Yakima County Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Northwest Public Broadcasting

‘Are Their Apples Worth More Than Our Lives?’ Yakima Valley Fruit Workers Strike For Protections, Pay

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa May 21, 2020

Perla Torres, a fruit packer at Jack Frost Fruit, poses for a photograph wearing a mask she says she bought from a supervisor. CREDIT: Enrique Pérez de la Rosa/NWPB

So far this month, more than 400 Yakima Valley fruit packing workers have gone on strike, according to Familias Unidas Por La Justicia. The farmworker advocacy group, based in Skagit County, is helping these workers organize committees, negotiate with employers and seek legal advice. Read More

What’s Driving The High Rate Of COVID-19 In Yakima County

By NWPB News May 20, 2020

In this photo taken Oct. 15, 2019, workers sort Granny Smith apples to ready them for shipping in a packing plant in Yakima, Wash. CREDIT: Elaine Thompson/AP

Yakima County has the highest rate of COVID-19 infections among counties on the West Coast. That means a larger portion of the county's population has tested positive for the coronavirus compared to other counties.Read More

Central Washington Non-Profits Adjust To Provide Critical Spanish-Language Coronavirus Information

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa April 16, 2020

Non-profit adult education provider La Casa Hogar shifted operations online and canceled its 25th anniversary celebrations, scheduled in May, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, staff are working to ensure the immigrant community they serve is informed in Spanish on public health measures and resources to endure economic woes. CREDIT: Enrique Pérez de la Rosa / NWPB

News and information on the COVID-19 pandemic released by state and local governments is primarily in English. And though health districts and emergency management offices translate some of that information into Spanish, immigrant communities in places like the Yakima Valley still struggle to access that information. Read More

With Coronavirus Hospitalizations Down In Yakima, Federal Resources Directed Elsewhere

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa April 14, 2020

Astria Health closed its hospital in Yakima earlier in 2020 after a bankruptcy filing. It could reopen in a lease to the state during the coronavirus pandemic. CREDIT: Enrique Pérez de la Rosa / NWPB

Even with increasing numbers in Yakima County, there’s some good news. Health officials say they’re seeing fewer new hospitalizations — meaning the much-watched curve could be flattening.Read More

Elected Officials, Construction Industry Want Jay Inslee To Classify Home Building As ‘Essential’

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa April 10, 2020

File photo. Seattle's rental housing market shows more availability than other areas of Washington, like Kittitas and Yakima counties, where new construction hasn't kept up with demand. CREDIT: TED S. WARREN/AP

Construction industry advocates are asking Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to allow more home building to continue under his “stay home, stay healthy” order meant to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.Read More

14 Inmates Escape Yakima County Jail, Reportedly Over Coronavirus Concerns

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa March 24, 2020

Motorists captured video of Yakima County Jail escaping over a fence on Monday, March 23. CREDIT: Briseida & Alex Gonzalez / screengrab video / KAPP-KVEW

According to the county Department of Corrections, the captured inmates told officials they were upset after Gov. Jay Inslee announced a statewide order to stay at home to fight the coronavirus pandemic and “the virus outbreak has them all scared.”Read More

Yakima County Gets Stay-At-Home Order As President Trump Declares Emergency For Washington

By NWPB News March 22, 2020

Jess White, a registered nurse at UW Northwest, demonstrates to another nurse how to properly remove a mask on Thursday, March 12, 2020, at UW Medicine's drive-through testing clinic in Seattle. CREDIT: Megan Farmer/KUOW

Coronavirus continues to spread in Washington and Idaho. As of Sunday, March 22, Washington had nearly 2,000 confirmed cases, with at least 95 deaths since the outbreak began. Idaho’s official number stood at 47 cases, with most in Blaine County. Read More

Federal Government Sues King County Over Ban Of Deportation Flights From Boeing Field

By NWPB News February 10, 2020

A man detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement waves back to activists from the Yakima Immigrant Response Network Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019 as they wave signs and call out "no estas solo, you are not alone." CREDIT: ENRIQUE PÉREZ DE LA ROSA/NWPB

The United States Department of Justice is suing King County over its ban on deportation flights from Boeing Field. A King County executive order banned deportation flights from Boeing Field in April 2019. Since then, ICE has diverted detainees to and from Yakima airport by bus.Read More

Civil Rights Groups Claim Latinx Disenfranchisement In Yakima County, Ready To Sue

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa January 17, 2020

If Washington voters don't mail in ballots, they can return them in person to drop boxes like this one at the Yakima County Elections Office. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB

Civil rights groups are poised to sue Yakima County over their election system, alleging it dilutes Latinx votes in violation of the state Voting Rights Act.Read More

Yakima Seeks To Address Hepatitis A Cases In Vulnerable Groups Amid Larger Statewide Outbreak

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa December 5, 2019

Resident Danny Pellum gets ready to be vaccinated against Hepatitis A at the Yakima Union Gospel Mission shelter Wednesday. He says he decided to get the shot just to be safe. “I don’t want no surprises later in my life when I could have done something about it tonight,” Pellum said. CREDIT: Enrique Pérez de la Rosa/NWPB

An outbreak of Hepatitis A that’s been spreading throughout Washington state has reached Yakima County. It’s expected to grow over the winter, according to the county health district. The district has confirmed 18 cases of Hepatitis A since declaring an outbreak Nov. 7. The state Department of Health has confirmed 124 cases this year, mostly in King and Spokane counties.Read More

Latino Advocacy Group Encourages Yakima Valley Residents To Test Well Water For High Nitrates

By Courtney Flatt October 24, 2019

Martin Yanez and his sister Rosalinda Elsa Pina live in the Yakima Valley, near a large dairy. Their well water has high levels of nitrates, which can cause health problems. In the winter Elsa Pina uses extra gallons of water to make caldos, or stews. Boiling water with high levels of nitrates actually concentrates the contamination. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB

Environmental and Latino groups are hosting a clean drinking water forum Saturday, Oct. 26. The goal is to help people learn how they can get their water tested – and why it’s important.Read More

Comunicación en español vital durante emergencias regionales, según funcionarios en Washington

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa October 17, 2019

About 20 homes burned in this Pateros neighborhood, which included the mayor at the time, Libby Harrison, and her mom’s home behind her. The community church behind it survived, but the pastor’s home next door burned. CREDIT: Scott A. Leadingham

Después del incendio del Complejo Carlton en agosto del 2014 en el condado de Okanogan, funcionarios estatales de emergencia recibieron comentarios preocupantes de la comunidad hispana afectada.Read More

Wildfire Lessons Teach Counties How To Communicate With Spanish Speakers In Other Disasters

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa October 17, 2019

Communication is key in emergencies. That’s especially true when the people you’re working to protect don’t speak English. That’s why Washington emergency management offices are working on their language skills — whether for a fire, earthquake or any emergency.Read More

Informe critica a Yakima por vuelos ICE de deportación, mientras la ciudad explica dilema financiero

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa August 22, 2019

Un portavoz de Yakima dice que la ciudad vigila de cerca las operaciones de ICE que ocurren localmente. Sin embargo, el Centro de Derechos Humanos de la UW allega que “Yakima permanece responsable por su rol en envío de detenidos para ser abusados en otros sitios.”Read More

Report Criticizes Yakima For ICE Deportation Flights, As City Explains Financial Quandary

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa August 21, 2019

A new report from the University of Washington Center for Human Rights estimates that on average 160 people in ICE custody now flow through the Yakima airport each week. The city receives money for each of those flights, and is at risk of losing millions in federal grants if they don't allow them.Read More

Former Wapato Mayor Arrested, But Judge Throws Out Case

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa August 14, 2019

Former Wapato mayor and city administrator Juan Orozco in Yakima County Superior Court Aug. 14, 2019.

After his arrest Tuesday on suspicion of official misconduct, the case against former Wapato mayor and city administrator Juan Orozco was thrown out of the Yakima County Superior Court in a preliminary hearing.Read More

Wapato City Official And Former Mayor Resigns Amid Washington State AG Scrutiny

By NWPB News July 22, 2019

Former Wapato mayor and city administrator Juan Orozco, left, was appointed to the newly created position of city administrator by new mayor Dora Alvarez-Voa, drawing scrutiny and a state investigation. Courtesy KAPP-KVEW

A city official in Wapato has resigned following allegations that he used his former position as mayor to enrich himself. Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued the official, Juan Orozco, in June for violating ethics and open meeting laws. Read More

Yakima And King County Airports Risk Funding Loss If They Don’t Cooperate With ICE

By Esmy Jimenez May 20, 2019

In this still image from a vide, detainees are loaded onto a Swift Air charter flight at King County International Airport (Boeing Field) in Seattle. COURTESY OF UWCHR/ALEX MONTALVO AND WADII BOUGHDIR

Seattle’s Boeing Field and the Yakima Air Terminal have a choice: Let Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flights land at the airport or risk future money from the government. It started in April when King County Executive Dow Constantine issued an order to rid Boeing Field of ICE flights.Read More

‘No Family Deserves To Have To Go Through This’: Missing And Murdered On The Yakama Nation

By Esmy Jimenez March 22, 2019

File photo. The reservation of the Yakama Nation in south-central Washington covers over 2,000 square miles, with areas patrolled by tribal, city and county law enforcement.

On Dec. 26, 2017, Myrna Cloud’s 23-year-old cousin went missing on the Yakama Nation reservation in Central Washington. D. Lloyd’s body was found in a rural part of the reservation four days later. The murder is still under investigation. Read More

Federal Judge Denies Injunction For Yakama Nation In Jurisdiction Case With Toppenish And County

By Esmy Jimenez March 3, 2019

Recently, a federal judge sided against the Yakama Nation in a jurisdiction case involving the tribe, the city of Toppenish and Yakima County. When a crime happens in Yakima County, a couple questions are key. One: Were either the victim or perpetrator Yakama Nation citizens? And two: Where exactly did it happen? Read More

Mucho Amor (y Cafe) En Esta Estación de Tren en Yakima

By Esmy Jimenez February 14, 2019

Northtown Coffeehouse se mudó a la histórica estación de trenes de Yakima en 2013. Mientras que el tren de pasajeros finalizó en la década de 1970, todavía pasan varios trenes de carga todos los días. CRÉDITO: ESMY JIMENEZ / NWPB.

Esta cafetería en Yakima lo tiene todo. El cafe esta bueno, tiene un gran ambiente y el wifi nunca falla. Pero Northtown Coffeehouse también es reconocido como un lugar de bodas.Read More

A Whole Latte Love At This Yakima Train Station Turned Coffeehouse

By Esmy Jimenez February 14, 2019

North Town Coffeehouse moved to the historic Yakima Train Depot in 2013. While passenger rail ended in the 1970s, several freight train still go by every day. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB.

North Town Coffeehouse in Yakima has it all. Great espresso, great ambience and great wifi. It also has a constant line of wedding ceremonies -- over 370 last year. Read More

Seis Años de Trabajo Y Aún El Agua del Valle de Yakima Necesita Cambios

By Esmy Jimenez February 5, 2019

For six years, Yakima County has been dealing with a complicated problem – nitrates in the groundwater. This month, after missing two other deadlines, a group of citizens tasked with finding a solution finally came up with a plan. For about 2,000 people, that’s good news because they’re closer to clean water. But some critics aren’t so sure. Read More

Still Sliding, Just Not So Fast: What’s Up With The Rattlesnake Ridge Landslide One Year Later

By Esmy Jimenez January 21, 2019

Rattlesnake Ridge Risk Map - Google Maps

At this time last year, authorities in Central Washington were on high alert because of the slow-moving Rattlesnake Ridge landslide near Yakima. A year later, what’s changed? The landslide isn’t quite over – yet. But it has slowed down significantly. Read More

New Map Shows Hotspots Of Environmental Health Hazards For Washington Neighborhoods

By Esmy Jimenez January 10, 2019

The Environmental Health Disparaties map shows concentrations of pollution combined with demographics to color code risk areas. CREDIT: WASHINGTON DEPT. OF HEALTH

The Environmental Health Disparities Map ranks neighborhoods from 1 to 10. Ten is coded in red, meaning a higher environmental risk while 1, being the lowest, is coded in blue. On that map, Yakima County is a big, red blemish. Read More

Six Years, Two Missed Deadlines, And Still Yakima Valley’s Water Needs Cleanup

By NWPB News December 21, 2018

Washington HIV Infection Rates Stay Steady, Except for Yakima County Anomaly

By Esmy Jimenez December 6, 2018

Inside New Hope Clinic, quilts like this one adorn the hallways. Often they’re made by the families of HIV and AIDS patients. This one was used as coffin cover for Bobby Joe, a patient who died in 1997. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB

The Washington State Department of Health released its annual report on HIV and AIDS this week, pegged to the Dec. 1 World AIDS Day. According to the report, 14,000 people are HIV positive in Washington, on par with past years.Read More

Washington Had High Voter Turnout This Year, But Lower In Counties Like Yakima. Why?

By Esmy Jimenez November 30, 2018

In 2018, San Juan County had the highest voter turnout at nearly 84 percent, while Yakima County had the lowest at 61 percent. One major reason for that gap: demographics. Read More

How Does Your Ballot Get Counted In Washington? Veeeery Carefully

By Esmy Jimenez November 5, 2018

Workers in the Yakima County Elections Office work to open ballots and verify information. Their work is done within public view behind a glass wall, for anyone to monitor. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB

The 2018 Midterm election is upon us, and now it’s time to wait and make sure all the ballots are counted. But how does that process actually work? Read More

No, Hunters Did Not Open Fire On Australian Firefighters In Washington Near White Pass

By Emily Schwing September 11, 2018

The Miriam Fire has been burning around Washington's White Pass since late July 2018. The Yakima County Sheriff's Office says Australian firefighters were not intentionally targeted and shot at by hunters in the area. CREDIT: JUSTIN GELB/INCIWEB

An Australian newspaper is reporting that hunters shot at two firefighters from down under while they were battling the Miriam Fire near White Pass, Washington. But law enforcement has debunked the claim. Read More

Smoke Makes Washington Farmworkers Cover Up, But No Regulations Require Provided Masks

By Esmy Jimenez August 17, 2018

Smoky skies in Central Washington this week have made it hard to see distant mountains, and harder for some farmworkers to breathe clean air. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB

You’ve probably seen and felt it this week: a blanket of grey haze over large parts of the region. Smoke from wildfires in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and California has led to poor air quality, causing health experts to caution: minimize your exposure. So how do people who work outdoors fare? Read More

UPDATE: Central Washington Conrad Fire By Naches Nears Containment, Threat Level Lowered

By Anna King July 2, 2018

Overhead shot of the Conrad Fire burning outside Naches, Washington. PHOTO CURTOSEY OF KIMA-TV

A large wildfire is burning outside of Naches, in central Washington. It started Sunday afternoon, and is called the Conrad fire. It’s currently estimated at more than 5,000 acres and about 20 percent contained.Read More

Years After I-502, Legal Marijuana In Central Washington Is Far From Settled Law

By Esmy Jimenez May 14, 2018

Thirty states have legalized some form of medical marijuana. Nine of those states and Washington, D.C., allow recreational sale of the drug.CREDIT: TED S. WARREN

In the Columbia Basin, communities are pushing back on recreational marijuana by leveraging county regulations – regulations like Benton County’s new “Sight and Smell Ordinance.”Read More

Northwest Lawsuits Could Alter How ICE Handles Immigration Arrests

By Conrad Wilson March 19, 2018

Antonio Sanchez Ochoa was held in the Yakima County Jail on an assault charge. His attorneys argued authorities used an ICE administrative warrant to hold him. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ

A youth detention case in Oregon could prove significant for immigration policy, possibly giving ICE more power over local jails. Or it could undercut their efforts to arrest people in the country illegally, especially in jurisdictions that are reluctant to cooperate with the agency.Read More

Yakima County Closes Road Near Rattlesnake Ridge Indefinitely

By Esmy Jimenez March 7, 2018

Yakima County Commissioners voted this week to officially close a road at the base of the slow-moving Rattlesnake Ridge landslide in Union Gap.Read More

Landslide Experts Walk Back Time Estimate For Rattlesnake Ridge Slide

By Tom Banse January 29, 2018

Geology experts with Washington's Department of Natural Resource have quit making predictions for when a slow-moving landslide might break loose. About 20 acres of the hillside are in motion near Union Gap, just south of Yakima.Read More

Yakima County Braces For Landslide, Prepares Emergency Notifications

By Esmy Jimenez January 17, 2018

The Rattlesnake Ridge landslide in Central Washington is moving at 1.6 feet per week. The area south of Yakima is on private land and next to Anderson Quarry where Columbia Asphalt operates. If it continues on its expected path, the slide threatens Interstate 82, a mobile home park, and possibly the Yakima River.Read More

Landslide Threat South Of Yakima Leads To Evacuations Near Rattlesnake Ridge

By Anna King January 3, 2018

Officials in Yakima County are strongly urging residents living below a shifting mountainside near Union Gap to evacuate. A huge crack that appeared on Rattlesnake Ridge last year is beginning to widen. Read More