Latest News

Researchers to develop bio-oil production system

Large part of study involves learning about potentially beneficial 'bio-char' waste

September 8, 2011

Rural landscapes of the future might have pyrolysis plants instead of grain elevators on every horizon—processing centers where farmers would bring bulky crops such as switchgrass to be made into crude oil.Those pyrolysis plants would pass

Green investing makes long-term sense, observers say

Liberty Lake-based Itron has 'definite potential' in this sector, some say

September 8, 2011

Andrew Leckey

Taking advantage of greatly reduced stock prices is a tricky business. One strategy is to find an investment area so certain to grow that it will be around long after market traumas subside.Green investing, which offers the added potential of up

UW research aims to trim power needs

Altered software could cut electronics' energy use, system developers assert

September 8, 2011

University of Washington

Soaring energy consumption by ever more powerful computers, data centers, and mobile devices has many experts looking to reduce the energy use of these devices. Most projects so far focus on more efficient cooling systems or energy-saving power of

Putting homes to the test

Nonprofit's office here has conducted testing that it claims has led to big savings

September 8, 2011

Treva Lind

A nearly 100-year-old South Hill home on 36th Avenue now has its carbon footprint rating.The residents, a couple in their 70s, hope to stay in the house another 10 years and cut living expenses, such as reducing the $800-a-year bill for oil a a

Water clarity projects come into focus for Blue Ribbon

Environmental concern's expertise grows beyond cleaning spills

September 8, 2011

Mike McLean

Blue Ribbon Environmental Products Inc., a Spokane company that originally specialized in selling products for cleaning up fuel spills, now is concentrating more on cleaning up entire bodies of water, says Gary Snyder, the company's environmental a

New GU law dean aims to grow school's global reach

Korn says she views that as her biggest challenge at the Jesuit university here

September 8, 2011

Kim Crompton

Jane Korn, the new dean of the Gonzaga University School of Law and the first woman to be named to that post, says raising awareness of the school internationally will be one of her top long-term focuses.Due partly to Spokane's relative Korn few

Eviction actions on pace to rise by 10 percent this year

Spokane-area filings are lower than in mid-2000s, but are trending upward

September 8, 2011

Chey Scott

Unlawful detainer filings, which landlords in Washington state use to evict tenants who have violated rental agreements and ignored notices to leave, are rising again in Spokane County after having fallen significantly here between 2005 and the of

As population ages, HOA legal issues loom

Neighborhoods should get ready for aging-in-place trend, more 'granny pods'

September 8, 2011

PR Newswire

Homeowners' associations are adept at tackling problems like cracked swimming pools or unkempt lawns. But given that America's 65-and-older population is projected to grow by more than 70 percent in the next 13 years, boards will be forced to a new

Iowa law school will begin offering fiction writing class

Instructor wants to help students write more clearly, use less arcane language

September 8, 2011

News Wise

The University of Iowa College of Law has begun offering a fiction writing class aimed at helping law students produce clearer, more easily understood legal writing."Fiction writing offers good lessons to lawyers about good writing and editing,"

It's true: False advertising claims grow

Two law specialists here regard online marketing, weak economy as factors in increase

September 8, 2011

Treva Lind

Advertising the best XYZ product based on a user survey could win the tight consumer dollar, but a business better be able to back up that claim if a competitor thinks otherwise.False advertising lawsuits and claims of unfair competition have in