JOEL MARTIN

Purple Party to kick off Alzheimer’s fundraiser Thursday

MOSES LAKE — Purple will be the color to wear Thursday. “(The Purple Party) is a really great kickoff for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Disease,” said Terri Riley-Brown, one of the organizers of the event. “We’re excited. We’ve got lots of prizes to give out. We’ve got beverages and food for everyone who attends.”

Columbia Basin Hospital celebrates 75 years

EPHRATA — Columbia Basin Hospital was important to the community 75 years ago, and it’s still a vital part of Ephrata’s health care. “The grand opening (of the hospital building) was in 1958, and they had over 2,000 people attend,” said Communication and Development Director Susan Scheib.

‘My cup runneth over’

Psalms 23 offers coffee with a dash of hope and a pinch encouragement

MOSES LAKE — The 23rd Psalm is one of the best-known passages in the Bible, filled with assurances of God’s protection and favor. That’s what Larisa Vorobey had in mind when she opened her new business. “I lost my mom, and then my baby, and then I found myself navigating life as a single mom, (all) within six months,” said Vorobey, owner of Psalms 23, a new coffee shop in Moses Lake. “There were moments I didn’t think I would make it through, but even in the darkest times, God was with me. So, Psalms 23 became a promise I held on to.”

People with disabilities should take extra steps in case of fire

MOSES LAKE — Fire danger is always high at this time of year. For people with disabilities, that can be problematic. July 26 is National Disability Independence Day, recognizing the nearly one-third of Americans who live with a disability. Unfortunately, having a disability can make the danger that comes with a fire much greater, according to a statement from the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office. Of the 72 fire deaths that occurred in Washington state last year, 11 were people with a disability. Physical disability was the second leading human factor contributing to fatalities in residential buildings between 2017 and 2019, a study by the U.S Fire Administration found, accounting for 30% of deaths.

Home inventory up, sales slow but still steady in the Basin

MOSES LAKE — There’s a lot of activity going on in the real estate compared to a year ago, according to data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which tracks real estate trends in 26 Washington counties. According to the NWMLS, Grant and Adams counties had higher increases in active listings and closed sales in June 2025 over June 2024 than the rest of the state. But the activity on the ground only partly bears that out, said Brian Gentry, principal managing broker for Re/Max in Othello. “Over last year, yes,” Gentry said. “Over three years ago, no. There’s a lot more inventory right now. Where we would typically on any given day see in Othello 11 or 12 things on the market, we’re in about the 35 range right now. Some of those are new construction, so they’re presales, but there’s a lot of people putting their homes on the market.”

Othello dentist delivers home-grown greatness

OTHELLO — It’s been said that some people are born to greatness, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. And then there are those who do great things on a small scale. “For whatever reason, I always seem to gravitate into leadership,” said Dr. Chris Dorow, owner of Othello Dental Arts and president of the Washington State Dental Association. “When I graduated from dental school in 1995, I was the student body president for the dental school. I went immediately from there into volunteering for the Washington State Dental Association. My first committee was the Communications Committee, and then they moved me to Membership Services … I was there for 16 years, and I (was asked) to be on the board of directors an insane amount of times.”

Moses Lake Museum exhibit, ‘Balance,’ highlights the permanent and the transitory

MOSES LAKE — Some things are temporary and some aren’t. How those intersect is the theme of an exhibit opening at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center Friday. “The world is crazy, and so many things are happening, but some things still (are) not changing,” said artist Mihail Kivachitsky. “The stars (and their) astronomical characteristics are a reflection of that … It can be actual today, it was actual 1,000 years ago, and probably is going to be in the future.”

Moses Lake rocks out at Red, White and Boom

MOSES LAKE — The weather was warm and the music was hot Thursday at Moses Lake’s Red, White and Boom celebration at McCosh Park. About 400 people came out to Moses Lake’s Independence Day celebration July 3, which included two free concerts, food vendors and a craft table set up down near the stage where children could string beads for bracelets. The Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, which hosted the table, also had glow sticks, hula hoops and dancing ribbons, long rainbow-colored strips that the youngsters could twirl as they danced.

Mulligan’s at the Pointe under new management

MOSES LAKE — Out on the very western edge Moses Lake, away from the downtown core and the shopping centers, there’s a restaurant that many local people still haven’t experienced. “This place really is a little hidden gem,” said Megan Costello, food and beverage manager for Mulligan’s. “(We have) a beautiful view, a huge outdoor seating area, a 75-inch TV for sporting events.”

Columbia Basin Hospital celebrating 75 years

EPHRATA — Columbia Basin Hospital turns 75 years old this year, and the hospital is ready to celebrate. “There’s going to be a free barbecue for everyone,” said Hospital Director of Communication and Development Susan Scheib. “(We’ll have) information on rehab services like our physical occupational speech therapy, a thank-you booth thanking everybody for supporting us through the years.”