Benton County, WA · Daily edition

Benton County news for Tuesday, November 3, 2026

2 stories from Benton County, in about three minutes.

Housing & Development · West Richland, WA

AWS Confirms $264M Data Center Plan in West Richland; Open House Nov. 19

Amazon Web Services confirmed it is the buyer behind a $264 million purchase of nearly 1,000 acres at West Richland's Lewis & Clark Ranch, with plans for up to 21 data center buildings along Ruppert Road. The first phase includes three buildings employing 120 to 150 people, growing to approximately 1,000 employees at full scale. About 200 homes sit on the opposite side of Ruppert Road, and residents have raised concerns about water use, power consumption, noise, and utility bills. The West Richland City Council will consider an interim moratorium on data centers at its Nov. 3 meeting at 6 p.m., while AWS plans a public open house from 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 19 at Enterprise Middle School, 5200 Paradise Way.

Source: The Modesto Bee Read the full story ↗

Public Safety · Yakima County

Bird Flu Death Reported in Yakima County; 33 Dairy Herds Infected

A Yakima County person exposed to avian influenza at a dairy with infected cattle died Sunday of complications, the Yakima Health District confirmed. The individual had underlying health conditions and was one of three central Washington residents diagnosed with the virus. First detected Oct. 8 at two Yakima County dairies, the outbreak has spread to 33 herds in that county, and on Oct. 26 a Benton County dairy also tested positive and is under quarantine. Health officials say the risk to the general public remains low but warn that unpasteurized dairy products pose a transmission risk, while pasteurized milk remains safe.

Source: The Modesto Bee Read the full story ↗