Ellensburg Community Morning Show, Tuesday, October 6th

Two people who've spent years making Ellensburg a more creative place are getting the city's top arts honors. Jeannie Johnson is this year's Arts Treasure. She's a painter and teacher who has taught hundreds of local students since 1993, and two of her oil paintings hang in the city's collection. Renee Fyall gets the Arts Advocate Award. As president of the Ellensburg Mural Society, she has helped raise nearly 200 thousand dollars over the last three years to restore and grow the downtown murals.

LISTEN TO THE NEWS HERE

NEWS

Kittitas County commissioners hold two public hearings this afternoon at 2 o'clock. The first is on the county's six-year transportation plan for 2027 through 2032, plus the list of road projects planned for next year. That plan decides which county roads and bridges get work, and when. The second hearing is on a new fee schedule for the solid waste department. It would cover the cost of running the Ryegrass septage lagoons, and add a new compost product for sale. Both hearings are in the commissioners' auditorium, Room 109 of the county courthouse, 205 West Fifth Avenue. Anyone can speak. You can also drop off written comments at the courthouse before the hearing starts.

Puget Sound Energy wants to raise rates again, and people showed up to say no. Last week's public hearing in Lacey drew about 100 speakers and a line out the door. PSE, which serves homes and businesses in parts of Kittitas County, is asking state regulators to raise electric rates by about 29 percent and natural gas rates by about 20 percent over three years. That's on top of an electric rate increase of almost 19 percent this year. PSE says the cost of providing power has tripled since 2019. Critics say the plan spends close to a billion dollars on gas lines and plants while the state is trying to move away from fossil fuels. The Utilities and Transportation Commission will decide in early January. The next chance for the public to comment is tomorrow.

A worker at Kittitas Valley Healthcare is suing the hospital over pay and breaks. The class-action lawsuit was filed this summer in Kittitas County Superior Court by a housekeeping aide. According to the lawsuit, hourly workers sometimes went more than three hours without a rest break, had meal breaks cut short or interrupted, and lost paid time when the hospital rounded their clock-in and clock-out times. The suit claims that also cost workers overtime and sick leave. KVH denies the allegations. In court filings, the hospital says its timekeeping follows state Labor and Industries policy, and that some workers are covered by union contracts or arbitration agreements instead. KVH told the Daily Record it doesn't comment on active lawsuits. The court has not decided whether the hospital broke any wage laws, or whether the case can go forward as a class action.

If you get called for jury duty in Kittitas County, it's about to look different. The county's Superior Court and both District Courts are replacing their old jury system. Summonses will now come on a postcard. You'll be able to fill out the jury questionnaire online, or ask for a paper copy. You'll get text reminders, and an online portal will tell you when to report. Court staff say it saves jurors the time and postage of mailing forms back, and saves taxpayers money too.

Two people who've spent years making Ellensburg a more creative place are getting the city's top arts honors. Jeannie Johnson is this year's Arts Treasure. She's a painter and teacher who has taught hundreds of local students since 1993, and two of her oil paintings hang in the city's collection. Renee Fyall gets the Arts Advocate Award. As president of the Ellensburg Mural Society, she has helped raise nearly 200 thousand dollars over the last three years to restore and grow the downtown murals. The free awards ceremony is Thursday, October 15th, from 5:30 to 6:30 at Valo Cellars.

Here's what's happening around the valley today.

The Lion Rock Visiting Writers Series opens today from noon to 1 in the Brooks Library on the Central Washington University campus, with CWU professor and poet Maya Jewell Zeller. It's free. Bring a lunch.

If you live in Upper County, you can pay your property taxes close to home this afternoon. The county treasurer's office takes payments from 1 to 4 at the Upper District Court building, 700 East First Street in Cle Elum. They'll be there every Tuesday and Friday afternoon through October 30th. Property taxes are due by the end of the month.

The Ellensburg Adult Activity Center has beginning line dancing at 1 this afternoon, and table tennis and badminton later in the day. Stop by the center on North Pine Street.

And looking ahead to Saturday, the CWU Wildcat Farm Fall Festival runs from 10 to 2, with pumpkins straight from the farm, seasonal crafts and a photo booth. Saturday is also a Discover Pass free day, so you can visit state parks and state recreation lands without a pass.

ROAD WORK

Every weekend from now through early December, crews will be putting in new communication lines in alleys between Fifth Avenue and Capitol Avenue, from Ruby Street to Wenas Street. If you have questions about work behind your home or business, call 1-8-0-0, 8-3-2, 5-7-2-5.

SPORTS

Central Washington women's soccer, 2-6-3, hosts number-23 Simon Fraser Thursday at 5 in Ellensburg. On Saturday they host Northwest Nazarene at 11 a.m.

Wildcat volleyball, 10 and 4, hosts Northwest Nazarene Saturday at 1 in Ellensburg.

Wildcat football comes home 3 and 2, and unbeaten in conference, after a 41-to-14 win at Angelo State. They host Midwestern State Saturday at 6 p.m. in Ellensburg.

And Wildcat cross country runs Saturday morning at the Lewis Crossover in Romeoville, Illinois.

WEATHER                                                                                          

The forecasted high today in Ellensburg is 78 degrees with a low tonight of 48 degrees. It'll be sunny today and mostly clear tonight. The sunset is at 6:32 p.m., with calm winds. No rain in the forecast and no weather alerts for our area. More of the same through Thursday, with highs near 80. Then it cools off, with a high near 63 on Saturday and a slight chance of showers Saturday night.

WHAT'S FOR LUNCH AT THE FISH OPEN TABLE?

The FISH Open Table lunch today is  not posted for October yet. 

The senior lunch is free and open to all Kittitas County seniors age 60-plus, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ellensburg Open Table at 204 North Main Street. In Cle Elum, seniors can eat from 11:30 to 1 at the Upper County Senior Center. You do need to register ahead of time. The community lunch for anyone needing a hot meal is from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Ellensburg Open Table.