Ellensburg Community Morning Show, Tuesday, September 15th
NEWS
Kittitas County commissioners have a full afternoon of public hearings today, and one of them is about data centers. At 2 p.m., the board takes up whether to extend the county's moratorium on data centers for another six months. The moratorium is a pause on new data center applications while the county works out how it wants to handle them, and the six-month extension is the question on the table today. Two other hearings follow on the same agenda: a proposed lease with Central Washington University for property at the county airport, Bowers Field, and the Kittitas County Conservation District's request to renew its system of rates and charges. All three hearings are in the Commissioners' Auditorium, Room 109 at the courthouse, 205 West 5th Avenue. Anyone can attend and speak, and written comments are accepted at the Commissioners' office, Suite 108, up until the hearing starts.
Ellensburg's historic buildings now have a map of their own. The city launched an online story map yesterday that lets you explore every building, district, site and object on the Ellensburg Landmarks Register. That includes the city's two local historic districts and several individually listed landmark properties. Until now, that list wasn't digitized anywhere the public could easily find it. The city paid for the project with a fifteen-thousand-dollar grant from the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, after the Landmarks and Design Commission recommended applying. Associate Planner Chace Pedersen says the map makes information about these properties more accessible to residents, visitors and property owners. It works on your phone, too — turn on location services and it becomes a self-guided walking tour of the historic districts. You'll find it at ellensburgwa.gov slash StoryMap. And the commission that pushed for it, the Landmarks and Design Commission, meets tonight at 5:45 in Council Chambers.
A dispute over one of downtown's landmark buildings has ended up in court. The Daily Record reports that Ponderosa Construction, the Ellensburg company that led the renovation of the Fitterer Building in 2024, has sued the building's owners, Kelli and Adam Rynd, over what the lawsuit describes as unpaid construction invoices. Owner Henry Thomas took the lead on the renovation before the building's grand reopening in October of 2024. The case is a civil matter over payment, and the details will play out in court.
Sunday's rain wasn't just a lot of rain — it was a record. The National Weather Service in Pendleton says Ellensburg picked up a full inch of rain on Sunday, September 13th. That shatters the old daily record for the date, which was just eight hundredths of an inch, set back in 2004. After a summer of drought conditions across the Yakima Basin, an inch in a day is a welcome soak, even if it was a wet weekend to be outside.
A few deadlines worth knowing about this week. Nonprofits and event organizers who want lodging tax money for 2027 have until Friday at 4 p.m. to apply. This is the consolidated grant program shared by Kittitas County and the cities of Ellensburg, Cle Elum and Roslyn, and it funds events and projects that bring overnight visitors to the county. One application covers all four jurisdictions. It has to be submitted online, and late applications won't be considered. Questions go to the County Auditor's office at 5-0-9, 9-6-2, 7-5-0-2. The City of Ellensburg is also still taking applications for two open seats on the Parks and Recreation Commission, the volunteer board that advises the City Council on parks and recreation programs. Details are on the city's Boards and Commissions page.
A heads-up for drivers this weekend: Pearl Street will be closed between 3rd and 4th Avenues starting Sunday morning at 8, while crews replace the crosswalk just north of 3rd. The street is expected to reopen by 10 a.m. Monday. Watch for traffic control signs downtown.
For events today: Storytime at the Ellensburg Public Library runs every Tuesday and Wednesday morning this fall, with sessions at 10:15 and 11:15, including a bilingual storytime. The Ellensburg Adult Activity Center hosts Coffee and Conversation from 10 a.m. to noon. The county commissioners' hearings we mentioned start at 2 p.m. at the courthouse. The city's Transportation Advisory Committee meets at 3:30 this afternoon in the Council Conference Room at City Hall. And the Landmarks and Design Commission meets tonight at 5:45 in Council Chambers.
Looking ahead: Music in the Gardens returns Thursday evening at 5:30 at Brick House Gardens and Nursery. Saturday morning, the Ellensburg Farmers Market is downtown starting at 9. And a week from today, on Tuesday the 22nd, Coffee With City Council happens during the Bite of the 'Burg on 4th Avenue downtown, from 2 to 5 p.m. — stop by for a cup of coffee and a conversation with a couple of your councilmembers.
SPORTS
Central Washington volleyball opens conference play tonight, on the road at Number 23 Simon Fraser in Burnaby, British Columbia. First serve is 7 p.m. The Wildcats are 4 and 2 on the season, including wins over San Francisco State, Chaminade and then-Number 4 Point Loma at their home invitational.
Cross country runs at the WSU Cougar Classic in Colfax tomorrow evening, starting at 5:30. Both Wildcat squads won their home opener here in Ellensburg last weekend.
The big one is Saturday. Wildcat football hosts Number 1 Ferris State at 6 p.m. at Steve Hertling Field at Tomlinson Stadium. It's the home opener. Central is 0 and 1 after a 24-to-17 loss at Cal Poly.
Also Saturday, volleyball is at Western Washington in Bellingham at 7 p.m. And Sunday, soccer travels to Seattle U for a 4 p.m. kickoff.
WEATHER
The forecasted high today in Ellensburg is 73 degrees with a low tonight of 47 degrees. Mostly cloudy, with patchy blowing dust after 11 this morning. The sunset is at 7:23 p.m. Winds are out of the northwest at 6 to 11 miles an hour this morning, picking up to 16 to 21 this afternoon, with gusts as high as 31. No rain in the forecast today. There are no weather alerts in effect for the Kittitas Valley.
WHAT'S FOR LUNCH AT THE FISH OPEN TABLE?
The FISH Open Table lunch today is a Baked Potato with Chili, served with cornbread, cheese and sour cream, and fruit. 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.
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