After a year of product refinement and fundraising, Blaze Barrier Inc., a Spokane-based maker of wildfire suppression systems, is preparing to start manufacturing at its new West Plains facility.

The need for more childcare facilities and providers in Spokane County is straightforward: the region is characterized by a lack of access to child care, affordability, and a need for centers that offer nontraditional hours to accommodate the region’s shift workers.

Washington state agriculture experienced mixed results in 2025 amid broader economic uncertainty and industry headwinds.

As financial institutions look ahead to 2026, Inland Northwest banking leaders say the industry enters the new year with cautious optimism, steady deposit growth, and persistent affordability challenges that continue to shape the behavior of members and customers.

Construction is underway in Spokane’s Chief Garry Park neighborhood on a $1.5 million industrial park dubbed Hazzard Business Park, located just southwest of the Trent Avenue and Freya Street intersection, says owner and developer Luke Shuman.

Latinos en Spokane, a nonprofit serving the Latino community, has continued to grow despite funding cuts and the country’s current immigration climate, in which the organization’s constituents are being targeted, says Executive Director Jennyfer Mesa.

Glyciome LLC, a biotech startup developing microbiome-based genital health products, has moved a major portion of its federally funded clinical trials away from Harvard Medical School and into the Inland Northwest.

Spokane Valley Tech and Skills Center high school has emerged as a steady source of talent for Spokane manufacturers by providing hands-on training and exposure to career and employment opportunities in the Inland Northwest.

Nearly 40 years since Spokane’s Momentum ’87 initiative rallied civic and business leaders around shared economic goals, a new generation of leaders is reviving that spirit, this time with innovation at its center.