As trucking companies approach Jan. 4, the date on which they must begin complying with new federal rules related to driver rest time, some here are unsure of exactly how the changes will affect their bottom lines.They do say, however, that the

WhiteRunkle Associates is in the early stages of implementing an employee stock ownership program (ESOP), says Jack White, president of the Spokane advertising agency.Separately, WhiteRunkle Interactive, a division of the firm, has landed a to

Five years ago, Rick OConnors two SuperColor 1-Hour Photo shops were among at least 17 such outlets operated by independent photo finishers here. OConnor offered only a few digital services then, such as scanning images and burning them onto

Feel like credit scores are a bigger mystery than the Bermuda Triangle, crop circles, and the Loch Ness monster combined? Youre not alone. Internet-based services are making it easier for consumers to access their scores, also called FICO

Fred Cutler, who owns Spokane-based Cutler Counseling LLC, a vocational-rehabilitation counseling firm, has completed business missions this year to three Central European countries that are transitioning from communist economies to capitalist has

Russ Nobbs never liked what he calls big business. In fact, he still doesnt like it, even though hes now at the helm of a company that does millions of dollars in sales a year. Nobbs and his wife, Dee Mueller, own Rings & Things, a bead

Starbucks Corp., of Seattle, has leased a building at 2703 N. Division that formerly housed a Walgreen Co. express pharmacy and plans to open its 12th Spokane-area coffee shop there next month.The 1,600-square-foot building is at the corner

The Grinch who stole the holiday shopping season for the last couple of years seems to have retreated out of Whovilleor out of the Spokane area, anyway, some economic observers and retailers here say.Strong holiday sales are expected here in

DigiDeal Corp., a Spokane Valley manufacturer of digital gaming tables, quietly has grown from an idea shared by a few businesspeople to a fast-growing company that has clients from Vietnam to Ireland. It now claims to have garnered the largest of

Boise-based Albertsons Inc. plans to vacate its store at 10 N. Pines in Spokane Valley, where it has done business for 26 years, by the end of this year. The supermarket says its lease expires then, although the building owner, Harlan Douglass, a