Idaho

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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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June 21, 2012

An Entrepreneur, Stimulus Money, And An Idaho Mill Town That Wants To Rise Again

Stories about mill towns tend to go something like this: generations of families work at the local sawmill.  Then, the mill shuts down, taking hundreds of jobs with it.  Emmett, Idaho is one of those towns.  Boise Cascade closed its mill here in 2001.  But that’s not where this story ends.  Instead, it picks up […]

June 19, 2012

Boise Airport Makes A Wishlist: DFW, IAH, ATL, CLT

This spring, Boise business leaders found a target and zeroed in.  The Boise Airport had recently been hit by a spate of cuts.  Southwest had suspended local service to Seattle, Salt Lake and Reno, and that was only the latest round of flight reductions.  Preserving and expanding air service would be its chief focus, a […]

June 14, 2012

Foreclosure Numbers Show Idaho’s Upward Trend

Idaho saw a 9 percent uptick in foreclosure filings from April to May, according to housing data provider RealtyTrac. That mirrors the 9 percent rise in foreclosure activity seen nationally over the same period.  RealtyTrac says foreclosure activity is picking up in the wake of the landmark, multi-billion dollar mortgage settlement reached earlier this year.

Idaho Awards ‘IGEM’ Money To Research Universities

More than $2 million has been awarded to Idaho’s research universities for the first phase of the Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission or IGEM. The public-private research initiative sailed through the 2012 Legislature after Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter pitched it as a way to expand technology development in Idaho. Lawmakers set aside $5 million for IGEM.  […]

June 11, 2012

Outdoor Recreation An “Overlooked Economic Giant”

Americans spent far more on outdoor recreation last year than they did on pharmaceuticals.  That’s one finding of a report released this weekend that highlights the economic impact of outdoor recreation nationally and in the West. U.S. spending on outdoor recreation exceeded $645 billion last year, the report says.  By comparison, spending on pharmaceuticals totaled […]

June 8, 2012

Housing Settlement Dollars Go Toward Tax Revenue Gap, Not Homeowners

Most of the $13.5 million Idaho received as part of the multibillion-dollar mortgage settlement reached earlier this year has gone into the state’s general fund, as StateImpact recently reported.  Now, the state Division of Financial Management’s May report shows that the $13 million directed into the general fund last month helped to offset weaker-than-expected individual […]

Boise’s Housing Market: Why All The Competition?

Boise’s housing market is a moving target.  Last fall, StateImpact reported on a market still in the doldrums.  Earlier this spring, we started to hear about growing demand and new construction.  Yesterday, we took a look at the tough competition for low-priced properties, as new homebuyers and investors scramble for good values. The trickier questions […]

June 7, 2012
June 4, 2012

Airstream Dealership Signals Upswing In Idaho’s Economy

The silver bullet known as an Airstream trailer has roamed the nation’s highways since the 1930s. It’s as iconic as a Coke bottle.  The start of summer brings with it thoughts of exploring and camping.  For some people, that means hitching up the Airstream and heading out on the highway.

May 31, 2012

Good Sign: Homes In Foreclosure Are A Smaller Share Of Idaho Sales

More than 22 percent of the homes sold in Idaho in the first four months of the year were in some stage of foreclosure.  That might sound like a lot, but it’s actually a sign of improvement in the state’s housing market. Why? Because the numbers from housing data provider RealtyTrac show that the proportion […]

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