Becky Kramer

All Stories

News >  Business

Two-thirds of Northwest shoppers will stay clear of stores on Black Friday, WSU survey finds

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 21, 2017

Black Friday shopping appears to be losing its luster as a post-Thanksgiving ritual, with nearly 65 percent of Pacific Northwest residents saying they’ll avoid stores that day.

News >  Idaho

Idaho’s October unemployment rate edges up to 2.9 percent

Fri., Nov. 17, 2017

More people joining the labor force pushed Idaho’s unemployment rate up to 2.9 percent in October, even as total employment grew.

A&E >  Books

Northwest Passages Book Club kicks off with local author and columnist Shawn Vestal

UPDATED: Sun., Nov. 19, 2017

Northwest Passages, The Spokesman-Review’s book club, debuted Thursday with a discussion with Shawn Vestal, author of “Daredevils.”

News >  Spokane

GOP tax plan would erase tax deductions on lake homes

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 15, 2017

People who own vacation properties wouldn’t be able to deduct the interest paid on second-home mortgages under House Republicans’ proposed tax overhaul.

News >  Spokane

Phosphorus pollution flowing into Lake Coeur d’Alene has doubled since 1990s

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 21, 2017

Since the 1990s, the volume of phosphorus flowing into Lake Coeur d’Alene has nearly doubled. That’s a concern for scientists. Phosphorus affects algae production in the lake and the long-term management of heavy metals at the lake’s bottom.

News >  Business

Kootenai Health transferring adult day care operations to Bennett House

UPDATED: Mon., Nov. 13, 2017

Beginning Dec. 1, Bennett House Adult Day Care Center will provide care for former clients of Kootenai Health, which is closing its adult day care.

News >  Business

10 answers to pressing questions about the sale of Avista Corp. to Hydro One

Sun., Nov. 12, 2017

The proposed sale of Avista Corp. to Hydro One for $5.3 billion would chart new territory for customers of the Spokane-based utility. Next week’s shareholder vote is a major milestone in the sale process. Here are some answers to questions about the transaction.

News >  Business

Meet Mayo Schmidt, the former Miami Dolphin who leads Hydro One, the Canadian utility that’s buying Avista

Sun., Nov. 12, 2017

Avista Corp.’s shareholders vote next week on Hydro One’s proposed $5.3 billion purchase of the Spokane utility. Scott Morris, Avista’s chairman and CEO, said the company has found the right partner in the Canadian utility and its CEO Mayo Schmidt.

News >  Business

Who owns Avista? Home-grown utility owned by large, institutional investors

Sun., Nov. 12, 2017

On Nov. 21, Avista shareholders will vote on whether to approve the company’s sale to Hydro One, an Ontario utility. Most of the ballots will be cast by large, institutional investors, who will earn a tidy profit when the sale is final.

News >  Business

Avista rate credits proposed as part of Hydro One deal

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 7, 2017

If Avista Corp. is purchased by Canadian company Hydro One, customers of the Spokane-based utility will receive rate credits worth $31 million over the next decade.

News >  Business

Hecla reports lower 3Q earnings amid ongoing strike at the Lucky Friday Mine

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 7, 2017

An ongoing strike at the Lucky Friday Mine affected Hecla Mining Co.’s third quarter earnings.

News >  Business

Red Lion to sell hotels, focus on growing its franchise business

UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 2, 2017

Red Lion Hotel Corp. will sell most of its remaining hotels to concentrate on expanding its franchise business.

News >  Business

Key Tronic reports lower quarterly income

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 1, 2017

Key Tronic Corp. reported lower quarterly income, saying revenue was down as a result of hurricane-related shipment delays.

News >  Business

Avista reports lower 3Q earnings, cites Hydro One merger costs

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 1, 2017

Acquisition costs related to Avista Corp.’s proposed purchase by Hydro One of Ontario led to lower third-quarter earnings for the Spokane-based utility.

News >  Business

Northeast Washington silicon smelter plans raise concerns

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 1, 2017

Last year, a Canadian company announced plans to build a $325 million silicon smelter in northeast Washington, which would bring about 150 permanent jobs to the area. But some local residents question if the smelter is a good fit.

News >  Business

NorthTown H&M store set for Nov. 16 opening

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

It’s the second Spokane-area location for the retailer, which opened a Spokane Valley Mall store in 2012.

News >  Business

Avista should get smaller rate increase, staff for Washington regulators say

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

Avista Utilities should be allowed to raise customers’ rates over the next three years, but by much smaller amounts than company officials proposed, Washington regulators’s staff members said Friday.

News >  Spokane

Spokane Tribe among those making bid for Amazon’s second headquarters

Thu., Oct. 26, 2017

Amazon actually received two pitches from the Spokane metro area encouraging the company to locate its second headquarters here. The Spokane Tribe also submitted a proposal.

News >  Spokane

Spokane County’s September unemployment rate drops to 4.6 percent

Tue., Oct. 24, 2017

Early holiday hiring by local retailers helped lower Spokane County’s unemployment rate to 4.6 percent in September.

News >  Business

GSI’s 2-inch-thick proposal for Amazon HQ2 emphasizes Spokane’s ‘talent pipeline’

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 25, 2017

Spokane’s business leaders played up the area’s colleges and universities as a “talent pipeline” in their pitch for Amazon’s second headquarters.

News >  Business

Avista files for rate increase settlement, awaits Idaho regulator approval

Mon., Oct. 23, 2017

Avista Corp. has reached a proposed settlement over its request to raise Idaho customers’ rates in 2018 and 2019.

News >  Business

Spokane-based Potlatch moves to acquire rival Arkansas timber company

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 23, 2017

Potlatch Corp. plans to merge with a smaller rival, Deltic Timber Corp., in an all-stock deal that will create a company with 2 million acres of private timberland holdings.

News >  Idaho

Idaho’s September unemployment rate drops to 2.8 percent

Fri., Oct. 20, 2017

Idaho’s unemployment rate dropped to 2.8 percent in September, reflecting ongoing hiring by the state’s employers, officials said.

News >  Spokane

Documentary on canoe journey to Kettle Falls coming to Garland Theater

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 20, 2017

A documentary on the Upper Columbia tribes’ 2016 canoe journey to Kettle Falls will be shown Thursday at the Garland Theater.

News >  Business

Clearwater Paper says hurricanes contributed to flat 3Q earnings

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 20, 2017

Clearwater Paper Corp. reported a drop in sales and flat income during the third quarter, citing higher transportation costs from hurricanes in the Southeast as a contributing factor.