Ten months after the arrival of the coronavirus in Washington, the Legislature convened on Jan. 11 for a new session amid a pandemic that will shape every aspect of the session, from the way lawmakers conduct business (over computer screens instead of beneath the Capitol dome) to the issues they...
Now that vaccines are available, we hope our lives will return to the way they were before the coronavirus pandemic blanketed the globe.That is not likely to occur.Last March our booming economy was clobbered by Covid-19. A worldwide pandemic ensued.There was no vaccine to counter it and even though vaccines...
In a pandemic and pretty much in life, people are dealing with grief at some level every single day. Death, divorce, loss of a job, and lately, the death of the life as we once knew it pre-Covid.Recently, I ran into the mom of my son’s elementary school friend who...
Before the Legislature arrives for the 2021 session, some businesses in Washington will be facing the very real prospect of a 500% tax increase.That is on day one, before lawmakers even begin to talk about passing new taxes like an income tax, a capital gains tax or a tax on...
It’s no secret that airlines and airplane manufacturers have been clobbered by the coronavirus pandemic.International flights traditionally flown by jumbo jets are particularly hard hit. Borders are closed and people aren’t flying.There is a small silver-lining. Just as restaurants started take-out service to survive, airlines are filling planes with freight.U.S....
It’s no secret the Covid-19 pandemic has made a huge impact on how Washington retailers and restaurants operate. With additional restrictions implemented at the start of the holiday season as cases surged, it’s another challenge for local small businesses.But that’s where we as a community can step in.Small retailers and...
From “asymptomatic” and “asynchronous learning,” to “quarantine,” “pivot,” and “Zoom,” coronavirus-related words have wormed their way into our lexicon this year.Though we’ve become fluent in talking about Covid-19, it’s been difficult to navigate our new world with evolving health advice, changing government mandates and so many new rules to follow.Is...
Kaitlyn Pype wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life, but she knew she enjoyed working on cars.She thought about a career in automotive repair, but a degree program in mechatronics at Clover Park Technical College caught her eye because it combined a variety of interests.“So, I went...
To the average American, China’s control of the world production, processing technology and stockpile of critical metals is not their concern.However, to our military and high-tech leaders, it is a very big deal.Our government lists 35 metals it considers vital to our national economy and security. While 17 are classified...
By Markus Stauffer and Richard GerlitzThe Horse Heaven Hills wind farm project planned by Scout Clean Energy (Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, May 2020) would stretch along 24 miles of ridgeline from south of the Tri-Cities at Jump-Off Joe Butte to near Benton City.As many as 212 wind turbines would...
