CALEB PEREZ

Knights control the mat against Connell and Chiawana

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights earned strong team victories over Connell 54-18 and Chiawana 52-30 Wednesday evening. These matches helped prepare the Knights for the tough road ahead as they prepare for the postseason. “We wrestled good teams tonight, and they both got some (great wrestlers) on their team that you have to wrestle tough,” said Knights Head Coach Seth Weeks. “But I felt like the girls wrestled good, it was a lot of fun.”

Lions claim close game over La Salle

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions returned to form Tuesday as they earned an 80-68 win over La Salle. The Lions remain at the top of the Central Washington B league as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. “We just pulled together as a team,” said Lions senior Dennis Gulenko. “When somebody’s down, you come together even stronger.” The game started close in the first quarter as the two teams traded the lead multiple times before La Salle took the lead 13-17. The Lions turned up the heat in the second quarter to post 22 points to claim the lead at 35-33 at the end of the half.

Lions dominate on their home court after rough patch

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions earned a strong 72-12 win over La Salle Tuesday evening following a three-game drought. The Lions are third in the Central Washington B league standings as the regular season nears its end in the coming weeks. “I think that it was a good game after going through a couple (rough) days to come back,” said Lions junior Amelia Shopbell. The Lions fired on all cylinders coming into the matchup, putting up 18 points in the first quarter and holding the opposition to six. MLCA/CCA extended the lead in the second quarter with an additional 23 points on the scoreboard and holding La Salle to three.

Soap Lake Chamber adds new event in 2026

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Chamber of Commerce released their event schedule for 2026, including a new event this year: the Lantern Festival. Chamber President Karen Woodhouse said this addition gives the community something to do year-round. “I’ve been wanting to do something in the winter for the last three years, and this year I finally talked to the (Soap Lake Natural Spa & Resort) and got them on board,” said Woodhouse. The Lantern Festival will be held the evening of Feb. 21 and is loosely inspired by Chinese New Year celebrations. She said the event will feature decorated paper lanterns with LED lights and a dragon prop that will be taken on a small parade through the area.

MLK celebrations bring community together

MOSES LAKE — The life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. was celebrated in Moses Lake Monday evening with people throughout the community gathering for a march and a celebration of life and legacy at the Civic Center. One of the attendees, Kathy Gardner, said the day brought back memories of King and what he fought for in his life. “He fought for people coming together to love and to be in peace and harmony with one another,” said Gardner. “He was all about unity and so I came to celebrate, to honor and just to share with friends, loved ones and the community about the dream.”

Mavs focus sights as districts approach

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks swim team competed in Yakima against West Valley and Sunnyside last Thursday where the team found success against its Big 9 rivals. Mavs Head Coach Tony Preston said this meet gave the boys experience as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. “Traveling to Yakima is always fun. We host a lot of meetings here, so going to other pools is great,” said Preston. The Mavs dominated in the 200-yard medley relay, taking the top three slots in the competition. This continued into the 200-yard freestyle with Lennox Leeder in first with 1:57.22, Sam Molitor in second with 2:07.71 and Ty Voss in third with 2:08.11.

Vanguard students host passion project showcase

MOSES LAKE — Vanguard Academy students hosted a showcase Thursday evening, highlighting passion projects that they’ve been working on this school year. Vanguard Principal Matt Stevens said these exhibition nights are great for the students to demonstrate their learning and their personal interests.

Track and field athletes begin season at UW Preview

SEATTLE — The University of Washington Huskies hosted the Washington State University Cougars and Central Washington University Wildcats in the UW Preview. This event marked the first Track and Field event of the year for these teams. CWU The Wildcats had a strong performance for their first meet of the new year, placing top 10 in around 20 events. “We had bright spots across the board as we got back into action,” said Wildcats Head Coach Jonathan Hill. “Starting out Friday, our distance men rewrote the record books in the 3k with a bunch of new names.”

The benefits of being a 'brat'

Richard Black looks back on a life growing up alongside and serving in the Army.

MOSES LAKE — Richard Black, a 71-year-old veteran and resident of Moses Lake, was born the second oldest of five siblings to his parents Hilda and Herbert Black. Growing up the son Herbert, a decorated war vet who fought in three separate conflicts, Richard said brought a lot of opportunity to his life.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Jan. 19-26, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — Winter sports for our local athletes continue strong as they push through their tight January schedules. Check out where the high school teams will be headed this week.

Community dinner, silent auction, march planned for MLK weekend

MOSES LAKE — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is Jan. 19, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee is hosting their annual freedom march that day at 4:30 p.m. This year the committee is expanding the celebration with a community dinner and silent auction taking place Saturday at 5 p.m.

Remembering a father’s valor that saved a future star

MOSES LAKE — Time passes and with that comes the loss of people, but this does not mean that the stories those people tell should be lost with them. Richard Black, a resident of Moses Lake and veteran, has one such story involving renowned musician Tony Bennett and Richard’s father Herbert “Blackie” Black, who both fought in a battle in World War II that would change their lives forever.

Douglass sticks to local roots

Windermere broker looks to give back to community

MOSES LAKE — Real Estate Broker Brandon Douglass with Windermere Realty has been a longtime partner in the community. Douglass said it is his goal to serve the community in whatever ways possible and he is working to do that by helping homebuyers.

Frontier Cheer takes first at Battle in the Desert

MOSES LAKE — The Frontier Middle School Spartans cheer team took first at the Battle in the Desert competition in Hanford Saturday. Spartans Head Coach Kelsy Kelley said it was a long day of competition, but it was a good experience for the team as they head into the final weeks of the season. “It was the first time ever competing on a stage in front of a lot of people,” said Kelley. “I think a lot of them were nervous, but we’ve been working on this for months now, and it’s just getting through those nerves. I think overall they did an amazing job.” The Battle in the Desert consisted of multiple cheer teams in the middle and high school levels with each team competing against similar age groups. The coach said it was highly competitive at the middle school level, but the Spartans managed to win over the judges out of around 40 other performances.

Lions defeat Eagles 60-21 at home

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions (12-0) earned a strong 60-21home victory over the Soap Lake Eagles (1-7) to continue their undefeated season. “I feel like the team is doing really good,” said Lions senior Antonio Serrato. “We play really good together and know how to move the ball really well and get down the court really fast.”

Lions win league matchup at home against Eagles

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions (8-2) basketball team defeated the Soap Lake Eagles (4-2) where the Lions 40-26 Thursday.

Mavs' Morris earns 100th career win in team victory

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks girls wrestling team earned a 44-36 victory over Eisenhower Wednesday evening in a conference matchup. During the meeting, Moses Lake senior Hayden Morris earned her 100th career win. “It feels really good,” said Morris. “It’s been a long journey and I’m just really glad that all this hard work has paid off and it’s finally working.” Morris earned this milestone in the 125-lb matchup against Eisenhower’s Ceci Rosas. The Mavs wrestler was dominant throughout the contest to come out on top with a 9-0 victory. Following her match, there was a short break taken to recognize Morris for achieving her 100th win.

Mavs fall in close meet against Eisenhower

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks boys wrestling team took a loss at home Wednesday against Eisenhower. The competition was close, but Moses Lake came just short with the final team score being 42-32. “I knew this match was going to be very tough for us, Eisenhower’s a tough team and I’ve been watching them throughout the beginning of the season,” said Mavs Head Coach Jose Tanguma. “I knew that today was going to be for the league title.”

Huskies take close victory on the mat against Tigers

EPHRATA — The Othello Huskies and Ephrata Tigers had a close matchup Tuesday evening with the Huskies taking a 42-39 victory over their Central Washington Athletic Conference rival.

Huskies topple Tigers on the road

EPHRATA — The Othello Huskies travelled to face the Ephrata Tigers Tuesday evening where the Huskies earned a 42-28 team victory over their Central Washington Athletic Conference rival. “I thought it went pretty well. It was a fun and entertaining duel,” said Huskies Head Coach Reuben Lopez. “It was a close match for a while; a couple guys pulled through at the end and we got ourselves a win.” The Huskies and Tigers wrestlers traded matches back and forth in the lower weight classes at the start of the meet. As the matches got into the middle weight classes, Othello went on a winning streak to gain the lead. Ephrata earned a few more wins, but the Huskies stayed ahead to take the team victory.

Lions seize win, remain undefeated

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions (9-0) basketball team added another win onto their undefeated record Monday after earning a home victory against Waitsburg 75-33. The win officially marks the halfway point in the Lions’ season as they head deeper into league play. “Honestly, it feels great, especially after our win last week against DeSales. I’m actually feeling nice,” said Lions junior Max Gulenko. “Our ball movement is feeling good, and our defense has been really nice.” The Lions were dominant right from tipoff, gaining a 49-14 lead over the opposition in the first half. The MLCA/CCS front scored another 18 in the second half and maintained its significant lead to earn the victory.

Jacks basketball teams have shaky weekend

QUINCY — The Quincy Jackrabbits basketball teams each played games against Ellensburg and East Valley Friday and Saturday. See how the teams did below and how they plan to push forward in the Central Washington Athletic Conference.

Wildcats go 2-0 in Alaska

ELLENSBURG — The Central Washington University Wildcats (12-1) found success on the road in Alaska as they earned wins over the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks and Alaska Anchorage Seawolves 77-65. “Very happy to come out of this road trip with two wins,” said Wildcats Head Coach Randi Richardson. “I’m really proud of our team’s resilience to keep their composure and find some consistent stops and scores to pull that out.”

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Jan. 5-12, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — Student athletes all around the basin return to regular competition following a bit of rest over winter break. See where the local teams will be heading this week.

Royal hosts Carlos Villa Memorial Tournament

ROYAL CITY — The Royal City Knights hosted a tournament in honor of Royal’s Head Coach Carlos Villa who passed away last year. The tournament had 22 teams in attendance, including the Ephrata Tigers, Moses Lake Mavericks and Wahluke Warriors.

Multiple BBCC students earn scholarships in 2025

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College students earned a number of scholarships during 2025, which assisted them as they continued through their careers at Big Bend and as they transferred on to four-year universities.

Devils win close match vs. Waterville-Mansfield

WILSON CREEK — The Wilson Creek Devils (6-3) found success in a close home game against Waterville-Mansfield, where they earned a 33-30 victory. This marks the Devils' fifth straight win as they head into the second half of the season.

Knights girls take three wins in Arizona Tourney

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights girls basketball team travelled to Tempe, AZ to compete in a three-game tournament where – following a Tuesday afternoon victory over Bear Creek – the Knights would go 3-0. This now places the knights 8-1 as they head into the next half of the season.

BBCC expands ag opportunities in 2025

MOSES LAKE – 2025 was an important year for Big Bend Community College as they experienced significant growth all around the facility. “What I want the public to know is all of the great work that’s happening at the college,” said BBCC President Sarah Thompson Tweedy during an earlier interview in June.

Wahluke girls earn first win of the season

MATTAWA — The Wahluke Warriors girls basketball team earned its first victory of the season following a close matchup against River View Monday evening. Warriors Head Coach Mikai Hirai said this was a very exciting victory for the team as they gain energy for the second half of the season.

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: Dec. 31, 2025 – Jan. 8, 2026

MOSES LAKE — College athletes begin to return to competition following winter break. See where your favorite teams will be heading this week.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Dec. 29, 2025 – Jan. 5, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — High School athletes restart their seasons after the holiday break to play their final games of 2025 and first games of 2026. See where each of the local teams will be playing this week.

UPDATED: Royal hosts Christmas Tournament

ROYAL – The Royal City Knights hosted their Christmas Tournament on Saturday with teams from around the state, including multiple from the Columbia Basin, coming in to compete. The results of the wrestlers’ overall scores and final matches are below. Full results are available on flowrestling.org.

Huskies push forward with 8-4 season

SEATTLE — The University of Washington Huskies have gotten off to a strong start for their season as they head into this week 8-4. The Huskies will be getting into more tough matchups this week following a victory over the University of San Diego Toreros last week.

December Basketball Gallery, 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN – The local high school athletes have been working hard at the start of their basketball seasons. With the schedules slowing down for winter break, it’s a good time to look back on the past month of competition and check in on some of the local athletes.

Knights claim home victories over the weekend

ROYAL – The Royal Knights earned two victories at home over the weekend with the first being against the Wahluke Warriors on Friday and the second being against Cashmere on Saturday. “I think both nights we played pretty good defense,” said Knights Head Coach Tim Ravet. “The defense seems to be ahead of our offense as far as keeping guys in front and moving the ball.”

Royal gets two wins over the weekend

ROYAL – The Royal Knights girls basketball team played a home game against the Wahluke Warriors on Friday where they added an 85-26 victory to their season. This matchup was one of two for the Knights over the weekend as they get their season going.

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: Dec. 24, 2025 – Jan. 1, 2026

MOSES LAKE — Christmas and New Years are upon us and while many get the holidays off some college athletes will still have big matchups over the next week. See where your favorite team will be heading this busy holiday week.

Mavs bowling off to strong start

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Mavericks bowling team is sitting at 5-3 on the season and are second in the Big 9 right behind Eastmont. The Mavs look to improve upon the season once they return from winter break.

MLHS Pals Club fundraiser deemed a success

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake High School Pals Club gathered together outside of Crumble Cookie on Thursday to raise money for the unified sports programs before the start of the basketball season in January. Mavs Assistant Coach for Unified Sports, Sarah White said the holiday themed fundraiser was a success on all accounts. “It was a lot of fun,” said White. “We had I think four of our unified players show up and a good amount of the community and everyone stopped by.”

Cougs best Utah State in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

BOISE — The Washington State University Cougars (7-6) concluded their season with a win over the Utah State Aggies in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl game. The two 6-6 teams faced off in a showdown at 11 a.m. on Monday.

Vikings go 2-1 in three games before break

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings finished the last week of competition 2-1 after facing the Clackamas Cougars, the Linn-Benton Road Runners and the Mt Hood Saints on the road. Now sitting at 11-1 on the season, the Vikings prepare to face regional competition following winter break.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Dec. 22-29, 2025

COLUMBIA BASIN — Local athletes head into winter break and begin to slow competition, but will still be working hard to get themselves ready for the rest of the season. See where your local teams will be heading this week.

Cougs to play Utah state in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

PULLMAN — The Washington State University Cougars football team (6-6) is set to play Utah State (6-6) in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, Monday, with kickoff at 11 a.m. This will be the Cougs’ 20th bowl game in program history and ninth in the last ten full seasons.

Vikings go 1-2 in home tournament

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings Men’s basketball team hosted a crossover tournament over the weekend of Dec. 13, where they faced Southwestern Oregon, Skagit Valley and Centralia. While the Vikings went 1-2 overall, “I think it was a really good weekend,” said Vikings Head Coach Jason Hopkins. “Everybody says it’s the strongest crossover that they can remember. We had a number one, number two and number seven in the building.”

Jacks host first league match of the season

QUINCY — The Quiny Jacks wrestling team hosted Selah in their first league match of the season where both teams found success on the mat. The Jacks will use this match to kick off their season as the competition begins to ramp up over the next few weeks.

Moses Lake BMX showed growth, strength in ‘25

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake BMX group had a big year in 2025 as they experienced growth in their riders and the facility. With the season ending in November, Jeff Niehenke, President of Moses Lake BMX, has had time to reflect and plan for what’s to come at the start of the next season. “This year went really well,” said Niehenke. “We were in two new beginner leagues, and we just had a lot of growth from the beginner leagues.”

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: Dec. 18-25, 2025

MOSES LAKE — Colleges around the state continue to compete for dominance ahead of the holiday break. See where your favorite teams will be heading this week.

Local experts eye AI to help develop the future

MOSES LAKE — AI technology has been developing quickly over the last few years with multiple avenues and questions arising regarding its use in everyday life. NCW Tech Alliance hopes to guide North Central Washington in how to utilize this technology as it continues to evolve. “AI is a general-purpose technology and so it’s much easier to understand what’s possible and the vastness of what opportunities there are in AI if you think about it in that way,” said Sue Kane, CEO of NCW Tech Alliance.

UW claims first national soccer title in program history

CARY, NC — The University of Washington Huskies Men’s soccer team (16-6-2) faced off against the NC State Wolfpack in the NCAA National Championships on Monday where they won 3-2 in overtime. This victory secured the first national title in program history.