On Tuesday, October 1st, 2019 from 6:00 – 8:00PM the Tri-Cities Cancer Center will host our annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month Kickoff Events throughout the Tri-Cities. Our annual awareness kickoff is called Let’s Make Pink Just Another Color. These events are free and open to the public. This year they will be held at 5 locations around the Tri-Cities.

Attendees will learn about our nationally accredited NAPBC Breast Center, self-exams, ways to reduce overall cancer risk, clinical trials, and our Survivorship Program created to help patients achieve the highest quality of life after treatment. There will also be fun treats, as well as free commemorative glow-in-the-dark t-shirts for the first 20 people at each of the locations.

What: Let’s Make Pink Just Another Color Breast Cancer Awareness Kickoff Events
When: Tuesday, October 1st from 6:00 - 8:00PM
Where: HAPO Business Complex in Kennewick | TSP Bakeshop in West Richland Columbia Center Mall | John Dam Plaza in Richland | Pasco Farmers Market

As a reminder, the Resource Center at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center provides many valuable non-reimbursed cancer programs and services for patients, their families, and the community. Programs include Patient Nurse Navigation, no-cost screenings, cancer-education presentations, as well as wigs, hats, scarves, mastectomy bras, breast prostheses and so much more. These services are provided at no cost thanks to the generous community support of the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation.

The Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) processed 119,894 outbound passengers during the summer months of June, July, and August. This is 11 percent above last summer’s figures and sets up the airport to finish the year with another record number of travelers. 

Airlines count their passengers in terms of enplanements, or the number of people who board an aircraft at an airport. With 286,537 enplaned passengers this year so far, PSC is up 13 percent over 2018. 

All four airlines that serve PSC have shown growth this year. United Airlines currently leads the pack at a 32 percent increase, as the airline added a third daily flight to Denver last year and began new nonstop service to Los Angeles this spring. Delta Airlines served the largest number of travelers in Tri-Cities, with 55,199 enplaned passengers in the summer months, and is up 16.3 percent this summer over last. Alaska Airlines, which flies six times each day to Seattle, is up 9 percent over 2018, and Allegiant Airlines’ move to an all-Airbus fleet allowed the airline to grow 13 percent more than last year.

“With our expanded summer schedule and new nonstop flight to LA, we were able to offer more opportunities for quick and easy travel than ever before,” said Buck Taft, director of the airport. “We thank everyone in the community who chose to fly local, and hope to see you on another flight out of PSC again soon.” 

The good summer news continues the growth that began last year, as a total of 785,164 people traveled through the airport in 2018—the best year on record. 

The staff and board of the Blue Mountain Council, Boy Scouts of America is excited to welcome Jay Scott as their new Development Director effective September 23, 2019. Jay’s role will help the council develop new avenues of fundraising through grants, special events, and community relationships.

Jay Scott was born and raised in Pasadena, Texas. He played football and baseball during high school. He graduated from High School in 1996 and joined the United States Navy the same year. Jay served four years on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier based in Everett, WA. He served two six-month tours to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield. Jay was awarded two Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medals for his exemplary service. He was Honorably discharged from the US Navy in 2000.

After leaving the Navy, Jay moved to the Tri Cities, where he and his beautiful wife have four children. In his free time, Jay enjoys supporting all four of his children in their numerous sporting events that happen throughout the year. Jay also serves as the Executive Officer for the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association helping veterans in need. He also enjoys attending church on Sundays with his family.

In 2007, Jay changed his career path and began working in the educational field as a 21st Century Program Site Coordinator at Wahluke High School. His 12-year professional career helping kids began, and it truly became his passion. In the last 12 years, Jay has worked for multiple grant programs, including the 21st Century Program, GEAR UP Program and the Upward Bound Program. The most important aspect of his work for the past twelve-years has been the positive impact his programs have had on the lives of his students and their families.

Jay looks forward to helping chart the future of Scouting in our local community as he starts this new chapter working for the Boy Scouts of America, Blue Mountain Council. He is excited to be part of an organization whose patriotic roots run so deep in American culture and whose record for service and youth leadership development continue to lead the way for youth,
families and communities throughout the country.

The Friends of Mid-Columbia Libraries (FOL) hosts its semi-annual Giant Book Sale Sept. 25-29 at the Mid-Columbia Libraries’ Kennewick Branch, located at 1620 S. Union St. in Kennewick.

New this fall, FOL members get a full day of first access on Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 10 am to 6:30 pm. The sale opens to the public on Thursday, Sept. 26 from 10 am to 7 pm and continues Friday, Sept. 27 from 10 am to 6 pm; Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 am to 4 pm; and Sunday, Sept. 29 from 1 to 4 pm. All items are half price on Sunday. A variety of books, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, and more will be available, and prices range from $0.25 to $2 per item unless otherwise marked; buyers should come early for the best selection and bring their own bag. FOL accepts debit and credit card payments.

The cost of an FOL membership is $5 a year, and new members can sign up at the door or at midcolumbialibraries.org/FOL. Contact Fernie Coe at 509-322-6949 for volunteer opportunities. Visit midcolumbialibraries.org for more information.

The next seminar in Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Community Science and Technology Seminar Series, “Securing the Electric Grid,” presented by Seemita Pal, Research Engineer in the Energy and Environment Directorate at PNNL, will take place on Tuesday, October 8, 2019, at 7:00 p.m., at the Richland Public Library (955 Northgate Dr.). 

How do we generate electricity and get it to our homes, offices, hospitals and other places? What are the technical challenges in operating the electric grid which is the biggest and the most complex machine in the world? What are the various causes that can lead to outages? Can the electric grid be target of cyber-attacks? 

Come learn the answers to above questions and more! It is easy to switch on or off devices at our will but ensuring continuous supply of electricity to all the devices at different locations and at all times is not easy as it is might seem. On top of the technical challenges that already exist there are emerging challenges related to integration of unpredictable and variable energy resources, extreme weather events, and cybersecurity. Get an overview of the work that researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are doing to ensure that the electric grid is secure, reliable and flexible. After the talk build your own electric grids on an interactive grid game board.

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. 

Digital Crush, the Inland Northwest’s first Digital Marketing Summit, will be held Friday, October 11, 2019, at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Tri-Cities, Washington. 

Digital Crush is a full-day conference for digital marketers and business professionals looking to grow their digital marketing skillset and toolbox. Bringing together and educating digital marketers and small business members of the inland northwest on practical and important digital marketing practices, the goal is to drive increased market share, new customers, and profitability for regional businesses, through utilization of the newest and best practices in digital marketing.

Announcing the 2019 Digital Crush Summit Speaker Lineup: 

• Ali Schwanke, CEO Simple Strat, Lincoln, Nebraska - Keynote
  
• Paul Warner, Marketing Campaign Manager Schweitzer Engineering, Pullman, WA - Keynote
  
• Cindy Krum, CEO & Founder, MobileMoxie, Denver, CO - Keynote
  
• Torey Azure, CEO BrandCraft, Tri-Cities, WA
  
• Manny Rivas III, CMO Aimclear, Duluth, MN
  
• Diane Mahan, Chief Digital Strategy Officer Klü Digital, Spokane, WA
  
• Matt Johnston, CEO Guide Social, Philadelphia, PA
  
• Spencer Haws, Blogger at NichePursuits.com + Founder LongTailPro.com & LinkWhisperer.com, Tri-Cities, WA
  
• Chris Davis, Performance Marketing Manager ConnectYourCare, Tri-Cities, WA
  
• Barrett Pryce, Director of Marketing Vivid Learning Systems, Tri-Cities, WA
  
• Thomas Kratsch, President & CEO Activities & Tours Marketing by TRK Creative, Seattle, WA
  
• Dee Boyle, Digital Marketing Strategist BrandCraft, Tri-Cities, WA
  
• Travis Scott, Director of Marketing at ISM, Spokane, WA
  
• Bethany Lee, Digital Marketing Manager Visit Tri-Cities, Tri-Cities, WA
  
• Elsie Puig, Marketing Manager, Flex Rental Solutions, Tri-Cities, WA
  
• Jordan Beilin, Director of Advanced Advertising Sales Spetrum Reach, Denver, CO

Speakers will share their expertise on digital marketing trends and topics including content strategy, search engine optimization, analytics insights, mobile and video digital marketing, B2B digital marketing, call tracking, and more. 

Torey Azure, BrandCraft CEO and a member of the Digital Crush Planning Committee, said “we’re excited to bring a digital summit to the Inland Northwest, providing both an opportunity for the exchange of best practices and good ideas around digital marketing, and equipping regional business professionals and digital marketers with additional education opportunities and resources to help realize an even greater return on their digital marketing investments.”

While digital marketing summits are held around the country, this will be the first summit of its kind held in Eastern Washington. Tickets and more event info can be found at https://thedigitalcrush.com/. 

About Digital Crush
Digital Crush is a one-day conference for digital marketers and business professionals looking to grow their digital marketing skillset and toolbox. In a collaborative and inspiring atmosphere, participants will be able to learn, exchange ideas, network and establish relationships with others in the area.

Across the US children are back in the classroom which means a return to quick breakfasts and boxed lunches. As parents struggle to replace chips and sugary snacks with healthier options, a trend toward better-for-you snacks has emerged. For Chukar Cherries, simple ingredient lists are nothing new. 

In fact, Chukar committed to using clean ingredients over 30 years ago when Founder & CEO, Pam Montgomery, pioneered drying cherries without added sugar or preservatives. Since then, the company has sought new ways to offer delicious snacks that feature whole dried cherries without additives, and their products remain focused on local dried cherries without added sugar or artificial ingredients. Montgomery often remarks that a simple cherry is delicious enough. 

Sugar can sneak into kids’ diets in seemingly wholesome choices like juice boxes, granola bars, and cereal. The Specialty Food Association cites Samantha Cassetty, a leading dietician, as stating that “Popular buzz words include ‘no added sugar’ and ‘plant based,’ but these alone aren't indicators of healthfulness unless the ingredients are made from mostly whole food sources, like fruits, nuts, seeds, etc.” Chukar’s fruit & nut mixes fit the bill—whole fruits and nuts that are high in fiber, protein, and vitamins but still taste 100% delicious.

Chukar’s most popular snack offering is the Energy Mix Variety 12 Pack which contains all four of Chukar’s no sugar added fruit & nut mixes in handy 1.85 oz. bags. “The snack packs are a top seller this time of year,” says General Manager Tim Oten, “pure fruits and nuts pack a ton of energy and they’re easy to toss into lunch boxes or care packages for college students. They’re my kids’ go-to snack for after school, ballet rehearsal, and soccer practice.” Each fruit & nut mix is also offered in larger, resealable pouches. 

Chukar’s naturally dried cherries, organic offerings, and fruit & nut snacks are available online at chukar.com, at the company’s flagship store in Prosser, in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, and at a host of premier retailers. 

Wholesail Networks announces a definitive agreement to acquire Noel Communications for an undisclosed purchase price. This acquisition will allow Wholesail Networks to expand their fiber footprint and network operations.

Noel Communications has been serving the central Washington state area with network, telecom and internet services for nearly 30 years. “Folding Noel Communications into Wholesail Networks is a win-win deal,” said Rodger Noel, owner of Noel Communications. “Their focus on the Northwest with modern fiber-based network infrastructure continues our vision of bringing high quality and competitive telecommunication services to the underserved portions of our region. The Noel family has been long term supporters of eastern Washington businesses and residents and we believe Wholesail Networks will continue the legacy of supporting our region.”

Wholesail Networks was founded in 2018 by John van Oppen after realizing the need for a robust, independent transport and transit operator in the Pacific Northwest. Wholesail Networks is focused on providing fiber-based connectivity to empower the Pacific Northwest region’s largest users with quality telecommunications products. Wholesail Networks fills a unique gap in the marketplace combining in-house network assets that are operated by a team with the market knowledge to source almost any capacity need to any location in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

“Since founding the company last year,” said Wholesail Networks’ CEO and Founder John van Oppen, “we have had explosive growth which validates our belief that there is a high demand for the types of quality service we provide. Bringing the Noel Communications network and team into our organization helps us rapidly expand our network services and augments our team with the high-quality support and expertise that our customers expect.”

The expanded company plans to maintain Noel Communications’ network operation center in Yakima.

Benton PUD’s Commission approved a 2.9 percent retail rate increase effective October 1, 2019.  Benton PUD’s last overall revenue increase was 1.9 percent, which occurred two years ago in October 2017.

For an average residential customer, this will result in an increase of about $3.00 per month, from $116 to $119.    The median monthly residential bill for comparable Northwest utilities is $127.

The residential daily system charge will increase from 62 cents per day to 63 cents per day, and the residential kilowatt-hour (kWh) rate will increase from $0.0718 to $0.0739.  

The major driver of the rate increase is rising power costs, which make up over 60 percent of Benton PUD’s budget.  Power costs are increasing due to the following:

• An October 1, 2019 increase in the rates Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) charges utilities.  
  
• A decrease in the amount of hydro-electric generation received under contracts with BPA due to a trend of lower water flows in the summer and court-ordered spill (water releases) over the dams to enable juvenile fish migration.  This results in Benton PUD having to buy higher-priced power from the market during peak summer usage periods.
  
• An increase in requirements under the Energy Independence Act to purchase 15 percent (up from 9 percent in 2019) of qualifying renewable energy (wind and solar) which adds to overall power costs.

For other customer classes, the 2.9 percent increase will apply to all rate components including daily system charge, kilowatt-hour rate, and demand charge (where applicable). The Unmetered rate class (less than 1 percent of total customers) will see a slightly higher increase to better align rates with the cost to serve the class.

Two open houses have been scheduled to share information on the exciting Public/Private Partnership Opportunity at the Three Rivers Entertainment District Campus. Each open house will be held at the Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W Grandridge Boulevard, between 4:30-6:30pm with the first scheduled for Monday, September 30th and the second on Thursday, October 17th.

Staff from the City of Kennewick and Kennewick Public Facilities District will be available to provide information on the project vision, the public and private investment components, economic impacts, the complementary nature of the project to the entertainment district vision and Vista Vision, and the financing needed to accomplish this partnership and spur significant economic development in the heart of our Tri-Cities community. The open houses will provide the public the opportunity to view concept renderings of the project, make comments and asks questions.

On September 3, 2019, City Council approved a Purchase and Sales Agreement between for the sale of property adjacent to the Convention Center and Toyota Center, approximately 3.56 acres to A-1 Pearl, LLC for the development of a convention hotel to be connected to the expanded Convention Center and a separate retail component. In addition, the agreement grants the option to purchase the adjacent property for phase two of the project which would create residential, commercial, and public spaces with water features and boardwalk. The City’s portion of the project would be to expand the Three Rivers Convention Center with a performing arts theater. The full Council packet and presentation can be viewed at:
www.go2kennewick.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09032019-1181

The Purchase and Sales Agreement was the first step in furthering this public/private partnership opportunity. The next steps will be the due diligence period provided to both parties to ensure viability of the project and will require coordinated effort for the private and public entities to work simultaneously to secure the financing and jointly begin the construction of the expansion of the Three Rivers Convention Center, hotel and retail component of the project.