Sorted by date Results 4831 - 4855 of 5664
The federal shutdown in October generated one dubiously positive result: it helped to lift the state’s unemployment rate enough to reactivate nine weeks of long-term unemployment benefits that were shut off in August. Currently in Washington, jobless workers can claim up to 54 weeks of unemployment benefits, including 26 weeks of regular, state-paid benefits and 28 weeks of federally funded emergency unemployment compensation (EUC). Nationwide, EUC is paid in a series of four tiers. All states qualify for tier 1, but tiers 2...

The Odessa Lions Club Turkey Carnival, held last Saturday in the community center, was another successful venture for the service club that has been a fixture in Odessa for decades. This was, in fact, the 72nd Turkey Carnival in Odessa’s history. Businesses and individuals donated prizes for a raffle that, in addition to the bingo games played for turkeys, raised money for the club’s various civic and national projects. A “spin the wheel” game also allowed participants to win...
TransMessis Colombia Plateau, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of TransMessis Renewable Energy, Inc., has announced that it had closed on an approximately $6 million restructuring of the integrated canola crushing and biodiesel production operation in Odessa. This restructuring includes an operating agreement on the physical plant with the Odessa Public Development Authority, investment in working capital to allow an immediate restart of production, and additional investment to allow an approximately three-fold increase in the...
TransMessis Columbia Plateau LLC, the new tenant of the biodiesel production facility in Odessa, Wash., has lined up seed supply for the facility’s planned start-up in December, but the firm continues to scout for additional supply. “We’re always looking for seed,” Joel Edmonds, president of TransMessis Columbia Plateau, or TCP, told the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) last week. As reported by OPIS, the Odessa Public Development Authority (OPDA), which is responsible for leasing the facility, announced last week th...
Sunday evening at 7 p.m., the Harrington United Methodist Church sponsored this year's annual community Thanksgiving service. Randy Behrens of the Harrington United Methodist Church opened the evening service with a welcome and the Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. This was followed by "Come Ye Thankful People Come". Tony Hamilton of the Community Church led in the Responsive Reading and the Lord's Prayer. An offering was taken for needs of local people. Unable to attend, Jo Gooley had volunteered to represent the Catholic Churc...

The Phi Theta Kappa chapter of Green River Community College has honored 2008 Odessa High School graduate Lauren Crosby for superior academic achievement with an invitation to membership in Phi Theta Kappa, the International Honor Society of Community Colleges. Phi Theta Kappa is the oldest, largest and most prestigious honor society serving two-year colleges around the world with nearly 2.5 million members and 1,280 chapters in nine nations. Privileges of membership include...
The Odessa School District announces the sponsorship of the Simplified Summer Food Program for Children. Meals will be made available at no charge to attending children 18 years of age and younger. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. If you believe you have been treated unfairly, you may file a complaint of discrimination by writing, USDA, Director, Office of Adjudicati...
The Northeast Washington Haygrowers’ Association will hold its annual meeting Saturday, December 7, at John’s Auto Repair in Clayton. A full day of educational presentations is planned, beginning with tips on transitioning to big balers at 8:45 a.m. This topic will be addressed by local growers and mechanics from St. John Hardware. A big baler will be on hand to demonstrate inspection, maintenance and evaluation of used balers. Other topics in the morning are certification requirements for weed-seed-free hay and organic hay...
Love’s Travel Stops (Love’s) in Ritzville, on I-90, Exit 221, opened its doors for business on October 31. Love’s is a 24/7 operation featuring a Carl’s Jr. restaurant, gourmet coffee selection, a variety of fountain drinks, fresh fruit, name-brand snacks, travel items, gift merchandise and more. This location will also have 72 parking spaces for professional truck drivers. An on-site Love’s Truck Tire Care center is scheduled to open in December. To celebrate the opening, Love’s held a ribbon cutting at the location on...
By MARJORIE WOMACH Mike Cronrath organized an all-school Veteran’s Program with participation from many of the various age groups. Debra Armstrong and Karen Kennedy handed out programs during the prelude. Madison Charlton, ASB President, made the introductory comments prior to the opening with a flag ceremony. The third and fourth graders sang the Star Spangled Banner under the direction of Mr David Nighswonger. Mike Cronrath made opening remarks and introduced the veterans that were present, one in uniform. Cronrath e...
Colville Rural Resources Community Action has announced the availability of specially trained personnel as a part of a new program in Lincoln County. The “Health Plan Navigator Program” at Rural Resources is underway to help Lincoln County residents explore their health plan options as a part of the nationwide healthcare decision-making process required by the Affordable Care Act. Washington state created the Health Benefits Exchange as a marketplace for public and private healthcare coverage options. The Washington Hea...
Lincoln County Sheriff Wade W. Magers reports that on November 6, 2013, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call around 5:30 a.m. reporting a man who was acting erratically and behaving unusual in the Lincoln area. Deputies Mark Stauffer and Calen Hayes responded and upon arriving learned the suspect was in the woods, as they could hear him yelling and screaming. Upon checking the area further deputies could hear banging sounds in the woods below them. The suspect was located walking from a residence in the are...

TransMessis Columbia Plateau is the new name of the Odessa biodiesel plant formerly known as Inland Empire Oilseeds, LLC. An investor group from Houston, Texas is providing the financial backing required by the Odessa Public Development Authority (OPDA) prior to signing the agreement to lease the facility to the new management team. Damon Pistulka, a resident of Edmonds, Wash., will be the manager, as the plant gears up to restart production after several months of forced...

Students tour missile site north of Harrington Michael Cronrath, instructor of Current World History and World War II and the Cold War, took nine of his students on Friday, Oct 18th, to Peter Davenport's missile site. Mike Perry and Tony Hamilton accompanied the group for the one-and-a-half-hour tour. Since Cronrath's classes had been studying the beginning of the nuclear age and the opportunity availed itself, arrangements were made for the trip. The students, aged 15 to 18,...

According to Odessa Mayor Doug Plinski, the Town of Odessa is very proud to recognize Chief Coubra for being selected to join the ranks of 250 rural law enforcement executives from across the country. Chief Coubra was among 29 other rural law enforcement chiefs and sheriffs from Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington who were invited to attend a federally funded class in Spokane, September 29 through October 3, 2013. The National Center for Rural Law Enforcement has...
Whether this weather sticks around or not, your friends at AAA recommend you make sure you are prepared for winter driving by putting together a winter driving kit for your vehicle now, before severe winter weather hits. AAA recommends making sure you pack at least these 10 essential items in your winter driving kit: Cell phone and charger for making emergency calls. Warning devices (flares, triangles or other visual alerts). First aid kit. Flashlight with NEW batteries. Non-perishable food and water. Blankets and warm...
USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds producers in Idaho and Oregon of the November 15 sales closing dates for the Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) pilot program, Vegetation Index program, and the Apiculture (API) pilot program for the 2014 crop year. The PRF and API pilot programs (available in all counties in Idaho and Oregon) are based on vegetation greenness indices. PRF is designed to give forage and livestock producers the ability to buy insurance protection for losses of forage produced for haying and grazing. T...
The Wenatchee office of the Washington State Department of Revenue is hosting a free workshop for new and small business owners on Tuesday, November 19, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Douglas County Fire District, 377 Eastmont Ave., in East Wenatchee. Participants will learn about Washington excise taxes, reporting classifications, deductions, tax incentives, sales tax collection, and record-keeping requirements. All receive a workbook and helpful reference guide to the rules and regulations. To register, visit the Department of...
Today and every day, 56 million Americans try to get by in a condition of chronic pain. That’s more than one of every five adults. Yet in many cases, their suffering is undue. Those with chronic pain often do not receive medication or treatment that could safely alleviate their pain. The simple truth is that pain today can be relieved in most cases. Afflicted patients and their families should insist that their healthcare providers control and treat their pain accordingly. The vast majority of those with chronic pain are n...
“It’s like Vegas. Every morning we come out here, press a button and hope for water,” said Clark Kagele, manager at Kagele Family Farms in Odessa. For farmers in the Columbia Basin within the Odessa Subarea, getting water from their wells is a daily gamble. Early each morning, they head out to the well pumps, turn them on, and wait for water. Their source is the Odessa aquifer and it provides water to irrigators, municipalities, industrial users and domestic users. Unfortunately, the source is declining to a critical level...
This coming Monday, November 11, is Veterans Day, and area residents will have some options for helping to commemmorate the day the honors America’s war dead. Since Monday is a non-school day, the students of the Odessa School District will give a Veterans Day presentation this Friday at 11 a.m. in the school multipurpose room. All veterans and community members are invited to attend. On November 11 itself, the members of VFW Post and American Legion Post and their associated auxiliary members will provide a turkey dinner at...
The historic Hartline School was the setting for a film shoot by Scabland Productions, LLC, on Saturday, October 12. Early morning saw director Jessi Shuttleworth and members of the film crew on location in Hartline to shoot scenes for the upcoming short film "February". Six local youth from Hartline and three youth from Moses Lake performed as extras, and Hartline resident Duane Dormaier was filmed driving his truck in one of the scenes. Port commissioner Cindy Cauble and Hartline 2nd Chance owner Rosalie Eckhart provided as...
Ed Ditzdy with the Public Health Department has shared some rates for the incidence of breast cancer in Lincoln County. Given the county's history of high rates in the 1990's, the latest figures are encouraging and support the efforts that have been put into breast cancer outreach and screenings in the 199's and early 200's. Reductions in mortality are due to the joint efforts of the local hospitals, physicians, and public health professionals in getting the word out about the importance of mammography and early detection....
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency has a portion of its farm loan program funds specifically allocated for women and minority producers announced Judy Olson, State Executive Director. "While FSA farm loans are available to all qualified applicants, by setting aside funds specifically for women and minorities, it ensures that they will receive a portion of available funds," said Olson. Loan funds can be used to purchase farms, livestock and equipment. Funds may also be used to operate the farm, build or rep...
By MARJORIE WOMACH Saturday morning three professors from EWU and some of their students congregated at the Harrington Memorial Hall with members of the Harrington Historic Preservation Commission and community leaders for a preliminary explanation of the goals for the day. Mayor Paul Gilliland welcomed the guests to Harrington and spoke briefly, and participated with one of the groups for the entire day. Teresa Brum, Urban Revitalization instructor, Margo Hill, Community Development teacher, and Dick Winchell, chairman of th...