Total jobs in the Spokane area edged upward in December, while the unemployment rate also rose, according to preliminary data from two reports issued by the Washington state Employment Security Department.

Glacier Bancorp Inc. has agreed to acquire Bank of Idaho Holding Co., a transaction that's expected to lead to further growth for Spokane-based Wheatland Bank and Coeur d'Alene-based Mountain West Bank. 

New York-based upscale retail chain Macy’s Inc. plans to close 66 underperforming department stores this year, including its store in the Silver Lake Mall, in Coeur d’Alene.

The number of single-family homes sold in the Spokane area in 2024 totaled 5,650, up 2% over the number of homes sold in 2023, while homes sold in Kootenai County in 2024 totaled 2,450, up over 13% compared with year-earlier sales.

The number of jobs in the Spokane area inched upward in November, as did the unemployment rate, according to preliminary data from the Washington state Employment Security Department. 

An Arkansas businessman has been sentenced in federal court in Spokane to over 16 years in prison and to pay over $20 million for leading a nationwide COVID-relief scam that was uncovered by the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force.

William O. Mize, the ringleader behind a massive fraud scheme involving staged accidents and fabricated insurance claims, including one in which a prominent Spokane developer participated, has been sentenced in federal court in Spokane to 12 years in prison.