Melodie Little

After racking up $50,000 in attorney's fees to defend itself against Spokane Valley's challenge to its comprehensive plan, Liberty Lake officials are rebuilding the portions of its plan ruled invalid. The problem stemmed from a dispute over the city's projected population growth. Those numbers affect planning for everything from police officers to sewer service. Ironically, when officials recalculated the 20-year growth projections — which were ruled invalid by the Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board — they found the new population estimates were nearly identical to the original 15,000 population projection. "We will be working through the issues and making sure that everyone is happy with the results," said Doug Smith, director of planning for Liberty Lake.

Ritchie's Cafe is opening in the old Mel's Bakery and Coffee Shop, at 15112 E. Sprague Ave. Workers have laid new flooring, painted and updated the charming shop, which gained notoriety for more than its cookies when the previous owner was arrested on charges of warehousing a marijuana-growing operation in the basement.

Representatives from three local companies specializing in emerging technologies shared their success stories at an economic rally in Spokane Valley on Wednesday. The rally, sponsored by the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Spokane Area Economic Development Council, attracted around 100 people who heard presentations by Donald Stalter, CEO of Vivato; Jeff Brown, vice president of commercial markets for Next IT Corp.; and Jeff Severs, president of Isothermal Systems Research.

The Dollar Store is gearing up for a move that will double its display space and selection of merchandise. The store, at 13124 E. Sprague Ave., is liquidating merchandise at 88 cents an item and will close by the end of June, said Bill Rice, Eastern Washington area manager for LOI Distributing, Inc. LOI Distributing Inc. operates 39 stores in Washington and Oregon.

West Valley SCOPE is holding its annual parade and carnival on Saturday. This is the 10th year for West Valley Days, which offers affordable fun for all ages while raising money for the West Valley Sheriff's community policing program. The parade begins at 11 a.m. at Susie's Steak and Seafood, 9611 E. Trent Ave., and travels 10 blocks to Millwood City Park, at Frederick and Argonne.

The promise of fresh herbs lured Sarah Martin to an open-air market Saturday in Liberty Lake. Martin, her two children and a group of neighbors braved wind and gray skies to walk from the nearby Alpine Shores development to browse the market's organic produce, plants and crafts.

Rising gasoline prices are threatening to squeeze out local volunteers who use their own vehicles to deliver meals to homebound seniors and people with disabilities. To help defray costs, organizers of the Meals on Wheels program in Spokane have created a reimbursement fund for volunteer drivers. Coeur d'Alene already had one.

Two apparel stores set up shop this week at the Spokane Valley Mall. Casual Corner Annex and Casual Corner Annex Petite opened in two connected storefronts on Monday, and on Thursday Aeropostale opened a 3,800-square-foot store. Aeropostale, part of a national 500-store chain that sells specialty clothing for teens and young, is across from Marketplace Gifts on the main floor and offers a mix of trendy clothes and accessories and swimwear.

Liberty Lake is putting itself on the corporate radar screen. After the recession wiped out 2,700 high-tech jobs inside the city, the business-savvy government started promoting the area to outside companies. Officials touted the trained work force, played up the parklike business campuses and mentioned perks like paved trails for employees who live in the city and want to commute by bicycle.

Antique hunters packed into Fairfield's Triangle Grange Hall on Saturday, proving that one person's rusty brass headboard is another person's fanciful yard art. Musicians played bluegrass music as patrons wedged into crowded booths to browse through weathered windowpanes, old kitchen gadgets and rusty wagon wheels that were displayed by 20 vendors.

A mother-daughter team is hoping a fund-raiser with a car giveaway will become an annual ticket to combating poverty in the Valley. Nearly two dozen volunteers are putting together a fund-raiser that's unique to the greater Spokane area, with the plan of raising $75,000 for the Spokane Valley Community Center.