Good morning, Pasco.

Bingo Boulevard in Kennewick has been a community hub since 1992 — its ongoing Friday to Sunday sessions with afternoon and evening games support local projects through Columbia Center Rotary Club.

The hall offers prizes from $100 to $10,000 and a snack bar while remaining a gathering spot for friends and neighbors.

Ferguson’s Richland distribution center at 2501 Battelle Blvd. was honored as Regional Distribution Center of the Year for its employee-led safety culture that kept it injury-free for 648 days.

The center serves Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah & Alaska and ships about 120 LTL shipments daily to 60 stores & projects while using strict forklift safety measures.

A family business that started in Spokane grew over 20 years from a home operation to a company with over 50 workers and opened a new 5,000-square-foot shop at 1430 E.

Hillsboro St. in Pasco in late 2024. The company installs and fixes doors for homes and businesses in the Tri-Cities and will expand its services in the area.

A south Richland golf club approved a $13.5 million remodel at Meadow Springs to expand its clubhouse by 9,000 square feet so it can better serve its 800 members.

Design work will take 6-8 months—permitting and bidding will run in summer and fall, construction will begin in January, and a reopening is planned for January 2028.

Framatome produced uranium metal pucks at its Richland facility in partnership with TerraPower – a step that readies the company to secure DOE funding and expand the plant to boost the domestic supply of advanced reactor fuel after work began in spring 2024.

Wake Up Call opened its 14th Tri-Cities location—its 33rd overall—at 590 Gage Blvd in Richland to serve handcrafted coffee.

The shop will host its grand opening on Nov. 19 with drink specials, a DJ and vendors.

STCU opened its Columbia Center Branch at 2001 N.

Columbia Center Blvd in Richland on Oct. 8, marking its 50th branch in Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon and North Idaho. The 2,900-square-foot building cost about $2 million to remodel—adding its fourth branch in the Tri-Cities with drive-thru and walk-up ATM services.

Nearly 600 job seekers and small business owners gained new skills, jobs and funding over the past year through the Benton-Franklin Workforce Development Council.

The council will form a Workforce Needs Committee to connect businesses, educators and community partners — boosting workforce training and regional opportunities.

Research by Talker Research in partnership with SurePayroll shows that nearly half of holiday gifts are bought from small businesses — a survey of 2,000 respondents found an average purchase rate of 44% from these shops.

Many consumers prefer small businesses over chain stores because they offer better quality and a more personal connection.

Tri-Cities Airport recorded 38,766 enplanements in September—a drop of nearly 750 from last September—and the decline was linked to economic instability with federal agencies cutting spending amid a government shutdown.

FAA plans to curtail 10% of daily flights on most regional routes and travelers are advised to check flight statuses for updates.

Western Governors University is helping nearly 1,000 working adults in Benton and Franklin counties earn online degrees while keeping their jobs—students use a system that lets them test out of material they already know and work at their own pace with weekly mentor guidance.

The program offers degrees in fields like business, health care, education and technology to meet local workforce needs.

A new research facility called the Cosmic Explorer Beamtube Experiment is set to be built near LIGO Hanford Observatory to test improved methods for creating ultra-high vacuum tubes for a future observatory.

The project, funded by a $17.7 million NSF grant, will start construction in November and finish in July — its research is expected to lower costs for the larger facility.

Columbia Basin College expanded its Energy Learning Center—supported by a $2 million DOE grant—to train students in nuclear and renewable energy this fall and plans to add 24 new students in winter to address retiring workforce challenges.

Entrepreneur Dwight Montgomery opened Bella’s Pickleball Oct.

1 at 7425 W. Clearwater Ave with eight indoor courts in a 30,000-square-foot building once used for office furniture and events—he plans to add a sports bar and outdoor courts next and will host an Al Wise Tournament with proceeds benefiting the Humane Society.