Are Tri-City business leaders and employees feeling grim that the region’s business climate isn’t improving?A recent survey suggests they might be.Business leaders and employees surveyed in Washington, Oregon and Idaho are becoming increasingly concerned the regional economy isn’t getting better, with 29% of leaders and 44% of employees reporting it...
Washington’s housing affordability crisis hurts every corner of the state. We’ve all heard stories. Nurses and grocery store employees can’t afford to live where they work. Young people are priced out of their hometowns. First-time homebuyers can’t afford a down payment. Seniors struggle to downsize in retirement.We need solutions at...
There is no substitute for person-to-person connections – people talking with, listening to and understanding one another. It is called “customer service,” and it is the best way to resolve problems and retain customers.Those employed and embedded in business are more likely to be located on-site, frequently see fellow workers...
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide sites are now open and ready to help prepare and e-file personal tax returns for the first time in three years.The free tax service is available to all taxpayers. AARP membership is not required.The service includes federal personal tax returns as well as the new Washington Working...
Transferring wealth to children will become a touch easier in 2024.Buried in the estimated 4,000-page Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2023 that passed at the end of 2022 was the Secure 2.0 Act of 2022.It heralded many changes for the retirement system in the United States.One provision dealing with 529 accounts...
We thought we’d enlist the help of ChatGPT to help us summarize this story about the trends in hospitality technology. After all, artificially intelligent robots soon could be checking us into hotel rooms and providing housekeeping services.For the non-tech savvy, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot that can answer questions...
The Columbia Gorge Hotel & Spa in Hood River, Oregon, recently unveiled its new look after a multimillion-dollar renovation.The 42-room property is managed by A-1 Hospitality Group of Kennewick, and the historic renovations were completed by InnSpace of Kalispell, Montana.The four-story hotel is at 4000 Westcliff Drive in the Columbia...
General Manager, Legends CasinoLetisha PetersonNumber of employees you oversee: 700Brief background of Legends:Yakama Nation Legends Casino opened in May 1998, and we’re excited to celebrate 25 years in 2023. The casino has grown steadily since our opening, and we’ve taken the time to plan and build the necessary infrastructure along...
You don’t need to be a numbers geek to know that the pandemic wreaked havoc on the hospitality industry, here and elsewhere. Travel stopped, dining in became a dare and the workforce disappeared. None of the 19 large groupings, or sectors, of the local economy took so much of the...
A few weeks ago, I had a chance to meet Michael Landry, head of LIGO Hanford Observatory. He was part of the discovery team that detected gravitational waves that were created when two black holes collided 1.3 billion light years from earth. No one had ever “heard” the sound of...
