Bert Caldwell

North Idaho Sen. Mike Jorgenson, who wants state employers to check workers’ immigration status, hopes that high unemployment and state budget woes may finally overcome farm and business opposition to such a requirement. Jorgenson-authored immigration legislation has failed to get a hearing the last two sessions. But with more than 66,000 people in Idaho jobless, and a $50 million budget gap, a hearing would unleash popular support for measures that discourage the hiring of illegal immigrants, the Hayden Lake Republican said Saturday.

North Idaho Sen. Mike Jorgenson, who wants state employers to check worker immigration status, said Saturday high unemployment and state budget woes may finally overcome farm and business opposition to such a requirement.

An executive linked to a company that last year tried to buy Red Lion Hotels Corp. has been named to a new seat on the Spokane company’s board of directors. Raymond Brandstrom is a director, executive vice president for finance, and chief financial officer of Emeritus Corp., which owns, leases or manages 309 retirement communities and centers that provide assisted-living services, or care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia.

Inland Northwest residents should not expect much out of the region’s economy next year, forecasters John Mitchell and Grant Forsyth said Thursday. Job and income growth will be minimal, housing prices may weaken further, and where and how a recovery from the recent recession will take hold remain unclear, the two economists told 600 people gathered for the annual Greater Spokane Inc. economic outlook breakfast.

Inland Northwest residents should not expect much out of the region’s economy next year, forecasters John Mitchell and Grant Forsyth said Thursday.

Greenstone Corp. will invest $500 million in the revived Kendall Yards project over the next 15 years, President Jason Wheatley said Thursday.

It’s branding time again. The Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau needs a new moniker, President Harry Sladich says. Too many people see the organization’s name and stop reading or thinking beyond “Convention,” even though “Visitors” put more heads in beds than do herds of conventioneers.

Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. on Thursday reported record-setting revenue during its highest silver production quarter ever, the third quarter of 2009, and a tripling of gold production. But the company’s net loss grew.

Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. Thursday reported record quarterly revenue from its highest silver production ever, and a tripling of gold production during the third quarter. But net income tumbled.

Hecla Mining Co., which Tuesday announced what one analyst called “stellar results,” could decide next spring whether to proceed with a $150 million to $200 million expansion of its Lucky Friday Mine. President Phillips Baker Jr. said he is “highly confident” the company will launch the project, which would exploit mineral deposits below the existing mine works at Mullan, Idaho. Executives are working on cost estimates for the four- to five-year expansion, he said.

Hecla Mining Co., which Tuesday announced what one analyst called “stellar results,” could decide next spring whether to proceed with a $150 million to $200 million expansion of its Lucky Friday Mine.

The source of that mini-ball of butter that The Davenport Hotel puts on dinner plates is a Grand Rapids, Mich., factory with a familiar name: Butterball Farms Inc. And yes, through their common founder, Butterball is related to that other, better-known raiser of your Thanksgiving centerpiece. Butterball is also a founding member of The Source, an experimental collaboration among 16 Grand Rapids businesses and Michigan social service agencies. Butterball Chief Executive Officer Mark Peters and Andrew Brower, executive director of The Source, were in Spokane last week to explain the program to Washington work force training and economic development officials.

Northwest Bancorporation on Friday reported a third-quarter loss driven by a substantial increase in provisions for future loan losses. Northwest, parent of Inland Northwest Bank, lost $611,000, or $804,000 for common shareholders after preferred stock dividends and other adjustments. During the 2008 quarter, the holding company earned $203,000. Per common share, the results were a loss of 34 cents compared with profits of 9 cents in the 2008 quarter.

AmericanWest Bancorporation on Thursday reported a third-quarter loss but progress toward stabilizing operations at the Spokane-based institution. The loss was $28.4 million, or $1.65 a share, compared with a third-quarter 2008 loss of $10.5 million, or 61 cents a share.

Clearwater Paper Corp. on Thursday reported third-quarter results bolstered by the strong performance of its consumer products operations. Clearwater said net income reached $46.2 million, or $3.92 a share, compared with the $900,000, or 8 cents a share, earned when it was part of Potlatch Corp., which in December 2008 spun off its pulp-based operations and the Lewiston sawmill.

Avista Corp. Wednesday reported improved third-quarter earnings despite sharply lower revenues. The Spokane company earned $8.1 million, or 15 cents a share, based on operating revenues of $314.7 million. During the 2008 third quarter, the company earned $7.4 million, or 13 cents a share, based on revenues of $382.7 million.

Avista Corp. Wednesday reported improved third-quarter earnings despite sharply lower revenues.

Cautious consumers and regional banks burdened with bad debts could trigger a second "dip" to a double-dip recession in Washington, the state's lead economic forecaster said today.

The Department of Energy Tuesday awarded Avista Utilities $20 million for upgrading its distribution system. The grant was one of 100 that will dedicate $3.4 billion in federal stimulus money to “smart grid” technology designed to save electricity and create thousands of jobs in 49 states and the District of Columbia.

Venezuela has taken control of the Brisas Property, a proposed mine under development for 15 years by Spokane-based Gold Reserve Inc. Company President Doug Belanger said Tuesday representatives of CVB-Minerven, a government-owned corporation, arrived at the project Monday to take possession of Brisas. Ministry of Mines officials arrived later with notification of the government takeover.

The pace of home foreclosures in Spokane increased during the third quarter, but the city improved its ranking relative to 203 other cities monitored by RealtyTrac, which released its latest survey Tuesday.

The Venezuelan government has moved closer to seizing a gold and copper claim owned by Gold Reserve Inc., which last week asked an international arbitrator to determine the amount of potential monetary loss to the Spokane-based company. Gold Reserve President Doug Belanger said representatives of CVB-Minerven, a government-owned corporation, arrived at the Brisas project office Thursday to lay claim to a mineral deposit that could be worth $5 billion. An arbitration request with the International Centre for Investment Disputes of the World Bank had been filed Wednesday.