pandemic

The two county Health Board approved the COVID-19 Response After Action Review Monday, which pinpoints strengths and weaknesses in responding to the pandemic.

The regular US Census migration and other data is a lot to wade through, but definitely shows migration patters reflected COVID policies and politics during pandemic

Because of the pandemic, many businesses and industry were forced to adopt new restrictions and guidelines very quickly, including the aquaculture industry.  But, thanks to AMS, some of those costs can now be addressed. Through the Agricultural Marketing Service Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program, another round of grants are available to seafood processors and proc

Most Oregonians who receive food assistance through the SNAP program will again see a larger allotment this month; but it’s the last time emergency food benefits will go out.  Around 416,000 Oregon households will share an additional 71-thousand dollars in payments in February.  March will be...

Oregon senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkely as well as Washington’s Patty Murray joined 11 others this week sending a letter to the USDA about the western Drought and conservation priorities.  The lawmakers are asking the agency to give parity to the urgent priorities of Western growers and communities through existing authorities, new funding, and collaboration across government.     “The... Read Mor

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to linger even as society and rural communities are ready to move on.  Dr. Michael Stevens, West Virginia University System Health Care Epidemiologist, Morgantown, West Virginia, said rural communities have seen disproportionate levels of COVID   “Rural communities have been disproportionately affected and impacted by the pandemic in terms of having more severe COVI

As the state works to come out of the pandemic, the number of Oregonians considered “food insecure” is rising.  In 2019, roughly 860,000 people requested food assistance; that number ballooned to 1.7 million in the first year of COVID-19.  Oregon Food Bank Ex...

Late last week, the Washington state Department of Agriculture was awarded more than $16 million in grants to help small farms and food businesses recover from ongoing economic impacts from the pandemic.  State lawmakers created the Local Food System Infrastructure Grants to improve the strength and resiliency Washington’s food systems.  Applicants offered...

During 2020 and 2021, the FSA provided $31 billion in aid to more than 950,000 producers of agricultural commodities, including crops, dairy, and livestock.  The goal was to help offset losses and costs associated with the COVID pandemic.  Th...

TRI-CITIES, Wash. - The Tri-Cities housing market has shown a surprising trend - rather than sales sinking, real estate exploded in the last year. Ron Almberg, president elect of the Tri-City Association of Realtors, says the market only slowed down for about two months, "but then as soon as June hit, the market just caught on fire and it was busier than ever ... Read More ...