Port gains state funds for projects

The Port of Whitman County received a $100,000 grant along with a $500,000 loan from the Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board.

The grant and loan will be used by the port to build two rail spur segments, one at Port of Wilma and one at Central Ferry, providing infrastructure to support additional rail cars.

The board announced the nearly $2.1 million in public investments that targets business growth and job creation across the state July 18.

The port will match CERB’s investment with $137,856 in local funds to construct the rail spurs.

The McGregor Company will invest $10 million in their private facility and create 10 jobs as a result of the project at Port of Wilma. The bid for this rail spur was just recently awarded and construction will begin later this fall. The project will be complete later this year.

The Central Ferry spur will serve Nu Chem, McGregor’s and Wilbur Ellis.

The Central Ferry spur will allow rail cars to be parked off the main line at Central Ferry. That bid was awarded earlier this week.