Retailers throughout Washington state soon could be banned from offering customers single-use plastic bags, in an effort to reduce plastic waste and better protect the environment.

Spokane County is planning a $10 million remodel to a commercial building near the south edge of the University District, where it intends to move the Spokane County Medical Examiner's Office.

East Central Community Organization, a Spokane-based nonprofit housing organization, plans to move an estimated 360,000-pound brick apartment building it owns this year.

More than $412 million in new public construction projects are slated across Spokane County this year, including work on the next phase of the North Spokane Corridor, the start of the Hamilton Street Corridor Enhancement Project, bridge improvements

The Washington state Condominium Act adds to development costs and liabilities making condo construction an unattractive option for builders seeking to meet the demand for affordable housing, some construction industry professionals here say.

Spokane-area interests are seeking funding for education, transportation, health care, and community projects and initiatives valued at more than $160 million during the upcoming state legislative session.

Starting Jan. 1, behavioral health services traditionally covered through Medicaid also will be covered by some of the same managed care organizations that currently cover physical health services, says Jeff Thomas, CEO of Frontier Behavioral Health.