November 9 / Greenstone to purchase Kendall Yards
Greenstone Corp., of Spokane, said it agreed to acquire the 78-acre Kendall Yards site along the north bank of the Spokane River west of downtown Spokane from River Front Properties LLC, headed by developer Marshall Chesrown. Greenstone said it plans to develop the property as a mixed-use community, similar to RFP's plans, beginning next year, at a total private capital investment of more than $500 million. It didn't disclose terms of the transaction, other than to say it will restructure about $20 million in debt on the property, with Washington Trust Bank providing project financing.

Nov. 3 / Hecla's quarterly income rises steeply
Hecla Mining Co., of Coeur d'Alene, reported third-quarter net income of $22.5 million, or 9 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $7.2 million, or 5 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. The company said its earnings gain was driven chiefly by record revenue from its acquisition of the remainder of the Greens Greek mine in Alaska, which doubled its silver production and increased its zinc and lead production significantly. The company's cash flow from operations jumped 62 percent, to a record $32.3 million, and its cash cost to produce silver plummeted to 85 cents an ounce, compared with $4.46 an ounce in the third quarter of 2008.

Oct. 29 / Clearwater Paper's profits jump
Clearwater Paper Corp., of Spokane, announced third-quarter net income of $46.2 million, or $3.92 a diluted share, up dramatically from $900,000, or 8 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. Excluding income from alternative fuel mixture tax credits, its net income for the latest quarter was $16.5 million, or $1.40 a share, it said. The company said strong performance by its consumer products and pulp and paperboard segments outweighed an operating loss in wood products.

Oct. 28 / Avista's quarterly net rises
Avista Corp., of Spokane, reported third-quarter net income of $8.1 million, or 15 cents a diluted share, up from $7.4 million, or 13 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. The company attributed the increase partly to utility rate increases, lower interest costs, and a decrease in income tax expenses. Avista Utilities contributed net income of $7.2 million, up from $6.5 million in the year-earlier period, and Avista Advantage IQ contributed $1.4 million, up from $1.3 million, the company said.

Oct. 28 / Itron posts $3 million loss
Itron Inc., the Liberty Lake-based maker of automated meter-reading technology, posted a third-quarter net loss of $3 million, or 7 cents a diluted share, down sharply from net income of $5.6 million, or 15 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. For the first nine months of the year, the company lost $7.4 million, or 19 cents a share, down from net income of $17.6 million, or 50 cents a share, in the same period last year. President and CEO Malcolm Unsworth said the company still is being affected negatively by the economy, but added that deployments of its technology are improving.

Oct. 27 / AutoNation to buy Valley Honda, Acura
AutoNation Inc., of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., announced it had signed agreements to buy Valley Honda and Valley Acura here from Ray Kish and Rick Rielly and will rename the dealerships AppleWay Honda and AppleWay Acura. AutoNation said the dealerships generated about $38 million in sales in fiscal 2008 and will be its ninth and 10th new-car stores here. It said manufacturer approval is required for the transaction.

Oct. 27 / Avista to receive $20 million for feeder upgrade
Avista Utilities said it will receive a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for an upgrade of 58 of its feeder lines that serve large areas of Spokane. The company, which will contribute an additional $22 million to the project, said the 36-month effort will reduce energy losses from electric lines, improve reliability, increase efficiency, and prepare its system for smart grid capabilities that will give customers more ability to control their own energy usage. The project will create 45 jobs.