Seven companies with strong Northwest connections were ranked Monday among Fortune magazine's list of the world's 50 most-admired companies.

The Northwest group was led by Microsoft at number 10 on the list. Topping the list was computer and electronics maker Apple.

Issaquah's Costco ranked 22nd on the list. Following was Beaverton, Ore.'s Nike at 23 and Seattle's Nordstrom at 24.

Seattle-based Starbucks, even with its recession-driven sales declines, was 34 while Boeing, was 40th. Boeing is now headquartered in Chicago, but has its greatest concentration of workers in the Puget Sound area.

Northwestern Mutual Life of Milwaukee was 43rd. Russell Investments, a major Northwestern subsidiary, has headquarters in Tacoma

Christmas is coming early - or maybe late - in the form of $15 million in refunds from Tacoma Power.

According to a release from the utility today, customers who had open and active accounts both in 2007 and on Dec. 31, 2008 can expect a credit on their next utility bill. It’s part of a settlement with the Bonneville Power Administration.

Credits will begin tomorrow and go through May 4. The value of the credits will vary based on electrical usage, and most customers can expect a refund credit equal to about one-half of an average months’ electric bill.

Tacoma Power spokeswoman Chris Gleason asks that customers show patience as they wait for the credits on their bills. If customers have questions, they should call 253-502-8555 or visit www.mytpu.org/bparefunds.

Tacoma gasoline prices were down nearly four cents a gallon Monday over last week's price as crude oil fell on world markets.

Average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Tacoma Monday was $2.137, down from $2.173 a gallon a week ago, according to TacomaGasPrices.com

That price is up more than 50 cents from the lows of mid-December but still more than a dollar less than the $3.159 a gallon Tacoma motorists paid at this time last year.

Crude oil fell to about $40 a barrel on fears of further declines in the world economy Monday.

Gasoline prices on average rose to about $4.37 a gallon last summer before starting a steep decline that lasted almost until Christmas.

Four Tacoma gas stations, all of them ARCOs, were selling regular unleaded for $1.99 a gallon Monday.

Boeing Co. stock fell to a closing price of $29.51 a share Monday, down $1.93 or 6.14 percent from Friday's close.

That's territory that Boeing stock hasn't seen since shortly after the 9-11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

The price drop comes as investors bail out of the stock market looking for someplace to cache their money through the economic maelstrom.

As recently as 18 months ago, Boeing stock topped $100 a share as the company toted up record orders and backlogs for its airliners.

Monday's closing price is a nearly 66 percent drop from its 52-week high of $88.29 a share.

The aerospace manufacturer hss seen negative growth in its order backlog this year as financially stressed airlines have cancelled 13 more planes than they have ordered.

Both Boeing and its rival, Airbus, are hurting as airline traffic and fares fall in step with the declining economy.

Boeing has said it will layoff some 10,000 workers this year, more than half of them in the Puget Sound area.

That's still a fraction of the 33,000 the company laid off after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

On a day that saw the stock prices of two Tacoma banks fall to 52-week lows, Bellingham-based Horizon Bank announced that it has reached an agreement with regulators to take strict measures in capital management.

Horizon agreed to meet the mandates of cease and desist order issued by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the state Department of Financial Institutions. The bank will continue to do business, and no penalties or fines were imposed.

Horozon Financial Corp., the bank’s parent, had
previously agreed to several corrections, including:

• Establishment of a special assets team to monitor and dispose of bad loans;
• Enhance the work of a special credits team;
• Implement a capital management plan;
• Redirect the focus of lending away from construction and development loans;
• Implement procedures to monitor lending;
• Increase the bank’s loan-loss provision;
• Suspend a cash dividend to shareholders;
• Reduce overhead.

Because of the order, the bank has engaged a consulting firm to help develop a three-year strategic plan; established weekly meetings of senior management; and established better reporting procedures with regulators.

In connection with the order, the bank may not appoint new directors or senior management personnel without notifying regulators, nor may the bank make new severance agreements with executives without approval.

“We are working diligently to fully comply with the order as quickly as possible,” said Rich Jacobson, Horizon CEO.

Two Tacoma banks, Columbia and Rainier Pacific, saw their stock prices fall to 52-week lows in trading today. Columbia stock closed down 75 cents to $7.06, just above the low of $7.02, while Rainier Pacific fell nearly 22.5 percent to close at 75 cents, according to Bloomberg News. Everett-based Frontier Financial dropped by 15 cents to close at $1.40, still above February’s 52-week low of $1.20.

The Port of Tacoma reports business as usual today despite worries that a new requirement for port workers to have identification cards was going to keep people from work.

As of Saturday Puget Sound port workers now have to show their Transportation Worker Identification Card to get onto port terminals.

The Transportation Security Administration requires anyone with access to a secure terminal -- including longshore workers, truck drivers and port employees -- to have such a card in order to work.

Some in the industry were concerned that work at the port would slow or stop after Saturday because workers wouldn't have their TWIC cards.

Tara Mattina, Port of Tacoma spokeswoman, said that those worries haven't materialized in Tacoma.

Workers were prepared with their cards for shifts over the weekend. Port security reported one person who arrived without his card and promptly turned around and left.

And today no news is good news for the port.

"This morning was the first real test and it has worked smoothly," Mattina said.

More than 10,500 people applied for the TWIC cards in Tacoma. Of those about 8,400 have received them, Mattina said.

For more information on the TWIC, go to www.tsa.gov/twic.

The Internal Revenue Service has a heart after all.

The Seattle office of the agency announced today that the Tacoma Taxpayer Assistance Center will be open on Saturday, March 21, to offer free assistance to taxpayers.

It’s because “the IRS recognizes that many area taxpayers may be facing financial hardships and need extra help this filing season.”

Workers will be available to assist taxpayers – preparing basic returns for those eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, and helping others to resolve tax issues, answer questions related to tax law, make account adjustments, accept payments, establish payment plans for those who cannot pay their due taxes in full, and perform other acts of assistance as required.

The Tacoma office, at 1201 Pacific Ave., will be open from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the 21st.