John Stucke

Six more farmers may lose out on a new federal program that pays for environmental stewardship, bringing to 21 the number of Eastern Washington grain farmers suspected of possibly gaming the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The federal agency administers the Conservation Security Program, an initiative with broad support when it was created by the 2002 Farm Bill. The program is designed to reward farmers who are practicing the sort of agriculture — such as limited use of pesticides and fertilizers — lauded by the public and politicians alike.

A $45.7 million settlement offer from the Catholic Diocese of Spokane to fewer than half of the people alleging sex abuse by clergy has been called unfair and premature by others left out of the proposal. Attorney Beth Bollinger, who represents five victims, said the settlement establishes a piecemeal approach that risks leaving insufficient funds to pay victims who were not included.

People typically choose a hospital based on their doctor's advice, their insurance coverage, or perhaps where a relative was treated. Sometimes it's a religious affiliation, or the hospital is nearby.

Avista Utilities has proposed a different way of charging customers for natural gas that it says will reward conservation. The company seeks to "decouple," or sever the connection, between how much gas a customer uses and how much money the utility receives.

The Catholic Diocese of Spokane announced a settlement Thursday with one of its liability insurers for $5.25 million – money that will be used to pay sex-abuse claims against the church. The agreement with General Insurance Company of America, a subsidiary of Seattle-based Safeco Corp., is the first substantial settlement with an insurance company since the diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2004.

The Catholic Diocese of Spokane is running so low on cash that it has stopped paying its lawyers, even as major developments in its bankruptcy case unfold. The salve could be selling property such as the chancery and the bishop's home, and asking parishioners to refill the church's coffers to pay for the bankruptcy, now nearly 16 months old.

The net worth of Metropolitan Mortgage & Securities Co.'s insurance affiliate has tumbled to $41.7 million as state insurance regulators continue to rework its financial holdings and strategy. Western United Life Assurance Co. is considered the most valuable asset of Metropolitan's bankruptcy. It was seized by Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler two years ago as Metropolitan collapsed.

Sex-abuse claims against the Catholic Diocese of Spokane have more than doubled since the troubled Eastern Washington church filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy 15 months ago. The claims, 176 and counting as Friday's deadline drew near, could cost the diocese and its 82 parishes tens of millions of dollars.

Allegations of sexual misconduct have recently surfaced at Mater Cleri, the former seminary in Colbert that was supervised for several years by Bishop William Skylstad. A letter sent last month to alumni indicated that the Catholic Diocese of Spokane had received information "of an act or acts of sexual abuse, boundary violations, inappropriate touching or criminal acts" committed by a person on the Mater Cleri staff. The letter did not indicate who the alleged abuser was nor did it provide any details or time frame of the misconduct.

A woman has accused Catholic Bishop William Skylstad of sexual abuse more than 40 years ago in Spokane, a claim that triggered a report to the Vatican and a firm denial from the bishop. In a statement issued Wednesday, Skylstad, now president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he has not violated the vow of celibacy he took 47 years ago.

Catholic parishioners are studying a $45.7 million offer to settle 75 sexual-abuse claims amid fears that the proposal could wipe out ministries and financially cripple the church for decades. Parishes are faced with a difficult choice: Trust Bishop William Skylstad's move, or withhold support and seek a better settlement.

A thick Black Angus bull named Kessler's Frontman fetched a record $21,000 at Tuesday's Cowman's Classic All Breed Bull Sale in Spokane. A trio of buyers purchased a two-thirds interest in the bull, who is expected to sire hundreds of calves blessed with his admirable girth.

Crops grown for automobile fuel are at the center of a new energy economy that holds promise for creating wealth in rural America, a top U.S. Department of Agriculture official told hundreds of people attending a clean-energy conference in downtown Spokane Monday. The country has reached "a tipping point," said Tom Dorr, USDA's undersecretary for rural development.

Bankrupt Metropolitan Mortgage and Securities Co. has sued members of its founding family for millions of dollars, alleging that years of stock dividends, a divorce settlement funded at least in part by the corporate treasury, and other special payouts should be refunded. Having the company – now managed by a handful of attorneys and a trustee – go after the Sandifur family and former executives is not an unusual tactic in corporate bankruptcies.

Avista Corp. collected a $45.2 million profit in 2005, benefiting from higher customer rates in Washington and Idaho. The company enjoyed a stronger year, chief executive Gary Ely said, striking what he called "an appropriate balance between providing reasonable rates for our customers and reasonable returns to our shareholders."

A federal judge confirmed Metropolitan Mortgage & Securities Co.’s bankruptcy plan Thursday. The action begins a series of events that should return money to thousands of regional investors. Metropolitan trustee Maggie Lyons anticipates mailing an initial repayment to creditors in April. Holders of Metropolitan notes should expect between 5 cents and 8 cents on the dollar.

Federal prosecutors and a former Metropolitan Mortgage & Securities Co. executive accused of deceiving auditors are negotiating a possible plea agreement. Such a development with Thomas Turner, who worked as the No. 2 executive at the financial conglomerate, would net the first conviction in the massive accounting fraud that wiped out the savings of thousands of regional investors. And it may offer insight into whether C. Paul Sandifur Jr., the colorful and controversial former CEO and chairman of Metropolitan, will be charged with crimes.