Prosser after the closure of the Conagra Foods french fry plant

The last day for most of the 250 workers at the massive potato processing plant was Friday. A couple of dozen will remain to maintain the cold storage facility, and a few dozen more will linger until mid-June to secure the 300,000-square-foot building that sits on 16 acres.

The initial announcement two months ago that plant would close sent a shock wave through the town of 5,200. Losing 250 jobs could put about 100 Prosser families and many more from Sunnyside and Grandview into a financial squeeze. It means about $400,000 a year no longer will go into city coffers for taxes and other revenues from plant operation.