2020 One year ago today

While government financial assistance helped keep much of America fed through the throes of the coronavirus pandemic, area food banks are now worried that a wave of demand is about to crash down on their operations. “I think people were fairly well-resourced initially,” Community Action Food Bank Program Manager Steve Small said of the increased unemployment and food benefits that helped households weather the pandemic thus far. “But I think that’s starting to run out.” … Beginning today, Neill Public Library in Pullman will offer contactless curbside service. Patrons may place requests for titles using the online catalog or contact staff for guided assistance. To pick up titles, bicyclists and motorists should park in a marked stall by the north entrance near the outdoor patio and call to inform library staff of arrival.

2016 Five years ago today

WSU Provost Dan Bernardo will allow WSU beekeepers and entomologists to apply bee pheromones to his face to attract bees from a nearby hive to form a “bee beard” on the front lawn of the Lewis Alumni Centre on the WSU campus. The process is part of an event to promote the building of a Bee and Pollinator Research Center on the Pullman campus. … The path of WSU to an ever-higher echelon of greatness is not one to be trodden alone, Kirk Schulz, the institution’s new president, said during his State of Washington State University address at the Pullman Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. “We talk about moving toward the top 25 public research universities and continuing to do these great things. We can’t do this alone,” Schulz said. “It’s not just a university function and it’s not just a state of Washington function.” Schulz said it will take the entirety of the Pullman community, from shops to public and private schools, to take those steps.

2011 10 years ago today

Area business leaders and officials got an in-depth look at the local economy and how it relates to the real estate market during a commercial market review in Moscow. Shelley Bennett and Jan Koal, of Palouse Commercial Real Estate, talked about how the commercial real estate market has endured the economic downturn, using data they have been compiling over the last several months. Both were optimistic, remarking on the area’s low unemployment rate and the large number of educated people living in the region.