SQM, a Canadian company that provides follow-up services for companies using call centers, has opened an 11,500-square-foot office at 7400 Mineral Drive, in the Coeur d’Alene Tech Center building. The company opened the office in March with 90 employees. Based in Vernon, British Columbia, SQM…
Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, is allowing groups and nonprofits to buy prepaid cards for its Internet Essentials broadband service. Recent press releases say the option will roll out in the second half of 2013. Comcast is required to offer Internet Essentials to qualifiying…
CoiNuts Inc, a somewhat controversial Coeur d'Alene coin and gold trader, is back in the cross hairs. A recent SR story by Scott Maben catches up on a civil suit filed by the State of Idaho Attorney General against the owner of CoiNuts, Kevin Mitchell,…
After writing today's story about Dan Dickau opening his barber shop, The Barbers, up by the North Division Y, the only reservation we had is about the former Zag hoop star's listed height. At his NBA page, Dan is listed at 6 foot 3, 180…
So when the US Small Business Administration starts offering free webinars on how to use social media in your business, you gotta wonder. Is anybody out there not using Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or Pinterest? We'll assume most of you who haven't are just a bit…
Website Thumbtack.com has published its second annual report ranking states for their favorable and unfavorable business climates. Idaho, like it did last year in the survey, scored a big A+. The top ranking states overall were Utah, Alabama, New Hampshire, Idaho and Texas. The lowest…
Avista CEO Scott Morris comes downtown this week, taking part in the Thursday morning GSI-sponsored BizStreet morning session. The PR material says: "Learn what Avista is doing to serve its customers, maintain an engaged workforce, be strong community partners and attract investors." The schedule: coffee…
The day of reckoning for the white pages phone directory has arrived. Effective May 17, Washington state's regulators will end the longtime legal requirement that the phone company must deliver printed White Pages directories to all state customers. The result is that the DexKnows phone…
Don Parkins and Maryanne Snyder, owners of Bluz at the Bend, have tried to sell their north Spokane club for months. No one has made a decent offer, and the two have announced the business will close at the end of the month. Uncle D's…
We didn't take the time earlier this morning, when posting about the proximity of the proposed Rock Creek Mine and the proposed Montanore Mine, to get down a little deeper. We should have known the USGS has the maps to answer the key question behind…
A recent article in the New York Times raises the topic of which town is geekier, Seattle or New York. Ok, I'll hold back my reaction for a few seconds. Sure, I guess NYC has a few interesting tech initiatives and a certain robust East…
SEE NEW map and new information in the succeeding post. (Above this one) The major mining issue around the Inland Northwest is the continuing campaigns by two companies looking to develop silver mines under the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area, and the the opposition area residents…
One major case going through the California court system is one most of us should take heed of: it involves a driver charged with using a map on his smartphone while driving. Law enforcement spotted that infraction and gave him a $160 ticket plus ordered…
Washington State University's Spokane Small Business Development Center will host a free class on finding the right business or franchise. Date: April 25, from 7:30 a.m.-9 a.m. at the Spokane SBDC center, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd, Suite 201. The session will summarize the steps to…
We developed a soft spot for the National Retail Federation two months ago when we relied on that group to make sense of the scare-mongering arrival of credit-card surcharge fees. (Update: That's still not news.) But today the country's largest retail association made an announcement…
Spokane residents Caleb and Karli Ingersoll are planning to open The Bartlett, an all-ages music venue, along with a separate beer and wine bar, in the Richmond Building, 228 W. Sprague, in downtown Spokane. The Ingersolls announced last week they hope to open the new…
Spokane Club board members want to sell the club’s Spokane Valley facility. Here's the link to today's story: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/apr/05/spokane-club-is-gearing-up-to-sell-its-valley/?print-friendly The former Central Park Racquet Club was purchased by the club in 2000 for roughly $3.2 million. Since then the private social and athletic club has…
Comcast has added 17 channels to its HD channels in Spokane County. The availability for viewers depends on one's video service level. This means that Comcast viewers here potentially have 456 channels including the 17 new ones. One can also get 46 music channels. We…
Red Lion Hotels Corp. announced its Red Lion Inn & Suites Kennewick in Washington has officially joined the system. The Kennewick faciltiy has 61 rooms with flat screen televisions and an indoor pool, plus other amentiies. It's at 602 N. Young, in walking distance to…
The last vestige of ICT Group's once-massive call center operation is closing this spring. Sykes Enterprises, which acquired ICT Group in 2010, has announced its laying off its last 148 Spokane Valley call center workers in late May. At one time, ICT Group had more…
A commercial and residential development in north Spokane’s Five Mile area will introduce a new craft brewery and an artisan pizzeria, each operated by Spokane food business veterans. The two businesses will be Waddell’s Brew Pub and Grille, owned by Michael Noble, and the Boiler…
The good news for investors in Coldwater Creek, it has to get better. We spotted this chart in the Sandpoint-based women's clothing retailer's annual report for the fiscal year ending Feb. 2. The chart came with the company-written explanation below. If you can't read the…
Southwest Airlines announced Monday it will begin one nonstop route between Chicago Midway International Airport and Spokane International Airport, starting June 2. The new service includes legs to and from Chicago to Jacksonville, Fla. The morning flights come from Florida to Chicago, then continue to…
The former owner of the now-closed Alpine Auto Wholesale in Spokane had pled guilty to felony theft of sales tax and filing false state tax returns, the state Department of Revenue announced. Marc Eugene Reed, 45, admitted his business collected $179,675.33 in sales tax on…
With famers geting ready to put crops into fields and orchardists preparing for the growing season, immigration reform picks up as a topic across much of Eastern Washington. As immigration uncertainties have disrupted the traditional supply of Latino workers, some Eastern Washington farms have turned…