HP to trim staff by 8 percent companywide 
POSTED: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 04:53 PM PTBY: Brad Carlson
Tags: downsizing, layoffs, Technology
Hewlett-Packard Co. will eliminate 27,000 jobs, or nearly 8 percent of its workforce, by the end of fiscal 2014, President and CEO Meg Whitman said during the company’s fiscal second quarter conference call with analysts May 23. The cuts will affect every part of HP, she said. Calls to HP’s Boise operation were not returned. [...]
Social media privacy bill advances in California
POSTED: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 03:34 PM PTBY: Pat Murphy
Tags: Facebook, social media
Employers would be prohibited from asking employees and job applicants for their Facebook passwords under a bill in the California legislature. Assemblywoman Nora Campos, D-San Jose, introduced the bill in February. “I am proud to have received this overwhelming show of support for the protection of our privacy rights,” said Campos in a statement. “I [...]
AAA: Holiday travel to inch up despite gas prices
POSTED: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 12:56 PM PTBY: Brad Carlson
Tags: consumer spending, gas prices, travel
Memorial Day weekend travel is expected to increase by 1.4 percent in Idaho from last year including a 1.6 percent rise in automobile trips, AAA Idaho reported. The organization said it expects nearly 167,000 Idahoans to drive or ride in vehicles more than 50 miles from home during the May 24-28 holiday period despite gas [...]
Fourteen stolen bikes worth $120K are found
POSTED: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 12:53 PM PTBY: The Associated Press
Tags: Exergy Tour
Boise’s mayor said May 23 that police recovered all 14 racing bicycles stolen by thieves who raided the trailer of a professional cycling team that is trying to get its top rider to the London Olympics. Mayor Dave Bieter said the bicycles appear to be in good shape. A police department spokesman says the bicycles [...]
United Pipe closure sends workers to competitors
POSTED: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 12:41 PM PTBY: Brad Carlson
Tags: closures, construction suppliers
Water infrastructure company United Pipe & Supply closed recently at 11420 W. Executive Drive in Boise. But H.D. Fowler Co., a competitor with many former United employees, is growing and plans a new Meridian office and warehouse building next year. The United chain closed in April. The company said on its website that it is closing all [...]
AP, news groups sue Idaho over execution access
POSTED: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 08:24 AM PTBY: The Associated Press
The Associated Press and 16 other organizations sued the state of Idaho May 22 to force officials to let witnesses watch executions from start to finish, arguing that the media has a First Amendment right to view all steps of a lethal injection execution. The group asked a U.S. District Court judge to require the [...]
U.S. Ecology expands with Midwest acquisition
POSTED: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 05:04 PM PTBY: Brad Carlson
Boise-based U.S. Ecology Inc. is growing by acquisition again. The company on May 21 announced it entered an agreement with PVS Chemicals Inc. to buy all stock of PVS subsidiary Dynecol Inc., in Detroit. U.S Ecology will pay $11.25 million using borrowings from an existing credit agreement. The sale is expected to conclude by June [...]
Hoku lays off 100 in Pocatello, construction schedule uncertain
POSTED: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 04:37 PM PTBY: Brad Iverson-Long
Hoku Materials Inc. laid off 100 workers May 22 at its dormant polysilicon plant in Pocatello. The plant now has approximately 30 workers, down from a high of 600 at the construction site. Hoku Materials, a subsidiary of Hawaii-based Hoku Corp., has been building the plant that makes materials for solar panels since 2007. All [...]
Business Briefs
POSTED: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 11:51 AM PTBY: IBR Staff
ValleyRide buses will get higher tech tracking Valley Regional Transit will add new equipment that will make it easier to track where its buses are in real time. The Treasure Valley public transit agency plans on installing global positioning system and automatic vehicle location systems on its ValleyRide busses for its Boise and Nampa/Caldwell fixed [...]
U.S. sales of previously occupied homes rose in April
POSTED: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 11:40 AM PTBY: The Associated Press
Americans bought more previously owned homes in April, a hopeful sign that the weak housing market is gradually improving. The National Association of Realtors said May 22 that home sales rose 3.4 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.62 million. Home sales have rebounded after falling in March and are near [...]
