Skagit Economy

It wasn’t a good year for Skagit County farmers, even before the bottom fell out of the economy this fall.

But there is an exception to the prevailing economic trend, and it happens to be…

Bruce Springer couldn’t rent out his building at 314 W. Gates St. in Mount Vernon.

He purchased the building and remodeled it, hoping to rent it out to a retail business. But no one wanted…

Retail is always a roller coaster, said John Stowe, the longtime owner of the downtown Mount Vernon store Work Outfitters. But this year’s ride has been especially rocky.

“These swings…

The arts community in Skagit County, like everyone else, is being forced to reckon with the down economy, but it’s the performing arts groups and venues that are being hit the hardest.

Meantime,…

If anything is as certain as death or taxes, it’s that the cost of doing government business will keep rising. So when the money governments rely on starts to dry up, something’s got to give.

Skagit County government cuts hit home for Bellingham man

When he was hired as a planner for Skagit County, Dave Nellis thought he had arrived.

He and his wife went out and bought…

A year ago, Janicki Industries ran round-the-clock, employed more than 500 people and planned to hire 300 more after opening an ambitious new tooling facility in Hamilton in 2008.

Plans have…

MOUNT VERNON — Machel Hill has worked in a man’s world all her life.

She grew up raising farm animals, with her father encouraging her to pursue her dreams.

Hill took his advice…

Trying to pin down the current state of the local economy is like shooting at a moving target. But the Skagit Valley Herald staff has produced a series of articles that represent our best effort at…