Idaho Falls leads state in weekly wages, Pocatello in wage growth

Last week's numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed another decrease in Idaho unemployment, for the ninth straight month. But while trends in employment are the typical gauge of economic well being, earnings can provide a deeper measure of the value of economic change. All jobs are not equal and earnings are a measure of productivity and economic contribution.

Another set of BLS numbers, compiled in February, show earnings and jobs on the rise throughout the nation, with the Idaho Falls Metropolitan Statistic Area leading in Idaho. According to the data, the average weekly wage in Idaho Falls was $803, making it 64th in the nation. The weekly wage for Boise was $701 and Pocatello was $678.

Is there anyone who would dispute the effect the Idaho National Laboratory and the cleanup work at the Department of Energy site have on local wages? It would be interesting to see what average weekly earnings would be for the area absent the lab-related jobs.

On the six-month earnings growth front, Pocatello led the state, with at rate of 6.9 percent, 94th in the nation. Idaho Falls followed with 5.7 percent, while Boise posted a loss of -4.6 percent, ranking 326th.

Overall, 241 U.S. metros (64.7 percent) had experienced positive earnings growth over the year, but when inflation was factored in the number dropped to 179 metros (48.1 percent).

To eliminate single month abnormalities or disruptions, the average annual change in earnings over the previous six months was calculated. Before adjusting for inflation, 239 metros (64.2 percent) showed positive earnings growth. After inflation adjustment, the number of metros with real earnings growth dropped to 162 or 43.5 percent.

Alexandria, La., had the highest annual percentage growth in earnings, up 33 percent on average. Midland, Texas, was second at 27 percent. On the downside, Kokomo, Ind., experienced an average annual earnings decline of 24.8 percent, followed closely by El Centro, Calif., with a drop of 22.2 percent.

http://www.garnereconomics.com/pdf/Garner Economics Average Earnings in US Metros 0412.pdf

Bill's Bike Shop plans move to Snake River Landing

Bill's Bike Shop, which has served eastern Idaho and western Wyoming cycling enthusiasts since 1947, announced today it will start construction in July on a new store at Snake RiverLanding.

The store, which will be across the street from Bella Vita Bistro and Coffeehouse, is scheduled to open in spring 2013. Owner Gary Wight, who bought the business in 2010, is planning a state-of-the-art, location of more than 10,000 square feet. Customers can also look forward to virtual spin classes, large seminar and classroom space, and a larger service area.

In addition to retail and repairs, customers will be able to rent bicycles to ride the trails at Snake River Landing, a planned community of more than 400 acres between Pancheri Drive and Sunnyside Road.

"The planners of Snake River Landing had the foresight to lay the infrastructure for a bicycle, pedestrian and family-friendly community within Idaho Falls," Wight said. "We have a large biking community in this region, but not many roads allow for safe cycling. Snake River Landing is leading the way."

Presently on South Holmes Avenue, where it has been since the 1980s, Bill's Bike Shop is well known for the four major brands it carrries: Trek, Raleigh, Specialized and Giant. The shop also services or repairs roughly 600 bicycles per month. It is very active in community work, giving away restored bikes to underprivileged youth every year, helping programs like Shop With a Cop, the Salvation Army, St. Vincent’s De Paul, and Christmas for Families. Bill’s is also a major sponsor of the Heart of Idaho Century Ride, which happens in August each year at Snake River Landing, and the Criterion Series that runs every summer.

Wight purchased Bill’s Bike Shop in December 2010, after retiring from the automotive business, in which he ran three different dealerships over the course of 30 years.

EITC summer classes begin next week

Summer classes begin next week at Eastern Idaho Technical College, offering everything from fitness to first aid to social media do's and don'ts.

EITC's Community Education program is designed to be affordable and convenient while offering high quality courses in a variety of areas.

Creative arts classes in music, photography, and drawing.

Health and wellness classes in meditation, Zumba, yoga and Tai Chi.

Computers, digital arts and social media.

For convenience's sake, courses are being offered in the morning and evening at lunchtime and on weekends. Price start at 10 classes for $30 or 20 classes for $50. Get a punch card at EITC Student Services.

Whether you're building a business or defining yourself to the world, the social media class is covers the essentials: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and blogging.

It will be Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. Cost is $15.

Other classes include: Computers for Seniors, Jewelery Making, Portrait Photography, First Aid, Belly Dancing, Yoga, Beginning Guitar, Landscape Ideas & Plants, and Introduction to Excel, Word and Photoshop.

For more information, call 208-524-3000 ext. 3344 or 3345. Or visit this link:

Idaho Falls Regional Airport Director Len Nelson, who announced Monday he will be retiring in August. Nelson has held the job since 2008.

The city of Idaho Falls is looking for a new airport director to replace Len Nelson, who announced Monday that he is retiring in August.

Nelson, 64, has managed Idaho Falls Regional Airport since 2008, when he came from Pocatello, where he had managed the airport there for 20 years. He began his career with Western Airlines.

Whoever takes the reins will have a lot on their plate. The third largest airport in the state, behind Boise's Gowen Field and Hailey's Friedman Memorial, Idaho Falls Regional Airport supports 1,269 jobs and a $31.5 million payroll, according to the 2010 Idaho Airport System Plan put out by the Idaho Division of Aeronautics. It accounts for an annual economic impact of more than $103 million.

The city of Idaho Falls pays approximately $2.5 million a year to keep the airport running. It receives another $2 million to $2.5 million from the federal government for improvements. In a 20-year projection from 2007, the Idaho Division of Aeronautics estimated that the total number of emplanements would rise from 168,503 to 297,400.

Nelson said regional airports like Idaho Falls' face new regulations all the time. "Any time there's a crash anywhere, the whole air system in this country reverberates," he said. "They want our runways scraped down to the bare pavement all the time. Costs are getting higher and higher. Then you add sercurity. Every week we have a new rule. An airport like Los Angeles can take it in stride, but any increase in cost to us is a real big issue."

Here is a link to the job posting: http://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/city/city-departments/human-resources/jobs/current-jobs.html

Nukes on the menu for breakfast, lunch this Friday

Jeff Sayer

Idaho Commerce Department Director Jeff Sayer will be the guest speaker Friday morning at the Partnership for Science and Technology's "Up and Atom" breakfast.
In addition to his Commerce Department duties, Sayer is chairman of the Governor’s Leadership in Nuclear Energy (LINE) Commission, which is touring the Idaho National Laboratory and U.S. Department of Energy-Idaho site today and Thursday.

The commission was created by Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter and is charged with making recommendations on policies and actions concerning INL and the broader nuclear industry in the state.

John Kotek

On the tour, commission members are scheduled to visit the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project, Naval Reactors Facility, Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center, Advanced Test Reactor, TREAT Facility, and Materials and Fuels Complex.

The commission has meetings scheduled for June 22 and Aug. 10 in Boise, Sept. 21 in Idaho Falls and Oct. 19 in Moscow.

Reservations for Friday's breakfast, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Idaho Falls Red Lion, may be made by calling Lane Allgood, 313-4166.

Another commission member, John Kotek of the Gallatin Group, will be speaking Friday at 12:30 p.m. to the Idaho Falls City Club, on Nuclear Waste Management and the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future. For more information, visit this link: http://ifcityclub.com/index.html.

Looking for a road trip? Try St. George this Sunday, for a solar eclipse

I wrote about this in January, but now that the moment is at hand I thought it was worth posting again. On the heels of the "Super Moon," we are now within driving distance of a solar eclipse this Sunday.

In fact, St. George seems like the sweet spot. Solar eclipses don’t happen very often, and when they do they’re usually over the ocean or someplace far from home.

While a solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the Sun and the Earth and casts a shadow. An annular eclipse is a solar eclipse, but because the moon is at the far part of its eliptical orbit around the Earth it appears smaller in the sky and a ring of light from the sun shines around it.

If you go to northern Nevada, it ought to be in mid-afternoon. By the time it reaches southern Utah, the sun will be low toward the horizon, which ought to produce are remarable effect and some spectacular pictures.

After Sunday, the next solar eclipse in North America will be Aug. 21, 2017,  and guess what? The path will run right over central and eastern Idaho. Looking at the map, I've come to the conclusion that either Redfish Lake or Menan Butte will be the best places to see it. Mark your calendars. You read it here.

This is what an annular eclipse looks like.

 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47416237/ns/technology_and_science-space/

UI receives $2.56 million in nuclear research grants

The United States Department of Energy has awarded $2.56 million in new research and development projects to the University of Idaho, the largest amount awarded to any single institution. In addition to the three grants, DOE's Nuclear Energy University Programs division also awarded UI a three-year graduate fellowship.  
 
The money comes from $47 million awarded by NEUP nationwide, for scholarships, fellowships, research grants and university research reactor upgrades. The purpose is to support nuclear research and development and train a new generation of nuclear expertise at 46 colleges and universities.
 
“The NEUP research grants awarded to the University of Idaho will support cutting edge research that will ensure the continued generation of safe and reliable nuclear energy," said Robert Smith, associate vice president and CEO for University of Idaho-Idaho Falls Center and associate director of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies. "(The) awards show a continuing return on Idaho’s investment in the University of Idaho and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies,” .
 
At the University of Idaho-Idaho Falls Center, the projects were awarded to three scientists:

Supathorn Phongikaroon, principal investigator on a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy project that aims to measure and analyze concentrations of dissolved used nuclear fuel in high temperature ionic liquid. This process could help reduce the risk of nuclear material proliferation and develop safeguarding technology. Total award: $820,000
 
Akira Tokuhiro, principal investigator, and Milos Manic and Vivek Utgikar, co-principal investigators on a hybrid energy conversion system that can be applied to next generation nuclear power plants linked to other renewable energy sources. Hybrid energy systems combine baseload power, such as nuclear, with renewable energy sources such as wind or solar, offering efficient and reliable energy sources for energy security. Total award: $877,000.
 
Vivek Utgikar, principal investigator on a project to develop of intelligent control systems for next generation nuclear reactor systems, which will use reactor heat directly in processes such as synthetic fuel production. Utgikar's project is to develop mathematical equations that describe the steady state and transient behavior of the system composed of the nuclear reactor and intermediate heat exchanger transferring the heat to the chemical process. Control strategy based on these equations will be devised to maintain the operation and enhance the safety of the system. Total amount: $869,997.

In addition, Richard Skifton was awarded a $50,000 annual graduate fellowship for the next three years. Skifton, who is currently completing a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering, will use the funds to support his doctoral studies at the University of Idaho.

https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt/community/neup_home/600