Articles by Guest Contributor
It’s time to celebrate the amazing things Washington makes
By Kris Johnson Washington makes some really cool things. We’re famous for many of them—airplanes, apples, software, wheat and more. The state’s iconic manufacturers established the foundation that our recent economic expansion is built upon. But there are many medium and small manufacturers that fewer people know about. The fishing rod manufacturer in Woodland. The…
West Richland approves massive housing development on 148 acres
By Andrew Kirk A proposed housing development could increase West Richland’s population by about 15 percent. The Heights at Red Mountain Ranch will add 563 single-family residential lots on 148 acres with the option of later adding 226 multi-family homes on 36 more acres. The first phase of the 10-phase project—expected to begin this fall—includes 105…
Pasco wharf’s fate could be decided in 2020
By Andrew Kirk Plans for a public market at the Port of Pasco wharf next to the cable bridge hit a snag, but the idea is not dead in the water, said Gary Ballew, the port’s director of economic development and marketing. The port recently completed a detailed inspection of the wharf, which included professional…
Officials celebrate vit plant milestone with control room opening
By Andrew Kirk A major milestone has been reached at the massive radioactive waste treatment plant under construction at the Hanford nuclear reservation. Treatment of low-level waste—which makes up 90 percent of what’s in the aging tanks at the Hanford site—is scheduled to begin in 2023. That was the message during the U.S. Department of…
Washington looks forward to high quality wine grape harvest
By Andy Perdue As Washington grape growers and winemakers prepare for the 2019 harvest, they’re looking forward to a vintage with high quality, lots of grapes and a long, warm slide into autumn. Wineries such as Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Barnard Griffin already brought in some grapes in August, but harvest begins in earnest…
Finding young professionals in the Tri-Cities
By D. Patrick Jones What do we know about the presence of young professionals in the Tri-City area workforce? From a data perspective, not enough. But first let’s define our terms. What constitutes “young,” for example? Data to answer that question is available, if we agree on a definition. For example, consider Benton-Franklin Trends indicator,…
Vit plant graveyard shift works to get it done after dark
By Darcy Richardson, Bechtel National Inc. It happens overnight. The Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant job site changes and more progress is made, moving the project forward on its path to treating tank waste. “We like to fly under the radar as much as possible, be the silent partners,” said Kelly Lofton, Bechtel National…
Help Washington growers, manufacturers get their products delivered
By Kris Johnson As summer turns to fall and farmers wrap up their harvests, the changing season is a good reminder about the importance of trade and infrastructure for Washington’s economy. Apple growers in Wenatchee and Yakima, wheat growers on the Palouse, Mid-Columbia potato growers and Washington’s celebrated wine industry all rely on export markets…
An invisible hand to steer college savings: the education trust
By Beau Ruff There are many options available to pay for the education of a loved one. There are direct gifts, state-sponsored 529 plans and educational savings accounts, to name a few. But, if a person wants to use funds that are not available until after death and wants to influence how the money is…
Tri-City employers balk at state’s overtime proposal
By Andrew Kirk Several Tri-City employers and nonprofit leaders criticized the state’s proposal to overhaul its worker overtime exemption rule at a recent public hearing, citing concerns about their bottom lines and ability to serve customers and clients. More than 50 people attended an Aug. 6 hearing in Kennewick—one of seven meetings held across the state—to…
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