Benton County is among the locations where the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Washington Bee Atlas identified a bee species never before recorded in the state.  

The federal agency that maintains the Columbia River’s shipping channel is proposing to build seven giant in-water pens as part of a $377 million project to manage dredge spoils over the next 20 years. Meanwhile, the river’s shipping industry is working to get local ports off the hook for part of the $132 million they will soon have to pay for the project.

An indoor agriculture company with greenhouses in Pasco has secured an additional $15 million in financing as it looks to grow its operations. 

The Washington State Department of Agriculture is again pressing property owners in Pasco and parts of Kennewick to sign up to have their property treated for invasive Japanese beetles that can devastate numerous crops as well as gardens and lawns. 

A Richland-based nonprofit focused on promoting and protecting the contributions of farmworkers is among nine organizations across the state to share in $1.1 million in workplace safety grants. 

A recent federal ruling that sets how much water must spill from and stay behind the lower Snake and some Columbia River dams is garnering mixed reactions from advocates for the infrastructure that supports agriculture, energy and transportation needs across the Pacific Northwest. 

The Yakima Valley hasn’t experienced four consecutive years of drought since record-keeping began in the late 19th century. That could change this year, as the window closes for snowpack to build across the Cascades.

Three Tri-City residents are among four individuals indicted for allegedly obtaining temporary work visas under false pretenses and bringing 500 workers from Mexico to Eastern Washington between 2022-24. 

A Connell grass seed farm along with a Washington State University researcher will be featured in a Feb. 19 episode of a long-standing public television show helping homeowners address everything from ceiling fans and leaky faucets to landscaping issues at their older homes. 

The federal government may have pulled out of an agreement that could have led to removal of the four Lower Snake River dams, but the state continues to evaluate how their removal in the future could impact transportation networks.