Hoping to take some leftover Thanksgiving gravy home on the plane after the holiday? You may want to pack it in your checked bag (hopefully wrapped up tight), and not in your carry-on luggage.  “Solids like turkey, ham, pies or cookies can be carried onto the plane in your bag. Travelers are encouraged to organize their carry-on bags so the food to be easily removed and (to) help keep the lines moving,” officials from the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco said in a news release.   “But if you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it, then please pack anything over 3.4 oun ..read more

The effort to build a new women and children’s shelter in the Tri-Cities got a big boost from a memorial fund honoring a Bechtel senior vice president who died earlier this year. The Valerie McCain Memorial Fund raised more than $30,000 for the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission’s capital campaign to build a new shelter for women and children in Kennewick. Valerie McCain The 3 Rivers Community Foundation, which established the memorial fund, delivered the check Friday. McCain died in March at age 53. She led the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant project for four years and spent mor ..read more

Stephen Bauman is making a bid for a Franklin County commissioner seat. The Pasco resident and owner of B4 Development and Consulting announced on Thursday that he’ll seek the District 1 seat being vacated by longtime Commissioner Brad Peck. Stephen Bauman Peck, a Republican, is stepping down effective Jan. 1, citing “hyper-polarization, cronyism, workplace bullying and personal acrimony” in the county. Precinct committee officers from the Franklin County Republic Party will choose three candidates to replace Peck, and then county commissioners will have 90 days to pick one of the three. The ..read more

A new alliance dedicated to helping the Mid-Columbia region transition to a “reliable and resilient clean energy future” has tapped its first executive director. Sean V. O’Brien will lead the Energy Forward Alliance, which is part of the Tri-City Development Council, or TRIDEC. Sean O’Brien O’Brien most recently worked as Eastern Washington director for the Washington Policy Center. Before that, he was executive director of the Congressional Western Caucus and served as deputy chief of staff and legislative director for U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington. “The expertise and leadership that ..read more

Michele Gerber’s son, Jim, gave the best bear hugs. He was a tall, strong guy, and he’d lift his petite mother high in the air. “I’d practically fly over his shoulder,” Gerber said with a laugh. Jim has been gone nine years now, although he comes to life when Gerber tells stories about him – a handsome, gregarious, loving son and father who died at age 36 after years spent riding the roller coaster of opioid addiction. Gerber was there with him through it all, fighting to help him. She’s still fighting now – to make sure others struggling in the same way find happier outcomes. Gerber is a foun ..read more

The sleek bottles of a sipping liquor that spilled from the mind of a Pasco man dreaming of launching a tequila business will be ready to pour into glasses next month. That’s when 6,000 bottles of Tony Maya’s double-distilled tequila will debut. Some four years in the making, Tequila de Maya is poised to step out into the spotlight of success, thanks to Maya’s efforts. The youthful looking 45-year-old is a 1996 Pasco High School grad who grew up on the east side of Pasco. He’s served on the parks and recreation boards in Pasco and Richland, and as vice president for the Hispanic Chamber of Com ..read more

Ken Primus spent 28 years in the U.S. Army, and his service took him all over the world, including to Iraq and Afghanistan. He worked in special operations and civilian affairs and that meant part of his job was going into villages, sharing tea and conversation, and trying to make connections. In some ways, that’s still his job – even though he’s back home in the Tri-Cities. Primus took on the role of director of the local branch of World Relief, a refugee resettlement agency. He’s led the Richland-based office through the uncertainty of Covid-19, a dip in refugee numbers and now a surge that ..read more

The U.S. Department of Energy has picked the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association’s PNWH2 Hub as one of the seven regional clean hydrogen hubs designed to kickstart clean hydrogen production in the country, cut down on carbon dioxide emissions and create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. Several projects are proposed as part of the PNWH2 Hub, including Atlas Agro’s $1 billion fertilizer plant in the North Horn Rapids Industrial Park in Richland. The plant would produce green fertilizer from air, water and renewable energy, and officials have estimated it would create up to 235 full-time ..read more

State launches offshore wind supply chain initiative Washington state announced a new initiative to manufacture and distribute components the offshore wind power industry will require. The new offshore wind supply chain campaign aims to position the state to lead the development of next-generation offshore wind technology, creating manufacturing jobs at home while reducing emissions everywhere. PNNL officials join governor on trade trip to Australia Pacific Northwest National Laboratory officials and other industry leaders joined Gov. Jay Inslee on a state trade mission to Australia Nov. 1-11 ..read more

In the early days of the pandemic, social media feeds were flooded with messages and encouragement to support small business. Many people stepped up and supported entrepreneurs struggling to make ends meet when they were forced to close their doors. These same small businesses continue to need our community’s support, especially with food prices soaring along with other household expenses and the holiday shopping season upon us. There’s no better time to be reminded of the need to support local business than Small Business Saturday on Nov. 25, the day after Black Friday, the busiest shopping d ..read more