Sept. 5 / Initiative decision upheld

A Washington state Court of Appeals commissioner here denied a motion by Envision Spokane that sought to stay an order by Spokane County Superior Court Judge Maryann Moreno removing the organization's initiative from the November ballot for Spokane voters. Moreno had ruled that the initiative pursued by Envision Spokane and another one being pushed by a group called Spokane Moves to Amend the Constitution fell outside the legal scope of the initiative process and were invalid.



Sept. 5 / Ag startup debuts waste converter

Ag Energy Solutions, a Spokane-based clean technology startup, showcased its first product, a field residue waste-to-energy converter, at the Palouse Empire Fair held in Colfax, Wash. The devices that the company hopes to sell burn field stubble to create hot gasses that can generate electricity. Farmers then can use that energy to help power irrigation pump stations, for example, or they can sell excess energy back to the power grid, Ag Energy says.



Sept. 3 / Valley nixes Painted Hills bid

A divided Spokane Valley City Council voted not to try to acquire Painted Hills Golf Course, located at 4403 S. Dishman-Mica Road, in an auction of the property that was scheduled for this week to satisfy bankruptcy debts. The council took the action after hearing testimony from representatives of a group that's trying to buy the property to continue running it as a golf course. City Parks and Recreation Director Mike Stone had said the city possibly could buy the property and turn it into a park.



Sept. 3 / PFD to begin shoreline work

The Spokane Public Facilities District said it will temporarily close a downtown portion of Spokane's Centennial Trail beginning this month to make extensive shoreline improvements as part of the voter-approved, $55 million Spokane Convention Center expansion project. The shoreline work, it said, will include planting more than 75 new trees of various types and some 1,300 smaller plants and creating almost 20,000 square feet of restored, naturalized habitat along a 1,000-foot section of the trail, as well as installing 800 feet of new sewer line and putting a new asphalt surface on the trail. That section of the trail is expected to reopen Nov. 21.



Aug. 29 / Avista files Oregon rate requests

Avista Corp., of Spokane, said about 96,000 of its Oregon customers could see an overall decrease of 5.5 percent in their natural gas rates effective Nov. 1 if the state public utility commission there approves the company's latest proposed annual purchased gas cost adjustment and related filings. Earlier in the month, though, the company separately filed a request with the commission to increase natural gas rates for its customers there by an overall 9.8 percent to pay for new capital investments in updating natural gas pipe and technology.



Aug. 28 / Solid-waste options weighed

Elected officials from throughout Spokane County were briefed on the findings of a $160,000 study of solid-waste transfer and disposal options and option costs that was completed by the HDR Inc. consulting firm. Under all options considered by the study, the county would take over the responsibilities of operating a solid-waste system, offering recycling and disposal of household hazardous wastes, and providing waste-reduction and recycling education. The interlocal agreement that formed the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System expires in 2014, and discussions have been under way since 2011 to consider how solid-waste disposal should be handled in the future.