Special Report

Sacred Heart still mired in legal battle

Hospital appeal of state's denial to add 152 beds set for Feb. 3 court date

December 1, 2011

As Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children's Hospital undergoes a big emergency department expansion this fall, its three-year-old effort to add more adult acute-care beds remains mired in legal proceedings. A hearing is scheduled for

Seattle medical IT company to enter Inland Northwest

Clarity contracts with six rural hospitals, is close with Rockwood

December 1, 2011

Linn Parish

Clarity Health Services Inc., a Seattle-based health-care information technology company that helps physicians and hospitals track patient referrals and related information, will enter the Eastern Washington market early next year.Peter Gelpi, a

Planning ahead can increase sale value of a small business

Owners who look to sell must think of who might acquire it, deal structure

July 28, 2011

Ed Kirk

A Pew Research survey conducted last summer found that 60 percent of employed adults ages 51 to 60 may delay their retirement due to the recession, and that 35 percent of those 62 and older already have pushed back their retirement date.Business

Banks, holding companies increase annuity-fee income

Report says money earned in first quarter hit highest point since early in 2007

July 28, 2011

Income earned from the sale of annuities at bank holding companies rose 28 percent to $748.2 million in the 2011 first quarter, up from $582.6 million in the year-earlier quarter, says a recently released bank annuity fee income report. That's

Incoming Numerica exec works on community ties

Altepeter begins Sept. 1 as CEO here to replace retiring Dennis Cutter

July 28, 2011

Treva Lind

Carla Altepeter, of Oshkosh, Wis., who begins Sept. 1 as president and chief executive officer of Numerica Credit Union, says she has worked in the industry to build community ties.Altepeter has spent almost 20 years as president and CEO of in a

Cutter saw credit unions grow, expects them to get bigger

Retiring Numerica exec predicts a 'handful' of mergers in Washington

July 28, 2011

Treva Lind

Numerica Credit Union's retiring executive Dennis Cutter has watched the industry do a lot of growing up during the past 40 years. Now, he expects some credit unions to continue getting bigger through mergers.Cutter predicts that merger activity

Fairfield bank buys buildings

July 28, 2011

Amanda Baker

Bank of Fairfield, based in Fairfield, Wash., says it plans to open loan production offices next month in Colfax and Oakesdale, Wash. The company has bought two buildings to house the offices, says Bank of Fairfield President Jay Wernz. The in a

Rendering courtesy of Nystrom Olson Architecture

STCU starts work on south Valley branch

New office to open before year-end, will be the 15th overall for the credit union

July 28, 2011

Mike McLean

Liberty Lake-based Spokane Teachers Credit Union says it has started construction of its 15th branch, which is scheduled to open late this year in Spokane Valley.The planned branch, which STCU will call its South Valley branch, will occupy a to

Wells Fargo aims to gain market share

Regional executives say institution is healthy, seeing signs of recovery

July 28, 2011

Chey Scott

The Wells Fargo Bank district that includes the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area has performed well throughout the economic downturn due to conservative lending policies, and the bank is positioned for further growth as the economy improves, regional say

Property PRESSURE

Lenders use variety of tactics to reduce inventory of seized holdings

July 28, 2011

Mike McLean

Financial institutions here are resorting to a variety of tactics to unload real estate they've acquired due to a continuing swell of foreclosures and defaulted loans. Such strategies include renegotiating loans, listing bank-owned properties on