A Latino employee filed a complaint against the Pasco School District. It says the district did not protect employees from discrimination and retaliation. But the District says it doesn’t tolerate discrimination. Continue Reading Read More
We are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and here is a story about how music programs and certificates are expanding Mariachi knowledge among younger generations in Washington. Continue Reading Educators share mariachi knowledgeRead More
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientists Rochelle Labiosa (right) and Lil Herger examine the Columbia River for toxic algae as Jason Pappani leans over to reach into the water. (Credit: Rajah… Continue Reading Big trouble on the Read More
Interior of an empty courtroom with gavel and sounding block on the desk. (Credit: Getty Images) Listen (Runtime 1:04) Read After years of investigation, Washington’s attorney general has charged the… Continue Reading 48 Read More
We are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and NWPB take you on a journey through the diversity of Hispanic and Latino/e/x communities in the region. Continue Reading Mapping Hispanic and Latino/e/x culture in Washington stateRead More
A Pasco City Council member is running to keep his spot in District 3. But Irving Brown says racist attacks are targeting his campaign. Continue Reading Pasco Council member says racist attacks are targeting his campaignRead More
Becoming a U.S. citizen is the goal of some immigrants. Sometimes, doing it without help can be difficult; but, in Central Washington, there are citizenship legal clinics to help applicants with their naturalization processes. Continue Read More
La Corte Supremo de Washington denegó el jueves la apelación que cuestionaba la constitucionalidad de la Ley de Derecho de Voto del Estado de Washington, en la demanda por el derecho al voto de los latinos contra el condado de Franklin. El dictamen del tribunal se produjo sólo un mes después de que los jueces escucharan los argumentos orales de las partes implicadas. Read More
The Washington Supreme Court denied the appeal challenging the constitutionality of the Washington State Voting Rights Act on the Latino voting rights lawsuit against Franklin County. The Court’s opinion came only a month after the judges heard oral arguments from the parties involved. Read More
The Washington State Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the Latino voting rights lawsuit against Franklin County. The hearing comes one year after Latino voters settled an agreement with the county to create single-member district systems for elections. But during the case, a Franklin County citizen challenged the constitutionality of the Washington State Voting Rights Read More
Mike Gonzalez. (Courtesy: City of Pasco website) Listen (Runtime 1:22) Read New Franklin County Administrator Mike Gonzalez will start this position at the end of the month. A two-month period… Continue Reading Mike Gonzalez accepts Franklin Read More
Hispanic leaders said they might sue the City of Pasco over its newly approved redistricting map. They insist the map dilutes the Latino vote. But council members insist the map complied with the Washington State Voting Rights Act requirements. Read More
Agriculture officials are quarantining flocks at Oakdell Farms in snowy north Franklin County, Washington, because the flock has come down with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1. Credit: Anna Kind, Northwest… Read More
Kennewick General Hospital Credit: Washington State Department of Ecology, Flickr Creative Commons Listen (Runtime 1:08) Read Benton County is closer to opening a Behavioral Health Recovery Center after purchasing the… Continue Reading Benton County Read More
BFHD Logo Listen (Runtime :54) Read In May, Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill authorizing a change to how health districts are governed starting next year. This change will impact… Continue Reading Benton Franklin Health Read More
Benton-Franklin Behavioral Health Advisory Committee Listen (Runtime 1:54) Read A plan to address the behavioral health needs of Eastern Washington is finally in the works. The first bi-county behavioral health… Continue Read More
Jaime Torres Chicano Disabled Activist Listen (Runtime 1:39) Read Residents of Benton and Franklin counties may soon have fewer transportation options.. The Ben Franklin Transit Board, or B-F-T, willl discuss … Read More
Franklin County Commission Meeting July 5th, 2022 Listen (Runtime 2:25) Read There was contentious dialogue at the Franklin County Commissioner’s regular business meeting in the Tri Cities this week as… Read More
Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition Board Listen (Runtime 2:25) Read For over four years the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition has been working to get a detox facility in Eastern Washington. The… Read More
Sheriff Raymond denies that he has stopped employees from speaking to their union representatives and plans to fight the arbitration in Franklin County Superior Court. Listen Read Franklin County, WA… Continue Reading Franklin County Sheriff In Read More
The Sixteen year State Transportation package has passed through the Senate Transportation Committee and held a public hearing recently. An Eastern Washington Commissioner is raising alarming concerns regarding the bill. Are Gas powered vehicles going to be allowed? Read More
Education District 123 covers Benton and Franklin county and has the highest Covid case rates in Washington state. Mitigation efforts at local schools from masking and distancing continue, but some school board members are pushing back against those measures Continue Read More
Franklin County Commissioners voted to raise taxes a tenth of a percent to fund mental health and drug treatment. Continue Reading Franklin County Votes To Raise Taxes For Mental Health and Drug Treatment ProgramRead More
COVID fatigue is a real problem. As with any public health measure that continues for a long time people begin to tire of new information or staying vigilant. Continue Reading Acknowledging COVID Information Fatigue As Variant Omicron Read More
Funds from a proposed sales and use tax in Benton County would create a facility to provide chemical dependency and mental health services. The Benton County Commissioners are holding a public hearing next week to authorize the tax. If the tax is adopted, it would collect a point 1 percent sales and use tax. Read More
Franklin County started the hearings for redrawing electoral district boundaries, and the Latino population wants more information available in Spanish. The redistricting committee began public hearings on Tuesday in Pasco. In the middle of litigation regarding the violation of the Washington Voting Rights Act 2018, the committee is working on the electoral district maps Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to soon roll back the economic reopening of more counties because of rising coronavirus cases. Reverting to Phase 2 would force businesses, museums and churches to reduce indoor capacity. Read More
No more Washington counties will be in Phase 1 of the state’s four-phase reopening plan. Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday that Chelan, Douglas, Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties could advance to Phase 2. Continue Reading Read More
Some Washington counties hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic are now looking toward the possibility of reopening schools for in-person classes. It’s thanks to metrics like hospital bed capacity and the virus incidence rate that continue to improve in Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties. Read More
Hear from candidates that are looking to represent the Benton and Franklin Counties. Four nights of debates, we cover 11 different races that matter to our community. Continue Reading NWPB Vote 2020 Debate Series: Benton & Franklin CountiesRead More
ICYMI: Stream the Washington state Treasurer's debate. Join the conversation using #NWPBVote2020 Continue Reading ICYMI: Washington State Treasurer’s DebateRead More
Effective Thursday, churches and restaurants in Yakima, Benton, Franklin, Chelan and Douglas counties can open their doors to let guests inside — though just to 25% capacity. Outdoors, groups of up to five people from different households can meet up or attend fitness classes. Read More
Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties have been approved for more business and recreational activities beginning this Saturday. The approval means additional operations within the counties’ current modified Phase 1 – not moving to a full Phase 2. Read More
ICYMI: Stream night number two of NWPB's Benton and Franklin Counties candidate forum. Races include: 4th Congressional District, WA State Senate, 16th District and Superior Court Judge, Position 1. Continue Reading ICYMI: Benton & Franklin Read More
Wineries and breweries in Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties must keep their doors closed for now, unless they serve food out of their own kitchens. That’s the updated guidance for the three counties, which are seeing some of the highest numbers of coronavirus cases in Washington. Read More
Full Episode Benton County Commissioner, District 1 Benton County Commissioner, District 3 Franklin County Commissioner, District 1 Franklin County Commissioner, District 2 Franklin County PUD CommissionerRead More
County officials in eastern Washington rushed applications to the state Thursday evening to reopen their economies. It came the same day Gov. Jay Inslee announced the state would approve their plans to reopen and put others on pause for two weeks. Read More
Over the past two weeks, Inslee said infection rates have increased six-fold in Franklin County and nearly five-fold in Benton County. The main thing that could help, he said: masks. “Yes, there’s controversy, as there is in any great, noble endeavor, but the vast majority of people in (the Tri-Cities region) want to beat this pandemic,” Inslee said. Read More
Cases of COVID-19 are rising dramatically in Washington’s Yakima County and the Tri-Cities region of Benton and Franklin counties. That’s driving local health officials to urge residents to wear masks in public. Read More
A survey by the Yakima Health District found that just 35 percent of residents wear masks in public. That spurred the health district to issue a masking directive, hoping to get 80% of residents to use face coverings. Continue Read More
While most people and public officials may be complying with Washington's "stay home, stay healthy" orders, not all are. In fact, there’s evidence of growing restlessness with the shutdown of the economy, the skyrocketing job losses and the infringement on normal, daily activities. And in some places there are examples of outright opposition. Read More
More than a dozen haystacks have been burned under suspicious circumstances in central Washington since early October. It’s concerning to the hay industry and law enforcement. Continue Reading Suspicious Haystack Fires In Read More
