
Articles by Wendy Culverwell

CG Public House buying Uncle Sam’s Saloon, won’t change the nachos
The owners of CG Public House are buying Uncle Sam’s Saloon, a popular 21-and-over sports pub with an Old West vibe near Columbia Center mall. Kyle Simmons, together with his sister, Stef Simmons, and parents, Steve and Shirley Simmons, expect to close on the two-part deal March 28. Terms were not disclosed. The deal includes…

Group to launch entertainment center with activities for all ages
Trampolines, arcades, laser tag and maze, golf simulators and more planned A group of five families with plans to create a string of all-ages entertainment centers is starting in Kennewick, where it is about to break ground on Quake, The EpiCenter of Family Fun, near Cottonwood Elementary School. Quake is the group of families that…

Tri-City developers pivot to garage condos and flex space
Tim Bush, a prominent Tri-Cities developer, is shifting gears again but not too far away from cars. Bush, president of Bush Development, began in the car business and shifted into the car wash business. With the sale of the former Bush Car Washes to Arizona-based Mister Car Wash in 2020, he’s changed his focus to…

Old Dominion outgrows Pasco Processing Center, eyes site by Darigold
Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. intends to build an expanded transloading facility on land near Pasco’s future Darigold plant. The Thomasville, North Carolina-based trucking line has a $2.55 million agreement to buy 17 acres from the Port of Pasco, subject to a five-month review period. The price works out to $150,000 an acre for the…

Union Gospel Mission plans to move women’s shelter to Kennewick
The Tri-Cities Union Gospel Mission is preparing to move its shelter serving women and children to new quarters in central Kennewick in about three years. The Christian ministry will build a 20,000-square-foot shelter just west of Vista Field to replace the current one at 110 N. Second Ave. in east Pasco. Andrew Porter, executive…

Is the cable bridge ready for the spotlight? Boosters say yes
A well-connected Tri-City trio is building support to give the iconic cable bridge a glittery update. Karen Miller, Kathy Lampson and Deb Culverhouse want to replace the sodium vapor lights that illuminate the cables with programmable LED ones that change color with a few taps on a computer. “Simply put, our lights are totally outdated,”…

Moviemakers aim their cameras at the Tri-Cities
A Tri-City film company is making a name for itself producing short movies featuring local actors, crews and scenes. The semi-retired partners behind 2047 Productions say they have not made a dime on the undertaking, but they hope to eventually cover the cost of producing one to two short films per year. Nat Saenz, Randy…

3 Rivers breaks grant record thanks to endowments, donations
The 3 Rivers Community Foundation launched 2022 on a high note. In early February, it marshalled the resources of 20 funds to present $204,000 in grants to 36 local nonprofits, a record. Abbey Cameron, executive director of the foundation, said growth in the endowment coupled with direct donations and support from the community allowed it…

Hospital equipment library plans move to Richland
A Pasco nonprofit that lends medical gear, including wheelchairs, hospital beds, crutches and more, is preparing to turn a vacant site by a busy Richland intersection into its new hub. Knights Community Hospital Equipment Lend Program, or KC Help, intends to develop its new headquarters and a commercial self-storage facility on five acres at the…

Alley art gallery adds to Uptown’s quirky charm
The Uptown Shopping Center, Richland’s quirky midcentury retail hub, is being transformed into a living gallery courtesy local artists and business owners. Gallery in the Alley is a city-supported initiative of the Uptown Business Improvement District to clean up alleys and bring in professional artists to paint murals. The district has a $19,000 budget to…