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Hey Tri Cities, hope your week’s off to a good start! A groundbreaking sustainable aviation fuel hub, a seafood boil feast, The Glass Menagerie on stage, and more. Let’s get to it!
— Cait Baker
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📰 In the news
Wi-Fi woes spark overhaul: Columbia Basin College in Pasco plans new arts building after receiving $54.5 million from state lawmakers in 2025. Spokane firm Integrus is leading pre-design as the P Building faces replacement — see what’s planned for campus.
New research hub takes flight: WSU researchers in Richland are helping lead a new sustainable aviation fuel effort with Snohomish County, aiming to build a Paine Field center with the world’s first SAF repository — see what’s planned at the center.
New approach to student penmanship: Kennewick Rep. April Connors’ bill would allow cursive instruction in Washington classrooms, citing ink-signature needs and requiring odd-year surveys on ballot rejections tied to signature mismatches — read the full story.
City corridors face big changes: Richland plans new roundabouts to manage growing traffic from the DNR property, starting at Kennedy and Duportail with another near Walmart. Construction begins June 1, funded by transportation impact fees — get all the details.
Gold & silver are hot: Last year was gold’s best year since 1979. Silver did even better, climbing nearly 150%… and analysts expect the momentum to continue. Curious about precious metal investing? GoldCo has a helpful guide that covers everything you need to know. It’s free — and definitely worth a read.
An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial walk-in-the-door fee to x-rays, surgery, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could save thousands on your next vet bill with Lemonade.
Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175/month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.
*We do our best to avoid paywalled articles. If any slip through, let me know which ones and I’ll permanently remove them from our source list!
Highlights this week:
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🫶 We got your back
New chapter for local nonprofit: Grace Collective in Pasco is turning its original downtown space into Grace Café and Coffee Shop to offer hands-on job training and paid experience for women. A donor bought a second building debt free, shifting operations there so the café can generate revenue and expand services. Read the full story.
Your neighbors are Googling you: It’s uncomfortable but true — employers, new friends, even other parents at school pickup search names all the time. If something negative, outdated, or misleading shows up first, it can shape opinions before you ever meet. BetterReputation helps push down unwanted search results so your first impression actually reflects who you are today. And if it’s someone you care about, you can help them too.
Community celebrates expanded swim access: Pasco’s Memorial Park pool dome is now open for year-round fun. The facility features lanes for competitive swimmers and a shallow end for beginners, giving local teams and families a reliable place for practices and meets through winter and beyond. See what’s inside the dome.
Gold is having a moment: Between inflation headlines, market swings, and growing global uncertainty, precious metals are (again) in the spotlight. American Hartford is currently offering up to $25,000 in free silver when you open a qualified account. They’ll also help you set up a penalty-free gold IRA with a lowest price guarantee, no buyback fees, and 7-day price protection.
Tune up your week: From strings and pedals to band instruments and a printed music wall, We Be Music keeps Richland players covered with quick fixes and fresh inspiration. It’s simple to grab what you need and get back to playing, not scrolling endlessly for parts.
A second opinion never hurts: Not every financial advisor is the right fit, and it’s okay to explore your options. Unbiased matches you with an advisor based on your personal situation, giving you a chance to ask questions in a free, no-pressure conversation to see if the fit makes sense. No obligation — just helpful advice.
Neighbors learning together: If you or someone you know is building English, tech, or school skills, B5 Learning Center builds community for refugees and immigrants with classes, tutoring, and after-school programs, plus open-hearted vibes where strangers become friends.
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📆 Around town this week
Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →
All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.
This week
🍫 Bean to Bar Chocolate Class @ Layered Cake Artistry | Wednesday (2/11) at 5:30 PM – Momma Mack, aka Jessie’s mom and fresh off the NW Chocolate Festival, is leading a bean-to-bar dive with roasting, refining, tempering, and tastings from the cacao belt. You’ll help craft an inclusion bar, then head home with one of hers. Finally, homework you eat.
☕ Cocoa & Crafts with First Responders @ Richland Public Library | Thursday (2/12) at 5:00 PM – Valentine’s season calls for cocoa and crafts with folks who show up when glitter gets out of hand. No sirens, just safety scissors. Bring your elementary crew to make cards with Richland police, fire, and EMS, sip cocoa, and connect with people backing our kids.
🎲 Annual Bingo Night Fundraiser @ Edwin Markham Elementary | Thursday (2/12) at 6:00 PM – Whether you’re a dauber pro or just in it for the snacks, the Annual Bingo Night Fundraiser brings silent auctions, hearty eats, and big-family energy. Bring the whole crew, open your wallets gently, and brace for those infamous classroom basket themes, announced soon.
This weekend
📚 Barnes & Noble Bookfair @ Columbia Center | Saturday (2/14) – Valentine’s Day at the bookstore means one thing, a perfectly respectable date with paperbacks and zero prix fixe. Shop the bookfair to support the Lupine Society of Readers, with storytime, lively book chatter, and the warm glow of doing good.
❤ Annual Valentine’s Day Market @ Layered Cake Artistry | Saturday (2/14) at 10:00 AM – Layered Cake Artistry’s annual Valentine market skips the prix fixe panic with a pink and red dessert spread, plus My Garden Overfloweth, BAGG Books, and a Humble Bug Designs backdrop. Treat your person, your family, or yourself, and preorder here: https://layeredcakeartistry.com/valentine-s-shop.
📚 AU Book Swap @ Adventures Underground | Saturday (2/14) at 12:00 PM – Clear a little shelf space and swing by the Adventures Underground Annex for the monthly book swap. Bring a favorite, take a new fling, limit two, and trade plot twists with people who actually return things. Second Saturday tradition, zero small talk required.
🦄 The Glass Menagerie @ Richland Players | Sunday (2/15) at 2:00 PM – Trade the couch for Richland Players doing The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams’ tender portrait of longing, memory, and fragile dreams. This take centers a gay man seeking freedom, and proves every family has its cracks, its shine, and a story worth sitting with.
Live music & entertainment:
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
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📻 Tri Cities report
Weather forecast
Today – High: 48°F – Low: 33°F – Precip: 0%
Partly sunny, with a high near 48. Northwest wind 2 to 6 mph. Later: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Northwest wind around 6 mph.
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Tomorrow – High: 47°F – Low: 33°F – Precip: 2%
Mostly sunny, with a high near 47. West wind around 3 mph. Later: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
This house is wild
New construction two-story Duluth plan on 1.02 acres in Pasco’s Underwood Estates, 2,712 square feet with a 1,090 square foot tandem 3 car garage and a 30×40 detached shop with 10 foot walls, bay, and man door. Four bedrooms plus a main-level office and upstairs playroom, 2.5 baths. Open kitchen with quartz island, tile backsplash, large pantry, and patio access.
Take a peek inside →
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🔥 Worth a peek
We’re always on the hunt for useful resources, deals, services, and products we genuinely think you’ll love. Here’s what caught our eye this week:
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