Good morning, Yakima.

The Yakima Community Foundation announced the new Hope and Harvest Fund on December 2 to offer flexible resources to local food banks amid a SNAP suspension – every donation will support emergency food services for families in Kittitas and Yakima Valley.

Triumph Treatment Services reopened its emergency shelter on Yakima Avenue after a major renovation that improved 12 of the 15 units+ now dedicated to families with children or expecting a baby.

The shelter, which houses residents for 24 to 90 days, began taking people in on Tuesday and works with local partners to help them find permanent housing.

State Fair Park will host the Yakima Holiday Drive-Thru Light Fest from December 12th to December 21st with three new features including extra miles of drive-thru lights, a Barkville display and a Whoville area themed after How the Grinch Stole Christmas — the event is presented by Gesa Credit Union and will play holiday tunes on 99.3 FM each night.

The Valley Museum in Yakima kicked off its annual Holiday Lights program on December 2 to show more than 20 trees decorated by local nonprofits — a tradition that started in 2019.

The event runs through December 27 and sells one-dollar tickets that help the nonprofit behind the winning tree — drawing local attention.

Washington workers will see a wage boost as the minimum wage rises from $16.66 to $17.13 per hour on January 1, 2026—an increase calculated by the state's annual cost-of-living adjustment—which applies to full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees including those in hospitality.

Sunnyside teen Andrew Sheehan was honored in November with the Yakima County 4-H Outstanding Teen Leader Award for his leadership in 4-H and his work raising dairy cattle.

The junior at Sunnyside High School leads his FFA club and plans to study agriculture business to help run his family dairy in the future—he already attended the World Dairy Expo in Madison.

Yakima resident Forbes Mercy launched a campaign called Help Yakima to respond to a $3 million city budget cut that affected public works, public safety, economic development, city hall and parks and recreation.

He donated $115,000 and will present the check to the city council on Dec. 9 — urging others to support the programs.

Yakima’s Triumph Treatment Center received a $6 million grant from Yakima County to open the area's first local detox facility amid the fentanyl crisis—this center will offer 24-hour nursing and physician support while providing transport to existing facilities until its own site is chosen. The program follows a six-month feasibility study and is set to begin operations in 18 to 24 months.

A small UCSF study involved 10 HIV patients who stopped their daily medication after receiving experimental immunotherapies, and six showed a slower return of the virus — one participant maintained control for more than 18 months.

Researchers said the findings may lead to future treatments that help people control HIV without taking pills every day — a result that offers new hope for managing the virus.

Dancing Sky Painting Event

6-8 p.m. — Hoops — Tickets required — Enjoy food and drinks while painting to your favorite 80’s & 90’s tunes.