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Oregon Senator Ron Wyden’s wife agrees to $1.5M fine for illegal Covid era loan, Benefits health to close Great Falls location one month after opening, Hood River’s Full Sail brewing acquired, Idaho’s Soldier Mountain adds new snowcats, Lattice Semiconductor pops 10%.

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PNW Market Look

As of market close 11.3.26

AMD stock jumps 8% on earnings as data center revenue nearly doubles (CNBC)

Meta raises $15 billion in five-part US bond sale (Ground)

Midterm Election Updates: Control of Congress Is on the Line as Polls Begin to Close (WSJ)

Headline Roundup

Strand bookstore to pay nearly $1.5 million over Covid loan tied to Sen. Wyden’s wife (CNBC)
Oregon craft beer pioneer acquired by national spirits company (ORL)
700-employee Oregon credit union adopts 32-hour workweek (PBJ)
Finding ICE 'Not Capable' of Working With Integrity, Oregon Judge Orders Many New Records Into Public Domain (WW)
State railroad crossing upgrades get $105M federal boost (DJC)
Simon confirms U Village deal (DJC)
Othello station units sell for $87M (DJC)
Washington sees slight growth in construction jobs (DJC)
Mass timber airport terminal tops out in Oregon's Redmond (DJC)
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs addresses voter-roll dispute, election concerns (KOMO)
Benefis to close clinic in Great Falls, end behavioral health services (MTFP)
SW Idaho ski area expands cat-skiing operations (BD)
Google Will Turn Off Search for Schools That Reject AI (ST)
Amazon will build up to 21 data centers on West Richland land it paid $264M for (ST)
Feds award four Oregon localities $16 million for street safety projects (OCC)
Gianforte administration appeals court injunction that stalled BLM removal of bison (MTS)
COCC breaks ground on $8 million Manufacturing Center expansion (KTVZ)

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Community Highlight

City of Nampa receives a near $43M grant for Robinson Road Railroad Overpass Project (KIVI)

“The multi-million-dollar project will replace the current railroad crossing with a grade-separated crossing, allowing vehicles to travel over the tracks without being delayed by the trains.

The City of Nampa announced on Friday that it has been selected to receive up to $42.98 million in federal funding for a proposed railroad overpass project.

According to the city, this funding marks the largest transportation grant in Nampa's history.

The funding will support final design and construction of the new overpass, aimed at improving safety and traffic flow at the intersection of Robinson Road and Greenhurst Road.
The city says the current crossing creates delays for drivers and poses challenges for first responders. Nampa Mayor Darl Bruner highlighted how this new project is set to alleviate those concerns.

“The federal grant... will help us eliminate a dangerous crossing that is often blocked by trains and make travel safer and smoother for everyone," Mayor Bruner commented.

The railroad overpass project is expected to start in early 2030 and take up to three years to complete.”

Rip’s Spotlight

Amazon is behind a $264M Washington state ranch deal. Up to 21 data centers are planned (TCH)

“On Monday, AWS confirmed it is the actual buyer behind the $264 million deal in a phone call. It said that such arrangements are standard. AWS, the data arm of the Seattle e-commerce giant, will hold a public open house from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 19 in the cafeteria of Enterprise Middle School in West Richland, 5200 Paradise Way, in Washington. The “science fair” style event will share details about its future data center campus along Ruppert Road and give participants a chance to discuss concerns with staff. AWS has not yet submitted a site plan to the city of West Richland. The project is subject to scrutiny under the Washington State Environmental Policy Act or SEPA.

An AWS spokeswoman said it plans to build three buildings in the first phase. The site could grow to as many as 21 data center buildings.

West Richland isn’t the first place where AWS has pursued land for a data center campus without first identifying itself. In 2024, it used the alias “Advance Phase LLC” to make a deal for more than 500 acres at Wallula Gap Business Park, about 10 miles southeast of Pasco, for a proposed $5 billion data center campus. The industrial park overlooks the spot where the Columbia River slips through Wallula Gap in western Walla Walla County. Its identity was an open secret, with AWS officials reportedly using their company emails to communicate with neighbors. However, it wasn’t officially confirmed until the Port of Walla Walla closed the transaction in February. The first phase is under review now.

As awareness grew, area residents raised concerns, citing the impact data centers have on utility bills, water use, the noise they generate and the massive amounts of water and power they consume, along with the quality of the water they discharge.

In late 2024, AWS joined Energy Northwest in Richland to develop X-energy small modular reactors. It also has a commitment to purchase more than 200,000 megawatt hours of renewable power annually from a wind farm in Gilliam County in Oregon.”