NANCE BESTON

Agencies acknowledge communication failures during Mattawa wildfire

MATTAWA — A fast‑moving wildfire that burned nearly 3,100 acres near state Route 24 on Sunday night prompted a four‑hour highway closure – but no public alerts from either the Washington State Patrol or the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, despite both agencies’ long‑standing practices of issuing emergency notifications. Both agencies now say internal communication breakdowns prevented timely alerts from reaching the public, leaving residents without the Nixle messages, Facebook posts or X updates they typically rely on during major incidents.

Sky dancers

Meet Washington’s endangered sandhill cranes

With long wings stretched wide, sandhill cranes fly together across the sky, calling to one another like trumpets. These tall, graceful birds love wetlands and open spaces – and every sighting is special, because sandhill cranes are endangered in Washington. Can you spot your favorite crane facts and words in the graphic and word search below?

4-acre blaze mostly contained in rural Ephrata

EPHRATA — Three fire agencies were called to a wildfire in the 13000 block of Road A.5 Northwest in Rural Ephrata at around 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

‘I don’t plan on going back’

Abel Valdez becomes Community Court’s 18th graduate

MOSES LAKE — Abel Valdez didn’t walk into Community Court expecting a fresh start.

‘This is one way we come together for our kids’

MLSD to host gang town hall tonight at Vanguard Academy

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District is convening a broad coalition of educators, law enforcement officers and regional safety specialists tonight for a gang awareness and prevention town hall, an event district leaders say is aimed at equipping families with practical tools to recognize early warning signs and keep youth connected to positive supports.

‘The right push’

Silva becomes Community Court’s 17th graduate, finds a new path forward

MOSES LAKE — When Jonathan David Silva walked into Community Court months ago, he didn’t expect transformation. He expected to “jump through the hoops,” as he put it. Instead, he walked out last week as the program’s 17th graduate – sober, grounded and surrounded by a team he now calls “a second family.” “I was never really fully sober my whole life,” Silva said during an interview. “Community Court honestly gave me a different perspective… it geared me in a direction of what I should have been doing the whole time as an adult.”

Two Mavericks sign to play college soccer

MOSES LAKE — Two longtime Moses Lake Mavericks are taking their game to the next level. Seniors Dalton Freidig and Enrique Landeros Cervantes have officially committed to continue their soccer careers in college, a point of pride for both the players and the program that raised them.

Ephrata council considers park and transportation fees for new developments

EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council continued discussions Wednesday on whether to adopt new park and transportation impact fees that would apply to future development, a move city officials say could help offset the cost of growth without raising taxes.

WSP Bomb Squad called to suspicious package, discovered to be battery

MOSES LAKE — Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad was called to a suspicious package in the 1700 block of Road K-Southeast in rural Moses Lake at 11 a.m. Saturday, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

Detective warns Ephrata parents of rising online threats to local youth

EPHRATA — Grant County Sheriff’s Office Detective Katrina Ball didn’t mince words Wednesday night as she described the growing dangers facing children online, telling Ephrata School District parents that sextortion, online enticement and extremist recruitment are no longer distant threats.