SAM FLETCHER
Staff Writer
Recent Stories
Heat wave is good for jet skiing, but hard on animals
Recreating in the Basin changes completely based on weather, said Pro-Touch Jet Ski and Boat Rental owner Carlos Diaz.
Firefighters squash wildfire in difficult terrain
A traffic collision call at 12:45 p.m. Monday turned into a wildland fire near milepost 85 of state Route 17, just north of Soap Lake.
Heavy lifting: How Alexis Mansfield found her place at Chuck Yarbro Auctioneers
MOSES LAKE — At Chuck Yarbro Auctioneers Inc., 2566 N. Frontage Road in Ephrata, there are auctioneers, of course – and there are those who do everything but. Nineteen-year-old Alexis Mansfield is one of the latter.
Best of bunnies: Washington State Rabbit Breeders Association marks 75th year
MOSES LAKE — Rabbits are often auctioned for their meat, their fur or even to be used in laboratory research, but at Saturday’s 75th Washington State Rabbit Breeders Association (WSRBA) Convention at the Grant County Fairgrounds, it was mostly for the love of the animals – no different from a dog show.
Moses Lake receives new recovery funds
MOSES LAKE — When Washington’s Office of Financial Management sent word that Moses Lake must return all documents to receive further coronavirus fiscal recovery funds by June 18, 11 days after correspondence, city staffers acted quickly.
Conservation-minded: Moses Lake water-saving measures soon take effect; city considers more regulations
Moses Lake City Council last Tuesday addressed water conservation, as mandatory watering days take effect Thursday.
Othello man dies in collision
The Washington State Patrol responded to a fatal collision around 1:30 p.m. Friday involving three vehicles on state Route 17, near Sutton Road, just north of Othello.
Road report card: Moses Lake’s busy intersections will only get busier, says a consulting firm
MOSES LAKE — As Seattle-based BERK Consulting Inc. analyzes land use projections in Moses Lake, Perteet, an infrastructure consulting firm with offices in the Puget Sound, Wenatchee and Ellensburg, has been studying the city’s traffic to meet the transportation element of the city’s comprehensive plan.
Retired Reclamation surveyor’s guide to recreation in the Basin
Dick Hemore, of the MarDon Resort area, a retired U.S. Bureau of Reclamation surveyor and hunting and fishing guide, has been exploring the Columbia Basin for more than 60 years.
Play ball!: Moses Lake Youth Baseball honors Coach Pete Doumit with tournament
Around 25 teams from all over the state came together Friday through Sunday at the Larson Playfield on West Broadway Avenue in Moses Lake for the first-ever Pete Doumit Memorial Tournament, put on by the Moses Lake Youth Baseball Association (MLYBA).
Shear joy: Breeder finds calling with rare sheep
MOSES LAKE — Of all the animals Washington State University regional extension specialist, livestock and meat quality, Sarah Smith tends to, her Valais Blacknose sheep are the rarest.
Pondering trails: Moses Lake Trails Planning Team talks about new trails on Marina Drive, state Route 17, Nelson Road
At a recent Moses Lake Trails Planning Team meeting, many ideas were thrown around to extend, repair or beautify pedestrian and bicycle opportunities across town in coming months.
Working together: Volunteers fix up Doolittle Dream Park
MOSES LAKE — While the Doolittle Dream Park off Patton Boulevard in Moses Lake is already considered by many one of Moses Lake’s best playgrounds, Sunday morning its jungle gym had a bit more vibrancy, its fencing a bit more strength; the entire place was a bit more gleaming.
Moses Lake’s Longview Tracts neighborhood to get major street upgrades
Kinder Road, off Stratford Road, and Longview Street in Moses Lake will be busy with reconstruction this summer.
Quincy’s graduating class celebrates 160 versions of success
QUINCY — “Pause and take a little time to be in this important moment,” Quincy High School Principal Felicie Becker said Saturday to the assembled Jacks — QHS’ mascot, short for jackrabbits — their families and friends, at commencement ceremonies.
Ephrata’s Sage-N-Sun returns
EPHRATA — The Ephrata community came together for Saturday’s Sage-N-Sun parade as if it’s not a given, because last year it wasn’t.
Mobile springtime: Moses Lake nursing home residents tend to indoor garden
MOSES LAKE — Living in a retirement facility can leave some residents missing the days of planting flowers in springtime or tending to a garden. These feelings are only compounded in the winter, then tripled by a year-plus of pandemic restrictions.
ML police to appear on TV show
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office and Moses Lake Police Department will appear on the Investigation Discovery show “Body Cam” at 9 p.m. tonight in an episode entitled “Life in Ruins.”
Group effort: Doolittle Dream Park to get a makeover
Around 30 volunteers will meet at Doolittle Dream Park on Patton Boulevard in Moses Lake June 19 for a work party and playground makeover.
Moses Lake reduces speed on Road 7
Per county officials’ recommendation, the Moses Lake City Council on Tuesday voted to reduce the speed of Moses Lake’s portion of Road 7 Northeast, between Stratford Road and Randolph Road Northeast, from 50 mph to 35 mph, to match the recent change of the county’s portion.
Preserving opportunity: Outdoor recreation through the eyes of a game warden, Part 2
MOSES LAKE — Sgt. Chris Busching of the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife police stops next at the boulders lined up before the Crab Creek Overlook. Across the way, in the middle of the sagebrush, is a car.
Last ride: MLCA grads wrap up high school with a city-wide scavenger hunt
MOSES LAKE — One of Saturday’s smaller commencement ceremonies took place at the Moses Lake Christian Academy (MLCA), where the senior class of five – Jacob Verhage, Braden Hunt, Sophie Emerson, David Emerson and Cole Lindberg – received their diplomas.
Sales in the sun: Moses Lake cleans house
MOSES LAKE — Around 60 yard sales sprang up across Moses Lake this weekend, which could be some sort of record.
Soap Lake’s 2021 grads toss caps in celebration
When Soap Lake School District Superintendent Sunshine Pray turned the microphone on at Saturday’s commencement ceremony, it hummed with the passing gust.
Preserving opportunity: Outdoor recreation through the eyes of a game warden, Part 1
“I want my kids to be able to hunt. I want your kids to be able to hunt,” said Sgt. Chris Busching of the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife police, driving down South Frontage Road outside of Moses Lake to the public hunting and fishing grounds Friday before Memorial Day.
Turning a corner: Excited crowd gathers for Washington’s second rodeo weekend in two years
The Coulee City Rodeo Grounds came alive again this weekend for the 69th annual — until a pandemic broke the chain — PRCA Last Stand Rodeo, with more than 80 barrel racers and more than 40 saddle bronc riders, the most they’ve ever had.
Boaters allegedly harass others flying pride flags; fire breaks out
Little information is confirmed of a boat fire Sunday afternoon on Moses Lake, but mechanical trouble might have caused the blaze.
ML passes neighborhood meeting ordinance
The Moses Lake City Council passed a new neighborhood meeting ordinance May 25, requiring developers with substantial plats, or those different from surrounding uses, built within or adjacent to residential zoning, to have a meeting with the neighborhood for input.
'Complete freedom': Tunes at the Dunes returns
MOSES LAKE — On dunes covered by ATVs and water covered by ski boats, there was plenty of movement and music Memorial Day weekend. But on Sunday, one boat stood taller and played louder than all the others.
Remembering: Moses Lake community honors fallen servicemembers
“When Memorial Day comes around, I think — I’m Vietnam era; I didn’t go to Vietnam — I think of my buddies that went there...
Possible road plan adjustments meet opposition
Moses Lake’s Transportation Improvement Program, with updates of city needs sent to regional, state and federal planning organizations each June, is a bit more complicated this year.
Coming out to play: Sand Scorpions to host Memorial Weekend Off Road Bash Saturday
MOSES LAKE — The games begin Memorial Day weekend, as the Sand Scorpions ORV Group hosts its biggest event in more than a year.
Grant County’s carp: How they arrived and why they thrive in toxic algae
Common carp have large bronze-gold scales, barbels on each side of their mouths and serrated fins down their spines. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, they can grow up to about 47 inches and weigh more than 88 pounds.
Let the good times roll: Lake Bowl hosts state tournament
MOSES LAKE — After a three-hour youth clinic Saturday, Lake Bowl hosted the Washington Youth Bowler’s Tour Tournament of Champions on Sunday, which meant a packed house, full lanes and stark competition.
Planting the seeds: Be Ready Expo aims to increase self-sufficiency
QUINCY — The Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum wasn’t expecting Saturday’s overcast sky and drizzle, but, of course, it was prepared for anything.
Carp for a cause: Bowfishing tournament cleans lake
The weather was less than optimal, sky dulled by clouds over a wind-chopped lake, making it difficult to see the big bellied bottom feeders. But that didn’t stop Ellensburg residents Trevor Gibson, Gavin Wing and Colby Myers from walking away with some money.
Moses Lake enters capital facilities analysis stage
Another aspect of Moses Lake’s ongoing comprehensive planning process came before the city council recently. The capital facilities plan is one part of the city’s comprehensive plan, which is headed for adoption in October.
Roadwork continues on Interstate 90 this week
Expect lane closures and reduced speed of 40 mph on Interstate 90 between mileposts 148 and 152, east of George.
GCHD aims to educate on vaccines: Locals’ hesistancy runs relatively high
In March, the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation found 21% of Washingtonians are hesitant toward getting the vaccine.
Housing money to filter down to Grant County
The Housing Authority of Grant County will get a boost through federal funding and the American Rescue plan, an economic stimulus bill signed by President Joe Biden on May 11.
Right on 'cue: Family adds Texas, New York flavors to Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — “Making good food and making people happy, I like that,” said Warren Small, owner of Smulligan’s Pizza & BBQ.
Grant County Sheriff's Office seeks suspects from Thursday shooting
The Grant County Sheriff's Office hasn’t found a suspect or motive for a shooting Thursday on state Route 17, south of Moses Lake.
Raising a glass: Beaumont Cellars celebrates release of summer wine
QUINCY — Beaumont Cellars Winery cleared off its crush pad, where it crushes and presses grapes, making room for a dining experience Friday outside its Quincy tasting room for the release of its summer wines.
More than a market, a movement: Women-owned businesses gather at ‘pop-up’ event
Beneath a lively reggaeton beat and nearly 90 degrees of heat, 12 women-owned small businesses set up booths for the first-ever She Se Puede (She Can Do It) Pop Up market, Saturday and Sunday, at the Andaluz family Mexican restaurant at 915 Central Ave. S., in Quincy.
Traffic change: Construction on Grape Drive roundabout to begin next year
After a statewide evaluation of intersection crash history, the Department of Transportation (WSDOT) found the state Route 17 and Grape Drive intersection has experienced three times the number of crashes compared to similar intersections, said WSDOT transportation engineer Justin Hammond at a presentation Tuesday to the Moses Lake City Council.
ML OKs homeless assistance proposal
The Moses Lake City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a proposal to expand homeless services in the name of a rapid re-housing and a hotel voucher program.
Cloudiness in water caused by city system change
Cloudy tap water? Try filling a glass and waiting a minute for it to clear.
Mistaken identity: Know what you’re seeing when hiking the Basin
A number of Washington species make the news frequently. Hot button animals in the area lately come in the form of the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, the northern leopard frog and the gray wolf.
Digging in: City breaks ground for new Larson Recreation Center
MOSES LAKE — “As the Mayor of the City of Moses Lake, it is my honor to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for our new Larson Recreation Center,” said Mayor David Curnel Wednesday morning.
Space needed: Grant County census data shows higher growth in population than housing
After an adjusted data release timeline due to COVID-19, the U.S. Census Bureau recently published its most updated population counts and housing data. For Grant County, the numbers show high growth and limited home options.