Emilie Ritter Saunders comes to Boise from Montana Public Radio where she was the Capitol Bureau Chief from 2008-2011 covering everything from state government and politics to the economy and the environment. Emilie was a Senior Fellow with NPR's Economic Training Project from 2009 until 2010. She graduated from the University of Montana School of Journalism in 2007.
The latest driver’s license data suggests more 20-somethings are leaving Idaho than ever before. The net loss of Idahoans aged 21-30 last year was 149. The data show 11,530 young people moved to Idaho from other states in 2012, while 11,679 left.
Source: Idaho Department of Labor | Idaho Department of Transportation
The Idaho Department of Labor is keeping an eye on this unsettling trend; young people are leaving the state in search of higher-paying jobs while retirees from out-of-state are moving in faster than ever. Continue Reading →
Jordyn Skinner is a freshman at Boise State University. She also works part-time at Franco's Pizzeria.
There’s a brand new pizza joint in southeast Boise. It’s nestled in a mini-strip mall with a gas station, dry cleaner and hair salon.
On a recent Friday evening, Franco’s Pizzeria was just starting to pick up. It’s a tiny place. The cash register is only a few steps away from the industrial pizza ovens. There are a handful of tables and stools inside for someone who just wants a quick slice.
Two employees behind the register take turns answering the phone and taking orders. Two other workers are busy hand-tossing pizza dough, spreading sauce on the crust and layering the New York-style pies with toppings.
The Division of Financial Management reports tax collections totaled $483.9 million during the largest tax-collecting month of the year. DFM forecast April collections wouldn’t exceed $427.4 million. Continue Reading →
Yesterday, Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter declared May “2nd Amendment Protection Month.” And as new gun control laws go into effect in a handful of states, the Idaho Commerce Department says it’s “well-poised” to lure gun and ammunition companies to Idaho.
A proposed Idaho cobalt mine with government approval and support from environmental groups has nixed its project, for now, because it says the price of the metal is too low and risk-averse financiers want too much to lend it money.
The U.S. Census Bureau has taken a closer look at business on the state and county levels. The agency released this map today that shows where Idaho’s businesses are concentrated, their estimated number of employees and the estimated annual payroll.
The 2011 data from the American Community Survey shows there were 42,399 businesses in Idaho, employing 482,772 with an annual payroll of $16.8 billion. The statistics don’t include self-employed businesses, employees of private households, or government.
More than a dozen states have put caps on payday loan interest rates, limiting and in some cases shutting down the industry in many states.
The pitch to cap rates in Idaho hasn’t been successful. Still, big banks have started offering short-term, high-interest loans to make up for the loss in the payday lending industry.
The Wall Street Journal this week summed up how those loans work, and which banks offer them. Continue Reading →
Capital Pressreports a record number of Idaho agriculture groups have applied for specialty crop grants.
The grants are financed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since 2009, the Idaho Department of Agriculture reports more than $3.5 million in grants have gone to Idaho producers. Capital Press reports $1 million will be up for grabs in 2013.
“A total of 24 applications seeking $1.8 million were submitted in 2012 and 12 of the applications totaling $844,000 were approved. In 2011, 16 applications seeking $1.6 million were submitted and eight totaling $926,000 were approved.” – Capital Press Continue Reading →
Idaho is on the fast-track to create its own online health insurance exchange. This week, the newly-minted exchange board met for the first time and voted unanimously to hire a Portland consultant to head the project.
The Spokesman-Reviewreports the exchange board has voted to hire Amy Dowd as executive director. She has accepted the new job with a salary in the “$175,000 range.” Continue Reading →
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