Nurse practitioners are increasingly filling a gap that is expected to widen as the senior population explodes and the number of geriatricians declines. 

Pasco is the only Tri-City community that fluoridates its water supply, which is currently at a level of 0.7 parts per million. 

The increase will push the state’s per-gallon tax rate on gas and other vehicle fuels from 49.4 cents to 55.4 cents. Starting July 1, 2026, it will rise each year by 2% – about a penny annually – to account for inflation. 

Energy Northwest’s nuclear power plant is once again contributing power to the grid after going offline to address vibration levels on its turbines. 

Washington is one of five states most dependent on H-2A workers in the country -- whose numbers have ballooned in the last decade to about 33,000. 

The shifts largely came from the agricultural sector, as nonfarm employment increased by several hundred positions between April and May. 

Kennewick firefighters responded to 237 unintentional commercial fire alarms in 2024, three quarters of them due to system malfunctions, according to the Kennewick Fire Department. 

The state had the largest percentage drop in its construction workforce compared to a year ago, according to one construction trades group. The Tri-Cities, however, is bucking that trend according to state employment data. 

The device using the PNNL-developed technology can detect fentanyl at levels as small as 6 parts per trillion. That’s equivalent to being able to detect six drops of food coloring mixed into 18 million gallons of water. 

Fuentes, who previously held the role on an interim basis, is the first person of Hispanic heritage to take on the role of general manager/CEO at the utility.