Virginia Thomas

Spokane bankers frustrated by sluggish guidance on PPP

Flexibility Act causes more confusion than clarity for some aspects of program

June 18, 2020

Inland Northwest bankers say they're frustrated by a lack of federal guidance regarding particulars of the Paycheck Protection Program. Some say they and their customers are confused about some aspects of the program.

New apartment, townhome projects to create 154 units

Spokane Valley complex valued at $17.4 million

June 4, 2020

Virginia Thomas

Three residential projects with a total of 154 living units are in the works-two on Spokane's South Hill and one in Spokane Valley. Building permit information for The Monika Apartments, at 16618 E. Broadway, in Spokane Valley, shows that six buildin

McKinstry plans new West Plains fabrication facility

$5M industrial project will be built using CLT

June 4, 2020

Virginia Thomas

Seattle-based McKinstry Co. is in the process of buying undeveloped land north of Spokane International Airport, where it intends to build a $5 million fabrication facility for its Spokane operations.

Itron takes on new partnerships

New contracts follow jump in earnings for first quarter

June 4, 2020

Virginia Thomas

Liberty Lake-based Itron Inc. is partnering with Singapore-based smart metering company EDMI Ltd. to develop and launch a new smart gas meter for use in the United Kingdom. The meter uses Itron's Intelis platform and ultrasonic measuring technology

Making lemonade: Eateries upgrade in downtime

In some cases, making improvements helps to keep workers employed

June 4, 2020

Virginia Thomas

A handful of bars and restaurants in the Spokane area have used the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to remodel and deep-clean their spaces, sometimes using Paycheck Protection Program loan funds to pay employees to help with the work.

Financial sector better positioned for recovery now than during Great Recession

Capital flows more freely now than in last recession

June 4, 2020

Virginia Thomas

This isn't the Great Recession for Inland Nortwest bankers. And that's a good thing, executives here say. While the pandemic has brought a host of challenges, leaders at some banks and credit unions say financial institutions are in a much better

Q&A with Spokane YouTuber Dave Erickson

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June 4, 2020

Virginia Thomas

Dave Erickson was in broadcast journalism for 15 years, during which time he spent more than four years at Spokane's KXLY Broadcast Group. Erickson is still in front of the camera, but he's no longer reporting from a studio desk.

Post-pandemic workplaces could look much different

'Hoteling,' other office trends to become commonplace, designers, observers say

June 4, 2020

Virginia Thomas

Pre-pandemic office design could be going the way of the fax machine and rotary phone. As employees return to their offices from being furloughed or working remotely due to COVID-19, they're likely to encounter health screening stations

Xfinity to roll out 5G mobile service in Spokane

Comcast subsidiary offers new plans in 34 cities

May 21, 2020

Virginia Thomas

Competition for fifth-generation mobile service in Spokane has increased with the introduction of a new Xfinity Mobile service. Xfinity Mobile, a trade name of Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp. subsidiary Comcast Cable Communications LLC,

McKinstry launches building optimization service

Company aims to improve systems for vacant, low-occupancy facilities

May 21, 2020

Virginia Thomas

Construction and energy-efficiency contractor McKinstry Co., which is based in Seattle and has a big presence in Spokane, has launched a new service meant to help building owners and managers optimize their facilities while occupancy is low due