Despite a global pandemic leading to rising construction costs and difficulty obtaining materials throughout the U.S., the Port of Benton has tried to make good use of 2021, focusing on its infrastructure to attract new business to the Mid-Columbia. Diahann Howard, executive director, said tourism is a big driver of its economic mission, but the…

The pace of progress is on the rise in Richland, where the city has issued nearly twice as many commercial building permits through July 2021 compared to the same time period last year. While the overall number of permits has increased, the value of the projects is coming in lower, said Mandy Wallner, marketing specialist…