Government

Palouse crops get farm bill boost

Legume-related funding totals $135 million

February 27, 2014

Inland Northwest producers of chickpeas and other legumes expect to see economic benefit from two initiatives in the recently passed five-year farm bill, agricultural industry observers say. One of the measures in the Agricultural Act of 2014 provides $1

Legislative bills propose new port district options

Spokane, Kittitas counties could benefit from change

February 13, 2014

Treva Lind

Two bills introduced recently in the Washington state Legislature and sponsored partly by Spokane-area legislators would give Spokane County more options for creating a port district to help promote economic development here. One or the other of them, h

County-city revenue share proposal still in the works

City administrator hopes to have plan by summer

February 13, 2014

Katie Ross

Spokane County and two cities that lie within it still are in the process of negotiating a possible revenue-sharing agreement for industrial-zoned land on the West Plains, says Al French, Spokane County commissioner. The talks are moving forward, but no

Up to $100 million sewer project takes step forward

City solicits engineers to submit qualifications

February 13, 2014

Treva Lind

The city of Spokane is seeking proposals from engineering firms for design and construction management of an estimated $80 million to $100 million upgrade at the city's Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility sewage-treatment plant. Marlene Feist, th

Marijuana businesses pose risk to banksâ€”for now

Financial institutions follow federal laws, await clarity

January 30, 2014

Katie Ross

Financial institutions in Washington state are anticipating federal guidance on how best to navigate the precarious issue of state law versus federal law in regard to allowing marijuana businesses access to traditional banking services. That question h

Low-impact development said to be in higher demand

Landscape architect reports more inquiries about environmentally friendly architecture

January 30, 2014

Treva Lind

Landscape architect Len Zickler, a principal in the Spokane office of Tacoma-based AHBL Inc., says the company is seeing more requests to design environmentally friendly infrastructure to manage stormwater drainage. He expects this approach, called low-

Integrus Architecture designs embassy compound to be built in northern Africa

Other firms here to work on $131 million project

January 30, 2014

Mike McLean

The U.S. State Department has awarded a $131 million contract to a design-and-construction team that includes Integrus Architecture PS, of Spokane, as the architect of record for a new U.S. embassy compound to be constructed in the northwestern African co

Deer Park business park clears key funding hurdle

City approves bond to help fund launch of first phase

January 16, 2014

Katie Ross

The first phase of a long-envisioned Deer Park Business & Industrial Center project finally is moving forward after the Deer Park City Council approved a $1.3 million local improvement district bond last month. Bob Lee, owner of Deer Park-based Centennia

Foreclosures climbed in Spokane County last year

County tallies record defaults despite gains in home sales

January 16, 2014

Mike McLean

Foreclosure actions completed in Spokane County swelled to a record level in 2013 following a four-year low in 2012, despite other indicators of improving real estate market trends. Last year, the Spokane County Auditor's Office recorded 1,211 foreclos

Bankruptcies in Eastern Washington, North Idaho fall for third straight year

Spokane, Cd'A attorneys expect trend to continue

January 16, 2014

Katie Ross

Bankruptcy filings fell again in Eastern Washington and North Idaho last year, marking the third year in a row that they've declined. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court's Eastern District of Washington reported 5,057 cases filed in 2013, down 7 percent from