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Drought spurs interest in low-water landscaping

Commercial, residential clients seek relief from water, maintenance costs

August 26, 2021

Demand for low-water landscaping has increased significantly during an exceptionally dry and hot Inland Northwest summer, experts here say. Last month, the U.S. Drought Monitor placed the Spokane area in the most extreme category for drought, called D4

Coeur d'Alene Basin cleanup progresses

Focus is on containing contaminants, restoring wetlands for waterfowl with $24.7M in projects

August 26, 2021

Natasha Nellis

This year, the U.S. Environmental Agency, in partnership with the Coeur d'Alene Work Trust, plans to complete three construction projects throughout the Coeur d'Alene basin area and haul over 500 truckloads of historic mine waste-contaminated material

Hazzard Fab Worx races to keep up with demand

Custom off-road shop faces supply chain, hiring issues

August 12, 2021

Virginia Thomas

Luke Shuman, owner of Spokane-based Hazzard Fab Worx LLC, says demand is at an all-time high for his shop's custom offroading and four-wheel drive products and services, but parts availability remains unpredictable.

Production and Manufacturing Academy returns

More students experience work in industry in Spokane

August 12, 2021

Kevin Blocker

Though COVID-19 derailed the second Production & Manufacturing Academy class in 2020, it didn't dampen the spirits of a group of high school juniors and seniors who just graduated in the 2021 class.

Distribution space is in high demand across the Inland Northwest

Developers add 4.5M square feet of space in INW industrial market

August 12, 2021

Natasha Nellis

Spokane is booming with new manufacturing and distribution warehouse space as developers attempt to seize on the area's most in-demand commercial sector.

Foundation here back to granting travel wishes

Nonprofit forced to cancel trips during pandemic; boosted other programs

July 29, 2021

Lonna Smith

March 2020 is a month that many will never forget. It was in March of 2020 that the World Health Organization declared that we were facing a pandemic outbreak called COVID-19. There were mask mandates, quarantines, and an immediate and radical change to

Retirement expectations, reality often don't align

Dollar-cost averaging can increase savings in long-term strategy

July 29, 2021

Sarah Carlson

Will your retirement dreams match your reality? That's perhaps the most critical question to ask people who are currently retired. Is your retirement what you expected, or is it something else? For more than 30 years, the Employee Benefit Research Ins

Communities in Schools serves through COVID-19

Organizational efforts picked up in pandemic

July 29, 2021

Kevin Blocker

Once housed in 400 square feet of diminutive office space in downtown Spokane, the nonprofit Communities in Schools of Spokane County in early 2020 moved to three times that amount of space in the Tapio Office Center. It hasn't even been 18 months

Decolonizing nonprofits

Work involves education, analysis of power structure, hiring practices, experts say

July 29, 2021

Virginia Thomas

Nonprofit organizations are beginning to look inward when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, some observers here say. Tara Ramos, owner of Spokane-based Redfox Consulting and a member of the IÃ±upiat Alaskan Native group, says demand for her

'Pringles' church roof dubbed feat of engineering

Paraboloid design results in strength of structure

July 15, 2021

Luke Modugno

Although Spokane doesn't have the most recognizable skyline, assistant professor of civil engineering at Gonzaga University Joshua Schultz would argue that the buildings within it are nothing short of spectacular.