Washington Banking Company, the holding company for Whidbey Island Bank, announced that the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend for the 63rd consecutive quarter. The cash dividend will be paid on Feb. 26. In a separate release, Washington Banking announced 2014 fourth quarter results, reporting net income of $2.5 million, or $0.16 per diluted common share.
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FS Bancorp Inc., the holding company for 1st Security Bank of Washington, reported 2013 net income of $3.9 million, or $1.29 per diluted share, compared to net income of $5.3 million or $1.76 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2012. The Board of Directors approved a fourth quarterly cash dividend of $0.05 per share.
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Please take the time to nominate an executive and entrepreneur of the year.
These people should be dedicated private- or public-sector individuals who excel in business, community involvement and support Snohomish County’s economic development.
The winners will be honored during the Economic Alliance Snohomish annual recognition luncheon in May.
Nominations entry forms can be found at www.theheraldbusinessjournal.com.
Nominations can also be sent to HBJ editor Jim Davis at 1213 California St., Everett, WA 98206-0930 or email to jdavis@heraldnet.com.
Please include name, title, reason for nomination and the name of the person submitting the nomination.
More info: 425-339-3097.
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Skagit State Bank will open a new office in Bellingham this spring. The full service bank will also house the Whatcom County Business Banking team. Skagit State Bank will also close two offices. The Carter Street branch in Sedro-Woolley and the Stanwood office are slated for closure on May 2. The closures have been approved by bank regulators.
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EY is calling for nominations for the 28th Annual EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. The deadline for nominations is March 14 with the Pacific Northwest awards ceremony scheduled for June 20 at the Hyatt Regency, Bellevue. For information on the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in the Pacific Northwest, please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy/pnw.
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Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital in Snohomish, one of the largest mixed-animal veterinary hospitals in the country, recently announced it would once again be seeing goats, llamas and alpacas for routine appointments as well as for emergency care. In addition to dogs and cats, Pilchuck is well known locally for its large animal equine practice.
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Site work is underway for Cedar Cottages, the first cottage housing development in Mountlake Terrace, at 24226 52nd Ave. W. The development consists of nine cottage homes that range in size from 977 square feet to 1,577 square feet. Construction may begin as early as mid-February. The site is an extra-deep lot, where an older house was previously demolished.
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Playdate Cafe in Lynnwood has celebrated its first anniversary. It took business owner Lizz Quain three years before she was able to secure a small business loan and then find a landlord willing to take a chance on the start-up. The business now supports more than a dozen employees and was a winner of the 2013 Red Tricycle awards.
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Sublime Garden Design’s studio has opened at the Firehouse Center in historic downtown Snohomish. Owner Heidi Skievaski started the company that has been creating beautiful gardens around Puget Sound since 2005. It’s a collaboration of landscape designers, landscape architects and professional horticulturists to provide a full service experience tailored to the individual.
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Area post offices are selling a limited edition collectible stamped envelope celebrating Super Bowl XLVIII. The licensed envelope is already postmarked and ready for framing. It features high quality images of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, the Super Bowl logo, and MetLife Stadium. The price is $10.
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This month, Snohomish County Public Utility District will launch a new community-based Stanwood Energy Challenge, in which two teams of eight businesses each will compete to see which can save more energy. The challenge is set to run through June 30. Track the competition by visiting www.StanwoodChallenge.com and offer encouragement to the participating businesses.
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The Puget Sound Regional Council has released the Transportation 2040 Update draft report for public comment and review. The public comment period will run to March 10. The draft report and appendices are available for review at www.psrc.org/transportation/t2040/transportation-2040-update or contact PSRC’s Information Center at 206-464-7532 for print copies.
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Washington homeowners facing foreclosure can now access brochures about homeownership counseling and mediation services in 11 languages. The brochures are available online at www.homeownership.wa.gov. The toll-free hotline and website offer residents a direct link to federal- and state-approved counselors in their communities. Housing counseling services are free to Washington residents.
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Seattle Children’s Hospital announced that it has treated approximately 125 patients who lost contracted access to Seattle Children’s when new plans on Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange became effective at the beginning of the year. Continued access to the hospital remains in question. Seattle Children’s has filed exception requests on behalf of the 125 patients.
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Small businesses that suffered economic losses when the owner or a key employee was called up to active duty are eligible to apply for a low interest loan of up to $2 million from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Small businesses can apply for a Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan (MREIDL) any time from the date of notice of expected call-up and ending one year after the date of discharge or release.
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The U.S. Small Business Administration has amended its Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Program Policy Directives in response to public comments and input from all parties involved in the program. These amendments can be respectively reviewed at https://federalregister.gov/a/2013-31374 and https://federalregister.gov/a/2013-31376.
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