US housing starts fell in April but permits surged
POSTED: Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 02:15 PM PTBY: The Associated Press
U.S. builders broke ground on far fewer homes in April, one month after topping the 1 million mark for the first time since 2008. But applications for new construction reached a five-year peak, evidence that the housing revival will be sustained. The Commerce Department said May 16 that builders started construction at a seasonally adjusted [...]
Idaho warden quits after staff filed false reports
POSTED: Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 02:02 PM PTBY: The Associated Press
The warden of the privately run Idaho Correctional Center has quit a month after the company acknowledged that his employees falsified thousands of hours of staffing records during much of 2012. Timothy Wengler, who works for Corrections Corporation of America, lasted just three years as warden of the prison south of Boise. His last day [...]
US homebuilder confidence rises in May from April
POSTED: Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 07:11 PM PTBY: The Associated Press
Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rebounded in May, reflecting improved sales trends during the spring home-selling season and the strongest outlook for sales over the next six months in more than six years. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released May 14 rose to 44 in May from 41 in April. The [...]
Idaho woman claims bias against Union Pacific
POSTED: Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 01:20 PM PTBY: The Associated Press
A southeast Idaho woman has filed a federal lawsuit seeking $350,000 from Union Pacific railroad, contending she was discriminated against with unfair wage practices because of her gender. Ronna K. Martinez filed the lawsuit the week of May 6 in U.S. District Court in Pocatello following more than 40 years with the company, the Idaho [...]
Western lawmakers push to restore mineral funds
POSTED: Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 10:51 AM PTBY: The Associated Press
A bipartisan group of western lawmakers is pushing legislation in Washington to restore cuts of $110 million in federal mineral royalty payments to 35 states. Senators from New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah and Idaho signed onto legislation introduced May 14 by Sen. Mike Enzi, a Wyoming Republican. Similar legislation was introduced in the House by [...]
Idaho spud giant bets on biotech potatoes
POSTED: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 08:54 AM PTBY: The Associated Press
A dozen years after a customer revolt forced Monsanto to ditch its genetically engineered potato, an Idaho company aims to resurrect high-tech spuds. This month, tuber processing giant J.R. Simplot Co. asked the U.S. government to approve five varieties of biotech potatoes. They’re engineered not to develop ugly black bruises — McDonald’s, which gets many [...]
USDA: Despite late start, record corn crop likely
POSTED: Monday, May 13, 2013 at 02:47 PM PTBY: The Associated Press
The wet start to the corn planting season is expected to reduce the amount each acre produces this year, but farmers are planting so much of the crop that they’re still likely to bring in a record amount. In a report released May 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated farmers will bring in 14.1 [...]
4 northern Idaho routes could get bigger trucks
POSTED: Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 02:46 PM PTBY: The Associated Press
Four northern Idaho routes designated as appropriate for extra-long trucks will likely be considered as potential routes for extra-heavy trucks as well. The Spokesman-Review reports in a story published May 9 that U.S. highways 95 and 2, and state highways 41 and 53 already have the extra-long designation. “I think the primary thing is the [...]
Calif. health exchange granted secrecy; Idaho exchange must be open
POSTED: Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 09:37 AM PTBY: The Associated Press
A California law that created an agency to oversee national health care reforms granted it sweeping authority to conceal spending on the contractors that will perform most of its functions, creating a barrier from public disclosure that stands out nationwide. The degree of secrecy afforded Covered California appears unique among states attempting to establish their [...]
Survey: US home prices up 10.5 percent in past year
POSTED: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 04:46 PM PTBY: The Associated Press
A survey shows U.S. home prices rose 10.5 percent in March compared with a year ago, the biggest gain since March 2006. Prices rose 14.5 percent in Idaho in March. Core Logic, a real estate data provider, said May 7 that annual home prices have now increased for 13 straight months. Prices are rising in [...]
