If Tri-City visionaries get their way, we soon could be home to think tanks focused on ways to support the agriculture and energy sectors.That’s welcome news in a region where the two industries help to bolster our economy.Plans to establish an Agricultural Innovation Center were announced at Tri-City Development Council’s...
One of the biggest challenges facing Washington employers today continues to be a lack of qualified workers. Even with rising inflation and growing concern about a potential recession, workforce issues remain paramount.At the same time, one of the biggest challenges facing parents today is finding high-quality, affordable child care. Like...
It’s past time for an energy reality check. If we are to meet our soaring demand for electricity and produce it without coal and natural gas, we must double down on nuclear power. Today, U.S. nuclear plants generate enough electricity to power more than 70 million homes. It’s the most reliable source...
Jerry Sleater was many things. A box boy in Pasco. A grocery store owner in Kennewick. A firefighter and a fire commissioner.When he died in 2019, he left for his children and grandchildren a sizeable real estate portfolio.Now, Sleater’s heirs are selling 18 separate parcels totaling 10 acres at the...
Dan PrestonDan Preston has never lived in the Tri-Cities.But that didn’t stop the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce from honoring him with its 2012 Alumnus of Distinction Award for work related to Hanford that led to the patents behind the OnStar system employed in GM vehicles.Preston is, for the record,...
The Port of Benton has hired Columbia Rail to manage the 16-mile railroad that serves businesses at Horn Rapids, a critical first step to repairing decades of deterioration that reduced train speeds to 5 mph.Walla Walla-based Columbia operates short line railroads throughout the Mid-Columbia. It will operate and maintain the...
Joe Molvik of Kennewick is proving the old axiom you’re never too old to try something new.At 86, he decided to open an art gallery showcasing his Norwegian-inspired paintings, wood carvings and other woodwork.The former custom metalworker hung up his trade in 2022 after over 50 years in business and...
Kristi Thien retired on a high note as nutrition services director for Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels, the free senior meals program.In January, Senior Life Resources, which operates the nonprofit, fulfilled two of Thien’s wishes when it began offering a weekly breakfast and extended services at its cafe north of Columbia...
When the Richland Knights of Columbus launched its fundraiser to help Ukrainian refugees nearly a year ago, it didn’t expect to get nationwide attention for its efforts.But it recently reached an important milestone in its campaign.Council 3307 raised the most money of any Knights group in the country – more...
Depending on your age, you may have lived through a few different economic cycles in your lifetime – you know they ebb and flow. If you’re younger, you might have only experienced an economy that has gone north. Regardless of age, the strength of the economy over the last decade...
