Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after Governor Inslee’s office revealed that public hearings on the state’s Snake River Dams study would be hosted in Vancouver, WA and Clarkston, WA:  

“This entire process has been a sham. The federal government has jurisdiction over these facilities, so – as I’ve said all along – spending $750,000 on a state-funded dam breaching study is a complete waste of Washingtonians’ taxpayer dollars,” said Rep. Newhouse. “Now the state is turning its back on the people of Tri-Cities by avoiding their opinions and concerns. I demand that Governor Inslee’s Snake River Dam Study group hold an additional public hearing in Tri-Cities so our region’s voices can be heard. It is the least the state can do to uphold any semblance of a legitimate process. One has to ask: What are they afraid of?”

Background: 

On September 10, 2018, the House Committee on Natural Resources conducted a field hearing at Pasco City Hall to focus on the benefits provided by the Columbia and Snake River dams. The field hearing was set at the request of Rep. Newhouse.  

On December 13, 2018, Governor Jay Inslee proposed a $750,000 line item in the state budget to support evaluation of the Lower Snake River dams by a state task force. Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers released a statement opposed to the study. 

On May 13, 2019, Rep. Newhouse hosted a public listening session, “The Future of Our Dams,” in Tri-Cities, so local community members could share thoughts and ask questions of Rep. Newhouse and a panel of experts about the dams, hydropower, salmon mitigation, and other topics related to the Snake River dams. 

On May 20, 2019, Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers publicly urged Governor Inslee to veto the line item in a joint statement, citing widespread support for the dams.

The Academy of Children’s Theatre is performing a musical production of Disney’s “Frozen, JR" for two consecutive weekends beginning November 8. The show brings to life the memorable story of true love and acceptance between sisters. When faced with danger, the two discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood. Featuring a cast of beloved characters and loaded with memorable music, adventure, and plenty of humor, Frozen, JR. is a fun experience for the whole family. In the cast are six sets of actual sisters.

The show performs on Friday, November 8 and 15 at 7 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday, November 9, 10, 16, and 17 at 3 p.m. All performances are at ACT, 213 Wellsian Way, Richland.

Playing the lead roles are Alexandra Sorenson as Elsa, Lauren Tanninen as Anna, Jonathon Howell is Kristoff and Niko Theriault is cast as Hans. Co-Directing the production are Anne Spilman and Adrienne Shields. Running time for the show is about an hour. An extended intermission will include a character meet and greet. The future Windermere Children’s Theatre space is the venue for the show and it has been transformed into a mountainous Scandinavian region called Arendale, which is filled with magic talking snowmen, ice castles, and love experts.

Reserved seating tickets are now available on line at www.academyofchildrenstheatre.org, by calling 509-943-6027. Ticket prices are $16 for adults, $13 for seniors (65+) and youth (13-18), and $10 for children ages 12 and under.

Mid-Columbia Libraries (MCL), together, with its partners, welcomes #1 New York Times bestselling romance author Debbie Macomber on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 6:30 pm at the Columbia Basin College Gjerde Center in Pasco. Macomber is the featured author of the fourth annual Mid-Columbia Reads literary festival, a program which encourages communities throughout the Mid-Columbia region to engage with the same books and explore together the written and spoken word.

Macomber will speak, answer audience questions, and sign books; her books will be for sale. The presentation is free and open to the public; doors open at 6 pm. Reserved seating in the front several rows will be provided for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing and anyone in a wheelchair or walker or needing assistance. American Sign Language (ASL) and Spanish translation will be provided.

An MCL customer favorite, Macomber is one of today’s most popular authors with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Her newest releases include “Window on the Bay” and “A Mrs. Miracle Christmas,” as well as a non-fiction book titled “Be a Blessing: A Journal for Cultivating Kindness, Joy, and Inspiration.”

Macomber’s novels have spent more than 1,000 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. Thirteen of these novels hit the number one spot. She is the author of the bestselling “Cedar Cove” series, which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series.

Mid-Columbia Reads is a program of MCL with this year’s partners Friends of Mid-Columbia Libraries, Battelle, Tri-Cities Cancer Center, Purcell Law, and Abadan. Learn more at midcolumbialibraries.org.

United Airlines has announced that it will begin nonstop flights between Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).  The new service will begin June 4, 2020.  

This is the first time that Tri-Cities Airport will have nonstop connection to the Windy City, and it is also the airport’s first redeye flight. The nonstop service is currently scheduled to leave ORD at 8:00pm and arrive into PSC at 9:57pm; it will depart PSC at 11:38pm and arrive at ORD at 5:07am. The early-morning arrival will allow passengers dozens of additional connection opportunities once they’ve arrived in ORD—an enormous benefit for Tri-Cities travelers. 

“We are so pleased with the investment United is making in the Tri-Cities community,” said Buck Taft, director of the airport. “This new service is a tremendous opportunity to connect to a premier Midwest hub, and we hope our travelers take advantage of the easy access to the East Coast and international connectivity that the flight will provide.”

The Chicago announcement continues to expand United’s presence in Tri-Cities. The airline began service to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) earlier this year and currently provides Tri-Cities residents a total of five nonstop daily flights to Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), and Denver (DEN). 

The new service will add to the airport’s overall passenger growth as well. The airport recently celebrated its busiest summer ever, and 2019 is set to overtake last year as Tri-Cities Airport’s best year on record. 

The flight will be on an Embraer 175, a regional jet with 76 seats with First Class, United Economy Plus and United Economy classes. Tickets for the PSC-ORD service are on sale now at united.com. 

​Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced H.R. 4867, the General James N. Mattis Congressional Gold Medal Act. The bill would bestow the Congressional Gold Medal to General James N. Mattis, “in recognition of his distinguished military career, his steadfast moral character and patriotism, and his unyielding devotion to the protection of this Nation.” The legislation was introduced with the full bipartisan support of the Washington delegation. 
 
“Jim Mattis is a hometown hero and truly one of Washington’s most distinguished native sons,” said Rep. Newhouse. “His honorable military career, his commitment to our community, and his dedication to the United States serve an example for the people of Washington state and the nation. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure he is the next distinguished leader to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.”
 
Click here to read the text of the bill.
 
Background:
 
General James N. (Jim) Mattis was born in Pullman, Washington, and raised in Richland, Washington, graduating from Columbia High School in 1968. He began his military career the following year by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. In 1971, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Central Washington State College, and he earned a Master of Arts in International Security from National Defense University’s War College in 1994.
 
He was the first United States Marine Corps officer to command a Naval Task Force in Afghanistan following the attacks on September 11, 2001. He bravely commanded forces, including the U.S. Joint Forces Command, NATO’s Supreme Allied Command for Transformation, and U.S. Central Command. President Trump nominated General Mattis for United States Secretary of Defense, and he served honorably until December 31, 2018.
 
Since his retirement, he has been honored with several awards and commendations for his military and civilian service, including the Atlantic Council “Distinguished Military Leadership Award,” the Marine Corps University Foundation “Semper Fidelis Award,” the “Dwight D. Eisenhower Distinguished Service Award,” and the Washington Policy Center “Columbia Award.” He wrote about his military and leadership experience in the recently published book, Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead.
 
Congressional Gold Medals have been bestowed upon great generals, leaders, and thinkers in our nation’s history, including but not limited to George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, Douglas MacArthur, and Harry S. Truman. In order to be considered, Congressional Gold Medal legislation must be cosponsored by at least two-thirds (290) of the Members of the House. 

The Pasco Public Facilities District Board will hold a public meeting and open house on Tuesday, October 22, to hear from the public on options for an aquatic center in Pasco.
 
The Board will first hold a Special Meeting starting at 2:30 pm in Council Chambers in Pasco City Hall at 525 N. 3rd Avenue.  The Board will hear from consultants as they gather information on an updated feasibility study during the Special Meeting.
 
The Board will then hold an Open House in the Pasco Police Community Services Building Community Room at 215 W. Sylvester Street, from 6 pm – 8 pm. The Board hopes to hear from a wide range of the public on the idea of an aquatic center. 
 
"The PFD Board and its consultants are looking for robust input about an aquatic center in Pasco," said Zach Ratkai, Administrative and Community Services Director for the City. "We hope to get a good turnout for the Open House so we can get as much public feedback as possible," he added.  
 
The City of Pasco strives to continue improving the quality of community life in Pasco.  
 
For more information about City activities, visit www.pasco-wa.gov.

Mid-Columbia Libraries will offer free bus travel for Prosser and Benton City area residents to a presentation by international bestselling author Debbie Macomber at Columbia Basin College in Pasco on Nov. 7. Transportation is free and open to the public thanks to support from sponsor Battelle. Bus riders will receive priority seating and priority book signing at the event.

The bus will depart from the Prosser library, located at 902 7th St., at 5:15 pm and return at approximately 8:45 pm. Bus loading begins at 5:10 pm. The bus will stop at the Benton City Park and Ride, located at I-82 and SR 225, at 5:30 pm. Seats are limited; register at midcolumbialibraries.org/mid-columbia-reads-bus, or contact the Prosser library at (509) 786-2533 or the Benton City library at (509) 588-6471.

Learn more about the Mid-Columbia Reads literary festival at midcolumbialibraries.org.

On Veteran’s Day Monday, November 11th from 7:00am to 10:00am at the Walter Clore Center in Prosser, Prosser Memorial Health will provide free breakfast for Veterans and their families. The Veteran’s Day breakfast has become an annual tradition with plans to continue each year as a thank you to those having served our country. Prosser’s annual Veteran’s Day Parade will follow, starting at 11:00am in Historic Downtown Prosser.
​
Prosser Memorial Health opened its doors as a 19-bed facility in 1947 and was dedicated to the community’s veterans of World War II. Over seventy years later, Prosser Memorial Health has grown into a progressive healthcare organization providing compassionate care, the latest in medical technology, and a mission to improve the health of the community.

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.

The Ben Franklin Transit (BFT) Board of Directors held a special meeting to discuss the agency’s proposed 2020 operating and capital budget on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, at the BFT Administration Office in Richland. At the regular monthly meeting held immediately following, the Board voted to release the proposed budget for public comment.

The budget is available for review online at www.bft.org/financial-information, or in hard copy at BFT’s Administration Office: 1000 Columbia Park Trail in Richland, or Three Rivers Transit Center: 7109 W. Okanogan Place in Kennewick.

Comments may be submitted by mail (postage-free comment cards available at BFT ticket outlets), by phone at 509.735.5100 or Language Line service, in person, or by e-mail to [email protected]. The comment period will remain open until Nov. 10, 2019.

More information about Ben Franklin Transit and its services can be found at bft.org.