April 19 / Employment climbs here
About 203,400 people held nonagricultural wage and salary jobs in the Spokane area in March, up by 600 from the March 2010 level, and up 1,100 from February of this year, preliminary state figures showed. Preliminary results from another state survey put the unemployment rate at 10.5 percent, down from 11 percent in the year-earlier month.

April 18 / Ambassadors settles suit
Ambassadors Group Inc., the Spokane-based international-travel program provider, announced that it has reached a tentative $7.5 million settlement of a pending class-action lawsuit filed by Plumbers Union local No. 12 Pension Fund. The union pension fund alleged that Ambassadors violated federal securities laws by making untrue statements and omitting material facts, thereby artificially inflating the price of its stock. Ambassadors denied the allegations and said the settlement isn't an admission of wrongdoing.

April 15 / Group Health acquires doctors' group
Group Health Cooperative and Group Health Physicians signed a letter of intent to acquire Columbia Medical Associates, of Spokane. Columbia currently has 30 primary-care physicians and more than 20 other primary-care providers who treat about 75,000 patients in the Spokane region. Group Health declined to disclose the terms of the transaction, which is expected to be completed in mid-summer. The physicians' group will continue to operate under the Columbia name and will continue to see patients who have insurance providers other than Group Health after the transaction is completed.

April 14 / City projects $6.6 million shortfall
The city of Spokane announced a forecasted budget shortfall of $6.6 million for 2012, assuming it continues all programs and services as they currently exist. Marlene Feist, city spokeswoman, said, "We will need to make changes to address the shortfall, because we are required to adopt a balanced budget for 2012 prior to the end of the year." She said Mayor Mary Verner will present preliminary plans for addressing the shortfall in the coming weeks.

April 11 / Itron lands $270 million contract
Liberty Lake-based Itron Inc. announced it will provide BC Hydro with about 2 million new electric meters during the next two years through its Smart Metering Program. Itron said the contract is worth about $270 million. The technology upgrade is projected to save BC Hydro about $70 million in the first three years and more than $500 million in the long term.

April 7 / State Line Speedway changes hands
Competitive Edge LLC, an Alaska-based company that operates a racing school in Post Falls, bought the State Line Speedway from Joe and Walt Doellefeld. The Doellefelds had owned the 37-year-old, 5,000-seat, quarter-mile track for 20-plus years. Randy and Jeneane Koch, operators of Competitive Edge Racing School, now will oversee operations at State Line Speedway, which has begun its 2011 racing season.

April 6 / Woodard to fill Valley council seat
The Spokane Valley City Council appointed longtime real estate broker Arne Woodard to the Council Position No. 3, which Councilwoman Rose Dempsey resigned from earlier this year. Woodard, who owns Woodard Properties & Investment Inc., began serving on the city's Planning Commission last year and is involved in a number of professional and community organizations. Spokane Valley still has an open council seat previously held by the late Bob McCaslin.