By Kris JohnsonIf it seems like you’ve seen a lot “help wanted” signs lately, you’re not imagining things.Now more than a decade into the current economic expansion, the national unemployment rate is at a 50-year low, labor market participation is at the highest rate in nearly seven years and recent...
Sandra Haynes ChancellorWashington State University Tri-Cities Number of employees you oversee: Approximately 245 faculty and staffWhat is WSU Tri-Cities and how does it fit into the Washington State University system?WSU Tri-Cities is a four-year public research university in the Tri-Cities, and is one of six university campuses in the WSU system....
CConstruction work has started on a $6.5 million project that will include a 4-megawatt solar generating array and a 1-megawatt battery energy storage system in north Richand.The project will supply power and energy storage to Richland residents. And it will give the visitor industry a boost too. A solar and...
By Andrew KirkThose who graduated from college or a university this year could expect to make on average about $50,000 for their first year of work, according to several independent national surveys.They could also expect, on average, to have about that much in student debt.Those working in the construction trades...
President of Columbia Basin CollegeNumber of employees you oversee: The college employs approximately 700 regular employees, not including adjuncts, part-time hourly and student workers. Rebekah S. WoodsBrief background about your college: Columbia Basin College is a public community college serving the Tri-Cities and surrounding communities since 1955. Our mission is...
By Andrew KirkAt statehood, the federal government granted Washington millions of acres of land to be managed for the support of public schools, including universities. Today, it, along with other lands dedicated to different state needs, is managed by the state Department of Natural Resources.A portion of the 1 million...
New state standardized salary schedule responsible for pay discrepanciesKennewick teachers walked out of their classrooms, delaying the start of school by four days this year amid salary concerns.The move resulted in an 8 percent raise for educators in the Tri-Cities’ biggest school district, putting their salaries more in line with...
By D. Patrick JonesTo what degree will the Tri-Cities participate in the knowledge economy well underway this century? First, a quick definition: a knowledge economy is one where a large number of jobs exploit brainpower. We need to look no further than King County to see what this kind of economy looks like. In the economists’ taxonomy of jobs, where there’s...
Nearly a year into the #MeToo movement, the awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace has prompted many large and small business owners to take a closer look at their own policies and procedures. John Heaton, president of Pay Plus BenefitsJohn Heaton, president of Pay Plus Benefits in Kennewick, believes...
New businesses are opening up left and right in Tri-Cities, while existing ones continue to grow and expand, with new development opportunities like the Vista Field overhaul and other, smaller scale projects on the horizon.But there’s a lot of nuance inherent in starting a new business or expanding an existing...
