Tall shoots of wild grass, rising up through rocky soil and scattered chunks of broken concrete, bend lazily under a gentle breeze as sparrows flit around playfully just above the ground and a fat marmot scurries toward its den.Such is life on

Hold onto your hardhats, a residential building boom is on. The number of residential building permits issued in Spokane and Kootenai counties in the first 18 weeks of the year shot up 49 percentto 1,334 dwelling unitscompared with the a

Mature Matters Publishing Inc., of Spokane, which produces directories of services for seniors and provides seminars on aging and elder care, has separated from Lawton Printing Inc., also of Spokane, following a four-year joint publishing endeavor,

The relatively new profession of certified professional guardian has emerged as a growing field of work here and statewide, as demand increases for guardians who manage the affairs of those who cant completely tend to things themselves.The in

As seniors at the Fairwinds-Northpointe retirement center eat their meals in a large dining room, general manager Bob Krentel often plays old tunes for them on a nearby baby grand piano.I play America, The Beautiful every morningthats

Innovation and risk-taking are qualities that mark a successful entrepreneur. Theyre also qualities that are important to the growth of the economy, representatives of Gonzaga University and Eastern Washington University say. Accordingly, in

Pitney Bowes Inc.s Spokane customer-contact center knows its business: Answer phone calls from customers across the nation and tell them how to fix Pitney Bowes office products. The Stamford, Conn.-based company didnt, however, know the way

Hecla Mining Co.s Central and South American mining properties continue to light the way for the Coeur dAlene-based companys financial rebound. Hecla says its San Sebastian property in Mexico, for example, was its star performer in a

Silver Bell Corp., of Spokane, will close its Twenty-Four Frames Cinema in Cheney next month, says Laura Boenheim-Ulyatt, the companys president of operations.Despite replacing all of the theaters projection equipment, installing new and at

Travis and Peggy Camp, of Spokane, have bought the assets of Dicks Suzuki Inc., a longtime Spokane Valley motor-sports dealership, from founders Dick and Pat Ascol for an undisclosed sum.Travis Camp is the son of longtime Spokane auto dealer