At their March 1 meeting, the Richland City Council is expected to ratify a Purchase and Sale Agreement to acquire the Economy Inn property located at 515 George Washington Way. The building, located at the gateway of Richland’s Central Business District, was built in 1962 and was recently closed by owners to consider renovation or potential sale. The property had experienced an increase in crime in recent years as well as complaints of disrepair in this prime central location. The site sits at .919 acres and is zoned Central Business District. It is located at the intersection of George Washington Way and Jadwin Avenue. 

“When the opportunity presented itself for us to consider this property for purchase, I was excited to bring it to Council’s attention,” states City Manager, Jon Amundson. “This purchase will not only allow us to reduce blight in the City’s core but present economic development opportunities as well." 

Anticipating the Council’s approval, the City plans to remediate the aging building, add landscaping, and consider the site for future municipal needs. One option being considered is the relocation of Fire Station 71 to this property. While it would be at least five years before this would come to fruition, it provides a viable option to relocate and replace the aging station currently located at Swift Blvd. and George Washington Way. It would also provide economic development opportunities for the old fire station site. 

Richland Mayor, Michael Alvarez says, “This is a great opportunity to complement this area of the Central Business District. The adjacent property next to the Richland Players Theatre has also been purchased by another entity that plans to build a mixed-use building. Projects like these continue to improve Central Richland and implement the council’s vision for this area; a walkable community with diverse amenities, all near our beautiful waterfront.”

Funds for planned land acquisitions were set aside in the prior budget cycle.  

Future updates will be shared at www.richlandbusiness.com. 

Prosser Memorial Health has received approval from the USDA on a $57.5 million loan and will break ground on a new $78 million hospital complex in the spring. The USDA loan means 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 $2 million for the new hospital project.

This year, Prosser Memorial Health celebrates 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.

To learn more about the new hospital, 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.

Trios Health is pleased to announce that its Trios Obstetrics and Women’s Health Clinic is relocating to the sixth floor of the Trios Care Center at Southridge, effective March 1.

The clinic includes obstetrician and gynecology physicians Kyle Curtis DO; Hala Madi, MD; Shumal Malepati, MD; and Adam Smith, DO. These physicians are currently practicing at the Trios Care Center at deBit, adjacent to the current Trios Family Birth Center in downtown Kennewick, and are moving in anticipation of the opening of the new Trios Birth Center on the Southridge campus in late March.

“We are excited to be able to move these providers to a location that is convenient to the new Trios Birth Center on the Southridge campus and will allow them to be on site to be with their patients at the time of delivery,” said Lorie Orozco, Director of Trios Medical Group Operations. 

Other providers currently at the Trios Care Center at deBit will remain at that clinic. 

The new Trios Obstetrics and Women’s Health Clinic is located at 3730 Plaza Way, 6th Floor, in Kennewick. Patients can schedule an appointment by calling 509.221.6600, or by booking online with their provider. Current patients of the physicians relocating have also been sent a letter via the U.S. Postal Service informing them of the upcoming move.

“We see this as an exciting transition and are committed to making sure it feels as smooth and convenient for our patients as possible,” Orozco said. “We look forward to continuing to serve patients’ needs at this new clinic and with our new Trios Birth Center on our Southridge campus.”

Yakima Federal Savings and Loan is now accepting applications for its Award for Academic Excellence program. The bank has funded the program with $160,000 for awards to area graduating seniors. The individual awards are $2,000 each.

Applicants must reside in Yakima, Kittitas, Benton or Franklin counties, graduate in the top 10% of their class and have demonstrated high moral character, industriousness, and ambition during their high school career. Also required with the application is a one-page letter of motivation outlining future plans, school and life experiences, including any challenges faced and overcome, and the impact of receiving an award.  Students can review requirements and apply online now at yakimafed.com/scholarship.  The deadline for application is April 25, 2022.

Awards are limited to two applicants from each area school. Home schooled students are also eligible. Awards are funded upon student enrollment for the fall semester following graduation. Award checks are issued payable to the school in which the student is enrolled.  Recipients will be notified by June 1, 2022. 

Yakima Federal has provided over two million dollars in college scholarships to local graduating high school seniors through its Award for Academic Excellence program over the past 45 years.

Yakima Federal Savings and Loan is headquartered in Yakima, WA. and has been in business since 1905. With over $2 billion in assets, the association is the 11th largest Washington-based FDIC insured financial institution.

Trios Health is pleased to announce that Karen Jenkins, MSN, ARNP, FNPC, CRNFA, CNOR, has joined Trios Urgent Care as a provider.

Karen will treat patients at the Trios Urgent Care, located at 7201 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick.

“We are thrilled to welcome Karen to our team,” said Lorie Orozco, Director of Trios Medical Group Operations. “Karen is a skilled and able clinician and will serve our patients and community well.”

Karen was most recently practicing with Kadlec Regional Medical Center as a surgeon’s assistant. Her experience dates back more than 25 years and includes stints with Life Care Center in Kennewick, The Washington State Department of Social and Health Sciences, Evangelical Good Samaritan Society, Cheney Care Center, Lourdes Medical Center, and Teddy Bear OB/GYN & Arbor Health Care for Women. She has also practiced as an Independent Registered Nurse First Assistant.

Karen is a member of the Association of Perioperative Nurses, American Nurses Association, and American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She earned her Associate of Science in Nursing and Certificate of Practical Nursing from Columbia Basin College, her Registered Nurse First Assistant from the National Institute of First Assisting, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Kent State University. She most recently completed her Masters of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain University.

The Trios Urgent Care is open Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Patients can walk-in to be seen or schedule a same-day appointment online at trioshealth.org. 

The U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office and Office of River Protection are partnering with Hanford Site contactors, WorkSource Columbia Basin, Washington State University Tri-Cities and Columbia Basin College to host the first ever Virtual Career Fair on March 2nd from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Register for the event

DOE will be joined by contractors Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, Bechtel National Inc., Washington River Protection Solutions, HPMC Corporation, Central Plateau Cleanup Company and Hanford Laboratory Management and Integration in this first ever virtual event.

During the fair, applicants will have the opportunity to chat one-on-one with DOE. and the contractors during individual virtual sessions.

Available employment opportunities include:

• Contract Specialist
• Data Analysts
• Engineers of various disciplines
• Finance Professionals
• Firefighters
• Health Physicists
• Internships
• Journeyman Lineworkers
• Project Controls
• Project Management
• Registered Nurses
• Truck Drivers

Arts Center Task Force (ACTF) was honored at Tuesday’s Richland City Council meeting by the City of Richland Arts Commission, receiving the STAR (Supporting the Arts in Richland) Award for their outstanding contribution and support of the arts in 2021.

“Over the past two years, many of our performing arts groups faced the threat of folding with live performances shut down and the lack of any infrastructure,” said Jeff Kissel, chair of the Richland Arts Commission. “Thus, ACTF pivoted to Support the Arts in Richland, providing funds and digital capabilities to help those local arts groups survive.”

In 2020, ACTF raised funds and provided grants for struggling visual artists. In 2021, they redoubled their support, helping performing artists through creating performance videos, live streaming of events, and videotaping auditions for the Mid-Columbia Symphony’s Young Artists Competition. In October 2021, ACTF remodeled a former broadcasting studio in Richland to provide much-needed space for rehearsals, meetings, displays, volunteers, and storage. The space has also become home to the ACTF Digital Studio, which offers audio, visual, streaming, and podcast space and services.

Arts Center Task Force continues to work with city leadership and the Richland Public Facilities District to identify a site for a Performing Arts Center that will provide the utmost benefit for citizens, artists, and the city itself.

​Kissel concluded his presentation by stating, “We, the City of Richland, recognize Arts Center Task Force as a Richland STAR, not only for their tireless efforts in supporting the dream of a world-class performing arts center to the Tri-Cities, but for their selfless support of Tri-Citizens in the worst of times, in the ways they need it the most.”

ACTF Chairman Steven Wiley, Executive Director Phinney Brown, and Fundraising Chair Julie Wiley were present to accept the award. The organization was nominated by Richland resident Joyce McClanahan.

To learn more about the mission and progress of Arts Center Task Force, visit their website at www.artscentertaskforce.com.

The walls are up, the roofing is on and contractors are installing the mechanical and electrical systems at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories’ new printed circuit board facility in Moscow, Idaho. In addition, the company received the first shipment of manufacturing equipment to be used in the highly automated, high-tech facility.

In late September, 95 wall panels ranging from 30,000–100,000 pounds were poured on site, then lifted and secured into place. To date, the project has used more than 4,000 cubic yards of concrete. 

Over the past three months, 40 truckloads (500 tons) of steel construction components, including columns, beams, joists and decking, were delivered to the site. These components were installed to form the structure of the second floor and roof. To view timelapse videos of these construction milestones, visit www.selinc.com/Moscow.

Last week, the company received several pieces of manufacturing equipment for the new facility, including the latest technology available for automated optical inspection (AOI). The equipment will temporarily reside on the company’s Pullman campus, where the SEL Moscow team will use it for training until the new facility’s interior is completed early this summer. 

SEL prefers to source equipment and components for construction projects and manufacturing processes from suppliers located as close to its headquarters as possible. However, due to the complexity of the fabrication process and limited number of manufacturers, the company is looking globally for some equipment. 

“There are only two companies in the world that manufacture the type of AOI machines we’ll use in our operation,” said John Hendrickson, senior engineering manager. The machines that arrived last week were made in Germany and Israel. “It’s an interesting time to be sourcing equipment abroad, given current global supply chain challenges. But we’re working closely with our suppliers and have been able to stick to the timeline.” The move in and setup of the manufacturing operation will begin in July. The process is expected to take approximately six months. Production of printed circuit boards is scheduled to begin in January 2023.

The SEL Property team is serving as the contractor for the project but is working with a variety of companies local to the Pacific Northwest, including DIVCON, Spokane, Washington; American Steel, Billings, Montana; Tombari Structural Products, Spokane, Washington; and Bar A Construction, Chatteroy, Washington.

For more information on this project or to request a presentation from one of SEL’s manufacturing experts, visit selinc.com/Moscow.

Prosser Memorial Health continues its growth in the new year! We are excited to welcome Catherine Spomer, Family Nurse Practitioner, to the team of providers at our Benton City Clinic. Catherine provides care for patients of all ages, including children and geriatrics. Her services include wellness exams, acute illness and injury care, referrals to specialists, and more.

Catherine graduated the Family Nurse Practitioner program from Purdue University with her Master’s in Nursing degree. She previously attended Purdue University and Indiana University School of Nursing for her undergraduate studies. Catherine has been working in the medical field for 15 years, starting her career as a registered nurse in Indianapolis, IN. She also worked as a travel nurse, lending her medical expertise in various hospitals throughout Colorado, Idaho, and Wisconsin. It is this work that ultimately brought her to Washington State, where she decided to permanently locate. Since moving here, her family has expanded, and she now enjoys much of her free time with her young son, playing outside and seeing the world through his eyes.

To schedule an appointment or learn more about Catherine Spomer and the services she will be offering at the Benton City Clinic, call 509.588.4075, or visit prosserhealth.org.

After a months-long interior remodel, Mid-Columbia Libraries’ Connell Branch will open to the public on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 2 pm with a new look, expanded collection, and new hours. A ribbon cutting and grand reopening celebration is scheduled for Saturday, March 19 at 10:30 am.

In addition to new carpet, paint, shelving, and light fixtures, the remodeled library showcases a 3D custom sculpted juvenile saber-tooth cat, icebergs, and fish in the children’s area. There are colorful images of popular authors and inspirational quotes on the walls. A historic photo mural featuring the Connell community and surrounding farming area is complemented by a map of the Ice Age floods in the Pacific Northwest; a restored, 1940s-era Columbia Basin Irrigation Project map; and an 1894 map showing the distribution of the tribes of the Upper Columbia Region in Washington, Oregon and Idaho with an accompanying Native lands acknowledgement.

Other improvements include an ADA-compliant entryway and computing station, eight public computers, USB charging stations inside and outside the branch, additional books and materials, and new picnic table seating behind the branch, as well as a new, branded exterior library sign on the front of the building.

The library, located at 118 N. Columbia Ave. in Connell, will be open slightly different hours than previously. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 2 to 7 pm and Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm.

The Connell library, led by Community Library Supervisor Helen Tobin, is the latest of Mid-Columbia Libraries’ 12 branches to be remodeled; the last remodel was completed in 2019 at the West Richland branch. Mid-Columbia Libraries (MCL) is investing approximately $300,000 for the entire Connell project, including $17,000 worth of new books and materials added to the collection.

The library has served Connell residents since Nov. 23, 1965, when the branch opened in the Welch building on Columbia Ave., where it operated for 28 years. The new library building opened in December of 1993. MCL operates the branch in partnership with City of Connell.

More details about the project can be found at midcolumbialibraries.org/frequently-asked-questions-connell-library-remodel.