TOP STORIES: Fatal single vehicle crash at Jadwin/G-Way intersection claims one life

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:04]Good Monday morning everybody. I'm Dave Fertado >> and I'm meteorologist Jefferson Donovan.

[00:00:08]>> And welcome to Keeper Quick, your latest local news and weather commercial free in about 25 minutes or less. Jefferson, it's a bit of a longer one, but one of the things that we did really want to keep an eye on too, weather-wise rather, is this wind that we've been seeing. We saw quite a bit of it yesterday. Really kind of uh hindered firefight uh over in North Benton County, North Franklin County. So, what can we expect as we work our way through the next couple of days?

[00:00:29]>> Yeah, luckily we are going to see some calm wind out there today. Hopefully, firefighters will get the upper hand on that blaze, and we'll talk more about that as we go throughout this YouTube segment. But today is going to be sunny and we are going to be looking at calm wind today, which is going to be some good news going into Tuesday. Wind is going to stay calm, but temperatures are going to be turning hot on Tuesday. Some of us on Tuesday may potentially look at temperatures reaching the low 90s. one of the, if not the hottest day of 2026 so far. And then on Wednesday, we're going to be returning to the gusty wind and we're going to be looking at some rain shower chances on Wednesday as well. We'll talk more about all three of these weather headlines coming up.

[00:01:09]Thanks, Jefferson. We begin this morning in Richland. Police are trying to figure out what caused a crash early Friday morning that killed one person. Richland police responded to the crash at George Washington Way and Jadwin Avenue around 3:50 a.m. Friday. Police say one vehicle was involved and the one person inside died at the scene. The traffic pole at the scene was damaged, but crews say the intersection is now back open. And 28 people are facing charges as part of a US Marshall Service violent crime reduction operation. Marshalss worked with Yakama police and Yakama County Sheriff's deputies for the week-long operation formerly named Operation Stampede Yakama Surge. The operation focused on finding and arresting violent fugitives across Yakama County, resulting in 28 arrests.

[00:01:53]And in Ellensburg, a man is now in jail accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend and assaulting her. Police say the suspect is accused of violating a protection order after he went to his ex-girlfriend's house and tried to suffocate her with a pillow. He's facing charges of first-degree burglary, second and fourth degree assault, and stalking.

[00:02:10]He's being held in the Kittitas County Jail on $500,000 bail.

[00:02:14]And investigators are working to figure out what started a house fire in Kenowick Friday. It happened in the 600 block of East 7th Avenue at around 11:30 Friday morning. Now, as you can see, the fire sent a large plume of smoke into the sky and forced Gum Street to close.

[00:02:29]Looks like the fire extended outside of the home. Uh looks like it involved the uh the fence line and some materials outside of the structure. So there was quite a bit of uh combustible material involved in the fire very quickly which which gave it that large column of black smoke.

[00:02:45]Chief Hefner says a candle may have played a role in starting the fire, but the official cause is unknown at this time. No injuries were reported, but the house is unavailable due to the damage.

[00:02:56]Sparking this morning though, a garage fire on the 3600 block of West 4th A in Kenowick. There's no word this as of this morning on the status of that firefight. And when we first reported on the swastikas painted along the American Heritage Trail in Zintel Canyon in late April, Kenowick Parks and Recreation told us the graffiti would be likely removed within a week. But even after that deadline passed, the symbols remained. Following our reporting, the city says it notified the contractor responsible for graffiti removal. And as of Saturday, the swastikas have been cleaned up. And a reminder for some of you living in Kenowick, the irrigation water service is scheduled to shut down for the next week. The Chandler pumping plant is in need of repairs after issues were found during a routine maintenance inspection. In order to fix the pump though, crews will need to turn off irrigation water for the city city of Kenowick's canal system. The shutdown started Friday and is scheduled to last for 10 days, likely ending on May 18th.

[00:03:51]Um's uh new business center is now open, providing an additional space for businesses and local government. On the ground floor, there will be market below market rate incubator office spaces with rents ranging from $250 to $400 a year to help Umatillaa small businesses get off the ground.

[00:04:09]So, right now we've got a tax service, a clothing store, and a bakery will be coming in later in uh May. And um these are all just brand new businesses looking to just attract customers. Um they utilize our building as a focal point for some of our Saturday markets and events here in the village square as a way to bring in uh uh crowds and development.

[00:04:31]Now if you're a longtime Umatillaa resident you may remember the Saturday markets which ended in 2019 and as Zach said they're with the new space they're now returning. The first renewed Saturday market and concert series kicked off over the weekend.

[00:04:45]And sticking in Oregon, the Carnegie building in Hermiston is getting a makeover and you have a you can have a role in what the final product looks like. The current contenders for the space are the Hermiston Amateur Radio Club, the Creative Arts Club, the Hermiston Museum, and a Children's Learning and Discovery Center. It was our building department for a long time.

[00:05:06]And then when we built City Hall, we brought a lot of our services into one place. So the building department moved out of there. Uh it was a it was a temporary library while we renovated the other building and now um it's mostly vacant.

[00:05:23]And another switching of gears. Yakimma city leaders are taking another look at how nearly $900,000 in affordable housing money could finally be spent.

[00:05:30]Kas Tytherian has a look at how the council wants to put that money to work.

[00:05:35]>> Yaka's affordable housing fund has been collecting money since 2020 through a state tax credit program. City staff says that the account now holds more than $887,000, but none of it has been spent yet.

[00:05:47]>> Our $800,000 probably doesn't get a lot of units on its own, but if we add it to a housing authority, and I'm using them as an example, a Yakama Housing Authority project that is a $15 million project that puts together 80 units, then our money goes so much farther.

[00:06:04]Right now, the city ordinance mainly allows the money to help large affordable housing developments cover water and sewer connection costs, but several council members question whether the requirements should change.

[00:06:14]>> I think we really need to start using the funds. Uh the fact of the matter is the way that real estate is increasing in value, that money would have bought twice as much 5 years ago as it will today. And so having it sit there is absolutely no benefit to anybody.

[00:06:29]Council members also discussed whether smaller housing developments, including the Habitat for Humanity projects, should also qualify for assistance under the city's ordinance.

[00:06:38]>> I am wondering if um as far as connection of of sewer and services to individual homes if it could be used by an organization like Habitat for Humanity where they are uh building homes for uh people that qualify again lower income. City staff say that the council could lower the minimum project size requirement, expand eligible users, or partner with nonprofits already working in affordable housing. However, officials stress that the funding still has to follow state income and affordable housing rules. Reporting for Action News, I'm Tyion.

[00:07:16]Tyreion, thank you. No formal action was taken by the council, but they expect ordinance change proposals to be presented during upcoming meetings.

[00:07:24]Sticking in Yakama County, the Sheriff's Foundation wants you to know about a limited time competition you can take part in. The sheriff's office is looking for someone to design a limited patch that represents the pride, service, and spirit of the community. As you enter, uh to enter rather, you must be over the age of 12 and reside in Yakama County.

[00:07:42]The designs are due by June 15th. The winner will receive a special one-of-a-kind experience with the sheriff's office.

[00:07:49]And it was Mother's Day weekend and at the Purple Star Winery in Benton City, they celebrated with a market and wine tasting event. Purple Star Winery has hosted the Mother's Day market for over 10 years, using it as an opportunity to highlight local small businesses and display their wine selection.

[00:08:05]>> I mean, this is not a lot of places you can go just enjoy time with your daughter and and just walk around casually. You're not feeling pressured for anything and just really enjoy your afternoon.

[00:08:15]>> Mother's Day Eve wasn't just celebrated in Benton City, though. as the downtown Kenowick Flower Walk brought people into that city. Starting at Magnolia Studios, participants paid a small fee and got a bouquet of green stems. Their task was then to then walk around downtown and visit each store participating in the event, picking up a new flower at each location, resulting in a beautiful bouquet at the end. And also over the weekend, the Uptown Art Walk returned to Richland. The event was a farmers market style event, but was exclusive to local artists selling their wares. You can expect to see all different kinds of of art. Uh stuff ranging from, you know, people that are just doing crochet or people that are doing like 3D printing to uh individuals that are doing full paintings. Uh we've got someone who's actually going to come out and do some uh old style uh photography.

[00:09:05]>> Now, don't worry if you couldn't make the first art walk of the season. The next one will be Saturday, June 13th.

[00:09:12]Switching gears this morning. Last week, we learned how the US drought monitor works and that rainfall totals aren't the only indicator of drought conditions. This week, climatologist Jake Stevenson is taking a closer look at teacup diagrams, a useful but often misunderstood graph that's vital in understanding water availability.

[00:09:30]In the last climate outlook, we saw that heavy rainfall to end April caused a reduction in drought for southeast Washington and northeast Oregon, and those conditions persisted this week.

[00:09:38]But as we enter into the dry season, large changes in rainfall are less common since little rain falls to begin with. That means the biggest indicators of drought conditions from now on are available snow to be melted, soil moisture conditions, and the amount of water in our reservoirs. Teacup diagrams are vital in measuring the ladder. On screen now is the teacup diagram for the Yakama basin. It can look a little bit cluttered, but the main points of interest are the blue hexagons, which indicate separate reservoirs. They depict how much water is in the reservoir and the reservoir's size, which is correlated to the size of the hexagon. As we move through the summers, our reservoirs slowly get drained and as a result, the amount of blue in the hexagons dwindles and is replaced with white, indicating used up water. We can see this depicted in the Kachis reservoir, which has a little bit of white at the top because that reservoir is only 88% full. Now, this brings us to the misunderstood part of reservoir capacity in the Yakima Basin. Our reservoirs cannot hold enough water for an entire summer of irrigation, even if they are full like today. We depend upon summer snow melt to fill those reservoirs. But as can be seen, snowpack conditions are well below normal with new significant snowfall unlikely. Even though our reservoirs are full and soil moisture is actually above normal for this time of year, everything comes down to snowpack and thus drought conditions persist. I'll be tracking drought, the teacup diagrams, and soon wildfires all summer long. So, be sure to check in on Sundays for your climate outlook. For Action News, I'm climatologist Jake Stevenson.

[00:11:12]Climatologist Jake Stevenson. Thank you.

[00:11:14]And with the warmer weather comes increased fire risk. Firefighters say right now is the perfect time to prepare your home before fire official fire season officially gets underway. Things like piled up leaves, tall grass, and other dead vegetation are all threats to your home if a fire does strike.

[00:11:29]Firefighters say now is the time to get things picked up and cleared away from your home with a recommended 5-ft buffer.

[00:11:36]>> In our area where we're kind of prone to wildland fire, different colored rocks, some curbing, some of those plants that you know maybe take less moisture like sunlight and stay fairly green and don't dry out, especially on the inside like we see with the arbivitis. They dry and the dead vegetation falls in the middle.

[00:11:56]For a full list of tips to create a defensible space around your home, firefighters recommend you visit the National Fire Protection Association website. And with that, let's jump right over to meteorologist Jefferson Donovan to talk the weather for today.

[00:12:07]Jefferson, speaking of fires, I know Oregon has already announced the start of their fire season. We just had our first wildfire or fire uh spark in in uh here in the Evergreen State over just north of us at the Benson Franklin kind of Adams County line area. So, what can we expect as we work our way through the next couple of days? Do we have increased fire danger conditions?

[00:12:26]>> Yeah, let's talk about that fire that sparked up. At least it's the first fire in our viewing area for sure. At least the first major fire in our viewing area. It's the Highway 24 fire. This is near the county lines of Benton, Franklin, Adams, and Grant counties. Of course, along Highway 24. Over 2,000 acres burned with this fire because it was really fanned by some strong winds that kicked up towards the end of yesterday. And of course, when we talk about wildfire danger, one of the big components is the wind. And that concern was realized yesterday again as this fire did grow quite quickly. Now, let's talk more about this fire and kind of show a location. This is the infrared satellite imagery from yesterday. And infrared satellite imagery is often used to kind of figure out where a fire is because you can see fires on infrared satellite imagery in dark splotches. And you can certainly see that black area yesterday showing where that Highway 24 fire was burning. Today is going to be a light wind day. So hopefully crews can get the upper hand on this blaze. And as we take a look at the wind over the next couple of days, not only is today going to be a light wind day, but Tuesday is going to be a light wind day as well.

[00:13:41]Now, as we go into Wednesday, winds are going to be cranking back up across the forecast area with gusts as high as 40 miles hour on Wednesday in the Tri Cities. Gust as high as 40 miles hour on Wednesday for Walaw Wala. Gust up to 45 miles hour on Wednesday for Yakama.

[00:13:56]Winds gusting to 50 miles per hour on Wednesday in Pendleton, but 55 mile per hour gust possible on Wednesday in Ellensburg. So again, today is going to be a light wind day. Tuesday is going to be a light wind day and then wind really cranking back up as we do head into Wednesday. Now let's talk about temperatures for today. Highs are going to be near average. Upper 70s to low 80s in the Tri Cities today. Upper 70s to low 80s for the Yakama Valley. mid to upper 70s this afternoon in the Kittitas Valley with daytime highs into the upper 70s nearing the low 80s along the Blue Mountain foothills as absolutely everybody does see sunshine overhead.

[00:14:32]Now let's talk about temperatures over the next two days or overall weather conditions over the next two days. On Tuesday we are going to see one of if not the warmest day of 2026 so far. mid 80s to low 90s across much of the forecast area. Although the Kittitas Valley staying a bit cooler on Tuesday.

[00:14:49]And then as we go into Wednesday, we are going to be looking at high temperatures mainly ranging in the 70s, potentially reaching out and touching the low 80s in the Tri Cities, but we're also going to be seeing a chance of widespread showers. So for more on the shower potential, let's take a look at the Storm Tracker futurecast. Dry weather for today, dry weather tomorrow. On Wednesday, here comes that opportunity for some rain showers. Now, I believe the futurecast is going a bit too aggressive with rainfall on Wednesday, but hit and miss showers across the region at very least, certainly in the card. So, that's something that we will be tracking. Again, Wednesday at this point trending rather gusty, trending rather showery, but then we dry things right back out as we do get to Thursday.

[00:15:29]So, that's what we're tracking right now. Certainly a topsy turvy week of weather with some very nice weather today. Some hot temperatures tomorrow and then cooler and potentially wetter weather on Wednesday. We'll continue to track this situation over the next couple of days, but right now I'm tossing it back to Dave. Thanks, Jefferson. At the end of last week, Pasco High School students learned about the dangers of driving under the influence through the every 15 minutes program. Keep Whitaker visited the school and tells us more about that program. Complete with makeup and first responders rushing to the scene, Pasco High School students learn about how driving under the influence can change lives. What I want them to understand is the dangers of drinking a drive and the effects it could have on many people. It just isn't you or this person. It affects everybody.

[00:16:16]>> Participating students got a firsthand look at what can come from poor decisionm when it comes to alcohol and drugs. Friday, the remaining students watched as a mock crash just outside the school claimed the life of one of their friends. It made me realize like if I had made that decision, how it would affect everybody around me. And just seeing that and seeing people react to it, like by my mom talking or by my final words, like it really stuck with me because you you don't get that. After being whisked away from the scene in the back of a hearse, students had to attend a memorial service. Hearing from Rodriguez's mother, who was told by police officers her daughter had died in a DUI crash.

[00:17:02]>> I just want people to understand that it's people that go to your school that this can happen to.

[00:17:08]>> You never know who it could happen to that you have to realize you have to make that judgment beforehand because it clouds your judgment so much. At the end of the day, all the students involved were able to go back to their everyday lives, but they told me they understand not everyone gets that opportunity in real life.

[00:17:26]>> People were starting to cry cuz they could see their parents standing up on their giving out a speech like that. And that's when it comes to their mind.

[00:17:35]Oh, what if my mom or my dad or someone close to me spoke about that for me?

[00:17:43]Pasco High School is the only school in the district that continues the program.

[00:17:46]Students we spoke to say they hope it continues to educate students about the ripple effects of driving under the influence. Meanwhile, the University of Washington leadership took to Yaka over the weekend for 509 day, a day to connect with people across the Yakama Valley. Keeps Ki Maze Aiden Connor brings us to the annual tradition dating back almost a decade.

[00:18:06]509 day is celebrated every year on May 9th and gives the University of Washington a chance to connect with the Yakima area.

[00:18:13]>> 509 day was the rationale for me to be here. Just so proud of a community that would take the time out to honor its people, its native nations, and its legacy and the contributions that it makes not only to this region, for the state. And uh we're just very pleased to be here. University of Washington President Robert J. Jones says that it's important for universities to network all across the state, especially for a flagship university like the University of Washington.

[00:18:45]>> One of the things universities can never do enough of and that is building deep reciprocal mutually beneficial relationships with communities that's a part of the step the state that they serve. Jones says that Saturday's lunchon at the Yakama Convention Center was centered around growth and building relationships with people in the Yakama Valley.

[00:19:07]>> And what we're going to be doing at this lunchon today is kind of reminding them of the historical context of this partnership with this particular city, with this particular region, and our plans to deepen that partnership and relationship in the months and the years ahead. Jones highlighted the importance of branching out across the state and reminds people that the University of Washington is here to serve people east of the Cascades as well.

[00:19:33]>> We don't just serve the western side of the mountain. We have an obligation to serve uh people from the state of Washington and the region through some of the partnerships that we have. Jones says that over 500 students from the Yakama Valley have been provided with affordable and accessible education opportunities at the University of Washington through a partnership with Yakama Valley College. Reporting for Action News, I'm Aiden Connor.

[00:20:02]Aiden Connor, thank you. Yakima County is also one of six counties in Washington state that will implement a new summer program this year. The discover work summer learning program will offer a variety of field trips, STEM exercises, daily reading and math instruction. For stu school districts to be eligible though for the program, 50% of the district students must qualify for the free school lunch program. The program is offered at no cost.

[00:20:26]Heritage University hosted their 2026 commencement ceremony over the weekend at the Akimma Valley Sunda's Aiden Connor caught up with a few of the students and spoke to them about what it means to finally walk across that stage.

[00:20:38]Heritage University graduated 249 students in 2026, up from roughly 180 in 2025.

[00:20:46]Several students were the first in their lineage to graduate college.

[00:20:49]>> I just feel super excited, especially because I'm the first in my family to graduate and it's just such like surreal experience.

[00:20:56]>> It it's very impactful just because being a firstgen, I mean, my parents have sacrificed a lot. Um, and this is definitely for them and for just the future generations of here, Latinos and Yakama. born and raised here as well.

[00:21:08]So, it's very impactful and very beautiful to have this experience.

[00:21:12]>> Muka Aves credited her many mentors during her time at Heritage.

[00:21:16]>> It means a lot to me just because I was really supported. Heritage was there for me. Everybody, the faculty, my classmates, everybody. So, I'm so glad that I picked Heritage.

[00:21:25]>> More than anything, Yadira Quayar says that the hard work for herself and for her family has paid off. It's very special just because I think I've um one earned it for sure with all the hard work and dedication and also the hard work for my parents. Uh as being a first generation Latina, this is a huge accomplishment and I'm very uh just proud.

[00:21:45]>> This year's Heritage University commencement ceremony also featured the youngest commencement address speaker in 16-year-old poet and activist Helena Lordes Donado Sap. Reporting for Action News, I'm Aiden Connor.

[00:22:00]Hey, Connor. Thank you once again.

[00:22:02]Graduate and undergraduate students earned their degrees from both the Heritage Toppenish campus as well as the Tri Cities regional site. And speaking of the Tri Cities, hundreds of Washington State University Tri Cities grads celebrated Mother's Day uh in style, receiving their diplomas at the Toyota Center.

[00:22:24]In total, 336 students earned degrees in all fields from nursing to history and even mechanical engineering.

[00:22:31]>> Best day ever.

[00:22:32]>> Yeah. Relieved.

[00:22:33]>> Absolutely excited.

[00:22:34]>> Yeah, I loved I loved it as well.

[00:22:36]>> It was a great experience.

[00:22:39]>> But this year, a new group of students joined the procession as WSU Tri Cities offered a new program, a bachelor of science in cyber security.

[00:22:48]We're actually the first graduates um of this semester. They just now um fully released the program. So there's like six total in out of all WSU, but um two two in Tri Cities. I switched majors twice, I think, from biology to computer science and now cyber. So if you're feeling unsure, just just take a look at what you really want in the future and then um believe in yourself.

[00:23:10]While these grads will be moving on from their time at WSU Tri Cities, more than 1,600 students will call the campus home next year when fall class is starting at uh starting August 24th.

[00:23:21]Congratulations to all those graduates.

[00:23:23]And that does it for us. Thank you for watching this episode of KeeperQuick.

[00:23:26]For more local news and weather, you can head over to our websites. It's keepv.com as well as our Facebook pages. But while you're here, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with our latest mini newscasts Monday through Friday. Have a fantastic start to your work week, everybody.