Business and Community News
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COVID-19 Small Business Relief Fund Ready for Applications
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The Port of Columbia COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant Fund is ready to receive applications!
The Port has been promised, or has received, funding from four different sources totalling $229,639. All of these funds are available through a grant process to businesses with 10 employees or less who have been harmed financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about the grant program and fund sources by clicking on the Press Release image.
Eligibility information and grant application forms can be found on the Port's website. After you have read through the materials, if you have questions give us a call or send us an email.
Find grant information and application forms here:
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Columbia County's unemployment rate dropped from 10.5% in May to 7.2% in June, which is great news. The state rate was 9.7% over the same time period.
While the following information seems outdated now, Columbia County had the
highest taxable retail sales increase in the entire state year-over-year from 2018 to 2019.
This was due in part to the large construction projects in the area, including construction of the Columbia Pulp plant and the retrofitting of the PacifiCorp Marengo project wind turbines with larger blades and generators.
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Click on the chart to see how we compared to all counties in the state with retail sales tax collections. (Walla Walla County is highlighted because I took this chart from the Port of Walla Walla's website.)
As of today, the federal government is working on but has not yet agreed on a new stimulus program to help businesses, schools, workers, and health care facilities as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the nation. We are also still waiting to hear more on a State of Washington nonprofit assistance program. Stay tuned for more info.
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Evening NOT at the Depot Auction is Live Now!
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The Dayton Historic Depot Society is fittingly serving as the pioneer in virtual fundraising events for local nonprofits. The Evening NOT at the Depot online auction is now live and goes through August 1. It is free to participate and anyone is welcome to join in. After you register, you will receive a code via email that allows you access to the auction.
The second part of the auction is a virtual Zoom event that features Shawn Brown as Master of Ceremonies, video clips from local businesses and musicians, a virtual "name that building" game, door prizes, and announcements of the winning live auction bidders. The event cost is $35 and includes $10 Depot Dollars that can be used at local restaurants and Dumas Station Winery.
Click here
to register FREE for the auction and to start bidding!
You can also purchase tickets for the Zoom event through the same link.
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Columbia County COVID-19 Updates
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COVID-19 positive cases continue to slowly climb in Columbia County with 2 more positive tests reported today. While our total number still seems small (13 in- county, 2 out-of-county) our per capita rank compared to other Washington counties has also crept up. Before today's test results were posted, we ranked 21st out of 39 counties in per capita positive case numbers. Our neighbor Walla Walla ranks 13th. The top five counties in the state ranked by positive cases per capita are Yakima, Franklin, Adams, Benton, and Douglas. Eastern Washington's R0 (R-naught) rate is 1.2. The R0 rate represents the number of new infections estimated to stem from a single case. Anything over 1 means the number of new cases is still growing. An average of 1.2 people in eastern Washington are becoming infected for every 1 new case.
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The chart on the right shows the total number of new cases per day reported in Washington State, and verifies that statewide new case numbers began dropping a week or two after the public mask mandate was extended and county advancements were halted. However, the R0 number above means that while numbers are dropping statewide, they are still growing in eastern Washington.
You can see daily case updates at the
Columbia County Public Health website,
and more detailed information on their
COVID-19 page,
including links to updated business guidelines, information about testing, health care provider contact information, and more.
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While we're very lucky to have reached Phase 3 prior to the most recent rollbacks in activities allowed, we're not completely immune.
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While Yakima County still leads in total cases per capita in the state, they have turned things around and new cases are decreasing. The reason given? They reportedly went from 65% to 95% of people wearing masks.
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Corps of Engineers Master Plans Open for Public Comment
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Master Plans that affect recreation areas important to Columbia County are currently open for public comment. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, (Corps) invites your review and comment on two revised Master Plans and associated environmental compliance documents. The Corps has updated and revised the Master Plan for Lower Monumental Dam and Little Goose Dam on the lower Snake River and prepared an Environmental Assessment and draft Finding of No Significant Impact for each. The 30-day comment period is open from July 20th through August 21st, 2020. There are interactive maps, and several ways to submit comments.
Lyons Ferry Marina, Lyons Ferry Park, Texas Rapids, and more are included in these master plans.
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Sherwood Trust Leadership Program
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Sherwood Trust is once again offering a leadership class to residents in the Walla Walla Valley. This program helps individuals develop skills as a leader and as an engaged community member. You can apply through this
online application form.
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Upcoming Community Meetings
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How is the pandemic affecting childcare needs in Columbia County? An upcoming meeting is hoping to delve into this topic as schools may (or may not) open in the fall and how that may affect the workforce and our community. I'd like to hear some feedback prior to the meeting. Send me an email and let me know your concerns about childcare in the fall, or let me know if you've got it figured out and it is not a concern. Any feedback is appreciated.
jennie@portofcolumbia.org.
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