Architects West announces 2 new hires

Architects West, which has designed projects in the Tri-Cities and is based in Coeur d’Alene, has announced two new hires:

Helen Casey joins the team as a landscape designer. She earned her Bachelor of Science in landscape architecture from the University of Idaho.  

Jacob Mayfield is the new building information modeling technician. He recently earned his associate of applied science degree in architectural technology from Spokane Community College. He served in the Army with a focus on using technology and software and has hands-on experience in both building and landscape construction.

National conference comes to Tri-Cities for first time

A national trade organization was excited to shine the spotlight on Hanford federal business opportunities at an August conference at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick. 

The Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association (ETEBA) held its first Hanford Federal Business Opportunities Forum on Aug. 14.

ETEBA represents more than 250 small, large and mid-sized companies and affiliate members nationwide that provide environmental, technology, energy, engineering, construction and related services to government and commercial clients.

Excitement about the conference gained momentum in the days leading up to it, said Ericka Rice, executive vice president of operations of TradeWind Services LLC in Richland. She also serves on the ETEBA board.

She said that the association has held big conferences in New Mexico, South Carolina and Tennessee and that the Tri-Cities was excited about hosting an event locally.

“We really wanted Hanford as a featured (Department of Energy) site,” she told the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

The full-day agenda included updates on Hanford prime contract management and opportunities and Pacific Northwest National Laboratories opportunities and updates. There were also panels on cleanup to clean energy and business opportunities forecast from Hanford procurement. 

State Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, was scheduled to provide the keynote address.

Go to: eteba.org/exchange.

HFG Trust returns to roots as independent entity

Wealth management firm HFG Trust has officially separated from Community First Bank, returning to its roots as an independent entity.

The transition comes after Community First Bank was acquired by HAPO Community Credit Union. HFG Trust was first founded in 1983 and joined with Community First Bank in 2016. 

The firm’s leadership and its mission to simplify clients’ financial journeys and empower them to live their fullest lives will stay the same. 

“From the beginning, our work has been about serving our clients and community with humility and care,” said William Wang, CEO of HFG Trust, in a statement. “We’re grateful for the relationships and experience gained through our partnership with Community First Bank, and we will be carrying those lessons with us as we enter the next phase of HFG Trust.” 

HFG Trust also will remain in its building at 8131 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. It has about 35 employees.

Port of Benton receives audit finding

State auditors recently released an audit report for the Port of Benton covering fiscal year 2023. 

The auditor noted one finding, stating that “The port did not have adequate internal controls for ensuring accurate reporting of its financial statements,” noting four “weaknesses” in the document related to the port’s financial reporting. 

As a result of turnover in the finance department as well as inadequate resources dedicated to reviewing records, the port’s financial statements had errors that management did not detect. 

The audit made several recommendations to the port, and the port identified in a response included in the audit “areas where our financial reporting processes can be strengthened.” The port takes its “commitment to transparency, financial responsibility and compliance with state and federal regulations” seriously, according to a Port of Benton press release following the audit, and has begun implementing the audit recommendations. 

A separate audit, released later and covering the time period of Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2024, found that the port’s Economic Development Corporation had inadequate internal controls to ensure timely annual report submissions. The 2023 and 2024 annual reports were filed 398 and 32 days late, respectively, due to staff turnover. 

“To address this issue, the corporation has developed and implemented a comprehensive annual closing and reporting checklist,” according to the port’s response in the audit document.

Fusion company with Richland facility hits milestones

After announcing earlier this year that it would be starting work getting a Richland test facility up and running, a Seattle-area fusion company has now secured major state funding.

Avalanche Energy received $10 million through the Washington State Department of Commerce Green Jobs Grant Program for the development of the FusionWERX test facility in Richland.

The funds will support 12 skilled positions and the purchase of first-generation neutron-handling equipment for the facility at 2345 Stevens Drive. 

Avalanche recently moved into the Port of Benton-owned building, which includes a facility licensed for tritium operations. 

The fusion company plans to open the FusionWERX facility to other private and public organizations to collaborate in the space. 

“By supporting Avalanche’s FusionWERX facility, Washington is translating cutting-edge fusion science into family-wage jobs and a resilient clean-energy supply chain,” said Joe Nguyen, director of the Washington State Department of Commerce, in a statement. “It’s exactly the kind of community-driven innovation our Green Jobs program exists to champion.”

Avalanche also has recently hit a technological milestone. Its desk-sized fusion machine has operated at 300 kV for multiple hours with minimal power loss, which makes the company’s machine the most compact, highest-known-voltage fusion device built, the company said in a press release.

Reaching this milestone is key to Avalanche’s next steps for the devices to operate better, according to the release. 

“This announcement marks small-scale fusion’s evolution from a laboratory curiosity into a neutron source that creates real-world value,” said Robin Langtry, CEO of Avalanche Energy, in a statement.

Richland native plays role in Spokane law firm merger

Two Spokane-based law firms have merged into one to expand their legal impact and enhance client services, and one of the partners is a Richland native.

Carlisle + Byers and Casey Law Offices merged to form Carlisle Byers Casey, combining decades of experience in workers’ compensation, personal injury and civil litigation. 

The merger will increase efficiency and allow for better coordination, minimizing gaps, handoffs and stalled communication between legal teams, according to the company.

Casey Law Offices was founded in 1971 in Spokane, and Brandon Casey, a partner in the new firm, joined in 2004. Carlisle + Byers was founded in 2013 by Chris Carlisle, a Richland native and partner in the new firm, and Rich Byers. 

Carlisle Byers Casey serves eastern and central Washington, including Spokane, Yakima, Moses Lake, Ephrata, Wenatchee and the Tri-Cities.

Pasco mayor resigns to become interim U.S. attorney

Pasco’s mayor has resigned, effective Aug. 10, to serve as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, and the search is on to replace him. 

On Aug. 11 Pete Serrano was sworn in as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District, according to a release from the Spokane-based U.S. Attorney’s office. He was appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi on Aug. 6.

He will supervise the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of all civil matters in the Eastern District of Washington and lead a staff of about 79 prosecutors, civil litigators and support personnel across Eastern Washington.

“I’m grateful and humbled by the confidence and trust extended to me by President Trump and Attorney General Bondi through this appointment. I’ve been blessed to serve the people of Pasco for the past eight years, and now, I look forward to serving the citizens of Eastern Washington,” Serrano said in a statement.

Serrano was up for reelection to the Pasco council for the District 4 seat in November and was running unopposed. The council will have 90 days to fill his seat for the remainder of his term, which ends Dec. 31.  

The council then will have to conduct another appointment process to finish out the seat’s term until Dec. 31, 2028. 

Applications for those interested in serving will be available on the city of Pasco website soon. 

City council members will select a new mayor at their next regular meeting.

Community Concerts of the Tri-Cities announces season lineup

Community Concerts of the Tri-Cities has announced its 2025-26 concert season lineup:

Sept. 8: The Dreamboats – This Canadian quartet creates a musical time machine as they bring back the magic of classic rock and roll.

Oct. 1: Halie Loren – An award-winning singer and songwriter rooted in jazz but defying musical boundaries and earning national and international awards.

Nov. 8: The Paperboys – In a single set, this globe-trotting Canadian band can stomp through Celtic reels, Mexican folk, fiddle tunes, New Orleans jazz, and even a philosophical waltz or two before bringing it all home with a Latino/West African singalong. 

March 7, 2026: Project Convergence – Imagine the union of classical Indian dance and American tap. 

March 23, 2026: GQ: Gentlemen’s Quartet – Provides a modern, elegant take on some of the finest music ever written, fusing multiple genres in a perfect symphony of sophistication. 

All shows are at 7:30 p.m. in the Richland High School auditorium.

Season membership includes admission to all five concerts for $70 (adult) and $35 (youth). Family memberships are $70 per adult and $20 per youth. Season passes may be loaned to a friend if you can’t make a concert, and Community Concerts of the Tri-Cities enjoys reciprocity with other community concerts organizations in Wenatchee, Moses Lake and The Dalles. 

Memberships are available at CommunityConcertsTC.org or by calling 509-547-6243. Tickets to individual shows will be available at the door for $30 (adult) and $15 (youth).