Idaho’s unemployment rate has recently dropped to 8.8%.

Economist John Church, owner of Idaho Economics,  says Idaho is seeing positive employment growth as the rest of the country struggles with ongoing high unemployment.

Church says that Idaho has created 5,000 jobs, many of them in the manufacturing sector, over the past year.

“The Hole” at Eighth and Main Streets in downtown Boise is on track to become a beautiful new office building.

The Boise Planning and Zoning Commission and the Boise Design Review Committee have both approved the $60 million project.

The Gardner Company plans to file for building permits next Spring.

Source: IdahoStatesman.com article

Our annual Fall time change is upon us!

The U.S. Federal Time Change Agency (USFTCA) has ordered that we all set our clocks back one hour at precisely 2:00 a.m. this coming Sunday, November 6th.

I have it on good authority that the USFTCA will have roving patrols in various Boise, Meridian, and Eagle neighborhoods to enforce compliance with the mandated 2:00 a.m. changeover time.

I have heard that violators will be cited!

To ensure full compliance, I recommend that you either stay up until 2:00 a.m., or get up @ 2:00 a.m., to set your clocks back!

Boise came in at (interestingly) #13 on the list of 100 cities.

The rankings were based upon a number of factors, including:

• Winners of Powerball and Mega Millions
• Winners of Publishers Clearinghouse sweepstakes
• Most holes-in-one
• Fewest lightning strikes
• Fewest deaths from falling objects
• Least money lost on lottery tickets & race betting

The only other Pacific Northwest cities on this list were Portland (#25) and Seattle (#28).

Source: KTVB.com  article

Karen Ellis, Executive Director of Boise’s current non-profit Capital City Public Market, thinks it could work.

Ellis is proposing a 20,000-40,000 square foot space that is open all week, with gourmet wines, meats, dairy products, a brew pub, butcher shop, commercial kitchen/bakery, and a food education facility.

The City of Boise is interested and has dedicated $24,500 toward a feasibility study being conducted by Ted Spitzer, who has developed farmers’ markets in other major cities including Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Source: Idaho Statesman article

The new Rosauer’s Supermarket is under construction behind McDonald’s at the intersection of Eagle Road/Ustick Road.

The new store will open next Spring and employ 120 people.

Rosauer’s was founded in Spokane, Washington by Mert Rosauer in 1934 (during the Great Depression) and has since grown to 16 stores in Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Rosauer’s prides itself on offering high-quality natural, organic, ethnic, and specialty products combined with exceptional personal service.

Interestingly, the new store will have a deli with a seating area that includes a fireplace.

Sure doesn’t sound like your usual big box supermarket, does it?

It will be interesting to see how Rosauer’s competes with Albertson’s, Fred Meyer, and WalMart in our market.

The 35,000 square foot store will take about a year to complete and be built next to a new 14,000 square foot Walgreen’s Drug Store.

I’m glad there will be another Walgreen’s store ~ for awhile, I was afraid they had stopped building them! 

The stores will be located between Myrtle and Front streets on the west side of Broadway Avenue in Boise.

Boise continues to grow up!

Why?

Because its customers are using less water! (huh?)

This comes after United Water has encouraged its customers to conserve water for the past several years.

Check out the PUC Case Summary, then read through the comments filed by United Water’s angry customers.

If you’re a United Water customer, be sure to get involved and submit your comment to the Idaho PUC.

According to an article on IdahoStatesman.com, Kohl’s will open its new Boise Towne Square Mall store in September.

The company has already begun hiring 130 new employees for the store.

The store will be in the space formerly occupied by Mervyn’s before it went out of business a couple of years ago.

This is good news for Boise and the mall!