CHENEY - Local officials plan to establish a 38-acre research park after receiving a federal grant of nearly $1.5 million. The money will pay for land as well as roads, utilities and telecommunications lines. The city plans to form an economic development authority to run the park and recruit companies to work with researchers at Eastern Washington University to develop new products and technologies.

EVERETT - Port of Everett officials are mulling projects to improve public access to the waterfront, including a $1 million public path to the port's Riverside Industrial Park property along the Snohomish River; $283,000 for improvements to the waterfront park near the 10th Street boat launch; and $105,000 to upgrade facilities on Jetty Island, including a solar-powered restroom.

GOLDENDALE - The new White Creek Wind Farm in rural Klickitat County is producing power ahead of schedule. The project's 89 towers were originally set to start generating electricity in January, but workers completed them almost two months early. The $361 million project is expected to generate 31.5 megawatts - enough to power 17,000 homes. The Cowlitz County Public Utility District is buying the largest share of the energy.

WALLA WALLA - Horizon Air will add a fourth daily round-trip flight from Seattle to Walla Walla in January. Port of Walla Walla officials have lobbied for years for Horizon to restore the fourth flight, which the airline dropped after the September 11 terrorist attacks brought air travel to a standstill. The port even offered Horizon a $250,000 subsidy, which it declined. Horizon is also adding capacity by switching to larger planes on its Seattle-to- Yakima route.