University and college leaders are presenting their requests to members of the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee.
It’s education week at the Idaho Legislature. Today, tomorrow and Wednesday officials from Idaho’s universities and community colleges will be asking lawmakers to spend money on infrastructure, employee salaries and programs to keep their schools moving forward.
Governor Butch Otter’s budget for fiscal year 2013 recommends legislators appropriate about $254 million for universities and community colleges. Campus leaders requested nearly $294 million.
The Center of the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University compiles data on state funding of higher education. It’s called the annual Grapevine study. The Associated Pressreports overall state spending nationwide has declined about $6 billion, or nearly 8 percent, over the past year. Continue Reading →
Scenty's fondue line 'Velata' will be available May 1, 2012
Scentsy, the Meridian, Idaho-based wickless candle company, launched into the world of fondue today. The company announced its first food product line, called Velata. The chocolate fondue kit will be available in May. It comes with a microwaveable pouch of chocolate, a silicone dish and an electric warmer.
Scentsy has made some new hires in its corporate office related to the chocolate line. Spokeswoman Stephanie Finch says if the company’s foray into food does well it will require additional corporate support. Finch couldn’t give an estimate on the number of jobs Scentsy could potentially add.
Job seekers speaking with potential employers at the Veteran's Job Fair in Boise in November.
Idaho’s unemployment rate is now at its lowest level in nearly three years. The Department of Labor reports the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked down one-tenth of a percent to 8.4 for the month of December.
Idaho’s jobless rate hit a record high of 9.7 percent in December 2010. Those gains mark the largest year-over-year growth in total employment since before the recession officially began in mid-2007.
Still, there are 64,100 Idahoans without work. The Conference board, a D.C.-based think tank estimates there are more than three unemployed Idahoans for every job post.
Food stamp money is now distributed on EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards.
Back in November, StateImpact Idahoreported on the growing number of people using SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) commonly known as food stamps. The program is in the news again this week after lawmakers were briefed on the data and Idaho grocery stores committed $100,000 to changing the way food stamps are distributed.
We know food stamp use is up across much of the country. According to this study from the Urban Institute, Idaho saw its SNAP enrollment go up by 123 percent between 2007 and 2010, Nevada’s grew by 128 percent. So what does this growth look like? It’s pretty dramatic.
Here’s a chart showing the number of Idaho’s food stamp participants for the month of June since 2007.
Source: Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
This second chart shows the same data, but is plotted from zero.
In the Boise area, the number of homes on the market fell by nearly 40 percent between the end of 2010 and the end of 2011.
One indicator of an improving housing market is declining inventory, and Idaho appears to be faring well on that score. According to analysis by Realtor.com, Boise’s number of total listings fell by just over 39 percent from the end of 2010 until the end of 2011. That’s greater than the national decrease of just over 22 percent.
Fewer homes for sale should lead to rising prices, and so far that logic is borne out in the local market. The median list price in Boise grew by more than 19 percent over the last year. That’s compared to 5 percent growth nationally. Continue Reading →
Super 1 Foods opened a new store in Sandpoint, Idaho back in 2010
The Idaho Business Review reports a small north Idaho town is getting a new grocery store and about 80 new jobs. In November, Super 1 Foods broke ground on a 50,000 square foot grocery store that’s scheduled to open in Bonners Ferry in June.
IdahoBusinessReview.com reports the new store will lower Boundary County’s unemployment rate of 14.6 percent two points. Here’s more from the Business Review:
Ryan Wilson, Super 1 Store Director, said the Bonners Ferry store will include a pharmacy as well as a section of organic and gluten-free products. Continue Reading →
Medicaid recipient Krystal Esterline and her guardian Nikki Tangen spoke at today's Medicaid roundtable.
Medicaid recipients, their advocates and service providers want to drive home the point that cuts to the program have real effects for individuals and communities. At a roundtable discussion this morning they called for a restoration of services that have been reduced in recent years.
At the heart of the broad-ranging discussion was an individual story. Twenty-two-year-old Medicaid recipient Krystal Esterline talked about the effects of recent service cuts in her own life. A year ago, she was forced to choose between one service that assists her with depression and anxiety, and another that helps her cope with developmental disabilities. When she stopped receiving what’s known as psychosocial rehabilitation, she says, things changed. “Life just went pretty much downhill,” she said. “I was on a good path when I had my services, and when I lost part of them, I just wasn’t able to cope.”
LMS Defense currently has 17 employees nationwide.
The Idaho Department of Commerce announced this morning a full service defensive training firm is relocating its Reno, Nevada corporate headquarters to Twin Falls, Idaho.
LMS Defense, Inc. specializes in counterterrorism training to the United States military, law enforcement and security professionals. LMS Founder and CEO John Chapman says he’ll hire five people locally for administrative support at their new Twin Falls headquarters. Chapman plans to hire between 15 and 20 additional people when a new training facility is built in late summer.
Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter gave his address from the floor of the Idaho Senate.
One of the most prominent issues last legislative session was a nearly $100 million cut in combined state and federal Medicaid funding. For many observing Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s State of the State and Budget Address last week, reinstated support for Medicaid was a key omission. Restoring funding to health and human services programs that have undergone deep cuts over the last four years did not make the governor’s list of budget priorities.
“It sends a pretty clear message to people who rely on Medicaid,” said Katherine Hansen, Executive Director of Community Partnerships of Idaho, Inc., a Medicaid service provider. “It sends a clear message that people with disabilities are not as valued.” Continue Reading →
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