Becky Kramer

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News >  Business

Rosauers employee takes third in state grocery bagging competition

UPDATED: Thu., Sept. 21, 2017

A Rosauers employee won third place and took home a $1,000 prize from a grocery bagging competition at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup.

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Gamma Knife sues former Deaconess owner, alleging more than $500,000 in missed payments

Wed., Sept. 20, 2017

Gamma Knife Spokane has sued Deaconess Hospital’s former owner, accusing hospital officials of bilking the company out of more than $500,000 in insurance payments.

News >  Business

Itron to purchase San Jose company for $830 million

UPDATED: Wed., Sept. 20, 2017

Itron will pay $830 million to buy Silver Spring Networks of San Jose, California. The sale will accelerate Itron’s growth in smart utility and smart city technology, officials said.

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Battle of the Baggers: Rosauers employee to test skills, speed at state competition

UPDATED: Wed., Sept. 20, 2017

Jaycie Knudson, of Spokane Valley, took top honors last month at Rosauers’ grocery bagging competition. On Wednesday, she’ll compete against other baggers at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup.

News >  Business

Spokane County’s 4.9 percent unemployment rate in August lowest for month in 18 years

Tue., Sept. 19, 2017

Spokane County’s unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in August, a record low for the month.

News >  Idaho

Name of worker killed at North Idaho mill last week released

UPDATED: Mon., Sept. 18, 2017

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the worker who died in an industrial accident last week at a North Idaho mill. The victim was Robert J. Billingsley, 45, of Plummer, Idaho.

News >  Business

Long-sought Coeur d’Alene maternity, baby supply store Mother’s Haven closing

UPDATED: Mon., Sept. 18, 2017

Mother’s Haven, a Coeur d’Alene retail fixture for 17 years, will close Sept. 30 and move to online sales.

News >  Business

Documents reveal corporate suitors’ wooing of Avista Corp., ultimate sale to Hydro One

UPDATED: Mon., Sept. 18, 2017

As spring ripened into summer, Avista Corp. entertained merger/purchase proposals from five prospective suitors. In recently released documents, the utility revealed the corporate courtship that led to its proposed $5.3 billion sale to Hydro One of Toronto.

News >  Spokane

Washington requires students, staff to train monthly for emergencies

UPDATED: Wed., Sept. 13, 2017

The day before a Freeman High School shooting that killed one student and injured three others, the rural school district conducted a routine lockdown drill. The drills are required monthly by state law.

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New president takes over reins of Ecova, a Spokane-based energy management company

Tue., Sept. 12, 2017

Mathias Lelievre is the new president and chief executive of Spokane-based Ecova, an energy management company.

News >  Business

New Coeur d’Alene call center expects to hire 240 workers before year’s end

UPDATED: Mon., Aug. 28, 2017

A Philippines-based company is opening a Coeur d’Alene call center, with plans to hire 240 people by the end of the year.

News >  Business

WSU professor says IRS is breaking privacy laws by mining social media

UPDATED: Fri., Aug. 25, 2017

People should be aware “that what they say and do online” could be used against them by the IRS, says Kimberly Houser, associate professor of business law at Washington State University. She authored a recent paper about the IRS’s use of data mining.

News >  Business

Hiring adds nearly 2,100 new jobs to Spokane metro area in July

UPDATED: Tue., Aug. 22, 2017

Job growth remains strong in the Spokane metro area, with about 2,100 new positions added in July. The unemployment rate was 5.1 percent for the metro area encompassing Spokane, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties.

News >  Idaho

Excitement, awe fill Silverwood’s eclipse party

UPDATED: Mon., Aug. 21, 2017

When Josie Montgomery told her mom a solar eclipse would occur on her 15th birthday, the teen’s mom was skeptical. “She said, ‘You can’t believe everything you read on Facebook,’ ” Josie recalled.

News >  Business

Red Lion to sell TicketsWest and WestCoast Entertainment to California company

UPDATED: Wed., Aug. 16, 2017

Spokane-based TicketsWest and WestCoast Entertainment will be sold for $6 million to a California company.

News >  Spokane

Retailers sell out of safety glasses in advance of Monday’s eclipse

Wed., Aug. 16, 2017

If you’re a last-minute shopper still wanting to buy a pair of solar eclipse glasses, you may be out of luck. Local retailers say a run on safety glasses has cleared out their stock.

News >  Business

Triumph Group will keep Spokane factory; sale plans abandoned

UPDATED: Tue., Aug. 15, 2017

Triumph Group no longer plans to sell its West Plains aircraft parts factory. About 600 people work at the Spokane plant, which produces floor panels and ducting for airplanes.

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Regulators say ‘no’ to Avista’s request for higher electric rates in Washington

UPDATED: Tue., Aug. 15, 2017

State regulators have turned down Avista Corp.’s request to collect $15 million in additional electric revenue from Washington customers.

News >  Business

Burden of decision: A native son climbs to Avista’s top job, then arranges the sale of the company

UPDATED: Mon., Aug. 14, 2017

Avista’s sale is a weighty decision, CEO Scott Morris said in a recent interview, but one he thinks history will look favorably on.

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Idaho Fish and Game will net about $907,000 from logging cedar grove near Lake Pend Oreille

UPDATED: Thu., Aug. 10, 2017

Logging a cedar grove near Lake Pend Oreille will net about $907,000 for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. High prices for cedar logs prompted the agency to move forward with the sale, despite opposition from neighbors.

News >  Spokane

Parent of Red Lion Hotels moves corporate headquarters from Spokane to Denver

UPDATED: Thu., Aug. 3, 2017

The parent company of Red Lion Hotels has moved the company’s corporate headquarters and executive office from Spokane to Denver.

News >  Business

Hecla reports 2Q loss, $6.4 million in costs at the Lucky Friday during strike

UPDATED: Thu., Aug. 3, 2017

Hecla Mining Co. is spending $1.5 million to $2 million monthly on the Lucky Friday Mine during a miners’ strike - work that is needed to keep the deep underground mine ready for start up.

News >  Business

One of region’s last Ben Franklin stores is closing

UPDATED: Wed., Aug. 2, 2017

One of the region’s last Ben Franklin stores is closing. The retailer in Oldtown, Idaho, has begun liquidating its merchandise, and sales will continue until the store is cleared out.

News >  Business

Avista reports lower 2Q income; will reveal details of Hydro One deal in September

UPDATED: Wed., Aug. 2, 2017

Avista Corp. will reveal more details next month about how the utility’s proposed $5.3 billion sale to Hydro One came about.

News >  Business

UberEATS launches food delivery service in the Spokane area

UPDATED: Tue., Aug. 1, 2017

Rideshare giant Uber has partnered with more than 100 local restaurant to launch its UberEATS service in Spokane.