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15 seconds of cinema fame

December 18, 2008

Inland Northwest Cinemedia allows local advertisers to buy their own little slice of the big screen, complete with a local audience to watch their pitches. "Nobody ever says, 'I don't want my ad to be in the movies,'" says co-owner Mary Beth and

URM to move forward with Peirone project

Construction of planned building on West Plains could begin next spring

December 18, 2008

Kim Crompton

URM Stores Inc., the Spokane-based grocery distribution cooperative, is moving forward with plans to construct a multimillion-dollar building on the West Plains for Peirone Produce Co., which it owns. It's holding off for now, though, on separate a

Rendering courtesy of Architects West PA

Cinema complex planned on West Plains

Three longtime developers to build 10-screen theater project near planned hotel

December 18, 2008

Mike McLean

A 10-screen, $6 million movie theater is being planned on the West Plains by a group that includes prominent regional developers Dick Vandervert, Lowell McKee, and K. Duane Brelsford.The planned, 33,000-square-foot complex, to be called Village

Officials here covet road funds

Governments prepare 'shovel-ready' projects for U.S. stimulus money

December 18, 2008

Jeanne Gustafson

While children put the finishing touches on their lists for Santa Claus, public agencies and municipalities here say they are busily preparing to propose "shovel-ready" projects in response to President-elect Barack Obama's plans for the U.S. to on

Industrial vacancies rise here

Study puts overall rate at 8.5 percent, though that still is 'pretty good'

December 18, 2008

Mike McLean

Vacancy rates for industrial space in the Spokane area have jumped sharply after five straight years of declines, a recent survey shows.The fall vacancy survey conducted by the Spokane real estate appraisal firm Auble, Jolicoeur & Gentry put the

Councilman pushing for street utility

Al French seeks support for state rule changes, ballot measure here

December 18, 2008

David Cole

Spokane City Councilman Al French says he and others plan to lobby the upcoming Legislature to modify state statutes so that cities such as Spokane can create what are known as "street utilities" to fund both maintenance and construction of city of

Capital caution

Companies here weigh planned purchases against flat revenue

December 18, 2008

Jeanne Gustafson

Under the shroud of a weak economy, companies here say they plan to cut back on capital outlays in the coming year.Still, they say they'll buy what they need to remain competitive. "I have to say (we plan) absolutely less capital expenditure,"

Plunging loan rates ignite activity

Mortgage requests, refinancings soar after Fed's action

December 18, 2008

Richard Ripley

Plunging home mortagage rates have sparked a flood of refinancings, a rise in mortgage applications from people who are seeking to buy homes, and hopes that the whirlwind of activity might provide a boost for the Spokane-area for mortgages jumped

Fasteners expands into rigging

Distributor buys assets of Montana company, opens rigging shop here

December 4, 2008

Ben Rascoff

Fasteners Inc., a Spokane-based fastener and tool distributor, has bought the inventory and equipment of Acco Cable Splicing, a Troy, Mont.-based rigging company, for an undisclosed sum, says Bill Jones, general manager of Fasteners.Jones says has

SBW December4, 2008: December 4, 2008

December 4, 2008

Journal adds more content to its Web site The Journal of Business plans to launch this weekend improvements to its Web site that will give subscribers access to virtually all of the content available in the newspaper's print now, only