Business in brief: WSU will study organic wheat
Washington State University has received a $680,000 federal grant to fund organic-wheat research with hopes that varieties can be ready for release within five years.
The money will underwrite the work of wheat breeder Stephen Jones to develop varieties that will grow well without chemicals and other production practices that fall outside organic guidelines.
In a WSU news release, Jones said demand for organic wheat is high.
During the past five years, Jones has been crossing modern wheat varieties with 163 varieties that were grown from the 1840s to the 1950s, the period before farmers began using nitrogen-based fertilizers and other chemicals.
Olympia
Farmers not using sales tax break
Farmers have been slow to apply for a new state sales tax exemption on replacement parts for farm machinery.
About 500 farmers have so far obtained special certificates from the Washington State Department of Revenue that allows growers to skip taxes.
The 2006 Legislature passed the exemption to give farmers a financial break at a time of low crop prices and high costs for fuel and fertilizer.
To qualify, a farmer must sell $10,000 worth of crops or livestock. The exemption may be available for up to 30,000 farmers and save this group approximately $8.4 million when the exemptions take effect beginning July 1. For more information call 1-800-647-7706 or visit the the Revenue Department’s Web site at http://dor.wa.gov/.
Wallace
Justin Rice given industry award
Former mining executive Justin Rice has been honored with a new award named after him, the Justin L. Rice Award.
Rice accepted the award last week from the Silver Valley Mining Association. The award, which is expected to be given out annually, honors a business person for contributions to resource industries. The award features an 18-inch sterling silver statue of Rice.
Rice, 87, is the retired chairman of Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp., which is now run by his nephew, Dennis Wheeler. Rice remains active in a junior mining company, Silver Royal Apex, which has claims in the Silver Valley.
Austin, Texas
Spammers to pay $10 million fine
One of the world’s most notorious spammers, his former partners and their companies have agreed to pay $10 million to settle a state lawsuit, Texas officials said Wednesday.
Ryan Pitylak, 24, a recent University of Texas graduate, has admitted sending 25 million e-mails every day at the height of his spamming operation in 2004.
At one time, Pitylak was listed as the fourth-worst spammer in the world by the Spamhaus Project, a London-based international clearinghouse that tracks spammers and works closely with law enforcement officials.
Under the settlement announced Wednesday by the Texas attorney general’s office, Pitylak owes $1 million in civil penalties.