Longtime plans for a second Port of Whitman County Industrial Park in Pullman on the North end of town have come to an end.
The Port Commissioners voted unanimously on Thursday to sell the remaining 8 acres in what was once called Pullman Industrial Park West. The ground near the intersection of North Grand Avenue and Albion Road will be sold to a Pullman company. Veterinary Medical Research & Development has agreed to buy the ground for just under 460,000 dollars to expand their operation.
The port sold most of its land in Pullman Industrial Park West two years ago. A Texas development company bought the property for a high-end student housing complex which is now under construction.
Pullman’s Veterinary Medical Research & Development is conducting a new method to collect COVID-19 samples using previously worn face masks.
The sample collection allows for early detection of COVID-19, even among people who are asymptomatic and presymptomatic. Dr. Siddra Hines, VMRD veterinarian and research scientist, said the sample collection is not a substitute for the nasal swab method, but an early indicator to keep more people safe.
“This is more like a first line of defense, an early warning system if you will,” Hines said.
The sample collecting is done by punching a hole in a used medical-grade disposable mask. Then, employees place the sample in a vial with a liquid in it that preserves the sample while it is prepared for testing, Hines said.