Lucy’s Pizza moves to Idaho Falls side of Hitt Road

Lucy's Pizzeria owner Geoff Padigimus tosses dough in the kitchen at their new location, where Winger's used to be.

Lucy’s New York Style Pizzeria has relocated into the old Winger’s location at 2770 S. 25th East, a move that only brought them a little more space but a lot of other advantages.

Although they only have 270 more square feet than they did across Hitt Road, the floor plan allows them to seat 45 more people, owner Geoff Padigimus said.

The lease on their space in Ammon was expiring, but when they learned that Gator Jack’s was pulling out, “We decided to get over here for this building,” Padigimus said.

Most of the renovation was done in the kitchen. In the restaurant area, they added subway tile to give it a more Big Apple feel, and they rewrapped the tables with metal as well.

A native of Roberts, Padigimus started Lucy's there in June 2009. The first Idaho Falls location, at 725 E. Anderson opened in November 2009. The Ammon location opened in fall 2011, and there is a Lucy’s now in Orem, Utah, as well.

From one store in Roberts, Lucy's has expanded to four locations.

Padigimus said his original idea was to do hot-­and-­ready pizza part time, but the recession and subsequent slowdown in the construction industry, in which he was employed, made him think again. So did his introduction to Rich Franco, who showed him how to make New York style pizza. In fact, Lucy's was named after Franco's bulldog, Lucy, and the pizza ovens and equipment came from Franco's kitchen on First Street.

The visibility of the new location, with a sign right on Hitt Road, ought to be an advantage, as will its next ­door proximity to Panera Bread in the old CD World store. Padigimus said the lease will soon be up on the Anderson Street store and that they are on the lookout for a new location on that side of Idaho Falls.

Other Hitt Road construction news

On the southwest corner of Hitt and Sunnyside, Skidmore Construction is moving dirt for a Washington Federal branch and three retail buildings.

The site plan at the Idaho Falls Building Department includes a 2,750 square foot building for financial use at at 3450 S. 25th East. The biggest building is an 18,480 square foot retail center, at 3352 S. 25th East, and there are two other retail buildings planned as well, a 7,020 square foot building at 3,340 St. 25th East and a 3,575 square­-foot building at 3350 S. 25th East.

Meanwhile, on the north side of Sunnyside we have preliminary information on two projects. First, the building at 2940 S. 25th East, formerly the home of Syringa, is slated to be remodeled into a Car Wash Express. Second, despite what looks to be significant progress at the old CD World location, Panera Bread is looking at opening its Idaho Falls bakery-­cafe this fall. That was the word at least from Amanda Cardosi, the company spokeswoman who responded by e­mail to our question.

DOE allows evaluation of INL site for small modular reactor project

An graphic rendition of how what a small modular reactor might look like.

An energy consortium of which the city of Idaho Falls is a member has moved one step closer toward building a nuclear small modular reactor on the desert west of Idaho Falls by 2025.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday that an agreement has been reached to support possible siting of an SMR project within the boundaries of its 900-square mile Idaho National Laboratory site, the home of 52 reactors between the 1950s and 1980s.

A site use permit has been granted to the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, of which Idaho Falls Power is a member, allowing UAMPS access to the INL site to analyze environmental, safety, and siting conditions for its Carbon Free Power Project.

“Small modular reactors are an important new step toward safe, reliable, carbon-free technology,” said Lynn Orr, undersecretary for Science and Energy at DOE. “(This) announcement is a part of the Department of Energy’s ongoing commitment to strengthening nuclear energy’s role in America’s low carbon future.”

If UAMPS identifies a suitable area for the project within the INL site boundary, and if the Energy Department determines it would not conflict with INL mission work, the design, construction and operation would be licensed and inspected by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, following extensive safety and environmental reviews.

The design for the project is being provided by NuScale Power, a Portland, Ore., company that announced its interest in Idaho in the fall of 2012. A subsidiary of Fluor, NuScale was picked in 2013 as winner of the second round of the DOE's competitively-bid, cost-sharing program to develop SMR technology.

The regulatory hurdles are formidable and the permitting process alone will cost $1 billion, said Michael McGough, chief commercial officer for NuScale, in a 2012 interview. NuScale has had a prototype small modular reactor in operation since 2003.

Fluor wants to market nuclear power plants to the world, which is why it bought NuScale in October 2011. In December 2015 the company announced it had signed a contract with AREVA Inc. for the manufacture of SMR fuel assemblies. Mechanical and thermal hydraulic testing of the new fuel assemblies is under way as part of NuScale’s design certification application, which is planned for submission to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission late this year.

McGough said review of that application would take 39 months, after which they need to get NRC permission to build. "There's lots of things you have to do, and you have to do them right," McGough said.

Unlike traditional pressurized water reactors, which use electric pumps to keep water on fuel rods to keep them from melting, NuScale's self-contained, self-circulating reactors are designed to shut themselves down in a power failure.

As for the selection of Idaho Falls, it's a case of going where you are wanted, McGough said. "If the community won't support it, you just shouldn't try.”

The Western Governor's Association has had nuclear energy on its mind since 2012, when it released its "State of Energy in the West" report. One of the stated goals was to find ways to accelerate introduction of small modular reactors into Western states. Shortly after that, NuScale announced its Western Initiative for Nuclear, a demonstration project in Idaho to be built and owned by a consortium of regional utilities including Energy Northwest and UAMPS.

"The electrical industry is changing – that change is driven in part by regulations and technology," said Idaho Falls Power’s general manager, Jackie Flowers (who was also elected UAMPS chairwoman this past December). "The opportunity to participate on a project that is leading the evolution of the nuclear energy industry is exciting. And the opportunity to evaluate siting potential at the country’s lead nuclear laboratory is thrilling."

INL, REDI, businesses produce video to attract new talent to eastern Idaho

This video file was too large to load onto this page, but to view it follow this link: Working For Tomorrow. 

Here’s a percentage that has given eastern Idaho’s leaders in business and government some cause for concern: at Idaho National Laboratory, 30 percent of the workforce is at least 50 years old.

What that means is a lot of people in jobs requiring highly specialized skills and advanced education are going to be retiring, probably sooner rather than later. It's been nicknamed the "silver tsunami," but in reality it's more like an ebb tide, and business leaders are scrambling to prime the lab’s “talent pipeline.” In the last six months, INL, local employers and REDI for Eastern Idaho, the economic development authority for 14 counties, have started a campaign to get the word out about what the region has to offer.

“Economic development isn’t about chasing smokestacks anymore,” said Stephanie Cook, program manager for INL’s Office of Tech Based Economic Development. “It’s more about ensuring that you have a talented workforce.”

How does one reach the best and brightest of Gen X and the Millenials? On its Web site, REDI has recently unveiled two videos, showcasing the region’s attractions. They focusing specifically on the fantastic opportunities for outdoor recreation and heartland community values where a work-life balance can be more easily attained than in places like California’s Silicon Valley or North Carolina’s Research Triangle. In addition to business leaders extolling eastern Idaho’s virtues, the videos feature intelligent, attractive people doing the things they love — rock climbing, kayaking, skiing, etc.

“More than anything, I was just amazed at the level of expertise these people have,” said Steve Smede, a videographer for Harris Media Services who shot 10 hours of footage that had to be condensed to less than five minutes. “They all care passionately about what they do, and the opportunities for recreation and family life, I think that energizes them to do their work a lot better.”

There was no script, just people talking about their lives and their work. Smede admitted that while he was setting up he would hit the “record” button without informing his interview subjects. He had no plan to use any of that footage, but when the actual interview started he told them already been recording them and it seemed to put them more at ease.

“A few questions and these folks would get going," he said. "We ended up with a narrative between people who hadn’t even been talking to each other. It was almost like one was picking up where the other left off.”

The videos have been posted on REDI’s Web site, http://easternidaho.org/, as well as on those of the businesses and institutions that helped with the production: INL, Idaho Steel, the Center for Advanced Energy Studies, CRI Advantage, NanoSteel, Portage, Inc., and Premier Technology. Since it is tech-savvy people they’re trying to reach, a heavy push is being made on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube,  Cook said.

“There’s been a tremendous response to it,” said Jan Rogers, REDI’s CEO. Businesses like Bingham Memorial Hospital have asked whether they can post the video, which is exactly the reaction they hoped to see from local employers.

Like Cook, Rogers says talent attraction is the No. 1 priority. “If you can attract the talent, business will follow,” she said. “Business will not land on a place where they cannot find talent.

The marketing emphasis is not so much on quality of life as quality of place. “Everybody’s got their own lives. If you can define quality of place, for the millennial generation that’s a big deal.”

Here is the shorter version of the Working for Tomorrow video:

REDI CEO speaking at luncheon Thursday

Jan Rogers

Jan Rogers, the CEO of REDI (Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho), will be the guest speaker at the Idaho Falls Advertising Federation’s Lunch and Learn session this Thursday at Dixie’s Diner.

REDI was established in April 2015 as a public/private partnership established to help diversify and strengthen the economies of the 14 counties in eastern Idaho. As CEO, Rogers is charged with working closely with community partners to promote economic development, through expansion of existing business and by implementing a focused consistent marketing program to attract new businesses to the region.

Before joining REDI, Rogers was the executive director of the Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization for 14 years. She has also spoken or participated as a panelist at several national, state and local economic development conferences. Since 2013, she has been invited by the International Economic Development Council and the U.S. government’s business investment initiative, SelectUSA, to attend the annual White House Economic Development Forum. She serves on the board of directors of the International Economic Development Council and is also past president of the Idaho Economic Development Association.

Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. and the presentation begins at noon. Cost is $12 for members and $15 for non-members.

Indoor skate park opens this week

The interior of Skate Hard Idaho in Idaho Falls

For years Mike DeFord and Travis Thomas have shared a passion for skateboarding. There’s one problem in Idaho, however. Several months of the year the ground is covered with snow and ice, or it’s simply too cold.

The two shared a dream of an indoor skate park, and two years ago they finally got started on making it a reality. On Saturday, Skate Hard Idaho, 1550 Jones Street, Unit H, will have its grand opening.

The business includes a skateboard shop dedicated to products and brands skaters find preferable to the mass-produced corporate products found elsewhere. “These are brands that are owned, managed and run by skaters,” said DeFord, the owner. Among others, they include Dogtown, Street Plant, Alva, Real, Toy Machine and Bones.

Alongside the shop there will be the indoor skate park, which will be open year round. The park is designed to provide skaters a diverse landscape, with ramps, rails, boxes, hips and other urban/street style objects. The park will also have “vert,” large vertical walls connected to ramps.

In addition to the park, Skate Hard Idaho is working with local youth and skateboarders to manufacture its own line of skateboards. “This has been a long time coming” DeFord said. “Skating for over 30 years, you see a lot of trends come and go but what has never gone away is the passion that skaters have. We love and live to skate. Skaters have always wanted their own place, 

while the public skate parks are great they are limiting, they are often crowded and they are what they are.”

The Feb. 20 grand opening, from noon to 8 p.m., will offer free skating, with plenty of special activities. 

The park is open five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. Late night sessions will take place on occasion.

There are two sessions per day, noon until 4 p.m. and 4 p.m. until close. The cost to skate is $3 per session or $5 all day

For more information visit www.skatehardidaho.com

Longtime Valley Glass employees become co-owners

Four longtime Valley Glass employees have joined Marc Naylor as the owner of Valley Glass in Idaho Falls and Boise. Although this brought an end to 60 years of family ownership, the movie is anticipated to bring experience, commitment and service that will ensure the company's continued success.

The new owners are Bryon Moore, manager of the Idaho Falls Valley Glass, Paul Robinson, Jared Ellis and Dave Pearl.

Moore and Robinson, both Idaho Falls natives, joined the company more than 30 years ago as home and commercial installers. They worked together as the outside installer crew and in the shop. Moore became manager in 2014.

Ellis, of Rigby, joined the company about 20 years ago, starting as an installer, but graduating into the company’s head sales position.

Pearl has more than 25 years of management experience in the greater Boise area. Like his new partners, Pearl started working for Valley Glass out of high school and worked his way up to manager. He will continue to manage the Boise operation.

Naylor, who lives in Ogden, Utah, is the grandson of company founder William Naylor, who started Valley Glass in 1956. He laid out three basic principles — superior service, customer loyalty and quality products — which the new owners said they are committed to honoring.

NanoSteel recognized for innovation, gets attention in automotive press

NanoSteel, a company with roots in the Idaho National Laboratory, has been on a roll lately. It has been named to the Cleantech Group’s Top 100 list for the third consecutive year. The list recognizes the top 100 private companies in clean technology and is collated by combining proprietary Cleantech Group research data with over 11,000 nominations and specific input from an expert panel. And in the past week, its Advanced High-Strength Steel has been written up in auto industry publications.

The company, which dates back to 2002, was started by Dan Branagan, who led the INL team that developed Super Hard Steel. Now NanoSteel’s chief technical officer, Branagan took processes and patents he developed at the INL and spun them out for licensing to industry. He was recognized the 2002 Forbes Special Anniversary Big Ideas Issue as “one of the important innovators of our time, one of 15 people who will reinvent the future,” and was selected by Massachusetts Institute of Technology as one of the top 100 “brilliant young innovators” in the world whose work will have “a deep impact on how we live, work, and think in the century to come”.

NanoSteel’s corporate headquarters are in Providence, R.I., but its research and development and applications engineering take place in Idaho Falls. Its products are used in the auto industry, oil and gas, mining, power generation and cement and concrete.

In 2012, BizMojo Idaho reported the company had developed three classes of advanced high-strength steel that they hoped would will give automakers new ways to safely stretch steel in the design of lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Nearly four years later, the progress has been remarkable, said Craig Parsons, who heads the company’s automotive division.

“The AHSS steels we’re developing are cost-efficient to manufacture with unique combinations of high strength and formability not normally associated with steel,” he said, in a Feb. 2 article posted on TodaysMotorVehicles.com (Steelmakers are rising to challenges from other automotive materials). “(Our) steels are designed to be manufactured into parts on existing stamping and assembly lines," he said. "Automakers can keep using their current production infrastructure and employees won’t need retraining.”

The company also got a writeup this week in Automotive World, The Shape of Steel to Come: Why Ductility Matters.

Obama mentions INL battery research in weekly address

Idaho National Laboratory battery researchers got a shoutout from President Obama during his weekly address last Saturday. It happens at 2:07. Check it out.

Chesbro Music ups emphasis on homegrown guitar brand

Ben Parker of Chesbro Music

Chesbro Music, one of Idaho Falls’ most enduring businesses, is about to begin the second phase of remodeling its store on Broadway.

While the first phase, completed last fall, dealt with the west side of building’s main floor, this new phase will bring a look to the guitar sales floor. The company is working with Idaho Falls Power and Home Lighting Center to install digital LED lighting. This ought to not only offer better product display but save the company money eventually by significantly reducing their electrical consumption.

While this will shed new light on the Fender, Gretsch, Guild and Taylor guitars in the store, a whole new emphasis will be brought to the store’s own brand, Teton Guitars.

When Chesbro Music says it is the “Home of Teton Guitars” it is the literal truth. Teton Guitars are made in China for Chesbro’s, which sells them not only in its store but in stores across the nation.
The project has proven to be a great success, said Ben Parker, Chesbro Music’s marketing and project manager. It dates back to the 2010 NAMM show in Anaheim, Calif., a huge annual trade show for everybody in the music business.

At the time, Chesbro’s was looking for a company to make inexpensive nylon-string classical guitars for them. At NAMM, they met representatives from a Chinese manufacturer that did nothing but classical guitars, so a tentative deal was made.

“We wanted to see what their mass production and quality would be,” Parker said. When the first 10 guitars came in that November — just in time for Christmas — the results were outstanding.
In addition to a big order, Chesbro’s asked the manufacturer if it would consider expanding into steel-string guitars. “They made a fantastic guitar,” Parker said. This was the cedar-top STS105NT, an dreadnought with a $399 list price.

By the end of 2011, the line had expanded to four classical models and three steel-strings. “We wanted to make something that working musicians could afford that would play well,” Parker said. The most expensive Teton is the newly minted STA150CENT-AR, an electric cutaway that retails for $799.
Chesbro Music has been doing business in the Far East since the early ‘70s, when Joan Chesbro, the president of the company, forged a close relationship with Hoshino, maker of Ibanez guitars and Tama drums. The company was Hoshino’s U.S. wholesaler for decades, and its connections proved valuable when it came time to market Teton Guitars.

Parker said they have Tetons in 200 to 250 stores, including the six new accounts they added at the 2016 NAMM show last month.

One new dealer, Guitar Villa in Bethlehem, Pa., reported that people from the nearby C.F. Martin and Co. factory in Nazareth have come in to buy Tetons. “It makes me feel good to hear a story like that,” Parker said.

The guitars are not intended to compete with premium brands, but a lot of professional players are leaving their Martins and Taylors home and using Tetons onstage. Overall, since 2010 Chesbro’s has sold more than 15,000 Teton Guitars, about a third of them in 2015.

“We’re looking to sell 50 to 60 percent more this year,” Parker said.

Proposals sought for major downtown Idaho Falls projects

An old postcard showing the Bonneville Hotel in earlier days.

The Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency, which has handled urban renewal in Idaho Falls for more than 25 years, has released a Request for Proposals for two major downtown revitalization projects.

The first project is for the property at Broadway and Memorial Drive, where Savings Center was. The agency is offering the site to potential developers as a location for a multi-story property with commercial and residential uses.

The second project is the renovation of the Bonneville Hotel, at the corner of Constitution Way and Park Avenue. The RFP encourages developers to consider using the building for housing on the upper floors and office or retail uses on the first floor.

The Bonneville Hotel was built in 1927 by a consortium of investors from the community as a hotel and convention center. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and developers could likely be assisted by historic preservation tax credits, low income housing tax credits, and Community Development Block Grants available from other sources.

Proposals are due to the Agency by May 2. Full packets can be obtained by contacting the agency’s executive director, Brad Cramer, also the city of Idaho Falls' community development services director, at (208) 612-8276.

“We hope that creative developers will come forward with innovative ideas and exciting plans for buildings that will encourage further development of downtown Idaho Falls,” said Lee Radford, chairman of the agency.

The Savings Center property is owned by Vern Kelsch, who ran the store for years. The Bonneville is owned by Kent Lott. Radford said the agency is very grateful that the owners have shown a desire to see the properties developed in the best interests of the community.

The Redevelopment Agency has been responsible for the transformation of big sections of Idaho Falls, especially the Idaho Falls Greenbelt. Snake River Landing and Taylor Crossing on the River would not have been possible without tax increment financing administered by the agency.

It began work in the Snake River Urban Renewal District in 1988, reconstructing  Lindsay Boulevard, Utah Avenue, Wardell Avenue, a portion of Milligan Road, and Memorial Drive with the tax proceeds from new development. As part of this street reconstruction, the agency administered funds that allowed the city to install water and sewer lines and storm drainage. It also financed the relocation of transmission lines to spur development east of Interstate 15.

In all, the assessed valuation of the district has increased by over $140 million. The Snake River district will end on Dec. 31, 2018, although the agency may continue to receive the tax increment money into 2019.

Junior Zoo Crew applications being taken

The city of Idaho Falls and the Tautphaus Park Zoo are inviting teen-agers to participate in the Junior Zoo Crew this summer.

The volunteer education program is designed for teens ages 14-17 to assist zoo staff, learning about animal care, conservation, zoo careers and education within a zoo setting. They will assist animal keepers in the Children’s Zoo, care for the animals, answer questions from the public and assist with animal shows and special projects.

Applications are available under the Education tab or under Get Involved on the zoo’s Web site at www.idahofallszoo.org. Applications submitted after the April 1 deadline will not be considered. 

Selected applicants will be asked to undergo an interview. For those accepted into the program, there 

is a participation fee of $85 for Tautphaus Park Zoo Society members and $105 for non-members. Scholarships may be available. The fee goes toward providing training materials, a uniform shirt, name tag and an appreciation party at the end of the season. Fees will be collected during the parent/guardian information meeting on May 7, upon acceptance.

For more information on Idaho Falls education programs or to register for classes, visit the Web site, call (208) 612-8453 or email zooeducation@idahofallszoo.org.

Century 21 High Desert affiliates recognized

Several Century 21 High Desert affiliates have been named by the company’s corporate office to the top 20 producing sales agent and teams in the Rocky Mountain region for 2015.

The rankings were determined by sales production and closed transaction sides among the region’s top award winners. The Rocky Mountain region covers Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Colorado.

The following affiliates were named: Ted Whyte, Kevin Taggart, Patrick Malone, Luke Stallings, Marge Foster, Karen Cameron; and Synergy Group, Anne Mitchell and Beth Ferrara.

“These agents managed to surpass even these standards of excellence to provide their customers with exemplary service and we are very proud of them," said Kerry Howell, owner of Century 21 High Desert, in a news release.

TEDx Idaho Falls looking for speakers

TEDxIdahoFalls has extended its search for presenters for its 2016 event. The site will still be the Colonial Theater, but the date has been moved to April 2.

This is the third year for the event. In that time, millions have become familiar with TED Talks. In the spirit of "ideas worth spreading," TED, the global idea-exchange platform, has created TEDx, a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.

The local event will feature TEDTalks video and live speakers to spark deep discussion. This event will be larger than the previous events because the 100-attendee cap has been lifted.

The local event organizer, Brad Christensen, is curating speakers for the event. “I say we’re looking for speakers, but we’re really looking for ideas,” he said. “Our community is rich with talent and insight, we’d like to provoke that, invite those people to make interesting arguments, to change our perceptions, or to inspire wonder.”

All potential speakers are advised to visit TEDxIdahoFalls.com and fill out the request form to be considered. Requests must be received by Friday, Feb. 5,  and the panel will be chosen by Feb. 10.

Information for those requesting to attend will be available in March.

For updates, information may be found at TEDxIdahoFalls.com, on FaceBook at facebook.com/TEDxIdahoFalls and on Twitter at twitter.com/TEDxIdahoFalls.

For more information, call (208) 890-0547.

New apartments going into old Montgomery Ward building

The scene this week in the unit on the building's southwest corner.

Mike Allen

The residential side of downtown Idaho Falls is getting a big boost with the development of loft apartments at 504 Shoup Avenue, upstairs from Happy’s, in the old Montgomery Ward building.

Doing business as Camp Bench Holdings, Mike Allen and Neil Campbell have lined up tenants for five of the seven lofts and suites they are setting up on the second floor. Sizes range from 800 to 1,700 square feet, and rents start at $800.

Allen said they were looking in 2015 for a property to develop into lofts and learned the Montgomery Ward building was for sale. Built in the Renaissance style, with its high ceilings, birch hardwood floors and leaded glass, it was exactly what they were looking for, he said.

As might be expected with a building from 1929, there were some issues. They had to replace the window sashes, as the original wood was too far gone. But there were pluses as well, first and foremost a working sprinkler system. “That was one of the nice things about this building,” Allen said.

One unit is already occupied. Sandy Crowley, who has moved to Idaho Falls from Salt Lake with her husband, Jim, to open a gallery on A Street across from Great Harvest Bread, said they were keen to find something with character for themselves and their two kids. She was walking up Shoup Avenue when she saw the 504Shoup.com sign in the window, made a call and made a deal. “These are great spaces,” she said.

Krisi Staten, executive director of the Downtown Development Corp., said she sees 504Shoup as a harbinger of things to come.

“I think there is more demand for downtown residential than anyone ever realized,” she said. “What Mike’s done, they’re beautiful the way they combine the new with traditional elements. I think wha this says is there is a real desire for beautiful places to live downtown.”

Other developers have paid notice, she added. “The success he’s had, filling up those condos without even advertising, I think it has caused a lot of other people to take another look. This proves the market it there, and I think were going to see more of this.”

Uptown Boutique opening on Cliff Street

The front of Uptown Boutique, on Cliff Street.

You may have noticed a new look to the building at 287 Cliff Street, with big pictures of stylishly dressed women in the windows.

Arun Petrus, who recently moved to Idaho Falls, is planning to open her Uptown Boutique the first week of February. Originally from Phoenix, Petrus has lived all over the country — Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Seattle and, most recently, Las Vegas — but came to Idaho Falls for family reasons. She has been pursuing an aesthetician’s license at Vogue Beauty College, also on Cliff Street. That’s why in addition to selling affordable, eclectic women’s clothing, Petrus plans to offer services such as eyelash extensions.

“This is a new adventure,” she said.

She does not plan to sell any one particular brand, she simply hopes to have something that customers might see themselves wearing. “Women all have different types of personalities,” she said. “My philosophy is if I wouldn’t have something in my closet at home it’s not going to be in my shop.”

Idaho Steel, Conrad & Bischoff receive rebates for energy-saving efforts

Two Idaho Falls companies were recognized Tuesday night for energy-saving measures they recently adopted through Idaho Falls Power’s Commercial Lighting Retrofit Program.

Conrad & Bischoff and Idaho Steel received rebates of $52,998 and $39,172, respectively, for measures that are predicted to save a combined total of 606,169 kilowatt-hours — enough to power nearly 50 homes for a year.

Idaho Steel’s project involved upgrading the lighting at three facilities from fluorescents to LEDs. With the rebate and expected energy savings (280,321 kWh), the project is expected to pay for itself within three years.

“We were at a crossroads with our lighting, where we needed to replace existing out-of-date lights (and) move in a more improved and efficient direction,” said Alan Bradshaw, Idaho Steel’s CEO. “Because of the incentive that was offered, we made the decision to replace the out-of-date lighting in all of our facilities. This has provided us with a much better work environment utilizing efficient instant-on LED lighting.”

Conrad & Bischoff is expected to save 325,848 kWh through its projects, which consisted of installing LEDs at its car wash, retail stores and in the canopies over its gas pumps.

“(We are) very grateful to the city and the power companies for the opportunity we had to cut back on our power consumption,” said Jake Hansen, the company’s chief operating officer.

Idaho Falls Power has offered energy efficiency programs since 1982. Free energy audits, loans, rebates and incentives are among the options available to all customers. In fiscal year 2015, 469 customers participated in the programs, leading to a savings of more than 5.25 million kWh.

The programs are run in conjunction with the Bonneville Power Administration, the federal non-profit agency from which Idaho Falls purchases most of the electricity used in the city.

Bank of Idaho receives Brightest Star award

Idaho Falls-based Bank of Idaho was recently awarded the Idaho’s Brightest Star Award at a ceremony Jan. 21 at the Owyhee in Boise.

The purpose of the Brightest Star Awards program is to recognize and encourage volunteerism by citizens of all ages throughout the state. Bank of Idaho was the winner in the Corporation and Small Business category, based on the efforts put forth by its employees.

The award came in recognition of an internal initiative in which employees committed to “A Year of Service” — 8,760 employee hours (literally, one year’s worth of hours). At the end of 2015 the final tally stood at 9,011 hours of donated time.

“The Year of Service has been a fun undertaking for us, and it was really worth the effort. For the people in our hometowns, and even for our employees, it put some real meaning behind our motto, ‘Committed to Community,’” said Bank of Idaho President and CEO, Jeff Newgard. “The award for our employees’ efforts is just icing on the cake.”

Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne and the Governor’s Coordinating Council for Families and Children established the Governor’s Brightest Star Awards in 2001 in partnership with the Association of Idaho Cities. Since its inception, more than 500 individuals and groups have been recognized as Brightest Stars.

Roger's Revue this year features music from animated film

Friday and Saturday at the Idaho Falls Civic Auditorium

From “When You Wish Upon a Star” to “Let It Go,” music has always been a huge element in animated film. This weekend, Roger Evans and company will be paying tribute at the Idaho Falls Civic Auditorium with a live concert featuring top local talent.

This year’s “Roger’s Revue” will feature music from animated films such as “Aladdin,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Frozen,” “Prince of Egypt,” and many more. Performers come from the Idaho Falls Symphony, Teton Chamber Orchestra, Idaho Falls Opera Theatre, Sounds Summer Musical, and Idaho Falls Youth Arts Centre. Proceeds will benefit the performing arts programs at six local high schools: Idaho Falls, Skyline, Bonneville, Hillcrest, Compass Academy and Rigby.

If you think the performing arts are trivial, I beg to differ. Last fall I got to play Captain Hook in the Youth Arts Centre’s production of “Peter Pan,” with Roger as musical director. There were 86 kids in the cast, and although I didn’t get to know each one of them personally I can say I’ve never seen a more energetic and dedicated bunch. For my part, I hope I inspired them with my willingness to get crazy and give all in a part that cannot be played too broadly.

As great as community productions are, though, what takes place in the schools is just as important if not more so. It’s been proven time and again that music, dance, and theater increase students’ productivity. Beyond that, let’s take a look at two people we’ve been mourning recently, David Bowie and Alan Rickman, aka the Goblin King and Professor Snape. Both English and both working class, both benefitted from publicly funded art college, where they were allowed to explore their creativity and develop their ambitions.

When you buy a ticket to the show, you will have the ability to designate which high school you want the money to go to. To purchase tickets online, visit www.rogersrevue.org. Tickets are $12 for Adults, $8 for ages 17 and under. Family passes are available for $40, but it is asked that you limit it to immediate family or people living in the same household.

Curtain on Friday and Saturday evening is at 6:30. The Saturday matinee performance starts at 1:30 p.m. In addition to the Web site, tickets may be purchased at Chesbro Music and at the door. For more information, call Erin Nazario at (206) 794-4350.

Tai-Pan Trading plans March 1 opening in Idaho Falls

One of the more eagerly embraced announcements of 2015 was the news that Tai-Pan Trading would be opening a store in Idaho Falls, on 17th Street in the Hall Park Shopping Center.

To update you, the store will be opening to the public March 1, with a grand opening date to be announced soon. Information about the store can be found on its Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/tptidahofalls/?fref=ts.

If you are interested in applying for a job, or know someone who is, visit this link: taipantrading.com/employment.

The actual address is 1568 E. 17th Street. The store will be occupying 22,750 square feet, where $2 Fabric and KC Frame formerly were. This is one of two Tai-Pan stores moving into Idaho, the other one being in Twin Falls. The Salt Lake-based company has five stores in Utah, one in California and one in Idaho, in Boise.

On its Web site, Tai-Pan describes itself as “an importer of quality home décor products at affordable prices.” The company started in 1979 as a wholesale floral supplier, in a small space with two cash registers and very few parking stalls. As the business expanded into home decor, the owners decided to open a showroom and offer merchandise directly to the public.

DOE Grid Modernization Initiative brings 15 new projects to Idaho lab

Using computer modeling and weather station data, a $2.35 million project could increase the capacity of existing power lines. Wind blowing on a high-voltage line can cool it enough to safely increase the amount of current it can carry by 10 to 40 percent.

Idaho National Laboratory is slated to lead several projects over the next three years as part of the $220 million Grid Modernization Initiative announced last week by the U.S. Department of Energy.

INL has been designated the lead laboratory on four projects that received DOE funding, and will collaborate with other national laboratories on 11 other projects. Although funding levels are subject to change, the work is expected to amount to roughly $10 million for INL through September 2018.

“I am proud to see INL involved in so many winning proposals for important collaborative projects,” said INL Director Mark Peters. “DOE’s Grid Modernization Initiative is a critical nationwide effort.”

The Grid Modernization Initiative is a strategic portfolio of projects intended to set the United States on a cost-effective path for an integrated, secure, sustainable and reliable electric grid. As described in DOE’s Grid Modernization Multi-Year Program Plan, these projects focus on new concepts, tools, platforms, and technologies to better measure, analyze, predict, and control the grid of the future — one flexible enough to support a competitive national economy and an array of emerging services, while remaining affordable to consumers.

The initiative includes the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium, a strategic partnership launched in 2014 between DOE and 14 of its national laboratories. This followed a 2012 White House report that said outages caused by severe weather typically cost the U.S. economy between $18 billion and $33 billion a year from lost output and wages, spoiled inventory, delayed production and disruptions to energy distribution.

Many of the INL projects will involve its Real-Time Power and Energy Lab, said Rob Hovsapian, lead engineer for INL’s Energy Systems & Technologies Division and an author on nine winning proposals. These projects will leverage the lab’s expertise and infrastructure to analyze dynamic and transient aspects of advanced power and energy systems in real time.

Information below highlights the projects that INL will lead.

Smart Reconfiguration of Idaho Falls Power distribution network

The $1 million two-year collaboration with the city of Idaho Falls aims to make the city’s municipal power distribution more robust and dependable. Idaho Falls Power Director Jackie Flowers said the idea of working with INL came after an outage in December 2013 left city residents without electricity for hours in subzero cold. Idaho Falls and INL will work with Schweitzer Engineering Labs, Washington State University and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems to test smart reconfiguration. INL’s Real-Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) allows engineers to model how the city can spread load evenly during times of high demand. Battery research at the lab will allow the utility to explore ways to store energy from its hydroelectric and wind turbines.

Systems Research Supporting Standards and Interoperability

The project seeks to understand how plug-in electric vehicle charging will affect the grid and how disturbances on the grid could affect PEVs. This project will leverage capabilities of multiple national laboratories to perform “hardware-in-the-loop” studies that integrate communication and control system hardware with simulation and analysis activities. The $3.6 million, three-year project includes Siemens Engineering, Bonneville Power Administration, DTE Energy, Eversource, University of Delaware, California Energy Commission and USDRIVE Grid Interaction Technical Team.

Diagnostic Security Modules for Electric Vehicles to Building Integration

The overall goal of this project is to develop a Diagnostic Security Module framework to protect against cyberattacks that might come through communications systems required for PEV charging and load management. INL will lead a consortium of national labs and private partners including University of Louisiana-Lafayette, ChargePoint, and California Energy Commission. The project will cost about $1.65 million over three years.

Weather Data to Improve Capacity of Existing Power Lines

This $2.35 million project could increase the capacity of existing power lines using modeling and weather station data. In areas where wind plants are being developed, wind blowing on a high-voltage line can cool it enough to safely increase the amount of current it can carry by 10 to 40 percent. INL’s work includes a transmission line planning and routing toolkit and Human Factors R&D to help integrate weather and simulation information into control room operations. Partners include Idaho Power Company, WindSim, Altalink, Alberta Electric System Operator, StormGEO, Stantec and Oregon State University.

INL is part of DOE's complex of national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of DOE's strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation's leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance.

See more INL news at www.inl.gov.

Fall River and Lower Valley coop directors consider merger

The directors of Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative and Lower Valley Energy have announced they are interested in merging.

Fall River is based in Ashton and Lower Valley is based in Afton, Wyo. Both coops serve a broad rural area in which many Idaho Falls and Upper Snake River Valley people have cabins and vacation homes, said Ted Austin, Fall River’s marketing and communications manager.

The next step in the process is for the two boards to define the terms of consolidation. Once that takes place, each cooperative would take the consolidation plan to its respective members for a vote of approval.

Fall River Electric serves more than 16,000 customers in eastern Idaho, western Wyoming and southwest Montana. Lower Valley Energy serves members from Flagg Ranch in Yellowstone National Park, down to Smoot past Afton, Wyo., over to Wayan in Idaho, and east to Kendall and Cora, Wyo. Austin said the two cooperatives have considered merging for decades, but changing energy policies and regional policies planned by the Bonneville Power Administration make the idea of consolidation more appealing than ever.  Two consolidation studies that have been done concluded that a consolidated operation could save members nearly $4 million dollars annually or an estimated $38 million over 10 years.

Consolidation would mean greater financial resources for dealing with changes in the electrical industry, an opportunity to expand natural gas and propane services to more members, plus greater workforce efficiencies. But both boards have said consolidation would not result in employee layoffs or reductions in pay for the existing staffs.

Much more work is needed on the plan before it is presented to the owner-members of each cooperative for a vote later this

year, Austin said. If approved, implementation of the entire consolidation plan could take two to three years.

GOBankingRates.com gives Idaho some good press -- again

Idaho has been getting some great press on the www.gobankingrates.com Web site.

Last June, the Gem State ranked third best in a listing of Best and Worst States to Retire Rich, behind only New Hampshire and Delaware. Here’s the writeup on Idaho from that feature:

Idaho’s extremely low living expenses catapulted it to third in our study, with one of the lowest cost-of-living scores in the nation — only Mississippi and Tennessee are cheaper. Retirees also have access to higher-than-average local deposit rates to grow their savings and low local tax rates; residents pay no Social Security, estate, or inheritance taxes and fairly low sales and property taxes.

Idaho was bumped out of the top two spots due to less-stellar health care scores: The state is middle of the line (24th place) when it comes to its seniors’ health, and its Medicare payouts are only average. Still, the state’s average individual insurance premiums are low — among the 10 cheapest in the nation.

In the wake of that news, today we have another piece: 10 States Most (and Least) Likely to Live Paycheck to Paycheck.

This time, Idaho ranked fifth, earning this endorsement:

Potatoes are cheap, and Idahoans' food costs are among the lowest in the nation at $172 per the median $2,055 paycheck (just 8 percent). Housing (22 percent), healthcare (5 percent) and utilities (7 percent) per-paycheck costs are all also modest, with transportation being one of Idahoans' biggest expenses (20 percent).

When all is said and done, living in Idaho is pretty easy on your budget. If you earn the median income, you can have a little more than 37 percent left over ($769) per paycheck.

GOBankingRates.com is part of the GoMediaNetwork, which is owned and operated by ConsumerTrack, Inc. Click here for its Facebook page and here for its Twitter feed.

Ted Austin named new Rexburg chamber CEO

Ted Austin

Ted Austin has been selected as the next CEO of the Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce. Austin, a longtime resident of the area, will officially begin leading the chamber on Tuesday, replacing Donna Benfield, who has served as CEO of the Chamber for twenty years.

The official announcement was made Jan. 12 by Dr. Geoffrey Thomas, president of the chamber, at the monthly board meeting. “After reviewing and meeting with a deep and talented pool of applicants over the last several months, the executive board made a unanimous decision to hire Ted. He is clearly qualified and enthusiastic about leading the Chamber as it benefits our growing business community.”

Austin served as president of the chamber in 2011. He most recently has been the communications manager for Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative, based in Ashton, and also served as the marketing and advertising manager for its subsidiary Fall River Propane. He has held management positions at Melaleuca, ML Technologies, and Diet Center. He also has been extensively involved in local broadcasting, having owned and operated Q102-KCHQ FM radio in Rexburg, which he sold to Rich Broadcasting in 2011.

Austin and his wife, Connie, have six children and eight grandchildren.

“My first order of business will be to attempt to digest 20 years of experience and knowledge that Donna Benfield has gained,” he said, in a news release. “She has done an exceptional job on behalf of the members of the Chamber.”

INL, Idaho Falls Power collaborating on two-year $1 million project

The Gem State Hydroelectric facility is capable of generating 22.4 mega­watts of electricity for Idaho Falls, but that is subject to the run of the river, which will be part of what is studied in the collaboration between the city and INL.

Jackie Flowers

Idaho Falls Power and the Idaho National Laboratory are entering into a two-year, $1 million collaboration as a result of the Energy Department’s $220 million electrical power grid modernization initiative.

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced the program Thursday. In all, INL is leading or acting as a partner in 15 projects that could bring more than $5 million to the lab over the next three years. One of those proposals involves improving the physical security of Idaho Falls’ municipally owned distribution system.

Idaho Falls Power Director Jackie Flowers said the idea of working with INL came after an outage in December 2013 left city residents without electricity for several hours in subzero cold. The morning of Dec. 4, she arrived at work to learn that the Balancing Authority  -- which controls the electric grid that
serves power providers in the area — had ordered the city to shed 35 megawatts in 30 minutes. This was to cope with an outage already going on in the wider territory served by Rocky Mountain Power.

“For 10 minutes, we stood there asking, ‘Are they serious?’” Flowers said. They were, and between 7:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., about 3,500 Idaho Falls Power customers were without juice. All this was judged necessary to keep the entire grid from crashing when Rocky Mountain Power attempted to restore service to nearly 49,000 Idaho customers left in the dark. Afterwards, city officials began talking about how they could make the grid more robust.

Idaho Falls Power had already been working with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on the Pacific Smart Grid Demonstration Project. After hearing a talk on grid modernization by David Danielson, assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, they began to learn what was available through INL, which does a lot of battery research for DOE.

The proposal approved Thursday teams Idaho Falls Power and INL with Schweitzer Engineering Labs, Washington State University and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems to test smart reconfiguration. INL has a real time digital simulator that allows it to model how the city can spread load evenly during times of high demand. Battery research at the lab will allow the utility to explore ways to store energy from its hydroelectric and wind turbines.

“It’s so fun to coordinate with folks that have all these,” Flowers said.

Overall, a more secure grid is likely to save the city money. Outages caused by severe weather cost the U.S. economy an average of $18 billion to $33 billion a year, according to a White House report released in 2012. The hits come from lost output and wages, spoiled inventory, delayed production and damage to the electric grid. In 2012, when 8.5 million people lost power due to Superstorm Sandy, those costs rose as high as $52 billion.

The report argued for the need to update the nation's electric grid: high-voltage transmission lines connected to power plants, local distribution systems, and power management and control systems. Seventy percent of the nation’s transmission lines and power transformers are more than 25 years old.

“Modernizing the U.S. electrical grid is essential to reducing carbon emissions, creating safeguards against attacks on our infrastructure, and keeping the lights on,” Moniz said Thursday. The Grid Modernization Initiative represents a comprehensive DOE effort to help shape the future of the United States' grid. It seeks to solve the challenges of integrating conventional and renewable sources with energy storage and smart buildings while ensuring that the grid is resilient and secure in the face of growing cyber security and climate challenges.

Dave's Bike Shop eyes Jan. 25 opening in new location

Dave Wilding of Dave's Bike Shop in his new location on Broadway.

Dave Wilding, owner of Dave’s Bike Shop in downtown Idaho Falls, is hoping to be open in his new location on Broadway, in the old Catmull’s store.

“There’s nothing really crazy we have to do, just framing and painting, just to make it ours,” he said. When they removed the old carpet they found hardwood floors underneath. Those will be sanded and sealed, because they still have marks from when the space was the Western Auto garage.

When it’s all said and done, they will have 8,000 square feet, a vast expansion over the space they’ve been in, next door to Chesbro’s. “The service area will be four times as big, and we will have a studio for bike fittings,” he said. “We want to keep the vibe of the old store, but just have a little more room to move.”

Wilding opened his store in late summer 2011 and has carved out a nice niche. “The community has been very supportive, easy to deal with and trusting,” he said. He started talking with Dale Catmull over year ago, as soon as he learned the furniture store would be closing.

Dave’s has been renting giant-tire bikes for people who like to ride in the winter. With spring and summer coming, they plan to start renting cruiser bikes for people who want to ride on the nearby Greenbelt.

“We like being downtown,” Wilding said. “I think there’s a certain feel. You’ve got more people out walking, and more cyclists. It’s fun to have the small restaurants nearby.”

Rich Broadcasting adds frequencies to boost KID's reach

In a major expansion of its broadcasting reach, Rich Broadcasting has added three more frequencies to carry the KID Radio’s programming and advertising.

Company President and CEO Richard Mecham said KID programming (590 AM & 92.1 FM) now will be heard also on Idaho Falls station 106.3 FM (KQEZ), as well as Jackson, Wyo., stations KSGT (1340 AM) and 96.3 FM.

On the air since 1928, KID is eastern Idaho’s oldest radio station.

In a news release General Manager DeLyn Hendricks underscored the business-related and commercial significance of the expansion. “We are now able, to deliver our advertisers’ messages more effectively to an expanded range of consumers in eastern Idaho and the Upper Valley, as well as in Jackson Hole. We’re confident this will provide a terrific opportunity for business owners who truly understand the power of their advertising investment on radio.”

Program director and morning news host Neal Larson said the station's expanded broadcast reach will have a big social impact.

"With this year's major presidential election season underway there's no better time to expand the reach of our incredibly successful news and talk programming, including our regional morning show with Cala Curtis and me, along with Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and Michael Savage. KID's rich heritage across this region just gets bigger and better with these changes.”

Rich Broadcasting is a broadcast group of 19 radio stations specializing in small-market radio. Prior to founding the company, Mecham managed Bonneville International’s flagship Salt Lake City stations KSL Television and KSL Newsradio.

Short Stop offers free delivery to seniors

You can get this as a refrigerator magnet.

From its base of operations across West Elva Street from Melaleuca Field, Short Stop Market has been making home deliveries for more than a year. In a new development, however, owners Jason and Jennifer Anderson have decided to waive delivery fees to seniors.

Ordinarily, if you’ve got a hankering for Cheetos, Ho-Ho’s or a six-pack of Rolling Rock, there is no charge only when an order is more than $45. For an an order of between $10 to $14.99, the delivery charge is $4. This is still pretty good considering what it would cost you in time and gas to get off the sofa and go to the store, possibly missing a key play in a must-see game.

The Andersons bought the Highland Park convenience store and laundromat two years ago. Anderson said he did his homework before the purchase, and that he knew what he was in for.

“With a convenience store, you’ve got to put in 50, 60, 70 hours a week,” he said. “You gotta be here.” Nevertheless, the experience has exceeded his hopes for the business.

When she was with Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership, Jennifer Anderson saw that no grocery was making deliveries, to seniors or anybody. Jason Anderson had gained some experience with the concept, having worked for Broulim’s in Rexburg when it was making deliveries to college students.

Although there is a lot of out-of-town business in the summer when people are coming to ball games, most of the year the store’s business is geographically limited. “We wanted to see if we could expand,” he said.

Although there is no way to order other than over the phone, a PDF version of the store’s catalogue is available for download on its Web site, shortstopmkt.com. Anderson isn’t sure whether they will ever get to having an app like Domino’s. “That would be great, but something like that is way too expensive,” he said.

Seniors make up a big part of the delivery service’s customers. “People who have a hard time getting around, group homes, people who just don’t want to go out,” Anderson said. As for what’s being delivered, “Beer is probably our biggest category.”

The store has expanded its delivery area to Ammon and Lewisville. Delivery hours are noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Anderson prides himself that he and his wife came up with the home delivery idea the same time 7-Eleven started its service. He is under no illusions that operators with bigger marketing budgets may move in.

“It’s a trend in the industry,” he said. “We’ve got to build the brand now.”

For more information, call 716-6538.

Longtime EIRMC executive Lou Fatkin retiring

Lou Fatkin

After 36 years of service, Lou Fatkin, Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center’s executive director of risk management, is retiring.

During his career, which dates back to the days of Idaho Falls Consolidated Hospitals, Fatkin has held positions in Medical Staff Relations and served as the hospital’s ethics and compliance officer.

In November 1979, Idaho Falls had two hospitals, Parkview and Riverview. Fatkin had offices and worked in both facilities. In all, he has been associated with five hospital management companies, including Intermountain Healthcare, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), HealthTrust, Columbia, and again HCA.

“Lou is one of the most passionate and dedicated people I've ever worked with,” said Brenda Baumgartner Stanley, a former EIRMC colleague. “He truly loved his job and the people he worked with. I also don't ever remember him not being happy. He just always seemed to have this upbeat and positive attitude. I am sure he will be missed.”

Cindy Smith-Putnam, another former EIRMC colleague, said Catkin’s office was called “The Confessional.”

“Doctors, employees, patients, families ... everyone trusted Lou as a guy you can really talk to,” she said. “And he loved the hospital. The throb of the days, no two ever alike. Several times, we laughed so hard we cried. There will be a gaping hole at EIRMC when he cycles, skis or runs off into his retirement.”

Fatkin said he feels grateful for his career. “Over the years, I have been fortunate to have worked with a number of hospital administrations,” he said. “In all, I will miss the whole EIRMC staff, who I consider my family.”

Sunnyside Road Popeyes set to open Monday

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen in Ammon is scheduled to open Monday.

Here we go, the first big restaurant news of the year: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen in Ammon's Sandcreek Commons Shopping Center is scheduled to open Monday, Jan. 11.

This is the fourth in Idaho, but part of a six-restaurant expansion into the state. Norcal Cajun Foods, a company in Concord, Calif., has the rights to franchise Popeyes in Idaho.

Norcal has opened Popeyes in Nampa, Caldwell and Boise. In addition to Ammon, it also has plans for Pocatello and Twin Falls. The company has 17 Popeyes in Northern California.

Popeyes dates back to 1972, when Alvin C. Copeland, Sr. opened a restaurant called Chicken on the Run in the New Orleans suburb of Arabi, serving traditional Southern fried chicken. After several months of mediocre sales, he changed the menu to spicy, New Orleans-style chicken and renamed the restaurant Popeyes, after the character Popeye Doyle in the movie “The French Connection.”

The menu features Cajun-style fried chicken and seafood that is typically served with buttermilk biscuits and a variety of sides, including Cajun rice, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, or french fries.

Today, there are more than 2,000 Popeyes in the United States and 25 foreign countries. Only 40 Popeyes locations are company-owned, according to the business profile on Hoovers.com.

Idaho places fourth in 2015 moving destination study

Idaho has placed in the top 5 as “Top Moving Destination,” as Americans continue to pack up and head West and South. Those are the results of United Van Lines' 39th Annual National Movers Study, which tracks customers' state-to-state migration patterns over the past year.

Oregon was the most popular moving destination of 2015, with 69 percent of moves to and from the state being inbound. The state has continued to climb the ranks, increasing inbound migration by 10 percent over the past six years.

With 61 percent moves inbound, opposed to 39 percent outbound, Idaho ranked No. 4, behind Oregon, South Carolina and Vermont.

The Southern states also saw a high number of people moving in with 53 percent of total moves being inbound. In a separate survey of its customers, United Van Lines found the top reasons for moving South included company transfer/new job, retirement and proximity to family.

The Northeast continues to experience a moving deficit with New Jersey (67 percent outbound) and New York (65 percent) making the list of top outbound states for the fourth consecutive year. Two other states in the region — Connecticut (63 percent) andMassachusetts (57 percent) — also joined the top outbound list this year. The exception to this trend is Vermont (62 percent inbound), which moved up two spots on the list of top inbound states to No. 3.

"For nearly 40 years, we've been tracking which states people are moving to and from, and we've also recently started surveying our customers to understand why they are making these moves across state lines," said Melissa Sullivan, director of marketing communications at United Van Lines. "Because of United Van Lines' position as the nation's largest household goods mover, our data is reflective of national migration trends."

"This year's data reflects longer-term trends of people moving to the Pacific West, where cities such as Portland and Seattle are seeing the combination of a boom in the technology and creative marketing industry, as well as a growing 'want' for outdoor activity and green space," said Michael Stoll, economist, professor and chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. "The aging Boomer population is driving relocation from the Northeast and Midwest to the West and South, as more and more people retire to warmer regions."

United has tracked migration patterns annually on a state-by-state basis since 1977. For 2015, the study is based on household moves handled by United within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. United classifies states as "high inbound" if 55 percent or more of the moves are going into a state, "high outbound" if 55 percent or more moves were coming out of a state or "balanced" if the difference between inbound and outbound is negligible.

Moving In

The top inbound states of 2015 were:
1. Oregon
2. South Carolina
3. Vermont
4. Idaho
5. North Carolina
6. Florida
7. Nevada
8. District of Columbia
9. Texas
10. Washington

The Western U.S. is represented on the high-inbound list by Oregon (69 percent), Nevada (57 percent) and Washington (56 percent). Of moves to Oregon, a new job or company transfer (53 percent) and wanting to be closer to family (20 percent) led the reasons for most inbound moves. Nevada remained on the high inbound list for the fifth consecutive year.

Moving Out 
The top outbound states for 2015 were:
1. New Jersey
2. New York
3. Illinois
4. Connecticut
5. Ohio
6. Kansas
7. Massachusetts
8. West Virginia
9. Mississippi
10. Maryland