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Whether it’s agriculture, tourism or energy, a look at the industries that shape Idaho’s economy and how they are affected by state policies.

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August 10, 2012

Idaho’s Irrigated Farmers Are Positioned To Cash In

Today brought new information about the unrelenting drought that’s affecting a broad swath of the country. The U.S. Department of Agriculture revised down its estimate of domestic corn production to its lowest level in close to 20 years.Ā  Global food prices are predicted to rise as a result, but corn futures actually fell today, as […]

August 9, 2012

Idaho Foreclosure Filings Tick Up From June, Annually It’s A Different Story

RealtyTrac data released today illustrates a mixed picture of Idaho’s housing market. The foreclosure tracker looks at two things each month: annual changes, and month-to-month changes.Ā  In Idaho, the annual trends are positive.Ā  It’s the month-to-month data that tends to be more volatile. Idaho’s foreclosure rate ticked up slightly by just under one percentage point […]

August 8, 2012

How Traditional Japanese Homebuilding Reversed The Fortunes Of One Idaho Sawmill

Before the recession hit, the sawmill in the North Idaho town of Laclede was known for its reliability.Ā  It had never seen a shutdown, not in Steve Spletstoserā€™s nearly 30 years of working there.Ā  Then came 2008. “It was really eye-opening to see,” Spletstoser says.Ā  “Your livelihood is hanging in the balance.”Ā  Day after day, […]

August 7, 2012

In Lean Times, Lumber Companies Look Abroad

Lately, StateImpact has reported a series of stories on the timber industry.Ā  We’ve reported on a Montana entrepreneur’s effort to start up a small mill in Emmett, Idaho with theĀ help of federal stimulus funding.Ā  We’ve also considered the divergent economic realities of counties associated with agriculture and counties associated with the timber industry.Ā  Next up: […]

Boise Airport Picks Up New Airline, Nonstop Flights

Allegiant Air, known for its low cost direct flights, will now fly out of Boise.Ā  The airline announced new flights from Boise to Las Vegas starting in October and Boise to Honolulu beginning in February. Here’s the press release from Allegiant: Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) announces new, nonstop jet service between Boise, Idaho and Honolulu beginning […]

August 6, 2012

More Homeowners Are Underwater In Idaho Than The National Average

The percentage of homeowners who are underwater on their mortgages has increased in Idaho, even as the local housing market has begun to improve.Ā  Data collected by CoreLogic show there’s a larger percentage of underwater mortgages in the Gem State than the U.S. average. Negative equity, often referred to as ‘underwater’, simply means a homeowner […]

August 1, 2012

Idaho-Based Scentsy Continues To Grow, Adds New Brand

Say you own a multi-million dollar direct sales company that sells wickless scented candles, bath products and chocolate fondue…what would you add next? Well, Meridian, Idaho-based Scentsy is diving into the handbags and accessories market. The company that launched in 2004 selling wickless scented candles has added a new brand to its growing business, and […]

July 31, 2012

Flights Aren’t The Only Thing Going Up, Up, Up At The Boise Airport

The combination of high fuel prices and diminished ridership in the wake of the recession has left airlines struggling to boost profit margins. Now, data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics show that airfares in and out of Boise have gone up by more than 10 percent since last year. The 10.6 percent hike in […]

July 27, 2012

Better Late Than Never: Housing Sector Contributes To Growth

On the heels of the bad news that the U.S. economy expanded at an annual rate of only 1.5 percent from April through June, there’s this observation from The Wall Street Journal today: housing is finally contributing to economic growth. The housing bubble is a large part of what got the U.S. into its economic […]

July 26, 2012

Why New Home Sales Have Slowed In Boise

New home sales took a dive in June, falling by more than 8 percent nationwide.Ā  That’s according to a report out this week from the Commerce Department.Ā  But that national trend doesn’t hold as true in the Boise area, which accounts for a large number of Idaho’s new home sales. According to data from the […]

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