Construction is underway in front of the Richland Walmart for the Tri-Cities’ newest burger restaurant.The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain, is expected to open at 2831 Duportail St. in summer 2021, according to Yakima-based developer Hogback Development.General contractor Stephens & Sons Construction of Yakima is building the 2,928-square-foot restaurant...

The all-volunteer group that developed the popular hiking trails on Badger and Candy mountains is $600,000 away from repeating its magic on Little Badger Mountain. Friends of Badger Mountain is turning to Tri-City businesses and other supporters to help it close a $1.5 million agreement to buy nearly 20 acres below the summit of Little Badger Mountain. It has raised about $900,000 to...

Some of Pasco’s most prominent business owners could delay investing in hangars and other facilities at the Tri-Cities Airport over a proposed lease policy driven by the Federal Aviation Administration.The Port of Pasco is formalizing some aspects of its existing lease policy, which governs how port-owned land on the airport...

With Washington now in another lockdown to reduce Covid-19 cases, I’m hearing questions from landlords and commercial building owners who want to take this time to make the indoor air safe for when they bring employees and customers back inside.Meanwhile health care, biotech, production and manufacturing businesses have remained open...

Michelle HoltThe Benton-Franklin Council of Governments has tapped Michelle Holt to succeed Stephanie Seamans as executive director.Holt will begin on Feb. 15.She comes to the job from the College of Eastern Idaho, where she has served as executive director for Workforce Training and Continuing Education since December 2016.She previously held...

It’s back to basics for Washington state businesses as Covid-19 infections rates rise.Gov. Jay Inslee debuted a new Covid-19 strategy that organizes Washington into eight regions and sets tough targets before restrictions meant to curtail the spread of the virus that causes the disease are loosened.Healthy Washington – Roadmap to...

Mid-Columbia lenders are ready to begin processing a new wave of Paycheck Protection Program loans.As a third edition of the popular forgivable loan ramped up in mid-January, local lenders said they would apply the lessons they learned from the first two but stood ready to respond to their customers, defying...

As members of the Prosser Chamber of Commerce struggled to pay renewal fees under pandemic-related financial pressure, the executive director found a novel solution.John-Paul Estey asked Yakima Federal Savings and Loan to allow it use sponsorship dollars for canceled events to cover dues owed by cash-strapped members.The bank agreed. Yakima...

An independent judge cleared Kennewick Port Commissioner Don Barnes of misconduct in a case that roiled the port for more than two years.Judge Paris K. Kallas overturned the findings of an earlier investigation by an outside attorney.Barnes, the board’s current chair, appealed the results of the investigation into his conduct...

Terence L. ThornhillWith nearly 27 years designing homes and other buildings in the Tri-Cities under his belt, Pasco architect Terence “Tere” Thornhill is too diplomatic to call out a favorite.They’re all his babies, said Thornhill, who believes buildings should tell the story of what is happening inside.“I’m a believer in...