Remote Surveillance Trailer in Kennewick, WA

A former apartment manager is accused of siphoning money from two vulnerable adults to pay for her sister’s apartment.

Jessica L. Nunez-Gonzalez, 27, is accused of using rent payments from a mentally disabled person and someone who didn’t speak English to cover her sister’s $510 monthly rent.

She made her first appearance in Benton County Superior Court on Thursday after being arrested on suspicion of first-degree theft. She has been released on her own recognizance.

Nunez-Gonzalez worked as the apartment manager for Meadow Park Apartments on Fourth Avenue in Kennewick until the management company discovered that she stole $1,000 from a tenant’s rent money, court documents said.

Nunez-Gonzalez confessed to the theft and repaid the money.

While the initial theft was reported in June 2025, police didn’t learn about the larger theft until they followed up with the management company’s regional manager on Jan. 7, 2026.

The manager said they learned Nunez-Gonzalez had changed the computer records to use the money from two vulnerable tenants to cover 16 months of rent for her sister.

Investigators determined that the total amount of the theft was $8,160.

It’s not clear from court documents what happened to the two tenants — one who was mentally disabled and the other who didn’t speak English.

Court documents said Nunez-Gonzalez had begun work at a Richland apartment complex. It’s unknown if there has been any theft linked to her new job.

This is not the first case in the last year involving an apartment manager stealing money from vulnerable tenants. Andrea E. O. Gibson, 31, is charged with first-degree theft in Benton County Superior Court after allegedly stealing $22,000 from Spanish-speaking renters at the Crown Village Apartments.

“In the last year, KPD has investigated multiple cases where apartment managers from different companies have embezzled, altered, and/or stolen funds from tenants,” the department said on its Facebook page. “We have noticed a pattern of targeting vulnerable tenants to embezzle funds or alter money orders and checks.”

Steel is flying in Kennewick as a $71.3 million update to the Three Rivers Convention Center steams toward a major milestone.

The convention center is being expanded by 115,000 square feet, a move designed to boost its appeal as a destination for conventions, meetings and sports tournaments.

Cory Pearson, general manager, said the contractor, Lydig Construction, and its partners are moving quickly to set the 160-foot beams that will support the future roof. Each is being lifted into place by a pair of cranes.

The steel structure will support the roof of the convention center’s signature feature, its 6,000-square-foot column-free meeting hall.

The hall can be configured for large groups and has room for six basketball courts, 20 pickleball courts, nine volleyball courts or 24 wrestling circles.

Pearson said construction was affected by December windstorms, but is on track to open as planned in about a year.

Topping off

Once the roof beams are set, Three Rivers will hold a “topping off” ceremony to mark the occasion.

The exact date will depend on weather and work conditions, but Pearson said it should happen in January.

He called it an exciting time to be on the Three Rivers campus.

While Lydig builds the new convention center, Fowler Construction is building 162-room AC Marriott Hotel for A-1 Hospitality.

A-1 is serving as the private partner on the convention campus renovations. The $47 million hotel is privately funded by investors and a loan from Idaho Central Credit Union.

The two are related and will be physically connected. For now, the hustle and bustle of side-by-side construction projects is striking, Pearson said.

“Everywhere you look, there’s cranes,” he said.

A brief history

The Three Rivers Campus is owned and operated by the Kennewick Public Facilities District, a quasi-public agency tasked with operating public facilities in tandem with the city of Kennewick.

The original convention center debuted in 2004. Officials long dreamed of an expansion that would compete for meetings, sports tournaments and events with venues in Seattle, Portland, Spokane and beyond.

Kennewick voters rejected ballot requests to raise the local sales tax to pay for various versions in 2013, 2016 and 2017. The last would have featured a 2,000-seat Broadway style theater called “The Link” and failed with a 55% no vote.

With voters set against funding the project with sales taxes, officials regrouped. The project was revisited and the district and city found a way to pay for it without raising local sales taxes.

They issued bonds to pay for construction and will repay them from the center’s own revenue as well as a state sales tax rebate associated with the Seattle Mariners.

The Kennewick Public Facilities district receives about $5 million a year, including $3 million from event-related revenue and $2 million from an 0.033% sales tax rebate from the state.

The Washington Legislature authorized the sales tax more than 20 years ago as part of the package that created public facilities districts to build what is now T-Mobile Park for the Seattle Mariners.

The city of Richland and its public facilities district used its .0033 money to build The Reach Museum.

Benton County and the city of Pasco, lacking projects of their own, dedicated their share to support the convention complex in Kennewick. Pasco voters later approved a local sales tax to fund the ongoing construction of a water park in the Broadmoor area.

The updated convention center is expected to host an additional 200,000 visitors each year, translating to demand for more than 70,000 hotel rooms.

Tourism, was worth nearly $650 million to the Tri-Cities economy in 2024, according to the most recent Visit Tri-Cities figures.

The Brief

• The American Red Cross has seven shelters open in western Washington as flooding concerns grow from an atmospheric river bringing heavy rain and rapid snowmelt

• Officials estimate up to 100,000 people statewide could face evacuation orders as water levels rise along rivers including the Yakima River

• The Kennewick chapter has been placed on notice to prepare shelter operations locally, with equipment staged and agreements in place at locations like Walla Walla Fairgrounds

KENNEWICK, Wash. — The Kennewick chapter of the American Red Cross is ramping up preparation efforts as flooding concerns grow across parts of Washington state following an atmospheric river that has brought heavy rain, warm temperatures and rapid snowmelt to the region.

The Red Cross currently operates seven shelters in western Washington, stretching along the I-5 corridor in communities like Randle and Chehalis. Officials estimate as many as 100,000 people statewide could be asked to evacuate as water levels continue to rise.

With the Yakima River experiencing rising water levels, the Red Cross Kennewick chapter has been placed on notice to prepare for possible shelter operations in the local area.

"Historically, we have used the Walla Walla Fairgrounds. Benton City, we will probably use one of the school classrooms or a church there. Same with West Richland — so we've got agreements in place," said Brian Opitz, regional logistics lead for the American Red Cross.

The Kennewick chapter is already staging equipment and coordinating with county emergency management agencies to ensure shelters can open quickly if needed. Opitz said the organization maintains three trailers that can be deployed to establish shelter operations.

"We've got three trailers we can pull to a location. Two of them are set up to establish 100-person shelters, so there are enough cots, blankets, and supplies needed for up to 100 people," Opitz said.

Beyond providing basic shelter, the Red Cross prepares to address immediate needs for evacuees who may have left their homes quickly.

"If they need medicine or eyeglasses because they had to abandon things pretty quickly, we have health services staff that can help with those needs, and we'll provide cots and blankets," Opitz said.

The organization also provides comfort kits containing toiletries and essentials, along with meals and charging stations for evacuees. Opitz noted that flood-related shelter operations typically remain short-term compared to other natural disasters.

"Typically these things aren't long-lasting, which is a good thing — not like a tornado where you might be in a shelter for weeks at a time," he said.

Officials urge residents in flood-prone areas to prepare for potential evacuation orders as conditions continue to develop.

"Anybody in a floodplain should have what we call a go-kit. If you get a notice that says 'watch out,' that typically means you should prepare. If you get a warning, that means you should probably leave," Opitz said.

Red Cross officials also remind residents never to walk or drive through standing water as flooding conditions persist across the region.

​COPYRIGHT 2025 BY APPLE VALLEY NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.

KENNEWICK, Wash. — Tri-City residents are preparing to ring in the New Year with a little extra sparkle.

For just the second year in more than three decades, personal fireworks are legal within Kennewick city limits for New Year’s Eve. Fireworks stands are now open in the city, selling approved items ahead of the holiday.

Kennewick began allowing personal fireworks again in December 2023, ending a 31-year ban. The change followed a Kennewick City Council ordinance passed in 2022, which lifted the ban after a one-year delay required by state law.

Fire officials say residents should only buy fireworks from local Kennewick stands, which are restricted to selling items that are legal under city and state rules.

While fireworks sales and use may be new for Kennewick, the regulations largely mirror those in neighboring Richland and Pasco, which have allowed New Year’s fireworks for several years.

Legal fireworks include items such as fountains and sparklers. However, most aerial fireworks — including Roman candles and sky rockets — remain prohibited.

Officials also stress the importance of safety, especially given current weather conditions.

Under Washington state law, legal fireworks may only be discharged between 6 p.m. on December 31 and 1 a.m. on January 1.

Kennewick fire officials warn that even legal fireworks can pose risks if used improperly. Residents are urged to set them off in clear, open areas, stay aware of their surroundings, and keep a safe distance from buildings and people.

After fireworks are used, officials recommend soaking the remains in water before placing them in the trash to prevent fires.

As the countdown to midnight begins, both city officials and local fireworks vendors say their goal is a safe and enjoyable New Year’s celebration for everyone.

​COPYRIGHT 2025 BY APPLE VALLEY NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.

UPDATE: November 26 at 3:00 p.m.

Rebecca Howard, 48, identified by WSP as the driver in the DUI crash on Monday, is also facing charges related to animal cruelty from 2021, according to Trooper Daniel Mosqueda.

Court documents reveal that Howard is charged with 16 counts of animal cruelty. This includes two first-degree animal cruelty charges, classified as felonies, and 14 second-degree animal cruelty charges, considered gross misdemeanors.

According to a release by the Attorney General’s Office, Howard helped manage the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter as director of the Neo’s Nation Animal Foundation when allegations of abuse and neglect arose in 2021.

The AG's office said a search warrant executed at the shelter revealed malnourished dogs and crates of cats and kittens, many severely ill, in poor conditions. The outbuilding was infested with mice and housed cats with severe infections, the AG’s office said.

Howard's jury trial is scheduled for February 23, 2026.

If convicted, Howard faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each felony count of first-degree animal cruelty.

KENNEWICK, Wash. – Washington State Patrol (WSP) is investigating a crash on SR 240 that occurred near the same location as a semi crash last week.

According to WSP Trooper Daniel Mosqueda, this afternoon’s crash happened at 4:15 p.m. when a female driver crashed into a tree at the Columbia Park Golf Tri-Plex, rolling her vehicle over.

The driver was extricated and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. It's unknown if she was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

The cause of the crash is likely DUI-related, according to Mosqueda. He noted that this is the second DUI incident in the area that WSP has dealt with today. Over the weekend, WSP made six DUI arrests.

Mosqueda emphasized the importance of vigilance on the roads, saying he wants to remind drivers to call 911 for suspected drivers under the influence, especially with this being one of the busiest weeks on the road of the year.

ORIGINAL COVERAGE: November 24 at 5:35 p.m.