Keith Metcalf, the new regional director here for the Washington state Department of Transportation, says that while the publics eye might be focused on the North Spokane Corridor, the agency also is grappling with planning for other big projects

With home sales down, retail sales flat, and credit tightening, Spokane and Inland Northwest businesses have plenty of reason to be cautious, economic observers here say.Its a time for businesses to stick to what they do best, says Steve for

Spokanes small, yet thriving film industry is nowhere near as big as Hollywoods, but is pouring a substantial amount of money into the regions economy. Millions of dollars are spent to produce movies here each year, though little of it by

When Spokane County bid to acquire Spokane Raceway Park two months ago, it also agreed to buy adjacent land to provide sites for a much-needed regional sports complex and a law-enforcement training center, County Commissioner Todd Mielke could have

An affiliate of the national group Communities in Schools has launched efforts here with a goal of coordinating collaboration between businesses and schools to reduce Spokane Countys high school dropout rate, which the affiliate says is about 30

Employers who enable workers to have some say in shaping their work schedules are more likely to retain them, Spokane-area advocates of the flexible workplace concept say.Flexible work schedules enable employees to maintain a healthy their

So-called outsourcing trends aside, internal training is a key component of employee development that some companies here say they continue to emphasize to promote a strong workplace culture and to help workers advance more rapidly.Other to

Associated Industries of the Inland Northwest says it has seen a sharp increase in membership this year following its decision to dump the longtime health-care insurer that served its members in favor of a provider that enabled it to expand its to

Median households in the U.S. earn approximately $48,000 annually, and the amount of money that such families spend on employer-sponsored health care per year continues to edge closer to one months salary, a recent survey says.The median for

The Center of Occupational Health & Education at St. Lukes Rehabilitation Institute here says a recent study shows its efforts have reduced the cost and duration of workers compensation claims considerably since it began operations five years a