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Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Fall River Electric board names new director

Jeff Keay
Fall River Electric’s Board of Directors has selected Jeff Keay of Island Park to fill the remaining two years of board member Ralph Burton’s term, which expires in June 2020.

Burton moved from the area, leaving a vacancy the board was required to fill by appointment. Keay was one of four candidates who were interviewed by the full board. He lives in District 8, which comprises members residing in northern Island Park.

Keay is the retired deputy regional director of the U.S. Geological Survey, where he guided 13 scientific research centers with 1,500 employees in five western states. He holds a doctorate in wildlife resources from the University of Idaho. Keay has extensive experience in budgeting, ethical and safety issues, as well as policy development and implementation.

“Jeff’s experience and background will provide a new and exciting
dimension to our board. We look forward to his future contributions,” said Fall River Electric CEO/General Manager Bryan Case.

Fall River Electric’s board of directors consists of nine members from all parts of the co-op’s service territory. Each board member is elected to a three-year term by the owner-members. The board manages the business and provides direction to the co-op’s CEO, who has the responsibility for managing the day-to-day affairs.

The board meets monthly at the cooperative’s headquarters in Ashton. The minutes of their meetings are posted on the co-op’s website, www.fallriverelectric.com.

Monday, August 6, 2018

Planet Doom eyes September opening

It might be early August, but I know people who are planning their Halloween decorations right now — it’s that big a deal to them. Then there’s Brent and Brian Wilson, who are in a whole different league.

Commercial real estate agents by day (with Thornton Oliver Keller, a BizMojo Idaho supporter) the Wilsons are the driving force behind Planet Doom, 680 First Street, now Idaho’s largest all-indoor haunted attraction. For years it was Dr. Slaughter’s House of Terror, a creative non-profit project to benefit the Idaho Falls D.A.R.E. program. When that closed in March, after 18 years, Brent Wilson said he and Brian saw an opportunity.

“(We) used to build home haunts in Florida. When Brian relocated to Idaho Falls in 2015 we started doing it again because we love haunted houses.”

In 2017, their home haunt was voted “Best International Haunt” (Canadian Haunters Association) and “Best Walkthrough Haunt” (Halloween Yard Haunts and Props). They donated the proceeds to Snake River Animal Shelter.

The old Dr. Slaughter’s offered them a bigger, scarier venue. With the new signs up, they are continuing to remodel the prior haunted maze inside the 32,000 square foot location. they are planning to open in September.

Proceeds from Planet Doom will continue to benefit D.A.R.E. The Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/planetdoomhaunt.

Friday, August 3, 2018

Blaze Pizza, Costa Vida opening in Sandcreek Commons

Blaze Pizza and Costa Vida will be the next national tenants at the 40-acre Sandcreek Commons in Ammon, the second largest shopping center in eastern Idaho.

These eateries will fill most of Sandcreek’s 12th structure, which is now under construction along Sunnyside Road, said Eric Isom, chief development officer at Ball Ventures, the Idaho Falls developer of Sandcreek Commons.

The 8,600-square-foot retail strip still has 2,600-square-feet in the center of the building available for one or two tenants. Construction started at the beginning of June. Isom said he expects Blaze and Costa Vida to open in late fall.

The architect is Dixon & Associates of Salt Lake City, the designer of several of the Sandcreek Commons structures. The general contractor is R. Jay Taylor Construction of Ammon.

Blaze Pizza has four locations in Idaho. The first was built in Meridian in 2014, and others followed soon after in Boise, Nampa  and Twin Falls. Established in Pasadena, Calif., in 2012, ith more than 270 locations in 40 states, Blaze Pizza is the second-fastest-growing restaurant chain in the nation, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.

Costa Vida is a Utah-based chain that opened in 2003. With a heavy concentration in the Intermountain West, it has franchise locations as far east as Chicago and several on the West Coast.

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Goddard named Bank of Idaho branch manager

Goddard
Jennifer Goddard has been named retail branch manager of Bank of Idaho’s downtown Idaho Falls branch, at 399 N. Capital Ave. Goddard has 25 years experience in the credit union industry and brings “a wealth of experience and a sterling reputation to the table,” a company news release said.

Goddard’s duties will involve management of retail deposits, loans, and operations at the Capital branch. A Rexburg native, she hopes to contribute to the bank’s strategic plan of expanding its small business portfolio. Goddard is active in the community, serving on the board of the Idaho Falls Senior Citizens Center. For more information, call 208-524-5500.

Monday, July 16, 2018

Strip mall going in behind 17th Street Dutch Bros

Construction of a strip mall in the ShopKo parking lot, behind the 17 Street Dutch Bros.
We had a question over the weekend from one of our faithful readers, Julia Townsend, about the building going up behind the Dutch Bros on 17th Street.

I wish we had something more exciting to report, but it is a 4,718-square-foot strip mall that’s going up as part of the Dutch Bros development. The site plan was filed with the Idaho Falls Building Department in April, but approved on July 3, which is why we’ve only been seeing action in the last two weeks.

The owner is listed as Needles Eye Holding of Eagle, and the architect is HB Architecture of Nampa.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

U.S. Chamber of Commerce report projects tariffs' effects on Idaho exports

Over the years, the State of Idaho has spent millions of dollars cultivating exports of everything from dehydrated potatoes to pumice to computer chips. In the midst of projecting what the effects of the emerging trade war might be, here comes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with a state-by-state breakdown.

The article’s headline, “Trade Works. Tariffs Don’t” sums up the view of the chamber (which I might add is hardly a hotbed of liberalism).

Canada has targeted $104 million for higher tariffs, including preparations for perfuming and deodorizing rooms ($19 million), fungicides ($16 million) and sauces, mixed condiments and seasonings ($15 million).

Mexico has targeted $36 million in Idaho products, including potatoes ($15 million exported annually), cheese ($14 million) and iron and steel ($2.7 million).

China has targeted $42 million in Idaho exports, including whey and modified whey ($36 million), dried and shelled peas ($3.8 million) and “products of natural milk constituents” ($2.2 million).

Europe has targeted dried kidney beans and white pea beans ($8.2 million), cold rolled tubes and pipes ($192,000), and iron or steel tanks over 300 liter capacity ($131,000).

Overall, the chamber report estimates 202,200 Idaho jobs are supported by trade, and that new tariffs threaten $190,732,525 in exports. We might also consider that farm equipment is going to be a lot more expensive, since the price of steel has risen 40 percent since January. And the bond your city passed to build that new school? The bids from contractors are likely to come in a lot higher now.

For a more detailed breakdown, follow this link: https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/tariff_data/one_pagers/id.pdf

Monday, July 9, 2018

1 Fine Cafe opening at old Babe's Bakery location

Remodeling inside the 1 Fine Cafe location on Channing Way.
Babe’s Bakery is gone, but it looks like its longtime location at 1900 Channing Way is soon going to be the home of 1 Fine Cafe. They are shooting for a Sept. 1 opening.

The operators are billing it as a fast casual restaurant offering dishes that feature their handcrafted breads. “Fast casual” means customers order at the counter and have their food and drink delivered to their tables. Wine and beer will be sold. There will be a designated floor person providing service to patrons by making sure their needs/wants (water and coffee refills, plate clearing, condiment fetching, etc.) are met.

This is from their Facebook page: “The cool twist to the cafe is customers (adults included) are encouraged to draw, sketch, or paint on provided paper canvases that cover the tables and easels placed around the restaurant. The art media will include colored and graphite pencils, crayons, and watercolor paints (easels only). Aprons will be provided to protect clothing. The idea is for people to do something interesting and fun while they wait for their food. There will be a wall displaying some of the art that customers complete.”

There will be breads, danish, and sweets for retail sale. The menus are available for review at http://www.1finecafe.com. Menus are subject to change and will vary with the seasons, with lighter fare in spring and summer, more comfort food in the fall and winter. For more information, call (970) 389-9569.