In brief: Kettle Falls plant celebrates 30 years

KETTLE FALLS, Wash. – Avista Corp. will hold an open house from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Aug. 10 at its biomass plant to celebrate the 30th anniversary of generating energy from wood waste.

Built in 1983, the Kettle Falls plant was the first utility-owned electric generating station built for the sole purpose of producing energy from wood waste.

Energy from the plant will help Avista meet future requirements to produce 15 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020, excluding existing hydropower projects.

Idaho man convicted on 17 counts of fraud

BOISE – The Idaho man who once tried to take control of the cash-strapped Tamarack Resort has been ordered to spend more than 17 years in prison for raiding pension funds to help finance the deal.

The sentence was handed down Wednesday for Matthew Hutcheson, who starting in 2010 went public with his intentions to buy the struggling ski resort outside Donnelly.

But the deal never materialized. In April, the Eagle man was convicted of 17 counts of wire fraud as part of a scheme to steal $5 million from pension funds he managed.

Federal prosecutors say he used some of the money for himself and another portion to buy a stake in Tamarack’s golf course.

Cleveland newspaper laying off 50 workers

CLEVELAND – The publisher of the Plain Dealer in Cleveland says layoffs at the newspaper will help position it for future growth.

Union leaders at the newspaper say approximately 50 reporters, photographers and other guild-covered employees received layoff notices Wednesday.

The Plain Dealer will cut back home delivery of the newspaper to three days a week beginning next week along with a “bonus” home edition on Saturday.