The availability of medical services in Selah has increased significantly this fall with the arrival of the Best Practices Healthcare Center off East Goodlander Road. A multi-specialty family medical clinic opened Nov. 2 on one side of the former Astria Health clinic at 715 N. Park Drive — which closed earlier this year — and... Continue Reading →
Pink-bearded cancer crusader gears up for another year
If you see a guy with a pink beard cruising down the highway on a Harley this fall, don’t be surprised. For the third year in a row, D.J. Blankenship of Konnowac Pass will be dying his white beard pink throughout the month of October to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “Three years... Continue Reading →
Selah Community Steps Up to Help Firefighters, Displaced Residents
Members of the Selah community are still trying to find their bearings after a catastrophic wildfire began raging in the Wenas Valley on Aug. 31. In just 10 days’ time, the Evans Canyon Fire consumed about 76,000 acres and destroyed six homes and six outbuildings. Driven by high winds and tinder-dry conditions, the fire forced... Continue Reading →
Toppenish Educators Trying to Make the Most of Online Learning
When K-12 classes abruptly ended in mid-March due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, few educators in Washington had any idea what might lay ahead. A statewide stay-at-home order came next, followed by a full cancellation of in-person instruction on April 6. Some school districts around the state struggled early on to react... Continue Reading →
Selah residents rallying to support local business community during shutdown
The past month has been a trying time for every city and small town in America. Statewide stay-at-home orders due to the novel coronavirus outbreak have prevented people from patronizing local businesses, prompting some difficult decisions about the future. Many small business owners in the Yakima Valley aren’t sure if they are going to make... Continue Reading →
Selah karate studio helps kids, adults build life skills
Karate changed Andy Franz’s life. Now, the owner of Goju-Ryu Karate in Selah is using the ancient martial art to change the lives of people around the Yakima Valley. Franz and his eight volunteer instructors work with children and adults five evenings a week at 103 E. Naches Ave., teaching them how to be more... Continue Reading →
Covering local athletes helps bring communities together
Sports reporting is something I’ve always enjoyed. Covering events, writing features, talking to athletes and coaches — it’s a great job if you can get it. Honestly, following high school teams and writing about them is more fun than it is work. But there aren’t many small-town sports writers like me around anymore. That’s why... Continue Reading →
Family-First Approach Has Served Brookside Funeral Home Owners Well
Jamin Mohler is well versed in all areas of the funeral home business. From embalming to cremation to working with bereaved families, the owner of Brookside Funeral Home in Moxee has done — and seen — it all. In fact, Mohler has seen enough of what goes on behind the scenes in the industry that... Continue Reading →
Passion For Community Keeps Senior Photographer Going
Jim Hausske can trace his love for photography back to when he was just a little tyke, growing up in south Seattle. Starting about age 5, he would bring his Kodak Brownie camera down to Lake Washington every summer to take photos of the hydroplane races. As time went on, he picked up a few... Continue Reading →
Styles For Students Program Offers Kids Incentives, Not Stuff
“You can keep your pencils.” In a way, the origin of Styles For Students can be traced back to that comment made by local barber J.D. Mares. The Yakima School District’s incentive program for high schoolers began last year as a way to reward students for good attendance, grades and citizenship. But until Mares and... Continue Reading →