Latest News

Capital calls rise, pinch borrowers

Decreasing asset values force more lenders here to issue 'pay up' demands

June 18, 2009

Real estate developers and investors, already vexed by troubled markets and falling asset values, are receiving more bad news from their bankers.In some cases, bankers are telling such clients they'll need to come up with more money—and to

Tight passage for Providence

Fledgling chief of largest hospital system here has his hands full

June 18, 2009

Kim Crompton

Dr. Andy Agwunobi says one of the things that convinced him to leave a high-ranking post in Florida and move across the country to the Inland Northwest was his desire to achieve a better work-life balance, one that would afford him more family CEO

Photo courtesy of Vaagen Bros. Lumber Inc.

Lumber makers fight sales decay

Low demand, weak prices compound mills' troubles

June 18, 2009

Mike McLean

The steep national decline in new-home construction is taking its toll on the Inland Northwest lumber industry, and it's not expected to let up any time soon, industry observers say.Duane Vaagen, president of Colville, Wash.-based Vaagen Bros. a

Speculative areas of market draw interest despite risks

Current economy offers plethora of opportunities for more daring investors

June 18, 2009

Personal Investing

At a time when so many "sure" investments have let everyone down, speculative investing sounds like simply throwing money down the drain.Shell-shocked investors, wishing no medals for bravery, have contented themselves with safer, low-yield is a

In the News: June 18, 2009

June 18, 2009

June 16 / Job numbers dip; unemployment rate climbs Nonagricultural wage and salary employment in the Spokane metropolitan area fell to 212,200 in May, down 9,300 jobs from the May 2008 level, according to preliminary Washington state

Calendar: June 18, 2009

June 19-30, 2009

June 18, 2009

Meetings & Events Washington Trust Bank will host a personal document Shred Day on Friday, June 19, from noon to 4 p.m. at its East Sprague branch, at 3510 E. Sprague. Attendees may bring up to two small boxes of personal documents to

Whitworth to offer courses at Riverpoint Campus this fall

School to start by teaching organizational management bachelor's degree program

June 4, 2009

David Cole

Whitworth University plans to begin offering classes on the Riverpoint Campus east of downtown this fall.Initially, the school will offer a business degree as well as some general-education courses, all targeted at non-traditional students who a

Employment, labor laws set for change

Obama administration set to press ahead on number of potentially prickly fronts

June 4, 2009

Patrick J. Kirby

Change is coming to America's labor and employment laws, and it's coming in the midst of the worst downturn in the economy in the last 30 years. With layoffs and bailouts dominating the daily news, these are challenging times for both employers and

New, upgraded college programs on tap for next fall

Offerings to include degree in wine business, training to install home electronics

June 4, 2009

Mike McLean

Spokane-area colleges and universities are gearing up new degrees and areas of training ranging from an environmental-studies major to certification in big-rig truck driving. Gonzaga University says it will upgrade its environmental-studies to a

Finding jobs for people

WorkSource provides screening, skill building for employers, job seekers

June 4, 2009

Jeanne Gustafson

Outside the Spokane office of WorkSource these days, the parking lot is full of job seekers' cars, while inside the agency—which serves as the job-hunt assisting arm of the Washington state Employment Security Department—computer are with