One of the budget airlines serving the Tri-Cities Airport has acquired another regional airline, a move the company’s leaders said will expand its travel network internationally while maintaining its affordable fares. 

The Washington State Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments this week in a case challenging the constitutionality of Initiative 2066, a voter-approved measure that protects natural gas as an energy option in the state. 

Researchers at Washington State University, along with those at the Prosser Research Extension Center, have developed a low-cost robotic arm that can pick apples, potentially lending a mechanical hand to orchard workers and easing the crunch of seasonal labor shortages.

The city of Richland has raised its electricity utility rates by 8.5% as of Jan. 1. Ambulance Service Utility fees have increased as well. 

Washington State University’s leadership in research and development of sustainable aviation fuel, particularly at the Richland campus, is making it one of the main players at a recently unveiled facility in Everett aimed at wider adoption and production of the fuel. 

The state Department of Commerce has awarded funds to support 56 affordable housing units in the Tri-Cities. 

A three-bill package that will pay for the cleanup at the Hanford site and research activity at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is headed to President Donald Trump’s desk. 

Crews have begun removing the causeway linking Bateman Island to the Richland shoreline, restoring waterflow that has been blocked for decades.

Business briefs January 2026