Idaho Business Review, Boise articles from March 2009

Idaho Business Review, Boise archives from March 2009

Edward Jones in Boise's North End marks International Women's Day.
March 1, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Paul Shubin of Edward Jones in Boise's North End is participating in International Women's Day during the weeks of March 8 and March 15 by taking a woman interested in a career as a financial advisor to lunch. In honor...

Areva opens Idaho Falls office, appoints key execs.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone French-owned energy giant Areva said on March 2 that it has opened an office in Idaho Falls for its subsidiary, Areva Enrichment Services LLC, and appointed three executives who will oversee construction of the...

Burley-based D.L. Evans Bancorp to receive Treasury funds.
March 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff D.L. Evans Bancorp will receive funds from the voluntary Capital Purchase Program provided by the U.S. Treasury, CEO John V. Evans, Jr., said in a release. Burley-based D.L. Evans Bancorp said it is participating in...

ISU receives $500k gift to help bring dental program to Meridian.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone Idaho State University received a gift of $500,000 from Delta Dental of Idaho, to help the university move its Advanced Dental Residency Program from its current location at 2033 E. Summersweet Drive, to the new...

Nampa gives credit for paying utility bills online.
March 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The city of Nampa is offering utility customers a one-time only $10 credit on their bills, but only if they go completely electronic for both utility billing and payments. To be eligible for the credit, customers must...

United Oil settles EPA clean-water issue in Jerome.
March 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Franklin United, Inc., also known as United Oil, agreed to pay a $32,680 penalty to settle alleged federal Clean Water Act violations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said. EPA said in a release that the alleged...

Boise-based Micron cuts add to grim job picture.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Alan Butcher has resigned himself to a ruined credit score, though he hopes nobody comes to repossess his car anytime soon. He and his girlfriend have turned to Medicaid to help care for their six-month-old son Ayden...

Investments lag with Boise-area apartment rentals.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Sales of apartment complexes to investors continued well into 2008 even as sales of other income properties dropped. Now, apartment sales also have slowed. Steve Fender, president of Verity Property Management...

Calculated savings: Cutbacks mean opportunity for some Idaho businesses.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg Employees of Boise-based Bevinco of Idaho spend their days surrounded by alcohol. They're measuring it, looking for the week-over-week inconsistencies that mean drinks are escaping from bars or restaurants without pay....

Mountain View Hospital in Idaho Falls announces $10M expansion.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilcox Despite a recession dragging toward what some economists believe will be the new depression, Mountain View Hospital recently announced a $10 million expansion to its Idaho Falls facilities. The seemingly illogical...

Boise State University center featuring weeklong program for managers in Sun Valley.
March 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The Boise State University Center for Professional Development will present the 25th anniversary of The Strategic Experience: A Program for Management Development May 11-16 at the Sun Valley Lodge in Sun Valley. This...

Ada County apartment vacancy rate at record high.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Ada County apartment vacancy hit its highest level in five years recently, 9.5 percent, according to the Jan. 28 Ada Real Estate Surveys report. Market-wide vacancy of about 5 percent represents a balance between...

Economist speaks in Boise: Economy showing signs of life.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Brian Wesbury is confident that the U.S. economy will recover. Dogs always bark again. Banks make loans, and people shop, he said. He is chief economist at First Trust Advisors LP in Wheaton, Ill. Royal Bank of...

Correction.(Correction notice)
March 2, 2009... In the story “IP powerlines electrify Parma community, leaders” published Feb. 16, Pat Rohwer should have been identified as the owner and operator of Bar Diamond, Inc., a company that analyzes livestock feeds for nutritional value...

Eastern Idaho affected by dour economy, unemployment.
March 2, 2009... Byline: April Robinson Coming off the heels of a major layoff, the small rural town of Blackfoot knows firsthand the crushing effects of a souring economy. Basic American Foods shut down two production lines and laid off 65 workers....

Officials cut the ribbon on CAES in Idaho Falls.
March 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter and the state's U.S. Congressional delegation on Feb. 20 joined officials with the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho's three largest universities and the Department of Energy to officially...

Commentary: Still time for '09 session to make its mark.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Steve Ahrens Legislative players know every session has its own character and personality, as individual as the characters and personalities who work within its brief (?) life span. This session is no different, but it...

Commentary: Adding more spice to the soup is not stimulating.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Robb Hicken President Obama's speech on the stimulus package was just more rhetoric thrown onto an already over-discussed stimulus plan, which now has taken on a new name, yet again. I mean, if anything, it's time to step back...

Last call for beverage tax? Lawmakers in Idaho say beer, wine bill likely to return.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin A House committee killed a proposal last week to boost the taxes on beer and wine, even while Republican leaders signaled that industry will soon have to swallow higher levies. We want to give notice to the beer...

Tamarack court hearing in Boise delayed; resort open until April.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Officials with troubled Tamarack Resort had a court date with lenders again Feb. 26, but that hearing was canceled. From Tamarack visitors and callers, I've been hearing everything from, 'We've been closed' to,...

Eagle woman starts digital screen-based 'ad-venture' -- Focus.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Deborah Viehweg saw her startup business venture as offering two primary advantages to the Treasure Valley: bringing a new technology to the area and helping small businesses with small budgets advertise their...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: March 2, 2009.
March 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff El Dorado Business Campus developer W.H. Moore Co. recently completed shell construction of the 23,000-square-foot Santa Fe Square at 2275 S. Eagle Road. The firm said Drs. Brad Brandt and Mike Severson,...

Bid Briefs.
March 2, 2009... Shelley Elementary School construction, Shelley. Bids 2 p.m. March 3 to Brennan Construction. Plans call for constructing a new building, and completing site work and other improvements. Cost not listed. A 40,486-square-foot Ridley’s...

Contracts.
March 2, 2009... Bonne Excavation is the apparent low bidder for a sand vault at Kathryn Albertson Park in Boise. Bid: $17,900. Schmidt Construction is the apparent low bidder for sewer and water lines at a Canyon County holding facility. Bid: $853,244. ...

Meridian honors Metro Express Car Wash for Environmental Excellence.
March 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The City of Meridian presented Bill Martin, owner of the Metro Express Car Wash, with an Environmental Excellence Award. We try very hard to be a good corporate and environmental citizen so we are very pleased to receive...

Idahoans in the News: March 2, 2009.
March 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Promotions Parker promoted to Bank of Cascades branch leader Bank of the Cascades has promoted Kelly Parker to branch manager of its Eagle branch, located at 1101 E. Winding Creek Drive. In her new position, Parker...

Building Permits.
March 2, 2009... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF CALDWELL PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE R083450-new    not listed    DR Horton   ...

Nampa couple relies on faith for business success.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Gaye Bunderson While many entrepreneurs put their faith in hard work, return customers and money in the bank, Rick and Donelda Lea of Nampa lean on something a little less tangible: God. Which isn't to say work, customers and...

Boise Nonprofit Briefs: March 2, 2009.
March 2, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff META gets $5,000 grant from U.S. Bancorp META, a nonprofit program of Mountain States Group, Inc., has announced it has received $5,000 from U.S. Bancorp Foundation. This critical grant will be used to provide...

Albertsons resolves fuel mix-up in Emmett.
March 3, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The Albertsons Fuel Center in Emmett resolved a mixed fuel tank situation that may have caused some damages before it was discovered. The Albertsons was informed on Feb. 27 of a fuel mix-up that occurred early Feb. 26...

U.S. Labor sues defunct Oregon company for lost contributions.
March 3, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The U.S. Department of Labor says more than $140,000 in employee contributions owed the company's 401(k) retirement plan. Labor officials said the owner of Parati Co. Inc. of Hillsboro, Ore., failed to forward the...

Boise State brings biz resources together under one roof.
March 3, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Boise State University is bringing management of its College of Business and Economics outreach efforts together under one roof. Called the Business Research and Economic Development Center, the one-stop-shop will...

Sustainable elementary school breaks ground in Boise.
March 3, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Officials will break ground on a sustainable school building tomorrow, right on schedule. Riverstone International School has a high school building on Broadway Avenue, and it operates a middle and elementary school...

Sandpoint-based Intermountain Community Bancorp earnings drop.
March 3, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Intermountain Community Bancorp, the Sandpoint-based holding company for Panhandle State Bank, on Feb. 27 reported that net income totaled $1.2 million in 2008, down from $9.4 million in 2007. The 2008 result included a...

Idaho House votes to lift ethanol tax exemption.
March 3, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff House lawmakers passed the first of Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's measures aimed at boosting roads funding, voting 69-0 to dump a tax exemption for ethanol and biodiesel that may be costing Idaho $4 million annually in lost...

Committee in Idaho kills bill to triple cost of food licenses.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin The Senate Health and Welfare Committee killed a measure March 3 that would have tripled the cost of food license fees over the next two years. Lawmakers on the committee also rejected a compromise proposal that...

Bend-based Bank of the Cascades to automate, grow consumer lending.
March 4, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Bank of the Cascades officials said it is looking to bolster and automate consumer lending at its branches throughout the region. A subsidiary of Cascade Bancorp, Bank of the Cascades has chosen Cypress Software...

EPA settles with eight N. Idaho developers and contractors.
March 4, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The Environmental Protection Agency settled with eight developers and contractors who will pay fines for Clean Water Act violations at four construction sites near Sandpoint. The violators agreed to come into...

Program offers emergency mortgage payments for laid-off homebuyers in Idaho.
March 4, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Certain homebuyers can now tap into a program that will take over mortgage payments for six months if the buyer loses his or her job. The Rainy Day Foundation, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping...

Nunhems commits to nearly $19M Parma facility expansion.
March 4, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Nunhems, the vegetable seed business of Bayer CropScience AG, will be investing nearly $19 million to expand its U.S. facilities in Parma. A company statement on March 4 states Nunhems plans to build a new seed...

Lawmakers kill Idaho Gov. Otter's rental car tax hike proposal.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Lawmakers on the House Transportation Committee overwhelmingly killed Gov. C.L. Butch Otter's proposal to add a 6 percent tax on rental car sales, handing Otter his first major defeat this year in his push to raise...

Class in Nampa trains landlords to prevent crime in rentals.
March 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The city of Nampa is offering a class to teach landlords strategies for preventing illegal activities in rental units. The class will be offered April 7 at the Nampa Civic Center and will cost $15 per person or $20...

Otis intercepts high-grade gold values at Kilgore project in Clark County.
March 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Two core drillings by Otis Gold Corp of Canada have produced results with high-grade gold expectations, as being reported by the company. The first two core holes of a four-hole program at the Kilgore gold project in...

Kount files patent infringement suit against Portland anti-fraud firm.
March 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Kount Inc., a Boise-based anti-fraud technology company, announced on March 4 that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Portland-based iovation Inc. The suit alleges iovation infringed on Kount's...

Southwest Idaho industrial, office markets stay slow.
March 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Vacancy in southwest Idaho's industrial buildings could surpass 10 percent by mid-year, a rate that the market has not seen, Boise commercial real estate firm Thornton Oliver Keller says in a new report. More...

Sandpoint-based Coldwater Creek reports $18.6M loss.(Financial report)
March 5, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Coldwater Creek Inc. on March 4 reported an $18.6 million loss, or 30 cents per share, for its fiscal fourth quarter ending Jan. 31, compared to a loss of $17 million, or 19 cents per share, in the year-earlier quarter....

Energy Collective forms blogger board to drive energy discussion.
March 6, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff To say a new blog on energy is generating powerful ideas and concepts worldwide may be an understatement. President Obama has made energy one of the key focus areas of his administration, said Dan Yurman, a lead...

Idaho's KIFI goes to HD news broadcast.
March 6, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff KIFI News Group becomes the first commercial broadcast station in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming to produce local news in High Definition. Our viewers depend on us for news and information and they expect KIFI to...

Water-call notice issued for south central Idaho.
March 6, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Idaho Department of Water Resources Director David Tuthill on March 5 issued a notice of curtailment to holders of 865 junior water rights in the Magic Valley of south-central Idaho. Part of a continuing response to a...

Idaho National Laboratory reports disk containing employee data lost in UPS shipment.
March 6, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone Officials at the Idaho National Laboratory reported March 6 that a password-protected computer disk containing personal information of current and former employees at the facility has been lost in a shipment. The...

Greater Boise Auditorium District seeks stimulus funds for convention building.
March 6, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson The Greater Boise Auditorium District has applied for part of Idaho's share of federal economic stimulus money. District General Manager Pat Rice told the Idaho Business Review that the $30 million requested would...

33 people in Boise area belong to organization that is bridging a gap for women.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Gaye Bunderson Thirty-three people in the Boise area belong to an organization with a 30-year history and a long name: the Treasure Valley Chapter of the Women's Transportation Seminar International, known by the acronym WTS. ...

Public health officials in Idaho bring new license fee compromise.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Public health officials are asking lawmakers to approve a new compromise bill to raise food license fees that would bring the steepest increases to big box stores, more modest fee hikes to restaurants and decreases to...

Idaho Power seeks community input on Boardman to Hemingway transmission project.
March 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Idaho Power will put into motion a community advisory process to site the Boardman to Hemingway transmission project - a proposed 300-mile, 500 kilovolt power line from Boardman, Ore. to the Hemingway substation near...

Undeveloped Idaho: Treasure Valley planned communities stand patiently idle.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Dani Grigg In December 2006, Ada County gave Skyline I Development the go-ahead to start work on The Cliffs, a 708-acre community in the east Boise foothills. The community's plans call for 1,350 homes. Two years into the...

Idaho ethanol production freezes up.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Production of ethanol in Idaho has hit a wall, knocked back by falling petroleum prices, oversupply in the industry, stagnating consumption and backfiring bets on corn futures contracts. Pacific Ethanol of...

Omniflight in Idaho Falls adds new aircraft to I. F. operation.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilcox With snow showers swirling, it's a yellow day for the crew on board Omniflight's new DC-12 airplane. Every 12 hours, the pilot updates dispatch on the status of possible flights. Since the weather is iffy, when the...

Bank of the Cascades donates ground for Habitat multiplexes in Emmett.
March 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity by the end of 2010 plans to build 10 to 12 affordable housing units on six lots in the Freedom Park neighborhood in Emmett. The land, valued at $160,000, was donated by Bank of the...

Kids in Idaho discover importance of consumer-finance basics.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Young people are now paying attention in consumer-finance class. One of the recession cloud's silver linings is that more young people want to know how to avoid making big money-management mistakes now so that they...

New Boise State University tech transfer chief talks commercialization.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone Just as regular Idahoans are trying to work more with what they have, the state is looking to its stock of homegrown ideas to spur economic growth. Along with new organizations like the Idaho Innovation Council,...

Wealth mangers speak in Boise: Market must stabilize before economic recovery can begin.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Wells Fargo wealth managers, in a March 3 presentation in Boise, expressed cautious optimism about securities markets in the long term but advised clients to first make sure they have sufficient cash on hand. The...

Burley-based D.L. Evans Bancorp to receive Treasury funds.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson D.L. Evans Bancorp will receive funds from the voluntary Capital Purchase Program provided by the U.S. Treasury, CEO John V. Evans, Jr., said in a release. The board and shareholders of Burley-based D.L. Evans felt...

KW Commercial looks to expand brokerage in Boise.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson KW Commercial's new Boise real estate office employs seven agents already - despite the tough market - and will add agents as growth dictates, Director and Consultant W. Darrow Fiedler said last week. The firm...

Commentary: An app a day keeps the news away.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Robb Hicken I've been looking at the latest communication devices out on the market pining for something with all the bells and whistles and apps. Notice, I didn't refer to it as a phone, cell phone or any word resembling a...

Senate panel in Idaho endorses tweaks to confidential tax settlements.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Brad Carlson Businesses go unnamed when they settle disputes with the Idaho State Tax Commission via a compromise and close agreement. Opponents said the proposal does not go far enough. For example, it would not sufficiently...

Idaho Power partners with power saving response firm.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Zach Hagadone For the past two years Idaho Power has seen record breaking peak summer demand. Now it's looking to a new program that would have commercial and industrial customers reducing their summer consumption in exchange for...

Building Permits.
March 9, 2009... BUILDING PERMITS CITY OF BOISE PERMIT/TYPE    OWNER    BUILDER    LOCATION    VALUE 00184-alteration    PAB03 LLC    not listed  ...

Idahoans on the Move: March 9, 2009.
March 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Appointments Raeber named director of sales, leasing at Brighton Brighton Corporation recently named Scott Raeber as director of sales and leasing for its newly formed in-house brokerage service. Raeber joined...

JPMorgan Chase appoints Phyllis Campbell regional chairwoman.
March 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff JPMorgan Chase has brought on Phyllis Campbell as chair of the region which includes Idaho to oversee the transition of the Washington Mutual acquisition. JPMorgan Chase officials said Campbell will join the company...

Boise Real Estate Briefs: March 9, 2009.
March 9, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Silverdraft Studios leased 40,000 square feet of industrial space in the Coors Warehouse, 3225 E. Commercial Court, Meridian. Jerry Van Engen of Thornton Oliver Keller and Larry Leasure of White Leasure Development...

Bid Briefs.
March 9, 2009... Adjustment of manholes, water valve boxes and survey boxes, Idaho Falls. Bids 11 a.m. March 10 to City of Idaho Falls. Roadway brooming, Kootenai and Shoshone counties. Bids 2 p.m. March 10 to Idaho Transportation Department. Asphalt...

Contracts.
March 9, 2009... Dustbuster is the apparent low bidder for an MGCL supply contract, Mackey. Bid: $144,980. Shannon Industries is the apparent low bidder for a stormwater lift station upgrade, Coeur d’Alene. Bid: $188,398. Sommer Construction is...

Networking key to formation of Idaho-based Busiants.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Gaye Bunderson After a lot of forethought, planning and networking, Ramona Tullis started a company called Busiants (busy ants) last September. Of all the pre-launch work she performed prior to opening the business, she said...

Idaho gains new advertising agency.
March 10, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Two Boise based advertising agencies Marketing Media Group (MMG) and Davies Rourke announced Tuesday that the two companies will join forces to form DaviesMoore. As Boise's newest and oldest advertising, branding and...

Boise Cascade Holdings reports loss.(Financial report)
March 10, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Boise Cascade Holdings LLC on March 10 announced net losses of $40.5 million for the quarter and $288 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2008, respectively. About $219.4 million of the full-year loss was related to...

Idaho Power announces plans for Payette County power plant.
March 10, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Idaho Power plans to build a 300-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant at Langley Gulch in Payette County. The plant will serve as a new baseload resource for Idaho Power and is expected to cost a total of $427.4...

Ada County, Garden City forego contributions to Boise Valley Economic Partnership.
March 10, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin Ada County and Garden City will cut back on their contributions this year to the Boise Valley Economic Partnership, the economic development wing of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director Paul Hiller...

National chamber executive tells Boise chamber to step up.
March 10, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin The Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce should become a catalyst to turn around the local economy, a national chamber executive said. Mick Fleming, president and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives,...

Meridian Road and Main Street to change to one-way roads in Boise Sunday, weather permitting.
March 11, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Two-way traffic on Meridian Road and Main Street will be a thing of the past in the area between Franklin Road and Corporate Drive. The roads will be switched to one-way as part of ACHD's large-scale Meridian Road and...

Dry Creek community in Ada County returns for hearing tonight.
March 11, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Tonight Ada County will once again meet to discuss the planned community Dry Creek Ranch, which commissioners tabled in January, asking developers to cut density in half. As proposed, density would be 8.6 dwelling units...

Parma mayor unconvinced by Idaho Power pledge for public involvement in power line route.
March 11, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Two days after Idaho Power announced it would seek broader public involvement in the siting of a proposed 300-mile, 500 kilovolt transmission line, Parma Mayor Margie Watson said she's not convinced the utility's...

Committee agrees to give hearing to liquor license reform bill in Idaho.
March 11, 2009... Byline: Simon Shifrin A Senate committee agreed this morning to give a full hearing to a bill that would reform the state's liquor license system. The measure, drafted by a task force appointed by Gov. C.L. Butch Otter, would take...

EPA holds hearings on Simplot mining near Pocatello.
March 11, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has scheduled two public meetings in Eastern Idaho this month to discuss its proposed Record of Decision (ROD) amendment that will add phosphorus as a major contaminant of concern...

Boise-based Building Materials Holding Corp. announces preliminary results for 4Q 08.(Financial report)
March 11, 2009... Byline: IBR Staff Building Materials Holding Corp., of Boise, posted a 42 percent decrease in sales for the fourth quarter and posted for the year, a sales decrease of 39 percent from $2.2 billion in 2007 to $1.3 billion in 2008. The...