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— The teenager convicted of killing Christian Guthrie at an Ellensburg Jack in the Box last year has been sentenced to over 56 years in prison
Benny Castizo was sentenced last Friday in Kittitas County Superior Court after being convicted in February of first-degree murder
Judge Chris Herion imposed a maximum sentence of 434 months for first-degree murder
and Castizo will receive 240 days of credit for time already served in the Kittitas County Jail
Herion said the sentence was based on the choices Castizo had made
including joining a gang and using drugs at the age of 10
and continuing to use addictive illegal drugs even after treatment
JOHN CURLEY
12:20 PM | Updated: 12:21 pm
Community members speak out at Ellensburg City Council Meeting
(Photo courtesy of the City of Ellensburg)
BY JOHN CURLEY SHOW
The community of Ellensburg is pushing to eliminate DEI funding from the city’s comprehensive plan
overflowing a Monday city council meeting with public comments
More than 300 residents attended the meeting to address their concerns
an Ellensburg local council member who previously received death threats after voting against funding for DEI programs
“We had standing room only, so it was packed, and everybody was there to talk about what’s been going on, and the pool was a big lightning rod moment for a lot of people,” Thompson said on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio
“We have a 30-minute time limit on non-agenda comments
We had the lightest agenda packet that we’ve ever had
Thompson said a significant reason for people attending the meeting was related to the city’s community pool
which is planning to allow changing rooms to be gender neutral
Thompson put forward a motion to have a 15-minute extension on the topic so that more citizen comments could be heard
and this council tonight failed (to do) that
but I have to raise my voice for everybody that’s in this room and everybody that’s at home,” Thompson said at the meeting
“There have been too many people who have been told to shut up or come back later
Somebody’s got to raise their voice for these people.”
In December 2024, the Ellensburg City Council initially met to discuss the allocation of their $10,000 DEI budget, which encompasses funding for the LGBTQ+ community. For example, a portion of its funding went to the Pizza Klatch program
an organization that aims to create inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ high school students by hosting meetings and shared meals
The council initially voted against funding the Pizza Klatch program, but after public comment was held shortly after, the city council changed its decision and granted $1,000 for the Pizza Klatch program. According to KIMA TV
the money was used to reimburse the cost of the pizzas
Thompson spoke out against funding the program in December
stating that he did not believe that DEI funding should be aimed at minors
“I am the only one up there that’s pushed back against this,” Thompson told Curley
“The pizza money was to be spent at the high school to essentially attract minors to that agenda without parental notice of any kind.”
who previously ran against Thompson for a councilmember seat
helping Pizza Klatch start a GoFundMe and stating that Thompson is a “homophobic evangelical Christian.”
What came next was what Thompson described as a “barrage of negative direct messages.”
“The comments were not just like ‘I disagree with you,’ but ‘you should die.’ And as a father of a young kid at that moment…I had to take a step back and get out of there just to make the family safe,” Thompson said
“The pushback I received for fighting for our citizens was so great that I had to leave the state for a week and then come back and hire armed security
just so I could go to a city council meeting.”
This was not the first time Thompson experienced threats
As one of the lone conservative-leaning members of the council
Thompson has had a long history of violent attacks
“(When) I was running in (district) 23
I had the window of my front door shot out in broad daylight,” Thompson said
“I also had my lawn spiked with metal stakes to try to catch the lawn mower
So I’ve had a lot of mischief.”
But Curley said that no opinion justifies threats
“This program is set up so that kids have a safe place to be
and it looks like you were the one who needed a safe space to be,” Curley said
sharing that he has had to take drastic steps in order to keep his family safe
including spending $800 a night on security
Thompson said this has made a significant impact on his life
noting that he only gets paid $500 a month as a city council member
“I think I’m at three police reports right now
and it’s just because I’m the one conservative on that council that’s pushing back,” Thompson said
Looking forward to the city’s current budget plans
Thompson said he wants to ensure that the hundreds of community members who voiced their concerns at Monday’s council meeting are heard
“We have a loud segment of our community that has had the ability to control the narrative for a very long time
but we’re a very conservative county,” said Thompson
“There’s a very liberal lock-and-step group that’s here
and they’ve had the ability to control the agenda for so long that we’ve gotten to this point where families don’t even feel safe going to a community pool.”
Ellensburg is still a year away from its broader review of the plan
The council will reconvene this July to further discuss making any changes to the comprehensive plan
Listen to John Curley every weekday afternoon from 3 – 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here
e-mail us at q6news@khq.com or call us at 509-448-6000
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READ MOREEllensburg man jailed after child abuse images convictionby John Kennedy O'Connor
YAKIMA- A 39-year-old man from Ellensburg
previously convicted in Yakima of Child Molestation
has now been sentenced to 15 years in prison for child pornography charges
Aaron Dollarhide - who will also serve five years of supervised release - was arrested in 2022 after his phone was seized by investigators
revealing child sexual abuse material; which included 687 videos
Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker reacted to the conviction earlier: "Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community and holding individuals accountable for exploiting children
demonstrate a disturbing disregard for the safety and well-being of children
Our office will continue to pursue and prosecute those who exploit children
and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those who do harm young children will face the full consequences of their actions."
HopeSource is renovating the former Nites Inn Motel in Ellensburg as part of the Pathways Place Project to create additional affordable housing at 1200 South Ruby Street
This development will transform the former motel into a 78-unit housing complex
The complex will provide 20 units for homeless individuals
and the rest for low- to moderate-income families
The design also includes a community clubhouse and an open courtyard for tenants
This means they spend more than 30%—sometimes even 50% or 60%—of their income on housing
“This doesn’t necessarily mean they are low-income
but it does mean they are under significant stress due to housing costs,” said Susan Grindle
Grindle explained that HopeSource has been working to expand affordable housing options in the area since 2007
“Our mission has always been to provide housing for those in need—low-income individuals
and those at risk of homelessness,” she said
we can help meet the growing demand for affordable housing.”
HopeSource initially purchased the motel in May 2022 to provide temporary housing
after recognizing the opportunity for a larger-scale solution
the organization decided to expand the project
“In addition to the 32 units in the existing motel
and families facing financial hardship,” Grindle said
The project is funded through contributions from the City of Ellensburg and Kittitas County
each of which donated $750,000 for the property
The total project cost is expected to be $25.7 million
originally scheduled for completion in June 2023
HopeSource has launched a new initiative called Whole Person Care
which offers a more integrated approach to supporting individuals in need
which were often limited by specific funding for different needs
Whole Person Care assigns a “navigator” to each individual
This navigator helps connect them to a variety of services
or support for substance use or disabilities
“We realized that instead of sending people away when a program runs out of money
we needed a system where individuals receive comprehensive
we provide a single point of contact who stays with them and helps them access the right resources—whether they’re entering housing or facing other challenges.”
HopeSource operates in six counties across Central Washington
Grindle noted that the Pathways Place Project is a key example of how Whole Person Care works in practice
addressing the interconnected issues of housing
“Many people don’t choose homelessness—they find themselves in that situation due to a range of factors
As the Pathways Place Project moves forward
HopeSource aims to offer not only housing but also complete support for those who need it most
— The Ellensburg Police Department is investigating a mail fraud case after discovering a check was fraudulently cashed
police received a report of the illegal cashing and determined that mail had been stolen from the Ellensburg post office on March 26
Postal employees confirmed the stolen mail was intended for delivery to the Kittitas County Courthouse and Ellensburg City Hall
two suspects were apprehended by the Kent Police Department
Evidence recovered suggests the suspects may be involved in the mail theft
The Ellensburg Police Department is collaborating with the U.S
and the Department of Corrections to determine the full scope of the incident and its impact on the community
Authorities are urging anyone who sent correspondence to the courthouse or city hall around March 26 to verify its receipt
an 18-year-old was charged with the murder of a rival gang member outside an Ellensburg Jack in the Box last year
Benny Lee Castizo was found guilty of first-degree murder in Kittitas County Superior Court following a 10-day trial
Castizo was charged in the shooting death of 21-year-old Christian Guthrie in March 2024
pulled into the parking lot to confront Castizo
“This was rewarding in that it was a fairly long trial and it took some time to get done
The jury did a really good job of listening
and weighing the issues,” said Kittitas County Prosecutor Greg Zempel
A sentencing hearing for Castizo is scheduled for April 4
Police in Kittitas County are looking for a man wanted for allegedly attempting to commit insurance fraud by faking a fall at an Ellensburg supermarket
The Ellensburg Daily Record says 47-year-old Nathan Christopher McCain of Ellensburg is facing charges of first-degree theft and three counts of making a false insurance claim in excess of $1,500
A probable cause affidavit from the Criminal Investigations Unit of the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner states McCain entered the Super 1 Foods in the 200 block of East Mountain View Avenue and was captured on video surveillance squirting liquid on the floor before leaning over to pick a gallon of milk and feigning the fall
McCain reportedly told an employee at the store that he'd fallen and filled out a customer accident report
Investigators say McCain claimed the fall delayed his employment at a contracting company by several weeks
He allegedly asked for a total of $10,000 "or close to it" in compensation
and pain and suffering - despite X-rays showing McCain didn't have any visible injuries
McCain also told authorities the contractor who'd recently hired him wanted nothing to do with the claim
which was submitted to North River Insurance Company
A claims investigator with North River labeled McCain's petition as false after discovering he had not been hired by the contractor and reviewing the grocery store's surveillance footage
McCain refused to provide a statement to claims investigators who reported that he “feigned confusion about the incident” prior to stating that he was seeking legal representation
He failed to appear for a scheduled arraignment in Kittitas County Superior Court last Thursday (April 3) and Judge Chris Herion approved an arrest warrant in the amount of $10,000 for McCain
The Ellensburg Daily Record says 47-year-old Nathan Christopher McCain of Ellensburg is facing charges of first-degree theft and three counts of making a false insurance claim in excess of $1,500...\nRead More
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— An Ellensburg man is once again facing vehicular assault charges following a three-vehicle crash on Vantage Highway in 2022 that left another driver seriously injured
Richard Harding had initially been charged in 2024
The charges were refiled in Kittitas County Superior Court after prosecutors received toxicology reports indicating Harding had methamphetamine in his system at the time of the crash
Authorities allege that Harding was driving east when he crossed the centerline and collided head-on with another vehicle
Deputies concluded after their investigation that Harding was intoxicated
Harding pled not guilty to vehicular assault