Off to a fair start: Kiwanis Club hosts Cowboy Breakfast
MOSES LAKE — If the music, games and performances didn’t lure people to Sinkiuse Square Friday morning, it must have been the smell of waffles, syrup, sausage, eggs and coffee as the Kiwanis Club of Moses Lake kicked off the Grant County Fair with the Cowboy Breakfast.
'It's refreshing': Summer Street on 3rd brings color to downtown Moses Lake
“We’re moving from recovery to (resilience),” said Downtown Moses Lake Association (DMLA) Executive Director Lexi Smith of post-shutdown Moses Lake.
Moses Lake to demolish some old structures
This year, the city of Moses Lake is cleaning up some rubble.
Rolling along: Moses Lake proceeds on skate park upgrades with donors’ support
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake City Council unanimously voted to allow City Manager Allison Williams to sign a draft agreement on Tuesday between the Moses Lake Rotary Club and the city to move forward with upgrades to the skate park.
Motorcyclist collides with car in Moses Lake; police limited on pursuit
A speeding motorcyclist was able to escape apprehension and allegedly caused a collision because police said they couldn’t pursue the motorcycle due to laws, which took effect in July.
Williams to remain interim Mattawa chief through January
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously 7-0 to extend the three-month interlocal agreement with Mattawa, allowing MLPD Capt. Mike Williams to remain the interim Mattawa police chief through Jan. 31, 2022. The initial agreement expired July 27.
Bikers, hikers rejoice: New bridge will reconnect Palouse to trail
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is designing a new Lower Crab Creek Bridge and contracting a team to demolish the remnants of the old one that burned in a 2019 wildfire.
Events to take over downtown Moses Lake
The Downtown Moses Lake Association (DMLA) is concluding its summer event series with Summer Street on 3rd from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 14 at 306 Ash St., and a Downtown Open Mic Night from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 26 at the same location, Sinkiuse Square.
Path of discovery: Squirrel Fight founders add to brewing scene
MOSES LAKE — The mornings before Moses Lake’s Squirrel Fight Artisan Brewing opens, co-owners Ruben Vela and Troy Watson are in their happy place: the brewery, behind the taproom, mixing their concoction.
Equal rides: Ephrata car community welcomes all enthusiasts
EPHRATA — When informal car meetups spring up across Grant County, most enthusiasts aren’t hoping to see anything specific.
Helping sands: ORV group maintains Moses Lake Mud Flats and Sand Dunes roads
The Sand Scorpions ORV Group board and a handful of volunteers met at North Trail Road toward the mud flats area of the Moses Lake Mud Flats and Sand Dunes Saturday for maintenance.
She Se Puede pop-up market continues tour
The She Se Puede all-women business owners pop-up market spent the weekend at the Cup of Joy Espresso parking lot, 505 Basin St. SW, in Ephrata.
By the numbers: EWU economist gives city council statistics on population, crime rate, graduation, median income
MOSES LAKE — “Numbers are stories. They’re not numbers. They’re actually stories, so the context helps explain that story,” said Dr. Patrick Jones of Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy and Economics at a study session prior to a recent Moses Lake City Council meeting.
Bike rodeo returns; organizers seek donations
Moses Lake’s Bike Rodeo is returning this year, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Sept. 25, at Paul Lauzier Athletic Complex, 933 Central Drive, and organizers are looking for bicycle donations and volunteers.
Pack to school: Verizon-Cellular Plus in Ephrata holds backpack giveaway
EPHRATA — Verizon-Cellular Plus at 1115 Basin St. SW, Suite A, in Ephrata had something special in store for families on Saturday, where a rainbow of more than 30 backpacks lined the wall of phone cases.
A festival of flowers: Nursery event bigger than ever
ROYAL CITY — The flowers’ rich scent overpowered even that of the food trucks.
Moses Lake’s National Night Out postponed due to poor air quality
Due to hazardous air quality, the Moses Lake Police Department has postponed National Night Out.
‘This is unbelievable’: Moses Lake rallies in preparation for fair
MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Fairgrounds’ annual 4-H and FFA cleanup day, in preparation for the Grant County Fair, was quite a bit different this year.
National Night Out returns to Moses Lake
The Moses Lake Police Department is joining departments nationwide in hosting National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign meant to promote partnership with the police.
Watching water: Moses Lake conservation measures extended through September
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake City Council voted Tuesday to extend the city’s conservation measures permanently from the beginning of June to the end of September.
Fish and Wildlife traps doves to prepare for hunting season
Hikers in the public hunting and fishing land west of Moses Lake may stumble upon something interesting scattered about the shrubsteppe this time of year – caged doves.
Local spirits: Moses Lake Distillery begins pouring for the public
MOSES LAKE — As the sun set on Moses Lake behind Midway Pub on Broadway Avenue, patrons could catch Zachary Hughes, owner of Moses Lake Distillery, in the back pouring his trademark wheated bourbon, rye bourbon and silver rum.
Ephrata structure fire kills two dogs
Two dogs died in a fire Sunday morning in Ephrata.
Man drowns in Moses Lake irrigation canal
A 44-year-old man died Sunday after being swept away in a Moses Lake irrigation canal.
Rolling with the changes: Moses Lake’s first responder calls increase as new laws take effect
MOSES LAKE — In the past two decades, call volume for the Moses Lake Fire Department has increased an average of 2.5% a year, said MLFD Chief Brett Bastian.
Serving Serve: Sale supports ministry caring for the Moses Lake community
MOSES LAKE — When Serve Moses Lake, along with a handful of generous donors and volunteers, had some items to get rid of, the solution fell before them: a garage sale fundraiser.
More protection: Department of Fish and Wildlife receives funds to protect shrubsteppe
Because of last year’s immense fire-scar on land vital to vulnerable and endangered animal populations in the Columbia Basin, state legislators passed a Shrubsteppe Fire Recovery and Preparedness Proviso to protect Department of Fish and Wildlife lands, as well as their partners and stakeholders.
Fish and Wildlife asks anglers to give fish a break
Because of record-breaking summer temperatures in Washington, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is asking anglers to practice responsible fish handling and to report unusual fish mortalities.
Remembering Ron Covey: Former Moses Lake mayor touched many lives in his community
Dr. Ronald Covey, born June 9, 1947, was a lifelong Moses Lake resident. He graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1965, ran a chiropractic clinic on Third Avenue for about 30 years, served 3.5 four-year terms on city council, from 1996-2009, and three two-year terms as mayor of Moses Lake, from 2004-2009.
Wrapped up in history: Royal City quilter sews her story
ROYAL CITY — “Quilting, if you like it, you get excited since the moment you start choosing the fabric,” said Sandra Cortes-Medina, chair of the Royal City Summerfest Quilt Show, which took place July 10.
Moses Lake takes steps toward Creative District designation
Moses Lake’s vision of designating downtown as a Creative District has surpassed the dreaming stage.
Classics on display: Show ‘n Shine returns to Kiwanis park
OTHELLO — With the Othello Spud Run 25th Annual Show ‘n Shine pushed back a year, it was a quiet hiatus for car enthusiasts. But according to All City Classics Car Club President RJ Lembcke, it was all the more time to build up cars and prepare for this year’s show.
Summer Street: Third Avenue opens up for summer fun
MOSES LAKE — Using what had to be done under COVID-19 restrictions as a model for social events may seem like a paradox, but that was exactly the idea behind the Downtown Moses Lake Association’s (DMLA) Summer Street on 3rd on Saturday.
Popping up: She Se Puede market continues to grow
She did it again. After its May 15 debut, the She Se Puede (She Can Do It) all-women market in Quincy returned Saturday and Sunday, this time at the Mi Casa Market, 723 W. Third Ave., in Moses Lake.
Harold Crose: ‘Retired’ conservationist still making a difference
When conservationist Harold Crose first arrived in the area, the flood irrigation was eroding tons of soil from the field each season.
City gets updates on land use, capital facilities plans
Following April and May workshops on Moses Lake’s capital facilities and land use plans, Seattle-based BERK Consulting senior associate Kevin Gifford presented Tuesday to city council on these two elements of the overall comprehensive plan, which is headed for adoption in October.
Exciting times: Moses Lake Watershed Council gets funding for lake progress
MOSES LAKE — The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has granted the Moses Lake Watershed Council $100,000 for Phase 1 of its WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program to develop a plan to reduce the outbreak of toxic blue-green algae, as well as create an overall balanced system for a healthier lake.
Good cowboys, expert broncs: Basin family supplies the horses that make the rodeo buck
Hundreds of spectators gathered Memorial Day weekend for the Coulee City PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) Last Stand Rodeo.
Two wildfires scorch Dodson Road area
Four fire departments, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Land Management responded to two fires happening simultaneously just miles apart near Dodson Road Northwest on Sunday.
A town celebrates: Royal City turns out in force for Summerfest
When the Royal City Summerfest team received approval from the city, they had just four weeks to put the event together.
Good pickings: Raspberry farmer bounces back from strange year
MOSES LAKE — With strawberry season at its end and squash season not for another few months, that leaves a hodgepodge of berries and vegetables ready to pick in the meantime. For Columbia Basin u-pick farms, it’s been an odd season to say the least.
Who can respond? New use-of-force law changes police work in Moses Lake; police chief warns of limitations
“This was an unprecedented year in the legislature when it comes to police reform,” said Moses Lake Police Chief Kevin Fuhr at a recent city council meeting.
Harold Crose: Now-‘retired’ conservationist begins his work
Harold Crose never sought out leadership roles, he said, but he keeps finding himself in them.
A leader remembered: Moses Lake, Confederated Colville Tribes unveil new banners honoring Chief Moses downtown
Before the mural of Chief Moses on his horse and the basalt pillars of Sinkiuse Square in downtown Moses Lake, the Downtown Moses Lake Association, along with leaders of the city of Moses Lake and The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, unveiled six new banners titled “In honor of Chief Moses, our city’s namesake.”
Riding home: Rodeo family returns for Coulee City Last Stand
Shane Proctor, of Grand Coulee, has ridden bulls in professional rodeos across the globe. Of them all, Coulee City PRCA Last Stand Rodeo was one of the most nerve-wracking, he said. “They always say the hardest rodeo to win is your hometown rodeo, because that’s where all the pressure is,” he said.
Celebrating independence
A red blast lights up the sky over Moses Lake during the Moses Lake Freedom Fest fireworks show Sunday night.
Freedom Fest: Moses Lake celebrates
Putting on a Freedom Fest this year wasn’t guaranteed until about four weeks ago.
Moses Lake OKs plan for transportation
The Moses Lake City Council recently approved the Transportation Improvement Program, a six-year plan including new pavement, intersection studies, several road rechannelization propositions, new trails and more.
County won’t see Emergency Housing Voucher money
The American Rescue Plan, which Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., helped shepherd through the Senate, allowed the Department of Housing and Urban Development to allocate additional vouchers to public housing authorities in May. This meant $5 billion nationally and $28 million for Washington housing authorities.
Moses Lake reviews water rates, seeks public input
In the name of conservation, the city of Moses Lake is taking a more individualized approach to water and sewer rates.