YAKIMA VALLEY, Wash. – Gov. Jay Inslee is visiting the Yakima Valley on Friday, October 27 to tour solar power installations, the Yakima Valley Crime Lab and nearby housing complexes, highlighting investments in the Climate Commitment Act.
Gov. Inslee plans to tour three solar installations owned by farmworkers in Toppenish. The installations are part of a $970,000 pilot program funded by the Department of Commerce, Sea-Mar Community Health Centers and Radio KDNA.
According to a press release from Gov. Inslee, the installations, along with weatherization upgrades and energy-efficient appliance upgrades, are lowering utility costs for low-income workers and showcasing the effectiveness of renewable energy.
The governor will then go to the Yakima Valley Crime Lab where he plans to tour the facility and meet with lab technicians.
The lab is able to perform rapid DNA tests, cell phone data analysis and ballistics testing for identifying firearms. Prior to the lab’s opening, evidence in crimes needed to be sent to Spokane or western Washington for analysis.
Gov. Inslee will then head to the Neighborhood Apartments, a former motel which is being transformed into a supportive housing facility.
The property was purchased using $5 million from the state’s Rapid Housing Capital Acquisition Program.
The governor will end his trip with a visit at the Rhonda D. Rauff Community Resource Center which currently provides housing for 40 people with disabilities.
The resource center was previously an abandoned grocery store which was bought using $2.35 million from Washington’s Housing Trust Fund.
