A few more Costco links for those who can't get enough

Will Costco come to Idaho Falls? It is a mystery inside a riddle wrapped in an enigma. Or something like that.

It looks like Costco fever is upon us again, so I wanted to share a source, admittedly unofficial, for all you folks who just can’t get the wholesale warehouse chain out of your mind. I've still got Himalayan pink salt I bought there in August 2017, when my wife and I last had a membership, so I'm thinking we're good for now.

This is all Costco has to offer on the subject of new stores opening: https://www.costco.com/new-locations.html. But I found this link from last month by Googling “Costco new store openings,” and it seems to offer information comprehensive and current as likely to be found anywhere: https://www.savingadvice.com/articles/2019/01/08/1052240_new-costco-locations-2018.html

Who knows how accurate it is or how many lives were lost in obtaining it, eh? But for those of you unable or unwilling to click through, here is the key information:

At the moment, the information regarding new Costco openings is limited, but so far we can expect the following:

New Costco Locations in 2019

• Coral Springs, FL (February 2019)
• Ipswich, AUS (February 2019)

Potential New Locations in 2019

Costco hasn’t officially stated where any other new locations for 2019 will be, but we will keep you updated. For now, the potential new locations for 2019 are:

• Bayonne, NJ
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Cypress, TX
• Loves Park, IL
• Bradenton, FL
• St. Cloud, MN
• Eagan, MN
• Harrison, NJ

There are approximately 19 planned warehouse stores in U.S. cities scheduled through 2022. These include:

• Murietta, CA
• Napa CA
• Pleasanton, CA
• Branford, CT
• Clinton, CT
• Athens, GA
• Sharpsburg, GA
• Meridian, ID
• University City, MO
• Ridgeland, MS
• Mooresville, NC
• Cherry Hill, NJ
• Patterson, NY
• Cranston, RI
• Bluffton, SC
• Dallas, TX
• El Paso, TX
• McKinney, TX
• Sherman, TX

Rest assured, we will continue to bird dog this story as it develops, as well as any news on Trader Joe's and In-N-Out Burger, the other two members of the "Holy Trifecta."

Rigby hires Sharon Parry as P&Z director

Sharon Parry

The city of Rigby has hired Ririe resident and former Idaho Falls City Councilwoman Sharon Parry as its new planning and zoning director. Mayor Jason Richardson announced the hiring during the Jan. 17 Rigby City Council meeting.

From 1998 to 2005 Parry was a member of the Idaho Falls School District No. 91 Board of Trustees, serving as the district's liaison to the Idaho Falls Planning and Zoning Commission. For the last two years, she also served on the board of Bonneville County Planning and Zoning Commissioners.

After her term on the school board expired in 2005, she was elected to the Idaho Falls City Council in 2007 and she remained on the council until 2016.

Parry told the Jefferson Star that her goal with the city of Rigby is to build a relationship between developers and the city council and mayor. “That’s the number one thing,” she said. “We are all in the same boat, so we might as well paddle together.”

Idaho Falls schedules meetings on airport development, zoning

The City of Idaho Falls Community Development Services Department has announced the first of several meetings to discuss future development around the Idaho Falls Regional Airport.

The Idaho Falls City Council recently approved a moratorium on development around the airport in an effort to allow Community Development Services to work with IDA and the public on plans to ensure the public safety and future viability of the airport.

“We plan to host several meetings for the public and stakeholders in the area so they can learn about the importance of this critical area and  give their input as we develop the codes that will govern future land uses there,” said Community Development Services Director Brad Cramer.  “We want to make sure we are planning uses that are safe for the public and allow for the future viability of the airport while ensuring the best and highest uses for the surrounding lands.”

The first meeting will be an open house on the Airport Overlay Zone. That meeting will be held Feb. 12, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Ethel Boyes Elementary School. The open house will feature displays showing the basic parameters of the code and explain how it applies to properties in the city. It will also demonstrate how development around the airport has occurred over the years and why the code and protecting the airport is so important. Staff will be on-hand to answer questions.

The second meeting will be a stakeholder meeting for those with interest in land north of the main IDA runway and east of the Snake River.  That meeting will be held on February 21, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Ethel Boyes Elementary.

That meeting will feature an introductory presentation followed by group discussions related to topics specific to the future of those impacted areas. Invitations will be sent to property owners and known stakeholders in the area, but the meeting is open to anyone who would like to attend.

Real estate numbers from 2018 hold steady; median price up, homes selling faster

Looking at the 2018 sales numbers for single family homes and condos in Bonneville County, it would appear that the market is chugging along for a third straight year. There was a slight slowdown in the number of homes sold and a dip in the number of new listings, but the median price is up to an all-time high and properties are selling faster than ever.

The other thing that struck me from looking all the way back to 2006 was how bad things had gotten in 2011-12. Everyone thinks the darkest days were 2009 -- and if you were in sales, they were dark days indeed -- but I remember someone telling me then, "It's going to get worse. This market is always about two or three years behind what's happening everywhere else."

Visiting Angels of Eastern Idaho receives Leader in Excellence Award

Visiting Angels of Eastern Idaho has received a Leader in Excellence award from Home Care Pulse, the industry's leading firm in satisfaction research and quality assurance. The company was also named the Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice in eastern Idaho for the 4th year in a row. These awards are granted based on client and caregiver satisfaction scores gathered by Home Care Pulse.

“We are happy to recognize Visiting Angels of Eastern Idaho as a Leader in Excellence,” said Erik Madsen, CEO of Home Care Pulse. “We’ve been impressed by their commitment to their clients and caregivers, as well as the quality of the overall care they provide. They really stand out in their market as a top home care provider.”

Visiting Angels of Eastern Idaho opened its doors in 2015 with a unique approach to senior home care. Over the years, seniors and their families have embraced a companion-based solution whereby each senior has a designated "Angel," avoiding a shuffle of caregivers for home visits. This results in lasting relationships with extraordinary care and high job satisfaction for the caregivers.

“We are so honored to receive this distinction,” W. Scott Holmes, Visiting Angels of Eastern Idaho's owner and CEO, said in a news release. “We have the most amazing team of Angels who put their heart and soul into every visit. To be honest, we are still a bit in shock that an agency in a smaller community such as ours can achieve this ranking!”

Visiting Angels of Eastern Idaho is a local franchise with offices in Idaho Falls and Pocatello. As one of over 600 locations, it provides a range of helpful services for seniors, including companionship, personal care, light housekeeping, meal preparation, errands, and respite for family
caregivers. For more information, call 208-529-2734 or visit visitingangels.com/easternidaho.

Bank of Idaho names Caleb Dimick head of retail and commercial banking

Caleb Dimick

Bank of Idaho has announced the promotion of Caleb Dimick to Senior Vice President of Retail and Commercial Banking. The title is new, but the role is not.

"He's been functioning at this level for the past year, and he's worked hard at it," said Bank of Idaho President and CEO Jeff Newgard. "We're really proud of what he's accomplished during that time, and we are happy to give him the recognition he's earned."

A specialist in small business lending, Dimick has focused both on retail services and commercial lending, ordinarily the work of two executives. "The integrated role was one that was completely untested here, but the way Caleb led us through the transition, his team never missed a step," Newgard said.

Dimick's advancement coincides with expansion on many fronts at Bank of Idaho. This month, the 33-year-old, Idaho Falls-based institution opened an office in downtown Boise, its eighth full-service branch. The bank is also awaiting completion of new office space for its Wealth Management department at The Broadway, the new structure at the corner of Memorial and A Street in downtown Idaho Falls.

New Shoshone-Bannock Casino opening set for Feb. 13

An artist's rendering of the new Fort Hall casino

 The Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel has announced Feb. 13 as the date for the opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting at it new casino.

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes broke ground in 2017 on the 85,463-square-foot casino addition, connected to the west side of the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Events Center.

Beginning at 11 a.m. the ceremony will include remarks from tribal leaders, casino hotel executive staff and project management team members. Celebrating the cultural significance on a project this size, the program will feature traditional dancing and an honor song from a drum group. At the conclusion of the ceremony, a celebratory ribbon cutting will take place, to symbolize the project’s
completion and that the property is open for business. At that time, the public will be invited in to experience the new gaming floor.

The celebration will not end there, however. On Saturday, Feb. 23, the Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel invites the public to participate in the grand opening celebration. During the day, multiple promotions, activities, entertainment and giveaways will be highlighted. Details will be released regarding specifics, times and where guests can find additional information.

For questions or quotes, please contact Andrea Todd at andrea.todd@shobanhotel.com.

In addition to the casino floor, there will be an addition to the north side of the event center, more than 300 new parking spaces, a new bingo hall, buffet and lounge.

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes owns and operates three gaming properties including the Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel, Sage Hill Casino and Travel Center, and Bannock Peak Casino and Truck Stop. The economic growth plan continues to evolve for the health and benefit of the tribal membership and the eastern Idaho region.