Business in brief: Dairy plans grocery store

Sunshine Dairy has signed a five-year lease on a former Yoke’s building in the River Ridge shopping center in northwest Spokane.

“We think it’s a great neighborhood location,” said Chuck Redmon Jr., part owner in Sunshine Dairy.

The company is planning another grocery store for the site but hasn’t finalized the format for the 28,000-square-foot building. However, it’s likely to focus on fresh dairy and meat products and regional produce, Redmon said.

Sunshine Dairy has operated as a milk distributor in Spokane since the late 1970s, a business that will continue after the opening of the new grocery store, he said. The company also operates grocery stores in Moses Lake and Lewiston.

Redmon did not have a projected opening date for the new store. The building is owned by BGN Properties of Seattle.

Sunshine Dairy is a family-run business owned by Redmon; his brother John Redmon; and their father, Chuck Redmon Sr. The transaction was handled by Joel Crosby of Tomlinson South Commercial and Pete Thompson of Hawkins Edwards Inc.

BOSTON

‘Potter’ books to be auctioned

The National Braille Press is auctioning a rare complete set of “Harry Potter” books autographed by author J.K. Rowling as part of the nonprofit’s annual fundraiser.

The event, emceed by TV’s Jay Leno, is scheduled for Oct. 26.

The seven-book print set, donated by Rowling herself, is the only item that can be bid for online.

Rowling rarely signs books, and those being auctioned are the only known signed complete set in the United States. A similar set sold in Scotland for $40,000.

The money raised will help the press produce Braille books for children.

BOISE

Job assistance for disabled

A new Idaho Department of Labor program focuses on helping people with disabilities find work.

Disability Program Navigators will be stationed in eight of the department’s field offices, including Coeur d’Alene. It will provide job training and assist people with job searches.

The program is being funded under a cooperative $1.1 million agreement with the federal government.

One of every eight working-age Idahoans has some kind of disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but only 40 percent of them are employed. Many of the 70,000 unemployed working-age Idahoans with disabilities can and want to work, but they face enormous challenges in finding jobs, according to state officials.

For more information on the program, call Susan Fauntleroy at (208) 769-1558, ext. 3996.