Press Releases and Public Service Announcements

Current top press releases and PSAs for

Thwarted Burglary Near Ellensburg part of Organized, Targeted Crime Trend 02/09/2024
Around 7:30 pm on Tuesday February 6, a home in the Grasslands area of Kittitas County just east of Ellensburg was burglarized by three Hispanic males. Investigation has shown the crime was part of an organized ring of burglaries and thefts targeting the owners of Asian and Indian small businesses.
Kittitas County Sheriff's Office Receives Accreditation Award 11/16/2023
This week the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office was accredited by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).
Kittitas County Jail receives $800k Grant from US DOJ 09/28/2023
The Kittitas County Jail (KCJ) has been awarded a US Department of Justice grant of $797,044 to treat inmates with substance use disorders or addictions. The grant will support the jail’s Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) program, which started under a similar $600,000 grant in 2020. The increase in funds for this second three-year grant period will provide increased nursing staff and counseling services.
Disabled-Parking Violation Leads to Drug Trafficking Arrest 09/27/2023
On Tuesday morning, 9/26, Kittitas County Sheriff's Deputy Matt Meckley observed a Ford pickup parked in a disabled-parking stall at the Pilot truck stop in west Ellensburg with no disabled-parking license plate or placard displayed. When he ran the license plate of the truck, it did return to a Ford pickup; but the registration was for a dark green truck, and this pickup was white.
Burn Ban Lifted for Kittitas County 09/25/2023
Kittitas County Fire Marshal, today announced that Kittitas County will lift the county wide burn ban effective September 25, 2023 at noon.
22-Year Old Ellensburg Man Killed in One-Vehicle Accident 09/18/2023
Last night, 9/17, shortly after 11 PM, KCSO Deputies and EPD Officers responded to a report of an apparent one-vehicle rollover collision on Naneum Road, north of Vantage Highway and east of Ellensburg.
Wanted Missing Person Found Deceased West of Cle Elum 08/19/2023
Today, Saturday 8/19, deputies worked with Kittitas County Search & Rescue dogs and handlers to locate the deceased missing wanted person, Fernando Flores.
Washington's Changing Drug Laws 08/11/2023
This Monday, August 14, 2023, brings an important step in the right direction for Washington drug laws. In 2021, our State Supreme Court found constitutional problems with our old drug laws, and state drug law has been an unenforceable mess ever since. Fortunately, citizens demanded an end to the devastation of unchecked hard drugs, and Washington’s laws have been re-balanced. These changes take effect on Monday, and Kittitas County's Sheriff's Office wants to let our community know what to expect.
Burn Ban implemented in the Upper County 08/03/2023

Kittitas County is currently experiencing dry conditions along with lowering relative humidity and low fuel moisture content of 10-, 100- and 1,000-hour fuels, elevates the risk of wild land fires. In the interest of public safety, starting at 0001 hrs. on Saturday, August 5th, 2023, a burn ban will be in effect encompassing all of Kittitas County. The Cities of Roslyn, South Cle Elum and Cle Elum will also be joining in the ban.
ATV Accident Near Liberty Kills 4 07/30/2023
Yesterday, four young people died in a rollover accident involving a side-by-side all-terrain-vehicle near the town of Liberty.
Ban on Open Burning in Lower Kittitas County Starts July 8 07/07/2023
Kittitas County is currently experiencing conditions which elevate the risks of wildland fires. In the interest of public safety, starting at 0001 hrs. on Saturday, July 8, 2023, a burn ban will be in effect encompassing the areas of lower Kittitas County (Elk Heights and east to the Columbia River). This includes Kittitas County Fire District #1 (Thorp/Elk Heights), Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue (surrounding Ellensburg/Kittitas area), and Kittitas County Fire District #4 (Vantage) jurisdictions.
Lower Kittitas County implements a Burn Ban 07/07/2023
Kittitas County is currently experiencing dry conditions which elevates the risk of wildland fires. In the interest of public safety, starting at 0001 hrs. on Saturday, July 8, 2023, a burn ban will be in effect encompassing the areas of lower Kittitas County (Elk Heights and east to the Columbia River). This includes Kittitas County Fire District #1 (Thorp/Elk Heights), Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue (surrounding Ellensburg/Kittitas area), and Kittitas County Fire District #4 (Vantage) jurisdictions.
Multiagency Search Locates Lost 10-Year Old in Cle Elum River Valley 06/06/2023
Shortly before 2:00 pm on Sunday 6/4/2023, 10-year-old Shunghla Mashwani of Federal Way was reported missing in the Cle Elum River Valley north of the city of Cle Elum in Kittitas County. Her extended family was gathered at the Cathedral Pass Trailhead on Fish Lake Road (FS4330), playing in the woods on the west side of a footbridge over the Cle Elum River. When the family walked back across the river to the trailhead parking area to eat lunch, they noticed Shunghla was missing. Around 20 adults in the group immediately went back and started searching.
17-Year-Old Drowned in Floating Accident on Cle Elum River 05/23/2023
On Saturday, May 20, a group of seven young people from the Moses Lake and Warden area launched down the Cle Elum River near the Salmon La Sac campground on a raft of connected innertubes. Within minutes, their makeshift raft was caught by tree limbs and underwater hazards and swamped by the fast-running river. The party was scattered, and one juvenile suffered an injury to his ankle. When they gathered, they realized a 17-year-old male was missing. They called for help around 12:30 pm.
Kittitas County Agencies Work Together to Locate Toddler 04/25/2023
At around 9:20 this morning, 4/25, a family in the Umptanum area several miles southwest of Ellensburg called 911 to report their 3-year old girl ran off into the rough sagebrush around their remote residence. They’d already searched for 20 minutes and were worried about their toddler among the steep canyons and other hazards of the high country where they live.
Federal Government to Fund $11.17M in Wildfire Defense Grants in Kittitas County 03/28/2023
All Wildfire Defense Grant proposals in Kittitas County announced to be funded.
Armed Standoff in Cle Elum Peacefully Resolved 12/02/2022
Members of the Kittitas County Regional Tactical Response Team (KCRTRT) and the Kittitas County Regional Hostage Negotiation Team (KCRHNT) responded today to assist the Cle Elum/Roslyn Police Department with an armed barricaded subject at a local business, Moore’s Metal Work, at 1102 East First Street in Cle Elum.
Kittitas County Jail Awarded DOJ Mental Health Grant 10/11/2022
The US Department of Justice has awarded almost $500,000 to the Kittitas County Jail to develop and build on existing mental health treatment programs for inmates. Our jail has taken a leadership role in viewing incarceration not merely as punishment but an opportunity to intervene in cycles of drug abuse, mental and emotional health issues, and criminal recidivism. This grant will combine with mental health and substance abuse programs already in place to help people in crisis and, hopefully, get them on a path to addressing the issues that got them into jail in the first place.
Sheriff's Office Recognized for Policy Management 09/15/2022
This week, the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office was recognized for adopting policies that reflect national best practices in Law Enforcement and public safety, and for consistently training personnel in those policies.
Hot Conditions Produce Backcountry Medical Emergencies 08/19/2022
The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office and Kittitas County Search and Rescue have responded to three medical emergencies from back-country hikers in the last two days, all related to heat exhaustion and dehydration.