JOEL MARTIN

CBAA auction moves inside with Kentucky Derby theme

MOSES LAKE — The Columbia Basin Allied Arts fundraiser auction will have a new venue this year, at the Best Western Plus Lake Front Hotel in Moses Lake. “They catered last year … and it was great,” CBAA Executive Director Shawn Cardwell said. “It felt like it would be fun to change it up … We really look forward to that beautiful lake view.”

Hayden Homes named Great Place to Work

REDMOND, Ore. — Hayden Homes is officially a great place to work, according to an announcement from the company.

Two dead after collisions near Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Two collisions left a driver and passenger dead on Road 3 Northeast near Moses Lake Sunday afternoon, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman. At about 4:45 p.m., the Washington State Patrol responded to a report of a hit-and-run collision on State Route 17 at the Stratford Road intersection, according to a statement from the WSP. An unidentified male driving a 2003 Toyota Corolla attempted to exit SR 17 at the same time as Savana R. Oliphant, 19, of Moses Lake. Oliphant was transported to Samaritan Hospital with injuries, and the unknown driver fled the scene with Grant County Sheriff’s deputies in pursuit.

BBCC Job & Career Fair returns Thursday

MOSES LAKE — There are jobs out there, and people who are looking for jobs, and the two will come together Thursday at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake. “We’re incredibly excited to welcome more than 60 exhibitors to campus for the 33rd annual Job & Career Fair,” Alissa Scriven, Career Pathways Coordinator at Big Bend Community College, wrote in an announcement. “Each year, this event continues to grow, and it reflects the strong partnerships we have with local employers and organizations that are committed to strengthening our workforce. It’s a unique opportunity for students and community members to have real conversations with employers and explore what’s possible right here in our region.” The Job Fair is hosted by BBCC, and organized in conjunction with Washington State Employment Security, OIC of Washington, the Department of Services for the Blind, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services/DVR, SkillSource and Job Corps, all agencies that help connect people with jobs. Those entities will have booths, but they’ll be joined by scores of employers from the private sector looking to expand their teams.

BASIN EVENTS: April 17-25

COLUMBIA BASIN — Is it spring or isn’t it? You’d never know by the way the weather has gone back and forth this month. Don’t let that stop you from getting out and doing things this week, though. Here are some things to check out: April 17 Safe Kids, Strong Communities Free family-friendly event in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month. Pizza, face painting, child safety education and hands-on activities for children of all ages and abilities, as well as prize giveaways. All children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. 3-7 p.m. at Grant County Fairgrounds, 3953 Airway Drive NE, Moses Lake. Info: 509-764-8402.

Pipes, punk and tradition

Leavenworth to host Cascade Celtic Festival

MOSES LAKE — The pipes will skirl and the fiddles will ring out at the Cascade Celtic Festival in Leavenworth May 1-3. “Building on the success of its inaugural year, the 2026 festival expands its programming, deepens its cultural partnerships, and welcomes visitors for a full weekend of music, dance, storytelling, artisan craft, and community connection,” Festival President Alice Cloutier wrote in a press release announcing the festival. The festival will feature traditional – and not-so-traditional – Scottish and Irish music by more than 20 artists, many from Washington but also coming from Northern Ireland and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. There are also dance troupes from the Northwest and beyond, showing fancy footwork to Celtic strains. Three stages will showcase everything from traditional pipe and drum bands to high-energy Celtic punk rock.

Support students and save some green at FFA plant sales

MOSES LAKE — This is the time of year when FFA students get to show the fruits of their labor – literally – at plant sales all over the Columbia Basin. Nearly every high school will offer flower and vegetable starts for sale around the end of April and the beginning of May.

The Way Cafe opens in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — It had only been open about an hour and a half, but already The Way Cafe was bustling Tuesday morning.

Hands-on history

Youth Heritage Project to explore Ellensburg history, alternative energy

MOSES LAKE — Some students in the Columbia Basin will get a chance to experience history at close range this summer. The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is accepting applications for its four-day Youth Heritage Project, which will be July 13-16 in Ellensburg this year. “We go to different places in the state every year … and do a deep dive into a place,” said Moira Nadal, director of preservation for the WTHP. “We … want the students to have a chance to get to know a place. They could be in a classroom anywhere, (but) walking around, spending time in a place, doing site visits, those are really important.”

Ephrata Youth Fishing Derby Saturday

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Lions Club will host its annual Youth Fishing Derby from 6 to 8 a.m. this Saturday at Ping Pond, formerly Oasis Park Pond, according to Lions Club member Bill Sangster. The event is free for all children 4-14 years old. No registration is necessary; kids can just show up and fish. A fish farm is stocking the pond, Sangster said. “They (said they’re) going to put some big ones in, six- or seven-pounders,” Sangster said.

Moses Lake ready for spring cleaning

MOSES LAKE — The annual Downtown Cleanup will be this Saturday, with an expanded range. “We’ll be cleaning up downtown Moses Lake, probably spanning from Balsam Street up to Cedar, and then we’re extending over to Neppel Landing Park this time,” said Mallory Miller, executive director of the Downtown Moses Lake Association, which organizes the cleanup. There has been some concern about needles or other sharps being found at Neppel Landing, Miller added, so only those volunteers who are comfortable with that possibility will be asked to clean that area.

Family drama

‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ opens Friday in Quincy

QUINCY — The Biblical story of Joseph will come to life in song this weekend, as Quincy Valley Allied Arts opens “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” Friday. “(The writers) originally wrote it for a kids’ school,” Director Brian Higgins said. “You have a bunch of different genres of music. There’s a country-western song in the show. There’s a sad song. There’s a little bit of early rap elements. It’s kind of a tour through different musical genres to keep kids interested.” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” follows a story familiar to many from the Bible. The patriarch Jacob has 12 sons, but his clear favorite is Joseph, the second-youngest, who has dreams that his destiny is to rule over his brothers. Naturally, the other 11 are not huge fans of this idea, and when Jacob gives Joseph a fancy coat of many colors, that proves too much for them and they sell him into slavery.

Youth Dynamics to mark 30th anniversary

MOSES LAKE — Youth Dynamics will hold a three-day party this week to mark 30 years of Christian outreach. “I was talking to the president of Youth Dynamics, and I (said), ‘I’d really like to do a celebration weekend,’” said Moses Lake Youth Dynamics Director Sean Sallis. “It’s not a fundraiser; we’re not going to have an auctioneer here selling items or anything like that.” The event will celebrate four pillars of Youth Dynamics’ ministry over the years.

Farm fun

Palmer’s Adventure Farm features friendly animals, play equipment and apple artillery

MOSES LAKE — There’s a whole lot to do at Palmer’s Adventure Farm, about five miles east of Moses Lake. We have a train for the kids to go on,” said Shane Palmer, who owns Palmer’s Adventure Farm with his brother Kyle Palmer and their wives Vanessa and Janelle. “We added animals this spring. We’ve got a mini-Highland cow. We’ve got goats and bunnies and donkeys, and they can feed the animals. We just put in two jump pads for the kids. They’re air pillows inflated with a big blower and a fan, and the kids jump on it like a trampoline and have a blast. We’ve got a mega-slide (and) a double barrel slide into a corn pit. It’s like a sandbox, but it’s full of corn and the kids play in it.” Palmer’s Adventure Farm started out four years ago as Strawbelly’s Straw Maze on Wheeler Road, Shane said.

Young voices

Teen town hall tackles mental health, substance abuse with local officials

MOSES LAKE — Five middle school students from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin discussed mental health and substance abuse Wednesday with local officials.

A sea of color

Palmer’s Adventure Farm debuts Tulip Fest

MOSES LAKE — Palmer’s Adventure Farm has begun its first annual Inland Northwest Tulip Fest.

Active listings up, sales steady in Washington statewide

MOSES LAKE — More homes were on the market in March 2026 than a year earlier, but sales are about the same, according to data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which tracks real estate trends in 27 of Washington’s 39 counties.

Party for the Paws

ACPR auction to support shelter

OTHELLO — There’s still time to run away with the circus at Adams County Pet Rescue’s Party for the Paws fundraiser Saturday.

Kids scoop up prizes at Brookdale Hearthstone Easter egg hunt

MOSES LAKE — How long does it take for 120 kids to pick up 2,000 plastic eggs? “Eleven minutes,” said Karisti Cox, Senior Living Sales Specialist for Brookdale Hearthstone. “I looked down at my watch (when) the door opened promptly at one, and when I saw people walking back because the eggs had been found, it was 1:11.” Brookdale Hearthstone has done Easter egg hunts in the past, Cox said, but only for the residents’ families. This year they put the invitation out on social media and got an enthusiastic response. Exactly how many people came, Cox wasn’t sure, but she did know that there were 100 ice cream treats to give out after the egg hunt, and some families had already left before getting ice cream.

Grand tour

‘Around the World in 80 Days’ takes audience on a global adventure

SOAP LAKE — There’s adventure, comedy and mystery in the Masquers Theater’s production of “Around the World in 80 Days,” opening Friday. “You have elephants, you have typhoons, you have a (scene in India) where they’re being chased by people who are shooting at them,” said director Cynthia Beyer. “A lot of action.” “Around the World in 80 Days” has 32 characters and was originally written for a cast of six people, Beyer said. That was a little bit much for the Masquers to take on, she said. “One actor was supposed to do 15 parts, another was supposed to do 12,” she said. “And I’m like, yeah, we’re not professionals here. We’re community theater.”

Moses Lake baby fights brain tumor

MOSES LAKE — Little Aylanie Reyes has been at Seattle Children’s Hospital since March 13, battling a brain tumor. She’s putting up a good fight, but it’s not easy, said her dad, Ricardo Reyes. “She’s pretty down right now,” Reyes said. “They have her on morphine, for pain, and she’s pretty sleepy. She can’t eat; they have a feeding tube in her.” Aylanie, who turned 6 months old on Sunday, just started her first round of chemotherapy, Reyes said. She’ll have six cycles of chemo for six months.

Seven arrested in Othello sex trafficking investigation

OTHELLO — The Othello Police Department arrested seven men for involvement in prostitution following a two-day investigation last week. Othello Police Chief Aaron Garza said combating human sex trafficking is an ongoing focus for the department. “We don’t believe human beings are for sale,” Garza said. “We conduct these operations quite regularly here. It’s really starting to get traction – people actually know not to come to Othello and try to buy sex.” The OPD has been conducting sex trafficking investigations for a few years, he said, a practice that started when OPD detectives expressed an interest in trying to fight it.

Passing the baton

Chad Utter to lead CBTECH

MOSES LAKE — It’s official: Chad Utter will take over as director of the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center.

Locals fight to save a piece of Washtucna’s history

WASHTUCNA — In a tiny town in the southeastern corner of Adams County, some folks are trying their best to save a piece of history, and turning to the Washington Trust for Historical Preservation for help. “The (Bassett Hardware) Building is 125 years old,” said Michelle Plumb, treasurer/secretary of the Washtucna Heritage Museum and Community Center. “I don’t know how many things in this area are that old. It would just break my heart to (lose) that building.” The Bassett Hardware Building, located in downtown Washtucna, is one of the oldest structures in the little town of about 200 and possibly in Adams County. Built by the town’s founder George W. Bassett, it’s stood in the same place since 1901, through boom and bust, storm and sunshine, a reminder of the town’s frontier past. The lower part started life as a hardware store, then became a grocery store in the 1940s and ’50s, Plumb said.

Decoraciones Hermosillo opens location in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Decoraciones Hermosillo has found a home, and it’s packed with decorations for all kinds of events. “We are an event and quinceañera rental company,” owner Guillermo Hermosillo said. “We help design everything from beginning all the way to the end. If that’s coordinating hosting events, we can do that as well. We have a huge list of inventory like linens, centerpieces (and) florals, and we’re super excited to bring something different to the Moses Lake area.” Hermosillo cut the ribbon on Decoraciones Hermosillo’s new location at 610 E. Broadway Ave. on Tuesday, along with some of his staff and members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.

BASIN EVENTS: April 3-11, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — It’s finally spring, and fun things to do are popping up all over the Basin. Here are a few options.

After the disaster

Restoring a home after a fire or flood

MOSES LAKE — When a disaster strikes your home, the worst part may be the aftermath. Restoring a damaged home is a job for professionals.

Extended Learning Week

MLCA students volunteer in community

MOSES LAKE — The high school students at Moses Lake Christian Academy took time off this week from classroom studies for some hands-on, real-world learning volunteering in the community.

Wahluke showcases AVID program successes

MATTAWA — Wahluke High School hosted the district’s first-ever Advancement Via Individual Education, or AVID, showcase March 19, inviting the community and neighboring school districts to see the difference the program has made.

Basin Easter Events 2026

SENIOR EVENTS: April 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — It’s spring in the Basin at last. Swing a golf club to support St. Rose of Lima Catholic School, plant some marigolds with the grandchildren, learn to line dance at the Moses lake Senior Center or check out any of the other events in store for this month.

Vietnam vets honored Sunday

MOSES LAKE — The American Legion and the Karneetsa Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held a commemoration Sunday for veterans of the Vietnam War. March 29, the date the last U.S. service members left Vietnam in 1973, was designated National Vietnam War Veterans Day in 2008.

Family Resource Home Care matches caregivers with the people who need it

MOSES LAKE — Some folks, when they get a little older, just need a little help. “The basis of in-home caregiving is to keep the clients in their home for as long as possible, instead of having them go to a nursing home or assisted living,” said Family Resource Home Care Branch Manager Marisa Martinez.

Homegrown: Dr. Firouzi gives back to his community

MOSES LAKE — A lot of young people, when they go off to college from a small town, never return. But some do. Dr. Kameron Firouzi is one of them. “When I was figuring out my passions in terms of what I wanted to do career-wise, I always wanted to come back and give back,” Firouzi said. “There were (times) throughout my life with my mom when I felt like the community rallied around me and my family, so I always felt a little bit of a tie.”

Dr. Alexander Brzezny guards the community’s health

EPHRATA — Dr. Alexander Brzezny had a good reason for going into public medicine. “I grew up in an area which is well known for coal mining and production of steel,” Brzezny said. “The air was very unhealthy and there was a lot of pollution. It was what we call the black heart of the country … I could see firsthand the difficulties of people who were working, and I could see how poor air and bad health habits affected them.”

Mental health care includes self-care, expert says

MOSES LAKE — Sometimes, especially in the health care field, it’s easy for the people who look after others to forget about their own well-being, said nurse educator and mental health activist Bethany Thrasher.

Shared Calling: Brothers find their medical home in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Some professions run in families: a lawyer’s children may follow in their parent’s footsteps, or a teacher may inspire their children to teach. But occasionally a profession just fits two brothers, like medicine did Zach and Nate Thomas.

TRP Truck Parts opens in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — The trucking industry is how things get from point A to point B in this country. To do that, the trucks have to be kept rolling, and to keep rolling, sometimes the trucks need parts.

3rd Moses Lake No Kings rally protests Trump, GOP policies

MOSES LAKE — The third No Kings rally Saturday in Moses Lake brought out almost 200 people, said Grant County Democrats Vice Chair Jill Springer Forrest.

Seed Cupboard goes on a growth spurt

ROYAL CITY — Seed Cupboard is going big. “We’ve extended our tree section,” said owner Lisa Villegas. “We’ve been able to hold about 1,000 trees ... and we’ve had a need for larger trees than what we’ve carried in the past. So, we’ve expanded that and our evergreen section to about twice that much.”

Grant County home prices 8th lowest in the state

MOSES LAKE — Grant County had the eighth-lowest median home price in Washington’s 39 counties as of March 5, according to data released March 13 by real estate website Realtor.com. Adams County ranked fifth from the lowest.

Basin libraries events for April 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — If you thought libraries were just a place to look for books, you’re in for a surprise. Check out these activities at libraries in Grant and Adams counties.

GCFD 7 ceremony promotes captains, medical service officers

SOAP LAKE — Four Grant County Fire District 7 firefighters officially received five promotions Friday, according to Chief Erick Brittain.

‘They are counting on us’

Cellarbration! draws record crowd to support BBCC students

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Foundation’s annual Cellarbration! for Education auction was bigger than ever Saturday night. “This is a record number,” said LeAnne Parton, director of the foundation. “We have over 300 people here.” The amount raised Saturday night was not immediately available. Last year, the college celebrated one of the largest graduating classes in its history, President Sara Thompson Tweedy told the attendees, and started a second bachelor’s degree program, this one in behavioral health.

Church volunteers clean trash out of field near Ephrata

EPHRATA — A field just outside Ephrata looks a little better after volunteers swept through it Saturday morning. “A lot of people come into (Ephrata) on Nat Washington Way,” said Lowell Allred, who organized the cleanup for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “There’s often a lot of paper and plastic and cardboard blown over into that field.” More than 20 volunteers came to the field at the northeast corner of Nat Washington Way and State Route 282, said Alberto Rodriguez, one of the participants.

Moses Lake Touch a Truck to return April 25

MOSES LAKE — The MomCo Touch a Truck event will be April 25, and there may be something new, according to organizer Brittney Ketterer.

COLUMN: Looking ahead toward Easter

A few weeks ago I wrote a story about local Lenten observances that got me to thinking: What is it about this time of year?

Summit set to build leaders for recovery, mental health

MOSES LAKE — The Eastern Washington Home Grown Leadership Summit will come to Moses Lake April 18, to equip people who have lived through hard times to help others through them.

Student entrepreneurs invited to Flywheel Conference

WENATCHEE — Students who have a business or an innovation they’re trying to get off the ground can get a boost at NCW Tech Alliance’s first Student Pitch Competition.

Patriotism and luck showcased at Moses Lake Business Expo

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Expo drew between 1,100 and 1,200 people Tuesday, Chamber Director Debbie Doran-Martinez estimated.