A retiree with a record of working to secure federal dollars to clean up Hanford and spark the local economy has received the Sam Volpentest Entrepreneurial Leadership Award. Gary PetersenGary Petersen received the award during the 25th annual Richland Rotary Club’s Entrepreneurial Awards ceremony on Nov. 2.Petersen managed the federal...

Newspapers love to compile their end-of-the-year top story lists, and we’re no exception.We had plenty of big headlines in 2021 about multimillion-dollar developments coming to our community.It’s been a bright spot for our economy after weathering so much uncertainty in 2020.Our annual list of the most-read stories on the Tri-Cities...

Many things are asked of economists. Sometimes it’s to provide an explanation of the present. Other times it’s to give a forecast. This column contains a bit of both. To summarize the past year involves dissecting some of the present and poring over available evidence to forecast possible outcomes for...

This past year has been one like no other — full of challenges, hardships and uncertainty. However, it was underscored by remarkable resilience, much of that apparent in the day-to-day activities of Tri-City Regional Chamber members. Throughout 2021, we continued to adapt by helping businesses withstand changes due to the...

At the end of 2020, we looked back at the impacts of Covid-19 on our local Tri-Cities’ economy and predicted a fast rebound. In 2021, we definitely experienced a rebound and have seen continued growth in the size of our workforce. We are anticipating even more workforce growth in 2022.According...

Despite a global pandemic, 2021 was a pleasant surprise for the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco. There’s reason for optimism as we have seen a significant improvement in air travel volumes.Coming into the year, staff forecasted passenger traffic would reach 60% (262,873) of our 2019 passenger numbers (438,123). This estimate represents...

The last year in the Tri-Cities was a busy one for all jurisdictions, and Richland was no different. Changes and improvements were made in many areas throughout the city, from building roads and upgrades, to new developments and increased rooftops, adding new businesses and growing some of our favorite businesses.Richland...

Sense of community is why we do what we do, and relationships are how we get it done. These two things enabled us to be successful during the pandemic as our industry was crippled by declining hotel occupancies, hospitality staffing shortages and financial hardships.Due to the impacts of the pandemic,...

If the last two years of the Covid pandemic have taught us anything, it has demonstrated that active, livable downtowns don’t just happen. It takes a comprehensive approach coupled with professional leadership, collective coordination with partners and dedicated volunteers to ensure success. This is the role of the Historic Downtown...

We are in the midst of a launching point for major achievements for our region and nation. We are still adapting how we live our lives. As I pointed out in last year’s column, history points to shifts in human behavior after periods of strife. The Pasco Chamber of Commerce also...