Biz ‘Bites’

Grain Craft to build Blackfoot elevator
Grain Craft of Chattanooga, Tenn., announced on Aug. 24 that it will build a grain elevator at its Blackfoot flour mill. The site was readied for construction in May and the concrete foundation is scheduled to be poured before the end of August. The elevator is slated to be complete before the end of the year. Grain Craft is a family owned firm and the third largest flour miller in the United States The company, which is more than a century old, sells both bagged and bulk flours.

Mountain Rides first to electrify
Mountain Rides in Blaine County became the first transit agency in Idaho on Aug. 20 to begin transitioning to an all-electric fleet. Four new electric buses replace four aging diesel buses on the Wood River Valley route between Bellevue and Sun Valley. Each of the new buses seats 35 passengers. The buses cost $760,000 apiece and are sold by New Flyer of America. Their purchase was funded through government grants and the 2015 Volkswagen emissions lawsuit settlement. Mountain Rides plans to convert its entire fleet of 20 buses to all electric by 2027. Mountain Rides provides year-round bus routes between Bellevue, Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley, as well as vanpools and carpool matching services for Twin Falls, Shoshone, Gooding, Jerome, Fairfield and the Wood River Valley.

Grand Teton Mall Sears repurposed for school
The Alturas Preparatory Academy of Idaho Falls will open on Aug. 30 inside the former Sears at the Grand Teton Mall in southeast Idaho Falls. The school received approval for the move from the Idaho Public Charter School Commission in August 2020. Grades six to 10 will attend classes in the new building. Grades 11 and 12 will be added in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Grades K through 5 will remain at the school’s current facility at the former O.E. Bell Jr. High School Building in Idaho Falls. The school received a grant from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation to help fund the renovation of the former Sears store. The rest of the money was raised through donations. This is the second charter school to take over a former Sears anchor store at an eastern Idaho mall. The first was the Pocatello-area Gem Preparatory School, which moved in to the former Sears at the Pine Ridge Mall in Chubbuck in 2019.

Beer fest returns to Idaho Falls
The Mountain Brewers Beer Fest returns to Idaho Falls on Aug. 28 at the Sandy Downs horse racing track. Over 100 breweries will be represented at the fest. The fest was canceled for 2020 and then moved from its traditional time in June to August 2021 over COVID-19 concerns. The event has not published vaccination or negative COVID-19 test requirements for attendance. Admission is through advance ticket sales only. Attendees must be 21 or older. All proceeds from The North American Brewers Association competition held at the event will benefit four local eastern Idaho charities.

FDA issues full approval for Pfizer vaccine
The FDA has issued full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as of Aug. 23 for individuals aged 16 and older. The vaccine will retain its emergency authorization for ages 12 through 15. A third dose of the vaccine for certain immunocompromised individuals will also retain its emergency authorization. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will now be marketed as the Comirnaty vaccine. Emergency use authorization was based on the results of a randomized, controlled, blinded ongoing clinical trial of thousands of individuals. For full approval, the FDA reviewed updated data from the clinical trial. Overall, approximately 12,000 recipients have been followed for at least six months. The most commonly reported side effects: pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, chills and fever. The vaccine is intended to be effective in preventing COVID-19 and potentially serious outcomes from it, including hospitalization and death.