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| Main / Idaho News |
Author: maricela Created: 3/26/2007 11:20 AM |
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Headline news in the state of Idaho. |
Thursday, October 11, 2007
The Idaho Transportation Department is preparing to submit its final environmental impact statement for the planned conversion of 31 miles of U.S. 95 to a four-lane divided highway.
Once the Federal Highway Administration approves the EIS, the way will be clear for the state to start acquiring the necessary rights of way along the first two sections approved for design and construction.
Ultimately, ITD will spend about $342 million on the project between Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint beginning with the first two sections, which are in a 12.7-mile stretch of road near Silverwood Theme Park at the north end of Kootenai County. U.S. 95 is the primary north-south corridor for the state, and has seen increased international commercial traffic since the enactment of NAFTA in 1994.
A contract for design of the first section of the planned 31-mile highway conversion has been awarded to Keller Associates Inc. of Meridian, Idaho, and the southern part of the 6.7-mile Chilco section could go out...
| Posted by maricela at 10:00 AM |
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Tuesday, October 09, 2007
After 10 years running a highly successful Internet-based travel business in Sun Valley, local entrepreneur Tracy Lotz recently moved vacation/rental business to Boise to support the rapid expansion taking place in his business.
Lotz said, "We have had a lot of great people work with us over the years but the availability of affordable market rate housing, which resulted in the lack of qualified employees were the biggest factors for the change."
1st Choice Vacation Rentals became a pioneer in the vacation rental segment. Over the 13 years, 1st Choice expanded from being a web directory for vacation rentals to providing websites for vacation property managers.
Source: Idaho Business Review
| Posted by maricela at 9:42 AM |
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Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Avista Utilities seeks Idaho Public Utilities Commission approval to decrease its annual Purchased Gas Cost Adjustment (PGA) by about 4.5 percent. The adjustment would take effect Nov. 1. An average resident using about 65 therms on natural gas per month would experience an average $3.65 monthly decrease, according to the company's application. The company's reduced price projections reflect more stability in wholesale gas prices, increased storage capacity and no supply interruptions caused by hurricanes, the commission said in a release.
Avista's customers have until Oct. 24 to comment . The company serves about 70,000 households in its northern Idaho territory.
Variable costs such as wholesale market prices for gas, transportation and storage are adjusted yearly through the purchased-gas adjustment mechanism.
Avista's fixed costs of supplying gas and some variable costs of gas supply are covered in base rates, adjusted only when the company comes before the commission with a ra...
| Posted by maricela at 2:38 PM |
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Thursday, September 13, 2007
Potlatch Corporation will be acquiring about 179,000 acres of timberland in Idaho for nearly $215 million from Western Pacific Timber.
The transaction will take place in two phases, with a majority of timberlands to be acquired in the first phase, which is expected to close by the end of September, and the remaining timberlands to be acquired in the second phase, which is expected to close in January 2008, according to a press release.
The timberland are located in the heart of central Idaho's premier outdoor recreational corridor. It contains stocked forests of ponderosa pine and mixed fir. The cost breaks down to about $1,200 per acre. The majority of the ownership is less than a two-hour drive from Boise, and is adjacent to the mountain communities of McCall, New Meadows and Donnelly. Tamarack Resort, the newest four-season ski and golf resort in the West, is in close proximity to the property.
Potlach Vice President William R. DeReu said, "In addition to increasing our ove...
| Posted by maricela at 9:59 AM |
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Monday, August 20, 2007
For the second consecutive year, Idaho ranked among the most business-friendly states in the nation in the annual annual Milken Institute Index thanks to some of lowest electrical rates in the U.S.
That was good enough to earn Idaho a 6th place finish on the Ten Least Expensive states list with an index rating 82.8. Overall, the state finished in 46th place for the second consecutive year. Hawaii and New York ranked first and second on the most expensive states to do business list. Idaho was singled out as having the lowest electrical rates in the nation, while Hawaii had the highest. The Cost-of-Doing-Business Index indicates each state's comparative advantages or disadvantages in attracting and retaining businesses.Source: Idaho Statesman.com
| Posted by maricela at 12:34 PM |
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Monday, August 06, 2007
The Argus Observer in Ontario reports a company called Dot Foods Inc. looked into putting a new facility in the Oregon community not far from the Idaho border. But Ontario was passed over, and Burley was chosen instead. The plant is expected to be completed in 2008 and could employ up to 200 people. A man named Rodolfo Sanchez owns a chain of restaurants called Muchas Gracias. He opened one fast food outlet in 1997, now has more than 40 franchised branches in Washington and Oregon, and is looking to expand his Mexican eatery empire into Idaho as soon as possible. Sanchez is from San Luis Potosi, Mexico; his franchise is a model of American success. Everett, Wash. is trying to learn a little something from Idaho. The Washington community hopes to capitalize on the 2010 Winter Games to be held in Vancouver, B.C. A group of business and political leaders is working to help the area benefit financially from the games just as communities in Idaho benefited from those in Salt Lake ...
| Posted by maricela at 12:23 PM |
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Monday, July 09, 2007
Idahos unemployment rate was 2.5 percent in June, marking the fifth straight month it has been under 3 percent.
But there are reasons to believe the low jobless rates could end soon, according to the Idaho Department of Labor.
The number does not reflect any of the layoffs expected at Micron Technology, according to a Department of Labor press release.
In addition, the number of Idaho jobs created last month was about 300 below historic averages, according to the release. The number of new hires in June fell 2,100 short of the number of new hires in June 2006. And the number of unemployment insurance benefit checks issued last month was 12 percent higher than a year ago, although total employment was also higher than a year ago.
Unemployment in the Boise area was 2.2 percent in June, down from 2.9 percent a year ago.
Source: Idaho Business Review
| Posted by maricela at 2:34 PM |
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Thursday, June 28, 2007
A company in Twin Falls has finalized planes to build the largest biodiesel fuel plant in the Northwest. The $125 million facility will be located in Buhl, and is expected to bring 60 new jobs to the area.
A new estimate by the U.S. Census shows that the Treasure Valley is still the center of the states population growth. But the growth isnt all in Boise Caldwell and Eagle added more residents than the capital.
Home owners in northern Idaho are appealing the assessed value of their houses, complaining that higher property taxes are pricing them out of their own homes.
Beginning July 1, drivers younger than 17 can have only one passenger in the car with them unless the passengers are related.
Source: Idaho Business Review
| Posted by maricela at 11:10 AM |
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Monday, May 14, 2007
CNNMoney.com ranked Boise 8th as one of the best places to live out of 100 cities nationwide. If you are considering to move to Boise, you can feel peace at mind to know there it is a prosperous city and looks great when compared nationwide. If you are a native you can be proud to brag that Boise is growing, but also it one of the best places to live in the United States. You can view Idaho's accolades on "Idaho's In The News Link".
To review Idaho's financial, education, and other statistics, click here.
Source: CNNMoney.com
| Posted by maricela at 10:24 AM |
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Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Governor Butch Otter (ID) asked Dave Tuthill to stay permanently as the director of Idaho Department of Water Resources.
Otter made the announcement during his "water summit" in Burley today. They water summit was organized to help find solutions for an impasse over eastern Idaho water shortages.
Source: Idaho Statesman
| Posted by maricela at 10:22 AM |
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