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IRS scandal may reinvigorate tea party

DES MOINES, Iowa — Is the tea party getting its groove back? Shouts of vindication from around the country suggest the movement’s leaders certainly think so. They say the IRS … More →

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Yakima County farmland prices jump 29 percent in 3 years

YAKIMA, Wash. — Steve Weber is looking for farmland to purchase on behalf of his clients. So, apparently, are a lot of other people. And …

Yakima city councilmen face crowded field

Races for the Yakima City Council heated up Friday, the final day for candidates to file for 2013 elections. Meanwhile, Union Gap saw the wife …

Former Grandview legislator Margaret Rayburn dies

Margaret Rayburn, a longtime Grandview resident, schoolteacher and former state legislator, died Tuesday in Sunnyside. She was 86. Rayburn served five terms in the Legislature, …

Two challengers enter race for Yakima City Council seats

YAKIMA, Wash. — Candidates filing for local nonpartisan races Thursday included challengers for two Yakima City Council incumbents — Bill Lover and Dave Ettl. The …

Cherry crop will be smaller this year

Northwest cherry growers anticipate the 2013 crop will be well short of last year’s record. Growers and marketers from Washington, Oregon and three other states …

Open Mike: Frank Purdy talks about the special session

In today’s Open Mike, opinion editor Frank Purdy returns to discuss the latest developments in the Legislature and the current special session. With the Senate …

Union Gap to consider moving court services to Yakima County

UNION GAP — Union Gap city officials say they will begin negotiating with Yakima County to take over management of municipal court services. City Manager …

Zillah teacher of year celebration can’t escape politics

ZILLAH — Even as Gov. Jay Inslee visited the Yakima Valley to honor the nation’s teacher of the year, Monday’s beginning of the special legislative …

Flood fears rise with temperatures on Naches River

YAKIMA, Wash. — Yakima County surface water staff is watching a levee along the Naches River at Rambler’s Park, northwest of Yakima, as melting snow …

Ex-Union Gap mayor’s reckless driving trial rescheduled

Former Union Gap Mayor Jim Lemon’s jury trial was rescheduled to later this month during a Thursday hearing where an argument arose over Lemon’s use …

150-plus turn out for downtown revitalization meeting

Affordable housing, green space and places to showcase events. That’s what local residents want for downtown Yakima. They offered their views Thursday night at a …

Massachusetts’ GOP candidate Gomez on his own for now

BOSTON — Republican Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez is on his own — at least for now. National Republican allies, conservative activists and major GOP donors …

Yakima about to burst into bloom

YAKIMA, Wash. — Downtown Yakima is going to get much more colorful soon when city workers put flowers in the area’s planters and hanging baskets. …

Yakima economic development official emphasizes long-term plan

Reinvigorating downtown Yakima has been a perennial concern for decades, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that the city committed to a groundbreaking long-term …

Murray says immigration bill best that Senate can do

It’s the best they can do. That was the message coming from U.S. Sen. Patty Murray on Thursday in Yakima as she heard the positive …

May Day activists cheer state immigration laws

SALEM, Ore. — As Congress debates the first national immigration overhaul in decades, a state-level push advancing rights for people in the U.S. illegally has …

Rallying cry for immigration reform in Yakima (Photos/Video)

As marchers gathered in Miller Park for Wednesday’s annual May Day march, Marissa Manzanarez held a sign that said in Spanish “Secure The Border.” That’s …

Yakima grad advances in Mass. Senate race

BOSTON — Democratic U.S. Rep. Edward Markey and Republican former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez won their party primaries on Tuesday, setting up a race between …

Young Coho salmon are being reintroduced to area waterways in hopes they’ll return to spawn naturally

GLEED — Biologist Todd Newsome lifted the two metal gates from their frame last week, effectively punching the tickets for young Coho salmon to start …

In a first, black voter turnout rate passes whites

WASHINGTON — America’s blacks voted at a higher rate than other minority groups in 2012 and by most measures surpassed the white turnout for the …

Warnick elected to lead GOP caucus

OLYMPIA — State Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, was elected Republican caucus chairwoman Saturday morning. Warnick, who was first elected to the House in 2006, …

Republican Liberty Caucus elects leaders in Washington

The Republican Liberty Caucus elected a Yakima woman as its leader Saturday, formalizing a position she had filled on an ad hoc basis since last …

Deep budget cuts hamper discrimination enforcement

YAKIMA, Wash. — Sharon Ortiz has learned that the more things change, the more they stay the same. By the time Ortiz left Yakima in …

Emergency rule allows wolf killing to protect pets, livestock

Eastern Washington residents in rural areas being populated by wolves now have the right to use lethal force to protect pets and livestock from attacks. …

Controllers to return as flight delays sway Congress

WASHINGTON — Furloughed air traffic controllers will soon be heading back to work, ending a week of coast-to-coast flight delays that left thousands of travelers …

Sweet denied a second chance in Sunnyside

SUNNYSIDE — Former Sunnyside interim City Manager Frank Sweet won’t return to his job, the Sunnyside City Council decided Wednesday night on a 5-1 vote. …

Eyman files a ‘Super Bowl’ anti-tax initiative

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Initiative promoter Tim Eyman filed a ballot measure Wednesday to make all tax hikes passed by the Legislature expire after a year. …

Yakima County judges now have total control over their budget

Yakima County judges and county commissioners approved an agreement Tuesday that averts a potential showdown over separation of powers between the legislative and judicial branches …

Baucus rules out 7th Senate term

WASHINGTON — Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana announced plans Tuesday to retire at the end of his term after a career of …

Ex-Union Gap mayor quits council, settles for $38,400

UNION GAP, Wash. — Former Union Gap mayor Jim Lemon’s tumultuous era as a city official has ended in a resignation and a $38,400 settlement. …

Brewers protest proposed beer tax

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Brewers gathered at the Capitol on Friday to protest a House budget proposal that makes permanent a beer tax on large breweries …

Video: Town Hall speaker hopes to chart a new course

Robert Ballard is a lot of things. He is an oceanographer, archeologist, explorer, geophysicist and a visionary. But the man who discovered the RMS Titanic …

Senate immigration bill outline sparks mixed reactions in Yakima

A bipartisan proposal to overhaul the nation’s immigration system received mixed reaction Tuesday as some details emerged. The Senate bill, which is expected to be …

Chavez heir charges U.S. behind unrest

CARACAS, Venezuela — President-elect Nicolas Maduro and his opposition rival traded accusations Tuesday over blame for post-election violence that the government said had caused seven …

Washington’s budget could put state prisoners in county jails

Strapped for revenue and facing continued erosion of bed-rental income from the city of Yakima, Yakima County may get a financial lifeline from the state. …

Safe passage for motorists, wildlife at heart of DOT project

Motorists know they’re not alone on the most rural and isolated stretches of the state’s highway system. Deer, elk, cougars and black bears all roam …

Well-off seniors face Medicare cost hike

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s new plan to raise Medicare premiums for upper-income seniors would create five new income brackets to squeeze more revenue for …

A real balancing act with Sunnyside finances

SUNNYSIDE — Welcome to Sunnyside city government. Better bring a calculator. The latest top administrators in this city’s revolving management staff face financial disarray at …

Disgraced Weiner may run for NYC mayor

NEW YORK — A bold comeback attempt or the height of chutzpah? In what could be the start of one of the most intriguing second …

House budget targets tax breaks

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Democrats in the state House proposed a budget plan Wednesday that would eliminate a variety of tax breaks to help pay for …

Open Mike: Federal aid for schools

YAKIMA, Wash . — Reporter Phil Ferolito joins Open Mike host Mike Faulk to discuss cuts to federal impact aid for schools on the Yakama …

Streetscape added to Yakima County Courthouse upgrade

YAKIMA, Wash. — Downtown Yakima’s streetscape theme featuring period street lights and sidewalk upgrades will be repeated around the Yakima County Courthouse. County commissioners on …

Yakima, bus drivers head into mediation

YAKIMA, Wash. — Yakima and the union representing the city’s bus drivers and other transit workers will enter mediation next month after direct negotiations failed …

USDA does about-face, won’t jettison Forest Service’s shield logo

A plan to drop a recognizable logo in this part of the country — the Forest Service’s iconic shield — generated so much outrage among …

Cell tower regulations not keeping up with technology

For more than a decade, increasing numbers of cellphone towers have been rising in neighborhoods and atop ridges across Central Washington, but regulations haven’t always …

Dream Act dead this session, Senate leader says

The state Senate majority leader has quelled any speculation that a proposal known as the state Dream Act would pass the Senate this session. In …

A growing need in record year for Washington apples

Washington apple marketers have set weekly shipment records 16 times so far this sales season and growers are benefitting from higher average prices. Industry representatives …

Legislators answer a call to arms for fun, education

LITTLEROCK, Wash. — Republican state Sen. Steve Litzow pointed out his bright orange fleece jacket to other lawmakers Thursday as they approached tables with target …

Yakima Canyon wish granted by anonymous donor

With time running out, an anonymous donor has stepped forward with $160,000 needed to secure a major federal grant to build a Yakima River Canyon …

NSA to close Yakima Training Center facility

The National Security Agency is closing the secretive listening post it has quietly operated north of Yakima since the early 1970s. Located securely within the …

House panel rejects push for Facebook passwords

SEATTLE — An amendment that would have allowed bosses to ask for a worker’s Facebook or other social media password during company investigations was withdrawn …

Photos: Dozens shimmy and shake to protest dance tax

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Dozens of people protesting a decades-old state tax on dance venues swayed, kicked and twirled to the rhythm of music Monday in …

Neon signs from Yakima’s past could see a bright future

Stored in a downtown Yakima warehouse, these once-shining symbols of the past await a rebirth. They don’t look like much today. The paint is chipped …

Yakamas push for feds to allow horse slaughter

YAKIMA, Wash. — The Yakama Nation urged federal officials to explain their position against slaughtering horses in the United States, calling it “absurd” to prohibit …

Longtime state agriculture inspection chief to retire

Jim Quigley figured the job would be right up his alley. Raised on a wheat, potato and hay farm in the Tri-Cities, the 21-year-old Quigley …

Equality, court costs at heart of debate over traffic fines bill

Civil rights advocates say a legislative proposal to make community service a state-mandated option for residents unable to pay traffic fines would save the state …

Yakima’s unsightly streetscape will get a slow makeover

A visitor driving into Yakima is greeted with a cluttered multitude of commercial signs, power poles, litter and a hodgepodge of buildings, but few trees, …

Sunnyside’s ex-manager seeks hearing with council

SUNNYSIDE — Frank Sweet, the embattled former interim Sunnyside city manager, may ask for his job back. Sweet, who was fired in early February by …

40 years on, Vietnam troop withdrawal remembered

Forty years ago, soldiers returning from Vietnam were advised to change into civilian clothes on their flights home because of fears they would be accosted …

Inslee: Schools win, tax breaks go

OLYMPIA — History suggests Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee has little chance of pushing through his proposal to pump an additional $1.2 billion into education by …

Yakima County seeks road project funding

YAKIMA, Wash. — Some prior planning and a chance to obtain federal funds will advance a long-planned road improvement project on Naches-Tieton Road by at …

$350K safety project targets crash ‘hotspots’ in Yakima, Union Gap

UNION GAP, Wash. — More than a dozen police cruisers and motorcycles pulled onto Main Street in Union Gap early Wednesday afternoon, ceremonially kicking off …

Yakima weighs options for housing inmates after contract expires

YAKIMA, Wash. — The city of Yakima is trying to figure out where to put its inmates when its current contract with Yakima County expires …

Kerry mends relations with Afghan leader

KABUL — Eager to overcome a bout of bickering, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a show of unusual …

Big changes to water-rights practices may be coming

Central Washington’s three counties — Yakima, Kittitas and Benton — are considering an idea that fundamentally will change how rural development can take place. Under …

Local officials split on medical exemption for underage drinkers

A proposal to exempt underage drinkers from misdemeanor charges in the event of a medical emergency is drawing mixed emotions from lawmakers, educators and law …

N. Dakota lawmakers define life as starting at conception

BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota lawmakers moved Friday to outlaw abortion in the state by passing a resolution defining life as starting at conception. The …

Kittitas County residents don’t want Seattle’s organic waste

CLE ELUM — Seattle is poised to approve a $4 million annual contract to truck its food and yard waste over Snoqualmie Pass to a …

New Union Gap city manager will be paid $90,000 a year

New Union Gap City Manager Rod Otterness will make $90,000 a year, according to city officials. The contract was approved March 11 — well ahead …

House passes GOP budget plan that promises deep cuts

WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled House passed a tea party-flavored budget plan Thursday that promises sharp cuts in safety-net programs for the poor and a clampdown …

Yakima police chief: System ‘flooded’ by ex-prisoners

The state Department of Corrections is taking a look at the number of prisoners it releases into the Yakima area, which city officials say has …

Moxee legislator: Drone bill will be back next year

YAKIMA, Wash. — The regulation of domestic drones will have its day in the Legislature, Rep. David Taylor, R-Moxee, said Monday, just not this year. …

Hillary Clinton announces support for gay marriage

WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced her support for gay marriage Monday, putting her in line with other potential Democratic presidential …

Will party divisions tear apart GOP roadmap?

WASHINGTON — This was to be a roadmap for a new, more inclusive GOP: attract minority voters, support immigration reform and embrace “welcoming and inclusive” …

Future of state Dream Act remains unclear

Bruce Chandler surprised some by giving an impassioned floor speech for a bill that would make undocumented resident students eligible for the state’s need-based tuition …

Tri-Cities may join tree-fruit convention rotation

With an eye toward the changing face of their industry, Washington state’s largest tree-fruit organization is considering breaking a tradition that has stood for 108 …

Boeing complaint sidelines Moxee legislator’s drone bill

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A proposal to regulate the use of drone aircraft by public agencies stalled in the Legislature this week after Boeing privately complained …

Hastings revives measure to curb cabin fee hikes

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Doc Hastings has reintroduced a bill that would limit fee increases to owners of cabins built on federal land. The Cabin …

Sen. King leads effort to block hiring of DOT consultant

OLYMPIA — Republican lawmaker Curtis King of Yakima said Friday that a consultant hired by the state’s Department of Transportation to review three large transportation …

Business, labor groups still differ on temporary workers

WASHINGTON — The Chamber of Commerce’s lead immigration negotiator said Friday he’s hoping for a deal soon with the AFL-CIO on a new temporary worker …

Compromise with Obama not on menu at CPAC Conference

OXON HILL, Md. — They might talk about it in downtown Washington. But moderation and compromise weren’t up for discussion as conservatives gathered to plot …

Pregnant woman shot by husband last week dies

YAKIMA, Wash. — The pregnant Terrace Heights woman shot by her husband last week died Wednesday. Yakima County Coroner Jack Hawkins said 27-year-old McKaylee Higgs …

Inslee appoints Okanogan County farmer as state’s new ag director

Hay grower and former Okanogan County commissioner Donald “Bud” Hover, who has Yakima Valley ties, was named state agriculture director Tuesday. In announcing the appointment, …

Newhouse won’t be reappointed as state Ag chief

Washington agriculture industry representatives expressed surprise and disappointment Monday at news that state Agriculture Director Dan Newhouse, a Sunnyside native and farmer, will not keep …

State grant could hasten Greenway trail’s expansion

Yakima County and the Yakima Greenway Foundation are scrambling to obtain a last-minute $400,000 state grant to help build an extension of the Greenway trail …

Union Gap city manager choice earns high praise

UNION GAP, Wash. — Union Gap found a gem in its incoming city manager, Rodney Otterness, according to elected officials from International Falls, Minn., where …

Obama signs expanded Violence Against Women Act

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama signed expanded protections for domestic violence victims into law Thursday, renewing a measure credited with curbing attacks against women a …

Five Valley dairies agree to reduce nitrate levels

GRANGER, Wash. — Five Yakima Valley dairies located north of Granger have agreed to take a number of steps to reduce nitrate levels in groundwater …

Businessman ‘Bus’ Hollingbery came to love Yakima

YAKIMA, Wash. — Orin E. “Bus” Hollingbery, a longtime local businessman who died Sunday at his home, first encountered Yakima as a college student, hitchhiking …

Photos: State coalition forges compact for immigration reform

YAKIMA, Wash. — An unlikely group of allies, including Republicans and Democrats, secular and faith-based organizations, and businesses on Tuesday called for federal lawmakers to …

Republicans unveil government funding measure

WASHINGTON — Republicans controlling the House moved Monday to give the Pentagon more money for military readiness while easing the pain felt by such agencies …

Yakima native vying for vacant Senate seat

Sometime between his birth in Los Angeles and the kickoff of his U.S. Senate campaign in Massachusetts last week, Gabriel Gomez was just your average …

Woman shot at Union Gap movie theater on life support

A 45-year-old woman remained on life support Friday evening, 24 hours after her shooting outside a Union Gap movie theater left police and co-workers trying …

Video/Photos: Public safety concerns voiced at marijuana meeting

A pot-leaf T-shirt here and there notwithstanding, the state Liquor Control Board’s town-hall-style meeting Thursday on how to implement marijuana legalization wasn’t much different than …

Terminal declares lockout, cites sabotage

February 28, 2013

PORTLAND — A Pacific Northwest grain terminal owner imposed a lockout on longshoremen Wednesday after saying an “independent former FBI investigator” determined a union leader …