The Long Ear Compact Discs & Tapes, an independent music store in Coeur d'Alene, has seen music formats go by the wayside, supposedly replaced by something better. Now, with the growth of music downloads, the store is relying on its deep CD and of

When the region has a big wheat crop, and prices are high, John Sharp and Allen Hatley naturally are happy, they say. This year, though, an average crop is expected, and they're merely upbeat.The farm-bred executives of Sharp & Hatley Inc., of I

L&S Engineering Associates Inc., a longtime firm here that designs high-efficiency mechanical and electrical systems in commercial and public buildings, struggled through slow times last year, but now its workload is the heaviest that Dale Shafer,

The market for lakefront and riverfront homes is in uncharted waters—and they're rough, real estate specialists here say.Bill Fanning, broker at Century 21 Beutler-Waterfront, in Spokane, says lake home prices are spiraling downward, and a