Economic development: County cuts Port out as ADO middle man

Whitman County commissioners last week re-assigned the county’s Associate Development Officer for economic development projects from the Port of Whitman to the Southeast Washington Economic Development Alliance (SEWEDA).

The move eliminates the Port of Whitman County as what County Commissioner Greg Partch called the “middle man” role in the county’s economic development efforts.

Each year the county is allotted money from the state to spur business growth.

For the past two years, the county assigned that contract to the port, which has sub-contracted with SEWEDA for economic development agent...