Good morning, Richland.

Richland residents expressed frustration with a junk house on Feb.

17, citing safety and property concerns + local officials are reviewing options to address the issue.

Tri-Cities Miss Juneteenth will host a fundraising event at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb.

21 at the Riverfront Hotel, featuring an auction, dinner from Flavors by Big Mama + a fashion show to support education for young women.

Tri-Cities Airport set a record in 2025 with 975,372 passengers thanks to community support and increased air service.

Allegiant introduced nonstop flights to Orange County and Alaska Airlines began service to Hollywood Burbank in October while planning Portland flights starting in June (according to the airport).

Crews have removed the Bateman Island causeway as part of a multi-year effort to restore the Delta's natural balance.

Workers will continue shoreline stabilization by Feb. 26, and parts of the area remain restricted for contractor safety — local and state teams led the project.

City leaders in Pasco are developing a 2026 Animal Shelter Action Plan to update funding, animal control, shelter services and outreach with a potential oversight board+ that will bring diverse community voices into policy decisions.

Discussions are in early stages.

Since Station 410 reopened, response times have dropped by over a minute in West Richland, easing other stations' workloads while the Fire District 4 Board considers whether to ask voters to approve a fire levy lid lift later this year (no decision has been made yet).

IRS data from 2024 show that only 2% of eligible filers used the Free File program, leaving about 102 million taxpayers paying fees unnecessarily.

This filing season, taxpayers earning up to $89,000 can use free software on the IRS website to file their returns.

Since Station 410 reopened last summer in West Richland, Fire District 4 has cut average response times by more than a minute and eased crew workloads district-wide, while the board considers next steps including a potential vote on a fire levy lid lift in 2026.

A study from SUNY College of Optometry finds that indoor visual habits in low light may boost nearsightedness (myopia).

The research says prolonged focus at a short distance indoors can reduce retinal illumination, offering new insight into myopia control.