Melaleuca V.P. Damond Watkins in hospital following plane crash Thursday near I.F.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Damond Watkins and his family. Watkins, 40, vice president of corporate relations at Melaleuca, suffered a broken back in a plane crash Thursday afternoon about one mile south of Idaho Falls Regional Airport.

Watkins' father, Dane Watkins Sr., told the Idaho Statesman that his son was scheduled for surgery at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls at 11 a.m. Friday. He said he was told the procedure was expected to last four or five hours.

Watkins is Melaleuca's representative to the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, and he was returning from an IACI meeting in Boise when the crash occurred. 

Smart PJ's selected by Wal-Mart as contest finalist

We've been following Juan Murdoch and his Smart PJ's since last December. The scannable pajamas for kids have been featured on "Today" and Good Morning America."

Thursday we learned they have been selected by Wal-Mart as a finalist in its "Get on the Shelf" contest.

I was at Walmart.com headquarters in San Francisco last week and got the opportunity to pitch Smart PJ's to Walmart's buyers on camera!" said Murdoch, a real estate agent for Keller Williams East Idaho who got his idea at a training session on QR tags. "What a cool experience! Now that I'm a finalist, I will be needing your votes to get Smart PJ's on Walmart's shelf! Voting will take place when my episode airs in a couple weeks. ... Stay tuned for the date and time!"

To vote for Smart PJ's, follow this link: https://getontheshelf.walmart.com/

Grand Teton Brewing offers 100 percent Idaho ale

Grand Teton Brewing Co. has released its Ale 208 Session Ale, brewed with 100 percent Idaho-grown grain, hops and pure Idaho spring water. The package imagery is inspired by and pays tribute to Idaho’s agricultural heritage and diversity.

“As broad and far reaching as this state is, we are all still Idaho,” said Steve Furbacher the company's president, CEO and owner, in a press release.  “We at Grand Teton Brewing are proud of the product we produce. We strive to bring you some of the best beer you can find.”

Founded in 1988 by Charlie Otto as the first modern microbrewery in the state of Wyoming, Grand Teton Brewing Co. now calls Victor home. The company is housed in an 11,000 square-foot building that includes production and packaging facilities, walk-in cold storage and warm conditioning as well as a pub, which serves as both a tasting room and retail shop.

The brewery was bought by Steve and Ellen Furbacher in April 2009.  Since then, the Furbachers have made significant changes to the brewery – adding much needed brewing equipment, fixing the bottling line and growing local events.  Production has more than doubled, from 4,900 barrels to 10,000 barrels annually, and California has gone from a tiny share to Grand Teton Brewing’s largest market. Overall the brewery's beers are sold in California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The Grand Teton facility houses a 30-barrel brew house where all beers are brewed, along with 970 barrels of fermenting tanks in the cellar, allowing for both ale and lager production.  Grand Teton bottles and packages all beer in-house and recently upgraded its 1920s and 1950s labeler and filler for much newer equipment.

Chef Shane's Perspective opens in Sagewood Plaza

Shane and Giani O'Dell in their new restaurant, Chef Shane's Perspective, which opened Tuesday.

A new restaurant, Chef Shane's Perspective, has opened in Sagewood Plaza 3, 3192 E. 25th, near Jimmy John's.

Shane and Giani O'Dell had a soft opening Tuesday night and are now serving lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday brunch, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will start Sept. 28.

The lunch menu features soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps. Dinner leans more toward fine dining. O'Dell said he is trying to use local ingredients as much as possible and that the dinner menu will change with the seasons. The restaurant seats about 35 people.

For more information, visit their Facebook page at Chef Shane's Perspective. Or call (208) 932-2727.

Trainer to speak Thursday at first I.F. Ad Fed 'Lunch and Learn'

Troy Chipps

The Idaho Falls Advertising Federation will have its kick-off Lunch and Learn Thursday at noon at Dixie's Diner.

The speaker will be Troy Chipps of Prisma Training & Development.

Sign-in for lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. The presentation will run from noon to 1 p.m.
Cost is $12 for Ad Fed members and $15 for non-members.

If you plan to attend, RSVP to lisa@mightymcs.com. For more information about Prisma Training & Development, visit this link: http://www.prismatraining.com/