These are challenging times. Uncertain and troubling times. (Fill in your favorite adjective here) times.More than a quarter of a million people across our planet, including nearly a thousand in our state as of press time, have died from COVID-19, the deadly disease caused by the coronavirus.Our national, state and...

By Wendy Culverwell & Kristina LordThe week of May 18 marks our ninth week working from our home offices for the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. It also marks more than 45 days of walks.Our daily WFH (working from home) routine includes a walk around the Tri-Cities—paved paths, sandy trails,...

Ongoing safety measuresTo protect Ben Franklin Transit passengers and drivers, all vehicles and facilities are disinfected daily and social distancing measures are in place, including no fare collection and rear-door bus entry until further notice.BFT offers these reminders for riders:Passengers are encouraged to wear face coverings.If you are not feeling...

A 600-megawatt wind farm south of Kennewick will employ 300 during construction and help cement the region’s status as Washington’s center for wind energy.Scout Clean Energy of Boulder, Colorado, will apply for a conditional use permit from Benton County for its Horse Heaven Wind Farm project later this year.Pat Landess,...

A new Tri-City nonprofit has formed to push for a faster cleanup at Hanford and transition to energy research and development.Bob Ferguson, Bill Lampson and Gary Petersen established Northwest Energy Associates with the twin missions of advocating for a faster cleanup and for a long-term focus on energy research.Ferguson, former...

Benton County Sustainable Development Manager Adam J. FyallNumber of employees you oversee: 3You have a unique role in Benton County government. What do you oversee and how did your job come to cover such diverse areas?I primarily manage our economic development, natural resources, intergovernmental affairs, Hanford-related and parks functions. While...

Wildfires and wintertime wood fires helped drive Yakima, Spokane and the Seattle area to the top of the nation’s worst cities for air pollution, according to the American Lung Association’s 2020 State of Air report.The Tri-Cities was not on the list, but Benton County received a failing grade for air...

NEW HIRES• Joel Ockey has joined Cornerstone Wealth Strategies Inc., a full-service independent financial planning firm based in Kennewick, as a wealth advisor. Ockey has been in the financial industry since 2002. After graduating from the University of Saint Mary in 2002, he became a financial advisor at Waddell &...

The Building Industry Association of Washington has compiled a list of frequently asked questions for contractors returning to job sites after Gov. Jay Inslee amended the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to allow some existing construction to resume if they comply with steps to hinder the spread of coronavirus. Jackson Maynard,...

Most business insurance won’t cover pandemicMost Washington businesses will get little or no relief from their business insurance coverage.Most policies in Washington exclude pandemic and virus coverage, according to a poll conducted by Mike Kreidler, the state insurance commissioner. Only two listed pandemics in basic coverage, while 15 offered limited...