Lourdes Health is pleased to announce that Carolyn O’Connor, MD, has accepted a position as a physician at Lourdes Occupational Health and will begin seeing patients in January 2023.  

“We are looking forward to Dr. O’Connor joining our team and to the high level of care she will provide for our patients and contracted businesses,” said Alana Pumphrey, Lourdes Occupational Health Clinic Manager. “Dr. O’Connor is well-skilled and has several years of experience treating patients and a diverse range of conditions.” 

Dr. O’Connor will see patients for pre-placement and post-offer physicals, diagnosis and treatment of work-related injuries, respiratory protection programs, hearing conservation programs, medical surveillance, fitness for duty, and more. 

She comes to Lourdes from Prosser Memorial Health Family Practice Clinic, where she practiced as a family medicine physician since 2017. Previously, she also practiced with Adventist Health Medical Center in Walla Walla and Klickitat Health Services in Goldendale. Dr. O’Connor completed medical school at Oregon Health Sciences University in 1994 and went on to complete her family medicine residency with Ventura County Medical Center. She is board certified in family medicine by the American Board of Family Practice. 

“Dr. O’Connor is going to be a wonderful addition to our team and excellent resource for our patients,” said Kevin Taylor, MD, Lourdes Medical Director. “Her experience and expertise will serve our patients and area employers well.” 

Dr. O’Connor practices at Lourdes Occupational Health, located at 9915 Sandifur Parkway in Pasco. Patients can schedule an appointment by calling 509.546.2222. 

Benton PUD offices in Kennewick and Prosser will open late on Monday, January 16 to enable employees to participate in a PUD-wide training.  Offices in Kennewick will open to the public at 8:30 a.m.  Offices in Prosser will open to the public at 9:30 a.m.

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.

Petersen Hastings is proud to announce that Cory Briggs, CFP®, AIF®, Senior Wealth Advisor is the firm’s newest shareholder. This addition to the ownership will bring Petersen Hastings’ total shareholders to eight.

“Petersen Hastings is committed to our growth goals and increasing our number of high performing shareholders helps us achieve those goals,” said Scott Sarber, CEO.  “We are very pleased to add somebody with Cory’s level of skill and experience.  Many financial firms never make it past their founding person, and as a result, lose their talented people.  We have a systematic process to promote and reward people to ensure a sustainable business well into the future.  This gives clients the stability of the advisor relationship that is so important to them.”

Meet the New Shareholder

Cory Briggs, CFP®, AIF® | Senior Wealth Advisor

Cory joined the Petersen Hastings team in 2016 after obtaining specialized financial experience through his tenure with Vanguard as an Equity Fund Financial Analyst. As a Senior Wealth Advisor at Petersen Hastings, he believes in teaching and working alongside clients so they better understand their financial situation and can achieve peace of mind.

Cory is recognized by Dave Ramsey as a SmartVestor™ investment professional for Tri-Cities and the surrounding area. He is also the Chairman of the Petersen Hastings Investment Committee. Cory holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Finance from Washington State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Central Washington University. He holds both CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designations.

In August 2022, the City of Richland launched a nationwide recruitment effort for a new Parks & Public Facilities Director. The position was vacated by Joe Schiessl when he was promoted to Deputy City Manager in July. 

A total of six applicants were considered for the position, and the successful candidate, Laura Hester of Sahuarita, AZ, began her new role at the City of Richland on January 3, 2023. She has over twenty years of parks and recreation experience. 

Prior to coming to Richland, Hester worked at the Town of Sahuarita, AZ for just over four years. While there she was Parks & Facilities Manager for two years and then promoted to Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Director where she has served for the past two and a half years. There she directed all facilities, operations, services, and staff assigned to the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department. Before Sahuarita, she served six years as a Park Forman/Cemetery Sexton in Kaysville, Utah, and four years as a Recreation Therapist at Life Care Center of America in Bountiful, UT.

Hester earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Parks & Recreation and Therapeutic Recreation Therapy from the University of Utah. She is also a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP).

“We are excited to welcome Laura and her family to Richland. We look forward to working with her on new recreational programming and continued enhancement of city assets and facilities,” states Joe Schiessl. “Her passion and education in recreation and parks management will only benefit our popular park system”. 

Hester will join the City’s Executive Leadership Team and oversee a department of just over 98 employees. 

More information about the City of Richland can be found at www.ci.richland.wa.us. 

The Visit Tri-Cities team is excited to welcome Rosemary Fotheringham as the Director of Marketing and Corbin Harder as the Director of Creative and Communication Services for the destination marketing organization. As Director of Marketing, Rosemary will lead the marketing, advertising and public relations efforts of Visit Tri-Cities. She is responsible for developing and implementing strategic marketing campaigns, and comprehensive media outreach programs, developing compelling editorial content and social media communications, and managing visitor service programs. Corbin will lead the creative and communication services team in the development and design of multi-media assets, publications, websites, and communication tools. The two directors will work cohesively to brand and promote the Tri-Cities as a premier destination for meetings and conferences, sports, events and leisure travel with the goal of increasing hotel occupancy, positive media exposure, proactive destination development and healthy community engagement.
 
“We’re thrilled to welcome Corbin and Rosemary to the team,” said Kevin Lewis, President & CEO of Visit Tri-Cities. “The combined creative skills and positive energy of these two new team members will enhance our marketing abilities as we continue to champion tourism and economic opportunity in our communities.”
 
A Tri-Cities native, Rosemary graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand with two bachelor’s degrees in Tourism Business Management and Marketing. Her years of schooling and hometown experience with a local lifestyle magazine add to her synergy as a marketer at Visit Tri-Cities! When Rosemary is not promoting Tri-Cities as a top destination in the Pacific Northwest, she can be found hiking Candy Mountain with her husband or exploring farmers markets and Tri-Cities historical sites such as The Reach Museum and the Manhattan Project B-Reactor. 
 
Corbin brings over 10 years of varied creative industry knowledge as a creative director and when he is not developing new and compelling campaigns, he can be found kayaking the Yakima River Delta or wine tasting with his wife and scouting the Heart of Washington Wine Country for his next favorite Cabernet Sauvignon!
 
Connect with Rosemary Fotheringham at [email protected]. And Corbin Harder at [email protected].
To learn more about Visit Tri-Cities, check out VisitTri-Cities.com.

Lourdes Health is pleased to announce that Tara Zamarron, ARNP, has accepted a position as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner at Lourdes Rheumatology and will begin seeing patients in January 2023.

“We are excited to bring Tara on board at Lourdes Rheumatology and know she will be a great resource for our patients,” said Amy Almaraz, Clinic Manager. “Tara has been in the nursing field for more than 20 years and has great, diverse experience.”

Tara will join our already established rheumatology practice with Sudeep Thapa, MD. She comes with a wide range of experience with assessing, evaluating, and treating both acutely and chronically ill patients.

“Tara’s experience is well-rounded, and she is going to be a great addition for our team, patients, and community,” said Kevin Taylor, MD, Lourdes Medical Director. “We are looking forward to her and Dr. Thapa working together to treat our rheumatology patients.”

Tara previously practiced with Samaritan Healthcare in Moses Lake as a Family Nurse Practitioner since 2016 and a Registered Nurse from 2013-2016. She also worked as a Nursing Coach and Development Coordinator with Columbia Basin Health Association in Othello, where she was tasked with updating policy and procedures for nursing care, overseeing staff licenses and licensing requirements, developing and implementing trainings, and assisting in clinical settings as needed. From 2008-2010, she worked as an emergency room RN at Kadlec Regional Medical Center.

She earned her Masters of Nursing with High Honors from Simmons University in Boston, Mass. in 2016 and her Bachelors of Nursing from Western Governors University in Kent, Wash. She completed nursing school at Bronson Hospital School of Nursing in Kalamazoo, Mich. and an Emergency Medical Technician course with Belding Ambulance System in Belding, Mich. Tara is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support, in addition to her certifications as an FNP, RN, and ARNP. She is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Tara practices at Lourdes Rheumatology at 520 N. 4th Ave., second floor, in Pasco. Patients can schedule an appointment by calling 509.416.8890.

​Washington’s Congressional delegation has delivered $3.6 million in federal funding for the Port of Pasco’s Reimann Industrial Center Last Mile Rail project. The funding was secured on December 22, when Congress approved the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus appropriations bill.
 
Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell sponsored the Port of Pasco’s request for infrastructure funding. Congressman Dan Newhouse supported the project in the House of Representatives.
 
“The Port of Pasco is excited and grateful to receive this funding,” said Vicki Gordon, President of the Port of Pasco Commission. “Our congressional leaders served as great champions of this important project, especially Senator Patty Murray and her staff. Without their support, the Port would have been highly challenged to secure the critical project funds.”
 
The $3.6 million will construct 6,100 feet of industrial rail that will serve the Darigold project and future businesses that locate on the Port’s remaining land at the Reimann. The last mile of rail will directly connect with the BNSF rail yard. This project ensures the Reimann Industrial Center will support multimodal transportation.
 
The FY 2023 Congressionally Directed Spending approved for the Reimann Last Mile Industrial Rail project will fill the final funding gap in a $25 million project that has been funded, up until now, with committed local and state funding.
 
“The Port of Pasco has been fortunate to have strong support for the development of the Reimann Industrial Center from multiple community partners,” Executive Director Randy Hayden said. “Darigold is the single largest project to locate at a Port of Pasco industrial center. Winning this project wouldn’t have been possible without the support and infrastructure investments made by the City of Pasco, Franklin County, Franklin PUD, several state legislators, and now our congressional delegation.”
 
To bring public utilities and infrastructure to the Reimann, the Port will reconstruct and widen Railroad Avenue, install municipal water and sewer, and relocate a natural gas pipeline.
 
In 2021, the Port of Pasco received a $7.5 million Capital Budget award from the Washington State Legislature. Franklin County awarded the project $2.3 million from its Economic Development Fund. The Port will also utilize the state’s new Tax Increment Financing law to issue general obligation bonds to cover about $9 million of the total project budget.
 
Darigold broke ground on its project in September and has started the initial phase of site development on 150 acres of the Reimann. The company plans to invest $600 million and construct the largest milk processing facility in North America. Darigold intends to commence operations in 2024 after constructing nearly 500,000 square feet of structure.
 
The Darigold project will create more than 200 high paying jobs at the facility. Those employees will earn wages that exceed Franklin County’s current median wage. Dairy operations around Central Washington will also add about 350 new jobs. Indirect jobs – about 500 – are also anticipated. These jobs will come from third party companies that provide products and services to the new Darigold facility.
 
“Darigold’s private investment will uplift and support Pasco for years to come,” Hayden said. “Along with great wages and career opportunities, the project will increase local tax revenue, providing a significant boost in funding for local schools and community services.”

Trios Health rang in 2023 with the year’s first bundle of joy. Weighing 7 pounds and 10 ounces and measuring 20 inches, Baby Emmett was born to Alyssia, Sunday, Jan. 1, at 11:20 a.m. 

Trios Birth Center is devoted to providing high quality, compassionate care close to home for new and expecting parents in the region. The unit was moved to the Trios Southridge Hospital from the former Auburn campus in March 2022, and more than 1,000 babies have been born in the new unit since the move. The unit includes two dedicated rooms for Caesarean Section deliveries, six Labor and Delivery (LDR) rooms, 11 postpartum rooms, and a 10-bed Critical Care Nursery for babies born after 32 weeks gestation. 

“We have a remarkable team of clinical and support staff who are dedicated to cultivating a safe, welcoming and comfortable environment for mothers and their babies on New Year’s Day and year-round,” said Stephanie Roderick, Trios Birth Center Director. “Helping our community’s families welcome their newest additions in a positive and memorable way is one of our greatest privileges.” 

Trios Birth Center is located in Trios Southridge Hospital at 3810 Plaza Way in Kennewick. To learn more or tour the birth center, call 509.221.2229 or visit trioshealth.org/BirthCenter.