The Tri-Cities Airport has established a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program in accordance with regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 49 CFR Part 26.  The Airport anticipates it will receive Federal financial assistance from the Department of Transportation, and as a condition of receiving this assistance, the Owner has signed an assurance that it will comply with 49 CFR Part 26.

As part of establishing the upcoming DBE goals for Federal Fiscal Years (FFY) 2022/2023/2024, a consultation meeting will be held from 10:30am to 11:30am on Friday, October 29th, 2021 via teleconference for the purpose of discussing potential opportunities for DBE participation in upcoming projects, gain input, and to answer questions.  All interested parties are invited to attend which may include (but not limited to) minority, women’s and general contractor groups, community organizations, and other officials or organizations who may have interest or information pertinent to the implementation of the Airport’s DBE Program. The meeting is not mandatory for DBE participation on projects at the Tri-Cities Airport.

For those wishing to participate in the teleconference, dial 872-240-1286 and enter Phone Conference ID 740 538 981# when prompted.  For participants wishing to join via computer, the Tri-Cities Airport will provide a Microsoft Teams hyperlink upon on request.

Questions regarding the meeting, or requests for the Microsoft Teams hyperlink, shall be directed to:
 
Tri-Cities Airport
Tara White, Airport Business Manager
3601 N. 20th Avenue
Pasco, WA 99301
Ph: 509-547-6352
Email: taraw@portofpasco.org

The staff at Toyota of Tri-Cities are excited to present a new 2021 Toyota Tacoma Dbl Cab SR5 4x4 to Jennifer Musick, grand prize winner of the 2021 Rotary Mid-Columbia Duck Race. The special presentation ceremony will take place at Noon on Wednesday, October 20th at the dealership located at 6321 W. Canal Drive in Kennewick. Toyota staff, Rotarians, and other Mid-Columbia Duck Race representatives will be attending to provide Ms. Musick a warm send-off as she drives away.
 
This is the 16th year that Toyota of Tri-Cities has donated a new vehicle to the Rotary Mid-Columbia Duck Race.  The vehicle provides a major incentive that drives ticket sales, proceeds of which are distributed to local Rotary clubs to fund their charitable projects.  18,465 tickets were sold this year bringing tens of thousands of dollars into the community to support non-profit organizations. The Rotary Clubs of the Tri-Cities wish to thank Toyota of Tri-Cities for their continued support of the Rotary Mid-Columbia Duck Race!​

Trios Health has received the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines® - Stroke: Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.

Get With The Guidelines - Stroke was developed to assist healthcare professionals to provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.

“Trios Health is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping our patients have the best possible chance of survival and after a stroke,” said John Solheim, Chief Executive Officer of Trios Health. “Get With The Guidelines - Stroke makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve outcomes for stroke patients.”

Each year program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.

“We are pleased to recognize Trios Health for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

Trios Health also received the Association’s Target: StrokeSM Elite Honor Roll Award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

Additionally, Trios Health received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90% of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

Prosser Memorial Health will host their annual Veterans Day Breakfast, Thursday, November 11th from 7:00am to 10:00am at Prosser Memorial Hospital. Veterans and their families can drive-through the Prosser Memorial Hospital campus and pick up complimentary hot to-go breakfasts, coffee, and pastries. An appreciation gift will be provided to Veterans.

The Veterans Day breakfast has become an annual tradition for Prosser Memorial Health with plans to continue each year as a thank you to those having served. A Veterans Day Procession 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. Nearly seventy-five 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. For more information, please call Shannon Hitchcock with Community Relations at 509.786.6601.

​The Willows trailhead parking lot adjacent to Clover Island and the Lighthouse Plaza gravel lot on Clover Island will be closed starting October 15 as the contractor readies for restoration of the Clover Island shoreline. Signs will mark the closed parking lots.
 
Several other lots on Clover Island will remain open for public parking throughout construction, which is anticipated to be completed by spring 2022.
 
The work will help stabilize and restore the island’s north and east shorelines and extend the Clover Island Riverwalk. This project will improve habitat for listed and endangered fish, beautify the Columbia River shoreline, expand recreational opportunities and support future economic development.
 
Other planned amenities include lighting, benches, landscaping, interpretive panels and three viewpoints.
 
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla district awarded the $4 million contract for the aquatic and riparian habitat restoration project in July. The cost will be shared between the Corps and the Port of Kennewick with funding also contributed by the City of Kennewick, Benton County and a grant from Washington state.

Mid-Columbia Libraries (MCL) proudly hosts its annual Mid-Columbia Reads literary festival Oct. 15 through Nov. 17, 2021 with a free book giveaway and a virtual visit with award-winning young adult and children’s author Adib Khorram.

Community members are invited to stop by their local MCL branch to choose from books for all ages, while supplies last. The featured titles for this year’s community-wide reading program are "You Matter," by Christian Robinson; "There, There," by Tommy Orange; and Khorram’s "Darius the Great Is Not Okay." All books are also available to borrow in print or digital form from the library; there are no holds or waitlists for digital titles. Each book is also available to borrow in Spanish.

On Nov. 17 at 6:30 pm, MCL hosts a virtual chat with Khorram! His debut “Darius the Great Is Not Okay” earned the William C. Morris Debut Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, among other accolades. The story centers on Darius Kellner, who speaks better Klingon than Farsi and knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He's a “Fractional Persian” (half, on his mom's side), and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life.

This is a multilingual event; interpretation will be provided in Spanish and Arabic. Find the event link on Facebook or at midcolumbialibraries.org.

With the Mid-Columbia Reads literary festival, MCL encourages communities throughout the Mid-Columbia region to engage with the same books and come together to explore and celebrate the written and spoken word. The library strives to build community through the collective experience of reading, thinking, and discussing ideas and themes that raise important social issues while also building future readers and writers in the region.

Readers can learn more at midcolumbialibraries.org/mid-columbia-reads.

​Hayden Homes is pleased to announce the acquisition of the lot supply of one of the largest Inland Northwest area builders. Like Hayden Homes, RYN Built Homes began as a family-owned and operated business and has years of experience in new home construction.

“The addition of RYN Built Homes land position presents an exciting opportunity for us to continue to grow our team and our footprint in the Inland Northwest and Tri-Cities housing markets,” said Dennis Murphy, CEO of Hayden Homes. “We take pride in the work we do and know RYN Built Homes, with the dedication to their customers, team members and local community, shares many of our same values. This acquisition supports our ongoing commitment and enthusiasm to build a strong community and provide homeownership opportunities for hardworking families throughout the Pacific Northwest for years to come.”

RYN Built Homes of Spokane Valley, Wash., formerly Viking Builders, has announced an agreement with Hayden Homes to provide single family lots in multiple projects throughout the Tri-Cities and Spokane markets.

“We will continue building apartments, some smaller single family home projects, as well as continue with land development,” said Ryan Olson, CEO of RYN Built Homes. “We are excited about this relationship between two well respected residential building companies.”

Hayden Homes has built in the Tri-Cities, Wash. area since 1992 and the Spokane, Wash. area since 1994, since expanding into North Idaho in the Coeur d’Alene, Hayden, Post Falls and Rathdrum communities. This acquisition will be the fourth made by Hayden Homes. Past acquisitions include Costa Pacific Homes, Copper Basin Homes, Sullivan Rowell Homes and now RYN Built Homes.

Lourdes Health is pleased to announce that Chris Brussow, MD, has accepted a position as a family medicine provider at Lourdes Family Medicine, located at 7425 Wrigley Drive in Pasco. Dr. Brussow is joined our team on Oct. 11 and will soon begin seeing patients.

Dr. Brussow recently completed his family medicine residency with LSU State University Health Science Center, Department of Rural Family Medicine, in Vivian, Louisiana. There, he practiced in a critical access hospital and was the chief resident in his final year of the program.

“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Brussow to our team and help him to grow his practice and experience,” said Kevin Taylor, MD, Lourdes Medical Director. “He will be a great addition and serve our patients and community well.”

Dr. Brussow attended medical school at St. Matthews University of School of Medicine and then went on to complete a one-year internship with LSU State University, Department of Family Medicine. There, he completed rotations in inpatient and outpatient pediatrics, labor and delivery, internal medicine inpatient, orthopedics, wound care, diabetic foot care and emergency medicine. Following his internship, Dr. Brussow completed his three-year residency.

“We are looking forward to the experience Dr. Brussow will add to our team and are grateful for the diverse experiences he has already had in medicine,” Dr. Taylor said.

Dr. Brussow is fluent in both English and Afrikaans. He is also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians (LAFP), and the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM).

Lourdes Family Medicine is located at 7425 Wrigley Drive, Suite 100, just off of Road 68 in Pasco. Patients can schedule an appointment by calling 509.416.8888.

Desert Valley Eye Care is proud to announce the addition of another optometrist, Dr. Jenna Stoffel, to their team of expert eye care practitioners. Dr. Stoffel specializes in myopia control (methods to slow down the progression of near-sightedness in children and teens) and ocular disease management, including care for glaucoma, diabetes, and macular degeneration. 

Dr. Stoffel graduated from Indiana University School of Optometry in spring 2020, during which she completed extensive training in medical optometry at two Veterans Affairs clinics and Quantico Marine Corps Base. She moved to the Tri-Cities last summer and has enjoyed taking advantage of all the area has to offer, including the wide array of outdoor activities and local wineries and restaurants. She is a member of several professional organizations including the American Optometric Association, Optometric Physicians of Washington, and the Tri-Cities Optometric Society. Dr. Stoffel is passionate about animal welfare and has volunteered as a foster for Pet Overpopulation Prevention, working to find homes for stray dogs and cats in our community. 

"I truly believe in the power of listening to my patients and trying to learn who they are and what they need from their eyes and vision. I am looking forward to getting to know my patients personally, while also providing state-of-the-art eye care," Dr. Stoffel states. 

Dr. Jenna Stoffel is now accepting new patients. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (509) 735-2050.  

Get Your Geek On! It’s not just a directive, it’s a way of life in the Tri-Cities. So much so that Visit Tri-Cities developed a music video and marketing campaign to promote STEM Tourism in the Tri-Cities. The high-quality video highlights STEM attractions throughout the Tri-Cities including the B Reactor as part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Bechtel National Planetarium, LIGO Hanford Observatory, Triton Sail Memorial Park and more. 

Get Your Geek On! has earned attention from other destination marketing organizations throughout Washington state and industry marketing professionals throughout the country for being an innovative campaign. In fact, the campaign is being used as an example of innovative marketing strategies through Destinations International’s Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) program, the tourism industry’s highest individual educational achievement. 

“Get Your Geek On! is such a cool way to present a niche market segment and promote unique tourism assets in the Tri-Cities—it was the perfect innovative idea to present as part of CDME coursework,” said Deb Travis Archer, CDME, Executive Consultant MMGY NextFactor and Destinations International CDME Program Committee Board Member.

Get Your Geek On! was also presented to tourism professionals at the Upper Midwest Convention and Visitors Bureau Fall Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, for an eight-state region that includes Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. 

“This campaign is a great example of how destinations can effectively advocate for their communities in innovative and unexpected ways,” said Linda John, ACC, CDME of Linda John Consulting,  “During the conference  we featured the campaign in ‘Advocacy is a 10-Letter Word:  How Advocacy Success is Leveraged through Leadership Awareness’, which highlights destination marketing organizations’ best practice case studies paired with executive coaching to uncovers key values and strengths of the leaders related to the case studies.” 

The Get Your Geek On! video premiered at Visit Tri-Cities’ 2019 Annual Meeting and was made possible thanks to our partnership with Battelle who serves as our Official Champion of Stem Tourism. Find out the “next big thing” Visit Tri-Cities is working on at the 2021 Annual Meeting taking place on Thursday, Nov. 4 at 9 a.m. The Annual Meeting may be viewed via Facebook or YouTube. 

To Get Your Geek On!, check out https://www.visittri-cities.com/blog/stem-itineraries-in-the-tri-cities/.