Addy Hatch

Elson S. Floyd was told two weeks before he died that Washington State University’s new medical school would be named in his honor. Though he often avoided the spotlight, the former university president “felt really good about that,” said Interim President Daniel Bernardo, who was there when Floyd got the news. “This was his crown jewel.”

Ambassadors Group, the Spokane-based education travel company that arranges popular People to People tours, is closing and all of its employees will be laid off. No student trips will be canceled this year since the peak travel season is waning, the company said in a news release. Deposits for 2016 trips will be refunded, the release said.

Ambassadors Group, the education travel company that arranges the popular People-to-People tours, is closing its doors.

Federal prosecutors accuse a Spokane Valley manufacturer of systematically overbilling the U.S. military, potentially involving hundreds of contracts spanning more than five years. The allegations against Monaco Enterprises were first raised in two whistleblower lawsuits filed in 2012. Government investigators conducted a multiyear inquiry of their own and decided to take over the case, finding that Monaco Enterprises billed the military for “services not actually provided and … concealed deceptive charging practices from the government with regards to travel costs,” according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office in Spokane.

Federal prosecutors accuse a Spokane Valley manufacturer of systematically overbilling the U.S. military, potentially involving hundreds of contracts over more than five years. The allegations against Monaco Enterprises were first raised in two whistleblower lawsuits filed in 2012. Government investigators conducted a multi-year inquiry of their own and decided to take over the case, finding that Monaco Enterprises billed the military for “services not actually provided and… concealed deceptive charging practices from the government with regards to travel costs,” according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Spokane.

Teachers, prepare for lots of little Liams in about five years. That name tops the list of most-popular baby names for boys in both Washington and Idaho last year, according to the Social Security Administration. For girls, Olivia was tops in Washington and Emma in Idaho.

Comcast will build a new call center in the Spokane area that brings 675 jobs to the region, the company announced Tuesday. The Internet and cable television company hasn’t selected the location but is looking at property in Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake, said Ken Watts, Comcast’s general manager in Spokane.

Comcast will build a new call center in the Spokane area that brings 675 jobs to the region, the company announced today.

A multinational corporation that specializes in aftermarket and specialty auto parts will open a distribution center on the West Plains. Keystone Automotive Corp., a subsidiary of LKQ Corp., will build a 250,000-square-foot warehouse just off of Hallett Road, south of Interstate 90, according to Robin Toth, vice president of business development at Greater Spokane Incorporated.

A multinational corporation that specializes in aftermarket and specialty auto parts will open a distribution center on the West Plains.

Washington state will open a special enrollment period for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act that extends through tax-filing season. The state announced the extended enrollment opportunity Monday; it starts today and runs through April 17.

Washington state will open a special enrollment period for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act that extends through tax-filing season.

The Red Lion Hotel at the Park will be transformed into an upscale Hotel RL, Spokane-based Red Lion Hotels Corp. announced Tuesday. The remake of the riverfront hotel is part of a deal that has Red Lion selling a 45 percent stake in 12 of its hotels to an investment group.

The Red Lion Hotel at the Park will be transformed into an upscale Hotel RL, Spokane-based Red Lion Hotels Corp. announced Tuesday.

Hydroplane racing may be back in Coeur d’Alene this summer. H1 Unlimited, which sanctions hydroplane races, said it has signed an agreement with Coeur d’Alene Hydroplane Regatta LLC, to stage unlimited hydroplane races on the lake from Aug. 14-16. The new races would be called the Coeur d’Alene Silver Cup.

Spokane-based Jensen Distribution Services has been acquired by Ace Hardware Corp., the Oak Brook, Illinois-based hardware cooperative announced this morning.