JOEL MARTIN

Meeting in the middle

Developer looks to fill housing gap with duplexes

MOSES LAKE — A new housing development in progress on the south side of Moses Lake could expand the housing options in town. “You guys need entry-level housing,” said Troy Schmeil, owner of Bellevue-based Sapphire Homes Northwest, which is developing a tract of land off South Division Street. “On both sides of the state, you have … older apartment buildings and single-family (homes), and there’s nothing in between.”

‘They’re amazing’

Moses Lake Chamber honors outstanding members, welcomes new board

MOSES LAKE — Incoming Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Kim Pope had some things to say about the town’s growth Tuesday night. “Moses Lake is growing,” said Pope, the executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin. “We have more businesses coming to town than in – I don’t even want to say this – the 40-plus years that I’ve lived here.”

Making the rounds

Ephrata Wine Walk showcases local wines, costumes Saturday

EPHRATA — The Wine Walk will take over downtown Ephrata Saturday, and it’s a good idea to get tickets online.

Faith, fun and food

Faith & Blue brings police, churches together for tailgate party

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Police Department and local churches joined forces Friday for Faith & Blue at Lions Field in Moses Lake.

‘Worth fighting for’

Crossroads banquet speaker tells story of life and love

MOSES LAKE — Steventhen Holland had a question Saturday as the featured speaker at a fundraiser banquet benefiting Crossroads Resource Center, which provides care, counseling and supplies to people facing unplanned pregnancies as an alternative to abortion. “I want you to think about how you answer this,” he said. “Is life worth fighting for? I think the way we answer that really dictates the actions that come.”

‘Under the Sea’

Old Hotel benefit auction has a maritime theme Saturday

OTHELLO — Art lovers – and others – are invited to take a dive Saturday. “Under the Sea” is the theme of the Old Hotel Art Gallery’s annual benefit auction and although it’s not required, attendees are encouraged to dress accordingly. “We’ll be having a costume contest,” said gallery director Samantha Copas. “Something under the sea: mermaids, a ship’s captain, or just beach wear.”

Down on the farm

First-graders learn about agriculture on field trip

MOSES LAKE — More than 500 children got a close-up look at agriculture Wednesday at First Grade Farm Day on Moses Lake. “It really comes back to ag advocacy,” said Moses Lake High School ag teacher Tony Kern. “Even though we’re in an agricultural community, there’s fewer and fewer people who actually know where their food comes from, how it’s made, being around animals or even understanding the breadth of agriculture.” Farm Day is a deep-rooted tradition in Moses Lake. Kern has taught at MLHS for 26 years, he said, and he thought the event went back at least another 20 years before that.

Boeing announces coming job cuts, third-quarter loss

MOSES LAKE — Boeing plans to cut its workforce by about 10%, according to an announcement Friday from CEO Kelly Ortberg. Ortberg did not give a timeline for the job cuts, saying only that they would be instituted “over the coming months.” “Our business is in a difficult position, and it is hard to overstate the challenges we face together,” Ortberg wrote in the announcement. “Beyond navigating our current environment, restoring our company requires tough decisions and we will have to make structural changes to ensure we can stay competitive and deliver for our customers over the long term.” How the cuts will affect the company’s operation in Moses Lake, which employs about 800 people, isn’t yet clear, said Boeing spokesperson Bobbie Egan.

Home efficiency aid

New program to help with upgrades as well as heating bill assistance

MOSES LAKE — When the wind turns chilly in a few weeks, Basin residents can get a little extra help with their heating, according to an announcement from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

‘Cowboy up for Youth’

Youth Dynamics auction and banquet coming Oct. 19

MOSES LAKE — “Cowboy Up for Youth” will be the theme of Youth Dynamics’ annual dinner and auction Oct. 19. The auctions in the past haven’t really had themes, said YD Director Sean Sallis, just allusions to the organization’s outdoor youth adventures.

‘All the accolades’

Boys & Girls Clubs CEO Kim Pope honored on multiple levels

MOSES LAKE — Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin Director Kim Pope got just a little embarrassed at Saturday’s fundraiser banquet. “In this community, we know how amazing Kim Pope is,” Boys & Girls Clubs Board Member Kelly Price told the crowd. “However, this is even bigger: She received the CEO (of the Year) Award from the Boys and Girls Club from the Washington and Alaska clubs.”

‘Leapin’ lizards!’

“Annie” opens next week at Masquers Theater

SOAP LAKE — It’s the hard knock life at the Masquers Theater starting Oct. 18, as “Annie” takes the stage. The beloved musical set in Depression-era New York follows 11-year-old Annie, played by Carlee Howard, from an orphanage to a mansion, stopping at a shantytown and the White House along the way.

CBH’s Bivona named WA Sportswriter of the year

MOSES LAKE — Columbia Basin Herald sports reporter Ian Bivona was caught completely flat-footed when he found out he’d won the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s Sportswriter of the Year Award last weekend. “I was pretty shocked,” he said. “I had no idea … that I was nominated at all.”

Royal Middle School celebrates Hispanic Heritage Day

ROYAL CITY — Royal Middle School students celebrated Hispanic Heritage Day Thursday with music, food and presentations about Hispanic cultures. “One (teacher) was teaching the importance of football and what that means for the Hispanic community,” said Principal Jerred Copenhaver. “One teacher was teaching them how to make tortillas, so the kids were making them this morning. I had another teacher teaching about the art history of Hispanic culture. Some other teachers were having kids do research on certain people and presenting on it.” In a school where about 80% of the student body is of Hispanic origin, Copenhaver said, the program was very popular. Students’ families were invited to take part as well, he said.

MLPD, churches to host Faith & Blue tailgate Friday

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Police Department will join with local churches Friday at Lions Field to mark National Faith & Blue Weekend, according to an announcement from the MLPD. “We’re tailgating at the football game to provide an opportunity for community outreach and engaging with people,” said MLPD Capt. Jeff Sursely. The event is part of a nationwide Faith & Blue Weekend, which brings police agencies and faith-based organizations together in thousands of communities across the country. More than 1,400 Faith & Blue events are planned nationwide, according to the organization’s website.

Molly in the Mineshaft to perform at Wallenstien

MOSES LAKE — It’s called “newgrass.” That’s how the members of Molly in the Mineshaft describe the mixture of folk, bluegrass, blues, jazz, Celtic and rock they’ll be bringing to the Wallenstien Theater Oct. 17. The show is the second in the Central Basin Community Concert Association’s 2024-25 season.

Dude, Where’s My Cart tournament highlights frustrations of Alzheimer’s

WARDEN — Some people take their golf very seriously. Fortunately, those people were not at Sage Hills Golf Course Saturday, because the challenges of the Dude, Where’s My Cart?! Alzheimer’s fundraiser tournament would have driven them bonkers. “Each challenge we had – we had nine of them – is dementia-based,” said Karisti Cox, sales and marketing specialist for Summer Wood Alzheimer’s Special Care and the organizer of the tournament. Those ranged from special goggles that affected players’ vision to swinging while sitting on a toilet to driving with a club 1/3 the size of a normal one.

‘That’s power’

Buddy Walk focuses on sharing gifts

MOSES LAKE — Lots of gifts were shared at the annual Buddy Walk Saturday in Moses Lake, inspired by an artist who visited Moses Lake in the spring. “Beth Anna Margolis has Down syndrome,” Kerry Aronsohn told the assembled crowd. “She’s a painter and a poet, and has been creating art for many years … After visiting with Beth Anna on her recent visit to the Columbia Basin, we were inspired to choose the theme ‘Share your Gifts’ for the Buddy Walk. She said ‘My art is in my soul and in my heart. It is my gift.’”

‘Today was a great day’

Almira Country Fair packs in the fun

ALMIRA — The town of Almira covers slightly more than half a square mile, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but Saturday all the fun was concentrated in one block. “They’ve changed the parade route this year, trying to focus everything more on the park,” said Almira Mayor Jason Evers, who not only announced the parade but sang the national anthem to kick it off. “The last couple of years it’s really started to grow. This is as good a turnout as we’ve had. There had to have been a couple of hundred (people) … And then we’ll have people in town because we’ve got the Grid Kids playing up on the new football field and then we’ve got it scheduled to have the high school volleyball team play here in town instead of Coulee City, so nobody has to leave town to watch.”

Blanket statement

Project Linus volunteers provide warmth and comfort to kids in tough times

COLUMBIA BASIN — Blankets are small things, but for a child who’s been through a hard time, a blanket can be a real comfort, and the folks with Project Linus aim to make sure there are always plenty of blankets on hand. Project Linus, named for the blanket-toting boy in the comic strip “Peanuts,” was started in Denver in 1995, and since then has put more than 9.3 billion handmade blankets in the hands of traumatized and ill children around the world. Of course, the three eastern Washington chapters, in Ephrata, Tri-Cities and Yakima, don’t put out anywhere near that volume, but it’s still impressive.

‘Always Olivia’

Tribute show brings Olivia Newton-John’s music to life while supporting a good cause

MOSES LAKE — “Always Olivia,” the opening show of the Columbia Basin Allied Arts Premiere Series, will have a little something extra Friday.

‘A joyful work’

Mennonite Country Auction raises money to care for the world

RITZVILLE — The Menno Mennonite Country Auction is one of the smallest auctions the Mennonite churches hold, but it’s also among the mightiest.

Lowriders, lucha and local fun make UMANI Festival a success

MOSES LAKE — Third Avenue in Moses Lake was a colorful place to be Saturday, with brightly-clad dancers, lowrider cars gleaming in the September sun and wrestlers in gaudy masks body-slamming each other in a ring. “It was amazing,” said Columbia Basin Allied Arts Director Shawn Cardwell, one of the organizers of the event. “Best year ever.” The third annual UMANI Festival, a celebration of Hispanic heritage in Moses Lake, was the best-attended so far, Cardwell said. There were performances by the CeAtl Tonalli traditional Aztec dance troupe and the world-renowned La Muchacha from Colombia, as well as other entertainers from closer to home. There were games and crafts for the whole family provided by the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center and workshops in music, dance and art at The Obra Project. But much of the energy came from the lowrider car show and the lucha libre wrestling.

Flannel Fest to bring the ’90s to life

MOSES LAKE — The days of dial-up internet, Doc Martens and the Macarena may be three decades behind us, but they’ll make a comeback this weekend at the Grant County Fairgrounds. This is the third year the fairgrounds has hosted the 1990s music festival Flannel Fest, which this year is Friday and Saturday.

Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center to hold banquet Oct. 12

MOSES LAKE — Crossroads Resource Center will hold its fundraiser banquet Oct. 12. The event will feature a prime rib dinner catered by Top Gun Concessions and Catering of Moses Lake, as well as an update on the clinic’s services from Executive Director Carol Knopp and an address by speaker Steventhen Holland.

Nominations open for grants to local nonprofits

EPHRATA — The Columbia Basin Foundation is looking for a few good nonprofits.

Almira Country Fair coming Saturday

ALMIRA — The Almira Country Fair will be an all-outdoor event this year, according to JoAnn Eagle, one of the organizers, to keep activities from being spread out too far.

Winter prep...

As winter approaches, being mindful of safe heater operation is important

MOSES LAKE — With the weather cooling off, lots of people will be turning on their heat in the coming weeks for the first time in months. That can bring a risk of fire, according to state and local officials.

Projectile pumpkins?

Country Cousins kicks off season with rides, games, mazes and flying fruit

OTHELLO — There will be giant bubbles, hayrides and a miniature train Friday and Saturday, as Country Cousins kicks off the season with its Fall Festival. Oh, and projectile pumpkins.

Pacific Rehabilitation cuts ribbon

MOSES LAKE — Pacific Rehabilitation Center cut the ribbon on its Moses Lake facility Tuesday, at a small ceremony and lunch attended by staff both local and from the west side of the Cascades as well as members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.

Ready to ride

Bike rodeo, giveaway and safety event coming Saturday in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Young riders will have a chance to show their cycling chops, get their bikes repaired and maybe even go home with a bike at the annual BARGAS event Saturday.

Barbie-themed Boys & Girls Clubs auction coming Oct. 5

MOSES LAKE — There will be pink at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin benefit auction Oct. 5. This year’s theme is Barbie, the iconic American teen doll that’s been letting children play dress-up for 65 years and starred in her own $1.44 billion blockbuster movie last year. Since the toy’s introduction in 1959, more than a billion Barbie dolls have been sold, according to the manufacturer, Mattel.

Buddy Walk set for Saturday

MOSES LAKE — This year’s Buddy Walk will be a little different, according to Down Syndrome Society of Grant County member Kerry Aronsohn, one of the event’s organizers. This year’s event will be held this Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Centennial Amphitheater at McCosh Park.

Hidden treasure

Second-hand mall gives old Hartline School new life

HARTLINE — Just off Highway 2 about 13 miles northeast of Coulee City is the biggest little shop you may never have heard of. “I started out with (one) room, and somehow, someway, this thing just morphed into this,” said Cindy Cauble. “The whole entire school is a second-hand (store).” That school is the Hartline School, which was built in 1920 and first served the Hartline School District as a K-12 school and later, after consolidation, became part of the Coulee-Hartline School District. The 29,000-square-foot building has two stories, plus a gym in the basement, 12 classrooms and a 300-seat auditorium, according to the Hartline School Preservation Association, which now owns the building. In 2008, the Coulee-Hartline School District decided to vacate the building and bus Hartline’s students to Coulee City.

‘A hug for your feet’

Socktober campaign aims to keep homeless feet warm, clean and dry

MOSES LAKE — There will be some warmer, drier feet on the streets of Moses Lake this year, thanks to an event organizers are calling Socktober. “We want to help the community that is less fortunate, in transition, maybe homeless, by providing warm, comforting socks for them,“ said Amy Ward, administrative assistant at Greenpoint Technologies, which started the campaign in partnership with Red Door Cafe and Ministry. “So in the month of October we’re going to be collecting new socks that have been donated.” Ward didn’t come up with the name “Socktober” herself, she said; she heard it on a radio station out of town and thought something like that would go well in Moses Lake. Socks are one of the least-donated items needed by the homeless, but their value is more than just little tubes made of cloth, Red Door Operational Manager Codi Hochstatter said.

Shiitake Sizzle brings fresh, exotic mushrooms to the table

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake has a pretty good variety of places to eat, but this is something new: a restaurant centered around mushrooms.

UNIQUE PROPERTY: Former store for sale as residence in Hartline

HARTLINE — One home for sale in Hartline wasn’t always a home. “It's an interesting property,” said Heidi Van Diest of Moses Lake Realty Group, who has the home listed for $100,000. “It used to be a grocery store, and they turned it into a home. It's got two bedrooms, one bathroom, and then an unfinished basement.”

Sand Scorpions to play dirty at the Dunes Saturday

MOSES LAKE — The Sand Scorpions Off-Road Vehicle Group will hold its bounty hole and freestyle competition this Saturday at the Moses Lake Sand Dunes. The event is properly called the Half-Sun Travel Plaza $5,000 Bounty Hole and $5,000 Freestyle Competition by Sand Scorpions, said Sand Scorpions board member Brandon Douglass. This is the 13th year the event has taken place, Douglass said. Organizers are expecting about 5,000 people from all over Washington as well as from Oregon, North Dakota and Canada.

Big fun in a small town

Hartline Community Days hosts visitors seeking a good time

HARTLINE — With a population of 180 at the last census, Hartline is the second-smallest town in Grant County and the eleventh smallest in Washington state, but its residents do love their annual celebration, Hartline Community Days.

Rascal Rodeo Roundup

An all-ages adaptive rodeo for people with disabilities returns to Othello fair for a fifth year

OTHELLO — The Othello Rodeo grounds were filled Friday morning with people riding horses, tin cattle for rocking and riding, cardboard cows for milking, tin roping bulls and toy dump trucks to move sand around the arena. There were 106 participants and over 50 volunteers at the Rascal Rodeo, an all-ages adaptive rodeo for people with disabilities.

Harvest and culture

Quincy to showcase pioneer life and ethnic diversity in combined festival

QUINCY — Quincy will once again showcase the cultures that combine to make the area a great place to live, as it hosts the Celebration of Harvest and Culture Sept. 28.

Pretty business

MOSES LAKE – Mari Guerrero cuts the ribbon Friday on her new shop Gorgeous Bae Boutique, joined by her children, from left, Adalina, 7; PJ, 8; Serena, 1, held by her grandmother Monica Guerrero; and Trino, 11 as well as members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce. Gorgeous Bae Boutique is at 210 W. Third Ave. in Moses Lake across from the post office.

Coats 4 Kids

Rotary Club gears up for coat drive

MOSES LAKE — It’s not winter yet by a long shot, but the first hint of cool air is beginning to remind Basin residents that it won’t be too much longer. The Rotary Club of Moses Lake, this year with the help of 4-H, is beginning to collect coats to help keep kids warm when the air gets nippy. The club’s annual Coats 4 Kids program will start off with a coat drive Oct. 5 at the Penn Plaza parking lot, 1035 N. Stratford Road. “We felt like we were a little bit short of what the need was last year, so this is the first time that we’ve had a formal coat drive like this,” said club President Amy Raymond. “It’s an effort to increase the number of coats that we’ll be able to distribute later.”

Wahluke grad honored for overcoming obstacles

MATTAWA — A Wahluke High School graduate was recently honored for his determination and community engagement by Community Health Plan of Washington. Haziel Sandoval-Gatica received CHPW’s Power of Community Perseverance Award, a $1,000 scholarship. Sandoval-Gatica, a 2024 graduate of Wahluke, overcame significant obstacles including poverty, family displacement and a language barrier to graduate with a 3.3 grade point average while playing varsity soccer and engaging in his community, according to CHPW Regional Manager Daniel Smith. “I came across Haziel through our relationship with the Migrant Education Program leadership,” Smith said. “There was so much to be inspired about, just remarkable achievement that Haziel has done in his life.”

Othello girl takes grand prize in reading challenge

OTHELLO — An Othello girl walked away with the grand prize in Mid-Columbia Libraries’ Summer Reading Challenge. Brooklyn Gilbert, 10, won a Nintendo Switch. “(The Summer Reading Challenge) starts in mid-June and ends in mid-August,” said Othello Library Customer Service Specialist Jenny Noyola. “The kids have to read for 15 hours, then they get entered in the drawing for the big prize.” The grand prize wasn’t the only thing summer readers could win, Noyola said. Local businesses contributed smaller prizes as well.

Interest rates down, active listings up in Basin

MOSES LAKE — With lower mortgage rates, listings are up from a year ago in the Basin, as well as statewide, but closed sales are still staying put, according to data released Sept. 6 by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which tracks real estate trends in 26 of Washington’s 39 counties.

Sizzling newcomer

MOSES LAKE - Shiitake Sizzle co-owners Dahlia O/Neil, Koey Pan and Iris Ou, flanked by (from left) staff members Dennis Schonberg with son Kaspen, Rachel Korth (behind O’Neil), Amanda Reynolds (behind Ou), Xiao Badgley and Megan Eickbush and members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce cut the ribbon at the recently-opened restaurant at 218 W. Third Ave. in Moses Lake.

FIRE REPORT: Ruby Fire still uncontained in North Cascades

TWISP — Crews continued to battle the Ruby Fire about 49 miles northwest of Twisp Thursday afternoon, according to the National Park Service. The fire, which started Aug. 9, was uncontained Thursday at 1,300 acres. Helicopters dropped water Tuesday from Diablo Lake on the blaze but had to discontinue activity Wednesday due to weather conditions. Firefighters will continue to focus on protecting critical infrastructure such as campgrounds, SR 20, trails, and backcountry camps in preparation for possible fire growth, the NPS wrote. Costs were estimated at $5 million, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Residents, first responders observe Patriot Day

Local firefighters, police officers, students and residents gather for ceremonial rememberances

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake first responders – and future first responders – paid tribute Wednesday to their predecessors who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.

‘Biggest littlest parade’

Hartline Community Days is Saturday

HARTLINE — One of Grant County’s smallest communities will turn out Saturday for Hartline Community Days. This is the 43rd year Hartline has had the celebration, said Ron Thomas, one of the event’s organizers. “It started out being a harvest celebration years ago,” Thomas said, “and then we moved it and just called it Hartline Community Days, even though it’s only one day.”