Week in review
Tuesday
The airline industry is advising Thanksgiving travelers to get to the airport earlier this year and expect longer-than-usual lines at security checkpoints because of an anticipated 4 percent jump in passenger traffic.
“Spokane will work with two other mid-sized cities – Hartford, Conn., and Madison, Wis. – in an effort to drive convention business to all three destinations. Many groups already rotate their conferences among West Coast, East Coast and Midwest venues.
Wednesday
Spokane-based Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories (PAML) will expand its reach by forming a joint venture with a hospital system operating in Utah.
“The most frequent destinations for Spokane air travelers remain Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Boise and Phoenix. But one recently added daily nonstop flight to Reno could push that city to the top 10 list one year from now, airport data suggest.
Thursday
A private, high-speed fiber-optic network tying local research, educational and health care institutions and touted as an economic development and collaboration tool, has gone dark – at least for now. Citing insufficient use to justify the cost of maintaining the Virtual Possibilities Network, an oversight board late last year voted to shut down the network, and it was turned off in March, said VPnet President Steve Trabun. But he said VPnet is only dormant, and the board is willing to work to reactivate it for specific projects.
“Kaiser Aluminum Corp.’s rebound from bankruptcy continues as executives reported a $25 million third-quarter profit and said the company was poised to continue earning money even as prices and demand for aluminum products softens. Kaiser’s profits were 73 percent higher than during the same three-month period a year ago.
Friday
The physicians behind Spokane Radiology Consultants have dissolved the group after it struggled to meet the service and staffing needs of Deaconess Medical Center, and Valley Hospital and Medical Center.
“A congressional advisory panel said Thursday that Chinese spying represents the greatest threat to U.S. technology and recommended counterintelligence efforts to stop China from stealing the nation’s manufacturing expertise.