Basin libraries begin summer programs
MOSES LAKE — Heading into summer, Mid-Columbia Libraries and NCW Libraries have already begun implementing their summer reading programs, providing an opportunity for kids and adults alike to keep up their reading and attend library events. Mid-Columbia Libraries Associate Director of Communications Carlos Orozco said the summer reading program is to keep kids engaged and motivated over the summer. “We just want people to read over the summer and not fall behind in school. I know that's kind of naturally what happens when they take that summer break, they hit that summer slide, which (we) want to work with the community to prevent that,” Orozco said. “We're hoping some of the prizes and performances and stuff will get them excited about being able to read over the summer.”
Work-based learning programs foster hands-on learning in Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — With its significant recent growth in industry, Moses Lake is also seeing increasing opportunities for work-based learning and workforce development, such as Sila Nanotechnologies’ partnership with local schools, alongside traditional educational options like Columbia Basin Job Corps Center.
Hayden Homes cuts ribbon on new model home in Polo Ridge
MOSES LAKE — Hayden Homes held a ribbon-cutting June 6 to celebrate a new model home in Moses Lake’s Polo Ridge community for potential home-buyers to tour, attended by Moses Lake city officials and Hayden Homes representatives. During the ribbon cutting, Marketing Coordinator Holly Anderson said a few words. “I also wanted to thank the community for their support with Hayden Homes,” she said. “We really appreciate the city of Moses Lake just coming and supporting us.” The model home is one of Hayden Homes’ Hudson designs. Regional Marketing Director Gina Donangelo Barnecut talked about the benefit of a new model home.
Othello PD achieves accreditation for third consecutive term
OTHELLO – Othello Police Chief David Rehaume announced Monday during the regular Othello City Council meeting that the OPD had achieved accreditation through the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Cheifs. The city will also seek grant funding to continue funding a second School Resource Officer.
Othello honors 2024 graduating class of almost 300 students
OTHELLO – The Othello School District filled the bleachers and lawn of Huskie stadium Friday evening with a large crowd of friends, family and community members celebrating the Othello High School Class of 2024 graduation ceremony.
Wilson Creek celebrates nine graduates for the Class of 2024
WILSON CREEK – The Wilson Creek School District celebrated and honored nine graduates in the Class of 2024 Saturday at Wilson Creek High School with a ceremony put on by the graduating class.
Lind-Ritzville graduates 34 students in 2024 commencement ceremony
RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville High School Class of 2024, school staff and community members met for this year’s commencement ceremony June 1 at Gilson Gym in Ritzville to honor 34 students’ graduation from the Lind-Ritzville Cooperative School Districts.
Othello Independence Day celebration set for all-day July 4
OTHELLO – The Greater Othello Chamber of Commerce will kick off its annual Independence Day celebration July 4 at 10 a.m. with a parade down Main Street before moving to Lions Park for an all-day celebration culminating in a fireworks display. Chamber Manager Jackie Wilhelm outlined what to expect.
Community Coalition hosts town hall on gangs in Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — Members of the Moses Lake community came together Thursday evening at the Moses Lake Civic Center for a town hall discussion on gang activity and prevention, hosted by the Moses Lake Community Coalition.
High-flying fun
Moses Lake Airshow set for Father's Day weekend
MOSES LAKE – The 2024 Moses Lake Airshow is set for June 15 and 16 at the Grant County International Airport and will be featuring a range of activities for attendees, including aircraft performances and two competitions new to this year’s event. Airshow Organizer and founder Terry Quick highlighted some of the key aspects of this year’s event.
Desert Aire Airport Community Appreciation Breakfast flying in June 15
DESERT AIRE – This year’s Desert Aire Regional Airport Annual Fly-In & Community Appreciation Breakfast is set for June 15. A pancake breakfast will be served from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. allowing an opportunity for community members to gather and enjoy a meal.
MLHS’s Bishop, QSD’s Valle awarded NCESD regional awards
WENATCHEE – According to a Wednesday announcement, the North Central Educational Service District has selected Kristy Bishop as the 2025 Regional Teacher of the Year and Maria Valle as the 2024 Regional Classified School Employee of the Year for the North Central Washington region.
OSPI addresses Parent’s Bill of Rights initiative
OLYMPIA – According to a Wednesday statement from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, some provisions of Initiative 2081, establishing the Parents’ Bill of Rights in Washington, conflict with current law – particularly around students’ right to privacy in school.
Moses Lake Community Coalition hosting town hall on gangs
MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Community Coalition will host a forum on gangs and gang prevention in the Moses Lake Civic Center and City Hall from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, featuring a panel of local experts and subsequent community discussion.
MLHS, Vanguard complete WA accreditation process
MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School District announced Wednesday that Moses Lake High School and Vanguard Academy have successfully completed the Washington State Accreditation process.
2024 Congressional Art Competition winners named
WASHINGTON D.C. – Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., announced Tuesday Spokane resident Hawwi Jebena as the winner of the 2024 Congressional Art Competition from Washington’s Fifth Congressional District, according to an announcement from Rodgers’ office.
Port of Mattawa moving forward with 2 grant projects
Sale of wastewater plan temporarily put on hold
MATTAWA – The Port of Mattawa is moving forward with two grant-funded projects this year after the Grant County Treasurer increased the port’s warrant limitations, according to the port’s Executive Director Gil Alvarado. Alvarado said the port has also temporarily paused selling its wastewater treatment plant.
Development at Othello Port intersection pushing forward - slowly
OTHELLO – Port of Othello Executive Director Chris Faix provided an update on the port’s progress in finding funding for a roundabout at the intersection of State Route 26 and South 14th Avenue, as well as their contract negotiations with Meritage Companies.
June 2024 Senior Events
COLUMBIA BASIN – This month offers a variety of events for seniors and their families in the Columbia Basin, including live music, a farmers market and community events.
New law expands recreational fishing license requirements
OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee has signed new legislation requiring Washington fishers to possess a recreational fishing license for freshwater smelt, crawfish, and carp, according to a Tuesday release from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Broncos celebrate Class of 2024
RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville High School Class of 2024, school staff and community members met for this year’s commencement ceremony Saturday at Gilson Gym in Ritzville to honor 34 students’ graduation from the Lind-Ritzville Cooperative School Districts
WA Health Authority launches addiction program
OLYMPIA – According to a Monday release from the Washington State Health Care Authority, the organization is launching a program that expands access to medications for opioid use disorder - also known as MOUD. The program, ScalaNW, equips emergency room clinicians with tools to treat patients for opioid use disorder, or OUD, and connect them to community-based care.
Othello-ACFD 5 negotiations continue
OTHELLO – The Othello City Council meeting Tuesday featured an update from the city regarding its contract negotiations with Adams County Fire District 5, with a mediation date set for July 25. The city recently provided ACFD 5 with a two-year notice of termination of its contract.
Othello Preschool reports on operations, priorities
OTHELLO – Othello School District Early Childhood Director Jennifer Garza presented to the Othello School Board Tuesday evening, following the board’s May 21 site visit at the Othello Preschool, on how the preschool is doing and some of its priorities over this school year.
Last Stand Rodeo brings in thousands for 72nd annual event
COULEE CITY – The Coulee City Rodeo Association hosted the 72nd annual Last Stand Rodeo over Memorial Day weekend, featuring a range of competitions and events at the Coulee City Fairgrounds and around town. Pete Thiry, who has served as the CCRA’s president for almost 20 years, said the event was a success.
PRCA Last Stand Rodeo results
COULEE CITY – The Coulee City PRCA Last Stand Rodeo finished up Sunday evening at the Coulee City Fairgrounds, with a total payoff of $$52,802. Events included bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc, tie-down roping, barrel racing, steer roping and bull riding.
New Warden school board member talks priorities
WARDEN – After a few meetings serving on the Warden School Board, the district’s newest board member Tiffany Hymas discussed some of her goals, priorities and perspectives going into her appointed term.
Moses Lake Distillery settles into new location
MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake Distillery has been bottling spirits for sale in the region since 2021, operating out of a shop off of State Route 17, as well as running a small tasting room now located in Downtown Moses Lake. Owner Zachary Hughes said the distillery began as a side project.
ESD 105 Superintendent reflects on service district’s operations, goals
YAKIMA – Serving four counties, including Kittitas, Yakima and portions of Klickitat and Grant County, Washington’s Educational Service District 105 provides support for 25 school districts – including Royal School District and Wahluke School District – and more than 66,000 students. ESD 105 Superintendent Kevin Chase explained his perspective on the basic purpose of an ESD.
Moses Lake Rotary gives out $75,000 in scholarships at awards banquet
MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Rotary Club gave out $75,000 in scholarships during Tuesday evening’s Rotary Scholarship Foundation Awards Banquet, held at Pillar Rock Grill in Moses Lake, bringing the total of Moses Lake Rotary’s scholarship awards since 1980 to $950,000. The ceremony began with a few words from a former Rotary Club scholarship recipient, Elena Bewick...
ECBID breaks ground on EL 86.4 irrigation system
OTHELLO – The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District was joined by landowners, key partners and elected officials for a groundbreaking ceremony on the EL 86.4 system Monday, according to a Tuesday announcement from the ECBID. Construction on the system began immediately after the event. The EL 86.4 is an irrigation water delivery system for the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program. According to the announcement, the project will reduce the current normalized cost for landowners in the affected area. Tom Tebb, Director of the Office of Columbia River for the Washington Department of Ecology, attended the groundbreaking ceremony and commented on the project in the announcement.
Moses Lake’s Villegas signs with University of Idaho Spirit Squad
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Senior Kamaya Villegas signed her letter of intent Wednesday in the Moses Lake High School gym to join the University of Idaho’s Vandal Spirit Squad as part of both the university’s Vandal Gems dance and Vandal Cheer teams. “I'm feeling pumped up,” Villegas said before the signing. “I'm excited.” Villegas said her choice of UI was influenced both by the university’s dance and cheer programs and by the school itself. “I looked into it and, I don't know, I just wanted to try out for some dance teams and I kind of liked Moscow too,” she said. “And I like the campus and everything, so I was like, why not try out here? And I did. It was between going into the military or doing this or going somewhere far and dancing.”
North Central ESD Superintendent talks district services, goals moving forward
WENATCHEE – Washington’s North Central Educational Service District, also known as ESD 171, offers more than 140 programs and services that address all areas of K-12 education and administration, according to the NCESD website. Superintendent Michelle Price discussed what differentiates NCESD from other service districts and what similarities are shared between the nine different districts. “In the realm of student support, we provide all kinds of opportunities that would help with student outcomes in each school district,” Price said. “For instance, connected learning. We have a whole team on the ground that helps connect industry partners and school districts to help make experiences available for students that they would not otherwise have, to explore careers, to investigate careers and maybe even to go into internships and apprenticeships.” The other aspect of NCESD’s services are directed toward school districts more than directly to students.
Royal School District discusses reducing positions, tighter budget
ROYAL CITY – The Royal School Board discussed its efforts to work with a tighter budget during special and regular meetings Monday. Superintendent Roger Trail said the budget reductions will not require lay-offs, but will lead to reduced staff.
Desert Aire Airport District votes to eventually dissolve district
DESERT AIRE – Grant County Airport District 1, also known as the Desert Aire Airport District, held a special meeting Saturday with members of the Desert Aire community to discuss the district’s future, during which the commissioners voted to begin the process of dissolving the district.
Educational Service District 123 Superintendent discusses priorities, services
PASCO – Washington Educational Service District 123, based out of Pasco, serves 23 school districts in seven counties of Southeastern Washington – including Othello School District – with more than 70,000 students, according to ESD 123’s website.
Reykdal visits Wahluke
State superintendent learns of challenges faced by rural, underfunded district
MATTAWA – Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal visited Wahluke School District Thursday afternoon for a tour and various discussions and panels with teachers, administrators and students. “It's a great visit. I do a lot of these around the state, but it's nice to see everyone's unique community, particularly a school district where your elementary, middle and high (schools) feel like such a family,” Reykdal said in a later interview.
Othello board reflects on national conference
OTHELLO – Monday afternoon’s Othello School Board meeting saw a presentation from Superintendent Pete Perez and the board members on their time at the National School Board Association’s annual conference from April 6 to 8 in New Orleans.
Lind facing unbudgeted expenses, errors and $1.7 million loan
LIND – The Lind Town Council dealt with several issues during Tuesday’s regular meeting, including about $40,000 in unbudgeted expenses due to clerical errors dating back to 2008, other staff errors and a $1.7 million loan offered by the Department of Health.
Lind council rescinds vote to vacate Mayor’s position
LIND – The Lind Town Council voted 4-0 Tuesday to approve motions by council member Robert Dew to rescind the council’s April 23 votes to vacate Mayor Paula Bell’s position and appoint council member Jamie Schmunk as temporary mayor. Council member Mike Wold was absent. Dew said that he had previously believed the votes to be legal, but has since heard conflicting opinions on the subject.
Othello seeks contract mediation with ACFD 5
OTHELLO – The city of Othello is seeking third-party mediation for contract negotiations with Adams County Fire District 5 after giving two-year notice on May 8 that the city will be terminating its current contract due to increasing costs. Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said in the May 8 announcement that ACFD 5 has been unwilling to negotiate with the city. He said the mediation process is written into the city’s contract with the fire district, a five-year contract was implemented in Feb. 2018.
Wahluke superintendent addresses audit findings
MATTAWA – The Washington State Auditor’s Office released Thursday its audit report on Wahluke’s financial statements and federal awards from Sep. 2022 through August 2023, which included findings for some of the district’s federal award procedures.
Desert Aire hosts fire preparedness informational event
DESERT AIRE – Representatives from the Desert Aire Owners Association, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Grant County PUD, as well as Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, and community members from Desert Aire met Wednesday for a fire readiness informational event at the DAOA building.
Warden High School blood drive sees one of its largest turnouts
WARDEN – Warden High School hosted a Vitalant blood drive April 30 in the blood donation organization’s mobile bus center. Warden District Nurse Janna Benzel said the drive was possibly the district’s biggest yet. “We actually had one of our best turnouts for our blood drive and we ended up with a backup list as well,” Benzel said. “So (Vitalant was) considering coming back and doing another one soon. We don't know if that'll happen yet, before the end of the school year. We had about 10 or 11 students on a backup list … I believe what we totaled up for the end of the day was we had 26 donors.”
Othello to terminate contract with ACFD 5
OTHELLO – The city of Othello announced Wednesday that they have provided a two-year notice of termination of its agreement with Adams County Fire District 5 due to a significant increase in the contract’s cost over the last year.
Othello’s Eldred, Haro sign with Wenatchee Valley
OTHELLO – Othello seniors Don Eldred and Felipe Haro signed their national letters of intent to play college soccer at Wenatchee Valley College Wednesday evening at Othello High School. According to Head Coach Bernie Garza, Eldred and Haro chose where to do the signing, which was located in the OHS Cafeteria.
A good start: First-ever Othello Cinco de Mayo brings together community despite weather
OTHELLO – Othello’s first-ever Cinco de Mayo celebration took place all day Saturday in Lions Park, bringing community members together to celebrate the holiday’s cultural heritage with a range of activities and events.
ACSO holds community connection night in Lind
LIND — Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner, Undersheriff Adolfo Coronado and new Jail Commander Kelly Watkins came down to Lind Community Church Tuesday evening to give an update on the department and allow the community to ask questions.
Othello council approves new summer youth recreation program
OTHELLO – The Othello City Council unanimously approved Monday the Parks and Recreation Department to implement a three-week summer youth recreation program in June and July for children ages four to 12 with a fee of $45 per child.
Mattawa working to upgrade, restart Well 2, implement park improvements
MATTAWA – Mattawa Public Works Director Juan Ledezma and Gray & Osborne Civil Engineer Jamin Ankney provided an update to the Mattawa City Council on ongoing Well 2 re-equipping design and construction and park improvements at Hund Memorial Park during Thursday’s regular meeting.