Judith Spitzer

Lithia Motors said it had best quarter in its history

Oregon-based company owns four dealerships here

July 31, 2014

Reflecting the recent strength of the auto industry nationally, Medford, Ore.-based Lithia Motors, Inc., which operates four dealerships in the greater Spokane area, says it had the highest adjusted net income in its history in the second quarter. It rep

Retirees can take many avenues to charitable giving

Baby boomers are largest contributors, report finds

July 31, 2014

Judith Spitzer

Warren Buffett has persuaded more than 100 billionaires to give away large portions of their wealth to philanthropy over the past few years. People in Spokane may not have billions to donate to charity but they are generous when it comes to giving money t

Spokane art scene seeks spark

Creative services employ 7,000 here, but public support lags

July 31, 2014

Judith Spitzer

When it comes to the arts and culture in Spokane, arts organizers say there's a large population working in the creative sector, but audience participation in the region is low, well below the national average in most categories. Those numbers show up

RiverBank nets $2.9 million from private offering

Capital infusion could help once-struggling bank grow

July 17, 2014

Judith Spitzer

Spokane-based RiverBank Holding Co. has accepted $2.9 million from a fully subscribed private-placement offering, which it says will strengthen the bank's capital position while supporting its growth strategy. Daniel Byrne, RiverBank CEO, says he appr

Longtime health care executive Gerard Fischer joins Group Health Cooperative

Fischer had been with Providence for 16 years

July 17, 2014

Judith Spitzer

Gerard Fischer, who served for 16 years on Spokane's Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children's Hospital and Providence Holy Family Hospital's senior leadership team, joined the Group Health Cooperative in Seattle as vice president of clini

Inland Northwest stock index rises faster than the S&P 500

Itron, Hecla stocks up; Red Lion lags others

July 17, 2014

Judith Spitzer

Hart Capital Management Inc., a Spokane-based investment firm, says the combined stock value of 12 publicly traded Inland Northwest companies, as measured in an overall index it compiles, rose 6.3 percent in the second quarter of 2014, beating out the S&P

Collaboration ignites educational initiative here

Gonzaga leads effort to alter outcomes at middle schools

July 17, 2014

Judith Spitzer

A group of educational, business, and nonprofit partners-brought together through an innovative civic model-will collaborate with Spokane Public Schools to expand efforts to help at-risk middle school students in northeast Spokane. The goal is to inc

Spokane Public Schools to consider three charter school proposals

iLEAD to reapply; others new to Spokane district

July 3, 2014

Judith Spitzer

Three separate and vastly different organizations met the June 15 deadline to file notices of intent with Spokane Public Schools to open charter schools in Spokane for the 2015-2016 school year, including iLEAD, an organization whose charter was rejected

Kizuri: Faring well with fair trade

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July 3, 2014

Judith Spitzer

Kim Harmson, an early childhood educator for most of her career, opened Kizuri, a fair trade retail store in downtown Spokane, with absolutely no retail experience. What she did have was a strong belief in community and the fair trade movement. Fair trad

Rainmaker Creative to open office in Bay Area

Firm eyes 20 percent jump in revenue with expansion

July 3, 2014

Judith Spitzer

Rainmaker Creative, a Spokane-based design and marketing firm, plans to open an office in Cupertino, Calif., to serve current clients there and to develop new business, says Billie Gaura, who owns Rainmaker with her husband, Kevin. Gaura says the new off