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12-year-old booked for driving stolen vehicle from King Co.
MOSES LAKE – A 12-year-old was arrested after Grant County Sheriff’s Officers stopped him in a stolen vehicle by using the Precision Immobilization Technique.
WDFW looking for new Game Management council members
OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently accepting applications for new members to its Game Management Advisory Council. WDFW Director Kelly Susewind will appoint eight members to the 18-member council, with terms commencing in 2025.
GCFD7 asking for junk vehicles for training
SOAP LAKE — Grant County Fire District 7 purchased a brand-new set of extrication tools — which will help the firefighters to remove people from damaged cars and perform life saving rescues.
CWU to host lecture on plantation imagery in Cuba
ELLENSBURG — The Central Washington University Department of Art + Design will host a lecture by art historian Dr. Asiel Sepúlveda on Thursday, according to an announcement from the university. Titled “The Plantation’s Smokescreens: Art and Vision in Nineteenth-Century Cuba,” the talk will explore how lithographic artists crafted new ways of seeing the Cuban landscape during the 19th century.
Tigers, Legos and farewells at Ephrata schools meeting
EPHRATA – During the Nov. 25 Ephrata School Board meeting there was a presentation on the First Lego League. Then there was discussion around electronic doors, new kitchen equipment and a donation. The meeting ended with a farewell to Board Director Anita Waller who has resigned her position to focus on personal matters.
Ferguson names leaders for three state agencies
OLYMPIA — Governor-elect Bob Ferguson selected leaders of three state agencies Wednesday, according to an announcement from Ferguson’s office: Marcus Glasper as director of the Department of Licensing; David Puente Jr. as the director of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and Cheryl Strange as acting secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services. Strange formerly served as Secretary of DSHS from 2017 to 2021. Marcus Glasper has been serving as the director of the Department of Licensing since April 2023, according to the announcement. In his role at DOL, Glasper serves on the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission and the Transportation Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. Glasper has over 30 years of public sector experience, and prior to his appointment at DOL, he served as the director of the Washington State Lottery for five years. He has served the public in a variety of Washington State executive leadership positions including Deputy Director at the Department of Revenue and Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Department of Corrections. Prior to his state service, he spent a decade working for the United States Department of Energy.
Prescribed burns scheduled to mitigate wildfires, improve habitats
OLYMPIA – Across Washington, ecosystems ranging from the Western Washington prairies and meadows to the Columbia Basin wetlands and Eastern Washington's pine forests and shrub steppe are showing positive effects of prescribed fire, according to a statement from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. WDFW, along with its partners, utilizes this natural management tool to reduce wildfire fuel and severity, improve wildlife habitats and promoting native species across the state.
Rep. Dye earns award for ag service
WENATCHEE — Ninth District Representative Mary Dye (R-Pomeroy) received the State Representative Legislator of the Year award from the Washington Farm Bureau at its annual meeting last week in Wenatchee.
Keeping holiday safety in the forefront
EPHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office released advice for residents for the holidays. GCSO said this is a good time for swindlers and thieves to take advantage of good people, this is the sheriff’s office advice to stop them. The City of Moses Lake Fire Department also released a statement regarding house fires this holiday season. The statement is broken into five different parts – at home, strangers at door, leaving for the holidays, house fires and after the holiday.
SLSD gets new transportation number
SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake School District announced the transportation department has a new phone number 509-390-4060. The transportation office should be contacted for long-term changes of more than one week. For temporary bus changes, the district asks for people to call the school offices. The elementary school can be reached at 509-246-1323. The middle and high school’s office can be contacted at 509-246-1201.
Two Moses Lake men booked for trespassing
EPHRATA – Two Moses Lake men were booked into Grant County Jail Thursday night for suspicion of second-degree trespassing on private property near Ephrata, according to a statement released from Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
STUDIO BASIN: Natural gas, media literacy and state playoffs
MOSES LAKE – On this week's STUDIO BASIN Podcast, Managing Editor R. Hans "Rob" Miller and Senior Reporter Joel Martin discuss the results of the initiative ballot measure to repeal a ban on natural gas in new construction in Washington and lessons from how coverage of that issue can be used to improve media literacy. Readers are encouraged to think about where news outlets may be trying to lead them rather than allowing them to decide for themselves as they should.
Black Friday fish have been stocked across WA
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is stocking 24 lakes with over 65,000 rainbow trout for Black Friday fishing. The fish measured longer than 14 inches and weighed around three pounds each, according to WDFW.
WA expands access to free school meals for students
OLYMPIA – As of Oct. 15, 2024, over 775,000 students in Washington State, around 70% of the student population, have access to school meals at no out-of-pocket cost. This initiative follows recent legislative expansions aimed at addressing food insecurity among students.
Be prepared when traveling over passes
MOSES LAKE — With Thanksgiving approaching, many local residents will be driving over mountain passes to see family and friends. Because road conditions on those passes can be unpredictable, it’s important to be aware of conditions before traveling and to have the right equipment on your vehicle.
Ephrata chamber to hold window decorating contest
EPHRATA — The Ephrata Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the Bells on Basin Christmas window decorating contest this year for downtown businesses, according to an announcement from the chamber.
WA DOH recommends holiday vaccinations
OLYMPIA – Thanksgiving is a little over a week away, winter holidays will follow closely behind, and the Washington State Department of Health issued a press release reminding residents to get the updated COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, vaccines.
New PIO appointed for BPA
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Bonneville Power Administration announced Wednesday that Chris Wilk has been appointed as its new chief information officer and executive vice president of information technology, effective December 1.
Grant awarded to fight sexual exploitation
MOSES LAKE – The Fulcrum Institute Dispute Resolution Clinic’s SAVE ONE Sexual Exploitation Prevention Program has received a grant from Confluence Health and the Wenatchee Valley Medical Group through their Community Partnership Fund to support middle and high school students in North Central Washington, according to an announcement from the institute.
STUDIO BASIN: A love of welding and playoff football
MOSES LAKE – Seth Miner, the owner of a local fabrication and welding company Miner Services LLC, joins the STUDIO BASIN podcast to discuss his journey from couch-hopping, to starting in the welding field, to eventually owning and operating his own welding business. Miner tells his story about how he forged a path to success with the help of his community, wife and his own ambition. For those interested in hiring Miner for a job visit his website at MinerServicesLLC.com or call him at 509-750-1406.
MLPD arrests 19 in prostitution crackdown
MOSES LAKE -- The Moses Lake Police Department Investigations unit with the support of Othello Pollice Department conducted a three-day human trafficking operation. The three-day operation was designed to impact both the demand and supply side of human trafficking. There were a total of 19 arrests with 13 of them for patronizing a prostitute and the other six for prostitution.
Moses Lake man sentenced to five years after detonating bomb
SPOKANE – Nicholas Andrew Anardi, 33, of Moses Lake has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after setting off an explosive device. Chief Judge Stanley A. Bastian of the U.S. District Court Eastern Washington District also imposed three years of supervised release following imprisonment in Anardi’s case.
Keep food safety in mind this Thanksgiving
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Turkey is the most popular dish during Thanksgiving celebrations, yet there are many inexperienced cooks who will be in the kitchen. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is encouraging consumers to practice food safety throughout the entire Thanksgiving process, from the grocery store to the dining table.
ACSO arrests Moses Lake man for suspected burglaries
MOSES LAKE – A Moses Lake man was arrested on suspicion of burglary Tuesday.
Soap Lake City Council calls special meeting
SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake City Council is calling a special meeting this Friday at 5:30. The agenda for the meeting includes an executive session for current or potential litigation. The meeting will be held at the Soap Lake Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center at 301 Daisy Street North as the Soap Lake Community and Senior Center, where the council normally meets, is booked for another event. The Columbia Basin Herald will have an updated story after the meeting if action follows the executive session.
Moses Lake resident booked for alleged sexual assault of a minor relative
MOSES LAKE — Jason Klein, 34, Moses Lake resident was booked into Grant County Jail on several charges related to sexually assaulting a juvenile relative over several years, according to a statement from Grant County Sheriff’s Office. Klein was booked for charges of second-degree rape of a child, two counts of third-degree rape of a child, commercial sexual abuse of a minor and first-degree incest. GCSO detectives were notified by the 15-year-old victim Nov. 1, and a search warrant was served to Klein’s home. The detectives found evidence corroborating the victim’s statements and Klein was booked on the allegation.
$3,300 in grants to go to various Grant Co. school districts
GRAND COULEE — The Friends of the Lower Grand Coulee have been awarded classroom grants for the 2024 to 2025 school year. Each year the FLGC awards a minimum of ten teacher classroom grants with the help of North Central Education Foundation. The grants so far total $3,300 and will assist Soap Lake School District, Ephrata School District, Moses Lake School District and Quincy School District. The funding will help support around 200 students, according to a statement from the FLGC. The activities funded include a Colville Tribes field trip, a study of history, culture and importance of salmon habitat, butterfly life cycle, plant growth in partnership with Washington State University Master Gardener Outreach, rover exploration missions and more.
Ephrata High School expands parking lot from donations
EPHRATA — The Ephrata High School received an upgrade to its softball and soccer parking lot. Tommer Construction and Stevens Hay donated $25,000 in labor and supplies to expand the lot and make it more accessible to families and fans. "We are incredibly grateful to Tommer Construction, Stevens Hay, and the Enforcers Softball Program, whose connections helped make this project possible," said Bryan Johnson, Ephrata High School Athletic Director. "Their generosity has provided a much-needed upgrade that will make the complex easily accessible to more people. This donation also allows the district to allocate resources that would have been used on this project toward other initiatives that directly benefit our students."
GCFD 3 awarded Local Heroes grant
RICHLAND — Grant County Fire District 3, which serves the Quincy, George and Crescent Bar areas, was one of 44 recipients of more than $475,000 in grants to organizations across the Pacific Northwest as part of Gesa Credit Union’s Local Heroes Grant Program, according to an announcement from Gesa. This marks the program’s largest donation year yet. The top awarded organizations received upwards of $50,000 to support their individual needs.
WA courts still impacted after computer breach
OLYMPIA – The Administrative Office of the Courts released a statement last Monday Nov. 4 regarding unauthorized activity on the Washington Courts network. The office took immediate action to restore and secure services.
WA Moves to eliminate harmful thermal receipts
OLYMPIA — In an announcement the Washington State Department of Commerce has announced the replacement of thermal receipt paper containing harmful bisphenols—specifically BPA and BPC—with a safer, phenol-free alternative.
Moses Lake Rotary Club opens annual scholarship application
MOSES LAKE – The Rotary Club of Moses Lake has opened their scholarship application for the 2025-26 school year. The Rotary Club in the spring awarded $75,000 in scholarships. The scholarships are open for three groups of people: students graduating from Big Bend Community College wishing to continue their education towards a bachelor’s degree, students enrolled at BBCC who graduated from a high school in the BBCC service area pursuing certification in a Workforce Education Program and high school seniors graduating from a high school in the BBCC service district of Grant and Adams counties wishing to pursue training leading in certification in a Workforce Education career.
Delays expected during SR 17 traffic light work
MOSES LAKE — Drivers traveling State Route 17 through Moses Lake Tuesday and Wednesday nights will encounter flagger-controlled traffic at two busy intersections as traffic lights get an upgrade.
NEWS BITES Nov. 12, 2024
EAST WENATCHEE — The City of East Wenatchee posted a statement saying that there will be one-way traffic south on Northwest Cascade Avenue from 23rd Street Northwest and east on 19th Street Northwest from Northwest Cascade Avenue.
Updated Adams Co. election info
RITZVILLE — Incumbent Adams County commissioners Dan Blankenship and Jay Weise maintained their leads over challengers in updated vote totals released Friday.
Brown leads Washington AG polls
OLYMPIA – Democrat Nick Brown is leading the polls for attorney general with 55.8% of the votes. His opponent, Republican Pete Serrano has 44.1% of the votes.
Outstanding Service to Veterans Award recipients recognized for dedication, commitment
OLYMPIA — The Governor's Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee has announced the recipients of the 2024 Outstanding Service to Veterans Awards, which recognize individuals who have showed remarkable dedication to veterans and their families. The award recipients will be honored at the Auburn Veterans Day Parade luncheon, where they will be recognized for their exceptional achievements, according to the announcement.
Samaritan, Big Bend partner for internship program
MOSES LAKE — A collaboration has been announced between Samaritan Healthcare and Big Bend Community College to provide a paid internship opportunity for second-year Manufacturing and Process Technology students.
STUDIO BASIN: Boeing strike, election results and football playoffs
MOSES LAKE – On this spisode of the STUDIO BASIN podcast, senior reporter Cheryl Schweizer and Staff Writer Nance Beston discuss the Moses Lake School District naming Carol Lewis its superintendent, Boeing's machinists strike ending and the results of Tuesday's local elections in Grant and Adams counties.
WA Governor-elect names executive team
SEATTLE – Washington Governor-Elect Bob Ferguson filled his executive leadership team Nov. 7.
North 40 hosting firearm lock giveaway to promote safety
MOSES LAKE – In an effort to promote firearm safety, North 40 Outfitters in Moses Lake is hosting an event on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. where attendees will receive free gun safety devices such as lock boxes and trigger locks, courtesy of the Grant County Health District's Safe Kids and Injury Prevention programs.
Upthegrove leads in DNR commissioner race
OLYMPIA – The race for lands commissioner has seen some ups and downs over the last several months with Hillary Franz stepping aside to run for Congress and opening the primary for several challengers. After a primary recount, Dave Upthegrove, a Democrat, faced off against Republican Jamie Herrera Beutler.
Moses Lake man arrested for murder of grandfather
MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man was arrested Monday after his grandfather was found buried in a shallow grave near Stanley Road in Cascade Valley.
ACSO deputy crashes going to call for aid
OTHELLO — A reported burglary led to a damaged patrol vehicle and a trespass citation, according to a statement from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
Some GC District Court services suspended
EPHRATA — Payments due to Grant County District Court will not be processed for a few days, possibly through the end of the week, after unauthorized activity was discovered on the statewide Washington Courts network.
American Legion to host USMC ceremony, veterans parade next week
EPHRATA — American Legion Art Semro Post and Unit 28 will celebrate the founding of the Marine Corps and honor veterans with ceremonies Nov. 10 and 11, according to an announcement from the post.
STUDIO BASIN: Boeing strike, upcoming elections and state placers
MOSES LAKE -- On this episode of the STUDIO BASIN podcast, Managing Editor R. Hans “Rob” Miller and Reporter Nance Beston discussed the Boeing strike, the impacts of the strike and the new contract union members are voting on Monday. The two also discussed another important vote with a discussion about the presidential campaign, the Fourth Congressional district seat and other local elections on the ballot this year. The Studio Basin wants to remind people to turn in their ballots at either a ballot drop box or go to a post office to get their ballot postmarked before mailing it to ensure it is counted. The Studio Basin does not promote any candidate or party but does promote using your constitutional right and responsibility to vote.
Fishing closed on Snoqualmie River
OLYMPIA — Fishing will close Friday on the Snoqualmie River from its mouth near Monroe to Snoqualmie Falls, according to an announcement from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
WDFW asks public not to leave pumpkins for wildlife
MOSES LAKE – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife released a statement reminding people not to leave pumpkins out for wildlife but instead toss or compost them.
Basin Events Calendar: November 2024
MOSES LAKE – As we pass through Halloween and move toward Thanksgiving, the community’s holiday spirit comes through in a wide variety of community events and activities. Here are just a few bits of the festivities coming up in November. If you have an event you’d like included in upcoming calendars, email it to [email protected].