A 20,000-square-foot Smart Foodservice Warehouse Store under construction in Clarkston is nearing completion.
The city of Clarkston was working with the construction contractor and the developer last week on a certificate of occupancy for the store in the 800 block of Port Drive near Walmart, said Kevin Poole, Clarkston’s public works director.
The Smart Foodservice Warehouse chain has close to 70 locations in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Montana and Utah that carry more than 8,000 products for restaurant owners, chefs, caterers, coffee shop proprietors and event planners, according to the company’s website.
Tourism advocate named president of statewide board
OLYMPIA — President and CEO of Visit Lewis Clark Valley Michelle Peters has been appointed as president of the Washington State Destination Marketing Organizations Association based in Olympia.
Peters previously served as vice president and treasurer of the association and has been on its board of directors since 2012.
The association’s board of directors consists of 25 members representing destination marketing organizations from throughout Washington. The group advocates for the tourism industry.
Peters has more than two decades of experience in the travel industry, including in her present position at Visit Lewis Clark Valley, a not-for-profit group that promotes tourism. She has also been in management at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, Hells Canyon Grand Hotel (formerly Red Lion Lewiston) and Beamers Hells Canyon Tours.
Wind turbine project winds down at the Port of Lewiston
The Port of Lewiston has billed $250,000 through the end of December to Omega Morgan, a business handling components for 42 wind turbines bound for Alberta, Canada.
Originally, the port estimated it would make more than $100,000 from the project that involves unloading the components that are being barged from the Port of Longview up the Columbia and Snake rivers to Lewiston.
After they are removed from the barges, they are trucked through Idaho and Montana to Canada in shipments that, in some cases, are three times as long as standard semitrucks.
Exactly how much will be earned from the project isn’t clear, Manager David Doeringsfeld said at a recent meeting of the port’s commissioners.
The port hasn’t yet billed Omega Morgan for January, the last month the business is expected to be working on port premises. And the port hasn’t received a final report about a piece of cargo that hit the ground when it was being moved with a crane by a port crew, Doeringsfeld said.
The end of the component was out of round by less than an inch and it has been transported to Alberta, where Doeringsfeld said it’s his understanding crews are trying to install it.
Aside from that challenge, the work overall has gone smoothly, he said.
“(I’m) hopeful there might be some more of these in the future,” Doeringsfeld said. “I think it has worked out very well for all of the parties involved.”
Moscow Chamber of Commerce has an opening
MOSCOW — The Moscow Chamber of Commerce is looking for a new executive director after the departure of Jenny Ford, who accepted a position as business development officer at Idaho Central Credit Union in Moscow. (See accompanying story.)
The full-time position pays more than $50,000 per year, according to a listing for the job on the chamber’s website.
“We have received a great pool of applicants and are in the process of scheduling interviews,” said Tim Helmke, chamber board president in an email. “We are excited to see the caliber of people interested in leading our chamber. We look forward to announcing our new executive director in the near future.”
The executive director is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the chamber such as recruiting members, coordinating chamber committees and identifying issues that could affect chamber members, according to the listing.
The chamber would like to hire someone with a bachelor’s degree in business or related field who has at least five years of management and administrative experience, according to the listing.
Asotin County Library offers instruction for job seekers
Strategies for seeking work will be covered in weekly 90-minute sessions being offered through the Asotin County Library at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 3 through March 10.
“Job Search: Effective Strategies” is the title of what the library describes as one of at least five “learning circles” being offered throughout the year, according to a news release from the library.
In the one that starts Feb. 3, participants will meet via Zoom to go through curriculum that will cover resume writing, cover letters, job applications and interviewing skills.
“Learning circles are free, lightly facilitated study groups for learners who want to take online courses together,” according to the news release. “A facilitator is present to help support the learning experience, but he or she is not the expert in the content that is covered. Rather, the expertise resides in the online course and the participants.”
Students need to have basic computer skills, including comfort navigating the internet. Access to a computer is required for the course, but the library may be able to assist those who don’t have that.
Registration for “Job Search: Effective Strategies” is available at learningcircles.p2pu.org/en/signup/online-1524/.
The program is paid for with a Microsoft LinkedIn Learning grant.
Southeastern Washington group wants public’s help to improve broadband
An Asotin County Broadband Action Team is asking county residents to take a one-minute speed test to help identify areas that need faster service.
The test is available by going to www.broadband.wa.gov, according to a news release from Jennifer Ashby, Asotin County Library director.
Those who don’t have internet access can call the library at (509) 758-5454 so their address can be listed as a place without service.
“This will help us plan so that we can expand high-speed internet service within Asotin County,” according to the news release.
