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Mixed export markets worry Washington's ag producers

International sales of apples could fall; wheat market likely to hold serve

July 2, 2020

Uncertainties in overseas markets due to COVID-19 will almost certainly put a dent in the sales of most Washington commodities abroad. An observer of the state's grain market thinks wheat exports will remain unchanged this year, while the head of the a

Share.Farm shares in delivery craze

Produce delivery demand spikes in INW; Spokane company selected for USDA program

July 2, 2020

Virginia Thomas

Now is Share.Farm's time to shine, Vince Peak says. The founder and CEO of the 2-year-old online farm-to-consumer market says the COVID-19 pandemic has presented as many opportunities for Share.Farm as it has challenges.

Building code updates to encourage solar power

Changes part of push to eliminate fossil fuel use

June 18, 2020

Natasha Nellis

Washington state is now encouraging higher adoptions of solar energy systems in homebuilding as part of its drive to eliminate fossil fuel-generated electricity from the grid.

Spokane River Forum to add recyclables to waste directory

Resource offers guidance on disposing of materials

June 18, 2020

Virginia Thomas

Discerning what can and can't be recycled can be as much of a hassle as trying to figure out where to dispose of nonrecyclables, says Andy Dunau, executive director of the Spokane River Forum. That's why the nonprofit is expanding its waste directory

AquiPor tackles stormwater challenges

Startup develops permeable pavers as new tool for concrete contractors

June 18, 2020

Kevin Blocker

The owners of AquiPor Technologies Inc. claim that after about a decade of research and development, they've produced a porous, hardened material with the ability to absorb surface stormwater and alleviate drain flooding in heavily paved urban

Municipalities prep for revenue shortages

Tax revenue plummets after stores closures, consumers stay home

June 4, 2020

Natasha Nellis

Sales taxes traditionally have provided a relatively stable revenue source for states and local governments during previous economic downturns, but the toll the coronavirus pandemic is taking on the economy is different.

Financial sector better positioned for recovery now than during Great Recession

Capital flows more freely now than in last recession

June 4, 2020

Virginia Thomas

This isn't the Great Recession for Inland Nortwest bankers. And that's a good thing, executives here say. While the pandemic has brought a host of challenges, leaders at some banks and credit unions say financial institutions are in a much better

Uncertainty infects Inland Northwest health care industry

Shutdown of elective procedures causes losses; uptick expected in second half

June 4, 2020

Kevin Blocker

The economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health care sector has been as uneven as a Spokane street in the middle of winter. In hospitals, where it would seem a pandemic would deliver unprecedented job security, just the opposite has happened.

Social capital drives fund for response to COVID-19

Over $2 million raised for community groups through month of April

May 21, 2020

Mason Burley

We were lost. Not dangerously lost, but definitely turned around and off-course. During the third day of a 50-mile backpack trip with my son's Scout troop, we broke camp and unknowingly started following a ridgeline that led away from our planned route.

SNAP, utilities partner to keep lights on

Requests for payment assistance surge in midst of COVID-19 pandemic

May 21, 2020

Virginia Thomas

Requests for assistance paying utility bills have essentially doubled in Spokane, according to Carol Weltz, director of community action at community service nonprofit Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners.