Local News - Yakima Herald-Republic

Delta Petroleum plans to resume drilling Friday or Saturday at its natural gas exploration well near Bickleton, company officials said. The well has been quiet since July 25 when a flash fire sent four workers to the hospital and damaged equipment.

TACOMA -- A four-game elimination run and a resilient pitching effort by Jake Fife got the Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak within one play of a Senior Legion state championship Wednesday night.

ELLENSBURG -- It might be the dog days of summer for most people, and even most athletes. But that's hardly the case for Johnny Spevak.

YAKIMA -- Like the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, Washington's only national monument appears to have reached its pinnacle and entered a period of decline.

The last-minute notice for Wednesday's opening of a sockeye fishery on Lake Wenatchee kept competition among anglers to a minimum, with probably fewer than 50 boats showing up for one of the most anticipated freshwater fisheries in the state.

EUGENE, Ore. -- A big rally for the Yakima Bears was undone by a big swing Wednesday night. After getting blanked for six innings and falling behind 3-0, the Bears awoke for four runs in the seventh inning in their five-game series opener at Eugene's Civic Stadium.

YAKIMA -- Two prime reasons for the Yakima Reds' success this season was the play of forward Junior Garcia, and defender Juan Viveros, and both were rewarded for their efforts.

Gross: 1, Mike Kasch-Kevin Tucker-Brandon Black-Pete Tice (Pasco Golfland) 205. Net: 1, Jim Gilbert-Dave Connell-Michael Dubrule-Joel Ylvisaker (Yakima CC) 197; 2, Paul Cobleigh-Rudy Gasparic-Don Dufault-Steve Pfau (SunTides) 201; 4, Paul Cobleigh-Marty Buehler-Dean Schuler-Bill Pannell (SunTides) 203.

VICTORIA, British Columbia -- Dan Whitaker fired a second-straight even-par 70 and is in a tie for 25th at the midpoint of the 42nd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.

WAPATO -- During a possible record year for marijuana eradication, drug agents may have made their largest bust yet, seizing an estimated 30,000 plants Wednesday from a vineyard south of Wapato.

YAKIMA — The men and women of the 81st Brigade have spent weeks learning to shoot, move and communicate in the heat of battle, whether the sergeant's order comes in a clandestine whisper or an urgent shout.

GRANDVIEW -- A report that Wild River Foods' potato processing capacity would be moved elsewhere was denied by company officials on Wednesday.

If you attended Mass on Sunday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, then you knew this was coming.

A Selah man recently sentenced for causing thousands of dollars of graffiti damage in downtown Yakima now faces possible assault charges. Brandon Syverson, 25, made his first court appearance in the assault case on Wednesday afternoon.

A Naches man charged with murdering his girlfriend and mother of their two children insisted the shooting was not intentional when he spoke in court for the first time Wednesday.

A day after city officials agreed to fund the removal of the former Yakima Mall parking ramp, developer and property owner Joe Morrier revealed details about the hotel he wants to build at the former J.C. Penney site at North Naches Avenue and East A Street.

Pacific Power customers in the Yakima Valley will see residential power rates increase by nearly 9 percent under a proposed settlement with the state Attorney General and a public-interest group.

If you're in the mood for wine-tasting this weekend, check out Prosser's Wine and Food Fair, billed as the largest outdoor wine event in the state. A total of 33 wineries and 13 food vendors will show off their wares from 3-9 p.m. Saturday at Art Fiker Stadium.

SUNNYSIDE -- A local college student has won one of Canam Steel Corp.'s education awards from the Employee Scholarship Program.