The City of Richland has decided to extend the search for the next Police Chief. After narrowing down the list of applicants to two finalists, both were invited to participate in a comprehensive recruitment process, including a public reception, on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.  

City Manager, Jon Amundson, states “I have determined that Richland’s best option is to continue recruiting for the role. I believe it is necessary to continue the process to ensure that we select the best organizational fit for the police department and community. I understand the significance of this decision and its impact on the timeline for filling the Police Chief position. We are confident we will identify a Police Chief who will build upon the successes of the police department and lead us forward in a positive direction.”   
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The City of Richland will continue recruitment efforts and remains committed to following best practices in the recruitment and hiring of law enforcement executives.  ​

Kennewick School District (KSD) is pleased to announce the upcoming Student Job Fair, scheduled from 6-8 p.m. on March 26 held at Kennewick High School. With the theme “Connecting Industry & Students," this event serves as a valuable platform for local businesses to engage with motivated students from all high schools seeking employment opportunities for spring and summer 2024.
 
KSD invites businesses and organizations in the Tri-Cities to participate in this exciting event. Businesses in need of entry-level positions to fill for the upcoming season, KSD’s Student Job Fair is the ideal opportunity to meet potential candidates who are ready to join the workforce.
 
The goals of this event include:

• Connecting Graduating Seniors with Industry: For graduating seniors eager to embark on their careers, this event provides a direct connection to businesses offering entry-level positions and avenues for professional growth.
• Supporting Younger Students in Gaining Work Experience: The Job Fair also aims to help younger students gain valuable work experience through part-time or summer employment opportunities, setting them on the path to a successful future.
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Participation in the Student Job Fair is free for businesses. To register your business and secure a table at this event, please REGISTER HERE.
 
For more information about the KSD Student Job Fair, contact Debbie Smith, Community Engagement Coordinator at [email protected].

Prosser Memorial is excited to welcome Dennis Moore, MD, to the team of providers at the Grandview Clinic! Dr. Moore is board certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Moore brings 25 years’ experience in pediatrics caring for newborns through age eighteen. Most recently, Dr. Moore practiced in Tennessee, and previously provided pediatric care in Las Vegas for two decades. He received his BS from Pace University, and his MD from Pennsylvania State College of Medicine in Hershey, PA. Dr. Moore’s pediatric residency was completed at Geisinger Medical Center Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville, PA.

Dr. Moore’s services at the Grandview Clinic include wellness exams, school and sports physicals, immunizations, cold & flu care, and treatment for minor injuries. He loves the fun of caring for kids and building trusted relationships with their families. He is looking forward to being a part of the Grandview Clinic team and getting involved with the community. In his spare time, Dr. Moore enjoys being outdoors with his wife, kids, and their extensive list of family pets! He is looking forward to exploring Pacific Northwest hiking trails and all that our region has to offer. Dr. Moore also speaks Spanish.

​We are excited to have Dr. Moore join the Prosser Memorial family and we know he will be a great addition to our Grandview Clinic! To learn more about him and his services, or to schedule an appointment, call us at 509.203.1080 or visit us online at prosserhealth.org.

The Ben Franklin Transit (BFT) Board of Directors at their Thursday, January 11, meeting authorized a contract increase with Nomad Transit LLC, DBA Via, to operate expansion services. This amended contract will allow Via to provide ADA Dial-A-Ride overflow trips, general demand services in Prosser and Benton City, and on-demand services to the Tri-Cities Airport. Based on BFT’s experience gained in using contracted services to support BFT’s direct operations, the Dial-A-Ride overflow services have been designed to increase reliability for passengers and offer more flexibility and efficiency in scheduling.

“These shared services will ensure we’re well equipped to support our Dial-A-Ride customers in the event of an increase in ridership and will provide consistency for our cherished clientele. We want to position ourselves to offer the most dependable service to our community,” said Rachelle Glazier, BFT General Manager. “Get used to seeing our BFT CONNECT Via vans in more locations, including Prosser and Benton City, as we strive for service excellence.”​

BFT plans to implement the expansion services in March; the details can now be worked out with Via and will include robust training and background checks for all staff. Additionally, the BFT Citizens Advisory Network (CAN) will be consulted throughout the process to ensure customers’ needs are the primary focus. Current Dial-A-Ride customers and all community members will be notified of the expanded services prior to their implementation.

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 2024, and nonprofit organizations are encouraged to submit applications for consideration until the deadline of March 31, 2024.

Each year, the Charitable Contributions Fund assists many area nonprofits with several hundred thousand dollars in grants. Past grant recipients included schools, senior services, veteran services, food banks, shelters, and many more in Benton, Franklin, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Yakima counties.

The committee of five community members and Legends Casino Hotel team members receive hundreds of 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. We’re always excited to see how we can make a difference in our community each year.”

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. It is important to note that proof of nonprofit status will be required of each applicant, and according to Appendix X of the Compact that outlines the qualifications for grant distribution, tribal nonprofits are not eligible for these funds.

​A total of 872,578 people traveled through the Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) in 2023, officially making it the busiest year on record. PSC beat its previous best of 870,890 total passengers, set back in 2019, by almost 2,000 people, showing that even more people are utilizing PSC than they were before the pandemic.
 
The growth wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the airport’s airline partners. In 2023, Alaska Airlines upgraded some aircraft serving its SEA – PSC route to larger 737 aircraft that can accommodate approximately 160 passengers. Allegiant Airlines also upped their PSC – LAS schedule from two to three times a week.
 
“We are thrilled to have a new total passenger record for our airport,” said Buck Taft, Tri-Cities Airport Director. “This growth not only reflects the nationwide resurgence in travel, but also underscores the importance of flying local and the growing popularity of the Tri-Cities region. When the community supports our airport, it opens the door for more opportunities, one of which we look forward to celebrating in a few weeks when we welcome American Airlines to our region for the first time ever.”
 
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 is considered deplanements; the sum of both numbers is the airport’s total passenger number. In 2023, the airport saw 437,200 enplanements, slightly below 2019 numbers but a 12% increase compared to the 356,759 enplanements recorded for 2022. The busiest month of 2023 was July, which saw 41,719 enplanements, also a new record for the airport.
 
Additional statistics can be found here on the Tri-Cities Airport’s website. 

The Richland Chamber of Commerce and the City of Richland proudly announce the return of Cool Desert Nights on June 21st and 22nd, 2024. 

The event returns to its roots with a Friday night cruise, a street dance concert in John Dam Plaza, and a car show-n-shine all day Saturday at the Uptown Shopping Center and Jefferson Park in Richland. 

Co-sponsors the Richland Chamber of Commerce and the City of Richland are excited to revive this long-time community favorite event. 

Stay tuned for additional details, including the event's full lineup and attractions, and mark your calendars for June 21st and 22nd, 2024. 
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Contact: Richland Chamber of Commerce at 509-987-4003

Get involved in your city government! Share your talents and work with other board members who are striving to make Richland the best it can be. The Parks and Recreation Committee and the Arts Commission have both adult and youth positions open.

The City of Richland has vacancies on seven (7) boards, committees, and commissions: 

• Arts Commission
• Board of Adjustment
• Code Enforcement Board
• Economic Development Committee
• Parks and Recreation Commission
• Personnel Committee
• Planning Commission
  
  

The Arts Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission has vacancies on both adult and youth positions. All boards and commissions typically meet once per month, or as needed.

This is a great opportunity to learn how your city operates and to help shape its future.  For further details on these positions or to apply, visit www.ci.richland.wa.us/bccvacancies and scroll to the Current Vacancies page. Applications will be accepted January 22, 2024 through February 4, 2024.  
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To view a short description of each, visit www.ci.richland.wa.us/news.

​Yakima Federal Savings and Loan Association recently announced the promotion of Dan Gaulke to President, effective January 1, 2024.
 
Mr. Gaulke has been with Yakima Federal for 33 years.  He joined the bank as a management trainee in 1990 after graduating from Washington State University. He has worked as an auditor, compliance officer and most recently, Chief Financial Officer. He is married, has two adult children and resides in Yakima.
 
Mr. Gaulke also sits on the Board of Directors. He succeeds Leanne Antonio who will remain CEO and Board Chair.
 
Yakima Federal Savings and Loan is Washington State chartered Mutual Savings Bank with 130 employees and over two billion dollars in assets. Yakima Federal serves more than 55,000 customers with products focusing on checking, savings and home loans. Yakima Federal is open to everyone residing in Washington and Oregon and is a member of the FDIC.  Learn more at Yakimafed.com

Spectrum Reach, the advertising sales business of Charter Communications, Inc., today announced it will offer 250 underserved small business owners nationwide access to its expert advertising and marketing resources through its 2024 “Pay It Forward” initiative, which is now accepting applications for this year’s program. Local entrepreneurs selected to participate will receive a live and streaming TV campaign worth up to $15,000 along with a custom produced 30-second commercial, marketing consultation services, mentoring and educational resources, and networking opportunities.
 
“Small underserved businesses are critical to the local economies of the cities and towns we serve, and they often need help connecting their message to their potential customers,” said Michael Guth, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Spectrum Reach. “Our focus is on supporting local businesses, and with ‘Pay It Forward’ we are providing them with the tools, resources and marketing expertise so they can continue to grow and thrive in their communities.”
 
Spectrum Reach Has Helped 2,000 Businesses and Counting
Since launching “Pay It Forward” in 2021, Spectrum Reach has invested more than $50 million in advertising and resources and helped more than 2,000 underserved businesses in 36 states across its footprint, from coffee shops and childcare facilities to restaurants and law firms. Among the 2023 “Pay It Forward” participants was GreaterHealth Pharmacy and Wellness in St. Louis, Missouri, which used Spectrum Reach’s complimentary resources and advertising to introduce itself to potential customers after launching in late 2022.
 
“As a Black-owned, full-service pharmacy, our goal is to close the culture and trust gap in communities of color to help improve the health of the residents who live there,” said Marcus Howard, founder of GreaterHealth. “Through ‘Pay It Forward’ Spectrum Reach helped us introduce our brand to the St. Louis community with a three-month TV advertising campaign and free commercial that was shown on a wide range of channels, including during an NBA playoff game. Having our commercial on major network channels built instant credibility; we saw a 23% increase in calls inquiring about transferring prescriptions, and customers started coming into the pharmacy saying they saw us on TV and were excited to try us out.”
 
‘Pay It Forward’ Participants Enjoy Free Advertising, Mentoring, Marketing Support
With this year’s “Pay It Forward” program, Spectrum Reach will offer each participating business access to a range of high-value services, including:
 

• Free advertising. Local businesses selected to participate will receive access to Spectrum Reach’s award-winning, in-house creative agency Kernel; a 30-second original commercial; and a complimentary linear and streaming TV advertising campaign that will run throughout April, May and June.

 

• Expert mentoring. “Pay It Forward” will provide businesses with support and advice from other entrepreneurs, business owners and previous participants in the program, to help them navigate the challenges of owning a business and identify opportunities for growth.

 

• Resources. In addition to dedicated support from Spectrum Reach’s local marketing experts, businesses will receive a free laptop and for the duration of the program will have access to a members-only “Pay It Forward” website featuring educational resources, webinars, news and business insights to help them build and grow a successful brand.

 
Spectrum Reach also will host local and virtual events throughout the year for entrepreneurs and business owners to share ideas and build community. Reach has partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Black Chamber of Commerce, Asian American Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and other organizations in regional markets to host events throughout the year.
 
To apply for Spectrum Reach’s 2024 “Pay It Forward” program, underserved businesses must be legally registered to operate within a designated market area served by Spectrum Reach. The deadline for applications is February 25 and this year’s participants will be announced in late March. More information is available here.
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