Idaho Falls 'Plan Van' to make rounds next week

The Idaho Falls Planning Commission is updating the city’s comprehensive plan. Commissioners and Planning Department staff will bring the "Plan Van" to three area events in the next few weeks to ask for citizens’ views, opinions, and ideas on a variety of topics, including future land uses, redeveloping vacant spaces, and creating walkable neighborhoods. Citizens will also be asked to provide suggestions on what policies the city should focus on for the next five years.

The locations, times and dates for the "Plan Van" are as follows:

• Community Night Out, Aug. 7, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Downtown near Alive After 5, Aug. 8, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Idaho Falls Public Library, Aug. 13, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

"The most important part of developing the comprehensive plan is hearing from the folks who live here," said Mayor Jared Fuhriman. "This is their community and should have the opportunity to help define what they want their community to be. Planning affects so many aspects of the city -- neighborhood design, location of land uses, the number of trees and landscaping found on streets and in commercial developments, roadways, walkways, and more. This is an exciting and fun opportunity for citizens to get involved and make a difference where they live."

For those who cannot attend the events, a questionnaire will be available on the city’s website www.idahofalls.gov from Aug. 10 to Aug. 17. For more information, call 612-8276.

American Idol reject Kat Edmonson sings One Fine Day (2010 Taichung Jazz Festival)

I promise not to dwell too much on this American Idol audition stuff (unless of course you want me to), but I heard Kat Edmonson on World Cafe this afternoon and she told the story of how she was rejected in the first episode of Season 2. Anyway, I think Kat's doing quite all right without the A.I. imprimatur.

Brad Bauges named new EICU chief

Brad Bauges

Brad Bauges has been named East Idaho Credit Union's new president and CEO. He comes to eastern Idaho from Columbia Credit Union, an $850 million institution based in Vancouver, Wash., where he served as senior vice president and chief operations officer.
He holds a bachelor of science in business management from Oregon Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He also is a graduate of the CUES CEO Institute.

Bauges is East Idaho Credit Union's third president/CEO in its 77-year history. Chartered in 1935, East Idaho Credit Union is one of the oldest credit unions in Idaho. Of the 16 credit unions started in eastern Idaho that year, only two remain, according to the news release about his appointment.

The credit union has 10 branches and more than 32,000 members. It has offices in Idaho Falls, Shelley, Ammon, Rexburg, St. Anthony, Dubois, Salmon, Challis and Arco.

For information, call (800) 727-9961, or visit www.eastidahocu.org.

Idaho Falls names new airport director

Craig H. Davis

The city of Idaho Falls has selected Craig H. Davis as the next director of Idaho Falls Regional Airport, succeeding Len Nelson, who is retiring Aug. 10.

Davis holds a bachelor’s degree in airport management from Middle Tennessee State University and most recently served as manager of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority in Knoxville, Tenn.

He is expected to arrive later this year. Between Nelson's retirement and Davis's arrival, the airport will be supervised by Craig Lords, director of municipal services.

Scam Jam set for Aug. 8 in Idaho Falls; registration due Friday

Human nature hasn't basically changed. People have been defrauding the elderly since Jacob impersonated his brother Esau to get his blind father Issac's blessing.

What's different now is the tools are so much more sophisticated. If you want the full scope of what you need to look out for, the Senior Scam Jam will be Wednesday, Aug. 8 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Idaho Falls Hotel on the River, formerly the Red Lion and once upon a time The Westbank.

Scam Jam is designed to be an educational and entertaining forum that covers all he bases. From the Senior Medicare Patrol Program you will learn how to protect yourself from exploitation and the machinations of those who would seek to rob you with a few keystrokes on a computer.

The opening welcome and keynote address will be at 9 a.m. from Bill Deal, director of the Idaho Department of Insurance. There will be workshops in the morning and afternoon, free lunch from noon to 1 p.m. and a drawing for prizes at the end of the day.

Registration is required and the deadline is this Friday. Call (877) 926-8300 or visit this link: aarp.cvent.com/ID_ScamJamIdahoFalls, where a full agenda is also available.

The event is being sponsored by the Snake River Better Business Bureau, Idaho Department of Finance, Idaho Department of Insurance, Personal Finance Educators from the University of Idaho, OOA Adult Protection, Idaho Legal Aid, Senior Health Insurance Benefit Advisors, State Health Insurance Assistance Programs, AARP, the Idaho Commission on Aging, and the Boise State Center for the Study of Aging.