Powell to discuss Life Sciences Discovery Fund

Dr. Lura Powell, chairwoman of a new state program to invest in bioscience research, will be the first speaker in a series of presentations on growth and innovation, starting Thursday.

Powell will discuss the Washington State Life Sciences Discovery Fund, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the new SIRTI Technology Center, 120 N. Pine in the Riverpoint campus.

The series is sponsored by Connect Northwest with the support of Washington State University and the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute. It will include three more talks later this year.

Created last year by the state Legislature, the Life Sciences Discovery Fund will eventually have $350 million to be invested in biomedical projects that support medical research and create high-paying jobs.

The money comes from Washington’s portion of a federal lawsuit against tobacco companies.

The state won’t see any money from that settlement until 2008, when it will start receiving 10 yearly payments of $350 million. State leaders say they’ll use the money to raise another $600 million in private financing for bioscience research.

State planners are working on guidelines that will determine who can apply for grants from the fund and which projects will receive priority.

Admission to Thursday’s presentation is $20. To register or for additional information, go to http://www.connectnw.org.

Egger Meats to build new store

Egger Meats in south Spokane is building a new store on a vacant lot near its current location at 5613 S. Perry.

Steve Egger, who owns the store with his brother, Jeff Egger, said the shop will have about 3,800 square feet of space and is being built by H & H Construction, a company owned by their sister and her husband.

The new store will have additional retail space and a larger production room to help meet steadily growing demand, Egger said.

“We literally turn down business at the point we’re at right now,” he said.

The brothers, third-generation business owners, will lease the land for the new store from Ray Skalstad.

Skalstad also owns the building that currently houses Egger Meats and a small liquor store. The liquor store, managed by Steve Egger’s wife, Diane, will remain open.

Construction is under way and the new market may be completed this summer, Egger said.

The south store is one of four fresh-meat markets throughout the area started by the Egger family. Three are still operated by family members.

Electricity rates noted in Montana

Helena, Mont. The residential electricity rates that NorthWestern Energy charges in Montana are the highest among a dozen utilities and cooperatives in six states, a survey has found. Avista Utilities’ electric rates are the lowest among the utilities surveyed — although the list doesn’t include every utility in the region.

Lee Newspapers’ State Bureau came up with the ranking by comparing household rates in effect this month.

The 300,000 residential customers on NorthWestern’s electric system in Montana pay 8.83 cents per kilowatt hour. The survey found most major electric utilities and co-ops in the region charge 6 to 7 cents per kilowatt hour. Lowest-ranking Avista charges 5.1 cents.

Besides the rates of Avista and NorthWestern Energy, the survey looked at rates charged by Flathead Electric Co-op; Portland General Electric; Snohomish County Public Utility District, Puget Sound Energy, Tacoma Power and Seattle City Light, all in Washington; Montana-Dakota Utilities in eastern Montana; Black Hills Power & Light in South Dakota; Utah Power & Light in northern Utah; and Idaho Power Co. in southern Idaho.

No dismissal of Lay, Skilling case

Houston The judge overseeing the fraud and conspiracy trial of Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling declined Monday to dismiss the case based on defense allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake said attorneys for Lay and Skilling failed to substantiate their claims that “deliberate, systematic prosecutorial misconduct” has choked their efforts to prepare for trial.

The judge said at a Dec. 1 hearing that he doubted he would dismiss the charges based on the allegations.