April 9 / Hecla offering seeks $500 million

Hecla Mining Co., of Coeur d'Alene, announced pricing of a $500 million offering of senior notes, maturing May 1, 2021, that it's opening up to qualified U.S. institutional buyers. The size of the offering was $100 million larger than the amount it originally proposed to raise earlier this month. The company said it would use the proceeds from the offering, which was expected to close around April 12, to partially fund its earlier announced $796 million acquisition of Vancouver, British Columbia-based Aurizon Mines Ltd. and for general corporate purposes.


April 8 / Mayor gets more hiring control

The Spokane City Council narrowly approved the creation of six departments with the police department and seven within the fire department, potentially giving Mayor David Condon the power to appoint a director and assistant director of each new department. The action was spurred by Police Chief Frank Straub's proposed reorganization of the police force and by a recent report from a Use of Force Commission that suggested the police department needs a change in culture. Straub told the city council he needs more authority to hire and fire people in top leadership positions without the constraints of a civil service system.


April 8 / Providence names new CEO of hospitals here

Spokane-based Providence Health Care said it has named Alex Jackson as the new chief executive of Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children's Hospital and Holy Family Hospital. Currently chief operating officer of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Jackson will fill the position left vacant when Elaine Couture became chief executive of Providence Health Care, overseeing all of that organization's 11 entities, late last year. Jackson, who was raised in Montana, has worked for Providence hospitals in Oregon for more than 15 years.


April 5 / Felts tower closure put on hold

The Federal Aviation Administration said it has put on hold plans to close the air traffic control towers at Felts Field in East Spokane and at 148 other airports until June 15 to allow more time for it to review other options for cutting a mandated $637 million from its budget. The targeted closures are at airports mostly handling corporate and private aircraft, and Felts is one of 149 airports staffed with privately contracted controllers. The postponement doesn't change a separate FAA plan to shut down Spokane International Airport's control tower overnight beginning Sept. 1.


April 4 / New library director chosen

Andrew Chanse, an administrator with the Maricopa County Library District in Arizona, tentatively accepted an offer from the Spokane Public Library board of trustees to take over as library director, succeeding Pat Partovi, who plans to retire next month. Following further negotiations, a tentative agreement will be brought to the board at its April 16 meeting for approval.


April 3 / Regional Property Crime Task Force formed

Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, Spokane Police Chief Frank Straub, and four other local law enforcement officials from Spokane and Kootenai counties said they have formed a regional Property Crime Task Force to address the high number of property crimes being committed in the region. They said their agencies will share intelligence and data with the goal of focusing resources strategically to combat such crime and to educate the public about the problem.


March 28 / Red Lion sells Pendleton hotel

Red Lion Hotels Corp., of Spokane, said it has sold the Red Lion Hotel Pendleton, in Pendleton, Ore., for about $2.3 million. The buyer, whose name Red Lion declined to disclose, agreed to franchise with the company, and the hotel will retain its current name. Located just off Interstate 84 in Pendleton, the hotel has 170 guest rooms, a restaurant, and 10,500 square feet of meeting and banquet space.