KENNEWICK -- Nala sat in the corner of her pen at a Kennewick shelter, cautiously watching as an employee leaned over a short concrete wall to check on the fluffy white dog.

RICHLAND -- A federal judge has begun sorting out the apparent bad blood between the United Steelworkers local and related labor organizations in a double trial.

KENNEWICK -- Manuel Martinez began collecting cars in 1998.

PROSSER -- At least four positions -- three currently vacant -- are casualties of Benton County's pared-down budget, which could be approved Monday.

RICHLAND -- For 97-year-old Herschel Crose of Richland, the secret to staying young is how you live, what you eat and most importantly, reading.

PASCO -- Four-year-old Cash Arteaga's holiday message to wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center is a drawing of a Christmas tree with an oversized star on top, and his name boldly printed across the top.

Connell residents may notice slight increases in utility taxes and fees to use the city pool and Connell Community Center in 2010.

Four Mid-Columbia communities will preserve part of their past, thanks to state grants.

RICHLAND — Magen Myers was supposed to get married today.

A strange sort of fever started spreading through the Tri-Cities just before midnight Friday.

It took Janet Stull about 10 seconds to find what she was looking for: Sarah Palin's Going Rogue.

Oscar, a 10-week-old puppy literally tossed away like garbage, needs help recovering from a broken leg.

Like many people need a cup of coffee in the morning, 17-month-old Alex Muoz Jr. must have "a cup of dad."

A "very, very successful gang sweep" took nearly 80 fugitives off the streets -- 57 in the Tri-Cities alone -- along with eight firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a variety of drugs and about $14,000 cash, authorities said Friday.

A 21-year-old Pasco woman rolled her car early Friday after apparently falling asleep at the wheel, the Washington State Patrol said.

Drivers may be complaining about the new roundabouts near the blue bridge in Kennewick, but authorities say they appear to be reducing collisions.

Washington's largest winery made the world's greatest wine this year, according to Wine Spectator.

Leaders of Bethlehem Lutheran Church and School in Kennewick know exactly what they're thankful for this year -- a brand-new building.

RICHLAND -- Sarah Palin is planning a book signing in Richland when she visits relatives in the Tri-Cities for Thanksgiving.

More Tri-City motorists appeared to be buckling up when they hit the road -- or they just weren't driving in areas where special seat belt enforcement patrols were being conducted.

HANFORD -- The Department of Energy is predicting that employment at the Hanford nuclear reservation will peak in fiscal 2010 at about 10,800 employees and then begin a decline toward 2,100 workers by 2050, when most environmental cleanup work is completed.

Kadlec Regional Medical Center and Kennewick General Hospital soon may be battling it out to see who gets to add more hospital beds in the rapidly growing Tri-Cities.

OLYMPIA -- Tax increases probably can't be avoided as the state tries to patch a budget deficit that's ballooned another $760 million to about $2.6 billion, top Democratic lawmakers said Thursday.

PASCO -- A Grinch-like decision by the U.S. Postal Service won't affect North Pole-bound Christmas wishes mailed by Tri-City children.

WASHINGTON -- With a pivotal vote looming in the next few days, Washington state's two senators said Thursday that it was definitely time to begin debate on the Senate Democrats' $849 billion plan to overhaul the nation's health care system.

Drop by Badger Mountain & Powers Wines in Kennewick from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and you can enjoy samples of food, wine and live guitar music by James Valentino and Josh Wensel.

Thirteen foster children will become permanent members of families today as their adoptions are finalized during a rare public event.

EPHRATA -- Grant County commissioners have appointed David Matney as county coroner.

WAITSBURG -- A family ownership that stretched across 40 years ended Thursday when the sale of The Times became official.

The state Department of Natural Resources extended the deadline to Dec. 18 for public comments on a proposed land exchange that would swap about 569 acres in Chelan County for about 265 acres in Franklin County.

Thirteen foster children will become permanent members of families today as their adoptions are finalized during a rare public event.

BURBANK -- Isaac Garcia scrunched up his nose and braced for the pain to hit. But the silly face he made had his classmates from Columbia Elementary School in Burbank in stitches, and soon he was laughing too.

KENNEWICK -- Elana Rouse wouldn't mind being taxed to help improve Columbia Drive and the surrounding area.

KENNEWICK -- Developer Jos Chavallo, who wants to develop Thompson Hill, says Kennewick is not yet ready for "big" ideas.

RICHLAND -- At 57, Kathleen Dodson was faced with the eventual possibility of losing a leg to Type 2 diabetes.

RICHLAND -- Hanford Challenge of Seattle is organizing a Hanford summit, saying that polarization between the east and west sides of the state has prevented discussion of important Hanford issues.

PASCO -- Some Tri-Citians say they aren't ready to take the Pasco City Council's decision to allow a new Planned Parenthood clinic as the final word in the debate.

Nominations for the 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award are due by Dec. 11.

Two Pasco men were injured early Wednesday when the car they were in rolled multiple times as they tried to exit Interstate 82 in Pasco, the Washington State Patrol said.

Health officials hope smokers will take a day off from lighting up today as part of the 34th Great American Smokeout.

A spaghetti dinner and auction to raise money for a West Richland woman undergoing a stem cell transplant is set for 6 p.m. Friday at Parish of the Holy Spirit in Kennewick. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

A benefit concert for Mailia Goforth will start at 7 p.m. Friday at Central United Protestant Church in Richland.

Sunnyside police officers are starting morning patrols focusing on residents who are warming up their cars in the morning and leaving them running and unattended.

RICHLAND — Two Richland men are protesting a green and white sign at a little-used entrance to Howard Amon Park that outlines a list of things you can't do in the park.

RICHLAND — The Richland City Council took a preliminary step toward offering a paid curbside recycling service in the city on Tuesday, but members are pessimistic final approval will come before year's end.

SEATTLE -- All three Franklin County commissioners and one Benton County commissioner are attending a state conference this week at their counties' expense.

KENNEWICK — Developer and property owner Jos Chavallo and his team are gearing up to defend their proposal to change the land use on top of Thompson Hill to allow for luxury homes and a destination resort when the issue comes to the Kennewick City Council on Dec. 15.

The Benton Franklin Health District has begun distributing some H1N1 vaccine to Tri-City pharmacies.

KENNEWICK — The Kennewick City Council used a super-majority vote Tuesday night to avoid losing about $85,000 in potential property tax levy revenue next year.

RICHLAND -- A hike up Badger Mountain in the next couple of weeks can work out your legs, glutes, arms and philanthropy.

KENNEWICK -- Kennewick police are investigating a series of overnight car prowls in west Kennewick.

KENNEWICK -- A section of Fourth Avenue in Kennewick will be closed Thursday, Friday and Monday for paving work.

RICHLAND -- Sarah Palin and her family are expected in the Tri-Cities to visit relatives next week.

PASCO -- Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire appointed Tri-City resident Sherry Armijo to the Columbia Basin College Board of Trustees on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate passed a military construction bill Tuesday that includes nearly $399 million for bases in Washington, with about one-third of the funding targeted for Fort Lewis.

GEORGE -- A masked burglar and two other suspects are being sought in connection with a shootout Monday evening at a Grant County-area home, authorities said.

KENNEWICK -- Kenny G performs a concert at 8 p.m. today in the intimate setting of the Windemere Theatre at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.

PASCO -- A longtime Tri-City lawyer who recently returned from a deployment in Afghanistan is now representing a Kennewick man charged with fatally shooting a Pasco man.

PASCO -- A 27-year-old Pasco woman was found guilty of assaulting her infant daughter more than three years ago.

KENNEWICK -- A sex offender considered highly likely to reoffend is living in Kennewick.

KENNEWICK -- The Kiwanis Club of Kennewick has honored Jim French, a longtime Kiwanis member and Kennewick businessman, by naming a SIGN project clinic in his honor.

KENNEWICK -- A public meeting to discuss proposals to help improve the commercial and residential neighborhoods along Columbia Drive between the cable and blue bridges is set for today at Clover Island Inn.

PROSSER -- The Prosser City Council rejected working a curbside recycling plan into its 2010 budget during a Tuesday workshop.

PASCO -- The Pasco City Council voted Monday to approve a controversial Planned Parenthood permit application, despite the condemnation of many in the standing-room only crowd.

Nine-year-old Joseph Marsh's big dreams of acting are becoming reality when he appears on the popular police drama Criminal Minds on Wednesday.

A Newcastle laser eye surgeon has been charged with solicitation to commit murder on allegations that he attempted to hire a hit man to kill two colleagues.

Kennewick, Pasco and Richland city officials are still on a merry-go-round when it comes to determining what kind of regional facility to build -- such as an aquatic or performing arts center -- and how to pay for it.

The Kennewick City Council plans to approve today an agreement for using more than $3.2 million in federal money to help extend Steptoe Street south of Gage Boulevard.

The Kennewick Planning Commission unanimously rejected Monday a developer's request to change the land use on top of Thompson Hill for a proposed destination resort.

WEST RICHLAND -- The West Richland City Council approved a 2010 budget Monday night based on a property tax levy of $1.62 per $1,000 assessed property value.

UMATILLA -- Investigators are trying to figure out who drove a large farm tractor through a Umatilla Chemical Depot fence and why.

KENNEWICK -- Benton-Franklin Health District officials said Monday that swine flu vaccine has been distributed to 15 area pharmacies.

RICHLAND -- Members of the Richland Public Facilities District board on Monday said that they'd like to choose a backup location for the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center by year's end.

PENDLETON -- The National Weather Service warned of possible damaging 40 mph winds with gusts to 60 last night and this morning in parts of Western Washington.

PROSSER -- The Prosser City Council will consider tonight raising the city's property tax levy 1 percent.

Second Harvest Tri-Cities has been awarded one of 16 grants nationwide by Con-Agra Foods Foundation and will receive $16,250 to augment food donations to the 50 food banks and meal centers it serves.

RICHLAND — Katie Klute knows young people are bombarded with images that can distort how they feel about themselves -- such as airbrushed photos of stick-thin models with colored contacts and bleached hair.

PASCO -- Franklin County's budget problems are making the likelihood of the county finally addressing its animal control problem questionable.

West Richland is looking to adopt today a nearly balanced budget that avoids layoffs, but also has no spare change for new hires.

WASHINGTON -- There are zero-book children, 1,000-book children, the summer slide, Early Readers, Reading First, Striving Readers and programs, methods and studies with names and acronyms that won't quit. It's all part of the effort to teach U.S. children to read.

Ben Franklin Transit will present several proposals to help streamline its services in Prosser and Benton City at a workshop Wednesday in Prosser.

KENNEWICK -- The Clover Island Inn is taking feeding the hungry to a new level.

RICHLAND -- The Salvation Army will hold its annual Kettle Kick-Off breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Friday at the Salvation Army, 1219 Thayer Drive in Richland.

HERMISTON -- Members of nonprofit organizations are invited to the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce's annual nonprofit trade show luncheon on Nov. 24.

RICHLAND -- A seminar on "Pairing Food and Wine for Holiday Gatherings" is planned at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Consolidated Information Center at Washington State University Tri-Cities in Richland.

SUNNYSIDE -- Don't give George Villalobos a hacksaw.

WALLA WALLA -- A forum to gather input on what community members want to see in a new Walla Walla School District superintendent is set from noon to 1:30 p.m Tuesday in the district board room, 364 S. Park St.

The first-time homebuyer tax credit has heated up the Tri-City housing market.

Although Benton PUD is proposing a rate increase for residential and commercial customers, Franklin PUD and Benton Rural Electric Association don't plan on following suit, but Richland might.

An 18-year-old man is accused of stealing almost a dozen gold and silver rings from his landlord, then selling the jewelry to cover his rent.

"Hey there! ksddistrict is using Twitter."

PASCO -- Pasco City Council is scheduled to issue a long-awaited decision Monday on a proposed Planned Parenthood clinic.

KENNEWICK -- Dave Parmeter admits he was the ultimate Ebenezer Scrooge when it came to the bling of Christmas.

RICHLAND -- The Columbia River Young Marines is holding an informational meeting for potential recruits ages 8 to 18 and their parents at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Richland Police Department.

PENDLETON -- A top five list has been drawn up for ways to redevelop the Umatilla Chemical Weapons Depot near Hermiston after its scheduled closure in 2011.

RICHLAND -- Volunteers are being sought to help with plant restoration in Amon Basin from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 28.

KENNEWICK -- High school students in Kennewick and their families are invited to a financial aid information night from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at Southridge High School.

PASCO -- A recently renovated art room and gymnasium will be unveiled Monday at the Boys & Girls Club main branch in Pasco.

RICHLAND -- A Richland man was injured in a two-car accident Saturday morning on Highway 240.

GARFIELD -- A Pomeroy man and his wife were injured Saturday when he reportedly fell asleep and drove off Highway 12 into a field in Garfield County, the Washington State Patrol said.

KENNEWICK -- Almost everyone seems to have a nickname for the double roundabout at the Highway 395 and Highway 240 interchange in Kennewick.

RICHLAND -- When Zane Carey's daughter-in-law asked if he'd like to join his grandson's bowling team, it was a chance to take up an old favorite pastime.

Hundreds celebrated the life of Mike Ross, a longtime Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo board member who died Nov. 4, during a ceremony Friday at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Kennewick.

If a cougar sighting is reported in Franklin County but no tracks are ever found, does it really exist?

Nearly a year after robbing a Kennewick couple at gunpoint and eluding capture for several months, a 28-year-old Pasco man learned Friday he'll be going back to prison.

Negotiators from Tri-Cities Laboratory and a union representing lab workers will resume talks Wednesday in an attempt to reach an agreement on wages and other work conditions.

Dale Wilson, a West Richland reserve officer and emergency dispatch supervisor, told his sister how to handle her husband's increasingly aggressive behavior just weeks before the man showed up at her Portland-area workplace armed with several guns.

MILTON-FREEWATER -- Sykes Enterprises informed the state it may cut 336 employees from its Milton-Freewater call center.

ANACORTES -- A 41-year-old Kennewick man was charged with first-degree premeditated murder for the homicide of an elite Anacortes-area dog trainer, though the victim's body still hasn't been found more than a week after he disappeared.

YAKIMA -- ATF agent Jessie Summers tried to deal with misconceptions before he talked about the illegal gun trade in Central and Eastern Washington.

RICHLAND -- Advance VIP tickets for a New Moon release party will be on sale until Wednesday.

WALLA WALLA -- Twenty-five yards of surgical stockings.

RICHLAND -- Tayler Wonders already was nervous knowing he'd be giving a tour of Delta High School to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.

A Prosser man accused of being intoxicated when he drove the wrong way on Interstate 82 and killed another motorist posted $100,000 bail Thursday and was released from the Benton County jail.

SEATTLE -- Brittany Hollenbach was a talented swimmer and hard-working student who excelled at Richland High School and then the University of Washington.

KENNEWICK -- The Kennewick Public Hospital District on Thursday unanimously adopted a $122.6 million operating budget for 2010 that includes a 1 percent increase in tax collections from district property owners.

HANFORD -- Ty Rose came home from Iraq last year with new leadership skills he thought would translate into a job stateside.

Country singer James Otto got a second chance Wednesday to thank his wife.

The Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership is looking for volunteers to spend a few hours installing lights in trees in the downtown area on Saturday.

HERMISTON -- A day after an accidental emergency alert, the Umatilla Chemical Depot was dealing with the detection of a trace of mustard chemical agent inside a storage depot.

A 49-year-old Pasco man is facing drunken driving charges after colliding with a semi-truck Wednesday night near Burbank.

The Tri-Cities may see snow today.

OLYMPIA -- The National Conference of State Legislatures an-nounced it has appointed Sen. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, as vice chairman of its environment committee.

The Kennewick Public Hospital District on Thursday unanimously adopted a $122.6 million operating budget for 2010 that includes a 1 percent increase in tax collections from district property owners.

Three Pasco schools were locked down Thursday afternoon as a precaution after a possible cougar sighting.

Morrow County sheriff's officials are investigating the death of a 29-year-old Hermiston man whose body was found in a field.

KENNEWICK — Military ribbons, each one colored and patterned differently, formed varied, visually unique tapestries on each uniformed chest they graced Wednesday.

A former Richland High School swimming champion was in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center on Wednesday night after being hit by a car while crossing a Seattle street.

A Pasco teen with a lengthy felony record told a judge that the gang lifestyle is behind him because he only wants to do "what is right for my family and myself."

PASCO -- Sometime next week, recycling bins will appear at three Pasco public schools.

Columbia and Snake River irrigators have run out of patience with the state of Washington's slow work to increase irrigated acreage that was agreed to in 2006, according to Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association leaders.

Worried about overdue library fines?

Members of the Sikh community in the Tri-Cities have purchased a parcel of land in Pasco as the site of a future temple.

A Prosser man had reportedly been drinking beer before he got behind the wheel of his truck early Saturday and drove the wrong way on Interstate 82, slamming head-on into a sedan and killing the driver.

The number of existing homes sold in Washington increased in the third quarter compared with the previous three months, the Washington Center for Real Estate Research reported Tuesday.

KENNEWICK -- An attorney representing the children of a Richland man who was shot and killed by a Kennewick police officer in September filed a $10 million claim against the city late Tuesday afternoon.

Amy Henderson wants to become an electrical engineer.

RICHLAND -- Tri-City dog lovers want to honor a dog park advocate killed in a crash last month by naming a planned Richland off-leash park after her.

A Pasco optometrist no longer faces license restrictions preventing him from treating or working with women.

Organizers who are set to build farmworker housing near Ringold hope it will lessen conflict between seasonal migrant workers and anglers who camp there and reduce garbage problems.

A sex offender considered highly likely to reoffend has moved to a new home in Pasco.

About a dozen radios were pressed to ducked heads as a fire response tone rang out during Tuesday night's Kennewick City Council workshop at city hall.

Reporters who cover an ongoing issue can develop a relationship with their sources that can make their stories more compelling.

The Kennewick Police Department's monthly sex offender meeting is set for 6 p.m. today at the police station.

The Richland School Board on Tuesday continued mulling how much money to ask for in the two-year maintenance and operations levy it plans to put on February's ballot.

A new veterans memorial in Eltopia will be dedicated today as part of David Harris' Eagle Scout project.

The Salvation Army is in the process of establishing the Angel Tree again this year at the Columbia Center mall in Kennewick and is seeking volunteers who can work as few as two hours at the booth. Volunteers will be handing out tags to donors. The booth will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays from Nov. 27-Dec. 24.

A dangerous weekend on Mid-Columbia roads left families and friends mourning the loss of three young people, troopers investigating multiple crash scenes and two drivers behind bars.

Ted Sturdevant, a Washington State Department of Ecology employee, was named the state's new ecology director Monday by Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Jay Clough, a 33-year-old former Marine, announced Monday that he's running for Rep. Doc Hastings' seat in the U.S. House of Representatives next year as a Democrat.

If you're planning to fly to be with loved ones during the Thanksgiving weekend or over Christmas, hurry up.

KENNEWICK -- A rhythmic whir resonated from a room full of tables overflowing with vivid fabric strips.

RICHLAND — A doctor who left marijuana behind at a motel told varying stories about why he had the pot and where it came from, Richland police said Monday.

Expense juggling within Pasco's 2010 budget means eliminating two police positions but likely adding staff to the city fire department and municipal court.

Benton PUD is holding a rate information meeting at 6 p.m. today. The meeting will be in the auditorium at Benton PUD's 10th Avenue headquarters in Kennewick. The public utility will provide customers with information on issues that could affect rates in the coming years.

An in-depth two-hour campus tour of Washington State University Tri-Cities in Richland starts at 11 a.m. today.

The nuclear power plant outside Richland was taken offline Saturday night after hydraulic fluid was found leaking from an O-ring.

The Columbia Basin Veterans Coalition honored volunteers and supporters during an awards dinner Monday at the Clover Island Inn in Kennewick. About 90 people attended.

PROSSER -- The Prosser City Council will vote tonight on an ordinance giving nonunion employees a 2 percent cost of living wage increase.

RICHLAND — A car plunged off the Interstate 182 bridge over the Yakima River in Richland on Sunday morning, killing a 16-year-old Kennewick boy.

Hens don't stop laying, bees producing honey or bakers baking when the Richland Farmers Market closes for the season.

WEST RICHLAND — There's no one in the world Jaime Conrad Picker loves more than her 2-year-old daughter Cadence.

PASCO -- The city of Pasco's proposed 2010 operating budget may be 10 percent less than this year's but capital projects and other improvements still have a green light.

PASCO -- Negotiations between Pasco and Mid-Columbia Libraries are on hold while they wait for an opinion from the state attorney general.

More aggressive deadlines for emptying radioactive waste from leakprone underground tanks should be included in a proposed settlement agreement, the Hanford Advisory Board says.

West Richland Police are asking people to be on the lookout for three suspects in a small, white car who reportedly offered sex and drugs to three boys.

KENNEWICK -- The watercolor of a bouquet of flowers that hangs in Chuck Watson's living room was the second-most valuable gift his friend George Walker gave him.

KENNEWICK -- Carl Isaacson calls it the "Hard-brake Helix."

Chinese hot mustard, like horseradish and habanero, is best consumed in small portions.

KENNEWICK -- With three new members elected to the Kennewick City Council last week, the new year will bring a new mayor, mayor pro-tem and perhaps new curbs on city spending.

PASCO -- Local hospital and community health officials were surprised to learn that parents with young children were among those most likely to use an emergency room as their primary source of medical care.

The Pacific Northwest Mustang Club won the grand prize Saturday at the 10th annual Regional Veterans Day Parade in West Richland.

YAKIMA -- Two state agencies responsible for livestock and clean water have a new agreement they say will allow them to be more effective regulators.

A Grandview woman died early Saturday after her car was hit head-on by a vehicle going the wrong way on Interstate 82 in Benton County near the Yakima County line, the Washington State Patrol reported.

Grapes from one of Washington's original wine regions won best of show Saturday night at the 31st annual Tri-Cities Wine Festival.

A bank error left many employees of new Hanford contractor Mission Support Alliance without their direct deposit paychecks when they were expecting them Friday.

KENNEWICK -- When entering the Tri-Cities' newest ballroom, make sure to check your extra left foot at the door.

PASCO -- Riley Hughes is determined to one day don a black robe and sit on the nation's high court as a Supreme Court justice.

Former West Richland resident Jason Alves will be joining other military veterans from the Northwest in Washington, D.C., on Veterans Day to share their experiences.

PASCO -- Veterans attending Columbia Basin College will be honored during a ceremony at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Gjerde Center on the CBC campus in Pasco.

Restaurant worker Alma Montes wants to find a second job during the holiday season.

RICHLAND -- For most 6-year-olds, the card accompanying a birthday gift is an afterthought.

KGTS-FM, Positive Life Radio 91.3, is seeking community support for its annual Rice for Cambodia Campaign from Wednesday to Friday.

WALLA WALLA -- Time takes its toll on everything, and treasured books and documents are no exception.

An 18-year-old Prosser woman crashed into a motorcyclist Thursday night when she swerved back onto the highway after drifting onto the shoulder, the Washington State Patrol said.

AARP is holding Senior Driving Classes in November.

TOPPENISH -- Because of his commitment to providing an education to underserved populations, John Bassett was named as Heritage University's new president this week.

Former Marine Jay Clough of Kennewick plans to announce Monday that he will run as a Democrat for the 4th Congressional District seat currently held by Republican Doc Hastings.

Boardman is sponsoring a communitywide cleanup through November.

The Umatilla-Morrow Education Service District will sponsor two free workshops Nov. 16 aimed at helping parents of children with disabilities.

Parades and feasts across the Mid-Columbia will honor veterans starting today.

Free child identification kits will be available today at a Richland grocery store.

PROSSER -- Two Prosser High School seniors have been appointed student representatives to the Prosser School Board.

The monthly Family Pancake Breakfast sponsored by the Kennewick Senior Center is from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

SUNNYSIDE -- To help prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu to pregnant women and babies, Sunnyside Community Hospital is restricting visits to its family birthing center.

A longtime Benton Franklin Fair Board member killed in a tragic tractor accident Wednesday night is being remembered for his passion for the annual county fair, his love of agriculture and his avid support of Pasco High School sports.

There are few seasonal flu shots to be found in the Tri-Cities after an early rush of people wanting to be immunized, health officials said.

A 30-year-old Kennewick man is in jail on $200,000 bail on charges he sexually assaulted a grade-school girl numerous times over 21/2 years.

RICHLAND -- Video from the Richland Public Library's surveillance system helped clear up a "he said, she said" dispute about an alleged assault on an autistic boy, but some have questioned why it took so long to find the visual evidence.

A Kennewick company will share the spotlight Sunday on ABC's hit TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Benton-Franklin Superior Court officials may have the miracle they hoped for this week after shuffling dollars so that the adult drug court and a child advocate program survive next year.

A safe house for victims of domestic violence could open in Pasco as early as next fall.

WALLA WALLA -- A final report recommending how the state Department of Corrections can eliminate more than 1,500 prison beds still contains options that would close Washington State Penitentiary's 100-plus-year-old main institution, but it'll cost the cash-strapped state $41 million.

HERMISTON -- An Oregon judge has sided with the state of Oregon and the Army, ending a lawsuit by activists who challenged whether incineration was the best way to destroy mustard agent at the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

Franklin County commissioners believe they have scrimped, saved and squeezed enough out of next year's budget to avoid raising property taxes.

RICHLAND -- Martha Rosenberry spent much of her first year teaching photography part time at New Horizons High School asking herself, "What am I doing?"

PASCO -- Vickie Valdez was devoted to her students at Pasco High School.

After meeting for more than a year in temporary quarters on Vineyard Avenue, members of the Living Room Church in Kennewick were ready to relocate to a permanent house of worship a few blocks away next to Schuck's auto parts store at Fourth Avenue and Olympia Street.

The number of H1N1-related deaths in the Tri-Cities is now up to three -- two adults and a 5-month-old Pasco boy who died in mid-October in Spokane, officials said.

The Washington State Liquor Control Board canceled a $409,000 contract with a Seattle private security firm last week, leaving 25 state-run liquor stores without armed guards until a substitute company can be hired.

PASCO -- A sales tax increase to help pay for a jail expansion and public safety enhancements in Franklin County appears to be failing, but officials said they're hopeful that ballots still left to count will trend in their favor.