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Burn Ban Extends to All Kittitas County Saturday July 13
- Kittitas County is currently experiencing dry conditions which elevate the risk of wild land fires. In the interest of public safety, starting at 0001 hrs. on Saturday, July 13, 2024, a burn ban will be in effect encompassing all of Kittitas County. This is in addition to the lower county burn ban put in place on July 9, 2024. The Town of South Cle Elum and the Cities of Cle Elum and Roslyn will also be joining in the ban.
Burn ban now in effect for Lower County
A burn ban is now in effect for Lower County, the Kittitas County Fire Marshal announced Friday. The ban includes the jurisdictions of Kittitas County Fire District 1 (Thorp/Elk Heights), Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue (surrounding the Ellensburg/Kittitas area), and Kittitas County Fire District 4 (Vantage). According to the fire marshal, no open burning and no residential recreational fires are permitted. Propane fire pits and charcoal BBQ are allowed. “We strongly encourage people to be extremely careful and report things early because we’re in that time period we normally see at the end of the summer,” Kittitas Valley Fire & Rescue Deputy Chief Rich Elliott told the Daily Record.
Candidate forums are next week in Ellensburg, Cle Elum
The Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce and League of Women Voters of Kittitas County will host two candidate forums next week for the 2024 August Primary. The first forum is in Ellensburg on Tuesday, July 16. It will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Hal Holmes Community Center (209 Ruby St.). The second event is in Cle Elum and is planned for Wednesday, July 17. It also...
Former Central professors plead not guilty to hate crime charges, trial set for late September
The two former Central Washington University music professors accused of a hate crime against a Black colleague pled not guilty in an arraignment hearing Monday afternoon in Kittitas County Superior Court. Hal Ott, 66, pled not guilty to felony charges of a hate crime and intimidating a witness. Brent Hages, 47, also pled not guilty to an accusation of committing a hate crime. Their trial is set for Sept. 24. ...
City and county to establish temporary Ellensburg cold weather shelter this winter
The city of Ellensburg and the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners have agreed to establish a temporary cold weather shelter for the upcoming winter. This temporary shelter would replace the services formerly provided by the Kittitas Valley Ministerial Association, which voted in May to no longer continue its yearly cold weather shelter after nine years of operation. According to the city, the association had indicated for a “few years” that it could not sustain it due to factors including difficulty coordinating sufficient volunteers, conflict with...
Washington's Drone Deployment to Monitor Drought Effects on Endangered Bull Trout in Yakima Basin
In response to drought conditions in Washington State's Kittitas and Yakima counties, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is taking to the skies. Starting July 9, WDFW staff will execute a series of drone flights aimed at observing how depleted water flows are impacting bull trout, a species currently deemed threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. As water levels diminish with the progression of summer, drones will be assessing the emergence of potential barriers hindering fish migration.
Kittitas County imposes burn ban as dry conditions continue
KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash.- Officials have banned open burning starting Tuesday, July 9, citing public safety concerns. According to the Kittitas County Fire Marshall, the ban will be in effect in lower Kittitas County, which includes Elk Heights east to the Columbia River. This also includes the Thorp and Elk Heights areas, the surrounding Ellensburg and Kittitas areas, and Vantage jurisdictions.
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