Melodie Little

Operators of some adult family homes in Washington say they are struggling to afford state mandated professional liability insurance. The insurance is required for about 2,200 adult family homes across the state that have contracts to care for low-income elderly and disabled people on Medicaid. The homes are licensed for two to six residents each and operate as small businesses, while providing 24-hour care.

Black Rock Development is building an exclusive camp for kids of parents who belong to The Club at Black Rock. Kootenai Camp, a fantasyland for the young, will include a manmade fishing lake, a secret agent-like zip line that traverses the lake and outings that include scavenger hunts by boat and day trips to Silverwood Theme Park.

The YMCA and YWCA are hosting a groundbreaking to kick off construction of their new central Spokane campus. Demolition on the old Big Brothers and Big Sisters Bingo hall that occupies the site at 930 N. Monroe St. has begun, said Trish McFarland, campaign manager for the project.

A Spokane Valley retirement complex devoted to healthy living is opening in mid-November. Evergreen Fountains Senior Living Community, on Evergreen Road off Interstate 90, has six cottages, 75 independent apartments and 25 additional units catering to residents needing assisted living services.

The thousand-gallon aquarium is gone, the fishing tackle a thing of the past. White's Boots, a 102-year-old Spokane sporting goods store, is headed in a different direction. Although the company's sales have grown by 11 percent for two straight years, the fishing gear wasn't profitable, said Gary March, president and CEO of White's Boots. When he assessed how to best compete with the newly arrived Cabela's and other big-box retailers, it became obvious which way to go. Boots have always been the mainstay of the company, located near the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center. So White's Boots is doing a $250,000 remodel that will add both retail and manufacturing space. Instead of looking at bass and walleye in an aquarium, customers will be able to watch boots being crafted by hand.