Government

Spokane Sheriff's Office relocates training center

Old Mountain View said better suited for classes

March 26, 2015

The Spokane County Sheriff's Office has moved its training and personnel units to the former Mountain View Middle School, says sheriff's Sgt. Martin Tucker, who oversees the units. The sheriff's training center now occupies 46,200 square feet of le

Ride-share providers win public-records injunction

Judge sides with Uber, Lyft on proprietary claim

March 26, 2015

Judith Spitzer

Ride-share companies Uber and Lyft prevailed in a court case here earlier this month when Spokane County Superior Court Judge John Cooney granted a preliminary injunction blocking the city from releasing information to the Journal of Business about each c

Downtown Spokane Partnership places BID growth on back burner for now

Most property owners said to support growth

March 26, 2015

Judith Spitzer

Potential plans to expand downtown Spokane's Business Improvement District with the annexation of the southwest portion of downtown have been put on hold, says Marla Nunberg, vice president of the Downtown Spokane Partnership. She says, however, the or

Spokane County's property valuation nears record

Tax rates hold fairly level for third consecutive year

March 26, 2015

Mike McLean

The overall property value in Spokane County ticked upward in 2014 for the second consecutive year. The total assessed value, at $38.5 billion, also is within a percentage point of 2009's peak value of $38.8 billion. Byron Hodgson, chief deputy assess

Transportation spending to rise significantly in 2015

Work on NSC, other continuing projects slated this year

March 12, 2015

Katie Ross

More than $160 million in new and continuing transportation-related construction projects are slated for 2015 across Spokane County, an increase of $20 million from last year, including continued work on the North Spokane Corridor and several previously d

Lyft, Uber win temporary restraining orders on release of city data

Ride-share companies make proprietary claims

March 12, 2015

Judith Spitzer

Two popular ride-share companies, Uber and Lyft, have been granted temporary restraining orders in Spokane County Superior Court that stem from public-records requests the Journal of Business filed seeking information on the fees they paid to the city of

SBA lenders encouraged by rebound in volume

Banks hope incentives will embolden more borrowers

February 26, 2015

Mike McLean

Some providers of U.S. Small Business Administration-backed loans here are anticipating a second consecutive year of loan growth after the dollar volume bounced upward in fiscal 2014 from a year-earlier decline. Last year, lenders in the SBA's Spokane

Spokane Park Board plans to hire GC/CM adviser in March

Riverfront Park design team also to be sought

February 26, 2015

Judith Spitzer

The Spokane Park Board voted recently to use a general contractor/construction manager approach for the $64.3 million Riverfront Park update project, approved by voters in November, and now the search is on to hire an adviser to help the city select a GC

Senate bill would create justice centers to aid seniors

Spokane, Clark counties could host pilot program

February 26, 2015

Judith Spitzer

Washington state Sens. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, and Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, Wash., are co-sponsoring a bill that would create two elder justice centers-one in each senator's city-in a pilot program designed to help protect seniors from abuse

Ride-share companies flourishing in Spokane

Taxi companies, however, claiming unfair competition

February 26, 2015

Judith Spitzer

Two of the nation's largest ride-booking service companies, Lyft and Uber, have been operating in Spokane under interim operating agreements they signed with the city in late September, and they appear to be thriving, with drivers saying they enjoy the