Browsed by
Tag: Yakima County

pen writing a tick in the box
Understanding the February Special Election

Understanding the February Special Election

Did you know there’s an election coming up on Tuesday, February 13th? Springtime special elections sometimes get overlooked, especially when it feels like the recent November election is so fresh in mind. But in the February 2018 special election, 65 percent of Washington’s registered voters are eligible to participate — that’s 2,753,553 people. Voters from all but two counties have issues and/or races on the February ballot. San Juan and Skamania are the exceptions, but not all other counties have…

Read More Read More

From Your Corner: Zillah’s name

From Your Corner: Zillah’s name

(Photo courtesy of City of Zillah) If you’ve driven from Yakima to the Tri-Cities or if you’ve done a wine-tasting tour in the Yakima Valley, chances are you’ve been through Zillah, a town of roughly 3,000 inhabitants in south-central Washington. Zillah is in beautiful Yakima County, known for more than two dozen local wineries and vineyards. Zillah (pronounced ZIL-uh) was named by Yakima Valley irrigation pioneer Walter N. Granger, president of the Yakima Land and Canal Company. One of the…

Read More Read More

Washington’s lost county

Washington’s lost county

Some state history buffs might know this, but betcha most folks don’t: Washington actually “lost” a county during its territorial years. On January 23, 1863, the Washington Territorial Legislature created Ferguson County.  It encompassed what is now Yakima and Kittitas counties. However, no county government (not even a county seat) was established in Ferguson as there were less than 100 settlers living within its borders, and they didn’t see the need for a county government. (Go here to see a…

Read More Read More

From Your Corner of Washington: Rimrock Lake

From Your Corner of Washington: Rimrock Lake

Photograph courtesy of Stephanie Horn  After a trip to Yakima last Friday, the Secretary and I took Highway 12 back to Olympia and passed by Rim Rock Lake, in Yakima County.  We stopped at a resort on the lake and snapped this photograph.  It’s such a beautiful lake that I’m thinking about coming back with my kids to go camping or fishing.