Soap Lake City Council approves new consultant despite mayor's objections
The position is temporary as hiring committee searches for administrator
SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a contract for municipal consulting services intended to help manage city operations while hiring committee searches for a permanent city administrator, but the decision exposed an ongoing disagreement between the council and Mayor Peter Sharp over the limits of executive authority.
Soap Lake Police Department reaches full staffing with swearing-in of newest officer
SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Police Department reached a staffing milestone Wednesday as its newest officer, Thomas Levi Johnson, was sworn in during the Soap Lake City Council's regular meeting.
Cool weather, warm spirit at Moses Lake’s National Night Out
MOSES LAKE — The weather is a little cooler than a month ago, but that didn’t stop a good-sized crowd from coming downtown for National Night Out Tuesday. “(The people who came out) got to see the weather just like we did, and I’m sure they were like, really?” said Moses Lake Police Chief David Sands. “But they came out, so we’re very appreciative.” National Night Out is held nationwide on or around the first Tuesday of August, but this year the smoke from wildfires across eastern Washington made it less than fun to be outside, so the Moses Lake, Quincy and Ephrata police departments all postponed their events. The turnout was a little thinner than in previous years, Sands said; in addition to the fall weather, school had started, and many families had after-school activities.
Othello Demo sees high action Wednesday
OTHELLO — The Othello Demolition Derby was held Wednesday night at the Adams County Fairgrounds. Throughout the competition sparks flew and racers fought hard to claim new heights in the arena.
BASIN EVENTS: Sept. 18-26
COLUMBIA BASIN — It’s officially fall, with cooler temperatures and shorter days. Here are a few things to occupy your week.
Quincy schedules hearing on kratom ban
QUINCY — A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 6 for the Quincy City Council to ask the public's opinion on a proposal to regulate kratom sales in Quincy. The vote was 5-0; it was approved without discussion. Council members Andrew Royer and Dylan Kling did not attend the meeting.
Eagles fall at home to Odessa
SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Eagles volleyball team (1-4) fell to Odessa (3-1) Wednesday evening. Though the Eagles lost in three sets, the closeness of each set showed the young squad a lot about where they need to improve moving further into their season, head coach Erin Fletcher said. “I felt like we beat ourselves,” said Fletcher. “We have come so far, I think it was a really good matchup against us and Odessa, but it wasn’t a game where I feel like we truly got beat, but instead kind of beat ourselves.” Mental errors down the stretch were ultimately what ended up costing the Eagles deep into their sets. While this can be frustrating for the team, Fletcher said as the girls gain more varsity experience, they will learn how to navigate through that.
Meet Baby Girl
Baby Girl is ready to promote you from casual dog admirer to full-time best friend. With her blonde-and-black coat and sweet personality, she's proof that the best things in life come in mixed packages. At 3 years old, Baby Girl has left the puppy chaos behind but still has plenty of tail-powered enthusiasm for life's adventures. She's spayed, vaccinated, and ready to move into a forever home where she can trade shelter life for couch privileges. If you've been waiting for a sign to add a little more joy to your daily routine, consider this your official paw-clamation. Don't let the name fool you. Baby Girl may be grown up, but she's still looking for someone to love her like she's the newest member of the family. To adopt Jerry or another furry friend, visit GrantCountyAnimalOutreach.org or call 509-762-9616. This spot is sponsored by Hot Springs Spa & Leisure. To sponsor the Pet of the Day, call the Columbia Basin Herald Advertising Manager Jeannie Austin-Cook at 509-765-4561.
BUILDING PERMITS: Moses Lake, Grant County
City of Moses Lake August 2026 Scotty Tymczszyn, 200 block of South Pinyon Court, residential HVAC, no valuation given
Moses Lake Pickleball Club serves up growth at McCosh Park
MOSES LAKE — As pickleball continues to grow in popularity across the country, a group of Moses Lake residents are working to increase the sport's presence locally. Most recently, Moses Lake Pickleball Club board members spearheaded a project that brought new nets to McCosh Park. "Our goal and our direction is, grow the club, get to where we have insurance, have club times, and then actually start hosting some tournaments here locally," Morris said.
Horizon employees give back to community
MOSES LAKE — The team at Horizon Credit Union took some time away from the office Tuesday to tackle a different line of work. “We’ve been doing this for about 10 years,” said Branch Manager Anthony Morris. “We close our branch down at noon and then we spend about four or five hours donating our time to the community.” The effort was part of Horizon’s “Go. Give. Grow.” event, in which all branches closed for half a day so employees could volunteer at a local nonprofit. Eight Moses Lake branch employees spent their afternoon at the Moses Lake Food Bank, sorting and packaging fresh produce. “We just got done bagging plums, cherries, peaches, tomatoes,” said Pieper Hansen, who was sealing bananas in plastic with coworkers Mary Garza and Rachel Buckle.
Listings up, sales down in the Basin
MOSES LAKE — Washington home buyers had more to choose from this year, according to data released by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which tracks real estate trends in 27 of Washington’s 39 counties. Active listings in Washington increased 22% between August 2025 and August 2026, according to the NWMLS data. The growth during that time was much less in the Basin; Grant County active listings rose 10.98% and only 7.1% in Adams County. Compared to July 2026, August active listings held fairly steady in Grant County, rising 2.44%. Adams County active listings rose from 49 in July to 58 in August.
Basin soccer roundup, Sept. 10 – 17
MOSES LAKE — Basin girls soccer continues to shine on the pitch this season, with some teams like the Quincy Jacks (5-0) and Royal Knights (5-0) undefeated to this point. See below how your favorite teams have fared in the last week of play.
College Sports Schedule: Sept. 18-25, 2026
MOSES LAKE — College athletes continue through their early season matchups as the fall season settles in. Check out where your favorite teams will be competing this week.
Othello Fair brings bigger crowds, more exhibits and plenty of smiles
OTHELLO — From giant bubbles floating above delighted children to packed livestock barns and bustling exhibit halls, the Othello Fair is seeing growth across the board this year.
Grant County Jail Roster for Sept. 17, 2026
Grant County Jail Roster for Sept. 17, 2026
Child removed from home after fentanyl investigation leads to two arrests
MOSES LAKE — An 8-year-old child was taken into protective custody Wednesday after Moses Lake police served a search warrant at a residence in the 1200 block of West Gary Street as part of a fentanyl trafficking investigation.
WEATHER Sept. 18-24, 2026
WEATHER Sept. 18-24, 2026
Most 2026 road projects wrapping up -- except Hansen Road overpass
OTHELLO — A project to add new and more visible stop signs at intersections along SR 17 between Moses Lake and Othello, which was supposed to start this week, has been rescheduled but is still happening this fall.
