Good morning, Yakima.

Norah O'Donnell, a CBS broadcast journalist known for her work on 60 Minutes, spoke at Yakima Capitol Theater on Wednesday as part of the Town Hall series—she explained how persistence and strong relationships support journalism and women’s rights.

She also previewed her upcoming book We the Women, which will be released in February.

Holiday craft fairs and bazaars will take place throughout November in the Yakima Valley—local events include the Harmon Center Bazaar and Yakomix Spooky Night Market on November 1 with more markets scheduled in Yakima, Selah, and Tieton.

Readers should note that dates, times, fees, and locations vary and details may change.

A travel plaza will open on December 3 near I-82 in Grandview.

A local developer partnered with the Port of Grandview to build the plaza—aimed at easing truck congestion and offering more food choices for the growing community.

The Zillah Police Department is asking residents to report unlicensed pop-up taco stands that have allegedly made some patrons ill and break city law—reports should be made by calling Yakima County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at 509-574-2500.

Linda Roberts—who has served for four years on the board—and Raquel Isquierdo Lopez, a migrant nurse and case manager, will compete for the District 2 seat on the Sunnyside School Board in the November 4 general election.

Roberts will stress her governance experience while Lopez will focus on boosting Latino representation and school safety.

Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce has paused its planned move to the downtown property it purchased earlier and will continue leasing its current site next to the convention center — renovation costs have exceeded expectations.

City officials and chamber president Kristi Foster said the board is reassessing future options — the current lease is set at $1,200 per month until a new plan is confirmed.

A federal judge ordered the government to use emergency funds to keep SNAP payments going after a shutdown threatened to stop food stamp benefits for nearly 42 million people.

The decision (the first of its kind in over 50 years) means that SNAP will continue even as a budget deadlock affects federal funding.

The Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office is urging Yakima residents to test and maintain their smoke alarms ahead of the time change when clocks are set back one hour tonight (working alarms can halve the risk of dying in a home fire).

The FDA announced on October 31 that it will ease rules for approving biosimilars by eliminating the need for costly clinical trials—steps that could nearly halve approval timelines and save research costs.

The changes are expected to boost competition and help lower drug prices for patients.

Scientists from UCLA found that children with more gut bacteria—Clostridiales and Lachnospiraceae—had changes in their brains linked to anxiety and depression; the study looked at stool samples and brain scans from 55 kids in Singapore.

Future research will test if eating different foods or taking probiotics can lower this risk—new tests may soon help protect mental health—by studying the cause and effect more closely.

Dreams and Fairy Dust Painting Event

2-4 p.m. — 5th Line Brewing — Ticketed event — Unleash your creativity with a guided painting session while enjoying the brewery's offerings.