Oct. 4 / Painted Hills Golf Course sold

Spokane developer Dave Black bought the Painted Hills Golf Course property, at 4402 S. Dishman-Mica Road, and related equipment for $1.1 million. He submitted the only bid in a trustee's auction held at the Spokane County Courthouse. The nine-hole course, which never opened this year, was sold to satisfy a debt of $797,000 to AmericanWest Bank after the owners filed for bankruptcy last year. Black said he'll evaluate what is the best use for the property, which might or might not be as a golf course.



Oct. 1 / Deaconess, Valley hospitals picketed

Protesters that included nurses and other health care workers picketed Deaconess and Valley hospitals, complaining that staffing cuts at the facilities here have impaired patient care. The protesters included members of Service Employees International Union Healthcare 1199NW, which represents more than 1,100 health care workers at the two hospitals. The hospitals are part of the Rockwood Health System here and are owned by Community Health Systems Inc., of Franklin, Tenn.



Oct. 1 / Cowles Co. subsidiary to buy TV stations

Cowles Montana Media Co., a subsidiary of Spokane-based Cowles Co., said it has agreed to buy seven TV stations owned by Max Media of Montana. The stations are KURL-TV, the Billings NBC affiliate; KTMF-TV (ABC/FOX), in Missoula; KTMF-LD (ABC/FOX), in Kalispel; KWYB-TV (ABC/FOX), in Butte; KWYB-LD (ABC/FOX), in Bozeman; KFBB-TV (ABC/FOX), in Great Falls; KHBB-TV (ABC/FOX), and their digital channels. The transaction is expected to close by Dec. 1, after obtaining necessary regulatory approvals. Cowles Co. publishes the Spokesman-Review and owns the Journal of Business and Spokane television station KHQ.



Sept. 30 / GU adds two-year law school option

Gonzaga University said its law school will offer students the option of obtaining a law degree in two calendar years, rather than the traditional three-year sequence, starting with applications it began accepting Oct. 1 for students beginning in the fall of 2014. The change, it said, is in response to a national discussion about ways to combat sharp enrollment declines, amid rising tuition costs and student debt. Gonzaga enrolled 109 students into its first-year class that started instruction in late August, which was down from about 180 students enrolled in the fall of 2010.



Sept. 25 / County creates Fairchild buffer zone

Spokane County commissioners approved an interim zoning ordinance restricting activity on about 400 acres of land bordering Fairchild Air Force Base to solely agricultural uses, thereby providing a security buffer to the base. The action addressed concerns raised following the commissioners' recent adoption of an expanded urban growth area that included land near the base west of Spokane. The county said the interim ordinance will remain in effect for six months, or until the commissioners take action to remove the properties from the area designated for future urban growth.



Sept. 27 / City leaders pursue downtown initiative

Business, government, and community representatives said they plan to take joint steps to improve downtown livability through an increased focus on improving safety, investing in infrastructure, and supporting programs that boost vitality in the city's core. The Spokane City Council has set a 90-day timetable for implementing 10 specific actions that it believes would address business owners' and visitors' concerns.



Sept. 24 / Employment here jumps

About 212,000 people held nonagricultural wage and salary jobs in the Spokane area in August, up by 6,700 from the August 2012 level and up by 1,100 from July of this year, preliminary state figures said. Preliminary results from another state survey put the unemployment rate here at 7.2 percent during August, its lowest level since December 2008 and down from 8.6 percent in August 2012.