Latest News

Lydig nabs big Moses Lake job

Contractor to erect first phase of carbon fiber plant

July 29, 2010

Lydig Construction Inc., of Spokane, has won the contract to build the first phase a plant at Moses Lake, Wash., that will produce carbon fiber for use in making materials for components of a BMW car, called the Megacity Vehicle, that's to be in a

Even cheap, passive exchange-traded funds can be volatile

Investors must be careful; to avoid reckless trading, pick ETFs that fit goals

July 29, 2010

Personal Investing

Another one bites the dust.Just when investors thought the exchange-traded fund was the absolutely perfect investment to diversify their portfolios, it turns out it can carry risks just like other vehicles.A number of ETFs, which are mutual a

In the News

July 29, 2010

July 27 / Sterling reports $58.2 million quarterly loss Sterling Financial Corp., of Spokane, which owns Sterling Savings Bank and Golf Savings Bank, reported a second-quarter net loss of $58.2 million, or $1.12 a share, compared with

Calendar

July 29 - August 11, 2010

July 29, 2010

Meetings & Events The Spokane Regional Transportation Council will hold three public roundtable meetings for its Regional Transportation Vision Project to identify needs for a future transportation system for the Spokane region. The be

Organically produced eggs said no better than others

USDA research agency uncovers no qualitative differences between them

July 29, 2010

News Wise

There's no substantial quality difference between organically and conventionally produced eggs, says a study conducted by the Agricultural Research Service, an agency that operates under the U.S. Department of Agriculture.ARS food technologist a

State ag industry created jobs in 2009, despite economy

Job cuts in other sectors boosted labor pool, but lowered wages, hours

July 29, 2010

Washington state produced a bumper crop of agricultural jobs in 2009, though the labor pool also grew, pushing some wages down and unemployment filings up, a report released earlier this month says.According to the 2009 Agricultural Workforce in

Money now available to help protect Hangman watershed

Federal funds can be used for projects that prevent erosion, runoff into creek

July 29, 2010

Farmers and ranchers in the Hangman Creek watershed are being urged to apply for federal money that's become available to fund water quality and conservation measures in the watershed, located south of Spokane.The U.S. Department of Agriculture

Wet spring had varying effects on Northwest growers

Moisture aids wheat crop, but reduces production of hay, apples, cherries

July 29, 2010

Richard Ripley

With precipitation above average throughout the Pacific Northwest in May and June, wheat growers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana report excellent growing conditions, but the rain has hurt some other crops, Spokane-based Northwest Farm say

Pizza crust maker raises revenues through diversification

Rizzuto Foods expands product line to capture food-service customers

July 29, 2010

Mike McLean

Rizzuto Foods Inc. no longer lives on pizza crust alone.The Spokane company, which started out manufacturing only precooked pizza crusts nearly 20 years ago, now produces an array of products for each segment of the pizza industry, says Tony CEO

Embracing agritourism

Green Bluff's U-pick farms, orchards join with diverse new ventures to win customers

July 29, 2010

Kim Frlan

Farmers, orchardists, and a spate of new businesses on Green Bluff, northeast of Spokane, are looking to capitalize on a growing agritourism trend in the U.S.For many years, Green Bluff growers have been engaged in such activity, defined as any