What causes a kid or teen to drop out of school? The answer to that question can be vast — and attributed to myriad factors, from housing to economic status to food and transportation.nEnter Paulina Valdez, who works for Communities in Schools, or CIS, and has a portable...

Members of the Benton Rural Electric Association bought out a new solar co-op program in just a week, despite declining incentives for the renewable energy source.Troy Berglund, community development and member relations manager at Benton REA, said he did not know how the program would be received.“I was...

State Democratic Sen. Andy Billig of Spokane finally got his way against “dark money” in the 2018 legislative session. After several years of introducing legislation to strengthen Washington state’s campaign finance laws, lawmakers in Olympia passed the Disclose Act earlier this year with the help of a Democratic-controlled Senate. The...

A gold hand-drawn ladybug hangs in Trishia Shelly-Stephens’ freshly painted new office. It is an ode to her friend D’Ana, whose nickname was “Ladybug,” who died from metastatic breast cancer last June.Shelly-Stephens gets emotional as she explains how she and D’Ana used to talk about starting a T-shirt...

Paper Street Brewing Co. is changing its scenery and its vibe, as Robby Burns, the founder of the five-year-old brewery, puts it.He decided to close the Richland alehouse at the end of July in favor of bringing the operation closer to home.A new brewhouse, which will be on...