Good morning, Yakima.

The City of Yakima and the Downtown Association are asking residents to nominate a well-shaped evergreen tree from their property as this year’s Community Christmas Tree, with eligible trees needing to be between 15 and 25 feet tall and accessible for a crane.

The final selection will be made by November 14 and the chosen tree will be installed at Millennium Plaza ahead of the tree-lighting ceremony on December 7 — ensuring a safe removal process.

This weekend, the Yakima Valley offers events including the CWU Interstate art exhibit in Ellensburg from today through Dec.

6 and the Narnia play in Zillah running through Nov. 15. Local highlights also feature Sip and Stroll downtown Yakima on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., a Chili Cook-Off at State Fair Park from 5 to 8 p.m., and Bubbles and Bites in Prosser from 3 to 6 p.m.—each designed for fun and community engagement.

Pacific Power is offering a donation match this winter by contributing $2 for every $1 donated via the November mail bill or online to Project Help serving Yakima and nearby areas or to Northwest Community Action Center serving Toppenish and Sunnyside—where local organizations will verify eligibility and allocate funds to help residents in need.

Campbell’s classic green bean casserole (created in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly) remains popular with over 10,000 recipe inquiries each year for its simple mix of canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup and fried onions (offering an affordable and flexible meal for busy families).

Tickets for STOMP live at the Capitol Theatre in Yakima will be on sale now with performances scheduled for November 11th and 12th, with ticket prices from $29 to $110 and a $4 service fee per ticket.

A contest offers two free seats for the show—enter your details to win them.

A U.S. Army National Guard Sergeant First Class flew a remote-control Black Hawk helicopter using a tablet after less than one hour of training at the Northern Strike exercise on November 5th.

He became the first soldier to plan, command and execute an optionally piloted vehicle mission—he directed a payload 70 nautical miles away with multiple precise drops—and the test may lead to safer future missions.

A review from the University of Adelaide found that men with obesity had better sperm quality when they lost weight using diet and exercise rather than bariatric surgery.

The study reviewed 32 earlier studies and suggests that controlled weight loss—by focusing on nutrition and exercise—may boost fertility for some men.

Researchers announced that a new AI-guided process called STAR (which scans millions of images in under two hours) led to the first successful pregnancy by identifying two healthy sperm for a couple that struggled to start a family for nearly 20 years.

Larger trials will test the method for more patients with male infertility.

Beef Counts Mobile Market - Yakima

10 a.m. – 12 p.m. — State Fair Park — Registration required — Drive-thru beef distribution serving pre-registered families in Yakima.