This Tri-Cities startup cracked a problem the agriculture industry has struggled with for years – how to make microbes work as practical, affordable alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. And local investors are working to keep it rooted in the Tri-Cities.
Franklin County officials say the county is not planning to leave the Benton-Franklin Health District, easing concerns that a breakup of the joint public health agency could disrupt services and create new regulatory requirements for businesses across the Tri-Cities region. While county leaders acknowledge future growth may eventually require more localized health services, they say no formal discussions or plans are underway to separate from the district.
Three Benton County school districts are facing significant financial strain, with two of those districts planning millions of dollars in cuts next school year to stabilize their budgets.
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation are proposing a major casino-hotel north of Pasco — and two neighboring tribes say it would violate their treaty rights.
U.S. Department of Energy officials have said plans to treat a portion of the 55 million gallons of underground tank waste at Hanford via a process different than stabilizing it in a glass form will cost between $480 million and $1.1 billion – and that does not include related costs.
Permits issued to build single-family homes in the Mid-Columbia are up 31% compared to this same point last year – and contractors are building more townhomes and multifamily homes than last year. But there are signs the market is on shakier ground.