Megaplex project announced for Snake River Landing

The Megaplex at Jordan Commons, in Sandy, Utah

Ball Ventures and the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies announced today a joint venture to develop a new Megaplex Theatre in Idaho Falls. The new theater, the first Megaplex in Idaho, will be located in Snake River Landing, a 450-acre mixed-use development on the south side of Idaho Falls between the Snake River and Interstate 15. The companies anticipate breaking ground on the project in the spring of 2020.

More details on the project will be announced as the groundbreaking date gets nearer, a Ball Ventures press release said.

Megaplex currently operates 18 locations in Utah and Nevada. The company dates back to 1999, when Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller opened a 17-screen Megaplex in Sandy, Utah, on the former site of Jordan High School. The company expanded beyond the Wasatch Front in 2012, opening locations in St. George, Logan, Cedar City and Mesquite, Nev. They opened the second IMAX screen in Utah in 2005, and now operate several.

“Our partnership with Ball Ventures delivers a natural extension to our current theater offerings in Utah and Nevada,” said Gail Miller, owner and chairman of Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. “Our mission is to enrich lives, and we see this as an opportunity to continue our legacy of providing quality, family-friendly entertainment to a rapidly growing area in Idaho. We look forward to building upon our commitment to support and enhance the communities where we do business.”

“Ball Ventures, a highly respected, first-class development firm, is the type of partner we seek when expanding into new markets,” said Steve Starks, chief executive officer for Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. “Snake River Landing is ideally located to serve communities from Blackfoot to West Yellowstone. Our Megaplex business model provides numerous amenities including state-of-the-art technology, luxury loungers, meeting and event space, a variety of concessions, and industry leading guest services. We look forward to providing quality entertainment options for the area’s families, nearby college students, and visitors.”

“We are so pleased to work with our friends at Larry H. Miller to bring Megaplex Theatres in Idaho Falls,” says Cortney Liddiard, CEO of Ball Ventures. “Across its many companies, Larry H. Miller Group has an incredible reputation for enriching the communities in which they operate. We are honored to work with Gail Miller and the LHM team to bring a first-class entertainment experience to residents of eastern Idaho.”

Bank of Idaho announces staff changes

Tyler Kraupp

Bank of Idaho has made staffing changes to address future growth.

Tyler Kraupp has been named director of marketing for the bank, replacing Jarod Phillips, who is assuming the role of senior branch banking officer. “We look forward to leveraging Tyler's insights, expertise, and knowledge in this new role," said bank president and CEO Jeff Newgard. "He'll be a great asset to our team as we continue to find new ways to improve the bank’s brand and our impact on the communities we serve."

Newgard said Phillips' promotion should position the bank for continued growth. "We're equally excited to see Jarod return to his roots in community banking. He'll work with customer-facing staff to make the banking experience more consultative and personal. We place a high priority on building personal connections with our clients," Newgard said. "It's how we set ourselves apart from other financial institutions.”

Kraupp is a fifth-generation Idaho Falls resident with strong marketing and leadership experience. His previous posts include: entrepreneur of an acquired multi-award-winning creative agency, COO of a leading Idaho digital firm, and secretary of the Business Climate and Economics Development CUSP Panel in Idaho Falls. He serves as vice president of Breaking Boundaries, an Idaho Falls-based non-profit dedicated to helping individuals with HIV/AIDS and to promoting diversity.

Jarod Phillips

Phillips has worked for Bank of Idaho for more than 20 years and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his new role. He will likewise continue to serve with organizations he is passionate about in the community and throughout the state. He will work closely with Kraupp to ensure a smooth transition as the bank continues its years-long support of countless community programs and organizations.

Bank of Idaho, established in 1985, has seen strong recent growth in the markets it serves. The company has broadened its footprint to include the Treasure Valley, where two full-service branches and one loan production office have been established in the last year. The bank recently completed a capital campaign to support its anticipated growth and began listing its stock for public trade on the OTC-QX market under the symbol BOID.

Idaho Falls airport adds new United flight to Denver, larger jets

The Embraer ERJ-175 regional jet, which United plans to begin flying into Idaho Falls twice a day.

Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA) has announced today that United Airlines will begin providing a fifth daily flight to Denver for the first time in IDA’s history. In addition to the new daily service, United has also announced that they are increasing the size of the aircraft for two of those daily flights.

The new Embraer ERJ-175 aircraft United will be adding will provide a huge increase in the amount of capacity available, adding 102 new seats, or 50 percent more capacity to the Denver destination. The new, larger aircraft also will add a first class seating section that has not previously been available with the smaller, 45 seat CRJ200 aircraft.

The new, expanded schedule provides ideal connectivity to more than 110 cities around the world in a single stop,” said IDA Executive Director Rick Cloutier.  “The new flights are specifically timed to make connections to new destinations such as London and Frankfurt … places where United has never provided one-stop service from Idaho Falls before.”

United has already announced and started selling the 5th daily flight to Denver, which will start June 4th. The new flights will also make it easier and faster to reach destinations on the east coast with only one stop in Denver.

The city is also set to begin construction soon on a terminal expansion. This expansion will add a three new gates and added area in the security screening and gate areas. The airport recently opened its brand new and upgraded baggage claim and improved airport security service with the TSA Pre Check line for approved passengers.

Oklo Inc. receives DOE Site Use Permit to build at Idaho National Laboratory

A sketch of what Oklo's 1.5 megawatt Aurora plant might one day look like

Oklo Inc., a company based in Sunnyvale, Calif., announced Monday it has received a Site Use Permit from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to build its Aurora plant at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

According to a press release on Businesswire.com, the site use permit is an important step toward commercializing advanced fission technologies, and this the first issued for a non-light water nuclear power reactor. The permit outlines the responsibilities for each party regarding use of the site. The site use permit is in effect for the lifetime of the plant, and puts a requirement on a maximum licensing timeline for Oklo with the regulator before the start of operation.

The site use permit makes a site available to Oklo to build its Aurora plant, which utilizes a compact fast reactor to generate about 1.5 MW of electric power. This site is anticipated to be the location of the first-of-a-kind deployment of the Aurora plant.

Oklo co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Caroline Cochran said receiving the site use permit is an exciting step on the path to deploying advanced fission technology. “Oklo entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with DOE in 2017, and the site use permit is an important resultant milestone,” Cochran said. “DOE is clearly demonstrating its commitment to enabling commercial deployment of novel clean energy technologies, and advanced fission in particular. We are excited to be among the first to exercise this new process.”

Two years ago, the DOE Idaho Operations Office developed a new INL site permit application process, and Oklo was the first to complete the new process. Completion of the site permit process exemplifies the ability of DOE to support advanced reactor development and deployment. This also supports objectives laid out by Congress in legislation passed in 2018, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act (NEICA), as well as language in proposed legislation.

INL plays a key role in the development of advanced fission technologies. As the nation’s lead nuclear energy laboratory, INL will be a key collaborator with Oklo as Oklo licenses, constructs and operates the new plant. INL is also laying the groundwork for working with additional advanced reactor technologies to come. DOE recently established the legislatively authorized National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) led by INL, which provides resources for testing, demonstration and performance assessment to accelerate deployment of new advanced nuclear technology concepts.

Oklo has been engaged in pre-application activities with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) since 2016 for the Aurora design, and is preparing to submit its first license application to NRC. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), an upcoming step before the Aurora plant is built will include preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement.

For-profit nursing, medical assisting school planned for 17th Street

Unitek Learning of Newport Beach, Calif., announced Monday it is opening a location for Eagle Gate College in Idaho Falls. The for-profit company plans to offer medical assisting and nursing programs at 1592 E. 17th Street, in the Hall Park Shopping Center, where Sports Authority used to be. A permit application was submitted Friday to the Idaho Falls Building Department for a 19,933-square-foot remodeling job.

The Idaho Board of Nursing gave Unitek initial approval in October to create nursing education programs for campuses in Idaho Falls and Boise. The two campuses will open in 2020, offering a range of programs in the nursing field. In a press release, the company said it plans to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, a Master's Entry Program in Nursing, and a Practical Nursing program.

While the Idaho Board of Nursing has approved the development of these programs, they have not yet been approved by the school's accrediting agency or the Idaho State Board of Education.

"It has been another year of growth and opportunity for Unitek Learning, and we look forward to extending our reach in Idaho," said David Higley, Unitek's chief marketing officer.

Unitek Learning is the parent company of several institutions: Unitek College, Unitek EMT, Eagle Gate College, and Provo College. The company is also expanding into Reno, Nevada.

Auditorium district applies for building permit for Event Center

The cover page of the site plan for the Event Center. A building permit has been applied for. After more than eight years, this project looks like it is going forward.

It looks like all systems are go for the Idaho Falls Events Center. On behalf of the owner, Pioneer Front Properties LLC, CRSA of Salt Lake City applied for a building permit on Nov. 13 with the city of Idaho Falls.

The site plan itself was approved in late October, with the following caveat: Improvements on Pioneer need to be completed/accepted or a subdivision guarantee needs to be provided for prior to issuance of a Permit.

Here are a few numbers that might be of interest. The 123,697-square-foot project has been assigned a value of $51 million. For the inspections alone, the owner is on the hook for $383,854.63 in fees. This includes the commercial permit itself ($138,472.73), fire review ($22,225.63), plan check ($90,007.27), erosion control ($100), water services ($111,132) and sewer connection ($21,917).

There may be additional fees, e.g. electric line extension, street light, temporary power, “but these are what we presently have,” city permit technician Ken Hartog wrote to Idaho Falls Auditorium District Executive Director Rob Spear in a Nov. 25 letter. “Please pay only the Plan Check fee and the Fire Review Fee to get those processes started.”

The total cost of the project is $62 million, much more than the $35 million projected back in 2015. It got a major boost in July with a $4.5 million donation from Mountain America Credit Union, which bought the naming rights. The district has laid out a long-term debt financing plan, utilizing resources that will come from the transient revenue tax of the future, Spear told East Idaho News earlier this year.

Voters approved the formation of the auditorium district in 2011. Since then, the district has been raising money from donations and a bed tax at local hotel

For a look at all the documents, follow this link: https://trakit.idahofallsidaho.gov/etrakit3/Search/permit.aspx

INL inventors win four R&D 100 Awards

A team of researchers including Josh Daw (pictured here), Richard Skifton, Kurt Davis and Pattrick Calderoni received an R&D 100 Award for their work on High-Temperature Irradiation-Resistant Thermocouples.

Four Idaho National Laboratory technologies have been named winners of the 2019 R&D 100 Awards. Widely known as the “Oscars of Innovation,” the awards bestowed by R&D World recognize the winners as being among the top 100 revolutionary technologies of 2019.

Since their inception in 1963, the awards have celebrated research and development technologies from across the public and private sectors. Laboratories and companies from throughout the nation submitted nominations for judging. A panel comprised of more than 40 industry-leading experts then ranked the nominees based on their technical significance, uniqueness, and applicability across industry, government and academia.

Typically, the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories have dozens of finalists every year. Of 2019’s 162 finalists, 54 included the involvement of DOE national labs, with six technologies listing INL as the lead inventor and two labeling the lab as a supporting organization. With the inclusion of this year’s winners, INL has now won 22 R&D 100 Awards since 2005.

Winning technologies led by INL:

Electronic Neutron Generator Calibration System (N-meter)
David Chichester, Scott Thompson, James Johnson, Scott Watson, Robert Schley, Jay Hix

The N-meter is a portable, reusable, and adaptable device that has the capability to calibrate any electronic neutron generator (ENG), regardless of manufacturer. ENGs provide law enforcement officers and military personnel with the ability to detect the presence of harmful materials used in chemical, radiological and explosive attacks. The N-meter actively ensures that the devices are accurate and properly calibrated to perform any mission. By enabling this vital step for ENGs, the device can help protect Americans from nuclear threats, improve natural resource exploration, create biomedical advances and much more.

High-Temperature Irradiation-Resistant Thermocouples (HTIR-TC)
Richard Skifton, Josh Daw, Kurt Davis, Pattrick Calderoni

Until now, nuclear instruments have had difficulty obtaining precise reactor temperature measurements, forcing scientists to rely on estimates. Now, the High-Temperature Irradiation-Resistant Thermocouples (HTIR-TC) can be inserted directly into the fuel centerline to precisely read fuel temperatures at the reactor’s core. With more accurate information about core temperatures, engineers can make nuclear reactors safer and more reliable.  

Wireless radio Frequency signal Identification and protocol Reverse Engineering (WiFIRE)
Christopher Becker, Kurt Derr, Samuel Ramirez, Sneha Kasera, Aniqua Baset

WiFIRE helps combat wireless attacks by monitoring wireless networks in real time, giving users the ability to respond to security breaches as they’re occurring. Should it detect rogue devices, WiFIRE provides security measures like alerting law enforcement personnel, blocking unwanted data transmission, starting data and/or video recording for potential legal use, and even locating intruders before damage is done. The technology helps protect the nation’s critical infrastructure, making attacks on the power grid and water supply increasingly difficult.

Consequence-driven Cyber-informed Engineering
Robert Smith, Curtis St. Michel, Amanda Belloff, Andy Bochman, Sarah Freeman, Michael Assante

Consequence-driven Cyber-informed Engineering (CCE) is a methodology that provides users with knowledge and skills to protect against and prepare for serious cyberthreats against the nation’s critical infrastructure systems. CCE identifies processes and functions that must not fail, then outlines steps organizations must take in order for their assets to remain secure. By re-engineering key processes while armed with a full understanding of the attackers’ tactics and options, CCE reduces or eliminates digital pathways used by attackers to reach critical systems, effectively removing the targets with the highest consequences from the table.

Manwaring Cheese opens Idaho Falls location

Justin Manwaring at Manwaring Cheese's new Idaho Falls store, which opened Tuesday.

Sweet dreams are made of cheese.

For those of you who savor the squeak of a white cheese curd -- and you know who you are -- Manwaring Cheese is now open in Idaho Falls, at 310 N. Eastern Avenue, next door to the Museum of Idaho.

The renovation of the building, which was Sizzler long ago and most recently Cherz, started last summer and took longer than expected. Anytime the USDA is involved, there are a lot of boxes to be checked, said Justin Manwaring, the latest cheesemaker in a family whose history goes back to the middle of the last century.

Arthur Manwaring was born in Utah to a family that had emigrated from England in the 1800s. Eventually, he moved to Bingham County and had a dairy business. His children helped deliver milk on a horse-pulled dairy wagon, and his son Basil eventually found his way to a creamery in Blackfoot. While there, he met a butter wrapper named Edna who became his wife. At Utah State University he managed the school dairy, making ice cream, cheese, and butter, and after graduating he took a job with the Nelson-Ricks Creamery in Rexburg. Nelson-Ricks owned many small plants in the eastern Idaho, and when the one in Ashton became available, Basil bought it and started the first incarnation of Manwaring Cheese.

After operating in Ashton for 16 years, Basil Manwaring saw an advantage to building a new plant in Rigby. The Rigby plant produced its first batch of cheese on Feb. 3, 1971. Basil died in November 1972, and his widow and children kept the plant operating until it closed in the late 1980s.

In 2010, seeing a business opportunity for artisanal cheese, Basil Manwaring's son Blake opened a new location in Rigby. The milk came from a herd of Jersey cows owned by Dale and Doris Mortimer, who operate Daloris Dairy east of Rigby (and have an enthusiastic clientele thirsty for raw milk. Story from Progressive Dairyman, December 2016: Foundation of five: Idaho dairy farmer discovers niche market to sell raw milk on-farm to locals.) For the past two years, however, the mild has come from Paradise Grove A2 Dairy out of of Monteview, in West Jefferson County.

Help on the business end came from the Regional Development Alliance and an ISU student-led feasibility study coordinated by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Blake Manwaring described his cheesemaking process to East Idaho News in 2015. Pasteurization kills all the bacteria in the milk by warming it up to 161 degrees and holding it for 20 seconds. A freeze dried culture imported from France is then added back to the Jersey milk, along with a substance that causes the milk to thicken similar to a yogurt texture.

The cheese curds are cut up and processed, then salted and formed into blocks. After the salt has soaked in, the curds are laid into cheese hoops and pressed together. Mild cheddar cheese is aged for at least 6 months. Their signature Stalver Long Horn Cheese is aged for 18.

Hours at the Idaho Falls store are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 208-313-8247 or email info@manwaringcheese.com.

Idaho Falls Downtown Development recognized for spring, summer projects

Idaho Falls Downtown Development Corp. and its executive director, Catherine Smith, received the Leadership Award from the Idaho chapter of the American Planning Association. The award was given in early October at the chapter's annual conference in Twin Falls.

IFDDC and Smith were recognized for the projects completed this summer in downtown Idaho Falls. The work involved replacing old crumbling planters and replacing trees, bringing corners into ADA compliance.

Award-winning projects are highlighted during the annual conference as shining examples of great planning in Idaho. The Awards Program provides an opportunity for Idaho APA to recognize special achievements, with recipients sharing their unique projects and how they have influenced their communities and enhanced planning in Idaho. It is open to Idaho organizations and agencies, professional planners, citizen planners, elected officials, appointed officials (such as planning commissioners), students, and others – depending on the category. In reviewing submissions, the APA Idaho Awards Committee looks for innovation, quality, and the potential for use in other areas.

Rexburg Motorsports hosting annual food drive

Rexburg Motorsports is looking to give back to local families in need with its annual Stuff the Side-by-Side Food Drive. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16 outside Broulim's in Rexburg. To help support the Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership (EICAP) Rexburg Outreach Office, Rexburg Motorsports is looking for donations of new or unopened food and household items to stuff a Honda Pioneer Side-by-Side with a half-ton of food.

The Rexburg Outreach Office is seeking donations for the following unexpired items: canned meats, canned tomatoes, cereals, dry goods, laundry and dishwasher detergent, cleaning supplies, and various hygiene items.

The Honda Pioneer is equipped to hold up to 1,000 pounds of donations in the seats, bed, and storage compartments. Rexburg Motorsports is hoping the vehicle's capacity will be exceeded before the event concludes.

To donate, simply stop by the Broulim’s in Rexburg and place your donations in the side-by-side parked outside the store. All items received will be housed in the food bank in Rexburg and be distributed to families in need in the Madison County area.

“We're always looking for ways to help out the community,” said Mike Vickers, owner of Rexburg Motorsports. "The food drive is a fun way for us to accomplish that and to encourage others to get involved."

For further information regarding the food drive or Rexburg Motorsports in general, contact Matt Dyer at 208-356-4000 or via email at mdyer@gearhead.com.

Costco site plan proposes three entrances, keeping roundabout

Here's the layout of the Costco development at Lincoln Road and 25 East (Hitt Road).

We had a question from a reader some time back about the effect Costco, scheduled to open sometime next year, will have on local traffic, and whether the roundabout at Lincoln Road and 25 East (Hitt Road) will remain.

Going by the Transportation Impact Study prepared for the city of Idaho Falls and Bonneville County by Kittelson & Associates, it looks like the roundabout, expanded in 2018, will remain. Kittelson is recommending three access points -- one on Lincoln and two on Hitt.

The full report can be found here -- TRANSPORTATION IMPACT STUDY | Idaho Falls Costco  -- but if you'd rather not scroll through 71 pages here are the passages we found most informative.

Proposed Development Plan
▪ Kittelson maintains a database of traffic data and travel characteristics for Costco Wholesale. This information was used to estimate the trip generation for Costco Wholesale during the weekday PM and Saturday midday peak hours.
o The  proposed  Costco warehouse  and  fuel  station  and  outparcel  are estimated  to generate 7,045 daily net new trips, 707 weekday PM peak hour net new trips, and 988 Saturday midday peak hour net new trips.
▪ The distribution pattern for site-generated trips was estimated based on Costco Wholesale’s prediction of potential members in the area, a review of the proposed access locations and adjacent  roadway  system,  existing  traffic  patterns, and  insights  from  the  City  and  County staff.
▪ The proposed development plan includes two access points on 25th East and one access point on Lincoln Road. For initial analysis purposes, these three access points were assumed to be unsignalized, full-movement accesses.

Off-Site Intersections
▪ No improvements are recommended at the off-site intersections as part of the Costco warehouse and fuel station development. ... The  results  of  the  study  indicate  that  the  proposed Idaho  Falls  Costco can  be  constructed  while maintaining  acceptable   traffic   operations   and   safety   at   the   study   intersections,   assuming the recommended mitigation measures are in place.

Site Access Intersections
▪ Site Access A/Lincoln Road -- Construct a full-movement, unsignalized access at Site Access A on Lincoln Road that includes one ingress lane, two egress lanes (southbound left-turn and right-turn lanes),and a westbound right-turn lane.
▪ Site Access B/25th East -- Construct a full-movement, unsignalized access at Site Access B on 25th East that includes one ingress lane, two egress lanes (eastbound left-turn and right-turn lanes), and a southbound right-turn lane at the opening of Costco, plan for a future multilane roundabout at this driveway by reserving the space needed for a multilane roundabout design, and participate in a cost-sharing of the roundabout. The multilane roundabout would be installed at a future date when deemed necessary by traffic volumes, traffic operations at this driveway, and development of the property to the east.
▪ Site Access C/25th East -- Construct a full-movement, unsignalized access at Site Access C on 25th East that includes one ingress lane and one egress lane (shared westbound left-turn and right-turn lane).
▪ Maintain adequate sight distance at Site Access A, B, and C by limiting the shrubbery and landscaping.

CHC Foundation announces Fall 2019 grants

An aerial view of Community Hospital on South Boulevard. Originally called Sacred Heart and later called Parkview, the money from its sale and demolition in the 1980s formed the basis of the CHC Foundation, which awards grants in eastern Idaho twice each year.

The CHC Foundation Board of Directors has announced its Fall 2019 grant awards: $341,652 to 20 recipients.


The foundation is based in Idaho Falls and serves Bonneville County and nine surrounding counties. It dates back to 1985, when it was created with money from the liquidation of Parkview Hospital in Idaho Falls. Originally Sacred Heart Hospital, then Community Hospital, Parkview, on South Boulevard across from Tautphaus Park, was part of Idaho Falls Consolidated Hospitals. It was torn down after Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center opened.

CHC awards grants twice a year to 501c(3) non-profit organizations in the 10-county area formerly served by the hospital.


The largest grant this cycle was a $140,000 award to the Museum of Idaho, which is in the process of a major expansion. Other grant award recipients include:

• The Giving Cupboard, Rigby, $24,000
• Idaho Falls Humanitarian Center, $1,622
• City of Mackay, $12,500
• Museum of Idaho, Idaho Falls, $140,000
• Ronald McDonald Charities, Idaho Falls, $6,000
• Blackfoot Community Players, $10,000
• Idaho Falls Arts Council, $7,200
• Challis Arts Council, $4,000
• Parker-Elgin School, $9,500
• Lemhi Historical Society, Salmon, $2,441
• ABC-After school Literacy Program, Driggs, $1,638
• Museum of Henry’s Fork, $3,900
• Teton Valley Trails and Pathways, $20,000
• Shelley Senior Center, $15,000
• Teton Regional Land Trust, $7,000
• Girl Scouts of Silver Sage-Swan Valley, $11,594
• Promise Ridge Shelter, Idaho Falls, $7,325
• Snake River Youth Performing Arts, $7,932
• Idaho Arts Lab, St Anthony, $10,000
• Veterans Mobility Corps, Idaho Falls/Ucon, $60,000

The CHC Foundation’s next granting session opens Jan. 1, with grant applications accepted through Feb. 26. For information, visit chcfoundation.net.

INL named winner of four 2019 R&D 100 awards

Idaho National Laboratory has received four R&D 100 awards for 2019. Since they were started by R&D Magazine in 1963, R&D 100 Awards have identified and celebrated the top technology products from the public and private sectors. The U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories typically have dozens of finalists every year.

Winners will be honored Dec. 4-5 at a banquet in San Mateo, Calif., also the site for the fifth annual R&D 100 Conference, an event where leaders from the R&D community can attend multi-disciplinary general sessions and exchange new ideas in innovation and technology transfer.

In the Analytical/Test category, INL took honors with its Electronic Neutron Generator Calibration System and its High-Temperature Irradiation-Resistant Thermocouples (HTIR-TC).

In the IT/Electrical electrical category, it received a joint award with the University of Utah School of Computing for Wireless radio Frequency signal Identification and protocol Reverse Engineering—WiFIRE.

In the Software/Services, INL was recognized for Consequence-driven Cyber-informed Engineering.

INL’s finalists included Lithium-ion battery defect detector, Waste-to-Energy Ionic Gasification Technology (a joint award with Cogent Energy Systems, Inc.), Wireless sensor system for online monitoring of valve position, and HELICS, a project also involving Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL).

Smart Foodservice Warehouse plans grand opening Saturday

The Smartfoodservice Warehouse Store at Lindsay Boulevard and U.S. Highway 20

The Smart Foodservice Warehouse Store at 1240 Lindsay Boulevard will be having its grand opening Saturday, opening its doors at 6 a.m. There will be free food, giveaways and prize drawings. A Business Preview Day is planned for Friday. Local business owners are invited to walk the aisles and meet with vendors. For more information, call (208) 419-0796.

A wholesale food distributor and food service supplier headquartered in Portland, Ore., until recently the chain was known as Cash&Carry Smart Foodservice. The company specializes in food products, chef supplies, wholesale restaurant supplies and catering supplies. The company has been operating throughout the Northwest for more than 60 years.

This is the chain's 509th store. The company has stores in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Montana and Utah. In addition to Idaho Falls, stores have been scheduled to open this year in Meridian, and Kalispell, Mont. Other stores have opened this year in Salt Lake City, Portland, Ore., Carson City, Nev., and Sacramento, Calif.

The value of the 20,265-square-foot Idaho Falls project was estimated at $2.4 million.

INL inducted into Tech Council's Hall of Fame

Idaho National Laboratory was inducted into the Idaho Technology Council’s Hall of Fame in Boise on Oct. 23.

The Hall of Fame, now in its tenth year, recognizes innovative technology leaders and companies that have made a significant contribution to Idaho’s technology community. Bestowed upon only two inductees each year, this honor recognizes INL as a leader within the state of Idaho, promoting the growth and development of the technology ecosystem, creating new and innovative systems, deploying emerging technologies and pioneering disruptive approaches to solving demanding issues.

At the same ceremony, three INL nominees were recognized at the 14th annual Idaho Innovation Awards, presented by Stoel Rives LLP, Trailhead and the Idaho Technology Council (ITC), with support from Deloitte.

The Advanced Electrolyte Model (AEM) was recognized as a finalist in the Commercialized Innovation of the Year. Developed by Dr. Kevin Gering, AEM is a computer simulation program designed to give fast information on the properties of complex electrolyte formulations and how they can influence the performance of batteries. Since version 1.0 was first made available in 2010, AEM has been licensed to universities and industrial users, including chemical and automotive companies and a major lithium-ion cell manufacturer. Commercialization efforts at INL have been led by Ryan Bills.

Dr. Henry Chu, a Directorate Fellow and the chief technology officer of Defense Systems for National & Homeland Security at INL, was honored as a finalist/winner in the Innovator of the Year category. As the chief research scientist in INL’s Defense Systems Directorate, Chu’s main responsibilities are research and development, demonstration and manufacture of armor grade materials as well as specialized protective systems and solutions for critical military and civilian infrastructures, facilities and installations.

A team of INL researchers had their technology, Wireless radio Frequency signal Identification and protocol Reverse Engineering, or WiFIRE, recognized as a finalist in the Early-Stage Innovation of the Year category. Co-developed with the University of Utah School of Computing, WiFIRE is a breakthrough technology that provides real-time wireless communications security by continuously monitoring the wireless spectrum. WiFIRE revolutionizes protection and analysis by including capabilities for real-time identification of multiple signal types used by different frequencies, tracing system communication activities and reporting the presence of authorized and unauthorized wireless users.

Idaho Falls housing market remains strong

With the third quarter of 2019 over and the holidays almost upon us, we thought it might be a good time to take a look at the local residential real estate market. As usual, for the numbers we consulted our two favorite sources: the Snake River Multiple Listing Service and the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s HPI calculator.

What the numbers show is that home prices are continuing to chug along on much the same path as they’ve been on for the past five years. Through the end of August, the number of homes sold was up 7.5% while homes on average spent 11 fewer days on the market. New listings held pretty even, but what is most dramatic is the median price, which rose almost 12 percent.

That’s in line with the numbers we crunched in the House Price Calculator. Your mileage may vary, but if you paid $100,000 in the second quarter of 2018 that would have risen to $112,454 (11.24%), based on market-wide sales averages.

Looking back, a home bought in 2014 would have appreciated in value about the same about every year. It’s a hot market with tight inventory, which means you might want to consult a real estate professional if you've got an itch.

Idaho Falls council votes to expand residential fiber citywide

The dark-shaded areas are where Idaho Falls Fiber currently offers residential service.

In a unanimous vote at a special meeting Thursday night, the Idaho Falls City Council voted to continue expansion of the city’s fiber network to provide high-speed broadband access to all residents within city limits.

In September 2018, the council directed Idaho Falls Fiber to test the economic feasibility of leveraging the existing conduits and infrastructure of Idaho Falls Power to install fiber-optic lines to residential areas. The first customers were connected in March this year, with the final phase of construction completed in early September. This pilot project encompassed approximately 1,250 residential homes.

Meanwhile. Idaho Falls Fiber has been gathering data and evaluating the costs and feasibility of expanding the high-speed fiber network through the rest of the Idaho Falls community. That information was presented to the City Council at Thursday’s meeting. Council members also heard from the residents who have taken part in the pilot program.

At the outset, city leadership envisioned working with local internet providers to bring broadband internet access to the community. During the pilot program, Idaho Falls Fiber worked with four local Internet providers -- Direct Communications, Qwk.net, Silver Star, and SUMO Fiber -- to offer residents a variety of services and pricing.  Idaho Falls Fiber also partnered with UTOPIA Fiber, which owns and operates open access fiber networks in Utah. UTOPIA provided consulting, network design and is Idaho Falls' technology provider for the open access system software.

“Designing a system like this is a complicated operational and engineering function,” said Bear Prairie, Idaho Falls Power director. “That’s why the Council approved the agreement for us to partner with UTOPIA Fiber, a not-for profit entity like Idaho Falls Fiber that has the experience in operating successful networks similar to our design."

The build out of the city wide network is projected to take place over the next four years, starting with areas with the most customers requesting the fiber utility. The network will be built in areas that are served by Idaho Falls Power, which is also a not-for-profit electric utility owned by the city and its residents.

The network and areas of future expansion community can be viewed at www.idahofallsfiber.com or at Idaho Falls Fiber’s office at 140 S. Capital Avenue. Customers can pre-sign up for the high speed fiber network service online or in person, which will help direct Idaho Falls Fiber determine the most under-served areas first.

Idaho Falls Power dates back to 1900, when it was established to provide limited street lighting in downtown, drawing power from a hydro-electric generator in a local canal hydro project. Today it has five run-of-river hydro-electric projects and has one of the lowest electric rates in the United States.

Idaho Falls Fiber was formed in 1998 with the construction of a limited fiber network for the power utility. It was expanded in 2002 in order to provide high-bandwidth service to other city and county buildings, educational institutions and commercial businesses.

Oklo fabricates fuel prototypes at Idaho National Laboratory

By Jacqueline Toth, The Morning Consult

The developer of a miniature nuclear reactor said it has successfully demonstrated prototypes of its metallic fuel — a key development for the company and for the U.S. advanced nuclear reactor community, whose years-long timelines to deployment often beget sporadic messaging wins.

Oklo Inc. fabricated fuel prototypes with the Idaho National Laboratory, with multiple prototype fuel elements reaching production specification, for anticipated use in its 1-2 megawatt-electric compact fast reactor, which is intended to generate both process heat and electricity.

The demonstration is “one of the bigger steps on the pathway for us moving towards ultimately submitting a license application and trying our first reactor on,” said Jacob DeWitte, chief executive of the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company, in an interview ahead of the announcement. The fuel prototype demonstration “ramps well into our plans” to build a commercial unit in the early 2020s, he said.

A very small reactor, DeWitte said, aligns with Oklo’s business model and technology development side. Reactors of Oklo’s size are geared especially toward use in remote areas, such as on islands or in Alaska, that often rely on expensive and emitting diesel fuel for energy.

For the full story, follow this link: Oklo Fuel.

INL seeking non-profit economic development grant applicants

Idaho National Laboratory is taking applications from non-profit organizations interested in participating in its 2020 Technology-based Economic Development Campaign.

The TBED program’s mission is to stimulate economic development, support new technology, recruit new talent and encourage entrepreneurship throughout Idaho. To achieve these goals, grants for several different types of projects are being offered:

Projects that support INL missions related to energy, environment and national security.
Projects that could ultimately benefit INL and its ability to attract and maintain talent in Idaho.
Statewide projects that strengthen energy, advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity supply chains.

Organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit entities. A copy of the IRS tax-exempt letter must accompany the form.

The deadline for 2020 donation requests is Nov. 15. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be included in the review process. Decisions will be made by Dec. 17. Notifications will be sent to requesting organizations informing them of funding awards. Funds will be for projects for the period of Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020.

For full details on all programs, visit INL’s website, www.inl.gov. Links can be found by clicking on Partner With INL in the top right corner of the page, then choosing Economic and Workforce Development. This is also where the INL Tech-based Economic Development Request Form 2020 can be found.

State of Idaho, Idaho National Laboratory celebrate opening of new buildings

Idaho National Laboratory, the Idaho State Board of Education, and the Idaho State Building Authority officially opened two brand-new buildings in Idaho Falls Monday: the Cybercore Integration Center (CIC) and the Collaborative Computing Center (C3).

Held at the C3 facility, the ribbon-cutting ceremony included remarks by INL Director Mark Peters; Robert Boston, manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho Operations Office; Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin; Idaho State Board of Education member Dave Hill; Idaho State University President Kevin Satterlee; University of Idaho President C. Scott Green; and V.L. “Bud” Tracey, chairman of the Idaho State Building Authority. Open houses and tours of both facilities were offered.

Totaling close to 150,000 square feet, the C3 and CIC buildings represent an endeavor by the state and INL to expand collaboration and employment opportunities for Idaho university students. Construction of the new buildings was financed by an almost $90 million bond approved by the Idaho Legislature in March 2017. INL and the state of Idaho have a long history of collaboration and partnership through joint research programs with Idaho’s three public universities – Idaho State University, Boise State University and University of Idaho – state agencies, and private industry. Like the nearby Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES), which opened in 2009, CIC and C3 are owned by the state and leased to INL.

The Cybercore Integration Center will serve as a research, education and training facility for cybersecurity work. The state-of-the-art collaboration facility brings together federal, state, academic and private industry representatives to jointly design and develop resilient infrastructure that can withstand current and future threats, ranging from cyberattacks to natural disasters. It contains reconfigurable and electronic laboratory space, training and demonstration areas, and office suites, all focused on securing the nation’s critical infrastructure control systems and related components.

The Collaborative Computing Center will soon be the new home of INL’s Falcon and Lemhi supercomputers, and next year will welcome Sawtooth, expected to be one of the most powerful supercomputers in the Pacific Northwest when it goes online. Students from across Idaho already access the modeling and simulation capabilities of Falcon and Lemhi through the Idaho Regional Optical Network (IRON).

"These facilities not only will enhance INL's supercomputing and cybersecurity capabilities, but also serve Idaho's university students and faculty for decades to come," said INL Director Mark Peters. "All of us at INL are proud to partner with the state to educate and train our students for great career opportunities, and we're thankful to everyone who made this possible."

“The construction and opening of these facilities would never have happened had the leaders at the state of Idaho and INL not come together in partnership,” said Idaho State Board of Education member David Hill. “This really is a reimagining of higher education and the pooling of available resources within our state to build an integrated educational ecosystem for Idaho.”

Community invited to discussion about Chernobyl miniseries

Earlier this year, HBO released a five-part drama on the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The series has sparked public questions about the safety of nuclear energy, radiation risks and whether such an accident could happen in the United States.

As the nation’s nuclear energy research laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory has extensive experience developing, demonstrating and evaluating different reactor concepts; handling nuclear fuel and materials; conducting post-accident analyses; and keeping employees and the public safe from radiation exposure. INL experts understand nuclear energy and the events at Chernobyl and are eager to share what they know.

The lab has organized a series of expert panels to answer the public’s questions about Chernobyl, nuclear safety and radiation. Experts in reactor design, safe operational practices, radiation and the Chernobyl accident itself will be available for hour-long Q&As in both Idaho Falls and Pocatello.

All interested citizens are invited to attend. Bring your smartphone to participate in interactive polling about topics of interest. Attendees will be able to sign up for INL tours and can submit questions beforehand to nuclearquestions@inl.gov.

Here is a link to video from the first Chernobyl panel, held at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies: https://idahonationallaboratory.app.box.com/s/rp53axarnhzg578l5uxpvx42lqsyvelw

Locations, dates and times:

Tuesday, Oct. 15
1 p.m., College of Eastern Idaho, 1600 S. 25th E., Building 3, room 306, Idaho Falls
5 p.m., Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, 300 S. Capital Ave., Idaho Falls

Wednesday, Oct. 16
7 p.m., Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, 300 S. Capital Ave., Idaho Falls

Thursday, Oct. 17
7 p.m., ISU Physical Science Building, room 140, 921 S. 8th Ave. (corner of 8th and Carter), Pocatello

Bank of Idaho Holding Co. stock now trading over the counter

Jeff Newgard

OTC Markets Group Inc. announced Oct. 2 that Bank of Idaho Holding Co. has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Bank of Idaho Holding Co. was previously privately-held.

“We are pleased to welcome Bank of Idaho Holding Co., the first Idaho-based institution to join the OTCQX Best Market,” said Jason Paltrowitz, executive vice president of Corporate Services at OTC Markets Group. “Bank of Idaho Holding Co. is the fifteenth community bank to join the OTCQX market this year, to provide investors with greater transparency and more efficient trading. We look forward to supporting Bank of Idaho Holding Co. in the public market.”

Bank President and CEO, Jeff Newgard shared: “We are truly excited to be the first Idaho-based bank to join the OTCQX Best Market Group. As a bank, we are focused on supporting small business, the lifeblood of our economy in Idaho. By providing innovative tools and expert guidance, we seek to become the best community bank in the state. We're excited for the opportunities that lie ahead, and we have our sights set on a bright future for Bank of Idaho and the shareholders of Bank of Idaho Holding Co.”

Bank of Idaho Holding Co. was organized in 1997 as the parent company for Bank of Idaho, which received its state banking charter in September 1985. With total assets of $375 million and growing, the Idaho Falls-based bank presently has 9 full-service branches in operation across southern Idaho, with one additional location pending. In addition to retail and commercial banking, Bank of Idaho also offers a full spectrum of trust and investment services, along with mortgage lending.

Bank of Idaho Holding Co. is the sole owner of Bank of Idaho, a state-chartered commercial bank, and trades under the symbol BOID. U.S. investors can find financial disclosures and quotes for the company at www.otcmarkets.com. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates financial markets for 10,000 U.S. and global securities.

Guest Opinion: Rural electric coops need members to lobby for tax law change

Bryan Case

By Bryan Case, Fall River Electric Cooperative CEO

Electric cooperatives throughout rural America, including Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative, face a financial crisis inadvertently caused by Congress. And the weight of this crisis is made even more clear when electric cooperatives must face power restoration costs following natural disasters. If you receive power from Fall River Electric at your business, home or recreational property, this message is specifically for you.

If Fall River Electric, a not-for-profit company, accepted government grants to restore power in the wake of a local natural disaster such as an earthquake, flood, major winter storm or forest wildfire, we could lose our tax-exempt status and be forced to pay back a substantial chunk of that money to the government. A change to federal tax laws in 2017 targeted at for-profit companies has created a requirement for co-ops to count grants from federal, state or local governments as non-member revenue. For Fall River Electric to maintain its tax-exempt status, no more than 15 percent of the Co-op’s annual income can come from sources other than its owner-members.

Here are two examples of how government grants have been used by local electric cooperatives:

Our neighboring electric co-op, Lower Valley Energy in Jackson WY, has a pending multi-
million-dollar grant request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to pay for
the replacement of seventeen 75-foot power poles that were downed during a February 2017
winter storm.

Fall River Electric used a $3.2M grant in 2011 to install advanced metering infrastructure (AMI)
smart meters throughout our service territory as well funding a fiber optic backbone for communications.

Looking ahead to the future, a grant to cover natural disaster recovery or infrastructure improvements could push Fall River over the 15 percent revenue threshold with severe consequences.

This would leave Fall River with an unfair choice: do we take the government grant money we would
need to turn the lights back on after a disaster? Or do we turn down those grants, so we won’t have
to spend our members’ money paying taxes rather than improving service? And if we are forced to
pay taxes on a grant, would we have to increase rates to our members to cover that cost?

According to the Treasury Department, congressional action is the only way to address this issue.
Fortunately, key lawmakers recognize this is an unintended consequence of the 2017 tax bill and
they’re working together toward a solution before it hits home with their rural constituents.
The bipartisan RURAL Act, introduced by Reps. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), will restore certainty and common sense. The bill ensures that co-ops do not jeopardize their tax-exempt status when they accept government grants.

Time is running out and lawmakers must pass legislation this year. Passage of the RURAL Act is
essential for America’s rural communities. I urge our owner-members to join this effort by writing to
your Congressional delegates. A draft letter can be found at www.action.coop which can be sent “as
is” to your representatives or used as a guide to draft your own letter.

Once on this website, click the link “Take Action” and follow the three easy steps. Time is of the
essence as this legislation needs to be passed soon so letters should be forwarded as soon as possible.

Bryan Case is CEO/General Manager of Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative, serving nearly
15,000 owner-members in east Idaho, southwest Montana and western Wyoming. Fall River
Electric is committed to safely and economically provide reliable energy and other services which
bring value to its membership.

Three-story office building planned for MK Simpson Boulevard

Looks like another new building will be going up on MK Simpson Boulevard, a three-story, 62,250-square-foot office building just east of Idaho National Laboratory’s Energy Systems Laboratory.

A permit application was filed Oct. 7 with the City of Idaho Falls Building Department by Voigt Consulting. The value of the project, at 650 MK Simpson Boulevard, is estimated at $7.5 million.

The building will be located on 4.5 acres, and be the next addition to a campus that is already booming. A ribbon cutting is planned for Monday at the Cybercore Integration Center (CIC) and Collaborative Computing Center (C3), projects funded by the State of Idaho that will house INL’s supercomputers and cyber-research.

Directors named for National Reactor Innovation Center

Dr. Ashley Finan

Following a nationwide search, Dr. Ashley Finan has been selected as director of the Idaho National Laboratory-based National Reactor Innovation Center, and Nicholas Smith has been selected to serve as deputy director. As NRIC directors, Finan and Smith will lead efforts to accelerate the testing, demonstration and commercialization of innovative reactor technologies in the United States.

"Building and operating advanced reactors is essential to U.S. leadership in nuclear energy, and these roles are essential to achieving that goal," said Dr. John Wagner, associate director of INL's Nuclear Science & Technology directorate. "Ashley has played a key role in the formation of the policy that made NRIC possible. She and Nicholas are ideally suited to develop and implement the NRIC vision."

Authorized by the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act (NEICA), NRIC will provide resources to test, demonstrate, and assess performance of new nuclear technologies, critical steps that must be completed before they are available commercially. Through NRIC, developers will gain access to the strategic infrastructure and assets of the national laboratories. These capabilities will support a timely and cost-effective path to licensing and commercializing new nuclear systems, which will generate carbon-free electricity and contribute to the decarbonization of major economic sectors.

Nicholas Smith

Finan served most recently as executive director of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, a non-profit think tank working to enable nuclear power as a global solution to mitigate climate change. Prior to her work with NIA, Finan led nuclear innovation programs at Clean Air Task Force. She holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in nuclear science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“NRIC will play a pivotal role in decarbonization by empowering trailblazing companies to demonstrate and commercialize the next generation of nuclear technologies,” Finan said. “I’m inspired by our innovators, labs, and policymakers and their commitment to tackling global challenges. I’m dedicated to leading NRIC to enable demonstration of advanced technology that will achieve our energy, security, and environmental goals, while sustaining the U.S. nuclear fleet’s tradition of excellence.”

Smith has worked with the research and development organization of Atlanta-based Southern Company since 2010, most recently as principal engineer. In this role, he oversaw a Generation IV nuclear reactor R&D program and was responsible for collaboration with reactor designers, national labs and policymakers, and early engagement with regulators. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from San Diego State University, a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from North Carolina State University. 

“NRIC will provide on-the-ground capabilities to accelerate nuclear technology readiness from proof-of-concept through proof-of-operations,” said Wagner. “Ashley and Nicholas are the right team to lead NRIC and make advanced reactor demonstrations a reality.”

New recovery center opening in Idaho Falls

Brick House Recovery, a faith-based substance abuse treatment program, will be holding a grand opening Thursday afternoon of its new location in Idaho Falls, at 2020 Landbank Street.

The event will be from noon to 7 p.m., with tours of the building and refreshments. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 2 p.m.

"We'd like to invite everyone to join us and celebrate the grand opening! Our goal is to provide a house of healing and a gathering place for both the addicted and their family members in this area,” said Jason Coombs, who founded Brick House Recovery five years ago in Boise. Coombs said he was responding to an aching need for high-quality, private, faith-based addiction recovery.

“We chose the name ‘Brick House Recovery’ in order to reflect a specific idea,” he said. “We believe that a healthy, sober lifestyle is built much like a house: from the ground up. Both start with a strong foundation and a practical frame. Many people in recovery are eager for immediate, visible results. It’s as if they’re investing in the paint color and light fixtures when they haven’t yet built a strong foundation in the ground, let alone the framework.”

The Idaho Falls center will be the organization’s second facility. For more information, call (208) 650-7359.

I.F.-based Bank of Idaho opens second Boise branch

Bank of Idaho continues its expansion in western Idaho today with its second Boise location, at 6981 W. Overland Road.

This newest Boise office will be the bank's ninth full-service branch. Bank of Idaho started as Bank of Eastern Idaho in 1985 and remains a community bank focused on the advancement of small businesses, providing tools and support that help build personal long-term relationships with their clients.

“We work hard to learn about our customers," Bank President and CEO Jeff Newgard said. "We strive to gain a deep understanding of their goals and aspirations, so we can anticipate their needs and give them the right tools to succeed. Pair that philosophy with decisions that are made right here at the local level, and it truly sets us apart from many of our competitors."

The Bank of Idaho Overland Branch team will be made up of some familiar faces from the area: Charlie Kouba, V.P. Commercial Banking Manager, Surbir Chadha, V.P. Commercial Loan Officer, Caroline Kennedy, Retail Branch Manager, Katelyn Shaw, Loan Assistant, and Lacy Beck, Universal Banking Associate.

Snake River Landing breaks ground on new office building

Ball Ventures founder Allen Ball (left) and Cortney Liddiard, the company's CEO, chat with executives from Okland Construction  Wednesday at the groundbreaking for The Knolls, a new office building scheduled to open in fall 2020.

Snake River Landing continued its southward expansion Wednesday by breaking ground on The Knolls, a contemporary-styled office building at the corner of Snake River Parkway and Event Center Drive.

The three-story, 60,000-square-foot, building will house the corporate headquarters of Ball Ventures, the Idaho Falls-based developer that began Snake River Landing in 2006. The company’s chief development officer, Eric Isom, said other tenants will be announced in the next three months. The building is scheduled to be completed in  fall 2020.

In addition to Snake River Landing, Ball Ventures is a co-developer of Sandcreek Commons, the shopping center in Ammon. Overall, the company has projects in nine or 10 states totaling about 3.3 million square feet, Isom said.

Like the Waterfront, a smaller event center that opened in 2017, the Knolls represents a departure from the “old Main Street” style of the original Snake River Landing buildings, Isom said. It comes at the end of a summer that saw a large expansion of the nearby Falls apartment complex. A site plan for the nearby Idaho Falls Events Center has been filed with the city’s building department (link here).

Isom said the 450-acre master-planned development is about where they projected it to be when they first broke ground. “We lost four years during the recession, but I think we’re where we thought we would be because of the growth in the last few years,” he said. The Idaho Falls area has seen a dramatic in-migration of people from other states, creating one of the hotter real estate markets in the United States.

“Housing and rooftops drive everything else,” Isom said. “There’s been a lot of positive press about the quality of life here.”

Businesses involved in the design and construction of the Knolls include Dixon and Associates, Horrocks Engineers, Bradley Engineering, HK Contractors, and Okland Construction. Brent Wilson of Thornton Oliver Keller is the listing agent.

Costco site plan undergoes second review by city

A screenshot of the first page of the latest Costco site plan

This isn’t much, but since the interest in Costco is so intense I figured it was important to report that the plan for the site at 2495 Lincoln Road has gone through its second review with the city of Idaho Falls Building Department.

This is at the northwestern corner of Lincoln and Hitt, although you can’t really call it a corner because there is a roundabout there. If you’d like to see the documents and PDFs, this is the link: https://trakit.idahofallsidaho.gov/etrakit3/Search/project.aspx.

The 150,000-square-foot store is expected to open in August 2020. The facility will also include a 15-30 pump fueling station.

INL engineer to talk about NASA missions at chamber CEO Series program

Kelly Lively, manager of INL's Radioisotope Power Systems department

The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce will host Kelly Lively of Idaho National Laboratory as its featured speaker Sept. 26, part of its monthly CEO Series programs.

Lively is the manager of INL's Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) department and also a project manager for NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission. She manages a team of engineers and technicians that manufactures, fuels, tests and delivers radioisotope thermo-electric generator (RTG) systems for NASA's deep space exploration missions. RTG systems convert the heat generated by the decay of plutonium oxide fuel into electrical energy.

Lively will share information on the technology and the INL processes that enable these scientific missions. She will also provide the latest information on three space missions in which INL has had hand: New Horizons (which passed Pluto in 2015 and is now exploring the Kuiper Belt at the edge of the Solar System), the Mars Science Laboratory (which includes the Curiosity Rover), and the Mars 2020 Rover (yet to be named).

Lively started working at Naval Reactors Facility 1985 as a human resources administrative assistant. She bounced around the lab, working in word processing and security, and eventually decided to pursue an engineering degree. "As I typed procedures for the engineering staff, I thought, 'If they can do this, I can do this,'" she told The Oklahoman in 2013. She graduated with a bachelor's in engineering from Idaho State University in 1998.

The event is open to the community and will be begin at 3 p.m. at the Waterfront at Snake River Landing, 1220 Event Center Drive. Questions from audience members will be taken. There is no charge for the event, but space is limited. Please RSVP to programs@idahofallschamber.com to reserve a spot.

Snake River Landing to break ground on new office building

The site for a new 60,000-square-foot office building at Snake River Landing, at the corner of Snake River Parkway and Event Center Drive

Snake River Landing is holding a groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 25 at 11 a.m. for a new three-story office building planned for Snake River Parkway and Event Center Drive. The 60,000-square-foot office building, located at the heart of the 450-acre Snake River Landing multi-use development, is scheduled to be finished in late summer of 2020.

The new office building is owned by an affiliate of Snake River Landing. The following businesses are involved in the design and construction: Dixon and Associates, Horrocks Engineers, HK Contractors, Okland Construction.

The new office building is the latest growth development for Snake River Landing, which in July announced the expansion of Love at First Bite and is also seeing a new addition to The Falls Apartments, with developer Kartchner Inc. adding 96 units addition to the original 228-unit apartment complex that opened in 2017. Idahoan Foods is in the process of remodeling 900 Pier View Drive in Snake River Landing for its new corporate headquarters. Construction on the new Event Center Drive roadway is wrapping up this fall, and construction on the new Heritage Park continues with the city of Idaho Falls.

“Many companies are expanding or seeking to locate in Idaho Falls, and we are ready to help them find the kind of space and experience they seek,” said Eric Isom, Snake River Landing’s chief development officer. “There are new residential options here, commercial space under construction and available for pre-lease, and a growing number of people who are choosing to live and work within this community. It’s a pleasure to see companies expand and grow here.”

INL to collaborate with 3 commercial utilities on hydrogen production from nuclear plants

The Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station near Toledo, Ohio, will be the first site to produce commercial quantities of hydrogen using nuclear energy. (Photo by Bill Rayburn, Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station)

Three commercial electric utilities and Idaho National Laboratory have been chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy for projects intended to improve the long-term economic competitiveness of the nuclear power industry.

The utility participants are FirstEnergy Solutions of Akron, Ohio; Xcel Energy, a Minneapolis-based energy company that owns and operates two nuclear plants in Minnesota; and Arizona Public Service (APS), a Phoenix-based utility that operates Palo Verde Generating Station.

The three projects are involved in DOE’s effort to support development and demonstration of commercial applications that pair nuclear energy with a hybrid, non-electric application to produce hydrogen. DOE announcement for these projects and others can be found on this link: https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/us-department-energy-awards-152-million-advanced-nuclear-technology-0.

“These first-of-a-kind projects represent significant advances for improving the long-term economic competitiveness of the light water reactor industry,” said Bruce Hallbert, director of DOE’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program, based at INL. “They will enable the production of commodities such as hydrogen in addition to electricity from commercial nuclear power plants. These projects also accelerate the transition to a national hydrogen economy by contributing to the use of hydrogen as a storage medium for production of electricity, as a zero-emitting transportation fuel, or as a replacement for industrial processes that currently use carbon-emitting sources in hydrogen production.”

The two-year project led by FirstEnergy Solutions will initially demonstrate and deploy a 1- to 3-MWe low-temperature electrolysis unit to produce commercial quantities of hydrogen. The first site, planned for 2020, is FirstEnergy Solution’s Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station near Toledo, Ohio. The project will demonstrate how hydrogen from commercial nuclear operations can be used to produce “green” products and commodities in significant quantities for domestic use and for export to international markets where green and low-carbon attributes are incentivized. Hydrogen from Davis-Besse may initially be used to supply public transportation fleets in Ohio, in new direct iron reduction plants being constructed to produce steel products, or for other commercial products now under investigation.

“Thanks to the support provided to our Ohio nuclear plants by the state of Ohio, we are able to work with DOE to explore new methods of keeping nuclear power plants competitive in any economic environment," said Raymond Lieb, senior vice president of Fleet Engineering for FirstEnergy Solutions. "This is a great opportunity to show that hydrogen can be effectively generated in a carbon-free and safe manner.”

The second project, planned for 2021, will occur at an Xcel Energy nuclear site and employ hydrogen production technologies that might be used to reduce the environmental impact of industrial processes or in the transportation sector. Redirecting nuclear energy from electricity to hydrogen production could help balance the electrical grid with the increasing amount of wind and solar energy on the system. The company has also been testing flexible operations at its nuclear plants, but hydrogen could create an entirely new value stream. Xcel Energy plans to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent in the Upper Midwest by 2030 (from 2005 levels) and is pursuing a vision to provide electricity from 100 percent carbon-free sources by 2050.

”We’ve challenged our nuclear employees to find innovative ways to operate more efficiently, use technology, pursue new ideas and reduce costs to make our plants more valuable for our customers,” said Tim O’Connor, chief nuclear officer, Xcel Energy. “Projects like this hydrogen demonstration will ensure our nuclear plants continue to help Xcel Energy provide reliable, affordable carbon-free electricity for the Upper Midwest.”

The third project, planned for 2020-2022, will occur at APS’ Palo Verde Generating Station near Phoenix, Arizona. Hydrogen from the plant may be used as energy storage for use in reverse-operable electrolysis or peaking gas turbines during times of the day when photovoltaic solar energy sources are unavailable and energy reserves in the Southwest are low -- also to support a growing hydrogen transportation fuel market. Experience from this pilot project will offer valuable insights into methods for flexible transitions between electricity and hydrogen generation missions in solar-dominated electricity markets and demonstrate how hydrogen may be used as energy storage to provide electricity during operating periods when solar is not available.

“This project allows us to explore a new form of energy storage while continuing to provide customers what they want – clean, affordable and reliable electricity,” said Bob Bement, APS's executive vice president and chief nuclear officer.

Hallbert said, “These demonstration projects will confirm how commercial nuclear utilities can produce — without carbon emissions — essential products, like hydrogen, at a scale needed by industry. Nuclear energy can help meet the significant demand for hydrogen and other synthesized products while helping industrial users reduce their own carbon footprints.”