Latest News

Agriculture-related carbon movements are being tracked

Crops believed to take in, return 37 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions

August 11, 2011

Farming often involves transporting crops long distances so consumers from Maine to California can enjoy Midwest corn, Northwest cherries, and other produce when they are out of season locally. But it isn't just the fossil fuel needed to move food

Researcher looks at restaurants' roles in spreading germs

Current cleaning practices typically get rid of bacteria, might not kill all viruses

August 11, 2011

News Wise

Melvin Pascall, an associate professor in the food science and technology department at The Ohio State University, is conducting research to determine whether existing guidelines are enough to keep the public safe from cross contamination. With

Farm Credit reports dip in quarterly net

Earnings stayed healthy, though, due to ag sector's continued broad strength

August 11, 2011

Kim Crompton

Northwest Farm Credit Services, of Spokane, says it had second-quarter net income of $29.4 million, down from $34.1 million in the year-earlier quarter.For the first six months of 2011, the federally chartered ag lender reported total earnings a

Growers here embrace GPS technology to boost efficiency

As costs rise, precision-ag systems help producers save money

August 11, 2011

Chey Scott

As Inland Northwest farmers continue to face rising costs in crop seeds, chemicals, labor, and equipment, agriculture specialists say industry-specific GPS-based technologies are becoming more widely used to help improve efficiency.Those include

Farm-to-table trends

Some cite challenges; others go to Inland Northwest ranches, farms for produce, meat

August 11, 2011

Linn Parish

A satirical skit in the cable-television comedy "Portlandia" has a couple in a restaurant who, after asking a long series of questions about the chicken the eatery serves, leaves to visit the farm at which the chicken was raised, wanting to see the

State's affordable-housing conference scheduled here

Three-day meet planned next month could draw more than 700 attendees

August 11, 2011

Mike McLean

Housing Washington, an annual statewide conference on affordable housing, will be held Sept. 26-28 at the Spokane Convention Center.Jama Hawk, manager of administrative services for the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, says the is to

Kop to construct $1.2 million senior apartments in Omak

Project calls for 10 units in single-story structure to be completed in 2013

August 11, 2011

Mike McLean

Kop Construction Co., of Spokane, has won a $1.2 million contract to construct senior housing in Omak, Wash.The housing complex, which is to be named Pine Meadows Senior Housing, will include 10 residential units, nine of which will be for says

Apartment developer creates housing co-op near Gonzaga

14-unit Gee House features shared living; owner seeks LEED platinum rating

August 11, 2011

Chey Scott

A Spokane man has developed an apartment building near Gonzaga University that he set up as a sustainably designed coed housing cooperative targeted at GU students.The developer, Buzz Price, says the building, which he has named The Gee with the

EWU to begin renovation of women's locker rooms

Spokane's Kearsley lands $789,000 job to improve spaces for athletic teams

August 11, 2011

Treva Lind

Kearsley Construction Inc., of Spokane, is expected to start work this month on an estimated $789,000 renovation of women's athletic locker rooms and team meeting areas on Eastern Washington University's Cheney campus. Jim Moeller, an EWU senior

Rendering courtesy of Integrus Archtecture PS

Walker wins Whitworth HUB addition contract

Spokane contractor plans to start $3.5 million job at dining hall this week

August 11, 2011

Treva Lind

Walker Construction Inc., of Spokane, has won a $3.5 million contract to build an expansion of Whitworth University's dining hall, inside the Hixson Union Building.The construction is scheduled to start this week to add nearly 14,000 square feet