Significantly fewer construction firms are planning to lay off workers this year than at any point in the past few years, according to the results of an industrywide survey released earlier this year by the Associated General Contractors of America

The Medical Lake Food Bank Association has bought a 13,265-square-foot building at 312 E. Grace in Medical Lake, west of Spokane, and plans to move there in June from smaller, leased quarters in the Dora Burt Community Outreach building, at 211 N.

Nationwide housing affordability rose to a record level during the fourth quarter of 2011, while prospective home buyers continued to feel the constraints of tighter credit standards and a soft economy, according to National Association of Home of

The Coeur d'Alene City Council's recent decision to revamp McEuen Park brought back a rush of memories for me.Not about the ball fields. I never played on the lakeview diamonds just east of the Coeur d'Alene Resort. Nor about the boat launch.

Couple in Valley starts roof-coating companyEmpire Roof Coatings LLC, a Conklin Roof Systems provider for buildings with flat and low-sloped roofs, has opened in Spokane Valley.Isaac Cornelius and his wife, Gail, own the business and currently

Glacier Bancorp Inc., the Kalispell, Mont.-based holding company with 11 bank subsidiaries, including Coeur d'Alene-based Mountain West Bank, says it plans to combine all of its subsidiaries into one bank charter.That means Mountain West Bank

Westside MotorSports, a big West Plains motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle dealer, says it has added a line of hot tubs as part of an effort to diversify its product offerings and meet the changing demands of the marketplace.Scott Schmidtman, is

Liberty Lake-based Seasons Cafe LLC has won a contract to offer food service beginning this month inside the 8,000-square-foot cafeteria and dining center in the large Meadowwood Technology Campus building in Liberty Lake.Seasons Cafe is to open

Spokane business owner Mary Moltke plans in June to open a new eatery, called E.J.'s Garden Bistro, in a newly remodeled and updated 19-century home in Spokane's historic Browne's Addition.Moltke says she encountered a number of unexpected the a