Stories by Thomas Clouse for the Spokesman-Review

News > Business

Seller’s market has even old guard real estate agents scratching heads

Wed., April 28, 2021

Rob Higgins has been selling homes in Spokane for 36 years. He's worked through booms, stagnations, slips, dips and backslides. He's never seen a seller's market like this.

News > Business

The nest egg of equity: Homebuyers who push limit on what they can afford may reap solid payoff later

Wed., April 28, 2021

Except for only a few historical exceptions, the value of a standard home only increases over time. That's why longtime Realtor Rob Higgins always coaches those shopping for houses to buy as much home as they can afford so they can eventually take advantage of its value or equity.

News > Business

Trustee to inform judge Thursday who won auction for Ponderay Newsprint

UPDATED: Tue., April 27, 2021

The bankruptcy trustee in charge of the auction of the Ponderay Newsprint mill in Usk asked for a court hearing on Thursday to name the apparent winner.

News > Business

SBA to open Restaurant Revitalization Fund applications on Friday

UPDATED: Tue., April 27, 2021

Restaurant owners can begin to register on Friday for the U.S. Small Business Administration's Restaurant Revitalization Fund, for which the portal will open on May 3 at 9 a.m

News > Business

Businesses struggle to find people willing to work

UPDATED: Fri., May 7, 2021

At full employment, Walt Worthy employed more than 1,200 people at his five Davenport hotels and restaurants. As of last week, he only had 334 employees and continues to struggle to find helpers even as the Spokane-area economy begins to shed the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

News > Business

Three bidders for Ponderay Newsprint mill await decision on buyer

UPDATED: Fri., April 23, 2021

Despite hoping to name a winner, the auction between three bidders seeking to purchase the Ponderay Newsprint mill in Usk extended past the business day on Friday.

News > Business

Ponderay Newsprint auction winner likely to be announced Friday

UPDATED: Thu., April 22, 2021

Three qualified bidders have submitted bids in the auction to purchase the shuttered Ponderay Newsprint mill in Usk, Washington, with the winner expected to be named Friday afternoon.

A&E > Food

French restaurant Fleur de Sel closing in Post Falls after 13 years

UPDATED: Thu., April 22, 2021

The owners of French restaurant Fleur de Sel, which had become a destination eatery during its 13 years in Post Falls, announced this week that it will close next month.

News > Business

Small Business Administration announces fund to help restaurants

UPDATED: Mon., April 19, 2021

The Small Business Administration announced this weekend the details of how it hopes to use $28.6 billion in stimulus money to help those restaurants hardest hit by closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

News > Business

Spokane area adds construction jobs while they decline nationally

Sun., April 18, 2021

Despite challenges thrown at it with the pandemic, job shutdowns and now higher lumber prices, the Spokane metro area increased the number of construction jobs this past year while 236 metro areas across the nation saw construction employment declines.

News > Business

Ziply Fiber goes live with fiber gig-speed network in Coeur d’Alene area

UPDATED: Wed., April 14, 2021

Ziply Fiber announced Wednesday that it went live to 5,000 households and businesses in the Coeur d'Alene and Hayden Lake area with its gig-speed, fiber-internet network.

News > Business

Avista Foundation announces $297K in donations to area nonprofit agencies

UPDATED: Tue., April 13, 2021

The Avista Foundation has announced that it will be providing grants totaling $297,000 to 33 nonprofit organizations in Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

News > Business

Amazon worker union effort in Alabama could spread to Spokane

UPDATED: Thu., April 8, 2021

Even though a union vote Thursday by Amazon workers was trending toward failure in Alabama, a local labor organizer said he believes a similar effort to organize could be coming to Spokane.

News > Business

Alcohol home deliveries booming in Spokane area

UPDATED: Wed., April 7, 2021

Tyler Cossey started out delivering beer from The Store on Thor on his own just before the pandemic hit. Now he has five all-weather Subarus just to keep up with the growing business.

News > Business

Spokane Spherion office announces new franchise owner

UPDATED: Tue., April 6, 2021

Spherion, a company in the recruiting and staffing industry, announced Tuesday that it has a new Spokane-office franchise owner.

News > Business

Organizers booking 2022 conventions in Spokane at pace to beat 2019

UPDATED: Thu., April 1, 2021

Local convention organizers already have begun booking enough events at the Spokane Convention Center for next year to surpass the business conducted in 2019, according to Visit Spokane.

News > Agriculture

Cody Easterday pleads guilty in federal court to defrauding Tyson in ghost herd case

UPDATED: Thu., April 1, 2021

After Cody Easterday graduated high school, he borrowed money for his first combine. All he wanted to do was farm.

News > Business

Former Jacklin Seed manager pleads guilty in Oregon to conspiracy to commit wire fraud

UPDATED: Wed., March 31, 2021

A Spokane County man has pleaded guilty in Oregon federal court to a wide-ranging fraud scheme while he was working for Jacklin Seed in Liberty Lake, a subsidiary of J.R. Simplot Co. until last year.

News > Business

Spokane-area businesses continue to tap extended PPP program

UPDATED: Wed., March 31, 2021

Hundreds of Spokane area businesses continue to obtain grants through the U.S. Small Business Administration's Payroll Protection Program, which has been extended another two months.

News > Business

Idaho employment numbers continued to improve in February

UPDATED: Mon., March 29, 2021

Idaho's employment numbers continue to trend upward as the Gem State reported February unemployment was down to 3.3%, a slight improvement from January.

News > Business

TEDxSpokane returns with applications for speakers due April 15

UPDATED: Mon., March 29, 2021

TEDxSpokane announced Monday that it plans to return to an in-person event and will be accepting applications for speakers through April 15.

News > Spokane

Gonzaga takes on nearly mirror-image Creighton as Jesuit schools clash

UPDATED: Sat., March 27, 2021

Avery Steer can't totally lose when Gonzaga takes on Creighton in the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen battle between two-small-private Jesuit schools separated by half a country but connected by nearly everything else.

News > Business

Industrial park owners look to expand at new Spokane Valley site

UPDATED: Wed., March 24, 2021

The owners of Spokane Business and Industrial Park have purchased 39 acres near the corner of Barker and Euclid roads in Spokane Valley to build a similar facility that is designed to target distribution-type businesses.

News > Business

New business targets students struggling with online learning

UPDATED: Fri., March 19, 2021

Frustrated with how some students are struggling with online classwork during the coronavirus pandemic, the owners of a new business in Spokane are trying to give parents another option to prevent them from falling behind.

News > Business

STCU donates $30,000 in restaurant gift cards to area nonprofits serving women

UPDATED: Wed., March 17, 2021

As part of its ongoing effort to support local recovery efforts during the pandemic, Spokane Teachers Credit Union announced this week that has purchased $30,000 worth of gift cards from locally-owned restaurants.

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