GABRIEL DAVIS

Reclamation releases Yakima Basin August water supply forecast

YAKIMA – The Bureau of Reclamation announced in a press release Friday that they have released the Yakima basin August water supply forecast for the June through September total available water supply...

Confluence Health honored with two heart care awards

WENATCHEE – Confluence Health announced Thursday in a press release that they were recently awarded the 2023 Award of Excellence in Cardiovascular Surgery by the Foundation for Health Care Quality, as well as a performance award from the American Heart Association...

Port of Warden makes progress on ongoing industrial road project

WARDEN – The Port of Warden Commissioners and Port officials discussed updates and progress regarding their ongoing Road Infrastructure Improvement & Expansion Project, specifically funding and contracting for the project, during Thursday’s regular meeting...

Soap Lake looks to digitize records

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake City Council unanimously voted during Wednesday’s regular meeting to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to digitize city records. The meeting also featured a notice from the Soap Lake Community Prevention Coalition as well as the swearing-in of a new Soap Lake Police Officer...

Community policing

MLPD hosts National Night Out to build relationships with the public

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Police Department partnered with other city departments and organizations to host National Night Out Tuesday evening in McCosh Park. The event featured games, activities, informational booths and free food. MLPD Evidence Technician Miranda Martínez is responsible for community outreach from the department, including National Night Out...

Cloudview Farms celebrates summer, sunflowers, and community

EPHRATA – Hundreds of community members came out Saturday to Cloudview Farm for the Second Annual Summer Sunflower Fest, which featured numerous local vendors, booths and activity stations for children and adults. “We have grown our reach and had double the amount of people that attended from the first year,” said Julie Johnston, Cloudview’s education and community coordinator...

Adams Co. approves Hatton Road contract

RITZVILLE — The Adams County Public Works Department discussed Tuesday during the regular Adams County Board of Commissioners meeting approving the Hatton Road Safety Project contract with Central Washington Asphalt, along with another project’s pay retainage estimate and updating the interlocal agreement with the city of Othello. “The Hatton Project; I have contracts here for that for the board to look at,” said Assistant Public Works Director Troy Reynolds. “That one starts in a month or so.” ...

Ukelele time

NCW Libraries to host learn-to-play program

QUINCY – NCW Libraries will be hosting Aaron Canwell, founding member of Portland-based children’s band Micah & Me, at five Grant County libraries from Aug. 9 to 10 for learn-to-play ukulele programs, according to the NCW Libraries website.

Moses Lake city staff share public participation plan for development code

MOSES LAKE — The Director of Moses Lake’s Community Development Department Kirsten Peterson presented the Public Participation Plan portion of the city’s new development code to the city council during Tuesday’s regular meeting. “I guess really I’m referring to it now as a development code rewrite,” said Peterson. “We are going to be basically just starting over with an entirely new code. We’re not just editing it or revising it; we are putting together a brand-new development code.” ...

Celebrating community

Cloudview Farm to host Summer Sunflower Fest Saturday

EPHRATA – Local non-profit Cloudview Farm will be putting on the 2nd annual Summer Sunflower Fest this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on their Ephrata farm located at 17305 Frey Road. Cloudview’s Education and Community Coordinator Julie Johnston spoke about the motivation behind the Summer Sunflower Fest...

Soap Lake City Council examines city budget

SOAP LAKE — Members of the Soap Lake City Council gathered Monday at the Soap Lake Senior Center for a budget workshop led by Fiscal Specialist Cheryl Brandt on correcting the city’s ongoing finance and accounting struggles. Brandt said during the workshop that the city needs more training for its staff on dealing with the financial aspect of running a city and budgeting for the year...

History's future

New Old Hotel Art Gallery director outlines plans for historic venue

OTHELLO – Samantha Copas took over the position of director at the Old Hotel Art Gallery, a nonprofit historical site, in early July after the former Director Jenn Stevenson left the position in order to teach. Copas said that the transition went well, with Stevenson – who had worked at the Old Hotel for eight years – training Copas for her first two weeks in the position...

Different focus

Soap Lake’s new superintendent looks to build trust, help students

SOAP LAKE – Aaron Chavez, the Soap Lake School District’s new superintendent, said he is planning on building trust in the community and helping students succeed in life just as much as in academics. “Our theme this year for the district is going to be mind, body and spirit, because we want to go beyond just getting kids ready for state tests, we want to get them ready for being a healthy human being,” said Chavez...

Othello approves playground install, discusses ACPR contract

OTHELLO – During Monday’s regular Othello City Council Meeting, council members unanimously approved a motion to proceed with the installation of new playground equipment at Lions Park. The council also agreed to reevaluate the city’s contract with Adams County Pet Rescue. City Engineer Shawn O’Brien spoke with the council regarding the playground installation...

Moses Lake TCC to participate in free backpack giveaway

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake branch of mobile phone retailer TCC will participate in the nationwide 11th Annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. according to TCC’s website. Mariah Bernier, a sales representative at TCC Moses Lake, said that this year's giveaway is her first, which is why she took it upon herself to work with her superiors on organizing the event. "I think it’s important," said Bernier. "I know that sometimes my parents would struggle with school supplies and things, so I definitely think that it's good for those people who might be less fortunate that they can at least provide their kids the baseline of what they need to be successful in school.

'Your Road Home'

Local professionals team up to provide free home-buying guidance

MOSES LAKE — Home loan specialist Terrilynn Martin, certified public accountant Kim Eldred and real estate broker Connie Suehiro have teamed up since April to hold a free monthly seminar for prospective homeowners that provides concrete advice and guidance on the home buying process. “Terrilynn and Connie and I have decided to come together as a group – we’re all Ramsay trusted providers – and we want to educate the community on how they can best map their way to homeownership,” said Eldred. The seminar is called Your Road Home, and is held in downtown Moses Lake’s Smith Martin building, according to the Your Road Home website. Suehiro said that all three of the seminar’s leads work together to present the process of buying a home, focusing on both the financial and real estate aspects of that process.

George awarded state funding for well renovations

GEORGE — The city of George’s engineering consultants informed the George City Council during Tuesday’s regular meeting that the city had successfully secured state funding to improve their wells to help with an ongoing water shortage. City Engineer Jamin Ankney with Grey and Osborne Consulting said that since it was an emergency loan request, the Washington Public Works Board prioritized it above other funding requests and approved it sooner than they might have otherwise. “It’s a $601,000 funding package … to finish the Well 4 improvements and start design on deepening Well 3, possibly Well 5, to start the design on that,” said Ankney.

Soap Lake City Council discusses storm drain maintenance

SOAP LAKE — Wednesday’s Soap Lake City Council meeting saw discussion between city council members and the public regarding storm drains not being cleaned frequently enough, which may have caused flooding during recent rainstorms. An anonymous letter to the city, read by Mayor Michelle Agliano during the Mayor’s Message portion of the meeting, attributed flooding on the letter writer’s property – from a rainstorm on July 10 – to a buildup in nearby storm drains and asked that the city take responsibility on their end for keeping the storm drains in good working order.

27th Spud Run

Othello car enthusiasts celebrate almost 30 years with annual car show

OTHELLO – The All Cities Classic Car Club hosted Othello’s 27th annual Spud Run car show Friday evening in front of City Hall, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Kiwanis Park. Bob Dovel, a member of the All Cities Classic Car Club and one of the original four creators of the Spud Run, said that the community responded really well to the event. “It brings people in, brings in tourism dollars…it brings people into town,” said Dovel...

Renew hopes to resume housing assistance program soon

GRANT COUNTY — Grant County behavioral health provider Renew is hoping to take referrals again in the near future for its housing assistance program, after having to limit its new cases since January due to an overload of clients, according to LaVyonne Barnes, who supervises the program. Barnes stated that the program, which is an arm of Amerigroup’s state-wide Foundational Community Supports program, is vital to Renew’s behavioral health treatment efforts and to servicing the large number of clients struggling with a lack of housing. “We love the FCS program being part of Renew because we believe in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, meaning it’s hard for a client to address their mental health if they don’t even have their basic needs met.”

Adams Co. Commissioners discuss new evidence storage facility

RITZVILLE – The Adams County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday for their regularly scheduled meeting to discuss the location of a new Adams County Sheriff’s Office evidence storage building, temporary assignment of a law enforcement officer and an agreement with the Columbia Basin Conservation District...

Vital need

Red Cross seeking donors to prevent blood shortage

COLUMBIA BASIN – The American Red Cross announced in a press release July 10 that they are urging people to donate blood this summer to help avoid a significant shortage that may result from recent drops in donations. “The American Red Cross is sending blood donations to hospitals faster than they are coming in. We need more donors to give in July to help avoid a blood shortage that could impact patient care at hospitals across the country,” said the Red Cross’s Northwest Region Communications Director Betsy Robertson in the release...

Warden to halt water shutoffs in August

WARDEN – Warden City Council passed a unanimous motion during Tuesday’s meeting to not shut off any water utility services during August to avoid conflicting with new Washington state law. “The legislature passed a bill this session that prohibits any water utility from terminating water service during an excessive heat warning, a heat advisory, an excessive heat watch or similar alert,” said Warden City Attorney Anna Franz...

Lighthouse Café

Nonprofit coffee spot looks to help youth find the right path

OTHELLO — Lighthouse Café, a nonprofit organization in Othello, has been serving coffee, baked goods, and outreach programs geared toward Othello youth and other community members for more than a year and half now. Samuel Garza, senior pastor at Bethel Assembly of God – which funded the purchase and operation of Lighthouse Café – spoke about why he wanted to start the business in the first place...

New Soap Lake City Council member hopes to improve city’s finances

SOAP LAKE — Steve Wellein, sworn in as a member of the Soap Lake City Council during an executive session last Wednesday, is set to serve through May 2024 for the remainder of former Council Member Kat Sanderson’s term. Wellein said his primary goal is to help the city with its finances. Wellein, a longtime Soap Lake resident, said he started out as a fisherman on the Bering Strait before starting his own wholesale fish company, which he operated for 15 years. Eventually, Wellein began working for Walmart as a salaried manager, which he did for 10 years at several locations in Central Washington. He eventually settled in Soap Lake, where he has owned a house for about 30 years. He has been a paraeducator for nine years since leaving Walmart.

Ephrata Car Show set for Saturday

EPHRATA – The Ephrata Chamber of Commerce will host the 2023 Anything With Wheels Car Show and Shine this Saturday at C Street Northwest. The show will begin at 8 a.m. Rita Witte, director for the Ephrata Chamber of Commerce, spoke a bit about the car show, which has been an annual event in Ephrata for eleven years...

Soap Lake appoints new city council member

SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake City Council unanimously passed a motion during Wednesday’s meeting to approve the appointment of Steve Wellein to serve on the council in position 6, which has been vacant since the resignation of council member Kat Sanderson...

Annual celebration

Othello community celebrates Independence Day

OTHELLO — Othello organizations, residents and visitors marched down Main Street during Tuesday’s Fourth of July parade before moving the festivities to Lions Park for the remainder of the Independence Day celebration. Heather Miller, president-elect of the Greater Othello Chamber of Commerce, which organized the Fourth of July celebration, said the number of participants – about 40 entrants – in the parade was larger than in previous years...

Othello Food Bank requests county funds

OTHELLO – Jose Garza, lead facilities director at the Othello Food Bank, went before the Adams County Board of Commissioners during last Wednesday’s meeting to workshop potential options for funding and support for the food bank and its programs. “Without funds, you can’t operate, you can’t move, you can’t buy equipment,” said Garza, who joined the Othello Food Bank in August 2022...

Red, White & BOOM

Moses Lake and visitors celebrate Independence Day

MOSES LAKE – Citizens of Moses Lake gathered on Saturday in Sinkiuse Square and McCosh Park for the Red, White, & Boom Independence Day celebration, hosted by the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center and the city’s Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department. Dollie Boyd, superintendent of the Museum and Art Center, explained the motivation behind the event. “We wanted to do not just fireworks, but we wanted to bring back the summer concert series. We did some surveying around town, and that was the number one thing that people wanted to see.” ...

Warden opens Hazard Mitigation Plan to public comment

WARDEN – The city of Warden announced on Friday in a news release that the city’s portion of Grant County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan is now open for public comment until July 14...

Othello juice bar burglarized two weeks before opening

OTHELLO – Heavenly Fresh, a juice bar located at 126 East Hemlock Street in Othello, was burgled of more than $5,000 of gaming and computer equipment the morning of June 14, just two weeks shy of its official opening. “We’ve lived here our whole life and we’ve never had something like this happen before,” said Emily Cordero, who started Heavenly Fresh with her husband Salvador De Jesus Solano. “I’m 21, it’s my first business, so it was a very big shock.” ...

Adams Co. to move forward with Hatton Road project

RITZVILLE – The Adams County Board of Commissioners awarded a bid for the Hatton Road Safety Project during Wednesday’s regular meeting to Central Washington Asphalt. The project is set to renovate a stretch of West Hatton Road several miles southwest of Othello...

Warden to apply for $9.8M in state funds

WARDEN - Warden City Council unanimously passed a motion during Tuesday’s scheduled meeting to apply for $9.8 million dollars in funding from the Washington State Public Works Board to pay for city infrastructure projects...

Moses Lake development waiting for roundabout

MOSES LAKE - The owners of about 100 acres of land in Moses Lake adjacent to State Route 17 have big development plans for the land but are currently waiting on the installation of a roundabout before those plans can be implemented...

Newhouse leads field hearing on Snake River dams

RICHLAND – Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, hosted members of the House Committee on Natural Resources at Richland High School for a field hearing on Monday regarding the importance of the Lower Snake River Dams...

Local pride

New Hope hosts second annual color run in support of LGBT+ community.

MOSES LAKE - Almost 50 adults and children participated in Moses Lake’s second annual Pride Color Run, hosted this Saturday by Moses Lake organization New Hope. Sponsors of the event took up stations along the five-kilometer course to coat participants in colored powder as they passed by. “We had a good turnout for volunteers,” said Debbie Gonzalez, one of four lead advocates at New Hope...

Soap Lake council passes 6-year Transpo Plan.

SOAP LAKE - The Soap Lake City Council unanimously passed a motion Wednesday to update and amend the city’s Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan. With the motion passed, the Council will now submit the plan to the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board...

MLK Committee celebrates Juneteenth

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Martin Luther King Jr. Committee commemorated a milestone in American history with a Juneteenth celebration June 17 at McCosh Park. The festivities included dancing, music, poetry, exhibits and games. “(Juneteenth) recognizes the contribution and struggles of African Americans in the United States, and it commemorates the end of slavery and the beginning of a new era of freedom,” wrote Miranda Bridges, vice president of the Moses Lake MLK Committee, said via email. “Juneteenth also serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for racial equality and justice. It is a time for reflections, education and celebration of African American culture and history.” ...