Boise State studies ways to accommodate growth, attract top faculty 

Dr. Juliette Tinker doesn’t have much, if any free time to spare during the course of her work day. Not only is she an assistant professor of Biological Sciences at Boise State University who teaches courses, writes grants, and fulfills other departmental duties, she also happens to be a microbiologist developing vaccines in her research lab [...]

No ‘concrete’ plans in sight for new Stanley library

Through the grapevine, I recently learned about a new library planned for construction in Stanley. From what I understood, it seemed like the new building was imminent. Obviously, I was interested to learn more about it, including a construction timeline, costs, who the contractor and architect are, and what amenities it will offer.
Imagine my surprise [...]

City of Boise considers recycled glass alternatives 

Spurred by residents’ calls for glass recycling, the city of Boise is spending $130,000 each year to haul thousands of bottles and jars away from collection sites to the Ada County Highway District’s Schmidt Pit.

Nobody knows what to do with them next. While Boise residents want glass to be recycled, the market [...]

Pioneer Federal building credit union in Meridian

Construction of a Pioneer Federal Credit Union is under way at 850 E. Fairview Ave., Meridian.
Sage Construction of Caldwell is the contractor and LRK Architects/Planners Inc., of Boise is the architect. Greg Brown, president and owner of Sage Construction, said grading and vegetation removal has already begun at the site and the concrete foundation will [...]

Economy needs more than new buff

The Division of Financial Management crunched its numbers for the past quarter, leaving no doubt: economists still have no idea where Idaho’s economy is headed.
Mike Ferguson, the state’s chief economist, sadly noted that the economy “entered this year’s second quarter with plenty of momentum, but it exited with little.”
The New York Stock Exchange also signaled [...]

Micron workers turn public speaking terror to triumph 

Philip Wehr has never completely recovered from the speech he gave at age 17 to be student body president at Deer Park High School north of Spokane. He faltered and stumbled over his words and ended with a mortified apology to the audience.
Wehr, now a quality and reliability engineer at Boise-based Micron Technology Inc., shied [...]

Broadband lag in rural areas impacts Idaho crop growers 

Idaho’s crop producers are relying on the Internet as they compete in a global market, but all aren’t competing with equal Internet access.

 
Wheat producers are increasingly turning to Internet-based solutions to market their crop,  Idaho Wheat Commission Executive Director Blaine Jacobson said.

 
“The faster the connection, the better. On a day like today (Aug. [...]

Biomark plans remodel of downtown Boise building 

Biomark, a Boise-based manufacturer of identification and monitoring devices for fish and wildlife, plans to remodel and occupy a downtown Boise building.
Located between Eighth and Ninth and River streets, Boise’s planning director Hal Simmons confirmed Biomark would occupy an existing warehouse after an extensive remodel.
“We are excited about this new development. It will rejuvenate that [...]

Commentary: Rent: how much is right for you? 

I recently advised a very bright lawyer who was having difficulty with the math of seeking new office quarters. He wanted to understand the interplay between basic rent, common area charges (maintenance, taxes, etc., that the landlord assesses at the end of each lease year to cover the cost of operating the building, paid pro [...]

Steam dream can’t come fast enough

When the Board of Land Commissioners designated the southern half of the state as a “known geothermal resource area” it frankly seemed like a long overdue step. We can finally look forward to development of one of the state’s greatest untapped resources.
It was more than two years ago Idaho lawmakers worked out the details that [...]