CHERYL SCHWEIZER

MLSD employees recognized at PSE banquet

Employees receive certificates for length of service

MOSES LAKE - Classroom aides, bus drivers, office staff and all the employees who keep the wheels turning at school were recognized at the annual dessert banquet sponsored by the Public School Employees chapter Tuesday.

Alzheimer's walk scheduled for September

Money raised will help eastern Washington families dealing with disease

MOSES LAKE - Volunteers will be walking to bring attention to Alzheimer's Sept. 20, and organizers are seeking walkers and donations.

Senior donates food, firewood for project

Chris Burns conducts one-man food drive as part of senior project

MOSES LAKE - A Moses Lake High School senior's project generated enough donated food to help 20 families over the Christmas season, and enough firewood to help two more families stay warm.

Team Depot helps Soap Lake couple

House remodeled to improve accessibility

SOAP LAKE - It started with a new, more accessible bathtub and a volunteer project that changed in midair. It ended with a new bathroom and refurbished living room and kitchen for a Soap Lake couple fighting illness.

Ken Ballard leaves the tower

Worked 26 years as air traffic controller at Grant County Airport

MOSES LAKE — Ken Ballard’s job was rarely a chore.

Salary philosophy discussed by BBCC board

MOSES LAKE — Faculty salaries, and making sure existing faculty salaries keep pace, was the subject of an extensive discussion at Board of Trustees’ last meeting for Big Bend Community College.

Board to interview Quincy superintendent candidates

Three finalists to be selected from seven candidates

QUINCY - Seven people will be invited to participate in the first round of interviews for position of Quincy School District superintendent. The interviews will be March 12 and 13, board chair Tricia Lubach said.

Rosalinda Kibby new CBH administrator

Was acting administrator since December 2012

EPHRATA - Commitment to the community, all the way up to the administrator, is one of the keys to success for Columbia Basin Hospital. That's one of the lessons learned during the search for a new administrator, Rosalinda Kibby said, who accepted the job last week.

Communications classes offered at BBCC

Registration open now; classes start March 31

MOSES LAKE - Registration is open for two Big Bend Community College classes that cover the basics of high-speed data communication.

Irrigation systems class at BBCC

Classroom and hands-on instruction included

MOSES LAKE - Registration is now open for a class in operating mechanized irrigation systems at Big Bend Community College.

ML neighborhoods move to new grade schools

Attempts to reduce crowding at Sage Point, Park Orchard

MOSES LAKE - Elementary school children in some neighborhoods will be reassigned to new schools for the 2014-15 school year in an effort to reduce crowding at Park Orchard and Sage Point.

Samaritan Healthcare turns profit in January

Hospital made more than $800K for the month

MOSES LAKE - Samaritan Healthcare turned a profit in January, not just a profit but one that was almost double the budget projection.

Crack in Wanapum Dam closing

BEVERLY — A crack discovered in a spillway at Wanapum Dam has closed by almost an inch, the result of lowering the level of the Columbia River behind the dam, according to Grant County PUD officials.

Medical students get real-world experience

Program designed to encourage students to practice medicine in rural areas

MOSES LAKE - The math does not add up, at least in the forecast. More patients who will need more treatment, plus a shortage of hospitals where doctors can get the required post-graduate experience. Add to that the doctors who will opt to practice in urban areas, rather than going to medium-size cities or rural areas.

Middle school boundary options presented

Moses Lake School District patrons can comment online until March 17

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake School District patrons will have about two weeks to scrutinize four options for the boundaries of a new middle school. District patrons got their first look at the proposals at a community meeting Tuesday.

BBCC 'Career Coach' aids career research

Job seekers can find career data

MOSES LAKE - A new computer application will help people learn more about potential careers and rates of pay in central Washington. The "Career Coach" application can be found on the Big Bend Community College website, www.bigbend.edu.

Allied Arts annual soiree Friday

Original art from local artists among auction items

MOSES LAKE - Art lovers will have the chance to bid on original works from local artists, and support live performance in the area, at the Columbia Basin Allied Arts Art Soiree Friday. The festivities begin at 6 p.m. at the ATEC Building at Big Bend Community College.

New test center opens at BBCC

Quieter and more secure, college officials say

MOSES LAKE - Students taking placement tests for Big Bend Community College now have a new, more secure location, and a new schedule starting March 1.

Lawmakers OK financial aid for undocument immigrants' children

OLYMPIA - The Washington House of Representatives passed the REAL Hope Act recently, sending it on its way to Gov. Jay Inslee's desk.

No new building for BBCC yet, officials say

Proposal for new Professional/Technical Education Center submitted this month

MOSES LAKE - Any rumors that Big Bend Community College might be starting construction on a new Professional/Technical Education Center soon are exaggerated, according to college officials.

Bridal Expo 2014 draws big crowd

MOSES LAKE - Brides and their moms, brides and their friends and occasionally brides and grooms sampled cakes and reception menus, discussed options for wedding venues and generally got a look at their wedding options at the 2014 Bridal Expo Saturday.

'Brigadoon' to be presented by Quincy Allied Arts

Time-traveling musical opens Feb. 28

QUINCY - Scottish time travel and timeless true love, and some pretty good music and dance, will be highlighted when the curtain goes up on the Quincy Valley Allied Arts production of "Brigadoon," beginning next week.

ML school board awards $2.6 million pool bid

MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake School Board provisionally awarded a $2.6 million contract to replace the swimming pool building at Moses Lake High School. The 4-0 vote came at the board's last meeting.

Unanticipated lessons in senior projects

Community service projects chance to pay it forward

MOSES LAKE - Every senior at every public high school in Washington has to complete a project. Among the options available to students is a project to benefit the community.

Students sing and sign a Valentine song

Chief Moses students visit Columbia Crest

MOSES LAKE - Valentine's Day seemed like the perfect occasion for Chief Moses Middle School students to sing a love song to residents at Columbia Crest extended care facility. And students in the school's sign language club got the chance to show off their newly acquired skills.

Hospital asking for help with concert patients

Concert audience accounts for about $340,000 in bad debt, Quincy hospital officials say

QUINCY - The bill is in and the cost sent officials from Quincy Valley Medical Center looking for a way to get people who attend concerts at the Gorge Amphitheater to pay up. Or if that doesn't work, to get the Gorge Amphitheater owners to pay something to help offset the costs.

MLSD online learning program expands

Online middle school, high school, has about 240 students, district officials say

MOSES LAKE - As long as there have been schools, there have been kids who didn't fit, or who needed to make up some ground. And as long as there have been schools, teachers have been looking for ways to help those kids. The rise of technology has given school districts a new tool in the fight to help kids, which is what MLSD Digital is all about.

Chief Moses MS hosts robotics state semis

About 50 teams expected to compete

MOSES LAKE - Teams from Moses Lake and Warden will be among the participants at the state semifinal robotics competition, scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. Feb. 15 at Chief Moses Middle School, 1111 Nelson Road.

Warden roboteers advance to state competition

State competition Feb. 15 in Moses Lake

WARDEN - Eighth-graders from Warden Middle School will be among the teams when the robots of the First Lego League take to the table in state competition Feb. 15.

BBCC winter enrollment bucks state trend

Head count up, but full time equivalent enrollment down about 10 students

MOSES LAKE - Winter quarter 2014 enrollment at Big Bend Community College is higher but a little lower than winter quarter 2013, according to figures released by BBCC officials.

Icy morning means snow day in some districts

Nothing like a snow day

MOSES LAKE - Brothers Andrew and Cooper Kuntz started out by stockpiling their ammunition, but they just couldn't wait. Cooper abandoned his partially completed fort, and snowballs flew across the yard.

Soap Lake schools closed Tuesday

District officials say concerns over alleged threats prompted action

SOAP LAKE - Citing concerns over a student who allegedly made threats against Soap Lake schools, the Soap Lake School Board cancelled classes Tuesday.

MLHS registration schedule detailed

Process for eighth graders starts in April with parent information night

MOSES LAKE - Parents of eighth graders will be invited to a meeting to help them navigate the new high school schedule in April. The meetings and registration process begin for current students and their parents with an information night Feb. 18.

Board approves new MLHS schedule

Students have choice of four start times

MOSES LAKE - For the 2014-15 school year, the first class at Moses Lake High School will start at 7 a.m. and the last class will be dismissed at 5 p.m. That was the option approved by the Moses Lake School Board at its last meeting.

Meeting set to help MLHS parents

Schedule change effective for 2014-15 school year

MOSES LAKE - Parents of current Moses Lake High School freshmen, sophomores and juniors are being invited to a meeting Feb. 18 to help them navigate the new high school schedule. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the high school theater.

Class size rules could prompt elementary expansion

Report analyzes growth trends

MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake School District has almost enough room in its elementary schools to accommodate growth through 2018, but that could change if rules governing class sizes change. That was one of the conclusions from a report commissioned by the Moses Lake School Board and delivered to the board recently.

MLSD middle school options reviewed

Converting CBSS means enough room for about five years, study says

MOSES LAKE - The decision to convert Columbia Basin Secondary School into a middle school won't solve the long term problem of middle school overcrowding, according to a report commissioned by the Moses Lake School Board.

Input sought on Quincy superintendent search

Burton Dickerson retires after seven years in Quincy, 35 years in education

QUINCY - The Quincy School Board is looking for district patrons who want to sit in on interviews of finalists for the district superintendent's job, although the community committee probably won't ask questions.

Roboteers show their stuff

Robot clubs will compete in regionals in February

MOSES LAKE - It should be simple. The robot is supposed to complete a series of tasks, in this case to pick up the figures that represented the dog, the cat and the person. It's just a matter of programming the robot to do the task unaided. Simple.

MLSD board hears some options for high school

Report projects continued growth, would impact school district

MOSES LAKE - Projections for growth in the Moses Lake School District, and options for addressing that growth, were the subject of a special school board workshop Monday.

Career fair exhibitor registration open

MOSES LAKE - Registration is open for companies who are planning to exhibit in the Job and Career Fair at Big Bend Community College in April.

BBCC board talks salaries

College president says guidelines should be open, transparent

MOSES LAKE - While the discussion is "in its infancy," administrators and trustees at Big Bend Community College are working on guidelines for the college's salary plan.

MLHS schedule focus of community meeting

Results of demographic, income study at Jan. 23 board meeting

MOSES LAKE - A new schedule at Moses Lake High School dominated the conversation at a community meeting Monday night with members of the Moses Lake School Board.

Enrollment workshops scheduled at BBCC

Topics include admissions, student aid, available classes

MOSES LAKE - People who are thinking of starting classes at Big Bend Community College during spring quarter are being invited to workshops detailing the necessary steps for enrollment.

BBCC vocational students get a close look at a Black Hawk

Illustration of the possibilities available with vocational training, instructor says

MOSES LAKE - While in class the link between training, even vocational training, and a career, let alone the career options, can be hard to spot. The Black Hawk helicopter that vocational students at Big Bend Community College got to examine Monday afternoon was an illustration of some of those possibilities.

Columbia Basin River Dogs celebrate 20th anniversary

Will host Babe Ruth 16-18 World Series in August

EPHRATA - Okay. If one wants to get better at something, what does one do? Practice, of course, but what else? Well, one way is to find other people who are good at it and learn from them. Compete with them, if that's the game.

ML middle school redistrict meetings announced

First meeting Jan. 28 in Moses Lake High School choir room

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake School District patrons who want to participate in redistricting the three middle schools are being invited to a series of three meetings, beginning in late January.

New MLHS schedule set for approval Jan. 23

Study session to look at options

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake School Board members will be asked to approve a new schedule for Moses Lake High School at the Jan. 23 board meeting.

Deafness requires own language, expert says

Sign language expert talks to MLCA first and second graders

MOSES LAKE - Does a deaf person in China use the same sign language to communicate as a deaf person in Kenya or Argentina?

Serve Moses Lake opens new 'transformation house' for women

Fourth location, two for men, two for women

MOSES LAKE - Serve Moses Lake recently opened its second "transformation house" for women, the fourth operated by the private, non-profit agency.