Emilie Ritter Saunders was StateImpact Idaho's multimedia reporter until the project merged with the Boise State Public Radio site in July 2013. She previously worked as the Capitol Bureau Chief for Montana Public Radio and 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.
Hours after Micron Technology announced its CEO Steve Appleton had been killed in a single-engine plane crash, the company sent this press release naming Chief Operating Officer Mark Durcan as Appleton’s successor.
Micron Technology
Mark Durcan, Micron Chief Operating Officer
“Steve was a true friend who will be dearly missed by all of us,” said Mark Durcan, Micron President and Chief Operating Officer. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and our team members as we all grieve this tragic loss.”
Pursuant to the Company’s bylaws, Mr. Durcan, in his role as president of the company will assume the responsibilities of CEO until a successor is appointed by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will convene a meeting over the weekend.
Boise-based Micron Technology CEO Steve Appleton died this morning in a single-engine plane crash at the Boise airport. Appleton was 51.
Steve Appleton joined Micron Technology in 1983. He held a series of positions including production manager, director of manufacturing and vice president of manufacturing. According to his company bio, Appleton was appointed president and chief operating officer of Micron in 1991. In 1994 Appleton became CEO.
Appleton has served on various boards including the board of directors for the Semiconductor Industry Association and National Semiconductor, Inc. He was also a member of the World Semiconductor Council and served on the Idaho Business Council. He received a bachelor of business administration degree from Boise State University in 1982 and an honorary doctorate from Boise State University in 2007. Continue Reading →
The wreckage of a Lancair experimental aircraft that crashed at the Boise Airport Friday morning.
The Associated Press confirms Micron’s chief executive officer Steve Appleton has died in a small plane crash in Boise. He was 51.
Micron spokesman Dan Francisco confirmed Appleton’s death Friday. Trading in Micron stocks has been halted. Appleton, an avid pilot, was the only one in the experimental fixed-wing plane when it crashed at the Boise airport Friday morning.
Micron Technology Inc. is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Through its worldwide operations, Micron manufactures and markets a full range of DRAM, NAND and NOR flash memory.
We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Appleton, Micron Chairman and CEO, passed away this morning in a small plane accident in Boise. He was 51.
Our hearts go out to his wife, Dalynn, his children and his family during this tragic time.
Steve’s passion and energy left an indelible mark on Micron, the Idaho community and the technology industry at large.
The company expects to provide additional information later today.
The company was founded in October 1978 in Boise, Idaho. Micron is one of Idaho’s largest employers with more than 5,000 employees. The company has gone through a series of layoffs since 2005, when it had nearly 10,000 employees in Idaho.
McDonald's manager Christine Ruiz interviews job applicant Antonio Rodriguez during a one-day hiring event at a McDonald's restaurant on April 19, 2011 in San Francisco, California.
New data released this week from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Idaho’s teen unemployment rate was among the highest in the country last year. Preliminary 2011 data on employment status by state and demographic group breaks down the jobless rate between sexes, age groups and race.
Idaho’s teen (16-19 years old) unemployment rate in 2011 was 29.9 percent. Three of Idaho’s neighboring states are also ranked among the ten states with the highest teen jobless rate, Nevada, Washington and Oregon. Continue Reading →
Sen. Steve Vick is a Republican from Dalton Gardens, ID.
The Associated Pressreports conservative Idaho lawmakers are pushing a constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds vote for fee or tax hikes passed by the Legislature.
Sen. Steve Vick (R-Dalton Gardens) is a first term Idaho legislator. He previously served in the Montana Legislature for seven years. Vick wants Idaho to join about 16 other states that have adopted this supermajority requirement.
The House State Affairs committee passed the measure 15-3 along party lines, with all Republicans supporting it and Democrats opposed.
Vick toldIdahoReporter.com he’s seen the idea in other states and thought it’d be a good fit for Idaho. “It just seemed like a good idea,” Vick said. “The primary motive is to control the growth of government.” Continue Reading →
Idaho budget writers will spend Friday morning listening to constituents. The Idaho Statesmanreports it’s just the second public hearing of its kind in 92 years.
Samantha Wright / Boise State Public Radio
Sen. Dean Cameron is co-chairman of JFAC.
In 2011, Joint Finance Appropriations Committee Co-Chairs Rep. Maxine Bell (R-Jerome) and Sen. Dean Cameron (R-Rupert) decided to open Idaho’s budgeting process to the public. Cameron says the idea was modeled after similar listening sessions in Utah. “We’ve always wanted to involve public participation in the legislating process,” says Cameron. “But the way the process is set up, it doesn’t adequately allow the public to come testify on the budget bill because it’s never drafted until the end [of the session].”
During the 2011 public budget hearing, more than 1,000 Idahoans filled the Capitol to testify. That was the year lawmakers ended up cutting millions of dollars from the Health and Welfare Department and K-12 public education budgets. Sen. Cameron says that hearing did influence the way lawmakers ended up cutting. “The Health and Welfare bill that came forward initially cut a lot more than what ended up happened at the end, that was due in part to the public testimony,” Cameron says. Continue Reading →
Allen Brown stopped in Boise on his way from Lewiston to Pocatello for a job interview.
The Idaho Department of Labor estimates there are at least 65,000 people in the state without work. That doesn’t include thousands more who are underemployed or have stopped looking for a job. This is the latest story in our “Jobless in Idaho” series, that follows several Idahoans in their search for work.
We introduced you to Allen Brown a few days before Christmas. He’s a 44-year-old single father who was one of 250 people laid off from the Clearwater Paper sawmill in Lewiston. We recently caught up with Brown as he passed through Boise on his way to a job interview in Pocatello.
When Allen Brown lost his job at the sawmill he thought finding a new one wouldn’t be that tough. He has a background in electronics and is a good 20 years away from retirement. But when he started applying for jobs and meeting with potential employers he found a lot of low-paying temporary or part time work. Continue Reading →
Rep. Brian Cronin (D-Boise) explaining the 2012 IJOBS package.
Democratic lawmakers rolled out their plan to create jobs this morning. It’s dubbed IJOBS 2.0 and is made up of six bills ranging from tax credits to an accountability measure.Â
Here’s the list from Spokesman Review reporter and Eye on Boiseblogger Betsy Russell:
HB 435, the “Corporate Tax Incentive and Accountability Act,” would require public disclosure of details of tax incentives directed to corporations, including purpose, amount, and how many jobs were created each year.
The “Value-Added Agriculture and Farmer Empowerment Act” would explore granting a 50 percent tax credit for every dollar an Idaho farmer or rancher invests in a state-of-the-art agricultural processing venture or majority owned farmer cooperative. Continue Reading →
Rep. Phil Hart (R- Athol) wants gold and silver coin to be an alternative to paper money, formally known as Federal Reserve Notes. Hart, who is currently being sued by the federal government for unpaid taxes, wants gold and silver currency exempt from tax. He’s titled the bill the ‘Idaho Constitutional Money Act of 2012’.
Here’s the statement of purpose for Hart’s House Bill 430:
[legislator leg_id=IDL000063 align=right]
This legislation provides for the use of gold and silver coin as legal tender in the state of Idaho as an alternative to the Federal Reserve Notes that currently circulate as our only currency. The legislation allows for the legal and voluntary use of such gold and silver coins should the parties of a transaction agree that their business shall be handled in such manner. The legislation identifies Article I, section 10, clause 1 of the United State Constitution as established authority for a state to conduct business in such a manner.
The legislation also exempts gold and silver coins that have been declared to be legal tender by the laws of the United State from being subject to taxation due to their use or as a result of their ownership.
A similar measure failed to make it out of committee last session. Rep. Hart’s version is heading for second reading in the House. You can read the full bill text here.
About StateImpact
StateImpact seeks to inform and engage local communities with broadcast and online news focused on how state government decisions affect your lives. Learn More »
