DELIVERING NEWS TO MID-COLUMBIA SENIORS SINCE 1982
Veterans Court is changing lives in Benton County. Will Franklin follow? By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
Judge Dan Kathren expected miracles in 2019, when Benton County launched a special court to help veterans charged with crimes turn their lives around. Forty veterans and 20 graduates later, he has not been disappointed. “It’s absolutely doing what we were hoping it would,” said Kathren, a seasoned Benton County District Court judge who oversees cases involving military veterans charged with driving under the influence, assault and other crimes. Participants have their cases diverted to therapy court in exchange for stipulating to the charges and agreeing to enter therapy and be mentored by fellow veterans. Qualifying veterans regularly appear in court and meet with case workers – weekly at first, then every two weeks, then three and finally four. It takes at least a year and sometimes far longer to graduate. Along the way, participants meet with mentors from Columbia Basin Veterans Center and are signed up for VA (Veterans Affairs) benefits if they’re eligible. If they aren’t eligible because they weren’t honorably discharged, the program helps them tap into non-VA services. The idea is to address the underlying issues that land some veterans in court to start with – post traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries, military sexual assault and more. Kathren described stunning outuVETERANS COURT, Page 2
NOVEMBER 2021
Vol. 9 | Issue 11
Farmers Exchange changes owners as fourth – and fifth – generations step in By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
Farmers Exchange, the iconic purveyor of lawnmowers, chainsaws, trimmers, animal feed and garden supplies, has passed to a new generation. Christopher Ingersoll, great grandson of one of the original owners of the Kennewick business, bought it from his uncle, Keith Silliman, in a deal that closed Oct. 1. Silliman said he was thrilled to pass it to the next generation and pledged to support his nephew any way he can to ensure its continued success. The transfer included the $1.25 million sale of Farmers Exchange buildings and land at 215 W. Canal Drive as well as on North Benton Street. Ingersoll is the fourth generation of the Silliman family to lead the store, founded in 1923 in the park-
Photo by Wendy Culverwell Christopher Ingersoll is the fourth-generation owner of Farmers Exchange in downtown Kennewick. Ingersoll purchased the business from his uncle, Keith Silliman, in a deal that closed Oct. 1.
ing lot of Washington Hardware as a spot for farmers to exchange goods and services.
Emerald Ambrose Silliman became a partner in 1930 and would uFARMERS EXHANGE, Page 8
Memory care home adding two buildings in Pasco By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
Rosetta Assisted Living is completing its Pasco complex with its third and fourth buildings to serve residents with memory disorders. The Pasco facility, 5921 Road 60, has room for up to four identical buildings to care for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Each building has 17 rooms and can serve up to 23 people with a mix of private and semi-private suites. Rosetta’s second building opened
in late 2019. The third is valued at $2 million and is under construction with an occupancy date of March 2022. Workers will break ground on a fourth by late 2021 or early 2022, said Crystal Worcott, regional director for Rosetta. The Pasco facility is across Road 60 from Mariposa Park, close to Barbara McClintock STEM Elementary School. Rosetta, based in Idaho, operates facilities serving people with dementia in Montana and Washington. It exited the Idaho and Oregon markets and has a focus on Washing-
ton, Worcott said. It has properties in Richland and Kennewick and employs about 24 in Pasco. Worcott said two new buildings answer need for residential care for people who need varying degrees of support. “We are always full,” she said. Construction workers placed the roof on the third building in midOctober. Rosetta serves a variety of patients with cognitive deficits, from those who can care for themselves in most uROSETTA, Page 6
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Holiday bazaars are back after pandemic hiatus
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MONTHLY QUIZ
Longtime newsman lived and breathed news during the glory days of print
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What did the Pasco High School Torch Society encourage? ANSWER, PAGE 9
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