• A one-car crash near Sunnyside has taken the life of a 39-year-old driver from Grandview.

    State patrol troopers say Peter Lapierre was driving along Van Belle Road about three miles north of Sunnyside early this morning when he lost control of the vehicle and it crashed into a tree.

    Lapierre died at the scene of the crash.

    The cause is under investigation. Troopers say drugs or alcohol could have been a factor in the crash.

  • John Cooper, President and CEO of Yakima Valley Tourism, says on average visitors spend upwards of $354 million every year in the valley.

    "The core things that attract people here is our sunshine, wine country and farm fresh experiences. I just see that were just coming on to our own as a major destination."

    According to the annual report, 2013 tourism supported more than 3,500 jobs in tourism industries and tourism created an additional 1,400 jobs in Yakima last year. Those visitors also generated $23 million in state and local taxes.

  • The Yakima City Council may be voting for a new mayor earlier than expected after re-electing Micah Cawley to the position in January.

    Cawley is debating whether or not to run for the open Yakima County Auditor position. He says his political experience uniquely prepares him for the job of auditor, specifically in motivating young people to vote.

    Cawley says he expects to reach a decision about whether or not to run in the next few weeks.

  • Water manager in the valley are watching the forecast this week for more snow after more than a foot of snow fell in the Cascades over the weekend.

    The state snowpack measured at just 60 percent of normal earlier this month. With all the new snow, worries about a possible drought may be doused especially if more snow continues to fall later this month and next as many forecasts are predicting.

  • The family of Dr. Jay Sloop will celebrate his life in April.

    After never finding Sloop after he left for a walk on May 14, 2013 while on a trip with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in the Ukraine, the family is planning a celebration of his life on April 26 to give closure to family and friends.

    An article in the Yakima Herald Republic says the family has spent extensive hours searching for Sloop in the area where he walked but never found a trace of the 77-year-old doctor.

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