Articles by Guest Contributor
Hispanic chamber expands reach, services despite 2020’s challenges
The Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (TCHCC) began, like I’m sure many other organizations, with great hopes and plans for 2020. We had a new board that was a good mix of seasoned and new directors. I also was optimistic as I took over the president’s position since our finances were solid and our standing…
Great Depression changed America for the better. So will 2020 pandemic
When we look back 20 years from now at the year 2020, I hope we will see this was a launching point for major achievements for our region and nation. I believe there will be a change in how we continue to live our lives, and history points to shifts in human behavior after periods…
Port of Benton ticked through to-do list despite Covid-19 challenges
2020 started as a year of transition, followed by a global pandemic and an unprecedented new way of doing business.Your Port of Benton team stepped up, setting the bar high by delivering a new website and accelerating digital communications, key capital projects and organizational improvements.These achievements demonstrate the team’s flexibility and commitment to meeting the…
Robust Tri-City population trends expected to continue
As we close out a tumultuous year where the pandemic has stolen so much of our attention, it might help to step back from the daily challenges and appreciate a fundamental demographic of life here: the greater Tri-Cities continue to grow. Demographics may not drive destiny, but they certainly influence it. Unlike many parts of…
There’s no need for Uncle Sam to take a cut when a company splits
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is beta testing a new satellite-provided broadband internet service through its Starlink brand. At times, reports have come out that SpaceX planned to spin off Starlink. Other reports quoted the SpaceX founder Elon Musk saying he had no plan to spin off Starlink. The bandied spinoff idea can be intriguing…
Tribe to expand hotel at Northern Quest Resort & Casino
By Mike McLeanSpokane Journal of Business The Kalispel Tribe plans to expand its Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights with a new hotel building, adding 190 more rooms. The tribe expects to break ground on the new project in March and complete it in early 2023. The resort and casino is about 140…
Clock ticking on 2020 year-end tax-saving strategies
Year-end is the perfect time to do tax planning. And what a tax year 2020 has been! Let’s review the urgent items that can still be taken advantage of before the New Year’s ball drops. Covid-19-related distributions, loans The CARES Act, passed in March 2020, changed the rules for certain distributions and loans from retirement…
Washington needs manufacturing to lead the economic recovery
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 for it,” Pype…
Rare order breaks China’s hammerlock on critical metals
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 as “rare earth”…
Retail sales face decline but likely less than elsewhere
Last year was a very good year for retail sales in the greater Tri-Cities. For the first time, taxable retail sales in the two counties breached the $6 billion mark, ending 2019 at nearly $6.4 billion, as the Benton-Franklin Trends graph shows. Taxable sales grew year over year by 9.8%. This is the second-best performance…
