Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from February 2009

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from February 2009

University of Idaho Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean Hammel: Research-extension center cuts eyed.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Budget cuts at the University of Idaho likely will reduce resources for agricultural research and development, UI College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean John Hammel said in a recent interview. The cuts probably...

Bend-based Cascade Bancorp reports 2008 net loss.(Financial report)
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Bank of the Cascades parent Cascade Bancorp on Jan. 29 reported a 2008 net loss and made a significant provision for loan losses as the value of its real estate collateral dropped.

Coeur d'Alene-based Mountain West Bank reports lower earnings, higher assets.(Financial report)
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Coeur d'Alene-based Mountain West Bank earned $9,071,000 after taxes in 2008, down 35.6 percent from a year earlier. That included fourth-quarter earnings of $2,138,000 after taxes, down $1,301,000 from the fourth quarter...

Bank card 'phishing' scams with new twists target Idahoans.
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Criminals trying to obtain credit and debit card numbers have expanded their attack on Idaho consumers, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden warned today. Idaho First Bank in McCall has informed the AG's office that...

University of IdahoI trains students for virtual interviews.
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff On Wednesday, University of Idaho's career coaching will enter virtual reality with a virtual fashion show designed to prepare students for job interviews that could take place in a computer-generated world. ...

Idaho Assoc. of Commerce and Industry wants tax break to include power lines, pipelines and railways.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin The Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry wants to add power lines, pipelines and railways to the list of business equipment eligible for a tax break that the Legislature approved last year. The business...

Budget exam: Higher ed cuts in Idaho squeeze laid-off workers.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Unemployed workers looking to go back to school may find fewer course sections, bigger class sizes and maxed out departments as a result of steep budget cuts proposed for the state's publicly funded colleges and...

Idaho colleges and universities face broad cuts.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Idaho colleges and universities face the prospect of steep budget cuts next year at the same time many are reporting record student enrollment numbers. The four state-funded colleges and universities - Boise State...

Geothermal royalties not so hot in Idaho.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone & Brad Carlson Eighty-seven bucks doesn't go very far these days, so it's understandable that Bonneville County Clerk Ron Longmore wouldn't immediately remember where it came from. After some checking, he found...

Stimulus vote a 'no-go' with Idaho's representatives.
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Idaho's representatives voted against the historically huge $819 billion stimulus bill with spending increases and tax cuts at the heart of Democratic-controlled House package passed Wednesday night. The vote was 244-188,...

Money tight for medical education expansion plan in Idaho.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone The Idaho State Board of Education has a laundry list of measures it thinks can reverse the state's doctor shortage, but don't hold your breath waiting for them to get funded. That was the message of a recent...

Collaborative medicine soon a reality for providers in southeastern Idaho.
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff A new association between Southeastern Idaho's largest hospital and healthcare providers will increase the amount of health information available to the doctors and caregivers. The Portneuf Medical Center, Noteworthy...

Weak economy strengthens non-leads group attendance in Meridian.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson They know they probably won't get new business right away because of it, but they attend MasterMinds anyway - as a long-term investment in themselves and their businesses. About 20 people attend the 8 a.m. Monday...

Boise workers to be affected by Microsoft job layoffs.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone Workers at Microsoft's Boise site will be among those affected by the software giant's elimination of 5,000 jobs announced late last month. The company would not disclose an exact number of layoffs in Boise, but...

Building, sales-tax lulls contribute to Canyon Co. shortfall.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Canyon County projects a $6.5 million budget shortfall beyond the $9.3 million originally cut during their 2009 budgeting process. This shortfall has commissioners looking for relief in all departments, considering...

Drop in home construction leads to cuts in Ada Co. planning staff.
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Ada County Development Services Director John Traylor today said his department would lay off 15 employees in response to a dramatic decline in home construction. We simply must adjust to the changing economy, Traylor...

Idaho Department of Commerce reverses decision on NYC marketing firm.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Idaho Department of Commerce Director Don Dietrich announced last week that he would withdraw an offer to a New York firm to market Idaho to the world, saying it was inappropriate to hire an out-of-state vendor for...

Study: Homebuilding matters to the economy in Ada County.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg As the number of new homes built in Ada County has plummeted in the last couple years, the hundreds of millions of dollars associated with that segment of the economy have started to disappear as well. A study by...

Fourth District Judge Carey dismisses nuke developer's defamation suit in Idaho.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone A judge may have dismissed the defamation lawsuit filed by Alternate Energy Holdings against the Snake River Alliance nuclear watchdog group, but both parties have said they got what they wanted. The Snake River...

Commentary: Idaho budget process best in nation.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Steve Ahrens Idaho has serious budget problems, but it also has an ace in the hole - one of the best state budget processes in the nation. OK, it's not sexy to talk about process. But the fact is, in politics, like business,...

Meridian-based RxElite project stopped; grant money viewed as long-term investment.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Boise developer Bob Hosac recently stopped construction on an 83,000-square-foot building for RxElite and put the building up for lease or sale after he determined that the Meridian-based drugmaker would not be able to...

Silverdraft Studios opens sound stage in Meridian.
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Silverdraft Studios is promising to open new options in film and television production needs. The new studio is renovating a former beer distribution facility on Eagle Road in its efforts to drive filming projects,...

Senate Democrats in Idaho stand for water quality, safety.
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Democrats on the Senate Health and Welfare Committee raised objections to the majority votes on two Department of Environmental Quality rules on groundwater quality and sub service sewage disposal. Like all Idahoans,...

Restaurant in Boise aims for independent appeal.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg Next month, a restaurant on Entertainment Avenue in Boise will bring the total number of Tucanos Brazilian Grill branches to four, but founder Steve Oldham is reluctant to call his small cache of regional restaurants a...

Department of Energy names interim manager for Idaho.
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Dennis Miotla, the Office of Nuclear Energy's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Power Deployment, has been named the interim manager of the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho Operations Office, while the Department...

Idaho Society for Certified Public Accountants: looking out for accountants - and the public.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Gaye Bunderson The executive director of the Idaho Society for Certified Public Accountants feels the primary benefit of membership in the organization is strength in numbers - pun not intended. Melissa Nelson believes that, by...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: February 2, 2009.
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Monkey Bizness, a children's indoor play and party center, leased 12,168 square feet in the Cole Road Warehouse, 60-82 N. Cole Road, Boise. Move-in is expected March 15. Colliers International's Jake Tucker and Steve...

Idahoans in the News: February 2, 2009.
February 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Promotions/Appointments Stoel Rives law firm announces staff changes Business law firm Stoel Rives has announced that Quentin M. Knipe has been named office managing partner for the firm's Boise office, which...

Building Permits.
February 2, 2009... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF MERIDIAN PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE FDN09-1    not listed    Radix Construction Inc  ...

Bids.
February 2, 2009... Centennial High School and Lake Hazel Middle School plan to upgrade bleacher guardrail systems to meet current building code standards. Bids 10 a.m. Feb. 3 to Meridian Joint School District No. 2. Ten Mile Creek sewer crossing construction...

Contracts.
February 2, 2009... Sommer Construction was the apparent low bidder for South 45th East transmission lines in Ammon. Bid: $570,123. RLD Company has been awarded the contract for the Horseshoe Creek bridge in Driggs. Bid: $28,576. RSCI was the apparent low...

Nampa couple finds themselves in the Fast Lane.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Sixty days ago, Jeff and Patricia Agenbroad of Nampa bought a business called Fast Lane Indoor Kart Racing at 12048 W. Franklin Road. Though Fast Lane first opened five years ago, it is new to the Agenbroads and...

New Idaho Power rates encourage conservation.
February 3, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Public utilities commissioners approved a general rate increase for Idaho Power late last week, but reduced the utility's request from an average 9.89 percent to 3.1 percent. The commission approved a smaller increase...

Portneuf Medical Center in eastern Idaho under new ownership.
February 3, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Ownership of the Portneuf Medical Center in eastern Idaho has been transferred from Bannock County to a Texas-based hospital company and a nonprofit foundation. Legacy Hospital Partners on Sunday became the owner of 77...

Report shows Idaho third most economy stressed state.(Report)
February 3, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff A new report that studies on how the sputtering economy is affecting states shows Idaho is one of the most stressed in the nation. The report by the Kaiser Family Foundation considers unemployment rates, home...

NFIB speaker: Market should drive transportation funding in Idaho.
February 3, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone Transportation planning needs to take its cue from the free market if it's going to provide people with their freedom of movement. That's according to Michael Ennis, director of the Center for Transportation...

Games organizers in Boise area add sponsor partners.
February 4, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games on Feb. 3 announced today its Partner level sponsors, which have pledged contributions to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in cash and / or value-in-kind services....

Idaho Public Utilities Commissioners in favor of rule change supporting low-income energy users.
February 4, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Idaho Public Utilities Commissioners want the legislature to approve a rule change that would make it easier for utilities to help low-income customers pay their bills. The change would apply to Idaho Code 61-315,...

Blackfoot-based Premier Technology forms construction management unit.
February 4, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone In the past eight months industrial manufacturer Premier Technology has doubled the size of its 24,000-square-foot plant near Pocatello, added 100 workers to its payroll and promised to build a plant in Mackay that...

California judge halts Rambus suit against Boise-based Micron.
February 4, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff A California judge has halted Rambus Inc.'s patent infringement case against Micron Technology Inc. Judge Ronald M. Whyte of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California stayed the case on Feb. 3...

University of Idaho ag dean: Proposed extension-center cuts to involve much debate.
February 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences will involve faculty, staff and stakeholder groups around the state in its planning for the proposed closures of research and extension centers. John...

D.A. Davidson downgrades Idacorp stock following Id. Public Utilities Commission rate case decision.
February 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff D.A. Davidson & Co. downgraded Idacorp Inc. stock from buy to neutral earlier this week, citing a weak economy and the recent outcome of an Idaho Power Co. rate case. Idaho Public Utilities Commissioners ruled on Jan....

Meridian-based MWI Veterinary reports revenue, earnings gains.(Financial report)
February 6, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Meridian-based MWI Veterinary Supply Inc. on Feb. 4 reported revenue and earnings gains for its fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 31. From the year-earlier period, revenues increased by 14 percent to $231.8 million, net...

'Storage condos' under construction in Boise.
February 6, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg There's a new condo project under way in Boise, and developers are confident there's plenty of demand for it. MBA Construction of Blackfoot broke ground in October on 62 storage condos in southeast Boise. Premier...

Idaho Properties GMAC merges with Jagen Realty.
February 6, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Idaho Properties GMAC Real Estate on Feb. 6 announced that it merged with Jagen Realty. Jagen Realty owners Tom Ilg and Deanna Schoenfelder will join Idaho Properties GMAC Real Estate, which now has more than 60...

Weekly jobless benefits in Idaho hit record.
February 6, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff A record $10.4 million in regular unemployment benefits were paid to an all-time high 39,000 idled workers during the Feb. 2-6 week, and the national recession's grip on the Idaho economy will trigger a further extension...

Report: Idaho construction dropped 27 percent in 2008.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg In 2008, for the third year in a row and for the fifth time in a decade, total valuation of construction projects fell below year-previous totals. Wells Fargo's newest Idaho Construction Report shows construction...

Boise State University names head of new tech transfer office.
February 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Boise State University has tapped Mary Givens as director of the newly-formed Office of Technology Transfer within the university's Division of Research. Givens, a veteran of the venture capital industry, will look...

Idaho Airships honored for aerial imaging processes.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone Anyone who's ever tried to snap photos from a moving vehicle knows they rarely turn out. Now imagine trying to get a good picture from the cockpit of a plane or helicopter. Aerial photography has a few challenges...

Utah-based Zions subsidiary buys Alliance Bank.
February 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff California Bank & Trust, a subsidiary of Zions Bancorp, said it acquired the banking operations - including all insured deposits - of Alliance Bank in a transaction that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. facilitated....

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts will visit University of Idaho in March.
February 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will deliver the annual Sherman J. Bellwood Memorial Lecture at the University of Idaho on March 13. The speech will be at 4 p.m. in the Student Union Building...

Idaho TechConnect teams up with wendykennedy.com.
February 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report So what? who cares? why you? are the three questions that tech commercialization guru Wendy Kennedy asks researchers and entrepreneurs looking to turn their ideas into products. Now, through a partnership with...

To TARP or not to TARP: TARP-recipient banks in Idaho say they're still lending.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Idaho banks that received capital infusions from the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Capital Purchase Program want people to know that they're lending - contrary to widespread claims that America's...

Proposal would triple cost of food licenses in Idaho.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Restaurant owners and food vendors are decrying a proposal by Idaho public health officials to triple the cost of licenses over the next two years. The state's seven health districts, who license and conduct...

One strategy to combat business-value declines: Reinvest.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Marty Cullen isn't bothered by the drop in business prices since he purchased A-1 Plumbing and Emergency Rooter a year ago. We are holding that value. We did in the most recent fiscal year, he said. We believe we...

New resin getting a hold on arsenic-tainted water regions in Idaho.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone Beau Ziemer had to go a mile out of New Plymouth before he found water that met arsenic standards from the EPA. All three of the city's wells had been testing above the agency's level of 10 parts per billion, and...

Idaho Public Utilities Commissioners in favor of rule change supporting low-income users.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone Idaho Public Utilities Commissioners want the Legislature to approve a rule change that would make it easier for utilities to help low-income customers pay their bills. The change would apply to Idaho Code 61-315,...

Frontier Airlines up, Alaska Airlines down, quarterly reports show.(Financial report)
February 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Frontier Airlines, which serves the Boise Airport, is showing signs it may soon emerge from the protective bankruptcy it filed last year. Market reports show that Frontier earned $18.7 million in December and had a...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: February 9, 2009.
February 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff St. Luke's Regional Medical Center leased 40,000 square feet in the Portico at Meridian's Medical Office East Building, 3399 E. Louise Drive, Suites 101 and 102, and 20,000 square feet in the Medical Office West Building,...

Home tending business booms in Idaho as homes sit empty.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg Home tender Lori Williams lives in unsold homes. She moves in, sets up her furniture and keeps house for as long as a home is on the market. As soon as it sells, she's out of there, on to the next home. She's lived...

Idaho Regulator: 'Bailout' mischaracterizes TARP program.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson The term bailout mischaracterizes the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Capital Purchase Program for banks, Idaho Department of Finance Director Gavin Gee said. It is important that the banks'...

Some Idaho banks chose to avoid 'TARP price tag' for capital.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Some Idaho banks sought equity-investment capital from the U.S. Treasury and some did not. Mountain West Bank, Coeur d'Alene, did not. It found its own source of new capital. The bank's parent, Montana-based...

Idaho printers looking for upswing.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg When Chris Coltrin looks at his industry optimistically, he predicts sales are done falling. Coltrin is the general manager for Boise-based ESP Printing & Mailing, and he said printing jobs were on the decline at the...

Nampa printer Darlene Johnson is not afraid to learn new things.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Darlene Johnson pretty much started her career at age 6, helping her parents run the family business, Downtown Printing in Nampa. Though she tried working in other professions as a young woman, and then tried working...

Building Permits.
February 9, 2009... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 00072-alteration    not listed    RA Schultz &...

Idahoans in the News: February 9, 2009.
February 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Promotions LeMaster Daniels promotes three CPAs Three certified public accountants at LeMaster Daniels have been promoted. They include: Priya Mahalingam was promoted from senior accountant to supervisor. She...

Bids.
February 9, 2009... Saltzer Medical Group interior build-outs, Meridian. Bids 2 p.m. Feb. 11 to Saltzer Medical Group. Plans call for improving about 18,168 square feet on the second floor of Medical Office Building West in the Portico development. Cost not...

Boise-based SOVRN: Making a living off creative teamwork.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Gaye Bunderson The offices of SOVRN Creative sit above the state liquor store at the corner of 11th and Grove in downtown Boise. Potential clients should not be put off by the unusual location. Ring the bell on the outside of the...

Commentary: Human Factors and Ergonomics initiatives make good business sense.
February 9, 2009... Byline: Eric Shaver & Curt Braun The business community is acutely aware of the impact the economic downturn is having on profits. In these lean times, companies must decide what to cut and what to keep in an effort to remain competitive,...

Correction.(Correction notice)
February 9, 2009... The figures printed for Bank of America in the January 2009 Book of Lists magazine are incorrect. The figures for ‘07 should read: Total Assets $1.7 trillion (corporate wide). Total Net Loans and Leases: $876 Billion.

North Idaho Sunshine Mine owner faces lawsuit.
February 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The operator of the historic Sunshine Mine in northern Idaho is being sued by 39 companies and individuals for more than $1.5 million after defaulting on a loan. The lawsuit filed earlier this month in 1st District...

Transmission line projects in Idaho may not be eligible for stimulus.
February 10, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Idaho's energy needs may be knocking up against the state's transmission capacity, but only one of seven projects planned by utility companies to extend energy delivery could likely be kick-started with money from a...

WinCo Foods opens Spokane store.
February 10, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Report WinCo Foods has opened the first of two new discount supermarkets slated for the Spokane market. The 94,000-square-feet store will be managed by James McGann, a 13 year WinCo Foods veteran. He most recently was...

Idaho State researchers experimenting with using accelerators to produce medical isotopes.
February 10, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Idaho State University's Idaho Accelerator Center is experimenting with the use of nuclear accelerators, as opposed to nuclear reactors, to produce medical isotopes used in medical imaging and treatment...

Hispanic leaders hear staggering statistics on unemployment from Idaho Dept. of Labor officials.
February 10, 2009... Byline: Robb Hicken Idaho Department of Labor officials said when the building industry begins to constrict, so do the ancillary jobs that support it. Rogelio Valdez, department spokesman, said the number of individuals receiving...

Idaho lawmakers press commerce director on rural grant cuts.
February 10, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Lawmakers on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee pressed Commerce Department Director Don Dietrich to rethink $2.5 million in cuts the department plans to make to grants for rural communities, one of the few...

Council to pay $11K for wastewater violations City's wastewater treatment plant in Boise.
February 11, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff City officials for Council have agreed to pay $11,000 for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act at the City's wastewater treatment plant. The city owns and operates the permitted plant that discharges treated...

Legislators get first look at Idaho Gov. Otter's road funding proposals.
February 11, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone Legislators, staff, lobbyists and reporters sat cheek-to-jowl at a packed meeting of the House Transportation Committee Feb. 10, where Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter's Chief of Staff, Jason Kreizenbeck, unveiled his...

Job losses, U.S. recession, drag Idaho Small Business Index.
February 11, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The Zions Bank Small Business Index for Idaho dropped from a revised 73.3 in December to 69.4 in January, Jeff Thredgold, economic consultant to Salt Lake City-based Zions, said in a release. An index number below the...

Boise-based American Ecology sees record operating income and disposal volume for 4thQ.
February 11, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff American Ecology Corporation reported higher income for the fourth quarter of 2008 in its year end report. Headquartered in Boise, officials said operating income for the fourth quarter of 2008 was $8.3 million, 2...

Pocatello-based Hoku Scientific executives decline cash bonuses.
February 12, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff News out of Hoku Scientific report that top executives of the Pocatello-based clean energy technologies company are turning down cash bonuses being offered they by the board of directors. In a letter from top...

Defaults rise again in Ada, Canyon counties.
February 12, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Ada County saw 342 mortgage-default notices filed in January, compared to 332 in December and 191 in January 2008, IdahoDataProviders.com says in a new report. Canyon County saw 260 default notices in January, up from 227...

Bill Whitacre takes helm of Boise-based J.R. Simplot.
February 12, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The J.R. Simplot Co. has named Bill Whitacre chief executive officer-elect. Following a transition period, he will succeed Larry Hlobik, who has announced his intentions to retire after serving the past seven years...

Idaho ranked best on healthcare costs for small businesses.
February 12, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff A new report from the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, SBA, has ranked Idaho at the top states in regards to healthcare for small businesses. The list ranks the best and worst states when it comes to...