Dec. 6 / Providence to add more than 150 jobs here

Providence Health & Services, owner of Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children's Hospital and Holy Family Hospital, said it plans to add more than 150 new positions to its billing center here as part of a plan to relocate some of its billing functions here from Renton, Wash. The organization currently employs about 100 people at its Spokane billing center.



Dec. 5 / Spokane mail center spared

Under a budget-cutting consolidation plan, the U.S. Postal Service decided to keep Spokane's mail processing center open. The center could start sorting mail from the Tri-Cities, Wenatchee, and western Montana in the future, since processing centers in those areas were identified for closure. Officials have not said how many jobs could be added at the Spokane center.



Dec. 1 / Coldwater Creek posts big loss

Sandpoint-based Coldwater Creek Inc. announced a third-quarter net loss of $29.2 million, or 31 cents a share, compared with loss of $10.9 million, or 12 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Sales for the quarter were $187.5 million, down from $232.4 million in the year-earlier period. Company Chairman and CEO Dennis Pence said, "Although we expect the environment for consumer spending to remain challenging during the fourth quarter, we are encouraged by the progress we are seeing from the implementation of our merchandising and design initiatives and remain confident that our strategies will lead to an improvement in our long-term operating performance."


Dec. 1 / RiverBank raises $5 million

RiverBank Holding Co., the parent company of RiverBank, a five-year-old boutique financial institution here, raised $5 millionin a private placementcompleted Nov. 23. RiverBank Holding said it plans to use a majority of the proceedsfrom the offering to strengthen the bank's capital.


Dec. 1 / L&I rates won't rise in 2012

The Washington state Department of Labor & Industries said there won't be an overall increase in workers' compensation insurance premiums in 2012. The agency had proposed a 2.5 percent average increase in premiums in September, but it decided to hold rates flat due to recent positive trends in claims duration and public testimony about economic impacts. The Association of Washington Business described the decision as "a welcome surprise for employers."


Nov. 30 / Gold Reserve to be delisted

Gold Reserve Inc., of Spokane, received notice fromthe Toronto Stock Exchange that its stock would be delisted. Trading in the company'sshares was to continue for 30 days, during which time Gold Reserve has a right to appeal the decision. Toronto Stock Exchangeinformed Gold Reserve that the company doesn't meet theexchange's original listing requirements due to theVenezuelan government's expropriation of the Brisas property that Gold Reserve had been developing to mine.


Nov. 30 / Boeing aircraft agreement cheered here

Chicago-based Boeing Co. and the machinists union reached an agreement to build a 737 MAX airplane in Renton, Wash., which economic-development leaders said would help bolster aerospace employment statewide. Rich Hadley, president and CEO of Greater Spokane Incorporated, said, "Our region's 80-plus aerospace supply companies will benefit from this decision, and could see increases in business by between 30 percent and 50 percent based on 737 MAX ramp-up schedules."