In recent years, papermakers in the Pacific Northwest have been losing ground. However, today there is a ray of hope. Surprisingly, that optimism results from the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Spokane County enters the next phase of reopening and begins to look further ahead, now is the time for the business community to band together to ensure it returns to prosperity as soon as is practical.

Competition for fifth-generation mobile service in Spokane has increased with the introduction of a new Xfinity Mobile service. Xfinity Mobile, a trade name of Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp. subsidiary Comcast Cable Communications LLC,

Washington's Lottery plans to open its first retail space in the NorthTown Mall this year, although those plans have already been slowed somewhat by the current pandemic, says Grove Ayers, general manager of the mall.

In the last month, the number of Spokane County employers filing layoff notices with the Washington state Employment Security Department have arrived at a slower pace than the month prior.

Medcurity Inc., the Spokane-based medical records tech company, has secured $200,000 in funding from a West Side investment firm. WRF Capital, the investment arm for Seattle-based nonprofit Washington Research Foundation, made the investment last month,