Risch welcomes summer interns
Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, announced the arrival of his summer interns this week, one of whom is from Ketchum.
Ricki Eshman of Ketchum is a junior at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where she is majoring in government and minoring in Chinese. She will be interning in the senator's Washington, D.C., office. After graduation, she hopes to study law or foreign affairs.
Eshman joins five other Idaho natives who will be interning in Risch's Boise, Idaho Falls and Washington, D.C. offices.
Jaquet receives award for service to Idaho cities
The Association of Idaho Cities honored Rep. Wendy Jaquet with the Boyd A. Martin Award on June 21 at the association's 65th annual conference in Boise. According to a press release from the association, it established the award in 1979 to recognize exceptional contributions to city governments in Idaho. Jaquet is retiring after 18 years in the Idaho House of Representatives, where she served as House minority leader for 10 years and was on the budget committee for four years. Her district includes Blaine, Camas, Gooding and Lincoln counties.
For 13 years, Jaquet was executive director of the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber of Commerce, coordinating the successful Ketchum Wagon Days.
Her legislative accomplishments include passing enabling legislation for transfer of development rights, which has helped preserve rural land and open space. She also co-sponsored legislation with Sen. Dean Cameron to create a tax deduction for the purchase of long-term care insurance, and was part of the interim committee that launched the Idaho Reading Initiative.
"Wendy has a tremendous work ethic, amazing command of details and the ability to work effectively in a bipartisan way," said AIC Executive Director Ken Harward. "She is a true friend of cities."
Idaho personal income rises
Workers' paychecks and business profits grew at nearly the same pace during the first three months of 2012, pushing total personal income in Idaho up 0.9 percent from the final quarter of 2011.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis estimated the state's total personal income on an annualized basis at nearly $53.8 billion during the first quarter. Idaho's increase ranked 20th among the states.
Wage and salary earnings were up 0.9 per cent from the fourth quarter of 2011 to $24.2 billion while business profits rose 1.1 percent to $6.4 billion.
New texting law takes effect July 1
Idaho's new texting while driving law officially goes into effect on July 1, making it an infraction to text and drive. Violators will be fined $81.50.
The law does not prohibit texting via voice-operated or hands-free devices.
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Ketchum, Sun Valley get achievement awards
The Association of Idaho Cities recognized the city of Ketchum with three Achievement Awards on June 20 during the association's annual conference in Boise. It recognized the city of SunValley with one award.
Ketchum was recognized for its:
- Downtown Partnerships and Re-Investments.
- Focus on Special Events.
- City of Ketchum: Leaner, Sharper, Effective.
The city of Sun Valley was recognized with an Achievement Award for its Reuse for Recreation program. The project was recognized for its contribution to economic growth and development and quality of life in the City of Sun Valley.
The Association of Idaho Cities was formed in 1947 and is a nonpartisan, nonprofit corporation organized to serve Idaho's 200 incorporated cities. AIC influences policies and provides education, training and technical assistance to strengthen the ability of city elected officials and staff to serve their communities.
Senators aim to limit caribou habitat
Republican U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch of Idaho say federal land and wildlife managers should only designate as much critical habitat for woodland caribou in northern Idaho and eastern Washington state as the caribou occupied when they were first listed as a protected species.
The Spokesman-Review reports the senators last week wrote a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service telling the agency critical habitat should "be more representative of the distribution and population at the time of listing."
Two caribou were spotted in the region in 1983 when they were listed.
The agency has proposed designating nearly 600 square miles as critical habitat to bolster numbers. Most of the federal land is in Idaho's Bonner and Boundary counties and nearby Washington state's Pend Oreille County.
Meet the international diva
Share the red carpet with an international diva tonight, June 29, as singer Alyson Cambridge, who will perform for the Sun Valley Spectacular on Saturday, June 30, at the Sun Valley Pavilion, greets guests for a Diva and Diamonds pre-party.
Tickets are $125 and include the party at Janet and Roger DeBard's home, hor d'oeuvres, hosted cocktails and the concert with the American Festival Chorus and Orchestra led by Craig Jessop.
The show will feature a range of music from "Porgy and Bess" and "La Boheme," as well as classic Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter.
Concert tickets range from $29 to $59. The show starts at 8 p.m.
For information on the pre-party, visit www.sunvalleyopera.com or for the concert visit www.seats@sunvalley.com .
