COLUMBIA BASIN — Too often, people pick up the newspaper and see bad news staring them in the face. It’s true that 2025 had its negative moments, but a lot of good things happened in the Columbia Basin last year as well.  

A Royal Middle School student became an unexpected hero Jan. 9, when he saved a classmate from choking at the school cafeteria. Seventh-grader Alangel Baeza was honored at a school assembly Friday morning with a plaque and congratulations from his teachers, fellow students and Royal City police and firefighters. Baeza, who had been asked by Principal Jerred Copenhaver to show the new student around school, spotted the signs immediately when the student began choking and performed the Heimlich maneuver. 

“As a principal, I was super proud,” Copenhaver said. “We have students that will rise to the occasion. Here at the middle school, we have a CODE of honor – character, ownership, discipline, excellence – and Alangel nailed all those.”  

With a Boom Boom Clap, the city of Moses Lake opened a futsal field at Harrison K. Dano Park in Moses Lake on April 29. Futsal is a variant of soccer played by teams of five on a hard field about the size of a basketball court. The pitch was opened by the Seattle Reign women’s soccer team and Seattle Sounders men’s team in a ceremony attended by local youth soccer players. 

“We're always glad to see that more opportunities are given to our youth to get into productive and safe, healthy activities in our community,” said Moses Lake Mayor Dustin Swartz. 

The Moses Lake fields were a joint effort by the city of Moses Lake, the RAVE Foundation – a joint outreach of the Sounders and Reign – and former Moses Lake resident Scotty Tymczyszyn. The court was painted in colors representing both teams. 

This was the Reign’s first mini-pitch in Washington, Reign Fan Development and Impact Manager Steph Hirsch told the cheering crowd of youth soccer players. 

"That means that more of you are a part of our family now. And most importantly, our young girls and women have a place to play and then hopefully become my boss one day," Reign said at the time. 

The Moses Lake fountain was restored to the lake May 23 after a hiatus for repairs. The iconic fountain, a gift from Japan Airlines to the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitiation District, had thrown water in the air during the warm months for decades, but had taken 2024 off for upgrades. The project was estimated to cost $38,000, but volunteers from the community donated their time and money to make the necessary upgrades. 

“We have a lot of builders, makers, craftsmen, engineers and designers, that all came together on this project,” Moses Lake Mayor Dustin Swartz said.   

The Soap Lake Public Library held a grand reopening in June, showing off updated bookshelves, fresh paint, new flooring, an improved service point, modern furniture, upgraded lighting, a public-use TV, and a staff office area. It was the first major upgrade to the library since it first opened in 1968. 

“The Soap Lake Library is a staple for the city,” Soap Lake Mayor Sharp said. “It's a meeting place. It engages all age groups, which is really phenomenal … (It offers) offer a safe space for when the temperature outside is too hot.” 

Students from the Columbia Basin Job Corps Center found out about heat in August, helping fire crews battle wildfires across the state. The students put in 16-hour days for 14 days at a time, bringing supplies and keeping equipment ready and functional for fire crews. 

“These students really, really get a taste of hard work when they go out on these fires,” said Columbia Basin Job Corps CCC Liaison Specialist Susan Mann. “It’s not training, it's not school anymore. It's the real world, and it's the real world in a very aggressive way.” 

Grant county Animal Outreach broke ground on a new animal shelter Nov. 17. The shelter will be located on property not far from the existing facility on land donated by the Peterson-Bodie Partnership. The new shelter will feature about 6,200 square feet of space, enough to accommodate 120 dogs, as well as food preparation and laundry facilities. The project has been in the works since 2021, according to GCAO President Sarah Thompson Tweedy. 

“Today is an incredible day that many of us didn’t know if it would ever come,” Thompson Tweedy said. “This is not just about building a shelter; it’s about creating a supportive community for our animals.” 

    Seattle Sounders Communications Manager Gisselle Pichardo leads Basin Sounders soccer players in the Boom Boom Clap cheer at the opening of two futsal mini-pitches at Harrison K. Dano Park in April.
  

Children at the Soap Lake Library play with oversized puzzle pieces at the library’s grand reopening in June.

    Franny, one of the adoptable pets at Grant County Animal Outreach, patiently waits at the groundbreaking ceremony on her new home in November.