Book chronicles state hop history

Washington state supplied 75 percent of the U.S. hop harvest in 2015. The agricultural commodity’s cultivation can be traced to 1852 Oregon Trail pioneer Ezra Meeker, and Dennis M. Larsen’s book, “Hop King: Ezra Meeker’s Boom Years” covers this journey.

“Hop King: Ezra Meeker’s Boom Years” is a comprehensive biography that chronicles the rise and fall of Meeker’s hop empire as well as his role in Washington Territory’s growth.

The book is available book stores or direct from nonprofit academic publisher WSU Press at Washington State University, wsupress.wsu.edu.

WSU student Zhu represents U.S.

Lei Zhu, a doctoral student at Washington State University Tri-Cities, is one of 15 worldwide and the only U.S. student selected to participate in a recent week-long Summer School on Sustainable Chemistry for Sustainable Development in Germany.

The school focused on developing safe, reliable chemicals in a sustainable way that does not put the environment, public welfare or economic growth at greater risk. Attendees studied the scope and benefits of sustainable chemistry in value chains and in chemicals.

At WSU, Zhu works under the guidance of associate professor Hanwu Lei to find an ideal and less expensive catalyst for converting biomass into biofuel and value-added chemicals.

Way selected to Sylvan national board

Randy Way, owner of Sylvan Learning franchise locations in Richland, Kennewick and Yakima, was recently selected as board president for Sylvan Learning Franchise Owners Association.

The association represents all Sylvan franchisees in North America, and helps management to develop programs and negotiate license agreement terms, among other directives. Sylvan Learning provides personal learning for students in grades K-12 through more than 600 locations.

Esprit receives four print awards

Esprit Graphic Communications Inc., with offices in Kennewick and Enterprise, Ore., received four awards for outstanding achievement in Pacific Printing Industries’ ninth annual PrintROCKS Best of the West printing awards competition.

Esprit received a Best of Category award for its production of the Kennewick Police Department trading cards for officers to hand out to residents, especially minors, to help show police officers are their friends. The winning entry featured photography by Rich Breshears of Breshears Photography.

Esprit also received awards for its own 18-month calendar that features scenic photos of areas in southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon taken by amateur photographers, its production of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s “Discovery in Action” calendar and its compilation of PNNL’s presentation folder.

PrintROCKS is a regional printing competition hosted by PPI, a trade association for printing and the graphic arts serving Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Woodward joins United Way as chief operating officer

George Woodward has joined United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties as chief operating officer.

Woodward was formerly chief information officer at elevate, a technology solutions provider in Richland. He has management experience in information technology, higher education and health care, and received an master’s in business administration from Washington State University. He has lived in the Tri-Cities since 2011.

FSA announces election candidates

Three candidates are vying for spots on the Farm Service Agency Local Administrative Area #2 committee: Hans “Jochen” Engelke, Kimberly K. English and Rod Rottinghaus. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level while operating within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws.

Ballots will be mailed out beginning Nov. 7 and are due by Dec. 5; ballot counting is Dec. 8.

The FSA, which falls under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, administers farm commodity, crop insurance, credit, environmental, conservation and emergency assistance programs for farmers and ranchers.

CityView takes first-place award

Richland CityView received a first place national award for its Town Hall program from the National Association of Telecommunications and Advisors. This is the second year CityView has won first place and the 17th year it has received national recognition for its programming.

Richland’s 2016 Town Hall is at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Richland Community Center’s Riverview room and on Facebook live.

Local utilities receive first-place award

The Northwest Public Power Association awarded a group of Tri-City utilities and partnering organizations with its first place Wild Card Excellence in Communications Award for the Energy Experience event that was held at the REACH museum in October last year.

Franklin PUD, Benton PUD, Richland Energy Services, Benton REA, Energy Northwest and the Bonneville Power Administration jointly submitted the application for the award program.

In addition to these organizations, the Benton Conservation District, Cascade Natural Gas, Columbia Basin College, Mid-Columbia Energy Initiative through TRIDEC, Ben Franklin Transit, REACH museum and Washington Green Schools developed the day-long Energy Experience. The educational event targeted middle school students to create awareness and transfer knowledge about energy generation, production, safety, efficiency, conservation and public power.

More than 600 seventh- and eighth-graders, teachers and adult leaders attended the event in 2015 during Public Power Week. The partnering organizations plan to bring the event back in 2017.

Patterson joins Joe Peterson Insurance

Jon Patterson has joined Joe Peterson Insurance as an insurance adviser. Patterson has extensive training on implementing risk management programs for businesses to “hedge protection and insulate balance sheets.” He specializes in many industries, including HVAC, plumbing and electrical.

Patterson grew up in Richland and double majored in general psychology and youth and family studies at Corban University while playing collegiate soccer.

Clements joins Polestar Technical

Eric Clements recently joined Polestar Technical Services Inc. as its director of business development.

In his new role, he will utilize 33 years of experience in the nuclear industry to aid in business development, marketing and media development, and other corporate functions.

Most recently Clements was the CEO and executive director of Columbia Basin College Foundation.

Clements, Moren receive safety awards

Mission Support Alliance employees Tim Clements and Rick Moren were recently awarded MSA’s President’s Lifesaving Awards for the care and courage each of them showed by taking immediate action to save two people’s lives.

While working on the Hanford site, Clements came upon an employee from another contractor who appeared to be in distress, so called 911. Emergency services took the man to the hospital where he received assistance for a serious medical condition.

In August, Moren was docking his boat with his son at Columbia Point when they noticed a young man in distress in the water. Moren maneuvered his boat and threw a life vest to the young man while Rick’s son pulled up on his jet ski to help the man from the water.

Mission Support Alliance has responsibility for the Mission Support contract at the Hanford Site.