Memorial for slain UI students to be dedicated Wednesday
When four University of Idaho students were killed in November 2022, students came together and decided to create a memorial garden. That garden will be unveiled to the public this week.
A sprawling green field has been transformed into a structured garden with paths and a memorial. And it all started with sketches on paper, said Jackson Wiedenfeld, one of the university architecture students involved in the process from the beginning.
Part of the space will be dedicated to victims Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.
But the project was created to honor all Vandals who didn’t make it to graduation.
"Whether you're going through a loss or you're just having a bad day, you are totally welcome to this space. And we really designed this place to be for everyone," Wiedenfeld said.
Students designed and built built the garden and structures over the summer.
The dedication ceremony will take place August 21 at 4:30 p.m. on U of I's Moscow campus.
WA clean energy grants in eastern WA
Since its launch last month, the Washington Families Clean Energy Credit Grant Program has given its funds to more than 50-thousand eastern Washington families.
The program, managed by the state Department of Commerce, is intended to support residents facing high energy costs. Many of the eastern Washington homes who have benefited are in rural communities.
“We distributed the grants to electric utilities across Washington that serve residential customers," Commerce's Cheryl Hardee said. "And they're passing on that $200 bill credit to customers that meet the income eligibility of being low to moderate income. “
Customers who were already enrolled in their utility’s ratepayer assistance program were automatically approved for the state grant. That’s 69 percent of the population of Ferry County, 62 percent of Pend Oreille and 57 percent of Stevens County.
Applications for the grant program will close September 15.
WA Health Dept. unveils 'Be Well' campaign
A new Washington Department of Health initiative is aimed at improving mental and physical health among the state’s residents.
The project is called Be Well WA. It’s an effort to connect programs that already exist, and develop new ones, with an emphasis on four factors of health and well-being: Movement, nourishment, emotional health and social connection.
Be Well WA was spurred in part by declining life expectancy, mental health concerns and other health-related issues that state officials say were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
"There is no doubt that our health is the byproduct of so many inputs. Some are biological. Some are genetic. But many, truly, are behavioral and social in nature,” said Washington Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah, speaking at Be Well’s launch.
Be Well WA’s partners in Spokane include Multicare, Hoopfest, and the YMCA. Representatives from each said their athletic, health and social connection programs align with Be Well’s goals.
Incentives available for car repair shops to use safer chemicals
The Washington Department of Ecology is making it easier for automotive shops to use more environmentally safe chemicals.
Car repair shops routinely use de-greasing products to clean dirty engines and auto parts. But the solvents often pose a threat to human health and the environment. Safer, water-based cleaning agents are now available, but the initial cost of the machines used to clean parts with the newer chemicals is often higher than traditional machines.
Thatcher Montgomery, a pollution prevention specialist for the Washington Department of Ecology, says his agency is providing an incentive for repair businesses that want to purchase the new equipment.
“We reimburse auto shops for all the start up costs of getting a new machine to use with these new, safer alternatives and any consumables like filters," he said.
Montgomery says shops can be reimbursed as much as $10,000 for making the switch. He says nearly 400 repair businesses have taken advantage of the program.
Interested parties can find more details on the Department of Ecology's website.
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Reporting was contributed contributed by Lauren Paterson, Monica Carillo-Casas, Brandon Hollingsworth and Steve Jackson.