Tom Ravella said road safety starts with putting away phone, staying focused A Kennewick UPS driver gives thanks every time he safely returns from one of his daily road trips.Tom Ravella, 55, typically drives 350 miles a day between Hermiston and the Farewell Bend area in Oregon, five days a...

Cabin fever has broke. And with warmer weather, workers at the state Department of Transportation have been eager to get outside to start on projects to improve roadways and traffic flow in Benton and Franklin counties.“One project that we’re going to start on in the middle of April is on...

37-year-old company keeping close eye on how Uber affects its businessThe region’s biggest taxi company moved its operations from Pasco to Richland earlier this month.[blockquote quote="We have no control over Uber and what’s going to happen." source="Mike Coyner, owner of Tri-City Taxi" align="right" max_width="300px"]Mike Coyner has operated Tri-City Taxi for...

Proposed $20 annual car registration fee to generate $850,000 annuallyNobody likes to pay extra taxes, but Richland city officials say the one they’re proposing will benefit the city for years to come.[blockquote quote="The transportation benefit district is intended to add dedicated funding to the city’s street resurfacing project and the...

Madelyn Carlson knows what drives seniors to lead longer, more productive lives.“If they don’t have transportation services—if they can’t access critical services—they’re going to be institutionalized much earlier,” said Carlson, CEO of People For People, a nonprofit committed to empowering senior citizens with resources, such as medical transportation. “And when...

By H. Keith Moo-YoungIn today’s day and age, students are expected to go above and beyond what is experienced in the traditional classroom setting. Students are expected to have a full body of work experience by means of internships, co-ops and other extracurricular experiences by graduation. But beyond that, holding...

In the not too distant future, “smart homes” could be as common as smartphones. Diane CookA Washington State University researcher believes so-called “smart homes” might be a way to keep senior citizens independent and in their homes longer.“We want to provide intervention to increase independence,” said Diane Cook, whose research...

By Robin WojtanikFresh Out the Box expanding into Marineland Plaza storefrontFresh Out the Box is preparing to serve its Asian-inspired specialties across a counter and not out of a window for the first time ever.After nearly three years in a food truck, the entrepreneurs will open their first brick-and-mortar restaurant...

52-year-old Richland business specializes in trees, plants, landscaping, customer serviceThe owner of a longtime Richland nursery impressed his first customer when he was 8 years old by rattling off the scientific name of a Japanese umbrella pine: Sciadopitys verticillata umbrella folia. [blockquote quote="Our average employment is 12 to 15 years. You...