When it comes to heavy industry and manufacturing, low-cost electricity and the power sector are foundational to producing competitively priced goods and products.The Tri-City area is increasingly on the radar of companies looking for communities to bring new industries and jobs, the kind of jobs that include good wages and...

The decarbonization of the electric grid seems to be the topic of news stories across the country.The call for replacement of the fossil-fuel infrastructure, that was built over centuries, with clean-energy alternatives is the mantra of this generation.This decarbonization effort will require an unprecedented amount of investment, planning and skill...

When I’m home, like everyone else, I flip on the light switch and expect my lights to come on without giving a thought about if there’s enough electricity available.That’s the way it should be. People are busy and shouldn’t be concerned about there being enough electricity to keep the lights...

Seventy years ago, the soldiers of Camp Hanford built a giant Santa Claus and placed him, his sleigh and his reindeer on the main building of the post.It was a cheerful addition to Camp Hanford in Richland, which served as headquarters for the Army’s 5th Anti-Aircraft Group, which was charged...

Despite higher prices, inflation and safety concerns, more Christmas shoppers are browsing online but making in-store purchases.The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported this year an estimated 166.3 million people visited stores from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, 8 million more than last year and the highest level since NRF began...

Washington is fortunate to be a state filled with strong, resilient and innovative employers.We were reminded of that last month during the annual Association of Washington Business awards ceremony in Tacoma.AWB handed out a record 13 awards at the Nov. 17 Evening of Excellence gala in categories ranging from Employer...

One of my fondest childhood memories of this time of year was listening to the deep baritone of English actor Basil Rathbone as he narrated Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” on my parents’ record player. (Yes, I know that dates me.)It made a toys-under-the-tree obsessed kid actually think about people...

2022 is the year that the Tri-Cities bounced back brighter, bigger and bolder for tourism-related businesses and renewed visitor spending in the Tri-Cities.Visit Tri-Cities kicked off the year by producing a strategic plan for the Tri-Cities Rivershore Enhancement Council, setting priorities and affirming overarching goals for the council to focus...

I had a toy as a child that seemed super-cool at the time.It was a remote-controlled car that had the capacity to make three-point turns when it bumped into something. I set it loose in the kitchen. It rolled along until it hit the oven, then promptly backed up at...

By Karina EliasSpokane Journal of BusinessSmall employers in Washington state face double-digit increases in health-care insurance rates for 2023, in some cases.In most instances, those small employers, which the state defines as those with 50 employees or fewer, are sustaining the largest increases in premiums in years.Seattle-based Premera Blue Cross,...