Good morning, Yakima.

Del Monte Foods announced it will close its Yakima fruit processing plant and two warehouses, ending fruit production at the site for the 2025 season—no timeline has been provided yet.

The company said it informed union representatives and will work with government officials on next steps.

A Sunnyside man, Elias Nathaniel Ayala, 20, was charged with vehicular homicide for a May 16 rollover crash on State Route 241 that killed 17-year-old Anthony Gutierrez—he had too much alcohol in his system—and he is on pretrial supervision.

The Addams Family: A Musical Comedy will be performed at the Capitol Theatre on June 2nd and 3rd—both shows starting at 7:30 p.m. and serving as the final event in the 2025 Capitol Best Series, with tickets including a $4 fee to support the historic venue.

The Washington State Employment Security Department warned that 198 Epic Centers workers in Yakima face layoffs after funding cuts hit Head Start programs serving over 1,000 children plus many local families depend on these services.

The warning was issued May 23 at 7:31 p.m. and adds to ongoing concerns about the future of early education programs.

EPIC, a Yakima-based Head Start provider, may lay off nearly 200 workers by June 30 due to uncertainty in federal funding for its program serving about 500 children.

The Employment Security Department said local rapid response teams and a WorkSource center will contact employees to ease the transition—workers risk losing their jobs if funding delays persist.

Roza Irrigation District shut off water on Tuesday to save water for hotter, drier days later this summer and kept it off for at least one week as the Yakima River Basin remains in drought.

Policy director Sage Park said — the district hopes to restart service on June 1 following updated forecasts from the Bureau of Reclamation.

McCurley Subaru of Yakima donated nearly $20,000 at its Share the Love event to the Memorial Foundation, which will benefit the NICU unit — that treated over 250 infants last year — and help upgrade a family birth center last updated in 1993 for improved local healthcare.

Adventurous Scavenger Hunt in Yakima

3 PM – 12 AM — 27 N Front St, Yakima, WA — Ticket purchase required — Explore Yakima's historic sites in a fun-filled self-guided scavenger hunt.