said that the district is going to take as much time as necessary to fill the position.

Mavs and Jacks attend girls soccer camp at EWU

COLUMBIA BASIN — The Moses Lake Mavericks and the Quincy Jackrabbits girls' soccer teams attended a training camp at Eastern Washington University from July 23-25 where they played against teams from all around Eastern Washington at different levels. “The girls had a good time,” said Mavs Head Coach Alysha Overland. “It’s a good way to bring a group of girls together right before we get to season.”

Gonzalez named Othello AD

OTHELLO — Carlos Gonzalez has been selected as the new Athletic Director for the Othello School District, taking over the position after previous director Jenny McCourtie stepped away from the position. “My hopes are to see how athletics and activities can help provide the best schooling experience for kids on top of their safety and their learning,” said Gonzalez.

Paving project to close I-90 ramps near Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — The project involving repaving a section of Interstate 90 near Moses Lake will require temporary closures of the off and on ramps from Exit 174 to Exit 179 to allow Washington State Department of Transportation contractors to work on the lanes leading up to the ramps. “They are part of what’s necessary to get the paving project that’s going on in that region completed,” said Sebastian Moraga from the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Communications department.

RITZVILLE CITY COUNCIL: Michelle Plumb

RITZVILLE – Michelle Plumb is up for reelection for Ritzville City Council. Plumb has served on the City Council for nine years and said she wants to continue helping move the city along. “Making sure that (the city) serves its citizens effectively and efficiently is definitely huge on my list of reasons why I continue to participate,” said Plumb.

Sixers 16U improves record over the weekend

MOSES LAKE – The Central Washington Sixers had a busy weekend playing on the road against teams from all around Washington and Idaho. They played five games and won three to put their record at 27-7-1 as the end of the season nears. “Our current 16U team is going to move up and start playing at the 18U level,” said Trey Evans, the Sixers' 16U coach. “A lot of our guys are playing varsity baseball, and we want to keep them at the same level that they’re seeing in the high school season.”