Latest News

The Journal's View: Turning Fairchild Air Force Base's loss into nice gain

-

January 19, 2017

Fairchild Air Force Base supporters have been putting so much effort into positioning the base to be an ideal host for next-generation KC-46A Pegasus aerial tankers that the U.S. Air Force's reported decision to place them elsewhere can't help but sti

Low vacancy rates drive up rents

Rising prices put majority of tenants in 'cost-burdened' category

January 19, 2017

Mike McLean

While hundreds of new apartment units are planned and under construction here, the apartment vacancy rate remains low, and more than half of Spokane-area renters pay more than 30 percent of their income on rent. U.S. Census Bureau numbers show 52.2 perce

Project on KXLY site poised to start

Grocer first to commit to South Hill shopping center

January 19, 2017

Mike McLean

A broadcast media company and a pair of Spokane commercial real estate brokers are teaming up to develop a retail center on 17 acres of land on the upper South Hill. Carl Guenzel, a broker with Kiemle & Hagood who is involved in the project, says the dev

Foreclosures in Spokane area rose last year

Increase follows big drop in defaults during 2015

January 19, 2017

Linn Parish

Completed foreclosures in Spokane County increased in 2016, following a precipitous decline the previous year. The Spokane County Auditor's Office recorded 778 foreclosures last year, up 9 percent from 714 foreclosures in 2015. While the number of d

Inland Northwest stock composite finishes strong

Itron, Potlatch lead bump in market capitalization

January 19, 2017

Hart Capital Management Inc., of Spokane, says the composite value of the 10 publicly traded Inland Northwest companies rose to $10.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016, an increase of $286 million, or 3 percent, from the previous quarter. It's the

Cash&Carry erects new store in north Coeur d'Alene

$1.8 million wholesale outlet to open in spring

January 19, 2017

Mike McLean

Portland-based food distributor and warehouse market Cash&Carry Smart Foodservice is erecting its first North Idaho store in Coeur d'Alene. Cash&Carry obtained a building permit to erect the $1.8 million building in mid-December and hopes to open the C

Venezuela still hasn't made payments in Gold Reserve settlement

Company here declines comment pending payment

January 19, 2017

While Spokane-based Gold Reserve Inc. reached a settlement last August with Venezuela on a $777 million judgment, the South American country since then has had to restructure the agreement and now has missed two payments to the Spokane-based company. Mos

New business group Better Spokane hires its first executive director

Ex-Home Builders staffer to lead organization

January 19, 2017

LeAnn Bjerken

Better Spokane, a young organization developed by a handful of Spokane-area businesspeople to focus on business issues and economic development, has hired Michael Cathcart as its first executive director. Cathcart previously worked as the Spokane Home B

Bankruptcy filings in Eastern Washington drop for sixth straight year

Attorneys say volume could start to increase

January 19, 2017

LeAnn Bjerken

Bankruptcy filings in Eastern Washington and North Idaho have declined for the sixth straight year. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court's Eastern District of Washington reported a total of 3,986 filings in 2016, down from 4,219 in 2015, a decrease of nearly 6 p

Kaiser's Group Health acquisition approved

-

January 13, 2017

Staff Report

Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler announced today that he has approved Kaiser Foundation Health Plan's $1.8 billion acquisition of Group Health Cooperative. Kaiser had filed its application to buy Group Health last March after the