Richland asks residents to register video systems

Richland residents are being asked to voluntarily register their video

surveillance systems with the police department to aid criminal investigations.

The database will help investigators track down video when crimes occur

in the community. Officers would ask participants in the Voluntary Camera

Partnership, or VCP, to check their footage to see if it shows activity

involved with a crime.

Residents can sign up online at ci.richland.wa.us/VCP.

Take a survey, help WSU Tri-Cities

WSU Tri-Cities is encouraging area residents to take a survey about

opinions and perceptions of the Richland campus.

Stamate, a higher education research and consulting firm, developed the

survey. It takes about 12 minutes to complete and responses will be kept

confidential.

Take the survey online at http://bit.ly/WSUTCsurvey.

Yakima hop growers welcome four to cooperative

Yakima Chief Hops has added four growers to its family, its first

additions since 2014.

YCH is a grower-owned hop supplier serving the craft beer industry.

The new members are Coleman Agriculture of St. Paul, Oregon, Double R

Hop Ranches of Harrah, Black Star Ranches of Moxee and Oasis Farms of Prosser.

Kennewick Man, Woman of Year nominations sought

Soroptimist International of Pasco-Kennewick and the Kennewick Past Men

of the Year Club are accepting nominations for the 2019 Kennewick Man &

Woman of the Year through Jan. 6.

Forms are available online at kmwoy.com.

The program dates to 1946 and honors a man and woman for exceptional

service to the community.

The winners will be honored at a banquet on Feb. 24 at Three Rivers

Convention Center.

Kadlec, nurses agree to four-year

contract

Kadlec Regional

Medical Center reached a four-year contract with nurses represented by the

Washington state Nurses Association. The contract began Oct. 31, when the

former contract expired.

The agreement follows

16 bargaining sessions over 14 months, including six sessions conducted with a

federal mediator. Nurses voted to authorize a strike in late October. The

contract was ratified in early December.

The agreement

maintains paid-time off benefits for current nurses, enhances staffing and

addresses workplace violence language. Wages increase 10 percent over the

course of the contract, including 3 percent when the contract is ratified and

2.5 percent in January. Full-time nurses will receive an additional $1,500

bonus when the contract is ratified while part-time nurses will receive a

prorated bonus.

Benton REA members to get $1.8M in

capital credits

Benton REA is paying

back more than $1.8 million in capital credits to its members.

The electric

cooperative based in West Richland pays back its operating margins to members.

The $1 million will be

returned to members using the percentage of equity method, with an additional

$836,000 distributed to fully pay out the capital credits remaining from

1984-89.

The Benton REA Board

of Trustees approved the distribution of capital credit retirements to more

than 20,000 current and former Benton REA members. Members may receive their

checks before Christmas.

Due to the expense in

processing printed checks, $10 is the minimum retirement amount that will be

issued. Those less than $10 are accumulated year to year until the sum is equal

to or greater than $10.

By buying electricity

from Benton REA, members have equity ownership in Benton REA, known as capital

credits. Each time they pay their Benton REA electric bill, their equity in the

cooperative grows. Likewise, any capital credit retirement checks received

decreases equity by the amount of each check.

Tri-City projects stand to lose

after I-976

The Washington

Department of Transportation  has

identified numerous Tri-City transportation projects threatened by the passage

of Initiative 976 in the Nov. 5 general election.

The initiative reset

car license fees to $30 and made other cuts, prompting Gov. Jay Inslee to order

the Department of Transportation to postpone projects that hadn’t started yet.

The order did not distinguish between projects funded by car tabs and those

funded by fuel taxes.

The order includes

funding to Pasco’s Lewis Street overpass, Pasco’s Flamingo Mobile Home Park

noise walls, improvements to Highway 240 in Richland and aspects of Richland’s

Duportail Bridge that have not yet begun and Kennewick’s Ridgeline Drive

underpass at Southridge.

Columbia River Treaty negotiator to visit Richland

The U.S. Department of

State and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council will jointly host a town

hall on Dec. 16 in Richland to discuss updates to the Columbia River Treaty.

The program is from

5:30-7 p.m. at the U.S. Federal Building Auditorium, 825 Jadwin Ave., Richland.

Jill Small, the U.S.

treaty negotiator, will provide an overview of negotiations with her Canadian

counterparts and will field questions from the public.

U.S. Rep. Dan

Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, requested the opportunity for a local discussion about

the treaty that governs how the Columbia is jointly managed by the two

countries.

State suspends concrete pumping tax

rule

A controversial rule

governing how concrete is taxed has been suspended until April 2020 to give the

Washington Legislature time to address the issue.

The state Department

of Revenue began enforcing a rule for those who hired concrete pumpers to pay

sales tax on the contract, even when the concrete was resold as part of a whole

building. Enforcement began Oct. 1.

The Washington

Building Industry Association lobbied for more time to address the changes. The

Department of Revenue notified lawmakers it was temporarily shelving

enforcement on Nov. 21.

S&P upgrades West Richland’s

bond rating

Standard & Poor’s

has raised West Richland’s bond rating, potentially lowering the cost to finance

major projects.

The city sought an

upgrade as it prepares to sell bonds to finance development of a new

voter-approved police facility. The city’s rating was upgraded from AA to AA+.

Bond ratings are based

on financial management, debt load, tax base, adequate reserves, the strength

of the local economy and staff leadership.

Washington records reduced carbon emissions

Decreased carbon

emissions from power plants offset increases from transportation and home

heating, putting Washington state on a path to meet its goal of trimming

emissions.

The state Department

of Ecology reports total emissions rose 1.7 percent in 2016, reaching 9,7l6

million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, then fell to 97.5 million

metric tons in 2017.

Emissions from aviation,

shipping and home heating increased over that period, but “sharp” reductions in

emissions from power plants offset the increases.

Washington’s Energy

Independence Act requires that 15 percent of energy come from renewable

resources by 2020.

MyTri 2030 identifies strategies to

build the local economy

The Regional Affairs

Committee of the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce has released a list of

the top 10 ways to build on the community’s economic base in each of the

region’s so-called “Opportunity Areas.”

The strategies were

identified in the year-long MyTri 2030 process.

More than 5,000

Tri-Citians weighed in on the most promising strategies to build on the

region’s strengths: agriculture, education, energy, inclusion, life and

prosperity.

The full report is

available at mytri2030.com.

Ag Hall of Fame set for Jan. 16 in

Pasco

The Mid-Columbia Ag

Hall of Fame is set for Jan. 16 at the Pasco Red Lion.

Founded in 2000, the

event is held to recognize and honor distinguished individuals who have made significant

contributions to the agricultural community in the greater Franklin County

region and its immediate surrounding area. Nominees from neighboring counties

within a 150-mile radius are also considered.

A reception starts at

5 p.m. with a dinner and program starting at 6:30 p.m.

For more information,

call 509-547-9755.

New ninja challenge course opens in

Kennewick

The city and Kennewick

School District teamed up to make wellness more fun with a warrior-style

challenge course at Desert Hills Middle School.

The 4,700-square-foot

obstacle course for teens and adults features 11 components that can be

conquered in 10 minutes.

The $275,000 of

equipment and construction is funded with park impact fees, not resident taxes,

on a small piece of undeveloped school district land at the edge of the middle

school.

Park impact fees are

paid by residential property developers for every new home built in Kennewick

and earmarked for new parks and recreation amenities in the same area.

Since the city doesn’t

own park land in the southwest portion of Kennewick, it partnered with the

school district to use its property between a parking area and sports fields on

West 15th Avenue just off Bob Olson Parkway to host the recreational amenity

for the general public.

Bankers recruit ex-AG to challenge

tax increase

The Washington Bankers

Association, represented by former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna, is

suing to block implementation of House Bill 2167, a “Title Only” bill that

raised taxes on out-of-state banks in the waning hours of the 2019 session.

The bill imposed a 1.2

percent surtax on the gross income of out-of-state financial institutions.

The lawsuit maintains

the bill against interstate commerce violates the commerce clause of the

federal Constitution.

The suit is the first

to challenge Olympia’s use of Title Only bills in the final  hours of the annual Legislature to raise

taxes.

Mid-Columbia Libraries to eliminate

overdue fines

Overdue fines will be

a thing of the past in the new year at Mid-Columbia Libraries.

The Mid-Columbia

Libraries Board of Trustees voted Nov. 19 to eliminate fines for overdue

library books and materials and forgive any outstanding overdue fines beginning

Jan. 1.

Overdue fines create

barriers to using the library for many in the community, according to MCL.

MCL said it wants to

ensure all customers—regardless of age, background, or socioeconomic

status—have equitable access to the libraries’ collections.

Other outstanding

charges, such as lost material fees and collection agency fees, will remain on

accounts. Customers will continue to receive overdue notices. MCL will continue

to charge customers the replacement costs of materials that are not returned or

that are damaged.

Many public libraries

in the state, such as Seattle Public Library and Spokane Public Library, are

moving to eliminate overdue fees.

Safety upgrades OK’d for 20 Eastern

WA railroad crossings

 State regulators recently approved nearly

$120,000 in grant funding for the Central Washington Railroad Co. to improve 20

grade crossings in Eastern Washington.

The Utilities and

Transportation Commission approved grants for battery replacements at 18

crossings and battery replacements and LED warning light upgrades at two

crossings.

The grants, which

range between $5,100 and $5,700, will be used to replace batteries at the

following crossings: Apricot Road near Grandview; Birchfield Road near Moxee;

Butterfield Road near Yakima; Edison Avenue in Sunnyside; Elm Avenue in

Grandview; Gap Road near Grandview; Hinzerling Road near Grandview; Lincoln

Avenue in Sunnyside; North First Street in Sunnyside; North 9th Street in

Sunnyside; North 11th Street in Sunnyside; North 13th Street in Sunnyside;

North 16th Street in Sunnyside; North Keys Road near Yakima; Pleasant Avenue

near Grandview; Rothrock Road near Grandview; Swan Road near Sunnyside; and

University Parkway near Yakima.

Grants of $9,600 and

$10,200 will be used to replace batteries and install LED warning lights at the

Gun Club Road and Keys Road crossings near Yakima.

The upgrades will

improve the overall safety at the crossings by providing greater signal

reliability and visibility for drivers and pedestrians.

The upgrades must be

completed by the end of 2020. The railroad will cover any costs over the

approved grant amounts, including labor, associated with the upgrades.

The 1969 Legislature

agreed to provide money for safety measures to reduce accidents and fatalities

at public and private crossings and along railroad tracks.

The UTC regulates

railroad safety, including approving new grade crossings and closing or

altering existing rail crossings, investigating train accidents, inspecting

public railroad crossings, approving safety projects, and managing safety

education.

Reindeer rejoins carousel circuit

in Kennewick

The Gesa Carousel of

Dreams has added its popular carved reindeer to the carousel menagerie for the

holiday season.

The reindeer is

sponsored by Toyota of Tri-Cities, which named it “Jingles” after an employee

contest at the dealership.

 It will remain on the carousel through Jan.

12.

The reindeer was

crafted by local carver Mike Thornton, who also carved the carousel’s

Washington State University cougar and the salmon on the ring arm. It is

hand-carved from basswood, a wood soft enough to carve easily, but durable

enough to last through years of riders. It was painted by Sue Baldwin of

Republic, Washington, and features real antlers from a reindeer farm in Alaska.

Grant to assist in Yakima River

monitoring

Excessive amounts of

aquatic plants growing in the lower Yakima River are reducing the river’s

overall health by slowing water flow, changing how sediment moves and

decreasing water quality, according to the Benton Conservation District.

The district received

a $250,000 grant from state Department of Ecology to monitor the plants and

develop a prioritized list of actions to address the problems they create.

The thick stands of

plants pose issues for irrigation and recreation and could help harbor

mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus, the district said.

The lower Yakima River

sometimes fails to meet state water quality standards for temperature,

dissolved oxygen and pH. It has been observed that these standards are often

not met during periods of excessive aquatic plant growth.

The district has begun

a two-year project to monitor water quality and plant abundance to determine

how they are related and suggest how they could be improved. Although it is not

realistic to completely eliminate the aquatic plants, the project’s goal is to

inform and develop strategies to break the excessive plant growth cycle that

leads to worsening water quality, the district said.

Benton County closes Richland annex

Benton County’s

Richland annex on Wellsian Way closed permanently on Nov. 27.

The county consolidated

all services from the Richland office at its Kennewick annex on Canal Drive.

The Kennewick and

Prosser offices  remain open for election

and voter registration services, vehicle licensing, recording and marriage

licensing.

Moses Lake airport receives $10M in

federal grants

The Grant County

International Airport in Moses Lake recently received two federal grants, one

for $8 million to rebuild the runway and another for $2 million to rebuild the

runway lighting system.

The U.S. Department of

Transportation awarded $13.8 million in airport infrastructure grants to three

airports in the state, including Skagit Regional Airport in Burlington and

Arlington Municipal Airport.

State bans vapor products

containing vitamin E acetate

The state Board of Health

recently expanded its emergency rule on vapor products to include a new section

banning the sale of vapor products containing vitamin E acetate.

The Department of

Health recommended the update based on new Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention findings connecting vitamin E acetate and vaping associated lung

injury.

Vitamin E acetate is

sometimes used as an additive in vapor products, often as a thickening agent.

No one compound or ingredient has been found in all cases of vaping associated

lung injury, and there may be more than one cause of the outbreak.

The department says it

will continue working with CDC and local health officials to investigate

Washington cases of vaping associated lung injury.

Thousands of toys donated to Toys

for Tots

This year’s annual

Toys for Tots event at the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant,

also known as the vit plant, took place Dec. 12.

Vit plant employees,

Bechtel,

AECOM and the Waste Treatment Completion Co. were expected to donate thousands

of toys and nearly $25,000 as part of their ongoing commitment to community

giving.

In 2019, Bechtel and

AECOM donated more than $400,000 to more than 40 local charities and

organizations, including the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties, Junior

Achievement and Second Harvest.

IRS issues reminder on filing wage

statements, contractor forms

The IRS reminds

employers and other businesses that wage statements and independent contractor

forms still have a Jan. 31 filing deadline.

Before the Protecting

Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, employers generally had a longer period of

time to file these forms. But the 2015 law made a permanent requirement for

employers to file their copies of Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, and Form

W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, with the Social Security

Administration by the end of January.

The early filing date

means that the IRS can more easily detect refund fraud by verifying income that

individuals report on their tax returns. Employers can avoid penalties by

filing the forms on time and without errors.

The IRS also

recommends employers verify employees’ information, including names, addresses

and Social Security or individual taxpayer identification numbers.

Roasters Coffee opens 2 new coffee

shops

Roasters

Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee company, recently opened two new

shops.

The

Kennewick shop at 2615 W. Vancouver St. opened Nov. 15.

The

Richland shop at  9025 Center Parkway

opened Dec. 13.

Layered Cake Artistry to open in

Kennewick

Sisters

Elena Gavin and Concetta Gullini will celebrate the opening of Layered Cake

Artistry with a ribbon cutting and open house at 4 p.m. Jan. 3 at 117 W.

Kennewick Ave.

The

sisters bought the historic building, originally constructed as a grocery, and

spent the past year gutting it. They moved their wedding cake business from

leased space in Prosser to the Red Mountain Commercial Kitchen in downtown

Kennewick in anticipation of the move.

The

studio includes kitchen facilities and room to consult with brides and other

customers.

Layered

Cake Artistry will sell limited items to the public.

Port of Benton wins $50,000 grant

for planning study

The Washington State

Community Economic Revitalization Board recently approved $3.5 million in statewide

loans and $1.7 million in grants for economic development, public

infrastructure development and economic feasibility studies targeting business

growth, job creation and rural broadband development.

The Port of Benton

received a $50,000 grant from the board for a storm water master planning study

to determine how the Horn Rapids Industrial Area can be developed to handle the

large amount of surface water from planned industrial uses. CERB funds are

matched by $50,000 in local resources.

The city of Othello

received a $50,000 grant for a study to examine the development of a market

district/food makers’ incubator in downtown Othello. CERB funds are matched by

$16,667 in local resources.

Since 1982, CERB has

committed nearly $176 million to local jurisdictions across the state, an

investment generating more than 36,000 jobs, and private capital investment of

a $5.7 billion ($36 to $1) return on CERB investment.

Edible Arrangements closes in

Kennewick

Edible Arrangements

has closed after five years in business in Kennewick.

The local franchise

announced its plans to close, effective Dec. 6, and confirmed it in a recorded

telephone message.

Customers outside the

Tri-Cities can still order edible gifts through the parent company’s website,

ediblearrangements.com.

Edible Arrangements

opened at 8530 W. Gage Blvd. in October 2014. It provided treats made from

fruit and baked goods in lieu of flowers.

Grocery Outlet gets OK to do

Richland interior

The

city of Richland has authorized interior construction of

the Grocery Outlet being built at Vintner Square, at Queensgate Drive and

Duportail Street.

Browman Development

Co., which owns the shopping center, secured the permit for $1.8 million in

tenant improvements on Dec. 5.

Browman announced it

would add Grocery Outlet, a discount grocery store, to the Target-anchored

shopping center in July. The 18,000-square-foot store is under construction by

O’Brien Construction Company Inc. of Kennewick at 2901 Queensgate, next to

Party City.

With Grocery Outlet in

the mix, Vintner Square has only one retail pad left available for development,

according to Jim Stephens, vice president for development.