Ellensburg Community Morning Show, Thursday, August 13th

The Summer Concert in the Park is tonight, but it's moved indoors. Because of the air quality, the city has shifted the Rodeo City Bluegrass Concern show to the Hal Holmes Community Center at 209 North Ruby Street. Music starts at 6:30. It's free and family friendly.

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NEWS

Kittitas County commissioners have put a stop — at least a temporary one — to data centers. On Monday, commissioners unanimously approved an emergency six-month ban on accepting data center applications. The proposal came from Commissioner Laura Osiadacz and grew out of concerns in Cle Elum, where the city council passed its own six-month moratorium on July 31st. Community Development Services Director Chad Bala told commissioners the pause gives the county time to review its code and build a one-year work plan for regulating data centers. He pointed to open questions about water, power, noise and how these big buildings would fit next to farms, homes and businesses. "There's just a lot of unknowns out there for Kittitas County," Bala said. The ban took effect immediately. Commissioners must hold a public hearing on it within sixty days.

The Three Queens Fire northwest of Kachess Lake is now more than thirty-five hundred acres and still at zero percent containment, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Level 3 "go now" evacuations remain in place for the Kachess Campground and several forest service roads along the east shore of Kachess Lake. Cabins off Baker Lane just south of the campground are at Level 2, and homes on Via Kachess Road are at Level 1. A long list of forest roads and trails in the Alpine Lakes area is closed, including the Rachel Lake, Little Kachess and Mineral Creek trails. The fire started July 15th and sat at less than a hundred acres at the end of July before flaring up on August 6th.

That smoke is why the air quality alert is up across the valley. If you have asthma, heart or lung trouble, or you're older or very young, this is a good couple of days to keep the windows closed and take it easy outdoors.

At the state level, Governor Bob Ferguson signed an emergency proclamation Monday temporarily suspending some state laws in order to speed up wildfire recovery, part of an expanded assistance effort for Washington families hit by this summer's fires.

And a reminder for anyone with a project idea and a shoestring budget: the City of Ellensburg has five grant programs open right now — community grants, park partnership grants, water quality grants, historic preservation grants and arts commission grants — for work to be done in 2027. The city's Access, Advocacy, Equity and Engagement Commission also has up to four thousand dollars available for projects finished this year. Applications for all of them are due at 5 p.m. on Monday, August 31st. You'll find the forms at ellensburgwa.gov/grants. That's also the deadline to nominate someone for this year's Arts Treasure and Arts Advocate awards.

Local Events

The Summer Concert in the Park is tonight, but it's moved indoors. Because of the air quality, the city has shifted the Rodeo City Bluegrass Concern show to the Hal Holmes Community Center at 209 North Ruby Street. Music starts at 6:30. It's free and family friendly.

The Ellensburg Shakespeare Project opens its second annual summer production tonight — a ninety-minute version of "The Merry Wives of Windsor," outdoors at Unity Park downtown at 7 p.m. Admission is free. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket. The show runs tonight through Saturday.

Toastmasters International meets at 5:30 tonight at the Hal Holmes Community Center.

And the Kittitas County Senior Games get underway today and run through Saturday, with events at the Upper County Senior Center and Central Washington University.

Road Work

South Ruby Street is closed between Umptanum Road and Mountain View Avenue through 5 p.m. tomorrow for new water and sewer connections, with some stretches open to local access only. Cora Street is also closed between University Way and 10th Avenue through tomorrow for sidewalk work, and the Central Transit stop number 220 has been moved temporarily to University Way. Downtown, crews are working nights on Pearl Street between 3rd and 4th through the 17th.

WEATHER                                                                                          

The forecasted high today in Ellensburg is 84 degrees with a low tonight of 56 degrees. Sunny, with areas of smoke hanging around, and winds mostly calm. The sunset is at 8:16 p.m. There's a slight chance of showers after 5 o'clock this evening — about ten percent. And an air quality alert remains in effect for the valley because of wildfire smoke.

WHAT'S FOR LUNCH AT THE FISH OPEN TABLE?

The FISH Open Table lunch today is macaroni and cheese, served with peas and carrots and peaches. The senior lunch is open to all seniors age 60-plus from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ellensburg Open Table at 204 North Main Street, and from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Cle Elum, where meals are served by the Upper County Senior Center. The community lunch for anyone needing a hot meal is from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Ellensburg Open Table.