Week in review
TUESDAY
The Spokesman- Review intends to lay off about 30 employees and has offered early retirement incentives as the newspaper fights a struggling business model. Publisher W. Stacey Cowles said that several years of flat revenues are forcing cutbacks as costs continue to rise at the rate of inflation.
“ The price of college again rose faster than the inflation rate this year, climbing 6.6 percent at four-year public schools and outstripping increases in the financial aid that lowers what most students pay.
WEDNESDAY
Avista reached a multimillion-dollar court settlement with Montana over the state’s effort to collect rent payments for land underneath hydroelectric dams. The deal announced Tuesday would require Avista to make annual payments of $4 million from 2007 through 2016.
“ Shares of Ambassadors Group Inc., the Spokane educational travel company that markets the People-to-People program, sank to 52-week lows Tuesday after reports that fewer students are interested in the company’s excursions. The company’s CEO blamed the weaker U.S. dollar and higher fuel prices.
THURSDAY
Despite reassurances from state officials, homeowners in fire-ravaged Southern California might have plenty to worry about when it comes to their home insurance. With damage estimates climbing daily, reaching $1 billion Wednesday, homeowners fear that insurance companies will raise rates or even cancel policies in the wake of the fires.
FRIDAY
Houses for sale in Kootenai County are continuing to come down in price, according to recent statistics from the Coeur d’Alene Multiple Listing Service. Prices declined the most sharply in the Coeur d’Alene/Dalton area, dropping nearly 8 percent. The median sale price was $199,000 for the six-month period ending Sept. 30, compared with $215,500 for the same six-month period in 2006.
“ A Spokane-based company focused on reducing energy costs to consumers has expanded from three affiliates in two states to eight affiliates in seven states during the past year and a half. Energy Doctors, which was formerly known by its legal name, Thermotek LLC, also plans to open two East Coast affiliates in January and projects revenue to exceed $1 million next year.