Good morning, Pasco.

On November 26, the Columbia Ability Alliance opened the Nexus Youth Club in Tri-Cities to offer kids with disabilities a safe space to socialize and learn social skills.

CFO Janel Miles, whose autistic son is one of the first participants, said the program gives working families peace of mind—continuing CAA's 60-year legacy of community service.

Communities In Schools of Benton-Franklin is offering ways to support local families during the holiday season—by donating gift cards, adopting a family, or making a general donation.

Joely Nye-Felt said even small contributions can help parents shop with flexibility and dignity while keeping family traditions alive.

Pasco officials have appealed to the community to sponsor wreaths for every one of the 970 veterans at City View Cemetery this December — with only about half of the veterans currently guaranteed a wreath.

They urge residents to act by Friday's deadline so that all veterans are honored, and note that each wreath costs $17 while volunteers are needed on December 13.

Small Business Saturday will encourage Pasco shoppers to support local independent stores with special offers as part of a national campaign that began in 2010; local business owners plan to use both in-store sales and digital tools to boost the neighborhood economy + foster customer loyalty. The event is scheduled for the Saturday after Thanksgiving, giving residents a chance to help sustain jobs and a vibrant main street.

Thirteen Pacific Northwest National Laboratory staff and two research affiliates are named among Clarivate’s 2025 list of the world’s most highly cited researchers—recognizing research ranked in the top 1% over the past decade.

Wu Xu and Jason Zhang earned distinctions in two fields—engineering and materials science—and received multiple awards.

Tri-Cities Airport had minor staffing issues during the federal shutdown when TSA agents worked with a reduced team, but services were maintained without interruption.

Now that the government has reopened, full staffing at security checkpoints and air traffic control is ensuring smoother travel—bringing relief to passengers.

Federal health officials reported that 37 infants were hospitalized for botulism after drinking ByHeart powdered formula since August — the formula was recalled on November 11, the latest case occurred on November 19, and no deaths were reported.

Research from the University of Rochester shows that rural areas lost 11% of their family doctors from 2017 to 2023 as heavy caseloads and fewer medical students choosing family practice worsened the shortage.

Dr. Fogarty is leading a team to create a rural residency training track aimed at boosting doctor numbers in these communities — a change that may improve access to care.