The Spokane City Council has approved annexation of 496 acres of land near the northwest corner of the city.The property, which already was partly bordered by the city, is mostly west of Albi Stadium and is east and north of the Spokane River.

Seattle-based Group Health Cooperative, which has nearly 130,000 members in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, says it plans to open a larger clinic on the South Hill.Group Health recently signed a 10-year lease agreement with Dr. John who the

Avista Corp., renamed seven years ago, is looking for a new name again.The 117-year-old Spokane company, which originated as Washington Water Power Co., will change its name as part of its transition to a holding company structure, says Jessie

A more than 40 percent jump in asphalt prices over about the last year has shocked Spokane-area paving contractors, delayed some projects, and caused government officials here to fret about potential cutbacks in future repaving work.It will a

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which already has supercenters on Spokanes North Side and in Spokane Valley and has its sights set on the South Hill, plans to develop a supercenter on the West Plains.BCRA, a Tacoma, Wash.-based architect thats has to

Executives of Inland Northwest publicly traded companies saw their total compensation shoot up an average of 42 percent last year, as more of them cashed in on lucrative stock options and the companies they led shared the largess of improving CEOs

G.I. Joes Inc., which operates a chain of sporting-goods and auto-accessories stores, says it plans to open its first store in the Spokane market next spring in the Pine Water Plaza development just north of Spokane, and expects to open a store a

Sterling Savings Banks Ezra Eckhardt is seeking to sharpen the Spokane institutions competitive edge by implementing process-improvement strategies he helped launch at Microsoft Corp. while he was an executive with the software giant in on the

Coeur dAlene-based Kootenai Medical Center plans to expand its cancer services in Sandpoint, Idaho, to meet rising demand from patients in that area of North Idaho.KMC says it hopes to open a satellite cancer center at Bonner General in by of

Holy Family Hospital spokeswoman Anne McKeon is accustomed to being surrounded by patients and immersed in discussions about medical procedures. She recently found herself, though, in the less comfortable role of patient herselfas a living organ