Celebrate the start of summer at the second annual Dive into Summer event in Richland on Saturday, June 15. This celebration combines all the fun the season offers, like recreation, music, book challenges, crafts, big rigs, and information on community-wide activities throughout the summer.

Start the afternoon with a one-dollar ($1) swim session at 1:30 p.m. or the second session at 3:45 p.m. at George Prout Pool, 1005 Swift Boulevard. The festivities move to John Dam Plaza where the band, Groove Principal, (comprised of local school educators) sponsored by the Friends of the Richland Public Library, will provide fun, family entertainment from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. There will be food and beverage vendors, over 11 partner organizations showcasing their summer activities, lawn games hosted by Richland Parks and Recreation, an all-age summer reading program registration, and much more. 

You will not want to miss the exciting announcement and entrance of the long-anticipated library mascot who will emerge at 7:00 p.m.  
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John Dam Plaza is located at 815 George Washington Way. This evening event is free.

The Children's Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia (CRFMC) is thrilled to announce the launch of our "Read UP! Stop the Summer Slide" program this June. Our goal is to get 10,000 books into the hands of kids across the Mid-Columbia to help combat summer reading loss and ensure continuous reading throughout the summer months.

The READ Up: Stop the Summer Slide program is designed to reverse summer reading loss by providing numerous opportunities for children to continue their reading journey during the summer. The program helps families, caregivers, and children incorporate reading aloud into their daily summer routines.

Program Highlights:
Target Audience: READ Up events are tailored for children from birth to age 8 and their parents or caregivers.

• Community Partnerships: We are partnering with local groups offering summer events for children, ensuring a wide reach and engagement.
• Reading Activities and Free Books: At these events, children will participate in various reading activities and receive free books to take home.
• Support for Parents and Caregivers: Organizers will provide tips and take-home materials to help parents and caregivers encourage their young readers.
  
  

We are proud to have Battelle, which operates Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA, Bechtel, CPCCo, Yakima Nation Legends Casino, and the Colville Tribe  as our sponsors for the "READ Up" program. Their generous support makes it possible for us to extend the joy of reading to thousands of children in our community.

Join us in our mission to stop the summer slide and promote a lifelong love of reading!

For more information, please contact:
Leanne Luehrs-Purcell
Executive Director, The Children's Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia
509-393-5459
[email protected]
www.Read20Minutes.com

In April 2022, the City of Richland launched  “The National Community Survey” (NCS) to gather input for strategic planning initiatives and to align goals around the community’s top priorities. The NCS was developed by the National Research Center (NRC) at Polco. The survey captured opinions on the economy, mobility, community design, utilities, safety, natural environment, inclusivity, engagement, and more. The results showed Richland’s strengths, areas of improvement, and what matters most to residents.

The City is again seeking the input from the Richland community for the 2024 “National Community Survey”. The feedback will be used to compare Richland to similar communities across the country. Citizens can access the on-line survey by clicking on the links below.

English OP: https://polco.us/richlandwa24oe
Spanish OP: https://polco.us/richlandwa24os

“We are excited to receive more input from our community that we can compare to our benchmark survey performed in 2022. The survey will help us maintain an understanding of our services and allow us to measure our impact going forward,” said City Manager, Jon Amundson.

The open participation survey is available to all residents through June 28, 2024.  All Richland residents are invited to complete the survey one time during the open participation period.
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More information can be found at www.ci.richland.wa.us/communitysurvey.

Yakima Federal Savings and Loan awarded $177,500 in academic assistance to students and schools in Yakima, Kittitas, Benton, and Franklin counties.

Sixty-four graduating high school seniors from the four counties each received $2,500 scholarships totaling $160,000. An additional $17,500 in grants was awarded to seven local post-secondary institutions for scholarship programs.
“We are proud to support high achieving students in our communities as they pursue higher education,” said Leanne Antonio, CEO, in a statement.

A complete list of scholarship recipients is available at https://www.yakimafed.com/scholarship

Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must reside in Yakima, Kittitas, Benton, or Franklin counties, graduate in the top 10% of their class, and demonstrate strong moral character, work ethic, and ambition. Applicants must also submit a one-page essay outlining their future plans, school and life experiences, challenges overcome, and the impact of receiving an award. 

About Yakima Federal’s Awards for Academic Excellence
Yakima Federal's Awards for Academic Excellence program has provided over $3 million in college scholarships to area high school graduates over the past 47 years. Scholarship funds are disbursed to the recipient's enrolled school upon confirmation of fall semester enrollment. Scholarship recipients were notified in June 2024.

(Richland, WA) Ben Franklin Transit (BFT) had planned to implement a new Fixed Route fare structure in the summer of 2024, a recommendation that arose from the fare study conducted by the agency over the last two years. However, upon recommendation of the Board of Directors at their May meeting, this rollout has been postponed until early 2025 as BFT works to select and implement a mobile ticketing system. At the beginning of 2025, the fare change recommendations will be revisited, and the impact of the outcome of Initiative 2117 will be considered.

​You can find highlights of the revised Fixed Route fare structure at https://www.bft.org/fares/farestudy/.

Three projects produced by CMBell and their clients have won awards for creative excellence from the 2024 International Hermes Creative Awards Competition.

Eritage Resort’s social media package, Bizzy’s Adventures website and Pocket Neighborhood Foundation’s website were selected as winners from among more than 6,500 international creative entries. The awards competition is judged by industry professionals who identify work that exceeds a high standard of excellence and is a benchmark for the industry. 

CMBell is a signature communication firm that creates websites, branding and logos, and marketing content. Together with their clients they have received 207 awards and have served 140 clients nationwide since they launched 27 years ago.

​Benefitting Tri-Cities Chaplaincy's crucial end-of-life care programs and Cork's Place Kids Grief Center, the chic and iconic Bubbles & Brunch event, is making a grand return on August 9th at Fiction @ J. Bookwalter. This elegant morning affair, presented by Lip-Ology, will feature brunch, champagne, raffles, a fabulous silent auction showcasing this season's hottest designer handbags, and a luxury jewelry experience hosted by the Jewelry Design Center.
 
"We are thrilled to invite fashion and accessory lovers from Benton and Franklin Counties to join us as we advocate for advance care planning and the need for comfort care in our community, all while having fun and raising funds for our vital Hospice, Palliative, and Grief Care programs," said Tara Divers, Director of Philanthropy.
 
"We're pulling out all of the stops to make this brunch the best of the summer," Divers added. The event promises to be a memorable occasion filled with stylish enjoyment, fostering a strong community spirit.
 
The funds raised during Bubbles & Brunch will enable Tri-Cities Chaplaincy to continue offering essential services, including hospice and palliative care, spiritual support, bereavement care, and Cork's Place Kids Grief Center. Every dollar raised will impact the lives of individuals and families in our community facing challenging circumstances.
 
Join us for a delightful morning of fashion, fun, and philanthropy, all in support of the compassionate care Tri-Cities Chaplaincy provides.
 
Event Details:
Date: August 9th
Location: Fiction @ J. Bookwalter
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit TCCBestLife.org. 

Goodwill Industries of the Columbia is pleased to announce the grand opening of its new Southridge Attended Donation Center located at 3813 Plaza Way, Kennewick WA.  The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on June 20, 2024, at 10:00 AM.  This event marks the expansion of Goodwill efforts to provide convenient donation locations for the community, further supporting its mission to enhance the quality of life through employment and educational opportunities.
 
We invite community members, local businesses, and media representatives to join us in celebrating this milestone.  The new donation site will offer a convenient and accessible location for residents to donate gently used items, which will help fund Goodwill’s numerous programs and services.  These programs include job training, employment placement services, and other community based initiatives aimed at improving the lives of individuals with barriers to employment. 

Goodwill Industries of the Columbia is committee to sustainability and community development.  Donations collected at the Southridge location will be sold in local Goodwill stores, with proceeds directly supporting our mission, “Changing Lives Through the Power of Work.”  This new site will make it easier for residents of Kennewick and the surrounding areas to contribute to a cause that impacts the community positively.

Event Details:

• What: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Southridge Attended Donation Center
• When: June 20, 2024 at 10:00am
• Where: 3813 Plaza Way, Kennewick, WA
• Who: Open to the public; community members and media are welcome
  
  

Join us for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, light refreshments, and an opportunity to meet Goodwill Representatives who will share more about our mission and the impact of your donations.
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For more information about the event or Goodwill Industries of the Columbia, please contact us at (509)-735-7238 or visit our website at www.goodwillotc.org.