Latest News

Inland Northwest retailers expect strong holiday sales

Many said to be hiring seasonal workers

November 19, 2015

The National Retail Federation is predicting holiday spending will be comparable to last year, with national retail sales increasing by 3.7 percent this year to $630.5 billion. Retailers here agree with those predictions, saying they too anticipate strong

Beverage distributor Odom plans facility in Hayden

Company starts $9.2 million project

November 19, 2015

Mike McLean

The Odom Corp., the big Bellevue-based wholesale beverage distributor, is erecting a 92,000-square-foot distribution center and warehouse in Hayden, where it plans to move its North Idaho operations, says Jerry Dexter, Odom's Spokane-based senior vice p

206-acre industrial park planned north of Post Falls

Developers aim to divide industrial land into 38 lots

November 5, 2015

Mike McLean

Bighorn Farm LLC, of Spokane Valley, has bought 206 acres of land in unincorporated Kootenai County, near the north edge of Post Falls, and plans to develop an industrial park there, says George Lawrence, who co-owns Bighorn Farm with Rich Dahm. Lawrence

Store Fixtures R Us set to close at month's end

Owner claims it's last such supplier still operating here

November 5, 2015

LeAnn Bjerken

The owner of Store Fixtures R Us, which supplies fixtures, displays, and other related items to retail stores, says he plans to close the 25-year-old East Spokane store by the end of this month, after already having shuttered sister plastic-fabrication c

Small Business Watch

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November 5, 2015

Staff Report

Gemmill is right call as county CEO

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November 5, 2015

Staff Report

Spokane County commissioners have made a wise decision in naming Gerry Gemmill as the new county CEO. Now that the position is filled, the commissioners should do their best to put behind them any lingering hard feelings about the controversies that aro

Reflections on our morning edition

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November 5, 2015

Kim Crompton

Adjusting to the less-frequent publication schedule at the biweekly Journal of Business was a big challenge for me when I joined the news team here more than 26 years ago, after having spent the bulk of my earlier career at daily newspapers. It wasn't

Cooney Law plans to move to larger space next year

Practice has been based in Garland District since '49

November 5, 2015

Citing an inability to grow in its current location, Cooney Law Offices PS will leave its home of 66 years in the Garland Business District, at 910 W. Garland, and relocate next year to the northeast corner of Washington Street and Indiana Avenue. The Co

Couple begins expansion, remodel of Cheney hotel

Project to add 46 rooms, cost about $4.7 million

November 5, 2015

Construction started last week on a $4.7 million expansion and renovation of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites at 111 Betz Road, in Cheney. The hotel's general manager, Dori Byrd, says the planned expansion is desperately needed. 'Last year, we had 9

Rockwood Health owner reports softer earnings

CEO cites several factors, including admissions drop

November 5, 2015

LeAnn Bjerken

Community Health Systems Inc., the publicly traded, Franklin, Tenn.-based medical facilities operator that owns Rockwood Health System in Spokane, reported this week that its earnings declined in the third quarter. CHS reported third-quarter net income a