Signs point toward sustained growth in North Idaho

Manufacturing, health care, and tourism will help sustain economic growth in Kootenai County, and the residential real estate market will continue its modest rebound, observers of the economy there say.The October unemployment rate was 8.7 in in...

Metal prices, demand said to be holding strong

Mining companies expect another year of high metal prices and production in 2013 to meet global demand for gold and silver, as well as for base metals. Industry leaders say challenges ahead include a growing shortage of experienced mine workers and...

Some in high tech expect to ramp up sales, workforce

Some Inland Northwest high-technology companies are expecting large gains in sales, along with some increases in employment, in 2013. Others expect to stay competitive in challenging markets.Meanwhile, angel investment efforts gathered steam a a...

Jobs expected to climb in '13 after rise in hiring this year

Spokane-area economists expect employment growth in 2013, building upon gains during the last half of this year.Grant Forsyth, chief economist at Spokane-based Avista Corp., says he's projecting 1.1 percent job growth in 2013 in Spokane and If 2...

Light at end of the tunnel grows

Like the ever-so-gradual acceleration of a heavily laden train, the Inland Northwest economy finally is expected to begin showing some noteworthy forward momentum next year, albeit at a still subpar pace.Although plenty of uncertainty remains, a...

Human-powered transportation found lacking in U.S.

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Many people in the U.S. don't walk, bike, or engage in other forms of active transportation, missing an important opportunity to improve their cardiovascular health, concludes a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.Active to...

AMA says many cities lack options for health care plans

The American Medical Association released last month a new study showing that anticompetitive market power is widespread for each of the three most popular managed care plans in the U.S. The AMA's annual health insurance market analysis for the...