Nov. 11 / Council rejects proposed police contract

The Spokane City Council voted 7-0 to reject a tentative contract agreement reached between Mayor David Condon's office and the Spokane Police Guild. Council members criticized the agreement's lack of independent investigative authority for the city's police ombudsman, which voters overwhelmingly supported in a city charter amendment earlier this year. Council President Ben Stuckart called on city administration to reopen negotiations with the Police Guild to push for including that ombudsman authority.



Nov. 8 / GVD expands downtown holdings

GVD Commercial Properties Inc., which owns the Bing Crosby Theater and Hotel Ruby & Sapphire Lounge downtown, said it has bought the 50-room former Ramada Express hotel, at 123 S. Post. The company said it's converting the hotel into a Howard Johnson hotel franchise operated by affiliate GVD Hospitality Management Services, which also operates Hotel Ruby. It bought the hotel on Post for $2.4 million from Jae Yu Hwang and Hak Sook Hwang, and said it expects to spend about $750,000 remodeling it.



Nov. 7 / Providence becomes lone INHS member

The Empire Health Foundation said it will discontinue its role as a member of Inland Northwest Health Services, leaving Spokane-based Providence Health Care as INHS's lone member. As part of the restructuring, Providence said it will make a $40 million donation to the foundation. Founded in 1994 as a nonprofit collaborative to manage Northwest MedStar, St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute, and other services for Spokane-area hospitals, INHS has expanded its services through the years to include services such as health-records management, telemedicine, and health training.



Nov. 6 / Avista's net income jumps

Avista Corp., of Spokane, reported third-quarter net income of $11.4 million, or 19 cents a diluted share, up nearly double from $5.8 million, or 10 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Scott L. Morris, chairman, president, and CEO of Avista, said in a press release, "Our third-quarter results were above expectations, and we continue to experience a good year at both the utility and Ecova," Avista's utility-bill management subsidiary. Morris said utility earnings exceeded expectations during the third quarter due to warmer weather and lower-than-expected operating costs.



Nov. 6 / 2nd Watch garners big investment

2nd Watch Inc., a Liberty Lake-based cloud computing company, said it has landed $23 million from venture capitalists. The company said it will use the money to open new offices around the country, add employees, and help clients more easily move applications to Amazon Web Services. The latest cash injection brings the total investment received by 2nd Watch since its launch in 2012 to $28 million.



Nov. 5 / Hecla reports $8.6 million loss

Hecla Mining Co., of Coeur d'Alene, posted a third-quarter net loss applicable to common shareholders of $8.6 million, or 3 cents a share, compared with an $885,000 loss in the third quarter of 2012. However, the company said it expected the fourth quarter to be its best quarter of the year. It reported a 42 percent third-quarter increase in silver production to 2.3 million ounces, with strong production from its Greens Creek mine and the reopened Lucky Friday reaching full production near the end of the quarter.

Nov. 4 / Masonic Center sold

A family investor group headed by Spokane businessman Greg Newell bought the 108-year-old Masonic Center, at 1108 W. Riverside, for $1.1 million, and Newell said he intends to market the stately looking downtown structure as an event, dining, and entertaiment venue. The 110,000-square-foot building, one of the city's largest and oldest meeting places, had been for sale since October 2012. The building is located west of the Spokane Club and next door to the historic Civic Building, at 1020 W. Riverside, which the Empire Health Foundation bought earlier this year.