Monthly Archives: August 2014

Three Kitsap businesses in running for $20k award

Kitsap Bank announced the finalists for its edg3 FUND award this week and three Kitsap businesses are still in the running for the $20,000 prize.

A public vote helped narrow the field of semi-finalists to a final five. A panel of judges will select the winner during a live event at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 10 in the Kitsap Conference Center.

The contest recognizes small businesses that benefit their communities economically, socially or environmentally.

These are the five finalists:

Food safety: Restaurant grades for July

blog.restaurant

Here are monthly restaurant inspection scores for July distributed by the Kitsap Public Health District.

The health district keeps tabs on more than 1,000 establishments in Kitsap. Each is usually inspected twice a year. Inspectors make sure food is handled properly from prep to serving. The district works with operators to correct deficiencies. Grades from the inspections are made available to the public.

The inspection report from April is posted below. For even more detailed safety information on a restaurant, you can use the health district’s handy database search.

Seattle Children’s accepting Premera ACA plans

Athletes Are Vaccinated Ahead Of The 2010 Winter OlympicsLocal pediatricians were concerned earlier this year when they discovered some plans offered through the Washington Health Benefit Exchange wouldn’t fully cover services at regional children’s hospitals.

A major worry was Premera plans not including all services at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where many Kitsap County children are taken for treatment of rare or severe ailments.

The hospital and insurance company have now reached an agreement. Beginning Sept. 1, Seattle Children’s will be “in-network” for individual and small-group Premera plans offered under the Affordable Care Act, according to a Monday news release.

Seattle Children’s is still negotiating with Bridgespan, the release said. The Puget Sound Business Journal has more on the Premera agreement.

Speaking of hospital/insurer disagreements, the deadline for Harrison Medical Center and Regence BlueShield to reach an accord is coming up. A temporary contract extension ends Thursday. We’ll continue reporting on the negotiations.

Port Orchard pot store will open Aug. 24

Recreational Pot-Nevada

Kitsap County’s first recreational marijuana store will open its doors at 10 a.m. Aug. 24.

Colette Thomas, a manager of Port Orchard’s Crockpot LLC., said the pot shop will launch with about 5 pounds of marijuana. They expect to sell out quickly.

Crockpot is located at 1703 SE Sedgewick Road, between a tattoo parlor and a Department of Licensing office. Updates will be posted to the store’s page on Facebook. 

It was issued a marijuana retail license on July 22. No other retailers have been approved in the county, though more are expected to open in late summer or in early fall.

Two licensed marijuana producers in Kitsap are already shipping product to stores around the state.

This post was updated to include the opening time. 

Kitsap home prices heat up; activity still cool

POINT NO POINT

Home prices in Kitsap took a jump this summer. But hot weather seemed to cool off real estate activity.

Prices were up in June and July compared with 2013, perhaps reflecting competition for the relatively small supply of available homes.

The median price for closed sales last month – $255,050 – was 6.5 percent higher than in the same month last year, according to numbers released by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. (It should be noted prices took an odd dive in July 2013):

Homes were selling for more across much of the county in July:

Continue reading →

New owners for Express Employment Professionals

Express Employment Professionals of Kitsap County changed ownership in June.

Wayne and Phylis Sargent owned the Bremerton franchise location since 1987. The new owners are Ken and Kristal Baker of Port Orchard, who moved to the county in 2006.

Kristal has a background in sales and marketing, according to a news release. Ken worked in manufacturing and and engineering.

“We are excited about this opportunity to offer exceptional staffing and share with the community the new services we can provide to job seekers and businesses,” Ken said in the release.

Express Employment Professionals has more than 600 franchise offices in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. The Bremerton office is located at 4545 Auto Center Way in Bremerton. Call (360) 479-4756 for information.

 

Regence, Harrison pact good through Aug. 21

As we reported earlier, Regence BlueShield and Harrison Medical Center temporarily extended their existing contract while the two sides continue to hammer out a new agreement.

A spokesman for Franciscan Health System, which is negotiating on behalf of Harrison, confirmed the temporary pact will be in place through Aug. 21:

Franciscan Health System and Regence BlueShield of Washington have agreed to extend their negotiations on a new contract for Harrison Medical Center and Harrison HealthPartners through August 21, 2014. 

We understand that this is a difficult and confusing time for Harrison patients who are Regence of BlueShield of Washington members.  We are working diligently to try to reach a new agreement with Regence.

In a recent interview, Harrison board Chair Jim Civilla said the hospital recognizes patients are “caught in the middle” of the negotiations.

“We and the insurance companies have got to figure this out,” he said.