Convention & Visitors Bureau honors businesses, individuals

The Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau bestowed the organization’s annual Inland Northwest Tourism Awards at a ceremony Monday.

Businesses honored were: the Spokane Lilac Festival, for Festivals and Events; Green Bluff Growers, Attraction award; Cat Tales Zoological Park, “Near Nature. Near Perfect.” award; The Davenport Hotel and Tower, Spirit of the Inland Northwest award; Auntie’s Bookstore, In the Bag award; Wild Sage American Bistro, Top Table award.

Individual service winners were: Sahbaz Alickovic, the Davenport Hotel and Tower, White Glove award; Gage Lee, Frank’s Diner, Silver Spoon award; Curt Krijns, Quality Inn Valley Suites, First Impression Hotel award; Kyra Morelli, Finders Keepers, First Impression Retail Sales award; Meg Harper, the Davenport Hotel and Tower, First Impression Sales award; Julie Saucier, Group Coordinators, First Impression Transportation award; David Sharp, Ramada Spokane Airport, Heart of the House award; John Rice, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Coeur d’Alene, Rising Star award; and Sandy Kates, LCD Exposition Services, Tourism Professional of the Year award.

NEW YORK

KeyCorp among banks going public

KeyCorp, which is among 10 major banks ordered by the government to raise more capital as a buffer against future losses, joined several other banks Monday in announcing public stock offerings.

The offerings put pressure on financial shares, but underscore the improving conditions in the capital markets and the increasing demand for bank stocks.

Four banks that have received a clean bill of health from the government – Bank of New York Mellon Corp., U.S. Bancorp, Capital One Financial Corp. and BB&T Corp. – said proceeds from their common stock offerings would go toward repayment of federal bailout funds received last fall, pending government approval.

DETROIT

GM CEO says bankruptcy probable

Bankruptcy protection for the nation’s biggest automaker is becoming more probable with a deadline just over two weeks away, the company’s top executive said Monday. General Motors Corp. CEO Fritz Henderson is still holding out hope that the company can restructure without court protection. The automaker, Henderson said, is looking at its operations country by country. A U.S. bankruptcy wouldn’t necessarily mean GM would file in other locations, he said.

Executives selling GM stock

Six General Motors Corp. executives have sold more than 200,000 shares of stock as the company moves toward issuing new equity to give large stakes to the U.S. government and a United Auto Workers retiree health care trust fund. Four group vice presidents and two vice chairmen sold stock Friday and Monday at prices ranging from $1.45 to $1.61 per share. Spokeswoman Julie Gibson said the sales don’t show a lack of faith in the company.

From staff and wire reports