Local News

Vendors, creators, artists sought for Ironman kickoff event

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Organizers of the Tri-Cities' third annual Ironman triathlon in September plan to welcome participating athletes with a new celebration and they want it to showcase the best of the food, art and more of what the region has to offer.

WSU Tri-Cities, regional chamber launching new business education network

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Washington State University Tri-Cities and the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce will launch a new entrepreneurial training initiative this fall and they want your input on shaping it.

Kadlec reaches settlement with nurses union over unfair labor practice investigation

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Kadlec Regional Medical Center will avoid a trial after agreeing to settle with the union representing its nurses over alleged retaliation.

Ribbon cutting planned for Benton REA’s headquarters

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Benton Rural Electric Association’s new West Richland headquarters will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting ahead of its mid-July opening.

Real Estate & Construction Briefs – June 2026

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Real Estate & Construction Briefs for June 2026

Business Briefs — June 2026

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Business briefs June 2026

Construction begins on $11.1M South Badger apartments

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

A 72-unit apartment complex is coming to the growing South Badger Mountain development in Richland.

Federal energy bill brings mixed news for Hanford, PNNL workers

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Thousands of Tri-Cities workers at the Hanford nuclear site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are watching a federal budget process that could determine whether a second consecutive year of deep job cuts can be avoided.

Developer unveils grocery-anchored commercial hub

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Plans for a major commercial development are beginning to take shape in one of Pasco’s fastest-growing corridors, anchored by a yet-to-be-named grocery store and accompanied by restaurants, a hotel and retail.

Port report finds no agreement to pay water bills for airport hangars

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

A committee formed by the Port of Benton has concluded that the port never agreed to pay water utility bills for several tenants at the Richland Airport, clarifying a key question at the heart of a controversy that has roiled the port for more than a year.

Rising wildfire risk drives up WA home insurance costs

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Wildfire risk and rising disaster costs are pushing home insurance premiums higher across Washington, with some areas seeing steep increases in recent years and further increase expected through 2026.

Patel family builds homegrown hospitality, one hotel at a time

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

A Kennewick-based hotel company’s newest Pasco hotel sold out its first two floors within days of opening, and it is already building what comes next.

Tri-Cities Airport sees opportunity in airline industry turmoil

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

As airlines cancel hundreds of routes nationwide, Tri-Cities Airport is bucking the trend – adding two new flights and positioning itself to benefit from the industry's ongoing turbulence.

Backed by local investors, Tri-Cities biotech startup eyes global market

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

This Tri-Cities startup cracked a problem the agriculture industry has struggled with for years – how to make microbes work as practical, affordable alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. And local investors are working to keep it rooted in the Tri-Cities.

Health district split off the table for now

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Franklin County officials say the county is not planning to leave the Benton-Franklin Health District, easing concerns that a breakup of the joint public health agency could disrupt services and create new regulatory requirements for businesses across the Tri-Cities region. While county leaders acknowledge future growth may eventually require more localized health services, they say no formal discussions or plans are underway to separate from the district.

Supreme Court ruling on controversial wind farm may come soon

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

The fate of a proposed wind farm that would be spread across the Horse Heaven Hills may be just weeks away from being decided.

Audits raise concerns over districts’ financial health

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Three Benton County school districts are facing significant financial strain, with two of those districts planning millions of dollars in cuts next school year to stabilize their budgets.

Colville casino plans are ambitious – and neighboring tribes aren’t happy

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation are proposing a major casino-hotel north of Pasco — and two neighboring tribes say it would violate their treaty rights.

Report: Grouting Hanford tank waste could cost more than $1 billion

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

U.S. Department of Energy officials have said plans to treat a portion of the 55 million gallons of underground tank waste at Hanford via a process different than stabilizing it in a glass form will cost between $480 million and $1.1 billion – and that does not include related costs.

Census data shows slowing population growth

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

The Tri-Cities are continuing to grow but at a lower rate than in previous years.

After more than 20 years, homebuilders association leader steps down

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

The man who has led the Tri-Cities homebuilders organization for more than 20 years is embarking on a new chapter.

Noncompetes are going away. Is your business ready?

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Washington state has banned noncompetition agreements effective about a year from now, and businesses need to start preparing now.

Housing market nears record prices as uncertainty builds

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Permits issued to build single-family homes in the Mid-Columbia are up 31% compared to this same point last year – and contractors are building more townhomes and multifamily homes than last year. But there are signs the market is on shakier ground.

AI could help PNNL pack more nuclear waste into glass

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

With the help of artificial intelligence, research from scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland could help optimize the vitrification of nuclear waste at Hanford and other nuclear sites.

Plans in works for Lamb Weston plant demo, new restaurant, subdivisions and more

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Documents filed under Washington’s environmental review process reveal a list of projects in the works for the Mid-Columbia.

The State Environmental Policy Act, or SEPA, often provides the first look at the mixed-use projects, mini-storage facilities, apartments, industrial expansions, subdivisions and more that are working their way through the various planning departments of Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties.

Here’s a look at projects that appeared in the SEPA register in the past month.

Richland riverfront hotel gets room refresh

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Rooms in a 30-year-old Richland hotel are getting a refresh this summer.

Kennewick wants more answers before backing new City Hall plan

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Members of the Kennewick City Council had a lot of questions after getting a first look at draft proposals for a future of City Hall and that may push out when a final recommendation is finally presented to them.

Price tag climbs for Pasco Amazon warehouse overhaul

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

The price tag for Amazon to prepare its yet-to-open east Pasco warehouse for its future role continues to climb.

New owners buy one of the three Farmers Exchange buildings

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

One of the three buildings associated with the historic Farmers Exchange building in downtown Kennewick has been sold to new owners after nearly a year on the market.

Tourism is about more than visitors. It’s about building competitive communities

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Tourism has become an important part of how communities position themselves for long-term success. The assets in our communities put the Tri-Cities in a position to capitalize on that.