News

Regional labor market information

Southwestern Idaho’s single-family home sales – March 2024 and 2025

Regional news

• On April 1, Lucky Peak Reservoir began filling its 45-mile canal system that feeds irrigation water to approximately 165,000 acres of Treasure Valley farms, serving five irrigation districts. Producers were able to tap into the full system starting mid-April. The Boise River basin shows the reservoir storage volume was 95% of normal capacity. The Payette system was 93% of its normal capacity. According to the USDA National Resources Conservation Service, hydrologists are optimistic that many irrigators across the state will have sufficient water this growing season. The Southern Snake River basins are at 100-120% of normal capacity, with the Owyhee basin at 185% of normal capacity.

• Idaho Power has filed with the Public Utility Commission requesting a 5.89% rate cut for all Idaho customers and a 5.87% rate cut for irrigators. This reduction is based on anticipation of a good water year resulting in more low-cost hydroelectricity. The New York Canal has started an $81.5 million rehabilitation project affecting a six-mile stretch. The project will be completed by 2030 with $50 million of American Rescue Plan Act monies shortening the original timeframe. The water depth will be restored to its original depth, dirt will be compacted and a polyester liner with a 50-year life will be installed. Source: Capital Press and KTVB News

• Both Tamarack and Brundage ski hills closed for the season per the terms of its lease with the Forest Service in mid-April. Bogus Basin extended its season by a week because it continued to have groomed runs. It received tremendous snowfall this past season — an estimated 297 inches. Its base depth is 358% of its average for this time of year. Source: Idaho News 6

Ada County

• The College of Western Idaho (CWI) is partnering with a local developer to build a downtown Boise campus. The programs offered at the Boise campus will include computer science, cybersecurity and business. The mixed-use development will include housing, hotel and retail mingled with the college building. The completion date is estimated to be fall 2027. The new campus will free up some funds that were directed at leasing multiple space in Nampa. The CWI component is about 101,000 square feet. Source: Idaho Business Review

• Idaho Power agreed to pay a settlement of $800,000 towards mitigating the impact of the Valley Fire in Boise’s eastern foothills last fall. A power line touched the dry ground, causing the fire which burned 9,904 acres, including part of the Boise River Wildlife Management Area. It is home to more than 300 species of animals, is a migratory path for elk and deer between summer and winter seasons, along with an important winter range protected from nearby development. The money will go towards repairing and replanting habitat by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, which does not have a budget line item for wildfire reparations. Source: Idaho Capital Sun

• The family of Dallas and Alta Harris donated its geothermal water rights to the city of Boise. There are four systems serving Boise including: one at the statehouse, the world’s first geothermal system in 1892 that continues to feed the mansions along Warm Springs Avenue, the Boise VA Medical Center has its own smaller system and a system that provides energy to 100 downtown Boise buildings. The city currently pumps 385 million gallons annually, so with the new donation output will increase to 1.5 billion gallons annually. The family donated 7.2 cubic feet per second of geothermal water and kept .2 cubic feet for personal use. The water is delivered at 170 degrees and the city’s system currently covers 6.5 million square feet. It is pumped out of deep wells at Military Reserve. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Boise State University President Marlene Tromp accepted the presidency position at University of Vermont where she will be the 28th president. She has been at Boise State University since the summer of 2019 and faced many challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Board of Education begins the task of searching nationally for a replacement. Source: KTVB News

• The Idaho Air National Guard deployed 300 Airmen to Jordan from the 124th Fighter Wing. The group is tasked with supporting combat and peacekeeping operations. The wing’s airplane is an A-10 Thunderbolt II. The wing commander mentioned the large number of young people that were pilots, maintenance personnel and other support personnel headed for their first deployment – the group has a scheduled return within 180 days. Source: KTVB News

• West Ada School District announced the hiring of 17 deans to track students’ academic progress, effectively reducing strain on principals with primary leadership duties requiring their attention. There had been temporary interns relieving some of the strain on principals. Those positions will be replaced with the permanent administrators and the budget will be redirected to enhance recruitment of the higher skilled administrators. Source: Idaho Education News

Canyon County

• Caldwell’s airport will soon have a 116-foot control tower. The city applied for funding from the Federal Aviation Administration requesting $21 million toward the control tower. Caldwell’s airport is the largest in terms of aircraft landings and takeoffs without a control tower. The airport handles nearly 150,000 flights in and out annually. The city will need to contribute 10% of the cost. Source: Idaho News 6

• Nampa School District is starting to assess its transition to a four-day school week. This first year has seen many changes, including a new student transportation provider after 64 years with Brown Bus Company. First Student, the new bus company, was initially criticized for getting students to school late and for students not getting on the correct bus after school, resulting in frequent late home arrivals. The shorter week is compensated for by longer days which is being reconsidered for the elementary students who start school at 8:51 a.m. with dismissal at 4:21 p.m. Scores improved last fall with the Idaho Reading Indicator moving from 59% to 61%. The spring scores for standardized testing have not been released. Source: Idaho Education News

• The Caldwell School Board approved a memorandum of understanding with St. Luke’s Healthcare System for a traveling pediatric clinic to provide care at four of its elementary schools. The clinic is funded by a five-year United Way Treasure Valley Rural Expansion Grant. The clinic will take appointments and provide access to pre-school siblings of existing students. The schools include Lewis and Clark, Sacajawea, Washington and Wilson elementary schools. The clinic is not free,  running visits through parents’ insurance. Still, there is an assistance fund for those in need. Offering these services at the schools is a national trend that is on the rise. Boise and Nampa have mobile clinics, also. Momentum grew after a sample survey of parents identified a 25% interest in these services. Source: Idaho Press

• The Church of Latter-day Saints announced they will build a temple in Caldwell, making it the third temple in the Treasure Valley. Idaho’s total number of temples with the Caldwell addition brings its total to 11. Source: Idaho Press

Elmore County

• A new casino has been proposed by the Duck Valley Shoshone-Paiute tribe on land with ancestral ties. The development off I-84 between Mountain Home and Boise must first be approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the State of Idaho. The Sho-Pai formed a partnership with the Coeur d’Alene tribe who purchased the 561 acres of ground and agreed to give it to the Sho-Pai. They will collaborate in design, operations and funding. The Tribe’s reservation is located on the state line between Idaho and Nevada. Its members have experienced high levels of poverty and unemployment with housing and infrastructure lacking or in need of repair. The tribal leadership believes tribal gaming will provide jobs along with funding for infrastructure. It will fend off the persistent poverty as has occurred with other tribes in Idaho and across the nation. Source: Idaho Statesman

Owyhee County

• A new mining company out of Canada is considering restarting an open pit gold and silver mine in Silver City. Integra aka DeLamar Mining Company submitted a revised mine plan to the Bureau of Land Management. The process for environmental review can take several years. Other mining projects in the region include: CuMo copper mine that has received approval to drill exploratorily near Idaho City and Perpetua near Yellow Pine is hoping to revive a gold and antimony open pit adjacent to the former Stibnite Mine. Source: Idaho Statesman

Valley County

• The city of Cascade plans to offer a geothermal water system to its residents. The new system would be called the Cascade Geothermal Heating and Cooling District Planning Project. Cascade currently has seven wells that access naturally heated water ranging between 50 and 90 degrees. The existing wells have the capacity to heat or cool the entire city. It is the infrastructure to distribute the water that needs additional funding beyond the $8.8 million block grant awarded to Cascade. The city plans to offer incentives to purchase heating pumps that will decrease costs over the long-term with the geothermal water reducing costs by two-thirds compared to electricity and propane heat. The final plan is scheduled for September 2026. Source: The Star-News

• Legacy Park will not offer rental boat operations onsite at Payette Lake this summer — the first time in years. The city council is reviewing whether a commercial operation should be allowed to earn money at a city park. The previous concessioner was Cheap Thrills Rentals with a permit dated from 2008-2024. Source: The Star-News

• The Roughnecks junior hockey team based out of Bakersfield, California, is moving to McCall and rebranding to the McCall Smokejumpers. The competitive junior hockey season starts in September. Previously, the Junior Steelheads played in McCall for nine years between 2009 and 2017. They called themselves the Idaho Ice Cats their final year. The league is established for players aged 16-20 who want to eventually play for a college team or professionally. Source: The Star-News

• Highway 95 from Council to New Meadows has re-opened one lane for use following repairs following a landslide. The Idaho Transportation Department has authorized two crews to work daily to expedite the process, which is expected to be fully completed this summer. Source: Idaho News 6

Groundbreakings

• The Middleton School District broke ground on its new building dedicated to Career Technical Education. The facility is located behind Middleton Middle School and is branded the Middleton Career Campus Construction Building. It will offer courses in construction and cabinetry combined with math and English courses adapted to careers in the trades. Completion is expected this fall. Source: CBS2 News

Openings

• The Idaho Air National Guard has opened a new medical training facility at Gowen Field. The $8 million clinic supports about 1,300 airmen while providing training to medics that assist with the care in Boise and while on missions. A federal Community Project Funding grant helped build the 10,550 square foot facility. Source: KTVB News

• Black Dog Bar opened in the former New Colony Beer Co. space and is operated by the former Piper Pub owner. It is open to both dogs and their dog owners. There are plans to eventually offer food. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Grand Canyon University opened its 16-month, accelerated Bachelor of Nursing program in Meridian. It is partnering with St. Alphonsus Health System to give students clinical experience. It is a private Christian institution based out of Phoenix. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Happy Teriyaki opened in the former Dickey’s Barbeque Pit location in Garden City. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Corso’s Italian Steak House opened in Boise at the site of many former restaurants including Murphy’s Seafood & Steakhouse, Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, Tap & Cask, Jalapeno’s Bar & Grill and back in the ‘80’s — The Ram. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Abercrombie and Fitch opened at the Village in Meridian. Source: BoiseDev

Closures

• Green’s Deli is closing its sandwich shop to focus more on its Green Acres Food Truck Park. Anesso’s will take over the space in May offering Italian sandwiches and salads. Its bread is sourced to its sister operation, Black Moon Pastries & Pizza restaurant which is located in Garden City. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Lemon Tree Co. closed its restaurant in southeast Boise due to staffing issues. It shared space with The STIL. It is continuing with its downtown sandwich shop and its rebranded café, The Grove by Lemon Tree Co. Source: Idaho Statesman

• The discount air carrier, Avelo Airlines, is ending its Boise commercial flights after winning a contract with the federal government’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to fly deportees out of the country via Phoenix. The airline had a direct flight from Boise to the Sonoma County Airport. Source: Idaho Statesman

Layoffs

• The Meridian-based Scentsy, a multi-level marketing company offering direct mail wax warmers and candles, announced that it laid off 116 workers, about 11% of its total staff. Its news release commented the company had experienced an annual doubling of its sales during one of the pandemic years, which resulted in the hiring of 1,000 additional workers. Compensation packages were distributed based on years of service. Source: Idaho News 6

• Blue Cross of Idaho announced layoffs of 135 employees after losing a contract to cover dual enrollees of those eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid coverage. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare chose to end its decade-long contract with Blue Cross of Idaho a year earlier than planned. The contract was awarded to United Healthcare and Molina Healthcare, both out-of-state insurers. The separations will start June 6 and wrap up by Oct. 1. Those losing their jobs include 40 clinical care coordinators, 36 care coordinators/operations specialists/care managers, 12 claims examiners/clinical support supervisors and others. Source: Idaho Press

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.

This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.

Regional labor market information

Southwestern Idaho’s single-family home sales – February 2024 and 2025

Regional news

Ada County

• St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center announced it started a program last November coined ‘Hospital at Home’. A patient fitting the program’s parameters can take equipment home with follow-up visits from hospital-employed paramedics. The number of daily visits depends on the patient’s needs. Health care professionals can check the living environment and ensure nothing could potentially complicate a condition —  an advantage to a hospital stay. Source: KTVB News

• The Ada County Highway District and the Idaho Transportation Department collaborated to provide temporary repairs to a failing bridge in Boise, spending an estimated $500,000. The road bridge has reopened after stabilization of its footings in the Boise River. The shutdown lasted almost two months. The bridge is on a list for full replacement in a couple of years. Source: Idaho News 6

• Seven Idaho companies were included on the Forbes Best Employers List. Of the 701 large companies on the list, Treasure Valley entities included: Winco Foods ranked No. 67, St. Alphonsus Health Care System ranked No. 187 and The J.R. Simplot Company ranked No. 292. On the midsize employers list, Treasure Valley businesses included: Jackson Foods ranked No. 170, Scentsy ranked No. 292 and Norco ranked No. 370. The poll contacted 217,000 employees across the country to see which priorities were highest when it came to employment. Compensation was the top priority, followed by employee development and advancement, meaningful work, supportive colleagues and workplace well-being and flexibility. Source: Idaho Business Review

Boise County

• Idaho City turned off its water service to residents after reports of low water pressure. A leak was found and water restored but only after some restaurants had to shut down or limit service. Source: Idaho Statesman

Canyon County

• Middleton School District trustees voted to put a $19.9 million bond on the ballot for the May election. The bond funds would be used to build a new elementary school that would educate 600-700 students. The school received $17 million from a legislative bill that was recently passed to help schools with facilities that need updating or to build new ones. The amount was deemed insufficient to provide overdue maintenance and build a new school in the current cost environment. Two of the three elementary schools are over capacity including Heights Elementary (145%), Mill Creek Elementary (114%) and Purple Sage Elementary (90%). The school district has experienced five failed bonds attempts since passing a bond in 2008 for a new high school. The requirement of a supermajority of 66.67% of voters in favor lowers the odds of voter approval. The 20-year bond would cost taxpayers $34 per $100,000 of assessed value after the homeowner’s exemption of $125,000. Source: Idaho Press

• The College of Idaho, a private college in Caldwell, has reorganized with President Doug Brigham filling the newly formed chief executive officer position.  The executive vice president and provost was promoted to the presidential position. The college also announced it will phase out its Professional, Ethical, Articulate and Knowledgeable (PEAK) curriculum which allowed students to achieve one major and three minors.  Students will have the option to finish out their PEAK programming or shift to the new curriculum “Do More in Four.” The new curriculum will include a four-day school week and four credit classes, allowing students to graduate with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in four years. New programs include criminology and international affairs departments at the college. The four-day week allows companies to have more time with interns or for uninterrupted research on that free Friday. The college has maintained enrollment of about 1,000 students since 2019. Source: Idaho Press

• Nampa started collecting  a local option tax tied to hotel receipts, creating a pool of money for expansion of tourism amenities. The Ford Center and the Nampa Civic Center are examples of potential funding recipients. Source: Idaho News 6

Owyhee County

• The city of Homedale purchased the South Board of Control’s former business office when they moved to the vacant Vance Dairy Construction building, also in Homedale. The South Board oversees the irrigation districts utilizing water from the Owyhee River. The Owyhee Project stores water and provides electricity generation, flood control and recreational opportunities. Source: The Owyhee Avalanche

• The Owyhee County Historical Museum in Murphy has leased a 9,000 square foot lot behind the museum in preparation for building a wagon barn. The museum is the recipient of 35 antique wagons and stagecoaches from Mike Haney, a transportation historian and collector living in Jordan Valley, Oregon. The collection is well over 100 years old and a video regarding the wagons can be viewed here. The museum is accepting donations towards the $350,000 price tag for the barn, with several large in-kind and monetary contributions already pledged. The museum hopes to have the wagon barn in place by the summer of 2026. Source: The Owyhee Avalanche

Valley County

• The Payette Lakes Recreational Sewer and Water District is seeking a $7 million bond to repair its sewer system. The election will be held in May requiring 50% of the voters, plus one vote for approval. Source: The Star-News

• In May, McCall voters will vote on whether to renew ‘the streets’ local option tax (LOT) for 10 years. It requires 60% of voter approval to pass. The city is also asking for an additional 1%, moving the LOT from 3% to 4%. Source: The Star-News

Openings

• A ribbon cutting was held to welcome the new Department of Motor Vehicles office located in Star City Hall. Appointments must be made in advance. Source: Idaho News 6

• Belmont Brew House opened in Garden City’s former Twisted District Brew Co. which closed last spring. A wide variety of cider and tap beer are offered, along with a robust menu consisting of made-from-scratch choices. Source: Idaho Statesman

• The Boise Police Department (BPD) opened a new substation coined the Whitewater Station. The cost to remodel the former Moneytree was about $1.8 million and will house the motorcycle and DUI teams, along with providing cubicles for all officers to drop in and utilize the space. “Total demand for traffic services, complaints and crashes has risen over 25% in the last five years,” according to a BPD representative.” Source: Idaho Press

• Rapido Burrito opened in the previous Gyro Shack spot in west Boise. The same owner rebranded a Gyro Shack earlier in Boise to fit consumer preferences across the Treasure Valley. There are no plans to convert the remaining four Gyro Shack restaurants, which are performing well according to the restaurateur. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Rosa’s, a taco shop that co-locates with Push and Pour coffee shop in Garden City, opened its doors to crowds. It offers organic corn tortillas while being part of the Wylder family of restaurants that include the Wylder, Certified Kitchen + Bakery, the Roosevelt Market, the Wyld Child and the Percy. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop opened in Star. It is a franchise offering a variety of sandwiches. The franchise is already established in Coeur d’Alene and Twin Falls, with plans to open another restaurant in Meridian before years end. Source: Idaho Statesman

Closures

• Wells Fargo announced it will close its Collister branch and its Vista branch in Boise. In addition, a Boise bench branch will move to a nearby location in May. The bank closed a branch in Meridian over a year ago. Finally, its Enterprise Complaint Center, a call center located in Boise, has laid off 55 employees which was expected after earlier announcements by Wells Fargo. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Cinnaholic closed its bakery located at the Village in Meridian. The eatery had been open for eight years. Source: Idaho News 6

• The Chicken Shanty, an Oregon-based premium craft chicken eatery, closed its Meridian restaurant. Source: Idaho Statesman

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.

This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.