Studio Basin

MOSES LAKE – In this episode of the STUDIO BASIN Podcast, Managing Editor R. Hans “Rob” Miller sits down with Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete to discuss the issues the county is facing with Fentanyl. The pair discuss what the challenges are for law enforcement as officers work to stem the tide of the dangerous drug in the county and review statistics for Washington and the county in relation to fentanyl overdoses.

In Sports, the Quincy baseball team took down the Royal Knights in a doubleheader on Saturday, winning 8-2 in the first game before a 5-2 win in the nightcap. The Moses Lake 4x100-meter relay team broke a school record that was held for more than 40 years at a recent meet, and is looking to keep improving as the season progresses. 

A developing story in Soap Lake, awards for local law enforcement officers for their heroism and summer traffic season in the Columbia Basin were the subjects of the Studio Basin podcast for March 29.

The Soap Lake School Board asked for the resignation of Superintendent Aaron Chavez during the board meeting March 25, and board members also declared a financial emergency. According to the resolution, the financial emergency could lead to reductions in school district staff.

Law enforcement officers from the Moses Lake Police Department, Grant County Sheriff’s Office and Quincy Police Department received recognition for acts of heroism. Quincy officer Stephen Harder received the Carnegie Medal for Heroism for his part in rescuing an unconscious woman from a burning house in January 2023. Moses Lake officers Edgar Salazar, Kyle McCain, Omar Ramirez and Curt Ledeboer, along with Korey Judkins from the GCSO received the Washington State Medal of Honor for their actions in saving a woman during a shooting at the Gorge Amphitheater in June 2023.

And it being spring and road repair season, traffic is back in the news. Road crews will begin repaving State Route 17 through Moses Lake on Wednesday. Drivers can expect delays during work hours, which for this project will be 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

Construction work already has started on the Vantage Bridge, and drivers are encouraged to look for alternative routes on busy summer weekends, when heavy traffic could lead to significant delays.

In sports, Moses Lake High School's baseball team traveled to Seattle to practice at T-Mobile Park, the home of the Seattle Mariners. The opportunity to practice on an MLB field came after the field was resurfaced by Moses Lake-based Northwest Turf Solutions, and grounds crew at the ballpark were searching for a team to run a practice to ensure the field was ready for the Mariners. 
The Royal boys soccer team defeated College Place 5-1 on March 23, including a two-goal outing by senior Freddy Cabrera. Royal stands at 6-2 so far this season.
The Almira/Coulee-Hartline baseball and softball teams maintained their unbeaten starts to the season after sweeping Wellpinit in their respective doubleheaders on Tuesday. The Warrior baseball team won 17-1 and 16-1, while the softball earned wins by a score of 16-0 and 19-2.

An update on a new Moses Lake business and Moses Lake High School drama and speech participants coming home with state hardware were among the topics on the March 22 edition of the Studio Basin podcast. 

Sila Nanotechnologies is remodeling an existing building near Wheeler Road, and company vice president Chris Dougher said last week the project is on track to open in 2025. 

Dougher said the company is also working on hiring operations staff. Once construction is finished, Sila Nanotechnologies is expected to hire about 100 people for its first phase of operation, he said. 

Students from the MLHS drama department and speech team returned from the state competition with top awards. 

The drama students received a “Best in Fest” award for reprising scenes from their recent production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.” They received the top score possible, said advisor and director Sharon Winningham.

Speech competitor Brock Smith took first in the 4A dramatic interpretation category. The MLHS team, working on reviving the program after a few years of relative inactivity, sent seven competitors to state.

In sports, both the Moses Lake baseball and softball teams picked up wins against Chiawana and Mt. Spokane, respectively, with the Maverick baseball team winning in walk-off fashion while the softball squad earned a convincing 7-2 win in their season opener.

The Ephrata softball team defeated Wenatchee 10-3, playing their third 4A team in their first five games. Ephrata senior Peyton Trautman drove in five runs in the win, including a three-RBI double to give the Tigers the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning.

Basin hoopers traveled to Bellvue College last weekend to compete in the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association’s all-star games. Royal’s Caden Allred and Quincy’s Aidan Bews played on the 1A team, while Soap Lake’s Trey Landdeck and MLCA/CCS’s Jonah Robertson played for the 1B team.

On this episode of the Studio Basin podcast, Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer and Staff Writer Gabriel Davis discuss recent news about road construction across the Basin, as well as an update on the Adams County Pet Rescue. 
Next, Sports Reporter Ian Bivona recaps boys soccer games in Quincy, Othello and Ephrata, as well as preveiws the Columbia Basin Herald's spring sports preview.

EPHRATA -- Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete joins Managing Editor R. Hans "Rob" Miller and brings along GCSO's two canine handlers, deputies Zane Bundy and Luis Jimenez. The two are working with new K-9 officers, Malie and Uno respectively, which the department just obtained. Together, the deputies describe why they wanted to work with police dogs, the selection process for Uno and Malie, the benefits of K-9 officers on the force and how training their new partners is going. 
In sports, Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer and Sports Reporter Ian Bivona break down the 1B, 2B and 1A boys and girls state basketball tournaments from earlier this month, including the MLCA/CCS boys and the Warden girls taking home placements at their respective tournaments.

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake and its burgeoning battery manufacturing sector were cited as the future of energy in a visit by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Gov. Jay Inslee in a visit to town Thursday. A discussion of their visit is part of the Studio Basin podcast. 

The Feb. 13 special election was certified Friday; most of the proposals on the ballot were school educational programs and operations elections, and most passed. A levy request from the Moses Lake School District was defeated. So was a capital projects levy in the Wahluke School District.

The Ephrata School District has started a program to support middle school and high school students who are facing behavioral health challenges. It’s a partnership with the North Central ESD. The program is described in Thursday’s Columbia Basin Herald.

In sports, MLCA/CCS boys basketball Head Coach Emerson Ferguson joins the show to discuss the success the 20-1 Lions have had on the court this winter, as well as a look at MLCA/CCS' upcoming regional game.

EPHRATA – In this week’s episode of the STUDIO BASIN Podcast, Managing Editor R. Hans “Rob” Miller speaks with Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete regarding GCSO’s goals for the year. Highlights include recruitment efforts, two new K9 officers, an update to the development of the county jail and Kriete’s kudos to his staff. 

Next, Sports Reporter Ian Bivona and Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer break down basketball action at Ephrata, Royal and Almira/Coulee-Hartline, recap the district wrestling tournaments around the east side and discuss Moses Lake boys swim and dive team’s district title win.

On this episode of the STUDIO BASIN podcast, Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer and Staff Writer Joel Martin go over last week's headlines, including the city of Moses Lake budgeting a $1 million match to a grant towards water meters, a Wahluke school bus being involved in a collision and the Quincy Valley Medical Center reaching an important milestone in its construction.
Next, Sports Reporter Ian Bivona goes over ACH's wins over Mary Walker, local wrestling tournaments around the area, Moses Lake splitting a wrestling dual against Davis and previews upcoming district tournaments.

MOSES LAKE — The Jan. 19 Studio Basin podcast opens on a somber note, reporting the death of Mattawa Police Department Chief Robert Salinas. Salinas passed away unexpectedly Jan. 16; he was remembered as “Chief Bob” by Mattawa residents.

The Multi-Agency Communications Center let the Columbia Basin Herald take a look at some of its new and upgraded technology, which was the subject of a story Wednesday. Not all the pieces are installed yet, but when it’s all complete MACC will have the capability to provide services like almost simultaneous translation and prioritizing calls. 

The MACC administrators are asking people to use the dispatch center’s website to report non-emergency situations. Non-emergency calls also ring into the call center, and shifting some of those non-emergency calls will help the staff prioritize emergencies, said MACC Director D.T. Donaldson.

The 2024 session of the Washington Legislature has opened, and the Columbia Basin Herald will be publishing the reports of intern Renee Diaz throughout the session.

In sports, sports reporter Ian Bivona and senior reporter Cheryl Schweizer recap last week's marquee games across the Basin, including the Royal Knights defeating Quincy in boys basketball, MLCA/CCS winning a thriller against Soap Lake and the Moses Lake boys wrestling team winning their fourth straight dual.

On this week's episode of the STUDIO BASIN podcast, Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is joined by Aaron Chavez, the superintendent of the Soap Lake School District, who has been on the job since July 2023. He discusses his impressions of the school district, challenges and opportunities in Soap Lake, and the Soap Lake educational programs and operations levy that will be on the Feb. 13 ballot.
Next, Sports Reporter Ian Bivona and Schweizer recap last week's sports headlines from the Basin, including two wrestling tournaments being held in the area, results from recent Quincy and Wahluke basketball games and the 18/19U Columbia Basin River Dogs making the move to American Legion Baseball.