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...

The Tri-Cities said good-bye to leaders who helped create the community we know and love this past year and in late 2021, including Dennis Poland, the builder and one time Kennewick Man of the Year; Robert L. “Bob” Ferguson, the U.S. Department of Energy’s first deputy assistant secretary of nuclear...

I moved to Tri-Cities in February 2021 when I was hired as the new executive director for the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments (BFCOG). Everyone I have met is so welcoming. Their first question is always to ask where I work. When I tell them, their next statement is nearly always,...

Newspapers love to compile their end-of-the-year top story lists, and we’re no exception.We had plenty of big headlines in 2021 about multimillion-dollar developments coming to our community.It’s been a bright spot for our economy after weathering so much uncertainty in 2020.Our annual list of the most-read stories on the Tri-Cities...

Many things are asked of economists. Sometimes it’s to provide an explanation of the present. Other times it’s to give a forecast. This column contains a bit of both. To summarize the past year involves dissecting some of the present and poring over available evidence to forecast possible outcomes for...

This past year has been one like no other — full of challenges, hardships and uncertainty. However, it was underscored by remarkable resilience, much of that apparent in the day-to-day activities of Tri-City Regional Chamber members. Throughout 2021, we continued to adapt by helping businesses withstand changes due to the...

At the end of 2020, we looked back at the impacts of Covid-19 on our local Tri-Cities’ economy and predicted a fast rebound. In 2021, we definitely experienced a rebound and have seen continued growth in the size of our workforce. We are anticipating even more workforce growth in 2022.According...

Despite a global pandemic, 2021 was a pleasant surprise for the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco. There’s reason for optimism as we have seen a significant improvement in air travel volumes.Coming into the year, staff forecasted passenger traffic would reach 60% (262,873) of our 2019 passenger numbers (438,123). This estimate represents...