Gesa, a community-focused credit union, today announced the recipients of its Local Heroes Grant Program, which provides grant funds to organizations that support Local Heroes within the community. In the program’s second year, Gesa will award more than $500,000 in grants to 43 organizations across Washington state. The top earning organizations will receive upwards of $50,000 to support their individual needs.
Gesa’s Local Heroes Grant Program provides grants to organizations in the state of Washington that support any of Gesa’s outlined Local Heroes populations, including firefighters, law enforcement, teachers, healthcare workers, and veterans. This year’s recipients were selected by the Gesa Community Foundation. “These Local Heroes make our communities across Washington state better and we’re honored to support them,” said Angie Brotherton, Executive Director of the Gesa Community Foundation. “The applications we received were truly inspiring, and we were moved by each group’s commitment to serving our communities. We’re very appreciative of the selfless work that these organizations do and we’re thankful for their work.” Recipients of this year’s Local Heroes Grant Program include: Benton City • Benton County Fire Protection District #2 Burien • St. Anne Hospital Foundation Chelan • Chelan Fire & Rescue College Place • College Place Fire Department East Wenatchee • Kenroy Elementary School Eltopia • Service Peace Warriors Kennewick • Tri-City Metro Drug Taskforce • Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 11-6 • Therapeutic Riding of Tri-Cities Lynnwood • Meadowdale High School Moses Lake • Moses Lake Police Department Pasco • Tri-Cities Diversity & Inclusion Council • Columbia Basin College Foundation • Young Officers on Fire Poulsbo • Martha & Mary Prosser • Friends of Disabled Veterans Richland • STEM Like Me! • Mid-Columbia Ballet • Richland Firefighters Community Outreach Program Seattle • Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra • Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center • Seattle Public Schools • Medic One Foundation • Dress for Success Seattle Shoreline • Ridgecrest Elementary School Library Silverdale • Greater Kitsap Chamber of Commerce Spokane • Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture • Mead High School • The ISAAC Foundation • Free Rein Therapeutic Riding • Whitworth University Military & Veterans Resource Center Sunnyside • Sunnyside Police Department Union Gap • Union Gap Police Department Walla Walla • City of Walla Walla Fire Department • Walla Walla County Fire District #4 • Columbia Walla Walla County Fire District 2 • Volunteers Love Serving Veterans Wenatchee • Chelan County Mountain Rescue • Alatheia Therapeutic Riding Center • Wenatchee Rescue Mission West Richland • William Wiley Elementary School • Leona Libby Middle School Yakima • Yakima County Fire District #4 With every swipe of a Local Heroes co-branded Gesa Visa® Debit Card, Gesa members earn funds designated for grants in that card’s Local Heroes category. Funds accumulate over the course of a year and are disbursed annually. For more information about Gesa’s Local Heroes Grant Program, including eligibility requirements, visit https://www.gesa.com/category/local-heroes/.
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3 Rivers Community Foundation (3RCF) has launched an online giving platform for holiday community giving. The ‘grant catalog” makes community giving easy for everyone and welcomes all sizes of donations.
“This is the first time we have offered a “crowd-funding style” of community giving. There are twenty-six participating area nonprofit organizations in the catalog that will benefit greatly from online giving this holiday season. These are organizations we support and have vetted through an application process, evaluation, and interviews,” said 3RCF’s Chief Executive Officer, Abbey Cameron. Each nonprofit listed is local and supports a wide variety of causes. From arts to youth programs, there are many great organizations to choose from. The website can be found at www.3rcf.org/grantcatalog. “Our goal is to raise not only money, but awareness of all the wonderful and caring programs within the Tri-Cities,” emphasized Cameron. “And we believe there’s an added joy to giving this time of year.” This month, 3RCF will distribute a total of 59 grants to area nonprofits for a total of $270,000. They hope to attach another $100,000 through this first-time online platform. To learn more about philanthropy in our communities visit www.3rcf.org or contact us at [email protected] or 509-735-5559. Gesa, a community-focused credit union, today announced it will partner with Local Heroes groups across Washington for its 7th annual Stock-the-Sock Holiday Toy Drive. From now until December 19, community members are encouraged to donate toys in the oversized holiday stockings found at every Gesa branch. All donations will be donated to Local Hero initiatives across the state.
“We are so grateful for all the care and compassion that Local Heroes provide for our communities, which is why this year we are honored to partner with several groups to gift toys to those who need it most,” said Angie Brotherton, Assistant Vice President of Community Relations and Impact. “The Stock-the-Sock drive is an initiative I look forward to every year, and the impact we make every holiday season wouldn’t be possible without our generous members. Through their toy donations this year, we hope to be able to make an even larger impact on the lives of many this holiday season.” Toys collected at Gesa branches in Lynnwood, Kirkland, Seattle, Tukwila, Puyallup, and Tacoma will be distributed by Sea Mar Community healthcare workers, while those in Bremerton will be shared by Peninsula Community Health Services. In Yakima, toys will be given out by the Yakima Memorial Foundation, and firefighters from the City of Walla Walla Co. Fire will pass out toys received from the Walla Walla location. Education workers from Communities in Schools of Tri-Cities will distribute toys from the Tri-Cities branch locations, while branches in Moses Lake and Wenatchee will be teaming up to support Communities in Schools of North Central Washington. In Spokane and Pullman, toys received will be shared by Operation Spokane Heroes, benefiting local military and veteran communities. “This year Sea Mar anticipates distributing over 15,000 toys to more than 5,000 low-income families,” said Jennifer Marroquin, Toy Donation Coordinator. “It is because of community partners such as Gesa Credit Union, we are able to provide toys to thousands of underprivileged children within nine Western Washington counties during the holiday season that would otherwise go without.” This year, Gesa’s goal is to collect 500 toys across Washington. Those who wish to stay up to date with the toy drive goal can visit the tracker posted on Gesa Credit Union’s social media channels. Examples of gifts to donate include stuffed animals, Lego sets, dolls and prizes. For more information about Gesa Credit Union’s involvement in the community, visit https://www.gesa.com/community. BNSF Railway has designated the Reimann Industrial Center as one of its Certified Sites. The Reimann is the first BNSF Certified Site in the State of Washington.
This month, BNSF announced it would add the Reimann and three other sites to its roster of Certified Sites. Nationally, BNSF has certified 33 sites. The newest sites are Dodge City, Kansas; Seward, Nebraska; Upton, Wyoming; and Pasco. “BNSF’s site certification puts the railroad’s stamp of approval on the Reimann Industrial Center. The Port is pleased and grateful to have earned this designation,” said Executive Director Randy Hayden. “The Port of Pasco is a multi-modal inland port district that proudly supports the movement of people, freight, and agricultural commodities via rail, roads, water, and air.” The railroad’s Industrial Site Certification program is a rigorous process that identifies “optimal rail-served sites” via an in-depth review process. BNSF often works with a company in the early stages of its site selection process to help ensure freight mobility. According to BNSF’s website, the certified site designation helps its freight customers reduce development time, increase speed to market and diminish upfront development risk at rail-served industrial sites. “BNSF’s Site Certification Program creates tremendous value for customers who are seeking a rail-served industrial site by accelerating the process required for economic growth and development,” said Chris Danos, Assistant Vice President, Economic Development. “A customer who builds a new rail-served facility at one of these sites is expected to save six to nine months of valuable construction time as a result of this shovel-ready program,” said Danos. The Port and BNSF started the site certification process in August of 2021. BNSF utilized Strategic Development Group to conduct an economic development analysis of the Reimann, including a site visit in September of 2022. A Site Evaluation Report was completed by SDG in February 2022. In July the firm officially recommended the Reimann become a BNSF Certified Site. Port of Pasco established the 300-acre Reimann Industrial Center in the fall of 2019. An engineering and market analysis master plan called for the site to be rail served since it was located across the street from the BNSF rail yard. In 2020 Darigold, Inc. announced it would construct a rail-served dairy processing facility on 150 acres of the Reimann. The facility will become the largest dairy processor in North America. The $650 million project broke ground in September 2022 with completion expected in early 2024. The Port of Pasco will construct more than $25 million in public infrastructure. Reconstruction of Railroad Avenue and the installation of a municipal water line will begin in December. Construction of the port-owned rail line will begin in 2023. Franklin County, City of Pasco, Franklin PUD, and Cascade Natural Gas are also making infrastructure improvements to serve the Reimann. The Port of Pasco has several rail-served industrial sites including Pasco Processing Center and Big Pasco Industrial Center. At Big Pasco, the Port provides river access with a marine terminal that serves barge traffic that uses the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The Tri-Cities Airport is owned and operated by the Port. In 2019 the airport handled more than 400,000 passenger enplanements. ![]() After an extensive nationwide search, Washington Policy Center (WPC) has named Sean O’Brien as its new Eastern Washington Director. Mr. O’Brien is the former Executive Director for the Congressional Western Caucus, a coalition of 80 Members of Congress whose mission is to represent the voices of rural communities from across the country in Washington, D.C. He also previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04). “Sean’s experience and connections are the perfect fit for this important role,” remarked Michael Gallagher, WPC’s President and CEO. “Sean’s career has been spent learning the issues that concern Eastern Washington and rural communities. His commitment to the region is indisputable and we are delighted to have him on our team.” "Sean has been a trusted advisor throughout my time in Congress and I am delighted he is joining Washington Policy Center,” Congressman Dan Newhouse explained. “His knowledge, legislative experience, and service as Executive Director of the Congressional Western Caucus will be critical assets to ensure the voices of communities east of the Cascades are heard in Olympia. He has been a steadfast advocate for sound public policy solutions impacting these communities for years – they are lucky to continue having Sean working on their behalf as WPC's Eastern Washington Director. I know we will continue to count on him in the years to come." WPC’s Eastern Washington Director position is a dedicated and unique voice for Eastern Washington policy priorities. The Washington Policy Center is committed to all of Washington, and the position is one component of WPC’s effort to promote the critical importance of the powerful contribution Eastern Washington families and businesses add to our great state. “I am humbled to join Washington Policy Center's team and thrilled to continue working on behalf of Eastern Washington,” explained O’Brien. “As the region faces both challenges and opportunities, WPC's work advocating for sound policy solutions is more important than ever. My career has been rooted in working on behalf of these local communities, so I am looking forward to putting my skills and legislative experience to work as Eastern Washington Director.” This is O’Brien’s second experience with WPC, having served as a Janet and Doug True Research intern with WPC a decade ago. His first foray into public policy was in the office of Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers. "Sean began his career in public policy in my office and I am delighted he'll now be bringing his expertise to Washington Policy Center's team,” related Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers. “We have counted on his legislative acumen on issues critical to Eastern Washington, including energy, natural resources, and the fight to save the Snake River dams. It has been a pleasure witnessing Sean's growth over the years, from his time in my office to working for Congressman Newhouse and most recently in leading the Congressional Western Caucus. We know he will serve WPC and the people of Eastern Washington well and I look forward to continuing to work with Sean in his new role." O’Brien will begin his tenure as Eastern Washington Director on December 1. Don’t miss the 7th annual Winter Wonderland and HAPO Festival of Lights. Join us as we countdown to the lighting of John Dam Plaza and the HAPO Community Stage. Celebrate the magic of the season with live musical performances, a lighted vehicle parade, and a guest appearance from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The festivities kick off Friday, December 2, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. The official countdown will take place at 6:00 p.m. when thousands of lights will be lit and dance to holiday music every evening in December. Attendees will enjoy music performed by the Hanford High School Choir and the Richland High School Marching Band and Drumline. Enjoy free cocoa and KC Kettle Corn (while supplies last). Take a peek into Santa’s House and the recently added replica of a two-bedroom prefab home located in the Richland Alphabet House Village. The “Letters to the North Pole” mailbox will also be available. Children of all ages can drop their letters (don’t forget to include a return address) in the mailbox to the North Pole (the deadline is December 20, 2022). Participants will receive a response from Santa and his helpers. Witness the new lighted vehicle parade with a dozen decorated vehicles on display in a procession around the park that starts at approximately 5:40 p.m. After the lighting, stay in John Dam Plaza and enjoy the entire playlist of holiday music until 9:00 p.m. Or, you can head down to Howard Amon Park from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. and hop on the J&S Express Train at the Richland Community Center. The train will take riders on a journey through the park to enjoy the magic of over 20 inflatable light displays. Take pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus as well as the many holiday characters that will be present. Food vendors will also be available at Howard Amon Park. In addition, the Gallery at the Park will be giving away cocoa and hosting crafts from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and the Richland Community Center will be hosting live holiday music, craft projects, and Bingo from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. While at Howard Amon Park, don’t miss out on the very popular lighted boat parade. This is always a crowd-pleaser sponsored by the Clover Island Yacht Club. The boats will come by Howard Amon Park at approximately 7:15 – 8:00 p.m. But wait, there is more! Enjoy the amazing fireworks display at Howard Amon Park after the boats have safely cleared the area. Fireworks will light up the sky at approximately 8:00 p.m. The fun then continues on Saturday, December 3rd, with another lighted vehicle parade, fireworks, and activities at John Dam Plaza, Richland Community Center, and Howard Amon Park. There are many more activities to enjoy with Winter Wonderland and Festival of Lights lasting throughout the month of December. View the full schedule of activities at www.ci.richland.wa.us/winterwonderland. Following certification of the November 2022 General Election, the Richland City Council is accepting applications from citizens interested in serving on the Richland City Council. Position No. 7, currently held by Michael Alvarez, is expected to be officially vacated on January 3, 2023.
The candidate appointed by City Council will serve in Position No. 7 until the person elected to serve the remainder of the unexpired term takes office after the November 2023 General Election (approximately one year). The election/appointment and service of councilmembers on the Richland City Council is governed by the Richland City Charter. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and be a registered elector (voter). Applicants must be a resident of the City of Richland for a continuous period of at least two years prior to their election or appointment. Applicants cannot hold another public office except in the National Guard, organized reserves, or as a Notary Public. In addition, candidates must be a citizen of the United States and cannot be employed by the City of Richland. Interested individuals may submit a completed application and resume to the City Clerk’s Office through the City’s website beginning Wednesday, November 30, 2022, through Wednesday, December 14, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. Late submittals will not be accepted. More details are available on the City’s website at ci.richland.wa.us or by calling the City Clerk at 509-942-7389. Richland City Council holds regular meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at Richland City Hall, 625 Swift Boulevard. Workshops are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month. All meetings are televised. Interviews will be scheduled after the review of completed applications and resumes. Applications are available at www.ci.richland.wa.us/councilvacancy. The City does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, presence of disability, or any other protected class status. A draft proposal to connect Little Badger Mountain Trail to Badger Mountain is now available for public review. The 5.5-mile trail system was developed by City staff and its consultant team at Michael Terrell Landscape Architecture, LLC.
The draft plan will be presented in three ways; a public open house, via zoom, and an online survey. There will be two opportunities to meet with staff:
Those that would like to review and comment online can visit the project page and review the project map at www.ci.richland.wa.us/littlebadgertrail. Benton PUD offices in Kennewick and Prosser will open late on Wednesday, November 30 to enable employees to participate in a PUD-wide training. Offices in Kennewick will open to the public at 10:00 a.m. Offices in Prosser will open to the public at Noon.
Crews are available if you experience an outage. To report an outage, please give our outage line a call at 1-888-582-2176 or report through the SmartHub app. Benton PUD has office locations at 2721 W. 10th in Kennewick and 250 N. Gap Road in Prosser. Prosser Memorial Health has received approval from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Washington State Department of Health (WADOH), and the City of Prosser, to move forward on the $112 million new hospital project and will break ground at 11 am on November 29, 2022. The new hospital site is located on the northeast corner of North Gap Road and I-82.
Financing for this project was made possible with a $73.5 million guaranteed loan from the USDA, a $1 million USDA grant, $27 million in cash from Prosser Memorial Health, and $3 million from the Prosser Memorial Health Foundation. The hospital will not bring a levy or bond to taxpayers to help fund this project. All financing will come from the USDA loan, Prosser Memorial Health, and the Prosser Memorial Health Foundation. The new hospital complex will be located on 33 acres north of Interstate 82. The USDA loan will offset much of the cost and Prosser Memorial Health Foundation will continue its capital campaign to raise $3 million for the new hospital project. Prosser Memorial Health is celebrating 75 years of providing compassionate, high-quality care to its patients and the communities served. Prosser Memorial Health grew out of a need for the immediate availability of local medical care for veterans returning from World War II. In December 1947, Prosser Memorial Hospital opened. As our community has grown, so have the needs for more local, exceptional healthcare. The current facility is aging, and the location leaves no room for expansion. Building a new hospital is both a more efficient and cost-effective option. Some of the new hospital features will include more needed space, state-of-the-art surgical suites, an expanded cardiology department, new birthing suites, and all inpatient rooms will be private. Media representatives are invited to the groundbreaking ceremony at 11:00am on Tuesday, November 29th in Prosser. A reception will immediately follow at Desert Wind Winery. To learn more about the new hospital or groundbreaking ceremony, call Prosser Memorial Health Community Relations and Foundation Director Shannon Hitchcock at 509.786.6601. Donations for the project are being accepted online at www.prosserhealth.foundation. |
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July 2024
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