Overall, the outlook for 2026 is a positive one, with a relatively steady flow of work going into 2026, according to local design firms who are frequently working on projects months before any dirt is moved on the ground.

Our most-read online stories of the year paint a picture of our economy, where opportunity and challenge exist side by side.

Bankruptcies have been on the rise in Benton and Franklin counties and across Eastern Washington since a low point in 2022, and the rate doesn’t look like it will come down just yet. 

For this shop owner now in her 70s, her business combines her two loves: framing and selling antiques.

Despite the quirks of dome home life – or perhaps because of them – these two homeowners say they wouldn’t trade their curved walls for traditional ones.

CBC is working toward replacing the 55-year-old structure after receiving $54.5 million from state lawmakers during the 2025 legislative session. And while it’s too early to say what that new home for the college’s arts and humanities departments will look like, college leaders stress that their intent is ensuring it is just as unique as it is functional.

Before this Pasco restaurant ever had a name on the door, it already had a history built on trust, loyalty and a bar owner’s belief in an experienced chef wanting to make the space his own.

An influential Pasco farming family has developed the state’s first farm-to-bottle distillery and received early accolades for their premium potato vodka, taking top honors in a Best of the Northwest contest.

A local investment group of Brazilian jiujitsu enthusiasts is building a new studio at 3 Louisiana St., just off Clearwater Avenue in Kennewick, to help the next generation of martial arts students gain confidence and improve their quality of life.

Tri-Cities Chaplaincy has completed a remodel of its Hospice House at 2108 W. Entiat Ave. in Kennewick.

Benton County has completed upgrades and expanded its canine shelter at 1116 N. Grant Place, Kennewick.

Columbia Basin Health Association’s new 35,000-square-foot clinic at 7405 Three Rivers Drive, Pasco, opened in November to expand the community’s access to health care.