Local Briefs: McCluskey Foundation hire; market entertainment; nonprofit grants; library challenge; firefighter training

Lauren McCluskey Foundation hires new executive director

The Pullman-based Lauren McCluskey Foundation has named Laurie Quiring as its new executive director. Quiring will begin her role on Monday. The current executive director, Linda Mittelhammer, is transitioning to the role of director of community and university relations and will focus on working with the community and student leaders.

The Lauren McCluskey Foundation was founded by her parents in 2019 to honor Pullman native Lauren McCluskey, a 21-year-old honors student-athlete who was murdered in 2018 at the Univeristy of Utah by a man she briefly dated.

The foundation aims to improve campus safety, support animal well-being and support amateur athletics. For more information on the foundation, visit laurenmccluskey.org.

City of Moscow opens farmers market entertainment apps

The city of Moscow Community Events Division has opened applications for the 2022 Farmers Market entertainment in Friendship Square. There are 22 performance dates, and all performances are between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. March 11.

Application documents can be found at ci.moscow.id.us/212/Market-Entertainment and submitted applications do not guarantee a scheduled performance. The Moscow Farmers Market is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday from May to October in downtown Moscow.

Meter Foundation awards grants to local nonprofits

The Meter Foundation in Pullman awarded more $115,000 to 20 local nonprofits for the 2021 cycle, according to a news release Wednesday.

Nonprofits receiving money included Whitman County Libraries, the Community Action Center, Family Promise of the Palouse and Backyard Harvest. The grants included 20 repurposed computer systems and $122,945 in cash among the recipients.

Founded in 2018, the Meter Foundation was created to be the charitable arm of Meter Group, Inc. USA, orriginally Decagon Devices. The goal of the foundation is to leverage Meter Group charitable assets to fight the effects of poverty, promote education and to improve the quality of life of people in our local communities.

Grant applications for 2022 are open until Feb. 21 and the forms can be found at meterfoundation.org/?page_id=43. Grant applicants must have a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, and proposed projects should align with the Meter Foundation mission.

Garfield Library offers new challenge using Legos

The Garfield Library has a hands-on Lego building challenge scheduled from 12:15-3:15 p.m. Jan. 21 at 109 Third St. in Garfield. The competition is between teams of two to four people and can include children and adults age 5 and older.

To register a team, email garfield@whitcolib.org with the month and day you plan to compete in the subject line, member names and ages and contact person. The contact person should list name, email and phone number. A confirmation email will be sent.

For more information about the challenge, contact Sarah Anderson at (509) 635-1490 or email at garfield@whitcolib.org.

Moscow Volunteer Firefighter spring academy applications close Monday

The Moscow Volunteer Fire and Ambulance is closing applications for its Spring Fire Academy on Monday. Classes will take place on Monday and Wednesday nights from early February to the end of April.

Applications can be found at ci.moscow.id.us/861/Join-our-Team. Interviews and agility testing are Jan. 22.

There is no class fee, and application preference will be given to Moscow residents.