NANCE BESTON

Ephrata Schools bond: Parkway Intermediate

EPHRATA — Parkway Intermediate School is one of the campuses the Ephrata School District is looking to replace with a proposed $75 million, 25-year school construction bond. The bond measure is set to appear on the Feb. 10, 2026, ballot, and will fund not only a replacement of Parkway but also Grant Elementary’s replacement and improvements at Ephrata High School.

On ‘Wicked’ in print

Why Gregory Maguire’s Oz isn’t for kids — but is for grown‑up wonder

MOSES LAKE — “Wicked” and the sequel “Wicked: For Good” have taken over my household. After the first watch at Fairchild Cinemas, I was hooked on the extension of the Oz universe. But, when I went back to the source — Gregory Maguire’s novel — I discovered a world far darker, stranger and more adult than the glittering emerald we see on stage and screen.

MLSD saw challenges, achievements in 2025

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District experienced a challenging year in 2025, marked by financial struggles, labor disputes and notable academic accomplishments. The district's resilience was on full display as it navigated a series of challenges while also fostering pockets of success throughout the academic year, Superintendent Carol Lewis said.

Washington average fuel cost under $4 for 4 weeks

MOSES LAKE — Gas prices decreased nationally, in Washington state and Grant County. However, Adams County saw a slight increase of one cent this week.

Protesters express frustrations regarding ICE, Venezuela Saturday

MOSES LAKE — Area residents gathered on Stratford Road in Moses Lake to protest the recent deaths of Renee Nicole Good, 37, of Minneapolis and Kieth Porter, 43, of Los Angeles. Both incidents involved Immigration Customs Enforcement agents. They also expressed frustration regarding the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Oliver’s first council meeting, several resolutions passed

EPHRATA — Mayor Steve Oliver led his first Ephrata City Council meeting Wednesday night, with council passing several resolutions regarding tourism funding, vactor truck enclosure project and amending the grant application for A Street.

Soap Lake to establish a tourism committee

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake City Council unanimously approved the creation of a Tourism Development Committee to handle city tourism funds at Wednesday's council meeting.

GCAO had a transformative 2025

MOSES LAKE — Grant County Animal Outreach achieved several goals in 2025, including groundbreaking on a new facility, nearly 300 adoptions and successes in community outreach. Challenges presented themselves in the form of the agency’s current outdated facility and animal hoarding.

Soap Lake Events Committee to meet

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Community and Senior Center will host its second meeting for the newly formed Events Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 5 p.m. This initiative aims to revitalize community engagement through family-friendly events. “We really want to focus on family-friendly and all ages events for our community,” volunteer Genevieve Gray said. The committee was created in response to community members expressing their desire to restart events that had previously been successful in bringing people together. Gray said it’s important for community involvement in the committee.

Grant County Health District mandates overdose reporting

MOSES LAKE — In a move to enhance community health and safety, the Grant County Health District has implemented a policy requiring healthcare providers to report all opioid overdoses starting in Jan. 2026. This change, which centers on real-time data collection, comes as a response to the growing opioid crisis affecting the region, marked by rising overdose deaths and emergency medical service responses. The decision to classify overdoses as a reportable condition received unanimous support from the Grant County Board of Health, which approved it through Ordinance 2025-04. The GCHD has noted that while certain diseases are already mandated to be reported to local health authorities, overdoses have not been subject to similar requirements at the state level. The new reporting protocol is hoped to bridge the data gap. Dr. Alexander Brzezny, the Grant County Health Officer, said this matter was urgent.