Karina Elias

Meet & Greet with Whitworth University DEI VP Joshue Orozco

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March 30, 2023

In February, Joshue Orozco became the vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion for Whitworth University, the institution's third person to step into the role. Orozco, 43, was previously the associate dean of DEI at the university.

A Post Falls urban center is in the worx

Plans include 685 living units, hotel, retail uses; up to $200M in work envisioned at old mill site

March 30, 2023

Karina Elias

A&A Construction & Development Inc., of Spokane, is constructing a new urban center in Post Falls. Once completed, the 32-acre Millworx development a few blocks east of City Hall will have about 685 living units in 615,000 square feet of residential

Ace to lay off 86 at former Jensen Distribution facility

Job cuts at West Plains warehouse to start in May

March 17, 2023

Karina Elias

Ace Hardware Corp., the Oak Brook, Illinois-based hardware retailers' cooperative that acquired Spokane-based Jensen Distribution Services in 2015, plans to lay off 86 employees here, according to a notice filed with the Washington state Employment Secu

Tractor Beverage launches sustainability tracker

Craft soda company expands services, tools

March 16, 2023

Karina Elias

Tractor Beverages Inc., a Hayden-based soft drink maker, has launched an Organic Impact Tracker, which is intended to quantify benefits of sourcing organic ingredients. The tracker was launched the first week of March and is already being used by two

Parting Thoughts with Lydig Construction's Mark Bray

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March 16, 2023

Karina Elias

Mark Bray, 61, retired from his chief financial officer role from Spokane Valley-based Lydig Construction Inc. on Dec. 31. Bray joined Lydig Construction in June of 1994 as the company's controller. In 1998, two years after the company's founder

Cookie Crunch: Girl Scouts council here sets goal to sell 1 million boxes despite supply-chain disruption

Local council delays shipment with promise of securing more product

March 16, 2023

Karina Elias

The Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington & Northern Idaho council has been building its annual cookie sales, cresting 1 million boxes of Girl Scout Cookies sold for the first time in 2022 and keeping that goal amid a national cookie shortage.

GSI, partners launch Believe Spokane initiative

Program targets $1B in economic impact

March 16, 2023

Karina Elias

Greater Spokane Incorporated and community fund partners have raised $3 million ahead of schedule to fund economic development initiatives and talent recruitment and retention efforts for the region. Alisha Benson, CEO of GSI, says the goal was to

Big Table expands hospitality worker outreach

Spokane-based nonprofit aims to grow presence to 10 cities by 2029

March 2, 2023

Karina Elias

Spokane-based nonprofit Big Table has grown steadily and is opening a fourth location next month. Launched in Spokane in 2009, Big Table was formed to assist workers in the hospitality and restaurant industry with struggles, including housing stability

Chicana Esthetics caters to multicultural skin

Studio owner: Diverse clients need specialized cosmetic treatments

March 2, 2023

Karina Elias

Chicana Esthetics LLC has seen strong growth in its number of clients since launching in November as a cosmetic skin studio focused on skin health issues for people of Native American, Asian, African American, and Latino backgrounds.

Parting Thoughts with John and Ken Towner, of Towners Conoco

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March 2, 2023

Karina Elias

Brothers John and Ken Towner retired late last year after selling the family's 55-year-old business, Towner's Conoco gas station, located at 1906 N. Ash in Spokane's West Central neighborhood. The new owner is local businessman, Avtar Brar, who runs