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Typical WA State buffoonery: Vote yes on I-645

Opinion: This piece reflects the view of ConnellWA.com.

Vote yes on I-645. Washington's new income tax was rushed through in the last days of a short session and walled off from a public vote. It rests on revenue guesses that keep changing, and it runs straight into a 93-year-old Supreme Court ruling that says the state can't do this. We call that corrupt, mismanaged and unconstitutional, and I-645 is the only chance to stop it before a single payment comes due. Ballots are due by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Here's what's at stake. In 2024 the Legislature passed Initiative 2111, banning state and local taxes on individual income. Two years later, lawmakers passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6346, which carves itself out of that ban and imposes a 9.9% tax on individual income above $1 million starting Jan. 1, 2028. I-645 repeals the tax and writes the ban back into law for the state, counties and cities alike.

Unconstitutional: The courts have already said no

Washingtonians have been here before. In 1932 voters approved a state income tax, and in 1933 the state Supreme Court threw it out in Culliton v. Chase. The court held that income is property and that the state constitution requires property to be taxed at a uniform rate. That ruling has never been overturned. Courts relied on the same principle when they struck down Seattle's income tax on high earners in 2019, KUOW reported.

The tax's backers know this. The bill's lead author, Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, says Culliton was wrongly decided, and Democratic leaders are betting the Supreme Court will overturn it, Axios reported. In March, the House rejected, 46-49, an amendment that would have made the tax contingent on voters first amending the constitution to allow it, according to the Washington State Standard. Rather than change the constitution, they passed the tax and are counting on the courts to change the law.

The challenge is already in court. In April, a lawsuit was filed in Klickitat County Superior Court arguing that the tax violates the uniformity requirement. The plaintiffs include a builder and a marketing-business owner who would owe the tax, along with the Yakima Klickitat Farm Association, the Building Industry Association of Washington and the National Federation of Independent Business. Washington shouldn't build its budget on a bet against its own Supreme Court.

Corrupt: A process designed to keep voters out

We use "corrupt" to describe how this law was made, not to accuse anyone of a crime. In our view, the process bent the rules of representative government to avoid the people's judgment.

Look at the record. Republicans said new provisions made public the Friday before the House vote left no time to vet them, and their motion to set the bill aside failed on a party-line 58-38 vote. The House passed it 51-46 on March 10 after more than 24 hours of nonstop floor debate, two days before the end of the 60-day session, and eight Democrats voted no. The Senate signed off the next day.

Lawmakers also attached a "necessity clause" declaring the tax necessary to support state government, a move that blocks a citizen referendum. They voted down an amendment that would have sent the tax to the November ballot. When Let's Go Washington asked the state Supreme Court to allow a referendum anyway, the court ruled in May that the law falls under that exception and is not subject to referendum. That ruling did not address whether the tax itself is constitutional.

The result: to get a say, opponents had to gather more than 300,000 signatures for an initiative, double what a referendum requires, according to the Washington State Standard. Washington voters have rejected an income tax 10 times since 1934, most recently in 2010 by a 64%-36% margin. This time, lawmakers made sure voters couldn't simply refer it to the ballot.

Mismanaged: Spending money that doesn't exist

This tax was sold as the answer to a budget mess, and the budget is still a mess. In 2025, Gov. Bob Ferguson's office described closing a "$16 billion budget hole," and the state then faced another shortfall in the supplemental budget. In September, the Washington State Standard reported that the latest revenue forecast won't erase a several-hundred-million-dollar deficit in the 2028 fiscal year or make a dent in the multibillion-dollar shortfall expected in the next budget. That is the third straight year lawmakers face a shortfall. Senate Ways and Means Chair June Robinson, D-Everett, said, "I think we need to find ways to reduce current spending so that we can balance in fiscal year 2028."

Meanwhile, the state is already planning around money it hasn't collected. The bill pledges income tax proceeds to expand the Working Families Tax Credit and earmarks 5% for child care and early learning starting in 2029. The official fiscal impact statement also lists free school meals and transfers to local governments as intended uses. And the September forecast's boost for the next budget comes mainly from the income tax, which won't produce a dime until 2029, and only if it survives the courts and the ballot. "Much of the predicted increase comes with an asterisk," said Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, the Senate Republicans' lead budget writer.

The estimates themselves keep moving:

When the bill passed, the state assumed about 21,000 filers and $2.7 billion for the 2027-29 budget.
Over the summer, the Department of Revenue raised that to $3.1 billion.
In September, the state's chief economist projected $3.5 billion for 2027-29 and $9.4 billion for 2029-31, and he estimates 25,000 filers in the first year.

Those numbers could go up or down again in November. A budget built on figures that change every few months isn't a plan. It's a gamble.

Nobody has paid this tax. Keep it that way.

No estimated payments are required for 2028, so the first checks wouldn't be due until April 2029, according to the Office of Financial Management. A yes vote doesn't take a dime from any school, clinic or program that is funded today. "How can you call something a tax break," Yes on I-645 campaign chair Steve Gordon asked in an interview with The Seattle Times, "when there's no tax being collected?"

That's why the No campaign's "$13 billion tax break" line doesn't hold up. A Seattle Times fact-check found the figure stacks four years of projected collections, 2029 through 2032, into one number. The paper warned that leaving out the four-year window "could create the misleading impression" that the tax would raise $13 billion a year. The state's own fiscal impact statement estimates about $11.4 billion over fiscal years 2027 through 2031, and two of those years would collect nothing at all.

You keep the tax cuts

I-645 leaves the companion tax cuts in place: reduced taxes for small businesses, expanded rebates for low- and middle-income households, and no more sales tax on diapers, over-the-counter medicines and personal hygiene products. You keep every one of those and drop the income tax. The nonpartisan House Office of Program Research summary says I-645 also bars the state and local governments from taxing individual income. It defines "income" as "any gain or benefit measured in money derived from an individual's capital, labor, property, or other source." If approved, it takes effect Dec. 3, 2026.

A $1 million threshold today. What about tomorrow?

Former U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who works with the Yes campaign, wrote in The Spokesman-Review that lawmakers rejected "multiple attempts" to permanently keep the $1 million threshold from being lowered. If the line is meant to stay put, why not lock it in? A law that was written to keep voters out shouldn't be trusted to keep its own limits.

The other side's case, and why it falls short

Opponents say repeal would cut money for schools and health care, and that Gov. Ferguson has pledged to veto any attempt to lower the threshold while he is in office.

But the cuts they warn about come from money that has never been collected, from estimates that keep changing, for a tax facing a court precedent that has stood for 93 years. The real budget problem, as the state's own forecasts show, is spending that has outrun revenue three years running. And a governor's pledge expires when his term does. The protections in I-645 would be written into law.

Washington has said no to an income tax 10 times. Make it 11. Vote yes on I-645.

Where to drop your ballot

Ballots must be in an official drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day or postmarked by Election Day if mailed. In Connell, a 24-hour drive-up drop box is at the Connell PUD Shop, 619 W. Clark St. Franklin County also has drop boxes in Pasco, Mesa and Kahlotus, and Benton County lists locations in Kennewick, Richland, West Richland, Prosser and Benton City. Voters can track their ballots at VoteWA.gov.

Sources

ConnellWA.com - 10/21/2026

Phoenix & Folly to open Oct. 31 in former Salud space on Richland riverfront

Phoenix & Folly, a new all-day restaurant and bar with ties to Kennewick's recently closed The Peacock, plans to open at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, in the former Salud Bar & Kitchen space at the Richland Riverfront Hotel, 50 Comstock St.

The restaurant is from Thomas Kalmbach, master roaster at The Peacock, and Justin and India Bazinet, the Tri-City Herald reported. The Peacock announced its closure on social media Oct. 9, and the new restaurant was announced Oct. 10, according to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

The owners have said the new place is not a relocation. "The Peacock isn't relocating, reopening, or changing its name. That chapter has closed. Phoenix & Folly is an entirely new restaurant, with a new concept and a new space, but some familiar faces behind it," they wrote in a social media post quoted by the Journal.

The Peacock began as Peacock Coffee Roasting Co. at Richland's The Parkway before moving to 910 S. Columbia Center Blvd. in Kennewick in 2024, where it added pizza, cocktails and events, the Journal reported. The Richland space has a fully equipped kitchen, allowing food that wasn't possible at The Peacock, and coffee will remain part of the business.

Phoenix & Folly bills itself as an "all-day neighborhood restaurant and bar" with elevated comfort food and cocktails. The Herald reported the kitchen is teasing a menu of artisan pizzas, smash burgers and more. The restaurant's website is revealing a new piece of the concept each Saturday at 7 p.m. ahead of opening, with "Test Kitchen Tuesdays" next up on Oct. 17. The site also takes sign-ups for reservation and soft-opening news and says the restaurant is hiring.

Salud Bar & Kitchen closed earlier this year. The Journal's May 2026 liquor license report listed Salud's license at 50 Comstock St. as discontinued. The hotel's dining page, which still lists Salud, describes the space as having an outdoor deck overlooking the Columbia River.

Hours have not been announced.

Sources

TriTown.info - 10/13/2026

Avalanche Energy picks Tri-Cities for first fusion-machine factory

Avalanche Energy has selected the Tri-Cities for its first global manufacturing facility for compact fusion energy machines, a project the Seattle-based company and the Tri-City Development Council say could eventually create hundreds of long-term jobs. The plans were announced Oct. 8 at a press conference in Kennewick, where Avalanche and TRIDEC signed a strategic engagement letter to work together on the project.

Avalanche chose the region after a nationwide site evaluation that considered multiple industrial and technology hubs across the United States, according to the company's announcement. Under the letter, Avalanche and TRIDEC will work together on site selection, permitting, infrastructure readiness, regional supply chain development and specialized workforce development.

No site has been chosen. TRIDEC will coordinate with its jurisdictional partners and intends to issue a request for information to its economic development partners to evaluate potential sites based on the project's infrastructure, workforce, transportation, utility and development requirements. The plant would operate near FusionWERX, Avalanche's research and development facility in Port of Benton-owned space at 2345 Stevens Drive in Richland. Avalanche could start with a plant that requires about 20 acres, but expansion could eventually require hundreds of acres, the Tri-City Herald reported.

The facility would begin as a prototype production plant and is expected to expand into a fully vertically integrated commercial manufacturing operation capable of producing hundreds of fusion machines a year. TRIDEC and Avalanche officials told the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business that means handling raw materials, making the necessary alloys, machining parts and assembling the machines on site. Avalanche is developing modular fusion machines with target capacities of 100 kilowatts and 5 megawatts, and the Herald reported possible uses include data centers, disaster relief and defense.

"We envision a world-class manufacturing center that can produce hundreds of fusion machines each year, create hundreds of long-term jobs and generate significant economic activity while positioning the Tri-Cities and Washington state at the forefront of the global fusion industry," Avalanche co-founder and CEO Robin Langtry said in the announcement.

Gov. Bob Ferguson and U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., spoke at the event. Ferguson called the planned manufacturing center a "big deal," saying it would be significant for the state's clean energy future, its climate goals, its manufacturing economy and jobs, the Herald reported. Newhouse said the project would bring construction jobs first, then hundreds of skilled and unskilled jobs.

Alex Campbell, Avalanche's head of commercial markets, told the Journal the company picked the Tri-Cities for its experienced nuclear workforce, institutions such as Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Washington State University Tri-Cities, and its rail and waterway transportation networks. "The ability to have rail and port access to ship these machines to not only domestic markets but international markets is a unique attribute that not many places have," Campbell said.

The technology still has a way to go. There is no commercial fusion energy production industry yet, the Herald noted, as fusion companies work to produce more energy from a fusion reaction than it takes to create the reaction. Avalanche says it remains on track to demonstrate net fusion energy gain before 2030.

Sources

TriTown.info - 10/13/2026

Gas holds above $5 in Connell and Tri-Cities as state prices ease slightly

Gas is still over $5 a gallon across most of the Columbia Basin. Pasco and Connell have some of the region's better deals, but the cheapest fill-ups are across the border in Idaho.

GasBuddy's lowest regular prices at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5: $5.13 at Circle K in Connell, $4.99 at Atomic Gas and MetroPetroleum in Pasco, $5.19 at Hawk Fuel in Othello, $4.83 at Chevron in Moses Lake, $5.19 at Maverik in Cheney and $5.39 in Colfax. Post Falls, Idaho, was $4.35 at Walmart.

Averages tell a broader story. AAA put the Richland-Kennewick-Pasco metro at $5.31 a gallon on Oct. 12, flat for the week but $1.04 higher than a year ago. Diesel there averaged $7.34.

Adams County averaged $5.37 and Grant County $5.40 on Oct. 12, according to AAA. The statewide average was $5.45, down 3 cents in a week and 11 cents in a month. The national average was $4.36.

Washington ranks third-highest in the nation behind California and Hawaii. Regular gas hit a state record of $5.79 on May 20, and diesel set a record of $7.47 on Sept. 23. A year ago, Washington drivers paid about $4.48.

GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said the trend is "cautiously in the right direction," but warned that hurricane season and geopolitical uncertainty mean it's too early to call the pressure over.

Sources

ConnellWA.com - 10/12/2026

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Richland downtown area nominated for federal Opportunity Zone

A downtown Richland neighborhood is among 99 areas Gov. Bob Ferguson nominated for the federal Opportunity Zones 2.0 program, with a proposal summary projecting about $300 million in capital investment and roughly 480 new housing units if the designation is certified and projects move forward.

Ferguson announced the statewide nominations Oct. 8 and submitted them to the U.S. Treasury Department. The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business reported that the proposed Downtown Richland project is the only selection in Benton or Franklin counties. Others were selected in the Yakima and Walla Walla valleys.

According to the Journal, the proposal covers the area bordered by Van Giesen Street on the south, Newcomer Street on the north, Stevens Drive on the west and George Washington Way on the east. The plan aims to create a walkable district centered on housing, economic opportunity, healthcare access and community services.

The Journal, citing the proposal summary, said the projects are estimated to generate about 700 construction jobs and 380 permanent jobs while leveraging an estimated $300 million in total capital investment. Redevelopment would add about 480 new housing units, including affordable housing opportunities, and increase access to healthcare, childcare and community services for an estimated 2,000 residents annually. Those figures are projections tied to the nomination proposal, not secured funding or approved development permits.

Independent trackers of Washington's Opportunity Zone 2.0 nominations list Benton County census tract 102.04 (GEOID 53005010204), entirely within Richland, as the county's sole nominated tract. Nominations are not yet designations. Treasury still must review and certify the state's list. If certified, the new zones are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, and keep that status through Dec. 31, 2036.

Opportunity Zones offer federal capital-gains tax incentives to investors who put money into Qualified Opportunity Funds that invest in designated tracts. The updated program, made permanent in 2025 legislation, replaces the first round of zones designated in 2018. Washington nominated 99 tracts from 152 applications after a Commerce-led application process; 36 of the nominated areas represent rural opportunities. Original OZ 1.0 geographic designations remain active through Dec. 31, 2028, overlapping the start of the new program.

Specific redevelopment plans for the Richland tract have not been publicly detailed beyond the proposal summary cited by the Journal. Commerce has encouraged investors to prepare Qualified Opportunity Fund strategies ahead of the January 2027 start date.

Sources

TriTown.info - 10/11/2026

Second Street Fire survivors in Benton County may qualify for state wildfire aid

Benton County residents whose homes were destroyed or badly damaged in the Sept. 25 Second Street Fire near Benton City may qualify for two state aid programs: a one-time Household Needs Grant through Washington Emergency Management and the Department of Social and Health Services' Disaster Cash Assistance Program (DCAP), which is open until Oct. 30, 2026, or until funds run out.

The wind-driven fire was reported shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, off Northeast Second Street, south of Benton City. It burned about 1,151 acres and crossed I-82 and SR 224 before crews stopped its forward progress. At least five homes were confirmed destroyed, including structures on Apple Drive and Pear Drive and at the Kiona Mobile Community. No injuries were reported. All evacuations were lifted and roads reopened by 6 p.m. Sept. 27. The Benton County Sheriff's Office is investigating the cause.

Household Needs Grant

Benton County is on the state's list of eligible counties for Household Needs Grants. To qualify, applicants must show their primary residence was destroyed or suffered major damage, under FEMA's Preliminary Damage Assessment Guide, from a wildfire on or after June 14, 2026. Grants are $750 for a one-person household, $1,500 for two to four people and $2,250 for five or more.

Applicants can apply online through the Washington Military Department's wildfire assistance page, call 2-1-1 for help, or visit a State Individual Assistance Service Center. They will need proof of identity, such as a driver's license or passport, proof of disaster damage and proof that the home was their primary residence. KXLY reported an Oct. 30, 2026, deadline for the grant.

Disaster Cash Assistance Program

Gov. Bob Ferguson's amended Proclamation 26-03 added Benton County to DCAP and extended the program until Oct. 30, 2026, or until funds are used up, whichever comes first. DCAP is monthly emergency cash aid for people who meet income and resource limits and do not already get TANF, Aged, Blind or Disabled cash assistance, or other cash benefits. The amount depends on household size, income and need. People living in designated disaster areas who cannot return home because of evacuations or wildfire damage may be eligible.

Residents can start a DCAP application at WashingtonConnection.org, then complete the required interview by phone at 877-501-2233 or in person at a local DSHS Community Services Office or mobile office.

Sources

TriTown.info - 10/09/2026

Amazon says no more NDAs. Its Wallula Gap data center is still under review.

Amazon says it no longer signs nondisclosure agreements with the government agencies it works with on data center projects, and that what it pays for power should cover the grid upgrades its sites require. Those pledges, posted Friday, Oct. 2, by Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman, arrive as the company’s proposed data center campus at Wallula Gap, southeast of Pasco, works through Walla Walla County review. The project is still alive. No final decision has been made, and the first public comment period closes at 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12.

Garman’s post on Amazon’s news site lays out what the company calls the “Amazon Data Center Commitment.” “We no longer use nondisclosure agreements with the government agencies we work with on our projects,” it says. Amazon says it will hold open houses and share plans “as early as possible,” and will publish its data centers’ energy use, energy efficiency, water use, water efficiency and share of carbon-free power every year. The post does not say when the first report will come out. On electricity, Amazon says it works with utilities and regulators so that the prices it pays “are sufficient to cover both the energy and infrastructure improvements that may be required.” The post also announced “Built Together,” more than $1 billion over five years for community college, job training and energy-efficiency grants in data center communities. WIRED reported that Amazon did not answer whether the NDA pledge extends to contractors. TechCrunch noted that no federal or state rules govern how tech companies report water and energy use.

The Wallula Gap project began under a different name. In late 2024, the Port of Walla Walla agreed to sell about 500 acres in its Wallula Gap Business Park to “Advance Phase LLC,” which pitched a $4.8 billion cluster of 16 data centers built in four phases, according to the Tri-City Herald, which headlined the plan as a $5 billion project. Amazon was confirmed as the buyer this year. The port approved the sale of 554 acres to Amazon Data Services on Feb. 12, 2026, according to Walla Walla County, for about $36 million, the Herald reported. Port Executive Director Patrick Reay told the Washington State Standard that commissioners signed a nondisclosure agreement with Amazon in March 2023, and that it barred them from naming the company until this year.

What Amazon has applied for so far is smaller than the full plan. Its application, filed May 22, covers 134 of the 554 acres, along Sundance Road between Dodd and Worden roads, about 1.4 miles east of U.S. 12, according to the county’s notice. The Union-Bulletin reported the site is about 0.4 mile from the Columbia River. The campus would have three data center buildings of about 220,000 square feet each, a security building, an industrial water facility, ponds, septic drainfields and a pad for a substation to be finished by a future utility provider. Amazon told the county it would build three buildings, not four, in this first phase over the next three years, the Standard reported. The land is zoned for industry, and data centers are a permitted use there under a county code interpretation from 2018 that was extended to this zone in 2025.

The county called the application incomplete in June because it lacked a traffic study. Amazon filed that study Aug. 21. The county deemed the application complete Aug. 24 and issued its notice Sept. 12. Community Development Director Melissa Shumake will make the decision. After comments close, the county will send them to Amazon, ask for responses, and then issue a State Environmental Policy Act threshold determination, which gets its own comment period. A final decision can be appealed to the county hearing examiner. The notice lists other permits as well, including a water right change, an air-quality approval and a substation permit from Columbia Rural Electric Association.

Amazon’s promise to cover its own grid costs is already written into local terms. Columbia REA, the Walla Walla-based cooperative that will serve the campus, said in May that its board voted unanimously to proceed “under strict conditions.” The data center will be in its own cost-based rate class, its costs tracked separately, and the developer will pay for all new substations, transmission lines, system upgrades, and engineering and legal costs. “Existing members should not subsidize the project or bear added financial risk,” CEO Scott Peters wrote. The Herald reported that Columbia REA buys its power from the Bonneville Power Administration, which caps new users at 10 megawatts of its lowest-cost power, so Amazon will have to buy or develop its own supply. How much power the campus will use is still not public. Amazon did not disclose it, the Standard reported, and company representatives declined to give specifics on energy use at an Aug. 11 open house in Burbank, according to the Union-Bulletin. A July 31 letter from Earthjustice, written for Columbia Riverkeeper and the Walla Walla Anti-Data Center League, says Amazon’s environmental checklist “never states how much electricity the campus will require.”

Water figures are public, but they do not match. Amazon’s environmental checklist estimates 18 million gallons of surface water a year for cooling and 6 million gallons of groundwater for domestic use, the Standard reported, while an Amazon FAQ puts cooling at 14 million gallons. Amazon did not immediately answer the Standard about the difference. Amazon says its use would be “considerably lower” than past farming on the land. Under the application, the port would supply groundwater from its Wallula-Dodd system until January 2029, then Columbia River water after converting existing irrigation rights, according to the Union-Bulletin and the Earthjustice letter.

Opposition has grown. The Walla Walla Anti-Data Center League wants a one-year countywide moratorium and a full environmental impact statement, and has gathered nearly 1,900 signatures on two petitions, the Standard reported. On Sunday, Oct. 4, about 40 people marched from Heritage Park to the county’s Community Development office as part of a statewide day of action, the Union-Bulletin reported. “You are not extremists for wanting transparency. You are not extremists for wanting clean drinking water,” league co-founder Ben Mattice told the crowd, according to the Standard. Opponents point to Amazon’s agreement earlier this year to pay more than $20 million to settle a lawsuit alleging its data centers in Morrow and Umatilla counties, Ore., contaminated groundwater with nitrate.

County and port officials are not moving to stop it. All three county commissioners said Sept. 14 they would not support a moratorium, the Union-Bulletin reported. “They have an application in. It grandfathers them into the old rules,” Commissioner Todd Kimball told the Standard. Commissioner Bertha Clayton attended the Oct. 4 rally and said, “This is a big project, has a big footprint, it has a potential for big impact,” adding that she wants the process to continue as the law prescribes. Shumake said she would require an environmental impact statement only if impacts cannot be mitigated. “This is an industrial zone with a project that ultimately has a smaller impact than other projects in the same industrial zone,” she told the Standard. Reay said the deal fit the port’s mission. “Where else could your assessed value raise by approximately 50% on 554 acres?” he said. The project has been estimated to bring the county $5 million a year in personal property taxes. Amazon said in a statement that it “is committed to responsible development and being a long-term, positive presence in the Walla Walla community.” In Olympia, Rep. Beth Doglio, D-Olympia, plans to bring back a data center bill next year with a provision to ban local officials from signing nondisclosure agreements with developers.

Sources

Tip (not a news source) — Kim Feliciano (@heykimfeliciano), Instagram Reel, about Oct. 6, 2026. The caption is the tip: https://www.instagram.com/heykimfeliciano/reel/DeLnEySsmVH/
Amazon — Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon Web Services, “The race our nation can’t afford to lose, plus a new commitment from us and a fresh set of community investments,” Oct. 2, 2026: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-data-centers-built-together
WIRED — Molly Taft, “Amazon Says It’s No Longer Using NDAs for Data Centers,” Oct. 2, 2026: https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-says-it-is-going-to-stop-using-ndas-for-data-centers/
TechCrunch — Anthony Ha, “Amazon responds to data center backlash, says it no longer uses NDAs,” Oct. 3, 2026: https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/03/amazon-responds-to-data-center-backlash-says-it-no-longer-uses-ndas/
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business — “Amazon announces policy changes to data center development efforts,” Oct. 4, 2026: https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/articles/8456-amazon-announces-policy-changes-to-data-center-development-efforts
Washington State Standard — Aspen Ford, “Amazon’s Walla Walla data center plan sparks tension between protesters, local officials,” Oct. 6, 2026, 5:07 p.m. PT: https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/10/06/amazons-walla-walla-data-center-plan-sparks-tension-between-protesters-local-officials/
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin — Kezia Setyawan, “Walla Walla voices join statewide call for data center moratorium in Washington,” Oct. 6, 2026: https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/local/topics/data_centers/walla-walla-voices-join-statewide-call-for-data-center-moratorium-in-washington/article_18bba351-e52d-4751-adcd-ff90b0b43e2b.html
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin — Simmerdeep Kaur, “Amazon completes its application for a data center in Walla Walla County,” Aug. 25, 2026: https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/local/governments/amazon-completes-its-application-for-a-data-center-in-walla-walla-county/article_4eb06547-c4bb-4d28-9bd6-d4a695930154.html
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin — “Walla Walla County commissioners won’t consider data center moratorium,” September 2026: https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/local/governments/walla-walla-county-commissioners-wont-consider-data-center-moratorium/article_ad58a5a6-ea34-4e28-8624-efe7565870d4.html
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin — Simmerdeep Kaur, “What we know so far about Amazon’s proposed data center in Walla Walla County,” Aug. 7, 2026: https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/local/governments/what-we-know-so-far-about-amazons-proposed-data-center-in-walla-walla-county/article_ed98d2b1-5111-4dca-8ce2-62c9340755f1.html
Tri-City Herald — “Amazon open house spotlights Wallula Gap data center plan,” August 2026: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/business/article316854377.html
Tri-City Herald — “Amazon confirmed as buyer for Wallula Gap data center,” February 2026: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/business/article314662893.html
Tri-City Herald — “Massive $5 billion data center proposed east of Tri-Cities,” 2024: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/business/article294315629.html
Walla Walla County Community Development — Notice of Application, SDP26-01 / SEPA26-05, Amazon Attalia Campus, Sept. 12, 2026 (published Sept. 13): https://classifieds.mcclatchy.com/marketplace/tricity/advert/-Notices_241968
Walla Walla County — Amazon Data Center FAQs: https://www.wwcowa.gov/government/community_development/amazon_data_center_faqs.php
Columbia Rural Electric Association — Scott Peters, “CEO’s Message – May 2026”: https://www.columbiarea.coop/news-releases/ceos-message-may-2026/
Earthjustice, for Columbia Riverkeeper and the Walla Walla Anti-Data Center League — SEPA comment letter to Walla Walla County, July 31, 2026: https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/07.30.26_earthjustice_comments-on-aws-attalia-campus.pdf
Whitman Wire — Danny Pottharst and Lucy Walker, “Amazon Data Center Proposal Progresses Amid Public Unease,” Sept. 18, 2026: https://whitmanwire.com/news/2026/09/18/amazon-data-center-proposal-progresses-amid-public-unease/

TriTown.info - 10/06/2026

Tip leads to firearm arrest in Othello graffiti case

A 26-year-old Othello man is facing firearm and vandalism charges after a neighbor's 911 call about someone spray-painting a fence led deputies to him later the same day, according to the Adams County Sheriff's Office.

The tip came in Oct. 1 from a resident who saw a man putting graffiti on a fence near West June Street and South Andes Road, just west of Othello. The man left before deputies got there, but the caller had photographed his vehicle and gave deputies a description.

That evening, deputies went to help Othello police with a separate graffiti report at PJ Taggares Park. They learned the same vehicle had been at the park. Othello police arrested a juvenile in connection with the park incident.

Later that night, Othello officers spotted the vehicle inside city limits and called deputies. Deputies contacted the driver, Dario Ochoa Jr., who matched the description from the first call, Sheriff Dale Wagner said in a media release.

While Ochoa was detained, deputies found a gun on him. Wagner said Ochoa has a felony conviction and is barred from having firearms.

Ochoa was booked Oct. 2 on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm and third-degree malicious mischief. The sheriff's office said the investigation is still open.

Sources

ConnellWA.com - 10/05/2026

West Richland reviewing plans for Planet Fitness on Keene Road

West Richland is reviewing plans for a new Planet Fitness on Keene Road, which would be the chain's fourth Tri-Cities gym and its first built from the ground up here. The public has until 5 p.m. Oct. 20 to comment on the project's environmental review.

Knutzen Engineering of Kennewick has asked the city for advance review under the State Environmental Policy Act for a 22,500-square-foot Planet Fitness and a separate 3,800-square-foot commercial building at 6260 Keene Road, according to a notice of application the West Richland Community Development Department issued Oct. 5.

The site sits on the northeast corner of Keene Road and Belmont Boulevard in the city's Belmont District. It is zoned Commercial General, which allows retail, sales and service businesses as a primary use. The Tri-City Herald reported that the commercial building would be split into two 1,600-square-foot retail suites across the parking lot from the gym, and that county records list the property owner as B Keene Dev LLC.

The gym would be a little larger than Planet Fitness's roughly 20,000-square-foot Kennewick location on Columbia Center Boulevard, which opened in 2017 in the former Value Village space. The chain's Pasco and Richland gyms also moved into existing buildings.

If the project is approved, construction is expected to start in spring 2027, with completion targeted for spring 2028, the Herald reported. The city says permitting and site studies are still under way.

The Community Development Department is the lead agency for the review. Written comments can be sent to the department at 3100 Belmont Blvd., Suite 104, West Richland, WA 99353, or to eransom@westrichland.org, and must arrive by 5 p.m. Oct. 20 to be considered. The staff contact is Senior Planner Elisha Ransom at 509-967-5902 or planner@westrichland.org. People who want notice of the final decision need to give the department their name and address.

Sources

TriTown.info - 10/05/2026

Heywood, Morgan rally crowd at Eltopia Patriot's Dinner

Hundreds of farmers, ranchers and other residents packed the Patriot's Dinner in Eltopia on Saturday, Oct. 3, where conservative activists Brian Heywood and Glen Morgan urged the crowd to stay in Washington and fight state policies they oppose.

Franklin County Commissioner Clint Didier emceed the evening, which included a catered meal plus silent and live auctions to raise money.

Amanda McKinney, R-Yakima, made a short pitch for the 4th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside. Gabe Galbraith, R-Kennewick, a candidate for the 8th Legislative District Senate seat, talked about his campaign and the Kennewick School District's effort to keep boys out of girls' sports.

Morgan, who leads the Citizens Alliance for Property Rights, told attendees not to leave the state. He said farmers "can't move your farm" and criticized the state Department of Ecology, pointing to a homeless camp near its Olympia offices.

Heywood, founder of Let's Go Washington, spent his time on three initiatives on the Nov. 3 general election ballot: Initiative 1 on parental rights, Initiative 638 on girls' sports and locker rooms, and Initiative 645, which would repeal the state's new income tax on high earners. He told the crowd to vote yes on all three.

Heywood also argued the income tax law could eventually reach pensions and retirement accounts and that the threshold could be lowered. Those are his claims about the law, and supporters of the tax dispute that it will expand.