Learn about shoulders, rotator cuff
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Anthony Buoncristiani will lead a discussion of anatomy and function of the shoulder, common shoulder injuries, and prevention and treatment options on Thursday, March 10, from 12:15-1:15 p.m. at St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center's Baldy Conference Rooms.
Bring your lunch. All Brown Bag lectures are free and no pre-registration is required. Call St. Luke's Center for Community Health for information on this or other educational programs: 727-8733.
Gas prices spike by 18 cents
Last week's 18-cent increase in the average U.S. gas price marks the second-largest one-week increase since 1990, eclipsed only by the September 2005 spike in prices in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, AAA Idaho said Friday.
The U.S. average price for regular grade gasoline was $3.47 Friday, up 18 cents in the week and 36 cents in the past month. Idaho's average price was up 10 cents last week to $3.28 a gallon, according to AAA. Idaho's average price is up 32 cents in the past month.
Oil, wholesale gas and pump prices continue to skyrocket, reflecting the market volatility resulting from the turmoil in Northern Africa and the Middle East.
"Idaho has been fortunate not to see the full impact of the increases felt elsewhere in the U.S., where pump prices have risen to catch up with the dramatic spike in wholesale prices," said AAA Idaho spokesman Dave Carlson.
Blaine unemployment hits 10 percent
Slightly higher-than-normal job increases in February were not enough to bring the state's unemployment rate below record levels of the previous three months, and left the seasonally adjusted February unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, unchanged from January and December.
Blaine County's February unemployment rate is not yet available, but the January rate was 10.1 percent, up from 9.2 percent in December. Out of Blaine County's labor force of 12,473 people, 1,261 were without jobs in January.
Statewide, the addition of about 2,000 private sector jobs—primarily in business services, health care, private education, hotels and restaurants—did bring job totals up to February 2010 levels, the first time current-month jobs have equaled the year-earlier totals since March 2009.
The Conference Board, a Washington, D.C., think tank, estimated in its February report that there were more than four unemployed Idaho workers for each advertised job opening.
Fly Sun Valley elects new president
Ketchum businessman Eric Seder was elected president of the board of the Fly Sun Valley Alliance at its meeting in February. Seder is co-owner with his wife, Susan, of Sun Valley Shutters & Shades and Fox Creek Interiors, and was a founding board member and is current vice president of the board of the Wood River Economic Partnership.
Carol Waller has been hired as Fly Sun Valley Alliance's new director, replacing Neil Morrow, who resigned in January. Waller previously served as executive director of the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau, and has been involved in the Fly Sun Valley Alliance for years.
The mission of the nonprofit Fly Sun Valley Alliance is to improve commercial air and ground service to the Wood River Valley.
In a news release, Seder said the organization is working on securing short- and long-term funding for air service.
Sagebrush to host educational event
The Sagebrush Equine Training Center for the Handicapped near Hailey will offer a hands-on session in learning about therapeutic horseback riding and equine-assisted therapy today, March 9, at 6:30 p.m. at 100 Let'er Buck Road, off of Buttercup Road.
For details, call 578-9111, ext. 102, or e-mail Lindsey@sagebrusharena.com.
Board to determine snowpack depth
The Idaho Water Supply Committee will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this week to determine the state of Idaho's snowpack.
Water managers and hydrology experts will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 10, at the Idaho Water Center in Boise. Members of the committee will make presentations and review the latest data before assessing the outlook for water supplies in the upcoming season.
January's dry spell saw dropping snowpacks in the Big Wood River Valley, but that spell was broken by a few February storms. The full impact of those storms on the Big Wood Basin's snowpack is yet to be determined.
Shelter names development director
Brooke Bonner is the new director of development and communications for the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley near Hailey. This is a new position for the shelter, which was created to help the organization maintain and grow its relationship with shelter supporters as well as to meet new challenges, including planning for a new facility.
Bonner is a former board member of the animal shelter, founding board member of the Blaine County Hunger Coalition, former staff member and volunteer with the Advocates for Survivors of Domestic Violence and a volunteer with the Crisis Hotline in Hailey. She served on the Blaine County Planning and Zoning Commission for three years. In addition, She owns Green Antelope Gallery in Bellevue.
Idaho's Bounty hires general manager
Hailey resident Lynea Newcomer is the new general manager of Idaho's Bounty, a Wood River Valley cooperative organic online food market. Newcomer has been a member of Idaho's Bounty since 2008 and previously drove Idaho's Bounty weekly delivery truck. Newcomer was manager of the Ketchum Farmers' Market from 2005-2008 and was a full-time farmer with Clarence and Tona Stilwill at Fair Mountain Farm in Fairfield in 2010.
YMCA to offer marathon training
Training for the 2011 Sun Valley Half Marathon on Saturday, June 4, will begin at the Wood River Community YMCA in Ketchum on Saturday, March 12. The 12-week program is $50 for YMCA members and $75 for non-members. A race package is available for $75 for YMCA members and $100 for non-members.
For details, call 727-9622.
Take a Staycation in Hailey
The Hailey Chamber of Commerce and the South Valley Merchants Alliance will present the third annual Hailey Staycation Saturday, March 19, through Sunday, March 27. The week will include Hailey shopping and dining specials and the Staycation Scavenger Hunt on Thursday, March 24, and Friday, March 25.
Prizes will be awarded for first-, second- and third-place winners. Winners will be announced as they race to the finish at the Meriwether Courtyard at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday, March 25.
For details, call 788-3484.
St. Luke's offers cholesterol screening
St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center is once again offering its "Heart of the Matter" cholesterol testing in Carey, on Wednesday, March 16. Screening includes a blood cholesterol test for HDL and LDL, triglyderides and glucose level, and blood pressure check for $10 ($86 value). A prostate cancer screening for men will be available at no additional charge ($59 value).
The testing will take place from 7-9 a.m. in the Carey High School auditorium. All participants must fast for at least eight hours prior to testing. For more information call 727-8733.
Screenings in Hailey and Ketchum will be done in April.
