Good morning, Yakima.

Aqua Tequila’s Mexican restaurant on N 1st St burned down on Monday, Jan.

19 and its building was demolished leaving rubble behind. The site, once home to Gasperetti’s Italian Restaurant (a community fixture since the 1960s), now only has a telephone pole remaining.

A poll conducted yesterday invited Yakima residents to choose the weekend events they were most excited about; results aired during the 5+6 p.m. newscasts to spotlight local attractions.

At the Hanford Site, 40 workers were laid off by HMIS on January 19 as part of a restructuring effort, and they received two weeks pay + severance while officials arranged local support.

The WSDA is preparing to treat properties to kill Japanese Beetles as numbers grew last year and is urging homeowners to give consent for chemical treatments (with good results seen in Wapato but rising counts in Grandview and nearby towns).

A small backyard flock in Yakima County tested positive for bird flu and the Yakima Health District is contacting flock owners to check for symptoms; officials say human risk is low & poultry owners are urged to follow proper biosecurity measures.