The Grant County Fair wraps up this weekend, the rodeo included. Groff Elementary reopens for the first time since 2024, Grant PUD just broke ground on the county's first solar farm, and Quincy's school Chromebooks are about to have a bedtime. Basin summer's winding down fast.

🏫 Groff Elementary Reopens After a $16.5 Million Rebuild

Groff Elementary reopens for the 2026-27 school year after two years of repairs. Moses Lake School District closed the building in 2024 once engineers found the wall assemblies overloading the beams they sit on, plus electrical grounding issues, HVAC failures, roof problems, foundation drainage issues, and stairway safety hazards. Fixing it all has cost about $16.5 million so far. Graham Construction has handled the repair work; the district's board voted to pursue legal action against Fowler General Construction, the original builder, and its bonding company over the defects. This week crews finished the gym floor, classroom restoration, stair repairs, and exterior concrete. A ribbon-cutting is set for Aug. 31, and the district is inviting the community to tour the building before students return.

Moses Lake School District — Groff Updates

FAMILY / EDUCATION
💻 Quincy Chromebooks Go Dark at 8 P.M.

Starting this school year, Quincy elementary students and Quincy Innovation Academy's 6th-8th graders lose Chromebook access every night from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m., weekends included. The district says it's aimed at better sleep habits, and teachers have been told not to assign work due right after the cutoff. Quincy Middle School and Quincy High School devices aren't affected.

Quincy School District — Chromebook Evening Restriction Plan

COMMUNITY
🎒 1,800+ Turn Out for Restore City Church's Back-to-School Giveaway

Restore City Church's annual back-to-school event drew more than 1,800 people Wednesday night in Moses Lake. Kids left with backpacks stuffed with school supplies and free haircuts, while families picked up bags of groceries and connected with other resources on-site.

🔒 Source ONE News — full recap

ENERGY
☀️ Grant County's First Solar Farm Breaks Ground

Grant PUD and Invenergy broke ground Tuesday on the Quincy Solar Energy Center, a 120-megawatt project that will power about 25,000 homes once it's online. Despite the name, it's actually built near Big Bend Community College, not in Quincy itself. Invenergy says the build will bring over 200 union construction jobs and more than $27 million into the local economy, plus a $20,000 donation to Grant PUD's low-income bill-assistance program.

Tapping into the sun

📆 On The Calendar

Downstream

Quincy's Farmer-Consumer Awareness Days opens registration for its Sept. 12 parade, car show, and quilt show • Grant County's Freedom QOV Quilters wrap local veterans in handmade Quilts of Valor • Quincy hasn't paid out a single graffiti reward yet, and the police chief says tagging's dropping anyway • Hundreds of oddly ancient fish are getting pulled from the Columbia 🔒 near a Grant County dam, on purpose • A single plant is now growing tomatoes on top, potatoes below • Someone ranked every IKEA product by assembly complexity • An Illinois man built all six Magic Kingdom lands out of Lego in his basement • A California creek restoration project just doubled young salmon's survival rate

The Final Word

That's the Rundown. Between 1,800 people turning out for backpacks and haircuts, 200 union jobs headed to a solar farm that just broke ground, and a fairground still packed on its last weekend, Grant County showed up for itself this week. If this newsletter's useful to you, forward it to someone who'd like it too.

See you Tuesday
The Canal

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