Kennewick News

News from Kennewick: city council, Kennewick Irrigation District, schools, roads, business and neighborhoods from Southridge to downtown.

The Columbia Park Marina shoreline in Kennewick where a submerged SUV was recovered from the river

Local News

Police investigating SUV pulled from Columbia River in Kennewick

Kennewick police are investigating after a submerged SUV was pulled from the Columbia River near Columbia Park Marina, with key details still unconfirmed.

November 6, 2026

A residential gas furnace in a home basement, the kind of equipment covered by Cascade Natural Gas rebates

Home & Yard

Cascade Natural Gas rebates can trim furnace costs before Tri-Cities winter hits

Tri-Cities homeowners heating with Cascade Natural Gas can tap furnace rebates and an income-qualified weatherization program before the cold settles in.

November 6, 2026

Empty commissioner dais with three chairs, representing an open seat on a local port board

Local News

Former Tri-City officials, departing state senator seek Port of Kennewick seat

Former elected officials and a state senator leaving office are among those seeking an open seat on the Port of Kennewick commission.

November 5, 2026

Exterior of an aging middle school building representing Kennewick's bond-funded replacement plans

Local News

Kennewick school board sends $107M bond for two middle schools to February ballot

Kennewick School District voters will decide Feb. 9, 2027 on a $107 million bond to rebuild Horse Heaven Hills and Highlands middle schools.

November 5, 2026

Bagged leaves stacked at the curb next to a waste cart on a residential Tri-Cities street in fall

Home & Yard

Kennewick's free leaf pickup ends Friday; here's the Tri-Cities yard-waste rundown

Kennewick's free bagged-leaf collection runs through Friday, Nov. 6, while Richland's gray-and-green can system works differently. Here's what to know.

November 5, 2026

Empty lot in Kennewick's Southridge area where the VA plans to build a new outpatient clinic

Local News

VA to break ground on new $48 million Kennewick clinic

The VA will break ground Nov. 5 on a $48.2 million outpatient clinic in Kennewick's Southridge area, set to open in early 2029.

November 3, 2026

Cars wait at a lowered railroad crossing gate as a freight train passes through a downtown area

Local News

$480,000 federal grant will fund study of 12 troublesome Kennewick rail crossings

A federal grant will let Kennewick study fixes for 12 at-grade railroad crossings downtown, including Edison, Fruitland, Benton and Kellogg streets.

November 2, 2026

A residential backflow preventer assembly above an irrigation valve box in a suburban yard with frost on the lawn

Home & Yard

The backflow test homeowners miss — and why West Richland can shut off your water over it

Kennewick, Pasco and West Richland all require annual tests on irrigation backflow preventers under state law. In West Richland, skipping the test can get your household water shut off, not just your sprinklers.

November 1, 2026

A glass being filled with tap water at a kitchen sink

Local News

Kennewick warns customers of high PFAS levels in drinking water again

Kennewick found high PFAS levels in one water source again; here's who's affected, the health guidance, and when a $33M fix arrives.

November 1, 2026

Boxelder bugs clustering on a sunny exterior wall, a common fall sight in the Tri-Cities

Home & Yard

Boxelder bugs and stink bugs swarm Tri-Cities walls as nights turn cold

WSU Extension explains why boxelder bugs, stink bugs and ladybeetles are clustering on Kennewick, Pasco and Richland homes now — and how to clear them out without pesticides.

October 30, 2026

The towering concrete General Mills grain elevator along West Clearwater Avenue in Kennewick

Business

Iconic Kennewick grain elevator sells for $800,000 after late bidding surge

A Pasco irrigation company bought Kennewick's 1941 General Mills grain elevator for $800,000 after late bidding nearly doubled the price at auction.

October 29, 2026

A utility power line sways in strong wind above a Tri-Cities neighborhood street at dusk.

Home & Yard

When the power goes out this fall, here's who to call in the Tri-Cities

With fall wind season approaching, here's how Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland homeowners should prepare for power outages and report them safely.

October 29, 2026

A glass being filled with tap water from a kitchen faucet, representing concerns over drinking water quality

Local News

Kennewick warns customers of high PFAS levels in drinking water again

Kennewick has again told drinking water customers that forever-chemical levels from its Ranney Collector 5 source exceed state limits, as a $33M treatment plant moves toward a 2028 target.

October 26, 2026

A wood stove burning in a home living room on a cold fall evening

Home & Yard

Lighting the wood stove this weekend? Check chimney safety, $500 swap first

As frost hits Kennewick, Pasco and Richland this weekend, here's how to check your chimney, claim Benton Clean Air's $500 stove swap and meet Washington's CO alarm law.

October 23, 2026

A homeowner building a wood fence in a suburban backyard on a sunny fall day

Home & Yard

Before you build that fall fence or shed, check these Tri-Cities permit rules first

Dry weather this week is a good window for finishing fall fence, shed and deck projects. Here's what Pasco, Kennewick and Richland actually require — and what West Richland homeowners should check before they start.

October 18, 2026

A large wheeled recycling cart sits at the curb of a suburban Kennewick home

Home & Yard

Kennewick's new recycling carts arrive in November: here's what to do

Kennewick households get new 96-gallon recycling carts and every-other-week pickup starting in November; here's how to find your schedule and curb rules.

October 17, 2026

Industrial-zoned warehouses in Kennewick, where new rules would confine sex offender transitional housing

Local News

Kennewick has a plan to keep sex offender homes out of neighborhoods

Kennewick's draft ordinance would confine sex offender transitional housing to industrial zones ahead of its Dec. 19 moratorium deadline.

October 16, 2026

Close-up of copper mesh being packed into a gap around a utility pipe to block rodent entry

Home & Yard

Tri-Cities homeowners: seal these gaps now before mice move in for fall

As Columbia Basin fields are harvested, pest control firms say mice and rats head for Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland homes within weeks.

October 16, 2026

A controlled brush pile burns in a rural backyard under a hazy fall sky

Home & Yard

Benton County sets fall burn-day rules for Kennewick, Richland, West Richland

Kennewick, Richland and West Richland homeowners must check Benton Clean Air Agency's daily burn-day status before lighting any outdoor fire this fall.

October 16, 2026

A homeowner trims a street tree along a sidewalk in a Tri-Cities neighborhood during fall

Home & Yard

Tri-Cities homeowners: know the rules before pruning street trees this fall

Kennewick, Pasco and Richland homeowners face different permit rules for street trees this fall, plus a WSU-backed deadline for watering trees before winter.

October 15, 2026

A residential water meter next to utility bills on a kitchen counter

Home & Yard

Pasco, Kennewick utility bills set to rise as gas rate case looms

Pasco and Kennewick residents face higher water and sewer bills next year, and a Cascade Natural Gas rate case could raise heating costs across the Tri-Cities.

October 15, 2026

A rural highway nearly obscured by blowing dust during a Columbia Basin dust storm

Home & Yard

What killed a West Richland couple on SR 397 — and how to survive the next dust storm

After a fatal 12-vehicle pileup on SR 397, here's how Tri-Cities drivers and homeowners can prepare for the dust storms that peak each October.

October 14, 2026

A covered 96-gallon recycling cart sits at the curb in front of a Kennewick home.

Local News

New 96-gallon recycling carts, every-other-week pickup roll out in Kennewick

Kennewick is rolling out 96-gallon recycling carts and every-other-week pickup under a new 10-year WM contract that raises monthly rates by about $9.

October 13, 2026

A small neighborhood park with mature trees and a walking path, similar to Kennewick's Yelm Park

Local News

Kennewick weighs selling 70-year-old Yelm Park to hospice nonprofit

Kennewick's City Council heard public comment on selling 3-acre Yelm Park to Tri-Cities Chaplaincy, which wants to build a new administrative center there.

October 7, 2026