Spokanes two major electric utilities say they have concerns about a proposed initiative that would make all of Washington states larger utilities get 15 percent of their power from renewable sources, such as wind, solar, and biomass, by of and

Spokane-based Lee & Hayes PLLC, a top-ranked intellectual property law firm that represents some of the worlds largest technology companies, including Microsoft Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co., says it has added seven attorneys in the past year, is

Plans are under way at Fairchild Air Force Base to have a private contractor take over, rehabilitate, and dramatically shrink in number the homes available for military personnel on base in coming years, meaning that many more military families be

Soaring sales prices for homes here might be a welcome trend for some in the real estate market, but for first-time buyers and those with lower incomes, they mean dwindling housing options.Spokanes reputation as an affordable place to buy a a

A key to combating rising health-care costs and demands for care from an increasingly unhealthy work force might be as simple as something your mother always told youfor example, eat your vegetables. At least, health plans and employers here are

As the job market tightens and qualified candidates in some fields become harder to find, many employers say they increasingly are using employee benefits as recruiting tools. Human-resources professionals here say that oftentimes, they offer

F&M Bank, of Spokane Valley, put its profits back on a growth track last year, recovering from a dip in 2004 that had ended a run of seven straight years of record earnings.The bank posted net income of $3.2 million for 2005, up 23 percent the

Production Finance International LLC, a Spokane-based trade financing company, says its been growing steadily as demand for import-related loans to U.S. businesses increases, and that its focusing on strengthening its western U.S. 13-year-old a

Bankers here expect solid loan demand during 2006, which Sterling Financial Corp. is particularly glad about.At the end of the third quarter last year, Spokane-based Sterling warned investors that loan balances were growing more slowly than and

Rahco Ag Systems LLC, a subsidiary of Spokane-based Rahco International Inc., has developed a new leveling system thats designed to be used with John Deere combines and is intended to appeal to Midwest farmers. Richard Hanson, president of is