Registration open for Hanford site contractor symposium

Business owners looking for a way to pursue and secure contracts for work at the Hanford site are encouraged to register and attend the 19th annual Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium. 

The symposium, organized by the Hanford Small Business Council and Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce with the support of sponsors, will offer contracting tips and tricks, background on the mission and scope of work conducted at the Hanford site and networking opportunities. 

The event runs April 8-9 at Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick.  

The cost to attend is $150 per person through Feb. 21. The price increases to $175 after that date. Exhibitor space and sponsorships are also available. 

Go to: bridgingpartnerships.com.

Longtime port executive to retire

After nearly two decades on its staff, the deputy CEO of the Port of Kennewick is retiring in March. 

Tana Bader Inglima first joined the port in 2008 as director of governmental relations and marketing and became the deputy CEO in 2015, according to her LinkedIn profile. 

The port’s been busy in those 18 years, helping transition Vista Field from an airfield to a 103-acre development where the first commercial buildings are nearly complete and more are planned. Clover Island also has been built out over the years, and Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village has transformed from an industrial area to a center for food trucks, wineries, and a coming brewery.

In 2023, Nick Kooiker, the port’s chief financial officer, was promoted to deputy CEO in anticipation of Bader Inglima’s future retirement. 

The port also recently hired Rochelle Olson, founder of Prominence Public Relations, as its new director of governmental relations. 

Richland raises its electricity, ambulance fees

The city of Richland has raised its electricity utility rates by 8.5%, effective Jan. 1. The city said it was in response to an 8.9% increase in Bonneville Power Administration’s wholesale power rates and 19.9% increase in transmission costs.

Aside from one specific rate, the last electricity rate increase was in 2019. The city said the new rates remain competitive with other regional utilities.   

Richland’s daily Ambulance Service Utility fee has also increased to $14.38 per month, up from $12.58 per month. 

That change is a part of an ordinance which raised emergency medical transport fees from $1,042 for residence and $1,563 for nonresidents to $1,146 for residence and $1,719 for non-residents as of Jan. 1. The rates were last set in 2022. 

Go to: richlandwa.gov/UtilityRates.

Hanford contractor leverages mentor-protege partnerships to drive cleanup

Hanford contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo) will mentor two small businesses as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s efforts to grow the number of those enterprises receiving work contracts at the Hanford site. 

CPCCo will mentor Advetage Solutions – a service-disabled veteran-owned small business specializing in radiation detection and analysis – and OLH Inc., a woman-owned small business with a track record of DOE support experience in everything from project management to technical solutions, according to a release. 

Both companies, which are based outside the Tri-Cities, plan to establish offices in the community to support their work at Hanford. 

The mentorships are part of DOE’s mentor-protege program. The program does more than grow the pipeline of potential contractors and subcontractors and support jobs; they also support the cleanup mission at the site, infusing new energy paired with past best practices. 

“These relationships truly offer a win-win solution,” said CPCCo Small Business Program Manager Lloyd Foster in a statement.

Free nitrate testing available for some WA residents

Residents in the Lower Yakima Valley whose wells may have been polluted by nitrates have access to free testing and water filters, thanks to a Washington nonprofit. 

Industrial dairies in the area housing hundreds of thousands of cows produce massive piles of manure, and when that waste is not disposed of properly, it can leech nitrate pollution into nearby wells. 

“People don’t know there’s a problem, right? You could be drinking excess nitrates and have no idea that there’s any issue,” said Amy van Saun, a board member for the Clean Drinking Water Project, which uses settlements from lawsuits leveled at these dairies to pay for testing and water filtration for local residents. “That’s why we urge people to give us a call, give us an email, and we can get your water tested.” 

Many wells in the Lower Yakima Valley have tested much higher than the safe limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Van Saun said excess nitrates in the body are linked to reproductive and thyroid issues, as well as cancer. Residents can visit cleandrinkingwaterproject.org for free testing information. 

Van Saun said many residents of the Lower Yakima Valley are working class and Hispanic, and the impacts from pollution they are facing echo a pattern of environmental racism. 

“We see this all over the country,” she said, “that communities of color, Indigenous communities, are the sort of sacrifice zone for this and other industrial pollution.” 

Van Saun said if someone suspects their well might be contaminated with nitrates, they shouldn’t rely on store-bought test strips, as they are not accurate. So far, the Clean Drinking Water Project has helped at least 150 homes access clean water, but van Saun said there could still be hundreds more in the area. 

-Washington News Service.

Richland receives $500K for wastewater upgrades

The Washington State Public Works Board will provide the city of Richland $500,000 to pay for a portion of the cost of essential upgrades at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. 

The project has an estimated total cost of $11 million, with the state funding going toward its design, according to a release. 

Planned improvements include updating two major water treatment tanks that will replace aging equipment with modern and more efficient technology. 

“These improvements are about protecting public health, safeguarding the environment and ensuring reliable service for our community now and into the future,” the city said in a statement. “When finished, the project will extend the life of a vital part of the wastewater treatment facility, helping avoid unexpected breakdowns and costly emergency repairs.”

Legacy clothing retailer closing Columbia Center mall location

A more than 100-year-old clothing retailer with Seattle roots that was part of a merger last year with JCPenney and Columbia Center mall owner Simon Property Group will shutter all 200 of its stores, including in the Tri-Cities. 

Eddie Bauer will close its brick-and-mortar locations amid a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. A sign posted at the Eddie Bauer store at Columbia Center indicated that the store will close in the coming weeks and storewide sales have begun.  

Eddie Bauer became part of Catalyst Brands last year, which includes clothing brands Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Lucky Brand and Nautica. The organization is a joint venture formed in an all-equity transaction between JCPenney and SPARC Group, with shareholders Simon Property Group, Brookfield Corporation, Authentic Brands Group and Shein. 

Eddie Bauer’s reported planned bankruptcy will not affect the rest of Catalyst Brands, nor its brick-and-mortar stores in Japan. 

Eddie Bauer was founded by its namesake in 1920 as an outdoor clothing retailer. Its founder patented the first quilted down jacket it became known for in 1940. The company has passed through several owners since founder Bauer sold it in 1968, and went through bankruptcy in 2009.

Breakfast for dinner? Dual restaurant opens off I-82

A dual restaurant made up of two iconic brands has opened in Grandview. 

Washington’s first dual-branded IHOP and Applebee’s restaurant opened at 100 Higgins Way in Grandview on Feb. 3. The restaurant is just off Interstate 82 in the Grandview TravelCenter and Truck Wash adjacent to the massive Walmart Distribution Center. 

The menu is set to feature favorites from both IHOP and Applebee’s that guests can mix and match any time of the day or night. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. There also are exclusive menu items, including the Buffalo chicken omelette and ultimate breakfast burger and specialty cocktails.   

The new restaurant is divided into two distinctive dining areas with two distinctive atmospheres to reflect each restaurant.  

Fusion Dining LLC of Kennewick is the restaurant owner, which is comprised of Hardeep Singh, Gurvinder Bhathal, Ramandeep Malhi and Jagjit Singh. 

IHOP and Applebee’s are both a part of Pasadena, California-based Dine Brands Global Inc.  

Year-round swimming comes to Pasco

No need to wait until summer to start getting in laps or practicing your backstroke as the city of Pasco officially opened Memorial Pool as its new dome cover will provide year-round pool time.

A ribbon-cutting held on Jan. 28 included a free community swim. 

“This project has been a long-standing community goal,” said Recreation Services Manager Brent Kubalek. “The Memorial Pool Dome allows us to extend the life and use of this facility well beyond the summer months, creating more opportunities for families, students and residents to stay active year-round.” 

Swim lessons are being offered under the pool dome beginning in February.

The 30-minute classes will meet at 5:30 p.m., 6:05 p.m. or 6:40 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, or Tuesday and Thursday.

Cost is $35 for residents and $43.75 for non-residents.

The project, which included updates to the facility’s pool house, cost $2 million and was paid for via a combination of bonds, real estate excise tax revenues and a $100,000 contribution from the Pasco School District. 

The pool is available for open swim from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for youth and those 55 and older.

Kennewick schools seek businesses for job fair

Kennewick School District’s annual student job fair is coming up and is looking for businesses interested in offering real-world opportunities for the next generation of workers. 

The job fair will be from 6-8 p.m. March 18 at Kennewick High School. District officials say the event is a great way for local businesses to find students looking for part-time or summer jobs and job-ready graduating seniors wanting to start their careers. 

“Last year, we welcomed 85 professionals representing 61 businesses and helped 214 students explore job opportunities,” said Debbie Smith, a workforce specialist for the district, in a statement. “We’re hoping to grow participation this year and encourage even more businesses to join us in supporting our students’ futures.” 

The district encourages interested businesses to register as soon as possible to secure a free table and be part of this community-focused event. A complimentary dinner will be provided to all participating employers. 

Contact Smith at [email protected]. Employers also can register online at bit.ly/SJF-2026.

Study: U.S. firms, consumers shoulder nearly all costs of tariffs

The tariffs on international goods that the Trump administration has said would extract substantial revenues from foreign governments and companies has done quite the opposite, according to a German economic policy think tank. 

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy analyzed more than 25 million shipment records covering a total value of almost $4 trillion in U.S. imports, according to a release. Those imports generated about $200 billion in customs revenue for the federal government. 

And 96% of those custom duties were paid by U.S.-based firms and their consumers, the study found. 

“The claim that foreign countries pay these tariffs is a myth. The data show the opposite: Americans are footing the bill,” said Julian Hinz, the institute’s research director and one of the study’s authors. 

The tariffs did sharply cut into imports coming to the U.S., particularly from India and Brazil which were hit with 50% tariffs. However, companies in those countries largely maintained their pricing and searched for new markets to send products to make up for cuts in their U.S. markets, researchers said.

WSU biz school launches lifelong learning initiative

Looking to enhance skills for your career or prepare for a professional reset? Washington State University’s Carson College of Business has a new online learning platform to help you. 

The business school launched Carson Pro in mid-January. The platform offers non-credit certificate programs that are flexible, fully online and require no prerequisite coursework. 

“We are bringing to market what our learners are asking for at specific moments in their professional lives,” said Cheryl Oliver, Carson associate dean for professional programs, in a statement. “These offerings reflect our land-grant mission to provide practical education that makes an immediate difference in real communities and workplaces.” 

Available certificates are in finance, management, marketing, accounting, business of aging and wine business management.  

Tuition for the finance, management, marketing and accounting certificates is $1,990. For the business of aging and wine business management programs, it is $4,895 and $4,475, respectively, though individual modules cost $495 and $895, respectively. 

Plans are in the works to add AI, digital marketing, and program management certificates. 

“Most professionals retrain or retool every seven years at a minimum,” said James Montalto, Carson manager of lifelong learning, in a statement. “Our approach with Carson Pro is to encourage people to invest in education over their lifetime.”

Richland schools superintendent announces retirement

Shelley Redinger, superintendent of the Richland School District, has announced that she will retire from the district, six months after the district’s board of directors declined to provide a routine extension to her contract. 

Redinger said in a message sent to staff and parents on Jan. 23 that she will leave once her current contract expires at the end of June 2027 to pursue other opportunities. Her message stressed the district has shown resilience despite challenges in recent years and is on solid footing and moving in the right direction. 

“As we look ahead, I believe the timing is right to thoughtfully transition leadership and allow the next superintendent to build on this momentum,” she wrote. 

Her departure comes after a fraught tenure at the district’s helm, which included navigating through the Covid-19 pandemic, combative school board members, a hack of the district’s servers, the fatal shooting of a paraeducator and an operating budget that suddenly was deep in the red and led to staff cuts. The budget challenges were cited by school board members in the summer of 2025 as part of the reason why they declined to extend her three-year contract for another year. 

Voters also rejected a bond measure to build a new high school and several other projects in the November 2024 general election. Those same voters received ballots this week for the Feb. 10 special election asking to renew two levies that supplement state funding for programs and operations and also pay for technology improvements.

First transfer of radioactive capsules complete at Hanford site

Cleanup efforts at the Hanford site reached another milestone recently when the first batch of toxic byproducts from past plutonium production were moved to safer long-term storage. 

Highly radioactive capsules containing cesium and strontium were moved from underwater pools to dry storage in a concrete cask, according to a release. They were removed from Hanford’s large underground storage tanks in the 1970s to reduce the temperatures inside the tanks. 

“Transferring these capsules to safe dry storage is a top priority for the state and is integral to the goal of cleaning up Hanford and protecting the environment and surrounding communities,” said Stephanie Schleif, the nuclear waste program manager for the state Department of Ecology. 

Nearly 2,000 capsules of strontium and cesium were stored underwater at the water pools at Hanford’s Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility after being removed from the underground storage tanks. The pools provide radioactive shielding and help remove heat generated by the capsules. 

Moving the capsules to dry storage reduces risks posed by natural disasters, such as an earthquake, that could rupture the pools.  

The U.S. Department of Energy must move all capsules to dry storage by Sept. 30, 2029, the deadline in the legally binding Tri-Party Agreement.

Franklin County to host Trump administration officials

Franklin County is inviting community leaders to a Rural Prosperity Summit when it plays host to multiple officials from federal agencies, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the Small Business Administration. 

The summit is scheduled for March 26, though a specific time and location were not announced by the county in a recent letter sent to local leaders. County commissioners held a workshop Jan. 28 to begin planning the event and coordinating with partners. 

“This summit is not merely a presentation; it is a platform for high-level engagement. We have confirmed that many high-ranking officials from the Trump administration will be in attendance,” the letter stated. “Their goal is to listen directly to our local concerns and identify specific federal resources available to help us achieve our collective goals.” 

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Department of Housing and Urban Development and other federal agencies are also expected to have representatives in attendance.

Richland council picks candidate for vacant seat

The Richland City Council has selected a longtime Pacific Northwest National Laboratory leader to fill a vacant position.

Todd Samuel is the current research group manager for the building systems group at PNNL where he is focused on research, development, testing and evaluation of building energy, environmental and water systems. He has worked at the national lab for 30 years and is listed on two patents.

He is a member of Leadership Tri-Cities Class 12, as well as a board member of the Benton-Franklin Workforce Development Council and Mid-Columbia Symphony Society. He also sits on the city’s planning commission and code enforcement board.

After reviewing applications and conducting interviews during a Jan. 27 special meeting, the council appointed Samuel to the position.

He was sworn in at the Feb. 3 council meeting and will serve until the candidate elected in the Nov. 3 general election takes office.

The vacancy occurred after deceased council candidate Donald Landsman was elected to the position in November.

More leadership changes at Lamb Weston 

The global potato processor with a large presence in the Mid-Columbia is shuffling more new faces into its top leadership roles as it continues to recover from sluggish sales and other challenges from past years. 

Jan Craps, a former top executive with Anheuser-Busch InBev, was recently named executive chair of Lamb Weston’s board of directors, according to a release. He will work alongside president and CEO Mike Smith to further the company’s long-term strategic goals and performance in the international market, while also focusing on board leadership and governance. 

Craps replaces Bradley Alford, who will transition to lead independent director. 

The company also will replace chief financial officer Bernadette Madarieta with James D. Gray beginning in April. Gray has held financial leadership roles at PepsiCo and global ingredients solutions company Ingredion after starting his career at Bain & Company. 

“The experience and vision Jan and Jim bring to Lamb Weston will be critically important as we execute our Focus to Win strategy. I look forward to working closely with them as we prioritize markets and channels, strengthen customer partnerships, achieve executional excellence, and set the pace for innovation,” Smith said in a statement. 

Lamb Weston is one of the Tri-Cities’ largest employers, with about 2,806 employees working in its processing facilities and administrative offices, according to 2025 data in the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business’ Book of Lists. 

Lamb Weston officials were upbeat in their latest quarterly report in December, with net sales and gross profit climbing by tens of millions of dollars compared to the same quarter last year.  

Nurses hold informational picket amid contract negotiations

Members of Kadlec Regional Medical Center’s nurses union provided information about their top concerns in ongoing contract negotiations during an informational picket on Jan. 26. 

Nurses with the Washington State Nurses Association lined the sidewalks near the Richland hospital and were stationed in the Doris Roberts Gallery at the nearby Richland Public Library, according to a release. Community members were encouraged to attend and learn more about their concerns, which range from staffing levels and break relief to workplace safety and wages. 

Nurses continued to work their assigned shifts at Kadlec during the informational picket. “An informational picket is not a strike,” said Franklin Alvarez, a Kadlec registered nurse and member of the contract bargaining team. “Nurses will continue to work their scheduled shifts and will gather outside of work hours to share information with the public about how working conditions affect patient care.” 

The hospital, owned and operated by Renton-based Providence Health & Services, has been in contract negotiations with its nurses since September 2025. There has been constructive dialogue and progress, Kadlec said in a statement, but significant issues remain unresolved. 

“While we respect our nurses’ right to engage in informational picketing, we are disappointed they have chosen to do so, as we believe the best place to resolve outstanding issues is at the bargaining table, through open discussion and good-faith negotiations,” the statement said, adding that hospital leaders “remain fully committed to reaching a fair agreement that supports our nurses while also ensuring we can continue to provide safe, high-quality, and reliable care to those who depend on us.” 

More than 1,200 nurses work for Kadlec, according to the 2025 Book of Lists published by the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, and it has an operating budget of $913 million. 

Providence cut hundreds of jobs across its system in 2025 in response to budget constraints, particularly the federal government cutting subsidies for Medicare and Medicaid.