JOEL MARTIN

Murder in the house

Othello High School drama club presents ‘Clue’

OTHELLO — Othello High School’s fall play has it all: blackmail, murder, fake identities, jump scares and more unexpected twists than a logging road at midnight. “There's a lot of screams,” said Sophia Terayama, who plays Mrs. White in OHS’ performance of “Clue,” which opens Nov. 7 and runs through Nov. 9 at McFarland Middle School. “There's a lot of murders going on. It's kind of to be expected.”

Keep ahead of water damage

MOSES LAKE — With fall turning into winter, there’s always a risk of water damage to the home from a sudden thaw or heavy rain or snowfall. “(Water damage) is one of the most common and expensive claims that homeowners need to file,” said Jennifer Hawton, a spokesperson for Pemco Insurance. “It accounts for 25% of all homeowner insurance claims, and it can move people out of their homes for weeks ... but it is also one of the most preventable kinds of damage.”

The dead live on in memory at the Moravida Festival

MOSES LAKE — This world and the next came together Saturday at the Moravida Festival at the Grant County Fairgrounds.

Pet rescue to hold fundraiser at Moore Brewing

MOSES LAKE — Moore Brewing Company of Moses Lake will host a benefit fundraiser for Lost and Found Pets of Grant County, Washington, according to an announcement from the organization.

Sister story

Quincy High production of ‘Little Women’ takes a fresh look at the classic

QUINCY — One of the most beloved families in American literature will take the stage at Quincy High School. “Little Women,” a stage adaptation of the 1868 novel by Louisa May Alcott, will be performed at the QHS Performing Arts Center Friday and Saturday, and again Nov. 7-9. The script is a little different from the original novel, said drama teacher and director Haliey Weber.

Homeschoolers host science fair

EPHRATA — Eighteen children showed what they had learned about the world around them Saturday at the Little House Science Fair in Ephrata. “Every year we have a theme, and this year’s theme is “Hands On,” said Hannah Gustafson, who organized the show for the Little House in the Desert Homeschool Group. “So when you look around at the projects, you can see that people are able to pick up something or practice with an example using their hands.”

A dance of murder

Ballet mystery lets the audience pick the villain

MOSES LAKE — It’s not often that the words “ballet,” “interactive” and “murder mystery” appear together. “You actually have never seen it before,” said Shawn Cardwell, executive director of Columbia Basin Allied Arts, which will present Ballet Fantastique’s “Murder at the Ballet” Friday at the Wallenstien Theater. “This is a world premiere. They have found no evidence that anyone else has ever done something like this.”

‘Mystery Masquerade’ the theme of St. Rose auction Saturday

EPHRATA — “Mystery Masquerade” will be the theme of the 41st annual St. Rose of Lima Catholic School auction Saturday. “It’ll be really fun to see what everybody comes as,” said St. Rose Principal Amy Krautscheid. Costumes aren’t required, she added.

A cycle of abuse

Domestic Violence Action Month focuses on a problem often kept under wraps

MOSES LAKE — On a single day in October, the Moses Lake Police Department received 62 calls for service, according to its records. More than one in eight of those was a domestic incident.

New builder in town

Homes ready to go at The Refuge at Mae Valley

MOSES LAKE — The neighborhood is there. Now all it needs is some neighbors. “Being a new builder and a new name to town, it does take a little bit to get name recognition up and running,” said Realtor Amy Leicht at the ribbon-cutting Tuesday for The Refuge at Mae Valley, a new housing development by Tri-Cities-based Pro Made Homes.

Localizing the park

Lower Peninsula Park garden highlights low-water, pollutant-filtering plants

MOSES LAKE — Lower Peninsula Park is moving beyond the usual grassy fields, with some help from the Columbia Basin Conservation District and the city of Moses Lake. Staff from both the city and CBCD were out Wednesday morning preparing a demonstration garden that will show how native, low-water plants thrive in the region

Hayden Homes named among best places to work

REDMOND, Ore. — Hayden Homes recently received two of the nation’s top honors for construction and mid-sized workplaces from Fortune magazine and the website Great Place To Work, according to an announcement from Hayden Homes.

Teaching America

Quincy classes help prepare for U.S. citizenship test

QUINCY — Folks who would like to prepare to become U.S. citizens can get some help through the Quincy Public Library, according to an announcement from NCW Libraries. There is no charge for the classes. The space for the classes is supplied by NCW Libraries, and Hand in Hand Immigration Services, a Wenatchee-based nonprofit, will provide the instruction, content and materials. The classes are offered in both English and Spanish.

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.

‘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.

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.

‘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.”

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.”

‘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.

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.

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.

Nominations open for grants to local nonprofits

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

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.”