Business Briefs — November 2026
Pasco High grad named top teacher in Nevada
Brooke Wheatley
Brooke Wheatley, who graduated as a Bulldog in 1998, is the second Pasco High graduate in the past two years to earn a state Teacher of the Year honor, according to a Pasco School District release. Fellow PHS graduate Gabriela Whitemarsh was named Washington State’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.
Wheatley briefly taught at Pasco High from 2014-15 before moving to Nevada. She now teaches social studies at Las Vegas’ Valley High School’s International Baccalaureate program.
She also is a National Board Certified Teacher, a certified Teen Mental Health First Aid instructor and was recognized as Nevada History Teacher of the Year in 2021 from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and received Heart of Education Award in 2023.
Hanford marks new record for pre-treating tank waste
The system that removes nearly all the radioactivity from tank waste stored at Hanford before it is stabilized in glass processed the most waste ever in a single run in September.
The Tank-Side Cesium Removal system, or TSCR, processed more than 220,000 gallons of radioactive tank waste during its latest processing run, according to a release. That’s the most ever run through the system at one time since it began operating four years ago.
“This was a demanding run, but our Operations, Maintenance and Engineering teams kept working through the issues and safely delivered the largest amount of pretreated waste TSCR has processed in one batch so far,” said Ken Langdon, president and program manager for contractor Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure, or H2C, in a statement. He added that teams have since completed routine maintenance that will have the system ready to process more waste soon.
Waste treated by TSCR is stored in another tank before it is sent to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, commonly called the vit plant, to be vitrified or turned into glass for long-term storage.
However, pretreatment must stop until the storage tank for treated waste has capacity. That bottleneck is why local and federal leaders with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management are advocating a strategy that would allow treated waste to be converted to a form called grout as well as vitrified.
DOE already has clearance to make grout from some byproducts of treating tank waste. The agency is pressing state Ecology officials to further modify its cleanup permits to expand grouting further to accelerate cleanup efforts.
However, Hanford watchdog Hanford Challenge and ecology officials recently said they are looking into concerns that grout isn’t being made into an expected solid form, raising questions about the safety of the material. Hanford officials have told the Journal the grouted waste meets requirements for safety, transportation and storage.
9 insurers approved to provide health insurance for small businesses
Small businesses planning to offer health insurance to their employees have up to nine insurers to choose from in the new year, and all are planning to bump their rates up.
The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner approved rate increases between 6.9% and 21.6% for the insurers, according to a release. Approved rate increases were based on actuarial reviews of each insurer’s financial projections and mostly reflect increases in the basic cost of healthcare.
“Despite the increase, it’s a positive sign that these small business owners have so many options for providing insurance for their employees,” said Washington Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer in a statement. “Our state has a competitive market, though as a country we need a more large-scale solution to address healthcare costs.”
All nine insurers also sold small group health plans for 2026. These plans are available for businesses with less than 50 employees, which are not legally required to offer health benefits.
Five of the approved insurers will offer plans in Benton and Franklin counties, with the designated increase in rates: Asuris Northwest Health, 15.3%; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington, 6.9%; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington Options, 10.1%; Premera Blue Cross, 20.3%; and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, 21.6%.
Banner Bank announces third quarter results
Walla Walla-based Banner Bank saw its net income decline but its net interest income climb as it completed its acquisition of a Western Washington bank.
Banner reported net income of $47.7 million for the third quarter of 2026, compared to $48.9 million for the second quarter and $53.5 million for the third quarter of 2025, according to a release. The bank incurred more than $5 million in merger and acquisition-related expenses related to absorbing Pacific Financial Corp., which operated Bank of the Pacific branches.
However net interest income jumped to $161.9 million for the most recent quarter, up from $153.7 million in the second quarter and $150 million in the third quarter of 2025.
And Banner is still ahead of its annual net income tally for the whole of 2026 compared to 2025 through September, having earned net income of $151.3 million in 2026 compared to $144.1 million during the same period in 2025.
“Banner’s results for the third quarter reflect the continued strength of our super community bank model, which prioritizes deepening client relationships, maintaining a strong funding base and delivering exceptional service while upholding a moderate risk profile,” said Mark Grescovich, Banner’s president and CEO, in a statement. “Banner continues to build on a foundation of solid credit quality, backed by a well-funded credit loss reserve and a robust capital position that offers both resilience and flexibility for future growth.”
Ironman Foundation donates to Tri-City organizations
The philanthropic arm of the global organization that has brought the Ironman triathlon to the Tri-Cities for the past three years provided $18,000 in grants to organizations that volunteered at the 2026 competition.
This year’s grant recipients by the Ironman Foundation include the Columbia Basin Veterans Center, Girls on the Run Southeast Washington, Runners of the Sage, Tri-City Channel Cats, Washington State University Tri-Cities and numerous other school athletic teams, student leadership groups and other community organizations.
“This is an example of the multiple layers of influence and opportunity that hosting Ironman brings to our community,” said Kevin Lewis, president and CEO of Visit Tri-Cities, in a statement. “In addition to the immediate spending from visitors, these grants support organizations that serve our neighbors throughout the year. It’s a meaningful way to recognize the volunteers who help make the event possible and keep that investment working in our community.”
The grants bring the foundation’s total contributions to the Tri-Cities area to $49,000 since the first race in 2024.
Brace for heightened business taxes in 2027
All the attention may be on recent debates around the state’s coming income tax on high earners, but business owners also will be seeing a bigger tax bill.
The business and occupation (B&O) tax rate for a slew of business activities will increase to 0.5% as of Jan. 1, according to the state Department of Revenue.
Many businesses in the affected categories, such as general and aviation manufacturing, retailing and insurance providers, will see a minimal increase from a current rate of between 0.47% and 0.48%. However, the rate for prescription drug warehousing will more than double from its current rate of 0.138%.
Additionally, the state has created new classifications (line codes) for activities that were previously combined on the excise tax return.
Go to: bit.ly/2027-bo-taxes.
‘Blood on board’ program launches in Richland
A new program intended to help save lives has been launched by Richland’s Fire and Emergency Services department, and an upcoming blood drive is planned to help support the service.
The Blood on Board pre-hospital blood transfusion program is officially up and running, as of mid-October. Blood is now carried in a specialized cooler in Richland Fire’s on-duty battalion chief’s vehicle, where it can be brought dispatched to the scene of any emergency involving significant blood loss.
Richland is the first fire-based EMS agency in Eastern Washington to bring blood into the field.
Richland’s Fire and Emergency Services department partners with the American Red Cross to supply the blood products used in the program. To contribute to the Red Cross’ blood supply, the department plans to host blood drives twice a year.
At a blood drive hosted in support of the Blood on Board program this spring, 144 units of blood were collected, the largest single-day blood drive in the state. Richland Fire and Emergency Services is hosting its second blood drive of the year from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 23 at Richland Fire Station 74.
Registrations to donate can be made at richlandwa.gov/RFESBloodDrive.
Hospice organization changes name
A local nonprofit specializing in end-of-life care has changed its name to better reflect its work. The heart of its mission remains the same: helping community members live their best lives, especially at the end of life.
Tri-Cities Chaplaincy, which operates Cork’s Place Kids Grief Center and the Hospice House in Kennewick, is now Tri-Cities Community Hospice. It’s the organization’s third name change in the past decade.
In 2016, the name changed from Tri-Cities Chaplaincy to Tri-Cities Health Care, then switched back to the former name in 2023 under CEO Laurie Jackson.
“The name ‘Tri-Cities Community Hospice’ better reflects the work we do, and the communities we have proudly served for over five decades,” Jackson said in a statement about the agency’s latest branding.
The name change is also part of an ongoing effort to make sure the hospice program’s identity reflects its role as a trusted community resource, according to a news release from the organization.
Amazon layoffs affect Pasco
Management-level positions at one of Amazon’s Pasco distribution facilities are among those being cut in the latest round of layoffs for the online retailer.
Ninety-five jobs total will be eliminated, including two in Pasco, according to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) letter sent to the state Employment Security Department. Workers in Sumner, Bellevue, Redmond and Seattle as well as some working remotely are also among those being laid off.
Some employees were notified of their layoff in early September and will leave Amazon in early December. The last of the laid-off workers will separate from the company by the end of January.
Amazon did not provide a reason for the layoff in the letter.
Along with the option to apply for other roles in the company, severance pay, outplacement assistance and health insurance benefits are among the supports the company is offering separating employees.
The cuts come roughly a year after Amazon reduced its global workforce of roughly 1.2 million people by 14,000 corporate roles, which included positions in Pasco.
Kennewick Man, Woman of the year nominations open
An annual awards program that celebrates Kennewick residents for their community service, leadership and commitment to the city is accepting nominations.
The Kennewick Man and Woman of the Year awards date back to the mid-1940s. Former Kennewick mayor Lawrence Scott – namesake of Lawrence Scott Park on Canal Drive – was named the first Kennewick Man of the Year. The first Woman of Achievement was Blanche Dickinson Pratt, a founder and the first president of the East Benton County Historical Society, along with many other civic endeavors.
The 2025 winners were Doug Overturf, current owner of the Kennewick-based car dealership, and Amy Mueller Coffman, one of the fourth-generation owners of a funerary business established by her family.
Anyone may nominate those who make Kennewick better through their efforts. Nominees must live or work in Kennewick. The deadline is Jan. 7.
Winners will be announced at the annual banquet on Feb. 22.
Go to: kmwoy.com.
Fruit processor fined for not using recycled plastic
A Yakima Valley fruit processor is facing a fine of more than $20,000 for failing to use recycled plastic in any of its packaging materials.
Tree Top Inc., headquartered in Selah, failed to meet a 2021 state law that now requires a minimum of 15% post-consumer recycled content in items such as single-use beverage containers, according to the state Department of Ecology.
In total, 38 plastic producers were fined a collective $246,548 for failing to comply with the state law.
The companies have 30 days to pay the fines or appeal them to Washington’s Pollution Control Hearings Board.
The company operates at seven locations in Washington – including in Prosser – Oregon and California.
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