There’s a joke among Leadership Tri-Cities alumni that theirs was “the best class ever.”And when the organization’s board members talk about incoming classes, they refer to them as “the next best class ever.”The leadership group is now accepting applications for its “next best class” and planning an open house for...
Washington is the only state without a statewide tourism marketing program.But that would change under two bills making their way throughout the Washington Legislature. So far the bills by Rep. Cary Condotta, R-Wenatchee, and Sen. Dean Takko, D-Longview, have easily sailed through their committee stages for eventual floor votes.The bills...
By Wine News ServiceAs expected, the Washington wine industry’s 2016 harvest for grapes was a record.The Washington State Wine Commission released statistics in early March, and the report showed a record crop of 270,000 tons harvested last fall, easily eclipsing 2014’s record of 227,000 tons.[blockquote quote="Cab is still king." source="Kevin...
A compromise is being worked on for two different family leave bills in Olympia.A Democratic bill is sailing through the Washington House, mainly because the Democrats are the majority party there.However, the Senate Republicans put their own family leave bill on hold, not even voting it out of a committee...
The 2016 Kennewick Man and Woman of the Year share a passion for bettering the community they live in and both have devoted countless hours to improve it.Dave Retter, 62, owner of Retter & Company Sotheby’s International Realty, was named Kennewick Man of the Year on Feb. 28. Joyce Kerr,...
Three years ago, Perla Zepeda’s family lost a beloved family member. Their dog, Sandy, had swallowed an unknown object, causing internal damage. She was rushed to an emergency veterinary hospital in Yakima, but doctors couldn’t save her.“We grieved for about three months,” Zepeda said.They also faced more than $1,000 in...
By Beau RuffBusiness owners are particularly sensitive to cash flow and liquidity needs. This can be especially true of the business owner’s estate after death. The estate needs cash to continue business operations and to pay potential estate taxes. Life insurance can be an effective planning strategy for business owners...
By Sean BassingerBelongings stashed inside self-storage units may not be covered by homeowner or renter insurance policies if anything gets stolen or damaged.Policies that cover items at off-site storage units may have limits in place as well, according to the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner.It’s good information to find...
Ten percent of all insurance claims are fraudulent. And 10 percent of the cost of all premiums is due to fraud.This number is likely to increase as insurance fraud cases continue to grow, said Mark Couey, director of the Criminal Investigations Unit at the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner.[blockquote...
Bill would reclassify studios as separate from larger fitness centersThe tax sort of snuck in there.A retail sales tax on small martial arts studios went into effect on Jan. 1, 2016. But martial arts studio owners statewide — including in the Tri-Cities — didn’t know about the new tax on...
