Gettin' down to business
MOSES LAKE — Attendees stroll down the aisles at the Moses Lake Business Expo Tuesday afternoon at the Grant County Fairgrounds. The Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce puts on the annual event to support businesses and provide a bit of fun for the community. Further coverage of the event will be in an upcoming edition of the Columbia Basin Herald.
MLSD to publicly review financial audit Thursday
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District will have a special session before its regularly scheduled board meeting March 19 to publicly receive the results of the accountability audit conducted by the Washington State Auditor’s Office, who will present the findings.
STUDIO BASIN: Ephrata's Ridge Robotics to go to national Lego Competition
On this episode of the STUDIO BASIN Podcast, Ephrata Ridge Elementary School's Ridge Robotics team members Mille Scheelke and Lindsay Leenhouts sit down with reporter Nance Beston to discuss their season, robot and their upcoming FIRST LEGO League.
Royal City development expanding
ROYAL CITY — Additional apartments will be coming to Royal City as part of the next phase at a development on Ahlers Avenue North. Alex Kovach, the city’s planner, said the new apartments in the Pratt Hills development will give Royal City residents options they don’t have now. “It diversifies the city’s portfolio of housing,” he said.
The WA 2026 legislative session ends, but not without a fight
OLYMPIA — Washington lawmakers adjourned Thursday, March 12, concluding the 2026 legislative session, defined by another multibillion-dollar budget deficit and Democratic-backed efforts to restructure the state’s tax code and safeguard Washingtonians from actions by the federal government.
Knights tennis bests Naches Valley
ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights battled against Naches Valley on the court Monday afternoon with the Knights boys earning a 5-0 victory while the girls battled to go 3-2 on the court. With another early season meet concluded, the Knights prepare for a busy regular season ahead.
Moses Lake Firefighters quickly contain Ivy Avenue House Fire
MOSES LAKE — At approximately 1 p.m. Monday afternoon, firefighters from Moses Lake Fire Department Stations 1 and 2 responded to a reported structure fire in the 1000 block of Ivy Avenue.
Ephrata Police Department logs: March 13-15, 2026
EPHRATA — The reports below were provided by the Moses Lake Police Department. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
NBA owners will work on expansion again next week with Vegas and Seattle the targets, AP sources say
ASSOCIATED PRESS — The NBA may move a step closer to adding teams in Seattle and Las Vegas next week when expansion — which has been a topic for some time — will again be discussed by the league's board of governors, two people with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press on Monday. A vote is planned on whether to go forward with those two cities as the sole expansion targets at this point, the people said. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because those details were not released publicly.
Dodson bridge to remain open while nearby overpasses face issues
ROYAL CITY — The Hansen Road bridge over Interstate 90 may be scheduled for demolition; the Adams Road bridge might be closed and in need of repairs, the Hiawatha Road bridge might need monitoring. But the Dodson Road overpass is open and in relatively good repair.
W20 project in early planning stages
Port of Moses Lake looking to bring irrigation water to Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — Port of Moses Lake officials are working on lining up partners and funding for a project that would tap an irrigation canal for additional water to the port and local municipalities. Port Director Dan Roach said the first task will be starting the planning, scheduled for 2026.
WEATHER: March 17-23, 2026
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. Southwest wind 7-14 mph. Mostly cloudy evening, with a low around 47. Southwest wind 8-11 mph.
FUEL REPORT: March 17, 2026
FUEL REPORT: March 17, 2026
Legals for March, 17 2026
Mavs suffer loss in doubleheader
Coach Lindgren remains confident in bounce back as season progresses
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (0-2) fell to the Kennewick Lions Monday in a doubleheader with final scores of 6-1 and 9-1. Despite the losses, Head Coach Donnie Lindgren is confident his players will respond the right way.
Tigers, Jacks and Cougars kick off baseball season after snow delay
EPHRATA — The Quincy Jackrabbits and Warden Cougars joined the Ephrata Tigers at home for a baseball tournament to start the season over the weekend. The three teams had the competition delayed after a snowstorm Friday and got back on track Saturday morning, playing in five-inning games.
C-17 makes precautionary landing at Grant County International Airport
MOSES LAKE — Emergency agencies were called to the Grant County International Airport Monday afternoon when a C-17 needed to make a precautionary landing. “When the crew has reason to believe there is something wrong with one of the aircraft’s systems, sometimes they choose to land here to check it out, and sometimes they fly back home and look at it,” wrote Airport Director Rich Mueller in response to a question from the Columbia Basin Herald. “In this scenario the crew chose to land here.” The plane landed without incident and no one was injured, Mueller said.
Sentencing hearing set in 2022 Moses Lake murder case
EPHRATA — Juan Gastelum, the suspect in the March 2022 killing of Yanira Cedillos, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on March 3. He is now scheduled for an April 28 sentencing hearing. According to court documentation, Gastelum, 32, of Hermiston, Ore., pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree with Sexual Motivation. The minimum sentence Gastelum may receive under the law is two years in prison, but the maximum is life imprisonment and up to a $50,000 fine. However, the sentencing hearing is under Special Set Sentencing, an option under Washington state law which allows adjustments to sentencing if a suspect pleads guilty.
Quincy Police Department logs for March 10-14
The reports below were provided by the Quincy Police Department. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Locations are not listed for incidents in QPD records.
Washington teams ready for March Madness
MOSES LAKE — One of the most anticipated times of the year for sports has finally arrived as March Madness is set to begin this week. In this year’s bracket, several Washington teams are set to go dancing, one of which already has reached the Sweet 16. See below which Washington college basketball programs are competing in the tournament this season.
