|
|
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The state has again received top ratings for its short-term debt from the three largest credit-rating agencies in New York, Idaho Treasurer Ron Crane said.
Moodys issued a MIG-1, Standard & Poors issued a SP1+, and Fitch awarded a F1+ rating for state tax-anticipation notes. The ratings are the equivalent of AAA ratings for commercial debt.
Crane issues tax-anticipation notes because Idaho's expenditures exceed its revenue collections during the first half of the fiscal year, which runs from July through June. The treasurer makes up the shortfall with the proceeds from the sale of the notes until additional tax collections are received later in the fiscal year.
Idaho is one of the top states in the nation with reserves set aside to weather economic crises, Crane said. Fourteen percent of general fund revenues, or about $400 million, have been put in reserve accounts, he said.
Source: IdahoStatesman.com
| Posted by maricela at 3:12 PM |
|
|
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
No. 2: Boise, Idaho
Boise makes Forbes' No. 2 spot and Kiplinger puts it at No. 4 this year, noting its high proportion of college graduates and abundance of affordable housing.
It was Money's No. 8 in 2006. Boise also is Fortune Small Business magazine's current No. 19, and it comes in at a very close second on this list, holding an edge on the rest of the pack with Raleigh, N.C.
Source: Msnbc.com
| Posted by maricela at 11:19 AM |
|
|
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Razor Resources, an oil and gas exploration company, has announced that it is entering into a letter of intent with Striker Petroleum to participate as a working interest partner in the drilling and completion of the Idaho Falls prospect in eastern Idaho, US.
The prospect is a wildcat oil and natural gas play and it is estimated to contain over 2.3 billion barrels of oil and 11.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
GA_googleFillSlotWithSize("ca-pub-5440138744487553", "News_Main_300x250", 300, 250);
The Idaho Falls prospect is located in Jefferson County in eastern Idaho and is part of the eastern limb of the Snake River Plain.
Specifics of Razor Resources's involvement are still under discussion, but the company is expected to obtain a 15% interest in the project, with an option to increase its position to 20%.
It is estimated that the dry hole costs will be $4.5M. With success, approximate completion costs could total an additional $5.5M. W...
| Posted by maricela at 11:04 AM |
|
|
WASHINGTON - Retail sales jumped by the largest amount in six months in May as 57 million economic stimulus payments helped offset the headwinds buffeting consumers.
The Commerce Department reported Thursday that retail sales soared 1 percent last month, the biggest increase since November. A wide variety of retailers enjoyed a good month, including the biggest increase at department stores and other general merchandise stores in a year.
The May increase was double what economists had been expecting and indicated that the economy is getting a major boost from the $50 billion in economic stimulus payments the government sent out in May, just under half of the total stimulus aimed at consumers.
The Bush administration is hoping the stimulus payments will help offset the gloom from a prolonged slump in housing, a severe credit crisis, soaring energy bills and rising layoff notices and help the country avert a deep recession.
Highlighting the pressures on the job market, the Labor Depa...
| Posted by maricela at 11:24 AM |
|
|
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Like the first sprouts in a vegetable garden, farmers markets are popping up across the state as more and more residents search out local produce and handmade crafts.
One such market recently opened in Riggins, with three determined vendors standing under a tent during a rainstorm several days ago.
"We actually did pretty good," market organizer Maureen Een told the Lewiston Tribune about opening day. "We had a lot of people coming and checking it out. The social thing is important, too, so everybody was there and seemed to have a real good time."
Fresh produce is limited at this time of year, but Een said she and the other vendors sold lettuce, radishes, spinach, homemade tortillas and homemade bread.
In 2003, the state Department of Agriculture listed 23 farmers markets in Idaho. This year, the department lists 35, including markets in the small towns of Bovill, Kendrick, Kooskia/Kamiah and Riggins, as well as in the larger cities of Lewiston, Moscow and Grang...
| Posted by maricela at 1:43 PM |
|
|
Friday, June 06, 2008
Date: 6/7/2008
Time: 12:00 AM
Location: Boise Centre on the Grove
Seats go on Sale:
Last Seat Sold:
The Idaho Foodbank is proud to announce that the Food Network's Chef Tyler Florence will be the featured guest at the 10th Annual A Chef's Affaire fundraiser. In addition to his active participation in the A Chef's Affaire dinner and auction, Chef Tyler Florence will give a cooking demonstration prior to dinner, presented by the Idaho and Eastern Oregon Onion Committee. Tickets are $50 and seating is limited.
As always, A Chef's Affaire promises to be an evening to remember as 20 of the Treasure Valley's most talented chefs prepare a five-course gourmet meal and diners can choose from a wide assortment of Idaho's finest wines.
The silent auction will feature a wide array of dining packages, merchandise and services from the area's restaurants, caterers, wineries, hotels and retailers. Better yet, the participating chefs will be auctioned to the highest bidder...
| Posted by maricela at 1:46 PM |
|
|
Friday, May 30, 2008
Date: 6/3/2008
Time: 08:00 AM
Location: Red Lion Hotel - Boise Downtowner, 1800 Fairview Ave., Boise
FREE! Seminars are scheduled throughout the state to help employers control and manage unemployment insurance costs. Topics include: Unemployment claim process review, Unemployment insurance compliance update, Wage & hour overview, and Introduction to new online system for managing your employer account. Choose a 4-hour session June 3rd and June 4th: 8am-noon or 1pm-5pm. Register online at labor.idaho.gov/seminars. For more information, contact Laura Cullen at 208-332-3570 ext. 3253.
Source: IdahoBusinessReview.com
| Posted by maricela at 12:11 PM |
|
|
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Television executives seized the idea long ago: American families value where they plant their roots. The Cosbys had Brooklyn. The Cunninghams, Milwaukee. The Simpsons, Springfield. But fathers face reality when they're not in prime time. They want to raise their children somewhere safe, where they can attend good schools with favorable student-teacher ratios, above-average test scores and respectable budgets. Plenty of museums, parks and pediatricians also contribute to a good quality of life, whereas multihour commutes, expensive houses and divorcing friends and neighbors do not. Best Life editors used these categories and data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Education Statistics, the FBI, the American Association of Museums, the National Center for Health Statistics and the American Bar Association to evaluate 257 cities. Here are the best - and worst - places to raise a family.
1 Honolulu, Hawaii - Schools spend almost $9,000 per pupil...
| Posted by maricela at 10:10 AM |
|
|
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The additional work required to tap international markets is worth it for Idaho businesses, speakers said today at the Global 21 International Business and Investment Conference in Boise. Amy Benson, director of the U.S. Commercial Service's Boise Export Assistance Center, said in an interview that one of the biggest challenges in tapping international markets involves making sure that management is committed to moving forward. That's because it can take a while to generate the benefits of tapping international markets.
It's worth the effort and the wait, Benson and Damien Bard, Idaho Department of Commerce International Business Division manager said in a panel discussion.
Bard said Idaho exports last year rose 26 percent to $4.7 billion. A weak U.S. dollar is making U.S. products increasingly competitive, and small and mid-sized businesses in Idaho have stepped up their activity abroad, he said.
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, in a speech to open the conference, urged Idaho busines...
| Posted by maricela at 10:33 AM |
|
|
Monday, May 12, 2008
The dire headlines coming fast and furious in the financial and popular press suggest that the housing crisis is intensifying. Yet it is very likely that April 2008 will mark the bottom of the U.S. housing market. Yes, the housing market is bottoming right now.
How can this be? For starters, a bottom does not mean that prices are about to return to the heady days of 2005. That probably won't happen for another 15 years. It just means that the trend is no longer getting worse, which is the critical factor.
Most people forget that the current housing bust is nearly three years old. Home sales peaked in July 2005. New home sales are down a staggering 63% from peak levels of 1.4 million. Housing starts have fallen more than 50% and, adjusted for population growth, are back to the trough levels of 1982.
Furthermore, residential construction is close to 15-year lows at 3.8% of GDP; by the fourth quarter of this year, it will probably hit the lowest level ever. So what's going to stop the ...
| Posted by maricela at 5:32 PM |
|
|
|
|
|