Articles by Wendy Culverwell
New $22M Trios birthing center speeds up plans for recovery center
Trios Health is moving its birthing center to Southridge, a move that speeds up plans to transform the former Kennewick General Hospital into a detoxification and recovery center for Tri-Citians facing drug addiction and mental health disorders. If everything comes together, the birthing center and Two Rivers Rehabilitation Center both will open by mid-2022. …
Jersey Mike’s opening first Tri-City sub shop in Richland
Jersey Mike’s Subs will open its first Tri-City shop at Vintner Square in Richland this fall. A company spokesman confirmed the New Jersey-based sub chain will open at 2729 Queensgate Drive in the third quarter. It is expected to open in a strip mall anchored by Starbucks and Bath and Body Works. Fans currently…
Homebuilding pushes construction as commercial work lags
Tri-City construction topped the $1 billion mark in 2020, no thanks to the Covid-19 work stoppages, slowdowns and even a lingering shroud of smoke that bedeviled the construction industry. Overall construction dipped 13%, but homebuilding was a bright spot, according to figures compiled by the Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities. Collectively, local building agencies issued…
Tri-Cities Airport holds line as traffic falls by more than half
There is no way to dress it up: The Covid-19 pandemic battered – and continues to batter – the Tri-Cities Airport’s business. Its years-long record of passenger growth collapsed in 2020, which recorded 188,959 boardings, 57% fewer than 2019. The news was bad, but Airport Director Buck Taft said he felt duty bound to report…
Old Sports Authority near Columbia Center to reopen as veteran-focused thrift shop
The former Sports Authority store at Kennewick’s Columbia Center will reopen this spring as Veterans Warehouse Thrift Store, the second outpost for a Wenatchee nonprofit focused on supporting homeless and struggling veterans. Operation Veterans Assistance & Humanitarian Aid is converting the 40,000-square-foot retail space into a full-service thrift store that will sell furniture, clothing,…
Even in a pandemic, donʼt delay treatment for heart attack symptoms
February is American Heart Month, and the American Heart Association is marking the 57th annual celebration with a sobering message for the Covid-19 era. Don’t let fear of the virus keep you from seeking help if you are having symptoms of a heart attack. The hospital is the place to be. Time is muscle saved…
Advisor Benefits lives on as Advisor Health Benefits with new employee owner
Kevin Husted, a longtime Tri-City insurance benefits broker, had a busy fall. Husted bought the insurance side of Advisor Benefits Group in the middle of not one but two open enrollment periods, Medicare and Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange. Husted is a 20-year insurance benefits and Medicare professional who previously worked for Marvin Liebe at Advisor…
Grandma-led popcorn party business aims to build name for itself
Ranae Pearce and Lisa Killian had everything they needed to launch a popcorn party business in early 2020, except for good timing. The two grandmas – their term – were ready to start “Popped” to provide gourmet popcorn bars at weddings, reunions, tailgates, showers, quinceañeras and other festive gatherings. The business leverages the founders’ connections…
Speck building electric-friendly new home for Buick, GMC dealership
Katy and J.P. Moore are building a new home for their newly acquired Tri-Cities Buick and GMC dealership, which has outgrown its Kennewick quarters. “We’re bursting at the seams,” said Katie Forney, operations manager for Speck Dealerships, the family of car and truck dealers owned by the Moores. Speck GMC and Buick of Tri-Cities will…
Badger group is $600K away from key land deal
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 date to purchase the property, which is…
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