Center to host September BAH
The Hailey September Business After Hours will be held Thursday, Sept. 19, from 5-7 p.m. at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, 314 S. Second Ave. It will be co-hosted by Company of Fools.
The center will announce a new exhibit, “Behind the Seen: Theatrical Design at Company of Fools.” Featuring examples from 17 years of plays, the exhibition provides a backstage view into the way designers use sound, lighting, costuming, props and set design to transform the space of the stage. Visitors will follow the design process from sketches and models to fully realized performances captured in Kristen Shultz’s production photographs.
Light food and refreshments will be served. The public is invited to bring their business cards for a raffle. Call 788-3484 for more information.
Jobless payments hit 6-year low
The number of Idaho unemployment insurance payments dropped below 10,000 in the first week in September, the first time weekly benefit payments have been that low since the end of November 2007.
The Idaho Department of Labor’s weekly jobless benefit report showed 6,774 regular benefit payments for just under $1.66 million and another 2,874 federal extended benefit payments for $639,000, for 9,648 payments totaling $2.3 million.
Payments in the final week of August totaled 10,679 for more than $2.5 million.
The last time payments fell below 10,000 was the final week of November 2007, when 9,269 payments totaling just under $2.3 million were made. There were no federal extended benefits at that time, and both payments and amounts were trending up as the economy slowed toward the recession, which officially began at the end of 2007.
Since 2007, the department has paid nearly $2.4 billion in state and federal unemployment benefits to hundreds of thousands of Idaho workers.
At the depth of the recession in March 2009, an average of 50,000 workers a week received $54 million in state and federal benefits.
Idaho’s unemployment rate was 3.3 percent the last time benefit payments were under 10,000. The rate hit 8.8 percent in the closing months of 2010 and fell to 6.1 percent this past spring before it began rising again, reaching 6.6 percent in July.
St. Luke’s to host diabetes talk
St. Luke’s Center for Community Health will present a lecture titled “Dodging Diabetes” on Tuesdays, Sept. 24, and Oct. 1, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at St. Luke’s Hailey Clinic.
A St. Luke’s registered nurse, a certified diabetes educator and a registered dietitian will lead this free two-part series and will provide education and support for improving and controlling blood-sugar levels. Pre-registration is encouraged.
Call St. Luke’s Center for Community Health for information on this or other educational programs: 727-8733.
Talk on behavioral addictions offered
A talk on behavioral addictions that can impede quality of life will be held today, Sept. 18, from 12:15-1:15 p.m. at St. Luke’s Clinic in Hailey.
Stephanie Miller, licensed clinical social worker and certified alcohol and drug counselor, will talk about addictions such as gambling and exercise, as well as substance use, and will provide information on how brain chemistry and addiction are intertwined, how we can recognize warning signs and symptoms of addiction, and how to re-wire our thinking to steer away from the grip of obsessive behaviors.
No pre-registration is required. Call St. Luke’s Center for Community Health for information on this or other educational programs: 727-8733.
SVSEF to host new event
The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation will hold a new event, the Winter Lift-Off Party, on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Roundhouse restaurant and River Run Lodge.
The annual Wild Game Dinner will be revamped into a winter-themed celebration featuring snowflakes, skis and don’t-stop-’til-you-drop dancing. Favorites from the Wild Game Dinner will still be present, including mystery balloons, live music, and silent and online auctions. The night will begin with an intimate supper at Roundhouse for the Champions of the Foundation, and festivities will continue with a party at the base lodge.
Through the Winter Lift-Off, the foundation hopes to raise one-third of its annual budget. Through fundraising efforts, the foundation provides financial aid for both tuition and travel, academic assistance, training facilities and racing opportunities.
Talk offered on post-fire recovery
The Blaine County Noxious Weed Department and the University of Idaho Blaine County Extension Office will host a workshop titled “Wildfire Recovery on Private Land” on Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 6-8 p.m. in the Minnie Moore Room of the Community Campus in Hailey. Representatives from Idaho Water Resources, Blaine County, the U.S. Forest Service and BLM will discuss water issues, soil health, noxious weed mitigation and recreational use and closures.
While everyone is welcome to attend, the talk will specifically address issues facing homeowners affected by the Beaver Creek Fire and subsequent mudslides as they work to recover the health of their land. For more information, contact the Noxious Weed Department at 788-5516 or the University of Idaho Blaine County Extension Office at 788-5585.
New Girl Scouts wanted
Girl Scouts of the Silver Sage Council are looking for new scouts and volunteers. According to a news release from the council, scouting is not only fun but teaches important life skills, prompting girls to discover themselves and learn to give back.
Interested girls can visit the Ketchum Visitor Center on Friday, Sept. 20, from 4-6 p.m. or in Atkinson Park on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, or can contact Julie Lynn at 720-3629 or jclynn4258@gmail.com.
Underground project completed
The aerial power poles along Fifth Street in Ketchum from the alley west of Washington Avenue, across state Highway 75 and up the hill past City Hall, and in the alley behind City Hall south across the Fourth Street Heritage Corridor, are now out of sight— buried underground.
The project was accomplished through the City’s Franchise Fee Fund, which was established for the purpose of burying overhead power lines throughout Ketchum to create a more aesthetic atmosphere.
In 2003, city voters passed a ballot measure to increase the Idaho Power Franchise Fee from 1 percent to 3 percent. Revenues were to be used for undergrounding of overhead power lines in the southern entrance to town and in the commercial core, maintenance, operation and conversion of streetlights to comply with the Dark Sky Ordinance, and for improvements in residential areas.
Open house at Smiley Creek station
The Smiley Creek Rural Fire District will hold an open house and dedication ceremony for its newly purchased fire station and fire truck on Friday, Sept. 20. The ceremony will start at 11:30 a.m. with tours of the station until 1:30 p.m.
The district bought the building and expanded the equipment bay to house the newly purchased four-wheel-drive 1,000-gallon pumper truck equipped with a compressed air foam system. The station and truck were financed with a $350,000 loan from USDA-Rural development and a $30,000 cash contribution from the Fire District. The district stated that with no other fire station within 25 miles, the station and truck will significantly improve its fire-fighting capabilities.
State seeks information about fires
The state of Idaho is seeking information from small non-farm businesses affected by the 2013 Beaver Creek and Elk Complex fires. The Idaho Department of Commerce is collecting information to request a disaster declaration from the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). If declared, it would make federal disaster loans available to small businesses with working capital needs caused by the fires.
In order to submit a request to SBA, the state will need five or more small businesses located in Ada, Blaine, Boise, Butte, Camas, Custer, Elmore, Gooding, Owyhee, Lincoln, Minidoka and Owyhee counties to complete and submit the Idaho Department of Commerce SBA’s Economic Injury Worksheet. The worksheet may be found on the Commerce website at www.commerce.idaho.gov under the “Communities” tab. Forms can be downloaded and sent by fax to (208) 334-2631 or by email to jerry.miller@commerce.idaho.gov.
Small businesses are asked to complete and submit their worksheets as soon as possible so assistance can be targeted to areas with the greatest needs.
Sports clothing company opens
A new clothing company called SQN Sport has opened its headquarters at 131 N. Main St. in Hailey.
According to a news release from the company, its garment designs are based on hearing women’s frustration with their workout clothes.
“Whether they’re not comfortable enough, lack practicality or they just don’t look attractive to wear outside the house, we’ve identified three essential elements of Sine Qua Non Sport clothes that reflect our core brand message: comfort, quality and style,” the release states.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.sqnsport.com.
Gas prices rose this summer
The U.S. average price of gas this summer was almost 4 cents per gallon more than it was in 2012. That translated to nearly $3 billion more spent on gas this year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to a GasBuddy analysis.
The high price this summer occurred July 18 when the national average reached $3.68 per gallon and the low occurred July 4 when prices slipped to $3.49, a difference of just 18.7 cents. In 2012, that gap was much greater—42.7 cents per gallon between the summer’s highest and lowest average price.
In 2012, the U.S. average price reached its lowest level at $3.23 per gallon in December, and the lowest price in 2013 could fall to $3.10 per gallon this fall or winter, said Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan.
“That translates to collective savings of well over $175 million per day versus summer gas prices—just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays,” DeHaan said.
