Bert Caldwell

Phyllis Campbell, former Spokane banker and civic activist, has been named chairman of the Pacific Northwest for JPMorgan Chase & Co., the nation’s second-largest bank. JPMorgan Chase acquired Seattle-based Washington Mutual Bank in September as the giant thrift buckled beneath billions of dollars in bad mortgage loans.

Phyllis Campbell, former Spokane banker and community leader, has been named chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Pacific Northwest division.

The River View Corporate Center, which mushroomed out of the ground in 40 days, is open for business at 16201 E. Indiana Ave., leasing director Jack Marr says. The five-story brick-and-glass building owned by Worthy Enterprises LLC envelops 250,000 square feet. The lobby, with a two-story staircase and Venetian plaster ceilings, also features four large flat-panel televisions.

The River View Corporate Center, which mushroomed out of the ground in 40 days, is open for business at 16201 E. Indiana, Leasing Director Jack Marr says.

The agency that runs the Spokane Convention Center plans to demolish a century-old building in April to make way for more parking.

Combine the early winter storms with slow home sales, on top of the normal snowbird exodus, and the result is a hot market for housesitting services that people vacant homes with short-term residents who can keep up the place, deter vandalism, and prevent nasty surprises on insurance claims. The service is free to the owners, and fees charged residents are often lower than the rent they would pay on a home or apartment, with the tradeoff being the potential for a quick ouster if, for example, a home is sold out from under them.

The recession crushing many areas of the United States came late to the Inland Northwest, will leave sooner, and inflict less pain, a longtime economic observer and forecaster told a Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce gathering Wednesday. A little more “animal spirits” would help, added Shaun O’L. Higgins, director of sales and marketing for The Spokesman-Review.