Hospitality is big business in the Tri-Cities. It just misses landing in the top five sectors, as ranked by employment levels in Benton-Franklin Trends data.The data behind this indicator show that in 2019, hospitality employment levels averaged slightly over 10,000 in the two counties. That placed hospitality sixth. As a...
One good thing happened when Crow Butte Park in southern Benton County closed to campers because of the Covid-19 crisis.No one was camping in early June when a storm blew through. Lightning struck an irrigation pump and 14 large trees blew down in the campground.Normally, all 52 campsites would have...
The local nonprofit that built public trails on Badger and Candy mountains is preparing to open a new trailhead as it presses for a 20-mile through-trail linking Amon Basin and the Yakima River by way of Little Badger, Badger, Candy and Red mountains.Friends of Badger Mountain, which marked its 15th...
Michael Novakovich is by nature and by profession an optimist.As president of Visit Tri-Cities, his job is to champion the people, places and things that draw tourists to the Mid-Columbia, to fill its shops, bars, restaurants and hotel rooms.Visitors spent more than $560 million in Benton and Franklin counties in...
The little runabout was so perfect, Roy Keck couldn’t help himself.When the like-new 1962 Dorsett El Dorado the color of harvest gold came up at auction, the boating enthusiast had to have her.The 15-foot fiberglass beauty had fewer than 90 hours on its Mercury 50 engine. The original owner garaged...
Scammers look to capitalize on the news of the moment, especially if the headlines can instill fear and motivate people to act. The ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus is no exception.While scientists and medical professionals are working overtime to find ways to test for and stem the spread of the...
As I have said in the past and will continue to vocalize in our nation’s capital: Hydropower is truly the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest. From the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest power producing hydroelectric dam in North America, to the dams along the Columbia and Snake rivers, Central Washington...
Charles Conte Jr. decided late last year it was time to move to the Tri-Cities, where his wife Susan’s family lived.In January, the family moved from Virginia, where Charles worked in his father’s bike shop chain, Conte’s Bike Shop. He intended to work for a local nonprofit.“Susan was born and...
Chuck DeGooyerChuck DeGooyer, the longtime leader who was instrumental in establishing the Tri-Cities Cancer Center more than 25 years ago, will retire at the end of the year.DeGooyer, who has served as chief executive officer of the cancer for seven years, announced his plans to step down on July 1....
We’ve all learned new terms and acronyms in the last few months, from “flattening the curve” and “social distancing” to WFH (working from home) and PPE (personal protective equipment).It’s remarkable how quickly Covid-19 has upended our lives and inserted itself into our daily rhythms.If you run a business, social distancing...
