The huffing and puffing throughout 2008 about shrewd investment maneuvers to be well-positioned for a new U.S. president have vanished into thin air.From the economy to financial institutions to international terrorism, many of President-elect a
What a difference a year makes, unfortunately for the mining industry. Last year at this time, mining executives were giddy, with metals prices rising, demand soaring, and enough capital available to fuel aggressive exploration and then, prices and
The lumber industry has been hammered this year, and a downturn in demand that has hurt the industry likely will persist for another year, until the U.S. economy and the nation's housing market improve, industry representatives say.Shawn Church,
Agricultural industry observers here say there's a bit of trepidation in the air concerning 2009, following a year that saw both prices and yields drop for wheat, dried peas, lentils, and chickpeas, all among the Inland Northwest's primary will be
Tourism is expected to slow further in Spokane and North Idaho in the coming year, though event bookings remain strong, observers say.Harry Sladich, president and CEO of the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, says a downward trend
The Kootenai County economy won't be as vibrant in 2009 as it was earlier this decade, but business advocates there aren't anticipating a bust either."Things have slowed down, but we're faring a bit better than most of the country," says Coe, of
High-tech manufacturers here are casting a cautious eye on 2009, and indicate that they plan to stay as lean as possible to be ready if sales growth, which already is beginning to soften, turns to a decline.For one such company, the economic its
Retail sales are expected to remain relatively flat here next year, though they could rise or fall slightly, economic observers here say.Randy Barcus, chief economist for Spokane-based Avista Corp., says he's more optimistic about retail sales a
Spokane-area bankers, whose prospects rise and fall with the regional economy, say they're peering into a clouded crystal ball as they make projections for 2009."It's probably the first time in my career that I would have to say I have no idea
The Spokane area's health-care sector is expected to be fairly strong in 2009, with added hiring and sizable capital expenditures, although huge government budget woes have hospital executives concerned about reimbursement levels. "The issue us
_web.jpg?1729753270)