Washington’s uninsured rate nearly doubled in the first weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic as more than a million workers lost their jobs and their employer-sponsored health coverage. A report issued Aug. 19 by the state Office of Financial Management indicates the uninsured rate remained far above pre-pandemic levels, but the numbers are improving locally and across the state. Before the pandemic, 6.7%...
A road construction crew working in south Richland struck a Cascade Natural Gas line, forcing eight businesses in the Queensgate area to close shortly after 2 p.m. Aug. 18.Mark Hanson, spokesman for the company, confirmed the company's line was struck near Duportail Street and Keene Road. The company expected to...
Nearly half of Tri-Citians either continued to travel by air during the pandemic or expect to return to flying within three months, according to a passenger survey conducted for the Port of Pasco, which owns and operates the Tri-Cities Airport. The survey was conducted online in June and July and drew...
Help is now available for Tri-City renters who are unable to pay rent because of Covid-19 job losses.The Tri-Cities Home Consortium received $700,000 in Federal HOME funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and began accepting applications for rental assistance on Aug. 17.The consortium consists of the cities of Kennewick, Pasco and...
Tri-Citians are a generous lot. Residents generously give money to Senior Life Resources Northwest to ensure seniors eat courtesy Meals on Wheels. They give to the Kennewick Police Department’s Community Cares Fund to help officers help people in trouble. They reach into their wallets to support important capital projects too. The new...
The jobless rate fell sharply in June across Washington and in the Tri-Cities as local economies partly reopened under the Safe Start program, according to figures released July 21 by the Washington Employment Security Department.In the Tri-Cities, unemployment fell to 9.1%, down three full points from the 12.3% rate posted...
Kennewick hoteliers add Texas property to portfolioA-1 Hospitality Group, a Kennewick-based hospitality firm, has acquired the management contract for Homewood Suites by Hilton in New Braunfels, Texas, near San Antonio.The 90-suite hotel is the third addition to the A-1 portfolio this year. It previously opened the Courtyard by Marriott in...
A material science pioneer at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is one of three to be named a 2020 distinguished scientist fellow by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.James “Jim” De Yoreo’s award includes $1 million in DOE funding over three years to pursue new research.De Yoreo is...
A $1 million Battelle donation aims to improve STEM education to better prepare the next generation of scientists in the greater Tri-City area.The grant will help launch a regional STEM Nexus that will develop and fund experiential learning programs for underrepresented, underserved students in rural communities.A science, technology, engineering and...
A global slowdown in demand for french fries took a financial toll on Lamb Weston Holdings Inc., a major Mid-Columbia employer as well as buyer of Washington-grown potatoes.Lamb Weston, based in Eagle, Idaho, reported 2020 highlights on July 28 for the fiscal year that ended July 20. The Covid-19 pandemic...
