In brief: Simply Northwest opens downtown
Simply Northwest, a Spokane-owned business that sells crafts, gift baskets and wines, has opened a downtown shop, owner De Scott announced.
Its location is at 8 N. Post, in the Peyton Building. Scott said agents for the owners asked her to fill a vacancy in a 1,300-square-foot storefront on the building’s main level.
“One of the building owners saw our shop at the airport and then visited our Valley store,” said Scott. “He told us that it was the type of store they wanted in their building downtown.”
Scott has two other stores, one in Spokane Valley and one at Spokane International Airport.
Hours will be 10 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays. It will be open Sundays during the holidays, starting Nov. 24.
POST FALLS
Job fair for veterans planned at armory
A job fair for veterans is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Idaho National Guard Armory, 5453 E. Seltice Way, in Post Falls. More than 45 employers will attend the job fair, according to the Idaho Department of Labor, which is helping to organize the event. For information, call Brandia Young at (208) 769-1558, ext. 3998.
NEW YORK
Google News works on photo problem
Engineers at Google Inc. are working to resolve a problem on the company’s Google News site that has resulted in some photos and news stories being mismatched.
Searches conducted on Google News on Friday occasionally returned photos from Reuters Group PLC that didn’t match the stories they were listed next to, such as a shot of bunches of vegetables that appeared alongside a story about a Japanese merger firm.
Google’s news pages are automated and use computer coding, or algorithms, to select and display stories. Google spokesman Gabriel Stricker said its algorithms appeared to be mismatching some material, but the problem appeared to be mainly with photos from Reuters.
A Reuters spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a call for comment.
TORONTO
Canadian dollar hits modern-day high
The Canadian dollar rose to a modern-day high of 107.18 U.S. cents Friday morning before dropping slightly to close at $107.04, and while Canadian shoppers are happy that they’re getting more bang for their buck, not everyone is smiling.
Canada’s manufacturing sector used to enjoy a struggling currency that made their goods less expensive in the U.S. and internationally, but in the last five years Canada’s currency has appreciated almost 65 percent against its U.S. counterpart, rising from 61 U.S. cents.
Because of a sinking U.S. dollar, a jobless rate at a 33-year low and soaring commodities prices that benefit oil-rich Canada, the “loonie” surpassed the U.S. dollar for the first time in 31 years in September and jumped a full 2 cents on Friday.
What’s good for Canadian consumers and U.S. exporters, however, isn’t such a boon to Canadian manufactures.
“Companies cannot adjust this rapidly; they are having to cut costs and we’re seeing the rate of closures increase. These are not just layoffs or a downward shift, these are permanent closures of operations as companies look to consolidate their production,” said Jayson Myers, president of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.