Local News
Necessity is the mother of invention for Tri-Cities innovators
Great disruptions can bring great opportunities. For Derrick Stricker, a Tri-City commercial real estate broker, working during the Great Recession in Chicago drove that idea home. Now, a decade older and working in the Mid-Columbia, he’s one of the many local entrepreneurs who see new opportunity in the Covid-19 pandemic. Or rather, an old one.…
‘But, for the common good, we have to come together in a crisis’
There’s no established playbook or business strategy for weathering the Covid-19 pandemic. The rules keep changing as the cases keep rising. Uncertainty seems the only certainty. But there’s a mindset we can adopt to help us to meet these challenges. Our former Secretary of Defense, retired Gen. Jim Mattis, offered insight on leading through a…
Aug. 4 primary ballots hit mailboxes this month
Ballots for Washington’s Aug. 4 primary election will be mailed July 17 and hit local mailboxes a few days later. Results will set the stage for the Nov. 3 general election, when everything from the presidency to local county commission posts are up for grabs. Ballots must be returned or postmarked by election day to…
PPP applications pushed lenders to their limits
Talk was going around. Politicians in Washington were developing a coronavirus package with a generous program to save jobs at small businesses affected by the pandemic. Eric Pearson, chief executive officer of Kennewick-based Community First Bank, recalls the talk. Nothing was official. The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act hadn’t been signed into…
The No. 1 threat to your investment success
There is the obvious investment advice that certainly you’ve heard again and again: Set clear and realistic long-term goals. Keep investing regardless of market fluctuations. Diversify, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Select quality low-cost globally diversified investments. Seek out a fiduciary professional to support the financial side of your life. All great…
Where’s the inflation and what should investors do about it?
Will the massive fiscal and monetary stimulus packages designed to save the economy actually lead to high inflation? This is becoming a hotly debated topic. In this column, we’ll explore inflation, future expectations and how to protect your nest egg. Inflation can be broadly defined as the increase in prices of goods and services over…
Mergers and acquisitions, a primer
When businesses or professionals talk about engaging in mergers or acquisitions (M&A), what exactly might that entail? In a general sense, M&A is a broad term to describe the various transactions available to gain control of, or consolidate, companies. An acquisition is the scenario where a buyer seeks to purchase or acquire the ownership of…
Q&A with Rebekah Dobbs
STCU Commercial and Business Services Commercial Banking Manager Number of employees you oversee: 2 What is STCU’s footprint in the Tri-Cities? We have locations in the Southridge area of Kennewick, Queensgate area of Richland and will be opening our Pasco location on Road 68 soon. We also have a Home Loan division and my team,…
Check fraud is helping drive up financial fraud
We have all seen the news: card skimmers, check fraud and compromised accounts. With financial fraud on the rise, where does your financial institution stand in terms of losses, security and products to assist you in safeguarding your accounts and identity? The American Bankers Association does a survey each year to determine the amount of…
Tri-City region’s population continues to climb
Pasco and Richland were among the state’s top 10 cities for population growth, and Benton and Franklin counties each grew about 2 percent in the past year. Benton County, the state’s 10th largest county, grew 1.9%, adding 3,900 people, and Franklin County, the state’s 14th largest county, grew 2.2%, adding 2,080 people. That’s according to…
