LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Vetting national and regional news
MOSES LAKE — Today’s media landscape often looks like a big bowl of spaghetti tossed against a wall already splattered with curry, leftover taco meat and gummy worms. It ain’t pretty, and it’s not always easy to decide, especially for national and global news, where to get information.
UPDATED: Spokane SWAT, MLPD, partners conduct joint raid in Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE – Spokane SWAT officers, Moses Lake Police Department officers and other law enforcement agencies conducted a raid on the old EconoLodge location at 316 S. Pioneer Way in Moses Lake at about 3 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Filling a need: New homes coming to Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — Last year, looking for a new home in Moses Lake was like a bad dream. The home construction industry was in a slump, and people who needed a place to live were out of luck. Add to that a spate of manufacturers setting up operations in town, and the crunch became even greater.
Moses Lake Farmers Market kicks off Saturday
MOSES LAKE – Beginning on opening day Saturday, the Moses Lake Farmers Market will be open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in McCosh Park, behind the Surf ‘n Slide Water Park, with local craft, produce and food vendors selling their goods. Moses Lake Farmers Market Board President Rachel Naff discussed the basics of the market.
Law enforcement logs for May 3, 2024
The reports below were provided by the sheriff’s office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Legals for May, 3 2024
Chip sealing underway near Othello, Royal City next
ROYAL CITY — Road crews will start chip-sealing on a 30-mile section of State Route 26 in the Royal City area beginning in mid-May. Crews are scheduled to finish chip-sealing on a section of SR 26 near Othello later this week. Additional chip seal work is scheduled for US Highway 97 between Tonasket and Oroville in Okanogan County, according to a press release from the Washington Department of Transportation.
BASIN SOCCER ROUNDUP: Six squads begin playoffs
COLUMBIA BASIN – Postseason competition on the soccer field began on Tuesday for Basin teams and continues over the next two weeks. Read along for a look at where teams stand heading into the playoffs.
News bites for May 3, 2024
MOSES LAKE — The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of an armed and dangerous fugitive, according to an announcement from the Moses Lake Police Department. Christopher Valle-Maciel, 18, is wanted in connection with a Nov. 12 homicide in Moses Lake, according to the statement. He is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and 113 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault and first-degree drive-by shooting. Anyone with information regarding Valle-Maciel’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Marshals Service at 1-800-336-0102 or www.usmarshals.gov/tips.
DIAMOND RECAP: Welcome to the postseason
COLUMBIA BASIN – District playoffs in both baseball and softball have started across the Columbia Basin, with local squads looking to qualify for their respective state tournaments.
Columbia Basin farmers hopeful irrigation program will stretch water resources
(The Center Square) – Farmers in the central and eastern portions of Washington state are hoping recent developments related to the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program will mean the eventual completion of canal systems to supply water from the Grand Coulee Dam. In the meantime, farmers have been relying on deep wells they've been given permission to drill as a temporary measure.
Missing Colville tribal member located, reported safe
NESPELEM – Colville tribal member Amanda Pakootas, who was missing and reported by police to be held against her will, was located Monday night in Spokane and is reported to be safe, according to an announcement from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
Candidate filing opens Monday
EPHRATA — Two countywide elected positions in Grant and Adams counties, county Superior Court seats, all state Representative and some state Senate seats will be up for election in 2024. Two positions also are up for election on the Grant County PUD board. Candidate filing week is next Monday through Friday.
May 2024 Basin Events
COLUMBIA BASIN — There’s no excuse for being bored in the Columbia Basin this month. This listing is noncomprehensive and event details may change or events may be canceled at the organizers’ discretion. Readers are encouraged to call ahead or verify the information below online prior to the event.
What rescheduling marijuana means for WA cannabis industry
(The Center Square) – The Biden administration’s move to reclassify marijuana as a lower-risk substance has broad implications for the cannabis industry at large, including in Washington state, a pioneer in the legal cannabis industry. On Dec. 6, 2012, Washington became the first state in the nation to legalize recreational use of marijuana and the first to allow recreational marijuana sales, alongside Colorado. Washington had previously legalized medical marijuana in 1998.
WSU partners with community colleges to enhance urban forests
PUYALLUP — Washington State University is working with four community colleges to improve tree canopy cover in several urban areas throughout the state. The five-year project, designed to increase resilience amid a changing climate, is supported by a nearly $1.8 million Inflation Reduction Act grant from the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program. WSU researchers will collaborate with faculty and students at Spokane Community College, Highline Community College (Des Moines, Washington), Whatcom Community College (Bellingham, Washington), and Tacoma Community College to create thriving urban forests in neighborhoods near those schools.
New Ephrata Schools leaders share working vision
EPHRATA – As the 2023-24 school year winds down to a close, newly-selected Ephrata School District Superintendent Ken Murray and his soon-to-be Assistant Superintendent Aaron Cummings said they’ll be focused on being purpose-driven and detailed in their approach to running the district together.
Big Bend's Upward Bound program inducts 35 new members
MOSES LAKE — Thirty-five high school students from Grant and Adams counties were formally welcomed into Big Bend Community College’s TRiO Upward Bound Program Tuesday night. The program aims to get more high school students into college, and by joining Upward Bound, students are pledging their commitment to pursuing a college education. That commitment is a big deal, and deserves to be recognized, said Big Bend TRiO Upward Bound Director Anita De Leon.
The Cost of farming: Irrigation expenses follow a unique set of rules
MOSES LAKE — When it comes to the cost of farming, irrigation – especially in the Columbia Basin – is a cost that has to be factored in and planned for with each acre having a place in the water-cost equation.
