The Washington Policy Center has started its own small business improvement campaign, with a 24-stop barnstorming tour this year, meeting with people to address business reform. The center, based in Seattle and with an Eastern Washington office in Spokane, dubs this campaign "Lead the Way:…
More than 45 readers jumped into the discussion on Monday's story about the active efforts on Facebook to get a Spokane Trader Joe's store.The comments are all over the map, from hating all things Californian, to debating what is or isn't deserving of the name…
If you have concerns about which Spokane area restaurants have done poorly, or perfectly, in county health inspections, the best way to find out is to use an online tool.The Spokane Regional Health District has online inspection reports for nearly all of the county's restaurants…
Greater Spokane Incorporated will focus on the area's manufacturing sector in a Tuesday morning town hall session at the Red Lion Hotel in downtown Spokane.Bob Weidner, president and CEO of Metals Service Center Institution, will be the keynote speaker on how public policy in manufacturing…
Recent snowfall is encouraging area skiers to haul up to the mountains to get in some runs before the 2009-10 season shuts down.Both Schweitzer Mountain Resort and Silver Mountain Ski Resort will have skiing this weekend.Schweitzer, in Sandpoint, will offer runs all day Saturday and…
Washington State University will get $2.5 million to teach students about green engineering and smart grid technology, Sen. Maria Cantwell announced on Thursday.WSU along with two other state groups will share more than $11 million going to smart-grid related training, Cantwell's office said in a…
View Larger MapBrothers Andy and Glen Gardner have opened the South Hill hangout, The Hop Shop, at 3803 S. Grand.The Spokane businessmen said their shop will be a friendly neighborhood place with a premium on people talking to one another and enjoying company."There's no TV,…
Comcast this year is setting up demonstrations of the 2010 Masters Golf Tournament using 3-D television. The easiest place to see it, in and around Spokane, is at the downtown Huppin's HiFi, Photo and Video store, 421 W. Main.The when: Thursday and Friday, 1 to…
Coldwater Creek is looking to sublease an empty office building it constructed in 2007 at 745 Hanley in Coeur d'Alene. Originally meant as a second call center for the Sandpoint-based women's clothing retailer, Coldwater Creek never occupied the building as the economy slipped off the…
California communications company Tropos Networks has signed a $1.7 million contract to provide wireless services for Avista Utilities' smart grid energy network.A press release today said Avista selected Tropos' "GridCom" mesh network system for full, two-way communications from substations to "smart" devices being installed across…
Last month a California property company announced plans to buy land in Pullman to build a Hilton-branded hotel and convention center.Something must be happening in Pullman. Now a Louisiana company, InterMountain Management, LLC, has plans to build a 100-room, $11.5-million Hampton Inn & Suites in…
Spokane Valley's Walmart store at 15727 E. Broadway has begun a facelift, company officials announced today. Walmart moved into the store in 2002. A press release said the new design will feature a clean and brighter interior with wider aisles, low-profile shelves and easy to…
Office Hours, this blog, is The Spokesman-Review's newest effort at ongoing daily business news coverage. But it's not the only way to get your business news.You can still, if you choose, receive a daily dose of local business news in your e-mail inbox, or on…
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, through the site www.whenworksworks.com, is seeking company applications for its Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility awards.Even the White House is on the bandwagon. The executive department is hosting a live session today on the topic of helping workers and companies…
The newly launched blog you're reading now, Office Hours, will try to keep you connected to what's happening in the region's business environment.We welcome suggestions, comments and ideas. Just post them here or e-mail messages to Tom Sowa toms@spokesman.com or Scott Maben scottm@spokesman.com or Bert…
Spokane-based Pearson Packaging Systems has signed a co-marketing agreement with global service provider CT Pack. Pearson will be the supplier of CT Pack's Vortex Systems Multipacking equipment in North America and will sell the system as part of a complete end-of-line solution for customers. "Multipacking"…
North Idaho Family Physicians and Kootenai Health have entered into a partnership to provide urgent care services to Kootenai County residents.The family physicians group represents 28 independent board-certified family doctors with Kootenai County practices. It also operates two After Hours Urgent Care Clinics in Coeur…
The Today Show on Monday featured Spokane among five "most affordable cities" during its real estate roundup. Spokane was ranked No. 5.Also named were Great Falls (No. 3) and Pocatello, No. 2.Barbara Corcoran, the real estate expert who compiled the list, also blew the pronunciation,…
Washington state leaders feel they're back in the data center game.Last week Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill that could help data centers expand or set up shop in Washington rural counties. The law allows tax breaks for data centers in any county other than…
Hergen Eilers, the first senior research scientist at WSU's Applied Sciences Laboratory, in Spokane, gave a 40-minute recap of three key projects he's heading, all involving advanced work in physics and optics.His remarks came during a recent yearly meeting explaining the ASL's progress, now starting…
Spokane is among 600-plus communities and cities who are begging (shamelessly in some cases) that Google provide their burg with an experimental, ultra high-speed broadband network. Google announced the idea back in February and set a deadline for this week for cities wanting to be…
Marketing Associates of Spokane is hosting a discussion by Brandon Betty, project coordinator for the Spokane University District, on April 8 from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel at the Park.Betty took the job as project coordinatory last summer. The meeting, which…
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL to those who know what it does) announces its participation in the 12th annual Washington State University Western Power Delivery Automation Conference (WPDAC), at Spokane's Davenport Hotel, Washington on April 13-15. In conjunction with WPDAC, SEL will host an Automation…
Someone suggested Bill Alles name his new steakhouse in Spokane, The "Prime Minister."The pun was less than accurate for a business that cooked more than prime rib.But owner Bill Alles liked the idea and eventually the moniker evolved into Churchill's Steakhouse.Starting this evening, the downtown…
Wine Press Northwest makes annual selections for best winery of the year, for the states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho.This year's Idaho winery is Coeur d'Alene Cellars, at 3890 N. Schreiber Way.That's a nice honor. To read the full Wine Press announcement, go here.
