NANCE BESTON
Staff Writer
Recent Stories
Warden to raise trash rates
WARDEN – The Warden City Council unanimously passed a garbage rate increase beginning Sept. 1. “With our contract with Consolidated Disposal Service, who does our sanitation services in the community,” City Admin Kriss Shuler said. “In our contract, we have a biannual adjustment for cost of living, so that cost of living over the two years is 4.8% and so what that is is they increase our cost, and then we pass that on to our consumers of our community, which we'll talk about next, an ordinance change.”
MLSD granted temporary water exemption by city council
MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake City Council unanimously passed Ordinance 3071 during its regular meeting Tuesday. The ordinance grants the Moses Lake School District a temporary exemption from citywide irrigation restrictions, allowing district officials to irrigate sports fields as necessary through November 15. "We are grateful to the City of Moses Lake for partnering with us to find a proactive, commonsense solution," said MLSD Superintendent Carol Lewis. "This ordinance reflects a shared commitment to our community’s priorities—fiscal responsibility, student safety, and the preservation of public spaces."
FIRE REPORT: Nearly 7,000-acre fire burning near Kettle Falls
KETTLE FALLS – The Hope Fire has burned around 6,800 acres and is uncontained as of Thursday, according to InciWeb. This is the largest fire burning in Washington as of Thursday. “As far as we know, there might be (a) little bit of fire growth going on due to the inversion lifting over parts of the fire, but we don't have big winds on it today,” Public Information Officer Gayne Sears with Northeast Washington Interagency Type 3 said.
EPHRATA MAYORAL RACE: Steve Oliver
EPHRATA – Candidate Steve Oliver, a long-time local business owner and community advocate, is putting forth his vision to revitalize the city of Ephrata. Oliver, who has owned Tarot Tattoo for 25 years, believes a strong focus on entertainment and infrastructure is essential for the city's growth and sustainability. “I am a business owner and a parent. The condition of the city has just gotten to the point where we're desperate for entertainment around here,” Oliver said. “Things are dilapidated and falling apart, and it just seems it's just like a trajectory downward.”
EPHRATA MAYORAL RACE: Bruce Reim
EPHRATA – As the city of Ephrata approaches its upcoming mayoral election, incumbent Bruce Reim seeks to continue his eight-year tenure. He said his extensive experience in government and community activism underlines his commitment to Ephrata, which he believes is transitioning from a small town to a robust city.
United Way helps Ephrata schools enhance meal program
EPHRATA — The Ephrata School District has recently transformed its Summer Meal Program, thanks to a $30,000 donation from the United Way of King County. This funding facilitated the procurement of an Oliver Speedseal MX2-1908E Tray Sealer, which has proven instrumental in improving meal preparation and distribution for the district's summer food service efforts. "Without this machine, it would take two staff members about 90 minutes to package 100 summer meals," said Alain Black, Director of Food Services for Ephrata School District. "Now those two staff members can prepare up to 170 meals in under an hour. That’s a huge difference, especially when demand is growing each week."
MLSD celebrates having full new admin team on site
MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School District celebrated Tuesday after having the full new administrative team in the office. “Well, this is actually the first day that the whole team is here,” Superintendent Carol Lewis said. “Various people have obviously been in and out. What is most exciting is that we were able to structure this team in such a way that roles are clearly defined and people were hired based on their ability to do specific work within the district.”
MLSD to hold budget meeting Thursday
MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School District is holding a special work study session Thursday to begin discussing the budget for the upcoming school year. “The meeting will be to just give a preview of what the final budget will look like as well as how it is constructed,” MLSD Superintendent Carol Lewis said. “The focus will be on our new business manager explaining her budgeting process so that the board understands the process that will be gone through in order to develop the final budget.”
MLSD announces new principal for Knolls Vista
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District has announced Jason De Lane as the new principal of Knolls Vista Elementary School, effective Tuesday for the 2025-26 school year. De Lane succeeds Adam Sawyer, who has accepted a leadership position as Assistant Executive Director of Safety and Wellbeing within the district. “I am very happy to be joining the Moses Lake and Knolls Vista families,” De Lane said. “From the moment I stepped into Knolls Vista, I could feel the heart and dedication of the staff and district leaders. I’m honored to serve as principal and look forward to partnering with families, students and staff to make this a great year for every child.”
Gas prices in Grant rise above Adams for first time this year
MOSES LAKE – Washington and Grant County average gas prices saw an increase this week. However, national and Adams County saw a decrease in fuel prices, according to AAA.
Ephrata to purchase former Rite Aid building for municipal use
EPHRATA — In a move to enhance municipal services and meet the growing needs of the community, the Ephrata City Council approved a motion to purchase the former Rite Aid building located at 250 Basin Street. “We are really excited to see what this new space will do for the city,” Ephrata Mayor Bruce Reim said.
Soap Lake Conservancy meeting highlights challenges for lake health
SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake Conservancy held a special meeting Saturday to discuss Soap Lake water level trends. The meeting brought in experts from the Washington Department of Ecology, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District. “A couple of years ago, a few of the people in this room started calling the Department of Ecology with concerns,” DOE Eastern Region Contact, Jaime Short said. “The lake level was going down. What's going on?”
Ephrata's Well 3 returns to service today after water quality tests pass
EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata’s Well 3 should be back up and running today, as long as the bacteria test results return from the lab negative, according to Public Works Director Rob Harris. “If water quality and purity and all the required standards, Well Three will be returned into service,” Harris said.
Burn restrictions announced prior to July 4 holiday
SPOKANE — The Bureau of Land Management has increased fire restrictions for Eastern Washington starting on the July 4 holiday, citing increased fire danger with hot, dry weather in the region. “Know before you go and be prepared before visiting your public lands this summer,” said Fire Management Officer for the BLM Spokane District Lonnie Newton. “Pack a shovel and fire extinguisher and follow BLM’s fire restriction orders to help prevent fires.”
Grand opening of Up Town Art Gallery brings local flair to Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE – In an enchanting addition to the vibrant cultural fabric of Moses Lake, the Up Town Art Gallery celebrated its grand opening on June 26, inviting art enthusiasts and the local community to immerse themselves in a haven of creativity.
MLSD welcomes three new 2026 buses
MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School District recently expanded its transportation fleet with the addition of three brand new vehicles, poised to improve both student safety and daily commuting experiences, according to the Transportation Director of Operations Aimee Cook. “I just love seeing new buses out there on the road. They’re shiny, and I like the community seeing that,” Cook said.
Increased outdoors fees in effect as of July 1
OLYMPIA — In a controversial decision, Washington State has approved a significant increase in recreational fishing and hunting license fees, which officially took effect yesterday, June 1. “This bill proposes an inflationary adjustment. It’s a significant adjustment, but inflation has been substantial over the last 15 years,” Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) said on the Senate floor. “It also charts a sustainable path forward.”
New fencing enhances safety at Knolls Vista
MOSES LAKE—In an effort to bolster the safety and well-being of students, Knolls Vista Elementary School has completed the installation of a new security fence around its playground. The project, a collaborative endeavor involving local businesses, community members, and school staff, aims to provide a safer environment for students during recess and other outdoor activities.
MLSD signs WIAA contract, asks for amendments
MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School District signed its 2025-26 membership contract with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association at the regular school board meeting June 25. However, concerns were brought up about the contract’s language. “It's the standard membership form that the WIAA sends out every year,” MLSD Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon said. “The district has been signing a form or a form similar to that for a number of years.”
Gas prices see slight decrease this week
MOSES LAKE – There was a slight decrease in fuel prices this week in Washington, nationally and Grant County. Adams County didn’t follow the trend and saw a slight increase in prices this week compared to last week, according to AAA. “The national average price of gasoline has resumed its decline, with falling prices driven by easing tensions in the Middle East—just weeks after those same tensions had pushed prices higher,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy in a statement. De Haan said prices are likely to continue falling going into Independence Day weekend.
Moose causes Soap Lake dog park closure
SOAP LAKE – On Monday morning Soap Lake Public Works discovered a moose wandering around public works land before jumping a fence and making its way into the Soap Lake Dog Park, prompting the park to be closed briefly, according to Soap Lake Mayor Peter Sharp. “We closed the dog park for the day,” Sharp said. “Public Works Director, Eli (Olson) got ahold of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and let them know. They said just stay away from it. It'll be fine. Let it go out of its way. Basically, they're not going to do anything to it.”
Soap Lake Conservancy meeting discusses water trends
SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake Conservancy held a special meeting Saturday to discuss Soap Lake’s Lake water trends. From left to right is United States Bureau of Reclamation Clyde Lay, Washington Department of Ecology Jaime Short and U.S. BOR Marc Maynard. Not pictured but also at the meeting was Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District’s Roger Sonnichsen. The Columbia Basin Herald will have full coverage of the event in Thursday’s paper.
Knolls Vista Elementary principal forum Monday
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District is hosting a community forum today, June 30, at Knolls Vista Elementary to introduce candidates vying for the position of principal. The event, which begins at 5:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria, aims to engage parents, faculty and community members in the hiring process.
Warden City Council approves $575,000 sidewalk project
WARDEN – The Warden City Council approved the West First Street pedestrian path at the regular council meeting June 25. The path will begin on the eastern side of West First Street from South County Road to Jackson Avenue. “We've been working on this project for a long time,” City Administrator Kriss Shuler said. “We've received funding through Grant County or the QUADCO funding sources to do the walking path from county road to the first federal railroad tracks at Jackson Road.”
Ephrata well repairs to be completed late this week
EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata was at a standstill on repairs to Well 3 throughout the weekend because the parts ordered were not delivered Friday morning, as previously anticipated. “We're kind of at a standstill,” Ephrata Public Works Director Rob Harris said. “(Irrigation Technology & Control) will finish rebuilding the pump so that it's all ready to go. As far as the city, there's nothing we can do until those parts are in.”
Ephrata's Well 3 remains under repair as more damage discovered
EPHRATA — The city of Ephrata has issued updates regarding the ongoing emergency repairs to Well 3 following a failure in its supply line Wednesday. Community efforts to conserve water remain critical as city crews work to repair the well, according to a statement from the city. "We found a broken piece, but we've got to continue. We're going to go ahead and pull the pump all the way out and check it over to make sure that it wasn't damaged," Ephrata Public Works Director Rob Harris said Thursday morning.
Warden City Council approves contract for reservoir study
WARDEN – In a move to enhance the safety of its water infrastructure, the Warden City Council unanimously approved a contract with Gray & Osborne, Inc. for a seismic retrofit study of the city’s two water reservoirs. This engineering study, awarded at a cost of $80,000, is made possible with funds from both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Washington State Military Department. "The item we are approving is part of the FEMA project for a seismic retrofit study of our reservoirs, which were not designed to withstand significant seismic activity," City Administrator Kriss Shuler said. "Our reservoirs are at risk of catastrophic collapse during an earthquake, and this study will determine the necessary upgrades to ensure their stability in such an event."
Warden hires interim police chief
WARDEN – The City of Warden has brought on interim police chief Juan Rodriguez from the Moses Lake Police Department after former Police Chief Rick Martin retired June 15. “The toughest thing is sitting and driving around and listening to Moses Lake, which has 25 calls on the board and sitting over here waiting to pull over a car,” Rodriguez said.
Soap Lake schools get major repairs
SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake School District is in the process of making around $6.6 million worth of repairs. “The work is fantastic,” Superintendent Angela Rolfe said. “We're really excited to be able to upgrade and modernize some things that needed to be done.”
Soap Lake Conservancy special meeting Saturday
SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Conservancy will be holding a special meeting Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with several experts to discuss Soap Lake water levels, data and associated trends. “There will be a PowerPoint based on the lake,” Soap Lake Conservancy President Judith Gorman said. “These are the hot shots.”
Ephrata plans for roundabout detour
EPHRATA — The city of Ephrata is working alongside the Port of Ephrata and the Washington State Department of Transportation to finalize a plan for a detour while building a roundabout on state Route 282.
Ephratans asked to conserve water after well pump goes down
EPHRATA – The City of Ephrata is asking all residents and businesses to conserve water after a failure occurred in one of the city’s main water wells. “Well Three experienced a main shaft break between the motor and the pump, and we have a contractor coming on site this morning to start pulling the pump to hopefully replace or repair the main shaft and get it back online as soon as possible,” Ephrata City Public Works Director Rob Harris said.
Resource fair held at Open Doors Sleep Center
MOSES LAKE — With the Open Doors Sleep Center closing in days, several community resources gathered there Monday for a resource fair to ensure people have access to alternative resources. Several groups spoke with sleep center clients and provided alternatives in the community.
Moses Lake Family Picnic draws strong community support
MOSES LAKE — The annual Moses Lake Family Picnic took place on Saturday at Neppel Landing, celebrating the joys of community and family engagement in a day filled with activities, food and local vendors. According to Downtown Moses Lake Association Executive Director Malory Miller, this year’s event significantly outperformed last year’s, drawing an estimated 600 attendees.
Gas prices rise across the board
Washington only state with higher prices than last year
MOSES LAKE – Average gas prices rose across the nation, in Washington and in both Grant and Adams Counties, according to AAA. Washington, an outlier in the nation, is the only state in which prices are higher now than a year ago. “With Israel and Iran trading attacks over the past week, oil prices have continued to climb —and gasoline prices are following suit, rising at a pace we haven’t seen since last summer,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Few pumps have been immune, with nearly all states seeing gas prices rise over the last week. Now, with the U.S. launching attacks on Iran, oil prices are likely to continue trending higher. That said, I do not expect the apocalyptic spikes being circulated by some so-called influencers on social media — many of which are wildly inaccurate.”
Fireworks ignite wildfire outside Ephrata
EPHRATA – On Saturday evening at around 1:30 a.m., Grant County Fire District 13 was called out to the 1300 block of State Route 28 West for a wildfire. The cause is assumed to be fireworks, according to GCFD 13 Assistant Chief Todd Hufman.
Ephrata approves crack seal and pavement repair project
EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council unanimously accepted as complete the Crack Seal and Pavement Repair Project – 2024 during its regular meeting Wednesday. The project, which was started last year and completed this spring, was awarded to Quality Paving, LLC and totaled $415,686.75. Crews repaired sections of about 50 streets. “There are streets addressed all around town, and chip sealing is one of your best tools for preserving your pavement,” City Engineer Shawn O’Brien said in an interview with the Columbia Basin Herald. “It provides a new wearing surface for the cars to drive on, but it also preserves the existing pavement that breaks down and gets oxidized after years of use. This new shot of oil and chips protect that and kind of rejuvenates the existing payment.”
Whooping cough cases surge in 2024 in WA
OLYMPIA – Washington state saw a rise in whooping cough cases in 2024, with 2,261 confirmed and probable cases reported in preliminary figures.
City of Soap Lake reassumes control of Smokiam Campground, plans upgrades
SOAP LAKE – After years of private management, the City of Soap Lake has officially taken back control of the Smokiam Campground. Mayor Peter Sharp said he supported the transition towards revitalizing the local asset.
Ephrata completes upgrades to Nat Washington Way
EPHRATA – After months of planning and construction, Nat Washington Way has received significant upgrades designed to improve an important thoroughfare in Ephrata. Funded by an almost $158,000 Transportation Improvement Board grant, the improvements include a new layer of chip seal and the addition of a center turn lane, enhancing both accessibility and safety for residents, according to City Engineer Shawn O’Brien.
Paw-sitive saving adoption event at Umpqua Bank on Friday
MOSES LAKE – On Friday, Umpqua Bank will host the "Paw-sitive Savings Adoption Event" to help Grant County Animal Outreach find loving homes for local pets in need. The event will feature six to seven adoptable dogs, with discounted adoption fees aimed at encouraging attendees to adopt.
Moses Lake Library critical part of substance use prevention
MOSES LAKE — In a world where substance use among youth is a growing concern, the Moses Lake Library is a resource in promoting prevention through community engagement, mentorship and diverse programming, according to Moses Lake Community Coalition members.
BBCC celebrates record-breaking graduation
MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College held its 62nd commencement ceremony on Friday night at Lions Field, where it celebrated the largest graduating class in the college’s history. A total of 663 graduates received their degrees. Sara Thompson Tweedy, BBCC’s 10th president, highlighted the importance of the occasion. “We are here tonight to recognize and celebrate our graduates, as well as to honor the friends and family, faculty and staff who helped our graduates arrive on this day,” she said. The ceremony was attended by graduates and their families from across the United States, including California, Hawaii, and Idaho, as well as international attendees from Canada and Israel.
Gas prices rise locally, nationwide
MOSES LAKE — Average gas prices in Grant County and across the nation rose slightly. While in Washington the average stayed the same for the second week in a row and Adams County saw a slight decrease, according to AAA.
Canal safety urged after drowning incidents
QUINCY — As the warmer months approach, local officials are raising awareness about the dangers posed by irrigation canals, which are integral to the region's agricultural landscape but can be deadly. In recent months, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office has reported two drownings linked to these canals, highlighting the need for community education on canal safety.
Two Open Doors Sleep Center clients discuss impacts of closure
MOSES LAKE – As the countdown to the closure of the Open Doors Sleep Center continues, individuals relying on its services face renewed uncertainty. Among those impacted by the closure are Brett Tolley, a resident of Moses Lake for over 15 years, and Daniel Clark, who has been unsheltered for nearly three decades.
'No Kings' protest goes off peacefully in Moses Lake on Saturday
MOSES LAKE – Around 330 people lined East Broadway Avenue and North Stratford Road Saturday for a “No Kings” protest, according to Grant County Democrat Vice Chair and Protest Co-organizer Jill Springer. “I have met republicans, independents, progressives, liberals, a couple of conservatives and we have the democrats,” Springer said. “I mean it is a whole bunch of people, different types of people all gathered out here today.”
Grant Co. celebrates courage and community at Chief for a Day
EPHRATA — Laughter filled the air and smiles shone brightly Thursday as Grant County honored 11 exceptional children during the annual Chief for a Day celebration. “Seeing the excitement and happiness on their faces is heartwarming,” said Kyle Foreman, Public Information Officer for the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
Soap Lake Library celebrating renewed look, efficient layout
SOAP LAKE – One Soap Lake resident walks into the library, takes one lap around the building, stopping to look at a couple of things. Before he walks out, he turns to the librarian with a smile on his face. “Looks good in here,” he said before walking out.