Daily
Yakima
Thursday, February 19th, 2026
Good morning, Yakima. Here's your local news at a glance for Thursday, the 19th of February.
CULTURE NEWS
- ➤ The Yakima Valley Museum celebrates 75 years with a free family party on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at its venue, offering crafts, a scavenger hunt, birthday cake and face painting from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with a suggested $10 donation for accessible community programming. 1280 NewsTalk KIT
ECONOMY NEWS
- ➤ The USDA report shows the U.S. lost 15,000 farms last year with Washington losing 300 as smaller operations faced the steepest declines and overall farmland slipped to 873.9 million acres. 1280 NewsTalk KIT
- ➤ Columbia Generating Station rejoined the regional power grid on Feb. 17 after a five-day outage caused by a cooling system issue — workers completed repairs and tests to ensure safe operations. The only commercial nuclear plant in the region has resumed full service and plans a refueling outage in March 2027. FOX 41
- ➤ GasBuddy's report finds Sunday is the cheapest day to buy gas in Washington & Idaho, while Thursday in Washington and Tuesday in Idaho have the highest prices. West Coast markets also see prices reset sharply then gradually drop until the next spike. NonStopLocal
EDUCATION NEWS
- ➤ Washington State University announced its revised Yakima nursing program will force students to choose between a 15-hour weekly commute or switching majors (students must relocate to Tri-Cities or Spokane for classes after spring), raising concerns over a local nurse shortage. NonStopLocal
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
- ➤ Poison hemlock, a deadly weed that blooms in late spring and grows in Yakima, is dangerous to touch or eat so residents should avoid it and wear gloves when handling. Contact the Washington State Department of Agriculture's Plant Services Program (360) 902-1874 if professional removal is needed. 1280 NewsTalk KIT
- ➤ Recent data shows Washington’s snowpack is 51% of the median, with the Yakima Basin among the hardest hit. Experts warn that even if snowfall returns to normal, reduced snowmelt may limit reservoir fill for spring irrigation + summer water supply. KIMA
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ The Yakima City Council voted last night to proceed with track renovations for the Selah trolley route—provided the organization raises funds independently. The decision preserves the historic service that has been off for more than three years while its future remains tied to meeting the funding condition. FOX 41
-
Cold for a Cause 5k
9 AM – 12 PM — Sarg Hubbard Park — Registration Fee Applies — Lace up, bundle up, and run with purpose to help those in need during winter.
No new real estate listings today. You can submit one here.
No new job posts today. You can submit one here.
No new community announcements today. You can submit one here.
TODAY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The hard part isn't making the decision. It's living with it.
Know who said this? Send us an email!
Reveal the authorAbout Daily Yakima
Welcome to the Daily Yakima, your community newsletter that's anything but snooze-worthy, packed with positive, impactful local news + events across the Yakima, Washington community. If you like the Daily Yakima, support us by subscribing to our email newsletter and sharing us with your friends and family in Yakima.
Advertising Opportunities
Advertising with us will make sure you stay at the top of everyone's mind—in Yakima and across Washington. You can learn more here. We'll work together to build a custom plan to hit your goals this year.
Alternatively, you can submit events, announcements, real estate listings, and job postings. We'll include them in our newsletter on whichever dates you like.
Community, delivered
Our hyper-local media company activates communities through daily email newsletters that curate the most positive, impactful local news + events – all for free.
Subscribe to Daily Yakima
A free Yakima community newsletter.
- Daily local news
- We curate the most positive, impactful local news + events.
- 6AM City
- A publication of 6AM City, the nation's leading local newsletter-first media network. Nominate your city.
© 6AM City Inc. 2025. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Service. Questions? Contact us here
Sitemap: https://dailyyakima.com/sitemap