Business coverage for Spokane and the Inland Northwest

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United putting 787s back into service

May 21, 2013 on Page A8 United Airlines put its 787 back in the air on Monday, with both the airline and Boeing hoping to put the plane’s four-month grounding behind them. The flight from Houston …
Economists optimistic on housing, consumers

May 21, 2013 on Page A8 WASHINGTON – Consumer spending is likely to pick up this year while government spending declines at a faster rate, according to a survey of business economists. The economists predict that …

Yahoo buys Tumblr

May 21, 2013 on Page A8 SAN FRANCISCO – Yahoo is buying online blogging forum Tumblr for $1.1 billion as CEO Marissa Mayer tries to rejuvenate an Internet pioneer that had fallen behind the times. The …
Tesoro acquiring Chevron pipelines

May 21, 2013 on Page A8 SAN ANTONIO – Tesoro Logistics LP said Monday that it will acquire Chevron Pipe Line Co.’s northwest products system for less than previously expected, citing a March diesel fuel spill …
Mark Camp, Lynnelle Caudill, Jerry Gibson, Overbluff Cellars, The Shop, John Caudill, Anvil Coffee

May 21, 2013 on Page A8 Spokane businessman Mark Camp and two partners have purchased Overbluff Cellars, a South Hill craft winery. Camp is buying the winery with Darby and Jovanka McKee, both of Spokane, who …
Northwest wheat

May 21, 2013 on Page A9 Soft white Cash bid Change May 7.60-7.75 unchanged-up 0.02 June 7.70-7.80 up 0.02-0.02 Hard red winter (ordinary percent protein) Cash bid Change May 8.65-8.78 up 0.08 Hard red winter (11.5 …
Bellevue Square plans $1.2 billion expansion

May 20, 2013 BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) — Developer Kemper Freeman plans a $1.2 billion expansion of his Bellevue Square, Bellevue Place and Lincoln Square hotel and shopping complex in downtown Bellevue, Wash. 24

Celestial Selections stakes its claim to prom, wedding fashions

May 19, 2013 on Page E1 Don and Erlene Clifton’s business, Celestial Selections, is cruising through its busy time of year. The Spokane Valley couple has operated the wedding and prom-fashion retail store the past 13 … 1
The Dirt

May 19, 2013 on Page E1 Value Village to relocate Savers Inc., based in Bellevue, will move the current Value Village in Spokane Valley later this year into the building that once housed the Old Country …
BBB Tip of the Week: ZookaWare and deceptive practices

May 19, 2013 on Page E2 The Washington State Attorney General’s Office has entered into a settlement with software company ZookaWare and its owner, Carl Haugen, for allegedly engaging in unfair and deceptive practices over several … 1
Business Beat

May 19, 2013 on Page E2 Have an item for Business Beat? Send it to businessbeat@ spokesman.com. Education
Prepayment plans surface with increased home values

May 19, 2013 on Page E2 A financial planner once told me that people really did not concentrate on saving for retirement until they paid off their home mortgage. The reason was that discretionary income was … 1
Week Ahead

May 19, 2013 on Page E2 Monday Basic Video: Exporting and Uploading – Presented by Tincan. This workshop will show you how to best compress your videos and share them online. 4-5 p.m., 1317 W. Second …
Potential long-term growth makes Caterpillar smart buy

May 19, 2013 on Page E2 Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT), recently trading near its 52-week low, offers an opportunity to buy in at a good price and await the global economic recovery that will boost its stock …
Puerto Rico struggles to revive coffee industry

May 19, 2013 on Page E6 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Coffee production in Puerto Rico has hit the lowest level in the island’s history, leaving farmers and government officials worried about how to revive a …
Facebook aims to be ‘social ad’ juggernaut

May 18, 2013 on Page A8 NEW YORK – It was supposed to be our IPO, the people’s public offering. Facebook, the brainchild of a young CEO who sauntered into Wall Street meetings in a hoodie, … 3
Natural gas export plan OK’d for Texas

May 18, 2013 on Page A8 WASHINGTON – The Energy Department on Friday conditionally approved a Texas company’s proposal to export liquefied natural gas, only the second such project allowed to move forward amid a production … 2
In brief: Unemployment rate stays level in Idaho

May 18, 2013 on Page A8 Idaho’s unemployment rate held at 6.1 percent in April and ticked down to 7.2 percent in Kootenai County, the Idaho Department of Labor said. Employers maintained hiring at normal levels, …
House targets SEC

May 18, 2013 on Page A8 WASHINGTON – Legislation cleared the House on Friday that would place stricter requirements on the federal agency overseeing Wall Street to assess the costs and benefits of its regulations before …
Canada wooing U.S. tech workers

May 18, 2013 on Page A8 SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Canadian government has launched an aggressive campaign to lure Silicon Valley tech workers frustrated by U.S. visa policies northward, just as Congress wrestles with a …
Northwest wheat

May 18, 2013 on Page A9 Soft white Cash bid Change May 7.60-7.73 unchanged-up 0.06 June 7.68-7.78 up 0.16-0.03 Hard red winter (ordinary percent protein) Cash bid Change May 8.57-8.70 down 0.06 Hard red winter (11.5 …
Stocks up for fourth week in row

May 18, 2013 on Page F1 NEW YORK – Encouraging news about the U.S. economy extended the stock market’s rally Friday. Small-company stocks rose the most, a sign that investors are taking on more risk.
City: Casino not a tax drain

May 17, 2013 on Page A7 A Spokane County study claiming significant negative tax impacts from a proposed Spokane Tribe casino on the West Plains is drawing criticism from the city in which the casino would … 53
In brief: Avista will provide home energy reports

May 17, 2013 on Page A12 Avista Utilities will send personalized home energy reports to more than 70,000 residential electric customers in a bid to boost energy conservation. The reports are generated by Opower, of Arlington, …
American to give priority to bagless

May 17, 2013 on Page A12 FORT WORTH, Texas – In a quest to speed up the boarding process, American Airlines is letting passengers board sooner if they travel lightly. The airline said Thursday that people … 1
Only two of 13 small SUVs fare well in front crash tests

May 17, 2013 on Page A12 DETROIT – Only two of 13 small SUVs performed well in front-end crash tests done by an insurance industry group, with several popular models faring poorly in the evaluations. Subaru’s … 1
Fracking rule released

May 17, 2013 on Page A12 WASHINGTON – Companies that drill for oil and natural gas on federal lands will be required to disclose publicly the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations, the Obama administration said … 1
Commission weakens rule on derivatives

May 17, 2013 on Page A12 WASHINGTON – A rule intended to loosen the largest U.S. banks’ control over the trading of complex investments and help safeguard the financial system was weakened Thursday by regulators. Critics … 6
Northwest wheat

May 17, 2013 on Page A13 Soft white Cash bid Change May 7.60-7.68 down 0.08-0.06 June 7.53-7.75 down 0.06-0.04 Hard red winter (ordinary percent protein) Cash bid Change May 8.64-8.77 down 0.08 Hard red winter (11.5 …
Retail trade group slams safety pact for Bangladesh

May 16, 2013 on Page A8 NEW YORK – The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, is slamming a global pact to improve safety conditions in Bangladesh, backed by mostly European retailers. At … 1