Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from April 2008

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from April 2008

Gov Otter signs grocery tax rebate bill.
April 1, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Gov. C.L. Butch Otter signed a bill on Monday boosting the rebates on grocery tax credits. Passage of the law represents an end to deadlock between lawmakers and the governor, who vetoed a bill last year to...

St. Alphonsus in Boise announces layoffs, other cost cuts.
April 1, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Saint Alphonsus plans to eliminate about 40 employees. The move is part of a cost-reduction plan tied to challenges in the local and national economy, the west Boise medical center stated in a release. Affected...

Planners consider new location for downtown Boise transit hub.
April 2, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Local transportation planners are now eyeing a fifth possible location for a transit hub planned for downtown Boise. Valley Regional Transit officials expect to pick a site for the $9.6 million federally funded...

Utah-based Black Diamond Engineering settles over alleged EPA violations.
April 2, 2008... Byline: IBR staff report Black Diamond Engineering has agreed to pay a $1,277 penalty to settle an enforcement case with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. The alleged violations...

Technology industry wages in Idaho still outpace private sector.
April 2, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho's technology industry still pays higher wages than the average private sector wage, according to a recent national survey. High-tech wages in every state continued to significantly exceed overall...

Boise Place bankruptcy parties given 30-day extension.
April 2, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Creditors in the Boise Place bankruptcy case will have an extra month to review a new disclosure statement and plan filed by the developer of the long-delayed tower project. Lawyers for Gary Rogers' firm,...

Boise Construction Briefs: April 2, 2008.
April 2, 2008... Byline: Lora Volkert Three residential buildings finished this month have added more than 120 homes to downtown Boise and its periphery. There were 43,000 workers downtown and only 2,000 dwelling units as of 2003, according to the Capital...

Boise-based Micron Technology loses $777 million as prices sag.
April 2, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Micron Technology Inc. on April 2 reported a second-quarter loss of $777 million, or $1.01 per share, compared to a loss of $52 million in the year-earlier quarter. Revenue totaled $1.36 billion, down from $1.43...

Legislators in Idaho finish up 'going home' bills.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Idaho lawmakers headed home on Wednesday after approving a last-minute deal to eliminate some of the taxes that businesses pay on equipment. A partial elimination of the taxes that companies pay on everything...

Idahoan Dale to be sworn in as federal judge.
April 4, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Idaho's newest federal judge will be sworn in today. Candy Wagahoff Dale, the first female judge to be appointed to the federal court in Idaho, will be sworn in as a magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court...

Nuclear reactor won't be built in Owyhee County.
April 4, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Alternate Energy Holdings has selected a new location to build its proposed nuclear reactor. The new site is in Elmore County, 15 miles upstream from the original site in Owyhee County. Preliminary geologic studies...

Idaho Power wants rate increase for new hookups.
April 4, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Idaho Power is asking the state's Public Utilities Commission to update the price structure for the installation of new underground service attachments. The current rule, which hasn't been updated in 11 years, no...

Boise-based Micron borrows $600 million for Singapore operations.
April 4, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Micron has opened a $600 million line of credit for its joint venture TECH Semiconductor in Singapore. The TECH subsidiary is expected to draw $220 million under the new credit facility on April 7, 2008 and retire...

Unemployment in Idaho rises to 3 percent.
April 4, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho labor officials say seasonally adjusted unemployment rose to 3 percent in March, compared to 2.8 percent in both February 2008 and March 2007. The February 2008 figure was revised downward. Weak growth in...

Pioneer irrigation challenges Caldwell storm water policy.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Pioneer Irrigation District continues to battle the City of Caldwell over a recent city policy that the district says improperly directs storm water into Pioneer-owned infrastructure. Scott Campbell of the Moffatt...

13 arrested in Homedale on illegal immigration labor charge.
April 7, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested 13 individuals suspected of working illegally at a pallet manufacturing company located in Homedale. The agency, according to a press release, claims the...

Idaho Gov. Otter takes some blame for communication failures during 2008 legislative session.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Gov. C.L. Butch Otter took some of the blame Monday for communication failures during the 2008 legislative session, saying it was a miscalculation on his part to assume lawmakers on key committees understood the...

HR speakers in Nampa to address creating corporate culture.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson The Human Resources Association of Treasure Valley plans its annual conference from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. April 10 at Nampa Civic Center, 311 3rd St. S., Nampa. Corrie Steeves, a member of the conference...

Boise-based CradlePoint sold to public company.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson CradlePoint Technology Inc., which last year doubled its total staff to 40, has a new owner. Publicly traded Sierra Wireless, of Richmond, B.C. on April 7 announced plans to buy Boise-based CradlePoint from Pat...

Some economic stimulus moves considered good fit for Idaho.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Businesses in Idaho stand to benefit from some federal government moves to stimulate the economy. KeyBank Idaho District President Joel Hickman's favorite is the more generous expensing and depreciation rules for...

Planners consider new location in downtown Boise for transit hub.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Local transportation planners are now eyeing a fifth possible location for a transit hub planned for downtown Boise. Valley Regional Transit officials expect to pick a site for the $9.6 million federally funded...

St. Alphonsus in Boise cuts jobs, cost-reductions reviewed.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson About 40 of the current 3,479 staff at Saint Alphonsus medical center are expected to be affected by recent cutbacks. Hospital administrators say the move is part of a cost-reduction plan tied to challenges in the...

Technology industry wages in Idaho still outpace private sector.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho's technology industry still pays higher wages than the average private-sector wage, according to a recent national survey. High-tech wages in every state continued to significantly exceed overall...

D.L. Evans Bank opens in downtown Boise.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson D.L. Evans Bank is expected to open a downtown Boise branch in mid-June. J.V. Evans, executive vice president of the privately owned D.L. Evans Bank, said the 5,500-square-foot space in the Ninth and Idaho Center...

Property managers to hold conference April 15-19 in downtown Boise.(Conference news)
April 7, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff The National Association of Residential Property Managers plans its Northwest Regional Conference April 15-19 at the Grove Hotel in downtown Boise. Tony Drost, the association's Region 4 vice president and the owner...

Univ. of Idaho plans math, science event for Boise schoolgirls.
April 7, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff The search is on for the next Marie Curie. Nearly 200 7th and 10th grade girls from the Boise School District will get a taste of the opportunities in science and engineering fields at the University of Idaho's...

Lawmakers in Idaho reach deal on personal property tax.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Members of a House-Senate conference committee on April 2 reached a compromise on the proposal to relieve businesses of the local personal property tax they pay on furnishings, equipment and tools. The full House...

Law in Idaho may allow some homeowners access to nearby irrigation water.
April 7, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Some homeowners could have greater access to nearby irrigation water under an Idaho law to take effect July 1. Gov. C.L. Butch Otter signed Senate Bill 1424, which aims to allow people who live in irrigation districts...

Former Boise-based Micron engineer buys 10 Moxie Java outlets.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Moxie Java coffee shops in Boise, and one in Garden City, changed hands recently. Treasure Valley Investment Group LLC, headed by Managing Member Derrick Gayle, on Feb. 14 acquired nine Moxie Java shops in Boise...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: April 7, 2008.
April 7, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Alliance Title Co., a title and escrow company, leased 11,400 square feet at 9288 W. Emerald St., Boise. Move-in is expected June 1. Pat Shalz and Grove Hummert of Thornton Oliver Keller represented the tenant. John Walsh...

Bid Briefs.
April 7, 2008... Howell Car Wash is planned in Lewiston. Project details are available from T.W. Clark Construction, Steve Sunleaf, 1117 N. Evergreen Road No. 1, Spokane Valley, Wash. 99216-1138. A bid opening is scheduled at 2 p.m. April 8. Cost not listed....

Commentary: All this and it 'only' took 87 days to do it.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Steve Ahrens In analyzing any legislative session, there's the primary issue of what did they do, and the secondary issue of how did they get it done - i.e., progress and process. This first Idaho legislative session held...

Commentary: Integrity, like good food, leaves a good taste.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Rick Carpenter The safest place to eat in Boise may be the Red Feather Lounge. After all, owner Dave Krick showed a high level of integrity and ethics by announcing last week that an employee had been diagnosed with Hepatitis...

Fishing brought Dexter Ball to Idaho; title work kept him here.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Dexter Ball originally came to Idaho to fish. But now, years later and a permanent resident of the state, he owns and operates four title and escrow companies: Twin Falls Title & Escrow, Gooding Title & Escrow,...

Subprime will mean change in title industry.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Listening to Vicki White, vice president/Ada County team leader at TitleOne Corp., tell the story of how TitleOne Corp. came about is a bit of an eye-opener. In the spring of 2000, a small group of entrepreneurs got...

Couple starts business in Boise selling tabletop ads.
April 7, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Drew Strojny spent three years on National Football League practice fields, slamming his 6-foot-7, 315-pound frame into other linemen and ingesting 6,000 calories per day to fuel his mammoth body. Strojny fought...

Building Permits.
April 7, 2008... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 00541-addition    Boise Courthouse Apartments    Drysheet...

Judge bans Nampa contractor JT Enterprises.
April 8, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Canyon County Third District Judge Gordon Petrie last week banned Nampa contractor JT Enterprises and its owners, Bert Joseph Nash and Tierra A. Nash, from doing business in Idaho, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden...

Foreclosures rise in Ada, Canyon Counties.
April 8, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Loan default filings kept rising in March in Ada and Canyon counties, IdahoDataProviders.com reported. Ada County one-month totals increased almost every month during 2007, starting with 85 in January and ending...

Kootenai County officals address skilled labor with fair.
April 8, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Kootenai County officials hope to begin addressing Idaho's skilled labor shortages in the manufacturing and construction trades with the county's first-ever career day for teens on April 15. Hundreds of middle...

Idaho State Board of Education approves tuition increases.
April 8, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky The Idaho State Board of Education has approved tuition and fee increases at all three of the state's public universities, as well as two state colleges. All three universities had requested a larger tuition increase...

Idaho-based Energenx signs market contract.
April 9, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Energenx, Inc., a Post Falls-based electronics battery charging innovator, entered into an agreement with Renaissance Charge to test marketing for three of its products. The first product is designed to improve...

Idaho Power seeks rate adjustments for energy efficiency programs.
April 9, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Idaho Power has asked the state Public Utilities Commission for two rate adjustments related to the company's energy conservation and efficiency programs. One adjustment slightly increases residential rates and one...

Affordable-housing foundation formed in Idaho.
April 9, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report The Idaho Housing and Finance Association just formed a nonprofit entity that aims to help communities meet pressing needs for housing via charitable donations. The new Home Partnership Foundation Inc. works to...

Oracle walks away from project to build data center in Treasure Valley.
April 9, 2008... Byline: Rick Carpenter Officials at software giant Oracle walked away from an agreement to build a data center in the Treasure Valley two weeks ago when a property owner in Meridian raised the price of the real estate by 75 44 percent just...

Idaho Gov. Otter selects new commerce director.
April 10, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Gov. C.L. Butch Otter has appointed Don Dietrich director of the Idaho Department of Commerce. Dietrich has been acting director of the department since former director Jim Ellick stepped down earlier this year....

Idaho Department of Labor warns about scam Web sites.(Website overview)
April 10, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson The Idaho Department of Labor is alerting workers about scam Web sites that charge to simply link unemployed workers to the official - free - state Internet site for filing unemployment claims. There are reports...

Idaho tax system given low marks for business growth.
April 11, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Idaho's state tax system is among the worst in the country for small business start up and growth, according to a recent report. Just in time for tax day, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council published...

Idaho bankruptcy filings rise 15 percent in quarter.
April 11, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Bankruptcy filings rose 15 percent in Idaho in the first quarter, statistics from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Boise show. A slow housing market and reduced wages are major factors, said Bart Green of Meridian law...

Staffing firm sues Idaho Power.
April 11, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin A temporary staffing agency that supplied workers to Idaho Power has filed a federal lawsuit against the utility alleging that the energy company cut short a three-year contract and ordered its temporary employees to...

Frontier Airlines: Ch. 11 won't impact Boise.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Frontier Airlines' April 10 bankruptcy filing will not impact service to Boise Airport. A spokesman for Frontier said service to Boise is unaffected. Frontier is flying its normal schedule to Boise and has no plans...

Idaho Independent Bank boosts loss allowance.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho Independent Bank increased its allowance for loan losses in the March 31 quarter to $10,268,000, from $10,212,000 in the year-earlier period. Non-performing assets totaled $853,000, or 0.14 percent of total...

Regence of Idaho acquires minority stake in IT firm.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Regence has partnered with Apax Partners and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee to acquire The TriZetto Group, a provider of enterprise software, outsourcing and professional services for the health care industry. ...

Boise-based Boise Cascade LLC: Lumber by the number.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Following the latest Boise Cascade asset sale, about the same number of people work at the downtown Boise headquarters at 11th and Jefferson streets. Both entities are well-positioned, said Wayne Rancourt, vice...

Oracle pulls plug on site in Meridian.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Rick Carpenter Officials at software giant Oracle walked away from an agreement to build a data center in the Treasure Valley two weeks ago when a property owner in Meridian raised the price of the real estate by 44 percent just as...

Idaho title insurers dispute antitrust claims in Washington.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Idaho title insurance companies are frowning on a new federal lawsuit filed in Washington that accuses title insurers of colluding to keep prices artificially high, one of a slew of lawsuits filed against the industry...

Canyon County pushes for appeal on 9th Circuit Court RICO decision.
April 14, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Canyon County commissioners have voted to move ahead in their lawsuit against four manufactures that knowingly hired undocumented workers. The commission voted in favor of a rehearing before the 9th U.S. Circuit...

Crescent Rim under way in Boise; condo buyers lining up.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson A slow, steady pace of pre-sale reservations for condominiums in the upscale Crescent Rim project suits the developer just fine, given that construction is finally under way. Construction started Jan. 1 on the...

CradlePoint Technology in Boise sold to public company.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson A publicly traded company plans to buy Boise-based CradlePoint Technology Inc., which last year doubled its total staff to 40. Sierra Wireless Inc., of Richmond, B.C., on April 7 announced plans to buy CradlePoint...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: April 14, 2008.
April 14, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Cavanaugh, a 177-acre planned community, last week broke ground at Victory and Meridian roads south of Interstate 84, Meridian. Planned elements include The Boardwalk at Cavanaugh, an open-air, lifestyle retail center on...

Wedbush Morgan Securities to expand in Boise market.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Wedbush Morgan Securities President Ed Wedbush is bullish on Boise, where the firm plans to keep adding staff in its new office. Los Angeles-based Wedbush Morgan recently opened in the Banner Bank Building, 950 W....

Boise software designer to turn page on search.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Aaron Stanton's entrepreneurial philosophy is simple: you can keep a company afloat on money or on fun. Stanton set out, more than a year ago, to pitch an idea he had to Google. The Internet search giant was...

Contracts Awarded.
April 14, 2008... Belveal Construction, Meridian, was awarded a contract for tenant improvements to Wellness Partners at 750 W. Ustick, Ste. 100, Meridian, in the Cedar Springs Professional Center.  Cost estimate: $45,000. Hoffman Construction Co.,...

Bid Briefs.
April 14, 2008... McCall-Donnelly High School plans an addition. Details of the 50,000 square-foot project are available from construction manager Petra Inc., 1097 N. Rosario St., Boise, Idaho 83642. A bid opening for select subcontractors and suppliers is...

Commentary: Doing well with residents' basics.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken It's reassuring to know that each legislature has its own leaders, expectations and outcomes. In California, a liberal air certainly was vented on a conservative George Deukmejian. Even Democrat strongman Willie...

Republican leaders failed to make progress -- Guest Column.(Column)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Wendy Jaquet and Clint Stennett

Boise-based Intermountain Gas looks to sell.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Intermountain Gas is looking for a buyer, but any change in ownership is unlikely to impact customers. Customers would only be impacted if a new owner changed rates or sold assets that had been paid for by customer...

Idaho Power wants rate increase for new hookups.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Idaho Power is asking the state's Public Utilities Commission to update the price structure for the installation of new underground service attachments. The current rule, which hasn't been updated in 11 years, no...

College, business partnership benefits students and industry in Idaho.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Kenneth A. Smith was named dean of the Idaho State University College of Business in March. He started teaching at the Pocatello-based school in 1970 and had served as associate dean of the College of Business since...

Commentary: Continuing education offers hope to working adults.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Bill Bach Lori Cafferty is a good example of why working adults return to college. At age 53 she is back in the classroom working toward a bachelor's degree at University of Phoenix's Idaho campus. As one might expect, this...

College of Western Idaho board president finds service rewarding.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Business and community interest in the College of Western Idaho remains high, and resolution of the facilities issue with Boise State University is advancing rapidly, CWI Board of Trustees President Jerry Hess said....

2,000+ students anticipated to enroll at College of Western Idaho for 2009.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson The College of Western Idaho's interim president, Dennis Griffin, said the college expects to enroll 2,000 to 2,500 students when it offers its first classes in January 2009. There's been a lot of people calling...

Carlos Tijerina finds his niche in the Treasure Valley with Asian fine dining.
April 14, 2008... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Carlos Tijerina has been serving up Asian cuisine for more than a decade, first as a restaurant manager and then as a co-owner of three dining spots in the Treasure Valley. Boise and Eagle's Mai Thai restaurants...

Building Permits.
April 14, 2008... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 00624-alteration    Federal Way West LLC    Tomaska...

Idaho set to host energy conference for states' Attorneys General.(Conference news)
April 15, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Report Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden will host a two day summit on energy issues May 5-7, in Coeur d'Alene. According to a press release, Wasden will host discussions with the states' chief legal officers,...

Gov. Otter vetoes repeal of research tax credit.
April 15, 2008... Byline: Eddie Kovsky Gov. C.L. Butch Otter has vetoed legislation to repeal income tax credits for research activity. Having just signed the personal property tax relief bill into law, it would be inconsistent and unwise to then approve...

Kootenai Co. theme park to install treatment system.
April 15, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin Silverwood Theme Park in Kootenai County is installing a new wastewater system as part of an agreement with the state to improve water quality in a nearby aquifer. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is...

Foreclosure shows a 57% jump.
April 16, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Foreclosure filings jumped 57 percent from March 2007 to last month, Realtytrac.com reported. The Irvine, Calif., company tracks default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions. March filings totaled...

Beaverton, Ore.-based Shari restaurants continue expansion in Idaho.
April 16, 2008... Byline: Robb Hicken Construction has begun on two new Shari's a 24-hour family dining restaurant. The new locations in Moscow and Idaho Falls are scheduled to open in early August, according to a business journal article. They are...

Capital City Development Corporation to move to new downtown Boise location.
April 16, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin The Capital City Development Corporation will be moving to a new location in downtown Boise this year. The urban renewal agency's board approved a lease agreement with the owner of Plaza 121, at Ninth and Idaho...

Portland college approves law school in Boise.
April 17, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin A private Lutheran college in Portland is pushing ahead on plans for a law school in downtown Boise. The board of regents at Concordia University backed its administration's plan to open a law school in Boise...

Post Falls-based Digna Radiology bought by Minneapolis company.
April 17, 2008... Byline: IBR Staff Virtual Radiologic Corp., Minneapolis, has bought Diagna Radiology, Post Falls, for $6 million in cash and an additional $2.2 million in potential earn-out payments to be made over two years. Diagna Radiology is a...

State board backs Univ. of Idaho plan for Boise law school.
April 17, 2008... Byline: Simon Shifrin The Idaho State Board of Education has given a nod to the University of Idaho's preliminary plan to open a branch of its law school in Boise. The board voted 5-0 on Thursday morning to authorize the university to...

Idaho Bancorp reports lower earnings.(Financial report)
April 17, 2008... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho Banking Co. parent Idaho Bancorp on April 15 reported first quarter net income of $129,000, down from $393,000 in the same quarter a year ago. Margin compression, additions to the loan-loss provision, and...