Government

Spokane Airports' impact said to exceed $750 million

EWU study accounts for budget, spending, wages

June 4, 2015

Spokane Airports had a $754 million economic impact on Spokane and Kootenai counties in 2013, Eastern Washington University researchers say in a recently completed study. EWU's Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis conducted the study. '

A small town with big distribution hopes

Junction city Ritzville ranks high in commissioned report

May 21, 2015

Adams County economic development proponents are looking ambitiously at the potential for turning the quiet farm town of Ritzville, located about an hour's drive southwest of Spokane at the junction of Interstate 90 and U.S. 395, into a bustling hub for

Liberty Lake aims to grow within its current city limits

City wants new comp plan in place before '17 deadline

May 21, 2015

The city of Liberty Lake doesn't want to expand beyond its current city limits, says a planning official involved in the process of updating the city's comprehensive plan. She says the city wants to have its revised comprehensive plan submitted in 20

Spokane Public Facilities District posts increase in operating costs for 2014

Total attendance rises at two of the three venues

May 21, 2015

Judith Spitzer

The Spokane Public Facilities District, the quasi-governmental agency that owns and operates the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, the INB Performing Arts Center, and the Spokane Convention Center, reports that net operating profit, revenue, and attendance

City of Spokane opts to require licenses for short-term rentals

Both owner-occupied, full-house rentals allowed

May 7, 2015

Judith Spitzer

Spokane owners and operators of short-term housing rentals, those rented for 30 days or less, soon will be required to operate as a business and file for city permits, following the City Council's unanimous approval of an ordinance to that effect Monday

General aviation flight center planned at Felts Field

Museum to lease space at west end of structure

April 23, 2015

Kim Crompton

A Spokane investor group named EFT LLC plans to develop a 40,000-square-foot, $2.8 million general aviation flight center at Felts Field municipal airport in East Spokane, says Tim Gump, managing member and part owner of EFT. Western Aviation Inc., a fix

UW says WWAMI program growth is in jeopardy

Senate budget proposal amounts to funding cut

April 23, 2015

Mike McLean

The Washington state Senate budget proposal would put the Spokane-based portion of the five-state medical education program known as WWAMI in peril if it wins out over the House version of the budget, says Dr. Paul Ramsey, the CEO of University of Washing

Spokane's sick leave rules gain ground

Opinions on proposed citywide policy vary widely

April 23, 2015

Judith Spitzer

Spokane City Council members on Monday evening voted to assign a work group to study the possible implementation of a mandatory sick and safe leave policy that would require businesses in the city to give their workers the opportunity to earn sick leave h

Smokers found increasingly expensive to employ

More employers develop tobacco-free workplaces

April 9, 2015

Robin Pickering

Hiring a smoker could cost business owners nearly $6,000 extra per year. That was the finding of a recent study comparing the cost of employees who smoke with nonsmokers, published in the peer reviewed journal Tobacco Control. This cost includes increa

Brownfields work could spur activity in Hillyard

EPA funding will help city plan cleanup, strategy

April 9, 2015

Judith Spitzer

A $200,000 federal grant the city of Spokane recently won to help the Hillyard community develop a plan and implementation strategy to clean up industrial areas there could help spur more economic activity, says Teri Stripes, assistant city planner. This