Latest News

Group to announce vision for big Cd'A sports complex

Feasibility study supports 6,000-seat indoor arena with adjacent ball field
Mike McLean
A sports-venue advocacy group plans to unveil soon the results of a $75,000 feasibility study that supports the idea of developing a 6,000-seat sports and entertainment complex envisioned for Coeur d'Alene.Dave Tomson, development manager for of
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Effort afoot to ease utilities' renewable-energy targets

Marr bill seeks to keep I-937 goals, but avoid big rate-shock impact
Kim Crompton
Sen. Chris Marr, D-Spokane, is spearheading a bill in the Washington Legislature that aims to strengthen environmental standards spelled out by voter-approved Initiative 937, but give electric utilities more ways to meet the standards bill, Senate
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—Staff photo by Jeanne Gustafson

Building a 'sound' business

Jeanne Gustafson
Joel Stehr has built his custom acoustic-guitar making business one piece of wood and steel string at a time.A mostly self-taught guitar crafter, he runs his Spokane-based business, Stehr Guitars, from his South Hill home. His musical pieces of a
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Partners eye $27 million development

Whitewater Creek teams with nonprofit here to try to purchase Clare House
Jeanne Gustafson
Whitewater Creek Inc., of Hayden Idaho, and the nonprofit Spokane Housing Ventures are working together on a $27 million deal to buy a struggling South Hill retirement complex and to develop 180 additional units of rental housing there for families
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Toyota dealer plans $4 million expansion

Garco picked to remodel new-car showroom, erect two-story addition, skywalk
Mike McLean
Downtown Toyota/Scion has applied for building permits for a $4 million construction project that would make up the second and third phases of improvements planned at the dealership at 1208 W. Third Avenue.The project would include construction
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Red Lion shareholder calls for sale

Seattle investment fund upset with hotel chain's shareholder rights plan
Paul Read
A Seattle-based investment company that has amassed nearly 13 percent of the stock in Spokane-based Red Lion Hotels Corp. has sent a letter to Red Lion's board asserting that the hospitality company's growth strategy is flawed and that its assets a
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Higher rates fund upgrades, Avista says

Top executives contend return must be sufficent to keep good credit rating
Richard Ripley
Avista Corp., stung by criticism of its latest rate-increase request, says it must raise its electric and natural gas rates to catch up on capital investment in its infrastructure, to provide sufficient return to investors to maintain status, and a
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Staff photo by David Cole

Retail sector here battered by recession

Closures, layoffs, price cuts have become industry norm
David Cole
With few exceptions, the news in the retail sector here these days ranges from bad to awful.Major national retailers are closing their doors, others are filing for protection from creditors, and most are slashing prices to try to attract "It's
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Phosphorus ban disliked, working

Treatment-plant data show substantial pounds-per-day decline
Kim Crompton
A ban on high-phosphorus automatic-dishwasher detergents imposed last July 1 in Spokane County triggered a consumer backlash that lingers today, but appears in early data to be having the desired effect of reducing the amount of the nettlesome into
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—Staff photo by Jeanne Gustafson

Pipeline of work slows markedly

Economy, wait on stimulus details hold up projects
Jeanne Gustafson
Architects and engineers here mostly say a normally steadily flowing pipeline of projects has slowed markedly, as the recession takes its toll on private investment, and public entities hold off on some work while awaiting word on possible federal
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