October 5, 2026

Connell,WA / 2026 / October / 5

Tip leads to firearm arrest in Othello graffiti case

A 26-year-old Othello man is facing firearm and vandalism charges after a neighbor's 911 call about someone spray-painting a fence led deputies to him later the same day, according to the Adams County Sheriff's Office.

The tip came in Oct. 1 from a resident who saw a man putting graffiti on a fence near West June Street and South Andes Road, just west of Othello. The man left before deputies got there, but the caller had photographed his vehicle and gave deputies a description.

That evening, deputies went to help Othello police with a separate graffiti report at PJ Taggares Park. They learned the same vehicle had been at the park. Othello police arrested a juvenile in connection with the park incident.

Later that night, Othello officers spotted the vehicle inside city limits and called deputies. Deputies contacted the driver, Dario Ochoa Jr., who matched the description from the first call, Sheriff Dale Wagner said in a media release.

While Ochoa was detained, deputies found a gun on him. Wagner said Ochoa has a felony conviction and is barred from having firearms.

Ochoa was booked Oct. 2 on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm and third-degree malicious mischief. The sheriff's office said the investigation is still open.

Sources

ConnellWA.com - 10/05/2026

West Richland reviewing plans for Planet Fitness on Keene Road

West Richland is reviewing plans for a new Planet Fitness on Keene Road, which would be the chain's fourth Tri-Cities gym and its first built from the ground up here. The public has until 5 p.m. Oct. 20 to comment on the project's environmental review.

Knutzen Engineering of Kennewick has asked the city for advance review under the State Environmental Policy Act for a 22,500-square-foot Planet Fitness and a separate 3,800-square-foot commercial building at 6260 Keene Road, according to a notice of application the West Richland Community Development Department issued Oct. 5.

The site sits on the northeast corner of Keene Road and Belmont Boulevard in the city's Belmont District. It is zoned Commercial General, which allows retail, sales and service businesses as a primary use. The Tri-City Herald reported that the commercial building would be split into two 1,600-square-foot retail suites across the parking lot from the gym, and that county records list the property owner as B Keene Dev LLC.

The gym would be a little larger than Planet Fitness's roughly 20,000-square-foot Kennewick location on Columbia Center Boulevard, which opened in 2017 in the former Value Village space. The chain's Pasco and Richland gyms also moved into existing buildings.

If the project is approved, construction is expected to start in spring 2027, with completion targeted for spring 2028, the Herald reported. The city says permitting and site studies are still under way.

The Community Development Department is the lead agency for the review. Written comments can be sent to the department at 3100 Belmont Blvd., Suite 104, West Richland, WA 99353, or to eransom@westrichland.org, and must arrive by 5 p.m. Oct. 20 to be considered. The staff contact is Senior Planner Elisha Ransom at 509-967-5902 or planner@westrichland.org. People who want notice of the final decision need to give the department their name and address.