By Melanie HairWe have canceled our spring Senior Times Spring 2020 Expo. We are confident it’s the right decision. The outbreak of coronavirus in our state made ourchoice a simple one. We simply won’t put our community’s seniors at increasedrisk.Seniors are the most susceptible to severe illness,complications and possibly death...

Tri-City organizations are closing their offices and event planners are canceling or postponing events amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus. To keep you updated, we're going to update this list.Updated March 17Benton Fire District 4 has canceled its annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 11 in West Richland. The...

The Port of Kennewick has closed its offices and sent nonessential workers home over COVID-19 fears. The move comes after the port notified staff and about a dozen people who attended the regularly scheduled meeting of the commission on March 10 that a court reporter working at the session became ill with flu-like...

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce has postponed its annual meeting over fears about the COVID-19 pandemic.The meeting, originally scheduled for March 18 at the Three Rivers Convention Center, will be held at a later date."We are disappointed to share this news, however, in light of the rapidly evolving situation...

As questions and concerns poured in after officials confirmed 11 coronavirus deaths in Washington, Carlos Martinez called an emergency meeting of the 70-plus employees of Dura-Shine Clean, his commercial cleaning business.Dura-Shine cleans 5 million square feet of commercial space in the Tri-Cities, with clients ranging from banks to professional offices...

As thousands of Washingtonians register their displeasure over being required to declare a party preference in the state’s presidential primary on May 10, a state lawmaker is taking action.Washington Sen. Steve O’Ban, R-Tacoma, introduced SB 6697 on March 3 to eliminate the requirement that voters declare if they are Democrats or Republicans to participate in the presidential primary.The presidential primary is the only election where Washington...

Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels is canceling its annual fundraising breakfast scheduled for March 10 amid concerns about the continued statewide spread of coronavirus.Though the annual breakfast is one of the biggest fundraisers for the agency each year, Meals on Wheels officials say they believe the safety and well-being of the...

The Washington State Department of Commerce announced Feb. 12 that it has launched the new Retirement Marketplace, a one-stop website that helps owners of small businesses and individuals comparison shop for retirement savings plans.All plans on the marketplace are from private financial firms that have been verified by the state...