The city of Banks announced that Kirkland, Wash.-based telecom company Ziply Fiber will begin building a new fiber-optic network along Main Street between Sunset Avenue and Wilkes Street on April 12 or 13. The city sent out an email on April 6 announcing that construction will take place between 7:00[Read More…]
Business
Banks’ Coffee Country gets new owner, stays in family
With the snip of an oversized pair of scissors, Matt Smith marked his place as the new owner of the long-running Coffee Country coffee stand in Banks, a small business owned and operated by the same family for 28 years. Smith said his grandparents originally started the business—his grandmother, Alice[Read More…]
With revenues up $725 million, Oregon taxpayers should expect kicker in 2024, forecast says
The Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) issued this week a quarterly economic forecast predicting higher wages increasing projected tax revenue will allow the state to recover more quickly from the recession, triggered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic than it did from The Great Recession of the early 2000s. Oregon’s[Read More…]
Washington Co. Chair Harrington floats idea of requiring proof of vaccination for indoor dining
File photo: Chas Hundley Following a Tuesday afternoon work session where Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington said she would push for a closure of indoor dining in Washington County, the chair of Washington County’s board of commissioners has floated the idea of allowing indoor dining for vaccinated diners only. In[Read More…]
Banks’ Main Street Salon is expanding
Melissa Polley stands in front of Main Street Salon. Photo: Chas Hundley Main Street Salon in Banks is expanding, spilling into a newly renovated room with a new entrance behind the current area where hair services are offered. With the expansion, owner Melissa Polley hopes to attract new technicians to[Read More…]
Oregon House passes bill to require diverse boards of directors for publicly-traded companies
The Oregon Capitol building in Salem. Photo: Chas Hundley Oregon House Democrats issued a news release announcing the passage of House Bill 3310A, which requires publicly-traded corporations to have a minimum number of directors who are women and members of underrepresented communities. HB 331A is part of a concerted effort[Read More…]
Oregon Democrats propose $17 minimum wage
The Oregon Capitol building in Salem. Photo: Chas Hundley A bill referred to the Oregon speaker’s desk that has yet to be assigned to a committee would raise the state’s minimum wage, currently $11.25 per hour at its lowest, to $17 an hour, which is an annual salary of about[Read More…]
County Board to host town hall; county installs new economic development director
Matt Craigie. Photo courtesy Washington County The Washington County Board of Commissioners is hosting a virtual town hall on March 6 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the county’s Zoom platform with commissioners participating. The county commissioners plan to discuss their 2021 priorities followed by a live Q&A with[Read More…]
Banks Chamber of Commerce waives membership dues for 2021
The “Welcome to Banks” sign on Highway 6. Photo: Brenda Schaffer The Banks Chamber of Commerce announced a membership drive in December, waiving membership fees for the 2021 calendar year for new and returning businesses who wish to join the organization. “Our members are businesses, organizations, and individuals concerned with[Read More…]
Grant opens for small businesses in unincorporated Washington County
Face masks. Photo: Chas Hundley Washington County announced on Tuesday, December 8 that a new round of small business grants for businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic had been opened. The program is targeted at businesses with 100 or fewer employees that are in the hospitality industry or were shut[Read More…]
