Member News

Legends Casino Hotel invites nonprofit organizations to apply now for the annual Yakama Cares grant distribution. The Charitable Contributions fund called Yakama Cares will be distributed in May for 2019, and nonprofit organizations are encouraged to submit applications for consideration until the deadline of March 31, 2019.

In 2018, the Charitable Contributions Fund distributed more than $480,000 to 214 area nonprofits. Grant recipients included schools, senior services, veteran services, food banks, shelters, and many more in Benton, Franklin, Kittitas, Klickitat, Adams, and Yakima counties.

The committee of five community members and Legends Casino Hotel employees receives an average of 500 to 800 applications annually to evaluate. The applications undergo multiple rounds of cuts before the final selection. Charitable organizations whose service area lies within a 100-mile radius of the Legends Casino Hotel campus and address a youth/educational need, elder care and activities as well as medical benefit to the community receive priority consideration.

According to the committee, “Programs where a grant can help make a significant impact in our community peak our interest. Each year, not only do we find new, exciting programs through schools and area nonprofit organizations, but we fund staples to our community that have a proven track record.” The application can be accessed by scrolling to the bottom of our home page-- www.legendscasino.com --where you’ll find Additional Links then click Yakama Cares.

Used lithium-ion batteries, those that power up electronic devices such as cell phones, power tools, notebooks, and laptops, should not be placed in the household trash. These rechargeable batteries may no longer hold a charge, but could have enough power in them to start a fire, especially if the conditions are right.

In the past year, several fires have been reported at the Horn Rapids Landfill, all due to sparks or small explosions caused by lithium-ion batteries. And, it’s not just a local problem, it’s a national one. In 2017 alone, 65 percent of fires in California waste facilities were started by lithium-ion batteries.

Fires normally start in one of two ways; the metal terminals touch something metallic creating an electrical charge and spark, or the battery case becomes damaged along the way and explodes. Combine that with fuel, like paper and dry conditions, and you’ve got a fire.

Rechargeable batteries should be disposed of in recycling collection containers located at Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, Batteries Plus Bulbs, or Tri-City Battery.

Place the battery in a plastic bag, or tape terminals with electrical or duct tape prior to drop off. You can also drop them off at the Benton County household hazardous waste collection events. The spring event is scheduled on two weekends, Saturday, March 2, at 102808 Wiser Parkway in southwest Kennewick, and Saturday, April 6, at the county fairgrounds in east Kennewick.  

Regular household batteries, (AA, AAA, C, D or 9V) can be dropped off at collection events or placed in the trash. If you choose the garbage can, it is recommended they be placed singularly, or in a container with kitty litter, used coffee grounds, or dried in a container of old latex paint to contain the corrosive material.

For more information, visit www.ci.richland.wa.us/solidwaste.

Kara McMurray has joined Trios Health as the Marketing and Volunteer Services Coordinator. She will oversee the marketing department and coordinate volunteer work, including the hospital gift shop and auxiliary.

McMurray most recently worked at the Kennewick School District as a communications coordinator. Previously, she was living in Pullman and worked at newspapers in Moscow, Idaho, and Colfax since 2015. She is originally from Richland and is a Richland High School graduate.

In May 2018, she received her Master’s degree in Communication Management from the University of Southern California, where she studied online. She also earned her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Journalism and Media Production in 2014 and English in 2011 from Washington State University.

McMurray can be reached at kara.mcmurray@trioshealth.org or (509) 221-5949.

This year, Junior Achievement celebrates the centennial of impacting the lives of youth and is currently looking for business and community volunteers interested in partnering with local area classrooms to empower young people to own their economic success. You are invited to attend one of the upcoming volunteer training and information sessions happening Friday, January 25th from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at the Richland Public Library and Tuesday, January 29th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at PayneWest Insurance. Join over 400 local volunteers who provide services to more than 11,000 students in our region focusing on three main pillars; Financial Literacy, Work Readiness, and Entrepreneurship.

Friday, January 25, 2019
9am -11am
Richland Public Library
955 Northgate Drive
Richland, WA 99352

Tuesday, January 29, 2019
​1pm - 3pm
PayneWest Insurance
390 Bradley Blvd
Richland, WA 99352

Sign up for our next volunteer training and information session by visiting jawashingtonsewa.org or by calling
509.783.7222.

Passenger numbers at Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) reached an all-time high in 2018. A total of 785,164 people traveled through the airport last year, more than 38,000 than in 2017. 

United Airlines’ addition of a third daily flight to Denver helped spur the growth, as did Delta’s decision to extend its second daily flight to Minneapolis-St. Paul. In total, the airport saw a 5 percent growth over 2017 numbers. 

“I’m proud of our team’s ability to consistently deliver excellent customer service while accommodating a record-setting number of passengers,” said Buck Taft, director of the airport.  “The fact that more people are choosing to fly out of Tri-Cities instead of taking the long drive over the mountains is a sign that convenience and customer service are increasingly important to travelers.” 

Airlines count their passengers in terms of enplanements, or the number of people who board an aircraft at an airport. The number of people arriving are considered deplanements; the sum of both numbers is an airport’s total passenger number.

In 2018, the airport saw 395,084 enplanements. United Airlines had the largest year-over-year gain: the carrier’s 60,547 enplaned passengers equate to a 23 percent increase. Delta’s numbers were also up in 2018, with 168,930 enplanements, or a 6 percent rise. 

In total, Delta carried 43 percent of the market in 2018, Alaska had 32 percent, United 15 percent, and Allegiant 10 percent. The busiest month was December, which also saw a 15 percent increase of enplanements over the previous December.

PSC is the largest airport in the Southeastern Washington and Northeastern Oregon region, and offers nonstop flights to seven destinations, including San Francisco, Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul. And 2019 will provide opportunities for even more passengers, as United Airlines will begin nonstop service to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in March. 

Fuse SPC hosts leaders from Washington State University, the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for panel discussions and networking February 7. The event, free and open to the public, is for entrepreneurs, students, innovators and thinkers from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Fuse building, 723 The Parkway in Richland.

“This is a unique opportunity for our local start-up community to learn from some of the region’s most sought-after thought leaders in technology and innovation. This is a big win for the Tri-Cities, and we’re excited to bring it here to Fuse,” said Rocco Luongo, CEO of Fuse SPC.

Presenters include Brian Kraft, director of research and assistant vice president at Washington State University; Forest Bohrer, senior manager for innovation development at UW CoMotion; Lee Cheatham, director of technology deployment and outreach at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.; and Maren Katzaroff founder of Brilliance Empowered.

Topics include a design thinking workshop, creating a mission-inspired culture, technology licensing and commercialization and ends with social hour and networking. Guests may attend any or all of the presentations. The US Economic Development Association supports the event through grants to Fuse, Tri-Cities Research District and UW CoMotion.

Fuse SPC focuses on innovation, collaboration and community building. Located in Richland’s The Parkway, it offers small business and idea development workshops, community leader fireside chats and collaboration events. 

CoMotion is UW’s collaborative innovation hub dedicated to expanding the economic and societal impact of the UW community and beyond. CoMotion offers services in Seattle and Spokane.

The Tri-Cities Research District is 2,875-acres designated for research and innovation, known throughout the nation and world for its clean energy innovation. Partners include Battelle, Washington State University Tri-Cities, Port of Benton and US Department of Energy.

For more information, visit fusespc.com or call (509) 572-3340.

Lourdes Health is pleased to announce the opening of a Rheumatology Clinic located inside Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco. Joining the clinic is Dr. Sudeep Thapa, MD, who most recently completed a fellowship at Wayne State University and is board certified in rheumatology. Dr. Thapa completed his residency at Henry Ford Hospital and medical school at Wayne State University. He is fluent in English, Hindi & Nepali.
 
Dr. Thapa diagnoses and treats inflammatory arthritis and other autoimmune disorders affecting the joints, muscles and bones, including: rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, scleroderma, and polymyalgia rheumatica, as well as other autoimmune diseases.
 
“This is a specialty that patients in our community have historically had to wait months for an appointment. With Dr. Thapa’s new clinic, people are now able to get the help they need much sooner,” said Melda Velasquez, Director of Medical and Surgical Specialties.
 
Lourdes Rheumatology Clinic is located at 520 N 4th Ave in Pasco and is open 8a.m. to 5p.m. Monday through Friday.
 
For more information about Lourdes Rheumatology, please visit LourdesRheumatology.com or call 509.416.8890.

Conover Insurance is pleased to announce the hiring of Jim Mattheis as Vice President of Risk Services.

In his new role, Jim will focus on providing organizations, businesses, and enterprises with hands-on, risk management services. Over the past 15 years, he has provided his clients with risk services, such as: risk assessment, loss control, security/surveillance, procedure and policy documents, public and customer relations, disaster recovery, crisis management, and educational training.

Kerri Record, Pasco Branch Manager, says, “We are excited to have Jim join Conover, his expertise and experience in risk management will bring another asset to our clients and help make their insurance programs more risk tolerant.”

Jim Mattheis comes to Conover with over 27 years of experience in law enforcement and another 15 years in insurance risk management. He has earned certifications in and completed training as/in: Military Police Investigator, Washington State Police Academy, Earthquake Prepared & Recovery, Fraud Investigation, Campus Public Safety Response to WMD Incidents, Active Shooter, OSHA 30, FEMA CT 100, ICS 300/400, ICS 700/800 and more. Jim is a member of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) and the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).

The Academy of Children’s Theatre is performing a provocative production of “Keeping Mr. Lincoln” for local audiences, and then taking the show on the road to Getttsburg in June to participate in a youth theatre competition in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 

The show performs on February 15 and 22 at 7 p.m.  Matinee performances are scheduled at 3 p.m. on February 15, 17, 18 (President’s Day), 23 and 24.   

Tickets are now available on line at www.academyofchildrenstheatre.org, by calling 509-943-6027, or by visiting the ACT office.  Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (65+) and youth (13-18), and $10 for children ages 12 and under. 

This engaging and timely production of “Keeping Mr. Lincoln” presents the story of Abraham Lincoln from a modern perspective.  Playwright Sandra Fenichel Ashe created an innovative play that allows youth actors, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, or ethnicity, to take turns playing Abraham Lincoln and important people in his Kentucky childhood, Indiana youth, Illinois and Washington, D.C. time periods.  According to director Josh Darby, the play focuses on telling stories about Lincoln through the eyes of the youth of 2019 America.  The play is structured to give youth’s contemporary issues, world, and points of view a voice that is guided by the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln.

The four student actors portraying Abraham Lincoln are Paris Nichols, a ninth grader at Hanford High; Niko Theriault, an 8th grader at Mid-Columbia Partnership; Cleopatra Howell, a 12th grader at Kamiakin; and Tayler Riley, an 11th grader at Tri-Tech. 
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For the first time ever, ACT will take a production on the road to participate in the 2019 American Association of Community Theatre Youth Fest in June. ACT is one of only four youth acting groups across the country who were invited to participate in the festival. The students will perform the show in Gettysburg, just miles away from where Lincoln gave his Gettysburg address.  The cast and crew of 19 ACT participants and 3 chaperones will comprise the traveling group to the festival. Fundraising to cover the travel expenses to Gettysburg are currently underway.  For more information, contact ACT at 509-943-6027 or email info@actstaff.org.  

​The next seminar in Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Community Science and Technology Seminar Series, “Redox Flow Batteries as Candidates for Large-Scale Energy Storage,” presented by Wei Wang, Chief Scientist in the Energy Processes and Materials Division, will take place on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, at 7:00 p.m., at the Richland Public Library (955 Northgate Dr.). 

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are prominent candidates for large-scale energy storage because they offer high safety, decoupling of power and energy, long life span, quick response, and potentially low cost. This talk will introduce this unique energy storage technology to the Tri-Cities community, and provide an overview on its working mechanism, development history, major components, and the various chemistries used. The talk will also cover new redox flow technologies developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Community Science and Technology Seminar Series was launched to help the general public better understand and explore how science transforms our world.