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Flow of design work may ebb

Most report plenty of activity now, but future is less certain

May 22, 2014

Architecture and engineering firms here have been busy lately, but some still don't have the backlog that they had hoped for, meaning the outlook for continued turnaround in the construction industry is uncertain, design sources say. Bob Wills, a pri

Sacred Heart Medical Center nets big savings with lighting upgrade

Nearly 10,000 bulbs have been replaced in project

May 8, 2014

Lucas Thayer

Sacred Heart Medical Center has completed a major phase of a lighting upgrade project at its campus just south of downtown Spokane, replacing nearly 10,000 32-watt fluorescent bulbs with 25-watt bulbs and more energy-efficient fixtures, as well as install

Hydropower potential still dubbed sizable in Washington

Rivers, streams said capable of supplying 6 more gigawatts

May 8, 2014

Staff Report

A new renewable energy resource assessment released last week estimates 6 gigawatts of potential new hydropower development across Washington State's rivers and streams. Nationally, the report estimates there are more than 65 gigawatts of potential new

Recycling pains and gains

Participation by businesses seen as next growth area

May 8, 2014

Mike McLean

While the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System touts the growing acceptance and participation in recycling programs, confusion remains among some residents about how to recycle or dispose of certain items, including bulbs and batteries, says Suzanne Tresko

Nonprofit, partners to launch RE:Source sustainability network

Program aims to recycle waste, unused products

May 8, 2014

Katie Ross

Spokane educational nonprofit Sustainable Resources Inland Northwest is partnering with businesses and public organizations here to launch a new sustainability project this summer, called RE:Source. RE:Source is what's known as a byproduct synergy net

Resource fair for Inland Northwest seniors set for next week in Spokane Valley

Free event designed to provide information on services for seniors

April 24, 2014

Staff Report

A free Senior Empowerment Resource Fair that's planned in the Spokane Valley next week will seek to help Inland Northwest seniors and relatives of seniors gain more knowledge about the various aging-related services available to them here. The fair wil

Dynasty trusts can provide security for generations

Pooling family resources offers several advantages

April 24, 2014

J. Todd Edmonds

Thanks to lengthening lifespans and changing family structures, many families are relying on pooled resources to address multigenerational financial issues. Adult children may be paying for their parents' long-term care, while in other cases grandparent

Coeur d'Alene elder law firm works to assist retirees in protecting assets

Elder law specialists help navigate health care costs

April 24, 2014

Lucas Thayer

Issues faced by seniors and those preparing for retirement are more complicated than they were 30 years ago, says Michael Wytychak, who founded Wytychak Elder Law PLLC in Coeur d'Alene in 1984. Seniors need to prepare for the rising cost of living and h

Spokane Valley-based Family First Senior Care expands its services

Company acquires assets of care management entity

April 24, 2014

Katie Ross

Spokane Valley-based home care company Family First Senior Care Inc. has acquired the assets of Lighthouse Care Management Inc., of Spokane, says Jennipher Ama, president and owner of Family First. Former Lighthouse owner Nancy Doughty will work for Fam

Playing catch-up: retirement planning dilemmas for women

Longer life expectancy, less pay contribute to female retirement anxiety

April 24, 2014

Judith Spitzer

Kathleen Cavender, 61, a part-time jazz singer and full-time artist in Spokane, had been married to her husband Mike for nearly 30 years when he was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an autoimmune disease that turns the lungs to scar tissue.