Around North Central Idaho: Economic activity, June 2025

Posted on | updated:
Lisa Grigg, regional economist
Idaho Department of Labor
(208) 696-2256

Regional news

  • The Nez Perce Tribe has established the Department of Planning and Economic Development to guide the tribe’s long-term economic growth. Source: Nez Perce Tribe
  • The Innovia Foundation awarded over $162,000 in community grants to 13 nonprofit organizations within north central Idaho. Award grantees by county include:
    • Clearwater County: Clearwater Community Complex and Clearwater County Senior Citizens Inc.
    • Idaho County: City of Kooskia, Kids Klub and REACH Club.
    • Latah County: APOD Productions, Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre and Latah Recovery Community Center Inc.
    • Lewis County: River Arts Kamiah and Upriver Youth Leadership Council.
    • Nez Perce County: Chief Joseph Foundation, LC Crew and Public Health – North Central District Source: Innovia Foundation
  • The cities of Pierce and Deary are participating in the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health’s 2025 Community Health Academy. The program lasts from June through October and attendees learn strategies for building healthy communities. Each participating city will be awarded a $20,000 health project grant at the end of the five-month program. Source: Clearwater Tribune

Nez Perce County

  • The Port of Lewiston is partnering with Pivot Tech Development Inc. to build a fiber optic network with open access architecture. Project construction will begin within the next few months and is expected to be completed by October 2025. Confluence Communications is a new nonprofit organization created to build, operate and maintain the Lewiston community fiber network. Source: Port of Lewiston
  • The American Red Cross will close its blood donation center in Lewiston in early August 2025. The organization has had a presence in Lewiston for 27 years and currently has a staff of five employees. The organization will bring in future teams from Boise to collect blood donations in the Lewiston area. Source: Lewiston Tribune
  • Lewis-Clark State College’s hospitality management program was awarded the 2025 Idaho Division of Career Technical Education Exemplary Postsecondary Program. Source: Lewis-Clark State College
  • Performance Health and Wellness in downtown Lewiston has been renamed RegenTech Physical Therapy. Source: Lewiston Tribune
  • The Idaho Transportation Department plans to begin replacing the Spalding Bridge in 2028. A public comment period will be held during July 2025 and final plans will be submitted September 2025. Source: KOZE
  • Idaho Power plans to purchase 1.19 acres in the Harry Wall Industrial Park to construct a 5,400 square foot building for storing its fish monitoring jetboats. Source: Lewiston Tribune

Idaho County

  • Syringa Hospital and Clinics purchased a vacant lot in Grangeville as well as working towards acquiring another for future expansion. Source: Idaho County Free Press
  • The Idaho Transportation Department will be reconstructing Mount Idaho Grade outside of Grangeville from Rocky Point Lane to SH-14. All lanes are closed from June – November 2025. Source: Big Country News
  • Exodus Salmon River Rafting in Riggins is under new ownership. Source: Idaho County Free Press

Latah County

  • The University of Idaho held a soft opening for the new Deep Soil Ecotron soil analysis facility under construction in Moscow. The project will provide for deep soil analysis down to three meters and is on schedule to be operational by the fall of 2026. The $19 million Ecotron lab funding was announced in October 2021 by the U.S. National Science Foundation with a five-year construction period. The only other Ecotron in the U.S. is housed at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada. Source: Pullman Radio, Science Journal
  • The University of Idaho (UI) officially terminated plans to acquire the University of Phoenix with the Idaho State Board of Education after a final deal could not be reached.  UI has been pursuing acquiring the University of Phoenix since 2023. Source: Idaho State Board of Education
  • The City of Moscow’s city offices have transitioned to a four-day week for the months of July and August and will resume regular hours in September. The summer hours are 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. -Monday through Thursday. The offices are closed on Fridays. Source: City of Moscow
  • Latah County will begin housing its jail inmates in Nez Perce County by the fall of 2025. The Latah County Jail is currently out of compliance with its fire suppression, plumbing, electrical and camera systems. Because of this, Latah County is exploring options for funding construction of a new jail facility. Idaho currently operates 36 county jails statewide. Source: Lewiston Tribune

Clearwater County

  • Clearwater County voters approved the $300,000 annual levy for the Clearwater County Ambulance District. Source: Clearwater Tribune
  • The City of Orofino was selected for the Main Street America Transformation Strategy Workshop by Idaho Commerce. Source: Big Country News
  • NightForce Optics received approval from the City of Orofino to convert a former U.S. Forest Service building into workforce housing comprised of six apartments. Source: Clearwater Tribune
  • The Idaho Transportation Department has began working to replace the bridge over Quartz Creek, north of Pierce, with completion expected in September 2025. Source: KOZE

Openings

  • Sandcastle Antiques, White Bird.
  • W&W Upholstery, Grangeville.
  • The Brickhouse eatery, Grangeville.
  • Seth Stoke Construction relocated from St. Maries to Grangeville.
  • Trailhead Veterinary Services, Grangeville.
  • Hobby Lobby, Lewiston.
  • Gathered Roots Cleaning Services, Lewiston.
  • 530 Media, Lewiston.
  • Sam’s Dog Grooming, Lewiston.
  • Retroplay Vintage antique store, Pierce.

Closings

  • Kooskia Feed & Supply, Kooskia.
  • Appaloosa Museum & Heritage Center, Moscow.

This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.

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