In brief: Singers compete this weekend

Sweet Adelines from Washington Alaska and Nort Idaho will gather this weekend for a competition in downtown Spokane.

Moreo than 900 barbershop singers will compete in quartets and choruses and the winners will move on to an international competition in Honolulu.

The competition starts today at 7:30 p.m. in the Doubletree Hotel City Center Ballrooms, 322 N. Spokane Falls Court, with a Kickoff Show. Tickets are $10 at the door.

On Friday, the quartets will compete at 5:45 p.m. in the INB Performing Arts Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. Tickets are $18.

The chorus groups will compete Saturday at 11:45 a.m. also in the INB Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $18.

The competition will wrap things up with a Festival of Champions Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at INB. Tickets are $20.

For information about purchasing tickets, call TicketsWest at 325-SEAT.

China expert to give lecture

Walter Hutchens will speak in the final lecture of the Great Decisions Lecture Series at Whitworth University today at 7:30 p.m. in the Robinson Teaching Theatre of Weyerhaeuser Hall on the Whitworth campus, 300 W. Hawthorne Road.

Hutchens, an expert on commercial law and business and China will speak on the topic “China’s Economic Rise: Global Challenge and Opportunity.”

For more information, call Barbara Brodrick of the political science department at 777-3270.