Franz opens Idaho Falls outlet store

The Franz Bakery Outlet store on Anderson Street in Idaho Falls

Franz Family Bakery has taken over the old Hostess/Wonder Bread store at 365 Anderson Street.

Although the Portland-based bakery has been in business for 107 years, it has only recently been making inroads into eastern Idaho. You might be interested to know that the Franz bread and baked goods sold at the outlet store, as well as in local stores and supermarkets, was made in Idaho using Pendleton Mills Flour from Blackfoot.

The store has a gluten-free section and an organic section. "There's a lot more variety," said Marilyn Mills, the manager, who also worked at the Hostess/Wonder Bread store before it closed in November. "We'd like all our old customers to know that the peppered gravy and cheese sauce are back in town," she said.

The store hopes to be set up to accept EBT and food stamps by the beginning of July.

Last of all, here's something you probably didn't know: Though others are credited with creating a bread product to use for the first hamburgers known to the world, E.E. Franz is credited for inventing the hamburger bun in its current worldwide accepted form.

Fair director to speak Thursday at 'Lunch and Learn'

Brandon Bird

Brandon Bird, general manager of the Eastern Idaho State Fair, will be the guest Thursday at the Idaho Falls Advertising Federation's monthly "Lunch and Learn," at Dixie's Diner.

The Fair lasts only eight days, but a full year of planning and implementation goes into the marketing and advertising of an event this size. Bird will share some of the marketing strategies and processes that help the fair draw nearly a quarter-million people.

Sign-in for lunch begins at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation will run from noon to 1 p.m.

Cost is $12 for Ad Fed members and $15 for non-members. As always, Dixie's Diner will provide a menu with plenty of options.

RSVP to Lisa Fischbach at lisa@mightymcs.com if you plan to attend.

United Way names new marketing coordinator

Tyler Kraupp

The United Way of Idaho Falls and Bonneville County has named Tyler Kraupp to be its new marketing coordinator. Kraupp is the CEO of Kraupp Inc., a graphic design and advertising company in Idaho Falls. His goal for the United Way is to increase donations and community awareness, as well as event planning.

He is enrolled in the Technology Entrepreneurship Online Course from the University of Stanford. His website can be viewed here: http://www.krauppinc.com

He replaces Dwight Whitaker, who has been called to serve on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

John Adam Parkway project has July 23 completion date

If you've been driving on John Adams Parkway the past six months the new bridge over the Idaho Canal has become a daily reality to you (although not nearly the reality I imagine it was to the people working on it when the temperatures were below zero.) Here's the latest: The project, which started Oct. 23, 2012, has a scheduled completion date of July 23. As of Friday, the city had been charged 78 working days. The construction bid cost was $827,000 for removal and replacement.

Federal funding for Idaho Falls airport tower now good through September

The terminal and tower at Idaho Falls Regional Airport

The Transportation Department announced today that the Idaho Falls and Pocatello airport control towers will continue to receive federal funding at least through Sept. 30.

The eastern Idaho towers were among 149 that had been marked for closure after across-the-board spending cuts went into effect in March. Last month, the White House announced the towers would remain open through June 15. A brief statement issued by the Federal Aviation Administration this morning said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has determined there is enough extra money, under a bill passed by Congress last month, to keep the towers open through the end of the budget year.

At lower-traffic airports, the control towers are operated by contractors for the FAA. Five people work in the tower at Idaho Falls Regional Airport.

In early April, Airport Director Craig Davis said he would be shifting money in the airport's budget from maintenance and other areas to keep the tower operating through Oct. 1. After that, it would be up to the City Council to decide whether to keep the tower in operation.

The annual cost of operating the tower is close to $425,000, he said.