Skip to Main Content
By the students, for the students of Central Washington University

The Observer

By the students, for the students of Central Washington University

The Observer

By the students, for the students of Central Washington University

The Observer

Waste from the Hanford nuclear reactor site in Washington will take until 3033 to clean. Photo courtesy of Pexels

Dangers of Hanford explained by expert panel

Anna Fridell, Staff Reporter
April 19, 2023

CWU’s Museum of Culture and Environment (MCE) was packed more densely than steam in a smokestack as attendees filled the seats to learn about the nuclear history of the Hanford site.  The MCE hosted...

Continue Reading
Front of Ellensburg High School.

Ellensburg High School students speak out against LGBTQIA+ bullying at board meeting

Megan Rogers, News Editor
April 19, 2023

Slashed tires, “f-slurs” and harassment; this is only a portion of what Ellensburg High School (EHS) students reported experiencing from their peers at the board meeting on March 29.  EHS students...

Continue Reading
Carlos Huitron and daughter Guadalupe Huitron-Lilly embraced for warmth outside the Kittitas County Courthouse building before holding a demonstration. Photo by Rob Fraser

Remembering Shady Acres: the once ‘peaceful,’ affordable community to be covered by Kittitas County Event Center expansion

Katherine Camarata, Lead Editor
April 12, 2023

A historic fight for Shady Acres: a battle spanning half a decade Rows of abandoned trailers with colorful yet lifeless children’s toys scattered across the yards sit vacant where a community once...

Continue Reading
Personal information is often obtained by bad actors hacking into organizations' clouds. Photo by Morgana Carroll

When personal information doesn’t stay personal: how your data ends up in someone else’s hands

Morgana Carroll, News Editor
April 12, 2023

When Deborah Wells was the president of CWU’s Ethical Hacking Club, she got a call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft as she was wrapping up a club meeting. The scammer said that they could tell...

Continue Reading
Photo of Kittitas Valley Fire & Rescue photo by Anna Fridell

Central Washington Fire Training Academy opens doors for prospective firefighters

Anna Fridell, Staff Reporter
April 12, 2023

A new opportunity for incoming firefighting trainees has become available through Kittitas Valley Fire and Yakima Fire Department. The two organizations combined their spaces and trainings with the creation...

Continue Reading
Color of Taste Sweet. Photo provided by Tarra Hall-Ward

Artist Tarra Hall-Ward mixes chemistry and art to create a reaction

Beau Sansom, Staff Reporter
April 12, 2023

Chemistry and art are coming together to create a reaction that the whole Ellensburg community can see. Local artist and CWU alum Tarra Hall-Ward will be featuring her work at the Clymer museum in downtown...

Continue Reading
Jerry Dougherty has been volunteering with KCACTF for 15 years Photo by Frankie Benka, Spokane Falls Community College

CWU senior lecturer and production manager awarded The Gold Medallion

Megan Rogers, News Editor
April 11, 2023

Jerald (Jerry) Dougherty, senior lecturer and production manager at CWU, received the Gold Medallion Award from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) on Feb. 22 because of his volunteer...

Continue Reading
Washington State's legislative building and state capitol, Olympia. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Washington bill may extend statute of limitation on sexual assault lawsuits

Morgana Carroll, News Editor
April 5, 2023

Lawsuits for the sexual assault of a child must be reported within three years, meaning that a case must be filed within three years of the incident happening or within three years of when resulting harm...

Continue Reading
Photo courtesy of Flickr

Trump indicted and charged with 34 felonies

Morgana Carroll, News Editor
April 5, 2023

Former President Donald Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records on Tuesday, April 4. Trump, who said 10 words in total during the entire proceeding according to AP News,...

Continue Reading
Milton Kuolt Professor of Business Andy Parks Photo Courtesy of Andy Parks

Milton Kuolt Professor of Business Andy Parks joins training taskforce for employees of color

Megan Rogers, News Editor
April 5, 2023

CWU’s Milton Kuolt Professor of Business Andy Parks was appointed the first co-chair for the Washington Employers for Racial Equity, Black Talent Development Task Force this year. Parks said his passion...

Continue Reading
Spirit TRC offers healing through horses Photo courtesy of Spirit TRC

Spirit Therapeutic Riding Center offers healing through horses

Megan Rogers, News Editor
April 3, 2023

Horses, healing and hope take the reins at Spirit Therapeutic Riding Center (Spirit TRC), located on Sorenson Road in Ellensburg. Spirit TRC was founded by Evelyn Pederson in 2006, after she went through...

Continue Reading
Woman’s HERSTORY month cake. Photo by Alahnna Connolly

CWU event puts the ‘HER’ in history

Alahnna Connolly, Staff Reporter
March 8, 2023

The Diversity and Equity Center (DEC) hosted Women's Herstory to kickoff Women’s History Month. Grad Assistant Victoria Linder who is a second-year student in the Cultural and Environmental Resource...

Continue Reading