Fire and water are the two elements that Greg McLain sought to build a business around when he left Montana in 1987. Almost 40 years later, he has established a longstanding business around these two opposing elements: Fire & Water.

Two years later, A Bit of Happiness Farm has grown to include a full farmyard cast of ducks, geese, goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, pigs, a highland steer named Kevin, rabbits, chickens, quail, alpacas, Dolly the Great Pyrenees dog, a turkey, cows, guinea pigs and Humphrey the Bactrian camel.

Two private Kennewick colleges welcomed students back to their new and improved campuses this fall. Heritage University and Pacific Northwest Christian College completed extensive renovations to the buildings they lease on opposite ends of town.
Meanwhile, Columbia Basin College continues to pursue its new performing arts center and Washington State University Tri-Cities welcomed students back to campus with refreshed signs.

With the 2026-27 school year underway, Tri-Cities’ three public school districts continue making capital improvements that set the stage for sustainable growth and ensuring that existing schools are equipped for learning needs today and into the future.

Kennewick’s Grace Clinic is bracing for a surge in patients. The free medical and dental clinic – the only one serving both Benton and Franklin counties – expects demand to spike as Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies expire and Medicaid eligibility rules tighten under H.R. 1, the federal budget law also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Hops industry leaders say the current downturn reflects less of a collapse than a market correction following years of rapid growth driven by the craft beer boom. As beer consumption shifts and demand cools, growers and brewers are searching for new opportunities in exports, hospitality and nonalcoholic beverages.

New cost pressures tied to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East – particularly around energy markets and fertilizer supply chains – are adding another layer of uncertainty for wheat growers heading into the next year.

The city of Kennewick plans a $33 million water treatment facility after detecting PFAS levels above Washington state action levels in March 2024 and March 2025. 

CHEF’STORE in Richland offers professional chefs and home cooks a wide selection of restaurant-quality ingredients, kitchen equipment, and catering supplies—all without a membership fee.

Kennewick is turning wastewater and sewage sludge into nutrient-rich Class A fertilizer using innovative greenhouse-based technology, creating a sustainable, revenue-generating solution for the city.