Columbia Basin College's board of trustees moved closer to formally naming the college's criminal justice forensic lab after former criminal justice instructor Jim Ownby.

Ownby died in November and served with law enforcement in Walla Walla and the Tri-Cities before becoming an instructor.

The board accepted an advisory committee's recommendation on the name during a meeting Monday and will vote on naming the lab in March.

CBC also is working out the details for its High School Academy, which helps students who dropped out of high school finish their coursework.

College officials have secured agreements with the Kennewick and Richland school districts to work with any student who drops out of high school. Pasco still is reviewing the agreement.

The program would serve 100 to 250 students and help them meet the state requirements for graduation. Classes are expected to start in spring.