Downtown Promotion Reporter: Social Networking Can Develop Support Among Youth, Volunteers, and DonorsThe Ellensburg Downtown Association was featured in the Downtown Promotion Reporter for its innovative use of two social networking Web sites, MySpace and Change.org, to promote and build support for revitalization efforts. The association received an Excellence in Downtown Revitalization Award for their MySpace page from the Washington State Main Street program earlier this year.

Fiber-optic Access Now Available to 25,000 in Chelan County, Wash.
Chelan County Public Utility District announced that fiber-optic access is now available to more than 25,000 homes, businesses, schools and hospitals throughout Chelan County, a rural county in north central Washington state.

Inc. Magazine Releases the “Inc5000” Fastest Growing Private Companies List – 116 Washington Companies ListedThe 2008 “Inc5000” profiles the fastest growing private companies in America. Washington has 116 companies on the list with a top ranking of 48 from Bellevue’s Revel Consulting.

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Quincy Water Recycling Facility
The City of Quincy, the Port of Quincy, and the Grant County Economic Development Council held a special groundbreaking ceremony Aug. 7 in Quincy to dedicate the site of “Phase 1” of the new Quincy water recycling facility.

World’s First Organic Food Processing Eco-Industrial Park
“The world’s first eco-industrial park dedicated to the recruitment and marketing of organic, artisan food processing companies will be located in Dayton, Washington,” announced Jennie Dickinson, manager, Port of Columbia. Dayton, located within the Port’s economic development jurisdiction in Southeastern Washington, has a long and illustrious entrepreneurial history in agriculture and food processing.

Registration Open for Governor’s 2008 Economic and Workforce Development Conference
The largest statewide conference on economic and workforce development will take place Sept. 3-4, with more than 500 key leaders gathering at the Lynnwood Convention Center in Lynnwood, Wash. Participants in the Governor’s 2008 Economic and Workforce Development Conference, titled "The Next Washington: Growing Jobs and Income in a Global Economy," will discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the state and how to drive economic development locally.

Students Get More Hands-On Learning
Students in some area high schools will have new hands-on learning opportunities this year. Last week 10 teachers from eight school districts participated in a training program for middle and high school teachers where they learned how to operate computer aided design (CAD) software prominent in manufacturing businesses.  The Northwest Intermountain Manufacturers’ Association (NIMA) recently identified workforce development as a primary objective of the organization in response to the memberships’ concerns over the quality and quantity of the workforce available to sustain and grow our region’s manufacturing businesses.

Life Sciences Discovery Fund Awards Health Research Project Grants
Six Washington state-based life sciences organizations and their partners will receive health research project grants totaling $5 million, the Life Sciences
Discovery Fund announced today. The newly-funded health research endeavors will concentrate on prostate cancer imaging, safer in-home environments for older and disabled adults, recovery from brain damage, soft tissue calcification, pain localization and diagnostic smart cards…