For the first five years of business, Bunnell Family Cellar operated out of the Susan and Ron Bunnell’s home. Located in the country, people visited by invitation, traveling down a gravel road to taste wines and visit with the couple. That was in 2004, a time when thenumber of wineries...

Mid-Columbia farmers facing Yakima basin drought declaration on top of delay in planting, harvestThis year’s growing season may bechallenging for farmers with possible drought conditions and delayed plantingsafter winter’s heavy, prolonged snow.Wheat, wine grape, apple,asparagus and potato industry officials reported weather-related delays becauseof the record snowfall that blanketed the region...

As long asMother Nature cooperates, renovations will begin in April at Hawthorne Court, asenior living facility in Kennewick. The retirement community at 524 N. Ely St. is home to more than 100residents, and has a mix of apartments for independent and assisted living.It’s managed by Leisure Care, which has retirement...

Guarantee System Carpet Cleaning &Dye Co. is celebrating 40 years of serving the Tri-Cities. Owners Garry and Tracie Lamberson saidthough they moved to Kennewick before the economic downturn of the 1980s,phones were ringing off the hook right after opening.“Business was good from the start,”Tracie said.Before moving to Eastern Washington,Tracie and...

Mother Nature recently shared herwintry mix with the Tri-Cities, but the Three Rivers campus wants to be able tocreate its own ice year-round.Construction of a new $3.4 million iceplant is underway at the Kennewick campus, which is home to the Toyota Center,Toyota Arena and Three Rivers Convention Center.The Toyota Center...

Road 100 branch to feature 7,000 square feet; $645,000 in improvements planned at headquartersGesa Credit Union will open its 18thbranch this summer in Pasco.Construction on the $2 million projectalready has begun on the two-acre plot of land at 4824 Broadmoor Blvd. Kennewick-based Banlin Construction isthe general contractor for the project....

Regional manufacturing jobs to grow 1.84 percent this yearManufacturing jobs in Benton andFranklin counties are expected to grow at a faster rate than the state averageas food manufacturing rebounds in 2019. Locally, there are more than 8,100manufacturing jobs, which accounts for about 7 percent of total nonfarmemployment in 2018, according...

Despite a higher state school tax levy in 2018, families in Eastern Washington may see some relief on their property tax bill this year.That’s because the state collected more than it anticipated, and to alleviate the tax burden for 2019, the state rate of $2.70 per $1,000 of assessed property...

Although business owners were anxious to see how the tax code overhaul affected their bottom line in 2018, many are scratching their heads as regulations fall into place.“I’ve put in enough hours at this point it feels as though I’m getting ready to take another CPA exam,” said Ty Schatz,...

The Benton City Les Schwab store has joined the Tire Centers Inc. family, which has been servicing the Yakima Valley for more than 60 years.Phil Winterholler operates the Benton City store at 744 Ninth St. He became an independent owner of a Wapato store in 1998. The 403 W. First...