CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Take precautions, keep cool in heat wave

Temperatures expected to stay in mid-90s or higher through Thursday

MOSES LAKE - It's hot outside. And - given that it seemed to be raining or cloudy most of the month of June - maybe it's about time, too. It's summer, it's been cold, and people are itching to get outdoors.

Roundup still on despite bleacher work

Will be rebuilt as part of plan to upgrade seating

MOSES LAKE - The 2013 Moses Lake Roundup will go on as scheduled, even with plans to improve seating.

Class helps teacher tap Library of Congress collection

Warden teacher learns how to use source documents

WARDEN - Of course the Library of Congress has copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Federalist Papers. But there are also copies of newspapers from around the country on the day the Civil War broke out.

'Bed Ride' opens on Friday

SOAP LAKE - A very pregnant wife, a deep dark plot to keep a job and another to dodge the bad guys, a girl named Twinkie, true love at first sight, bird watchers, the bad guys looking for revenge and burned pancakes.

Registration open for robotics camp

Campers will build robots, use GPS and GIS to make maps

EPHRATA - Children who want to learn more about robots and how to build them can register for a robotics camp sponsored by Grant-Adams Area Extension. Camp is scheduled for the week of July 15 through 19.

Cherry harvest scrambled by rain

QUINCY - Every year in the agriculture game is a gamble. Weather has to cooperate, crop yield has to be just right, markets - in some cases, worldwide markets - have to be favorable.

Classic, antique, muscle cars at Sporty's Saturday

Twelfth annual show will feature live music

MOSES LAKE - The parking lot at Sporty's Steakhouse will be filled with classic Chevys and Fords, Stingray and Mustang muscle cars, Harleys and other bikes and maybe even some antique cars at the car and bike show, beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Warden raises $23K for scholarships

WARDEN - Residents, businesses and organizations combined to raise $23,000 in scholarships for the Warden High School class of 2013.

Board seeks new Ephrata hospital CEO

New acute care wing reaches drywall and tile installation stage

EPHRATA - Columbia Basin Hospital officials have started the search for a new chief executive officer, but it's going to be a deliberative process.

Ruben Reyes wins Gates Millennium Scholarship

Hard work worth it, Quincy High and BBCC graduate says

GEORGE - As her son Ruben remembered it, friends stopped by, a little worried about Maria Reyes. She wasn't at work, wasn't at home, wasn't answering her phone.

Moses Lake board mulls pool expansion

Would add about 650 square feet

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake School Board members will decide whether or not to add about 650 square feet to the new pool building, which would add about $400,000 to the cost.

BBCC graduation begins new chapter

MOSES LAKE - After graduates at Big Bend Community College received their diplomas, Kevin Scott (with a brand-new degree in welding) was asked what it all meant.

Yukio Seino, sister city participant, bid farewell

Instrumental in forming sister city committee, student exchange program

YONEZAWA, Japan - A longtime friend of Moses Lake and the sister city program was remembered in a farewell ceremony recently.

Construction starts on Quincy Community Health clinic

Will replace existing clinic with brand new building

QUINCY - Construction began recently on an expanded, about $9 million Quincy Community Health Center.

Students to attend aerospace program

WARDEN - Two Warden High School juniors were among the students selected to participate in the annual Washington Aerospace Scholars program this summer at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Never too late for college; 3 generations at BBCC

Nelson family commutes from Odessa to pursue education

ODESSA - It's one of those facts that the road to higher education isn't always a straight line from high school to degree. Sometimes life throws in detours.

Right place, right time allows ML grad to save a life

Jake Hittinger receives Navy Commendation Medal

OAHU - Without the dog, what happened at Kaneohe Bay might have ended a lot differently. Or maybe, as Kendra Hittinger believes, the dog was a little nudge from God, just to make sure Kendra and her husband Jake were in the right place at the right time.

Rink opens with roller derby exhibition

Devil's Angels, Bomb Squad show their stuff

Editor's note: The below version corrects the Devil's Angels email address, the participating team in Friday's event and the participating team in an upcoming July 20th roller derby event. 

ML school board mulls options, consequences

Year round school, CBSS closure among possibilities

MOSES LAKE - Three of the four options being considered by the Moses Lake School Board to address secondary overcrowding could bring some pretty big changes, ranging from a new high school schedule to districtwide year-round school.

CBSS competitors win state trophies

Chelsea Farley-Domby wins 2 competitions at state conference

MOSES LAKE - Three Columbia Basin Secondary School students brought home trophies from an annual conference designed to spotlight students' workplace skills.

BBCC moves graduation to downtown

MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College will move its graduation to Lions Field in downtown Moses Lake for 2013. Graduation is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 14.

Class offers aerospace maintenance training overview

MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College will offer a summer class to help prospective students determine whether or not they would be interested in a career in aviation mechanics.

People urged to dispose of berries tied to outbreak

OLYMPIA - Although no cases of hepatitis A connected with frozen berries have been reported in Washington, the state Department of Health is urging residents to talk to a doctor if they ate any of the berries within the last two weeks.

BBCC adds composite material training

Program focuses on aviation, but skills are transferable

MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College will expand its aviation maintenance program by adding to its training in composites technology, the result of a $164,000 grant.

Pride, tears as Othello graduates

OTHELLO - Christina Rivera asked for balloons at graduation, so her sister Megan complied.

Moses Lake High School announces class of 2013's top 10

Students have varied, ambitious career plans

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake High School administrators have announced the top 10 students in the class of 2013.

Basin high school graduations begin Friday

Quincy, Othello first, with ceremonies stretching to June 8

OTHELLO - High school ends for the class of 2013 in a flurry of graduation ceremonies scheduled for Basin-area schools.

Quincy's Irineo Castillo took the education road

Decided he was done with gangs, he said

QUINCY - Life had been kind of bumpy for Irineo Castillo, and in that context, some of the gang stuff he saw online and around his home in Tri-Cities started looking okay, even pretty good.

Taking the challenge rewards Ephrata graduates

Yaneli Salgado and Melissa Nelson say taking challenges was good for them

EPHRATA - High school students have a choice, when they're picking classes. They can go the easier route, just take the necessary classes and skate. Or they can take up the challenge, the difficult subjects, the classes and activities that take them out of their comfort zone.

Quincy student finds language no barrier to graduation

QUINCY - Olivia Camacho's family had to make a choice, about the time she was starting her freshman year in high school. Her parents had to decide if they would stay in Mexico, where there wasn't a lot of work to support the family, or try to make a new future elsewhere.

Health District warns of bats

Moses Lake children required vaccine

MOSES LAKE - Grant County Health District officials are warning people to stay away from bats, alive or dead, due to their potential for carrying the deadly rabies virus.

Pregnancy did not divert Quincy teen from finishing her education

Angelica Ruiz stayed in school, although things changed

QUINCY - Angelica Ruiz had it down, she was getting good grades, junior year and senior year at Quincy High School looked like a lot of schoolwork, but that was doable.

Norovirus outbreak confirmed, precautions urged

Grant County Health District urges people to wash hands frequently

MOSES LAKE - Grant County Health District officials are urging residents to stay home if they get the stomach flu and frequently wash hands with soap and water. The warnings follow confirmation that an outbreak of stomach flu at Longview Elementary School was caused by a highly contagious virus.

New program allows timely stroke treatment

QUINCY - A new partnership between Quincy Valley Medical Center and Providence Sacred Heart of Spokane could help Quincy patients diagnosed with a stroke.

Laine Utter named state FFA officer

MOSES LAKE - Laine Utter said she liked what she saw, when she looked around at the state FFA convention, and wanted to be one of the people running things. At the 2013 convention she reached her goal; Utter is one of the six FFA members selected as state officers.

State equestrian championships draw 70 schools to Grant County Fairgrounds

MOSES LAKE - About 70 schools sent teams to compete in 27 events at the Washington High School Equestrian Team championships at the Grant County Fairgrounds during the weekend.

New Samaritan CEO: priority is quality care

MOSES LAKE - The key to success at Samaritan Healthcare will be a focus on quality patient care.

Cellarbration event helps Big Bend students foot bill for college

MOSES LAKE - Final totals weren't available at press time, but a sold out Cellarbration raised more than $50,000 for scholarships at Big Bend Community College Saturday.

Curriculum helps BBCC students conquer math

MOSES LAKE - A new math instruction program, developed in-house, is helping students get up to speed for college-level math at Big Bend Community College.

Consequences of substance abuse highlighted

Parents, kids could be subject to misdemeanor charges, participants say

MOSES LAKE - It sounds easy enough, just put on the goggles and walk. There was even a line on the mat to make it easier.

Hospital polishes CEO job description

Former CEO resigned in December

EPHRATA - Columbia Basin Hospital's board of directors is putting the finishing touches on a job description for a new chief executive officer.

Budding talent

MLHS floral shop class demanding but fun

MLHS floral shop class demanding but fun

Frontier student wins regional competition

Jah-Mali Jackson beats competitors from 23 schools

MOSES LAKE - A Frontier Middle School eighth-grader talked about his plans to become a computer engineer and came home with first place in the regional Gear Up Career Showplace competition.

Event to raise money for BBCC scholarships

MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College Foundation's "Cellarbration for Education" fundraising dinner will be Saturday at the college's ATEC building, 7662 Chanute St. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the evening includes a silent auction before dinner and live auction afterwards.

Flu outbreak closes Longview

Outbreak has been identified as norovirus-like flu

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake School District officials canceled Friday classes at Longview Elementary School following an apparent outbreak of stomach flu.

New group enters Upward Bound program at Big Bend

Moses Lake - Students from Royal City, Moses Lake, Othello, Warden and Lake Roosevelt high schools joined a program designed to help them prepare for college.

Ritzville art show to feature 60 artists

RITZVILLE - Works by more than 60 artists, 108 years of Ritzville history and plenty of activities downtown will be the featured attractions at the Ritzville Western Art Show and Historic Ritzville Days.

Spike in whooping cough cases in Grant County causes concern

EPHRATA - Grant County has seen a spike in the number of whooping cough cases in the last month, and health district officials are urging county residents to take steps to keep from spreading the disease.

Substance abuse conference highlights risks

Mock crash, and victim panel among events

MOSES LAKE - The two vehicles hit with such force that one of them rolled and came to rest on its top. Emergency service workers were forced to extract one victim from the overturned car, and cut another victim out of the second car.

Suicide support group forms in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE - Nancy Thorne, of Moses Lake, said the pain of her brother's suicide never really went away, and she spent a long time trying to come to terms with his death.