Winery blaze, fatal skydive, claims against Richland doctor. Top May stories

Tri-City Herald readers followed a dramatic month of local news, from a massive winery fire to a deadly skydiving accident. Here’s a roundup of the stories that drew the most attention.

Click the links to read the full articles.

• A massive fire broke out at Central Washington Wine Production Group and UpWest Wine Tasting Room in Mattawa, where roughly 4.5 million gallons of wine were on hand when the blaze began.

• Benton City resident and former Golden Bachelor finalist Faith Martin encountered three rattlesnakes in just seven minutes on a trail as snake season ramped up in the Tri-Cities. Experts say a mild winter likely did not increase snake numbers this spring.

• Kennewick real estate investor and longtime musician Randy Hubbs died after a midair collision with another skydiver during a group jump near Ritzville. He was mourned by generations of students and fellow musicians.

• The Benton Franklin Health District handed out 10 failing food safety grades in a single week for issues including moldy milk, warm raw meat and bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.

• The Country Meadows Fire burned 1,700 acres in the Badger Canyon area and reached 90% containment after threatening up to 150 homes, with no houses burned and no one hurt.

• A Cessna 140 flipped on its roof and skidded down a runway at the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco, though the pilot and passenger escaped safely.

• Richland OB-GYN Dr. Mark Mulholland faces even more Washington Medical Commission charges alleging he removed a patient’s fallopian tubes without consent and engaged in sexual misconduct involving 11 patients.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.