Kim Crompton

UI professors to study how ethnicity affects business sector in Macedonia

February 12, 2009

Two University of Idaho professors, Harley Johansen and Michele O'Neill, have landed a $20,000 U.S. State Department grant to investigate how ethnicity plays into the development of businesses in the southeastern European and former communist of is

Using pseudo-cash incentive to encourage healthy living

Asuris says reward-based Motivate self-managed plan is off to good start

February 12, 2009

Kim Crompton

Health plan provider Asuris Northwest Health, which has about 56,000 members in Eastern Washington, says it's pleased with the response it's getting to a six-month-old plan, called Asuris Motivate, that enables members to earn virtual funds by of a

Mall owner gets extension on loans totaling $4 billion

As of last week, GGP still faced deadline this week on another $900,000 loan

February 12, 2009

Kim Crompton

General Growth Properties Inc., the troubled Chicago-based owner of three of the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area's largest shopping centers, has negotiated a deadline extension until March 15 on two loans that reportedly total more than $4 company had a

Goodwill impairment: Expect to hear more about it

Tough times, charge-offs force more companies to trot out esoteric term

January 29, 2009

Kim Crompton

Goodwill impairment is such an arcane term—sounding almost like a euphemism for diminished kindly feelings toward others—that it likely holds little significance for those not well-versed in financial lingo.Yet, it has exacted a heavy

Lenders give big mall owner more time to pay huge debt

Parent of NorthTown, Valley, Silver Lake now faces Feb. 12 deadline

January 15, 2009

Kim Crompton

General Growth Properties Inc., the ailing Chicago-based owner of three of the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area's largest shopping malls, has been granted a few more weeks to repay or refinance $900 million in mortgage loans that were due about a month a

Disc maker's legal woes continue

BlueStar hit with judgment here, refunds in California, but CEO remains upbeat

January 15, 2009

Kim Crompton

Legal problems are continuing for BlueStar Technologies Inc., the Blu-ray disc producer here formerly named BlueRay Technologies Inc.Wells Construction Inc., of Spokane, has won a $280,000 default judgment against BlueStar President and CEO in a

Banking software maker refocuses

New owner of Getronics unit here targets product development

January 15, 2009

Kim Crompton

The former Liberty Lake-based banking software division of Dutch computer-services giant Getronics has a new owner, Dallas-based CompuCom Systems Inc.It also has a revised strategy that its new director says should help bolster its global are on

Health care looks relatively strong

December 18, 2008

Kim Crompton

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

Inland Power & Light buys facility near Colfax

Cooperative to convert former Western States building to warehouse

December 18, 2008

Kim Crompton

Inland Power & Light Co., the Spokane-based electric cooperative, says it's buying a former Western States Equipment Co. dealership property located six miles north of Colfax, along U.S. 195, for an undisclosed sum and plans to use it as a service

Avista fights BPA ruling in federal appellate court

Spokane utility contends loss of millions of dollars in hydro benefits is unfair

December 18, 2008

Kim Crompton

Avista Corp. is challenging a Bonneville Power Administration decision that dramatically reduces the financial benefit its electrical ratepayers receive through access to cheap Columbia River hydropower the federal agency markets.The energy a &