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CONTRIBUTE TO KYLE’S CAMPAIGN TODAY!

YAKIMA, Wash.– Community members gathered Saturday night at the Millennium Plaza in Yakima for the annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day.

“We’re acknowledging individuals who lived in homelessness, maybe someone who is recently housed, or somebody who’s, you know was living in a shelter,” said Annette Rodriguez, an employee at the Yakima Neighborhood Health Services and is the homeless services officer.

“We hold this event annually just to bring awareness, we have lots of folks here who are interested in helping, acknowledging this is a community solvable problem,” Rodriguez said. “It’s just a good moment to get together with service providers and community and let people who are living houseless know that we are here, we care about you, we see you, and we want you to engage in our services so that we can help you, when you’re ready for that help.”

Community members were given the chance to share personal stories about friends or family who were or have experienced homelessness who passed away and also share opinions and pleas to the community.

“As a community we’re kinda just pushed away,” said an event attendee. “A few of us make it bad for all of us but it doesn’t make us all bad.”

“Take time to recognize the folks that often go unnoticed, say ‘hi’ to them, just smile at them, give them hope because frankly if we don’t do that as a society, we’re never gonna get ahead of this,” said Kyle Curtis, a Yakima County Commissioner.

Multiple times throughout the event, I heard people mention that this is a solvable issue.

“Housing needs to be, developed for these individuals, so that they can be housed,” Rodriguez said. “They’re interested in services and they want to get off the street, it’s just really hard and difficult, and you all make a difference for each individual that needs that, or whatever kind of type of service that they might need.”

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Incumbents Kyle Curtis and LaDon Linde were leading their races for Yakima County commissioner on Tuesday.

Curtis was in front of challenger Susan Soto Palmer 6,013 votes to 4,091 in District 2, which includes East Yakima, parts of Terrace Heights and Union Gap.

Linde led Elpidia Saavedra, the mayor of Toppenish, 4,936 votes to 2,179 in District 3, which covers much of the Lower Valley.

The results are unofficial, and the Yakima County Auditor’s Office will continue to count ballots in the days ahead. As of Tuesday night, local elections officials had counted 42,444 ballots, with more than 30,000 on hand left to count. In Washington, ballots can be counted if they are postmarked on or before Nov. 5, and more ballots will continue to arrive by mail in the days ahead.

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The Affordable Housing Council of Central Washington is proud to endorse Kyle Curtis for Yakima County Commissioner, Dist 2.

For more information about Kyle Curtis, visit https://kyleforyakima.com/

Don’t forget Election Day is November 5th, be sure to turn in or have your ballots postmarked by 8pm.

For a complete list of AHCCW candidate endorsements, visit https://memberships.cwhba.org/…/ahccw-announces…

Curtis was elected in 2022 after lawsuits forced the county to redraw commissioner district lines to better reflect the Latino population. Since taking office, he has proven himself to be a practical problem-solver, an effective collaborator and a steadying influence on a board that has faced significant challenges in the past few years.

He represents the commissioners’ office on more than a dozen boards and committees and has maintained a public profile that positively reflects the county.

His time as the chief financial officer for his family’s local business, his stint on the Yakima County Planning Commission and his involvement with numerous community organizations have honed his abilities to find common ground.

He’s shown an impressive capability to understand and engage with a range of people who hold diverse beliefs, interests and goals.

We have no doubt that either candidate would be successful. And we believe either would work tirelessly on behalf of Yakima County residents.

At a juncture like this, though, we see no reason to replace Curtis.

Redistricting has disrupted the election cycle, meaning Curtis hasn’t even served two years yet of what would normally be a four-year term. We think he deserves the opportunity to continue what he’s started.

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Yakima, WA – [Date] – Foster First, Central Washington’s leading child placement organization, is proud to announce the appointment of Yakima County Commissioner Kyle Curtis to its Board of Directors. This strategic addition reflects Foster First’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the welfare of children in the region, as the organization continues to navigate the increasing demands of child placement services.

Foster First has faced unprecedented challenges in recent years, with the number of children in need of placement far exceeding available resources. The organization’s mission to find loving, stable homes for every child in need has driven remarkable growth and success over the past five years, and the addition of Kyle Curtis to the board represents a significant step forward in sustaining this positive momentum.

“Foster First has always been about ensuring that every child in Central Washington has the chance to grow up in a safe, nurturing environment,” said Dan Austin, Executive Director of Foster First. “The expertise and community commitment that Kyle Curtis brings to our board will be invaluable as we continue to tackle the growing challenges in child placement. His leadership will help us expand our reach and impact, ensuring that no child is left without the care and support they deserve.”

Kyle Curtis, a lifelong Yakima County resident with a deep connection to the community, is excited to join Foster First’s mission at such a pivotal time. “As someone who has lived and served in this community my entire life, I am honored to join the Board of Directors at Foster First,” Curtis said. “The work this organization does is crucial to the well-being of our children, and I am committed to doing everything I can to support their mission. Together, we will strive to ensure that every child in need finds a home.”

Curtis’s involvement in the community is extensive, with active participation in organizations such as Yakima Downtown Rotary, Yakima Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Yakima, and AgForestry. His dedication to public service and community development aligns perfectly with Foster First’s mission, making his appointment a natural fit for the organization.

Foster First’s growing need for child placement services underscores the importance of strong leadership and community support. With Kyle Curtis now on board, the organization is poised to continue its critical work with renewed vigor, ensuring that every child in Central Washington has the opportunity to thrive.

YAKIMA COUNTY, Wash.-Incumbent Kyle Curtis was leading in the race for Yakima County Commissioner District #2 after the first round of ballots were counted for the Aug. 6 primary.

Curtis (R) received 60.09 percent of the vote to 39.28 percent for challenger Susan Soto Palmer (D), according to election results from the Yakima County Auditor’s Office.

Curtis grew up in White Swan, attended Eisenhower High School and the University of Washington and he is “excited and honored to serve as your Yakima County Commissioner and remains committed to being accessible, transparent, and collaborative,” according to his biography on the county website.

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Yakima County commissioners guide government for more than 250,000 people spread over almost 4,300 square miles. They oversee health, public safety and land use in Yakima County by crafting laws and policies for the county.

The Yakima Herald-Republic discussed local issues with Kyle Curtis and Susan Soto Palmer, two candidates running for Yakima County’s District 2, which includes much of the city of Yakima.

Republican incumbent Curtis was first elected in 2022, after the county commissioner boundaries were redrawn.

New districts were created by a legal settlement after Seattle-based immigrant rights group OneAmerica and the Campaign Legal Center sued the county. The lawsuit alleged the county’s voting system disenfranchised Latinos.

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YAKIMA COUNTY, WA (KIMA)– The Yakima Humane Society takes on the brunt of stray animals in Yakima County and now commissioners are looking into the possibility of a canine shelter ran by the county as a solution.

This humane society says they are still overwhelmed saying quote “Due to the overwhelming number of homeless pets in Yakima County, the Yakima Humane Society is continually running at or over capacity.”

County commissioner Kyle Curtis is now aware too.

“I had a conversation with the executive director of the humane society and was brought to my attention that on average they have about 100 dogs that are being turned away,” Curtis said.

“I still think there is a future for dog tags and the revenue that can be turned right around into animal facilities, but that’s a bigger conversation,” Udell said. “How do we do that? How do we get the initial staffing and then move forward with that?”

We asked Curtis what would have to happen to be able to financially make a canine shelter work in the long term.

“I think we’d have to get creative there,” Curtis said. “I know a lot of counties what they lean into heavily is dog licensing and quite frankly we at the county have been relaxed about enforcing dog licensing. If that program gets up and running and people know when they buy a dog license that those dollars go to help support a canine shelter, I think it’s a win for everyone.”

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YAKIMA, Wash.-Yakima County is hosting a series of affordable housing community forums this winter.

The community is invited to participate in the forum series beginning on Jan. 8, to explore how to best use Affordable Housing Sales Tax Credit dollars and other funding to address the issue of affordable housing in the area.

“It’s important that we utilize and deploy our dollars in a strategic way,” said Yakima County Commissioner Kyle Curtis.

“Engaging and getting input for our builders, developers and housing providers is the best way to ensure we maximize these precious dollars but also ensure we are looking at all ways that government can reduce housing costs,” said Commissioner Curtis.

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AKIMA COUNTY, Wash. — Yakima County Commissioners have voiced concerns to Mr. Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS), expressing worry regarding the timeliness of mail processing in the county.

The move comes in response to USPS’s announcement on March 23, 2021, of its ten-year Delivering for America plan, aimed at providing prompt, reliable, and efficient mail and package shipping services across the nation, irrespective of location, and at affordable rates. One strategy outlined in the plan is the Mail Processing Facility Review (MPFR), with the Yakima post office currently under review in Washington State’s 4th Congressional District.

“Yakima County relies heavily on the Postal Service for timely mail delivery, and today we voice our deep concerns regarding USPS’s proposed changes to the Yakima processing facility and the ensuing impact on processing and delivery timelines in Yakima County,” stated Commissioner Kyle Curtis.

The issue of ensuring timely postal operations is significant and warrants attention from USPS to maintain exceptional delivery standards. Yakima County has experienced numerous instances of unreliable service resulting in significant delivery delays.

“Any alterations to the Yakima processing facility that necessitate mail leaving the county for processing undermine the objective of providing prompt, reliable, and efficient mail and package shipping services to all Americans,” said Commissioner Curtis.

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