Week in Review
The largest manufacturers of concrete in the Inland Northwest are warning their customers of a product shortage, even before the busiest part of the construction season hits. A construction boom that didn’t slow down over the winter and heavy demand in China are among the causes of the shortage. Both of the manufacturers, Central Pre-Mix and Spokane Rock Products, say they’ve capped the amount of concrete they’ll sell in a day to help ration the available supply.
Tuesday
The U.S. Supreme Court decided that states can’t prohibit out-of-state wineries from shipping directly to consumers when in-state businesses have that right. The ruling was hailed by wineries in Washington, the nation’s second-largest wine producer, who said it could boost their orders by mail significantly. Smaller wineries, find it hard to get big distributors to carry their products and depend on being able to sell directly to customers over the Internet or by allowing visitors to their facilities to ship bottles home.
Wednesday
Bidding was expected to close by the end of the week on WestCoast Hospitality Corp.’s Crescent Court building in downtown Spokane. The property had been offered for sale for several months for $21.5 million, and launched the bidding process to draw more attention to the property.
“ Spokane County’s jobless rate held steady at 5.9 percent in April, unchanged from the previous month’s rate. Although the county added 1,400 new jobs, the unemployment rate didn’t change because more workers entered the work force.
Thursday
Developer Marshall Chesrown announced plans to build an about 20-story office, retail and condominium tower along Northwest Boulevard in Coeur d’Alene. Chesrown said construction could begin next year.
“ The Agricultural Statistics Service reported that harvest of the all-important winter wheat crop is expected to reach its highest level in five years, thanks to rains that have swept across Eastern Washington in recent weeks.
“ A battle between two beverage distributors that both use the words ‘real soda’ in their names continued, with one company filing a countersuit to a complaint brought earlier by the other. The owner of Real Soda of Spokane filed countersuit against the operators of Real Soda-Spokane, claiming that company has interfered with Real Soda of Spokane’s right to operate a business.
“ The City of Liberty Lake agreed to buy a 6.4-acre parcel at Signal Road and Appleway Avenue to use for a civic center and public library. The city will pay Greenstone Corp. and the Schneidmiller family $1.75 million for the property.
Friday
The Federal Communications Commission gave companies that provide telephone service over the Internet 120 days to ensure their customers have reliable 911 emergency call service.