The Pocatello Development Authority (PDA) Board of Directors has a vacancy open for immediate appointment.
PDA is the urban renewal agency for Pocatello. According to State law, this volunteer board is an independent public body, and it is given a wide range of authority to achieve urban renewal.
Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m.
Interested persons living inside the Pocatello city limits can obtain an application by contacting the Mayor’s Office at 911 North 7th Avenue, visiting the Advisory Committees link at pocatello.us or by calling 208-234-6163.
Applications for membership must be received by April 9, 2021.
(Idaho Governor’s Office Press Release, March 24, 2021)
Governor Brad Little (Official Photo)
Boise, Idaho – The deadline to file Idaho state income taxes will be extended to May 17 to conform with temporary changes to the federal tax filing deadline.
Before recessing for two weeks due to a COVID-19 outbreak, the Idaho Legislature was prepared to advance legislation required to extend the state filing deadline from April 15 to May 17, making Idaho one of only a few states with a state filing deadline that does not match the federal deadline.
Governor Brad Little instructed the Idaho State Tax Commission to hold a special meeting Thursday to extend the state filing deadline to May 17 to provide taxpayers and tax preparers with immediate clarification.
“It is a priority for the Idaho Legislature to act as quickly as possible when we return April 6 to approve legislation simplifying tax preparation for Idahoans,” Senate Pro Tem Chuck Winder and House Speaker Scott Bedke said.
“I appreciate the Tax Commission and the Idaho Legislature for prioritizing the actions needed to ease the burden on Idahoans in preparing their taxes this year,” Governor Little said.
Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little announced today he will host Sustainable Transportation Funding Roundtables with businesses and local leaders across Idaho next week.
Governor Little will travel to north Idaho, eastern Idaho, and the west Treasure Valley next week to meet with businesses and local officials about their need for a sustainable transportation funding solution to deal with Idaho’s unprecedented growth.
“Before and during the pandemic, Idaho is the fastest growing state in the nation. Idaho simply will not keep up with that growth if we, as elected leaders, do not invest strategically and sustainably in our roads,” Governor Little said. “We have an obligation as elected leaders to confront the growing list of unfunded transportation projects across Idaho with a sustainable funding plan moving forward. We must take steps now to preserve your precious time and make our transportation system safer. I am actively working with my legislative partners on a plan right now.”
The Governor’s Office will reach out directly to local newsrooms to share details about media availabilities that will take place following the roundtable sessions at each stop.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Angus King (I-Maine) led a bipartisan letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm voicing their support for the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) and urging the Department to maintain CESER’s current leadership structure. Presently, CESER is led by an assistant secretary, underscoring the importance of a strong U.S. cybersecurity strategy.
“Top officials within the intelligence, defense, and power communities have warned that the United States remains vulnerable to cyberattacks that could result in catastrophic damage to public health and safety, economic security, and national security,” the letter read in part.
“We urge you, as Secretary, to continue to prioritize cybersecurity by preserving the CESER office and upholding its leadership at the Assistant Secretary level,” the senators continued. “It is imperative that the Department does not march backwards on its responsibilities to the energy sector and the protection of our critical infrastructure given the persistent, growing, and significant threat cyberattacks pose to our nation’s economy and national security.”
Additional signers of the letter include chairman and ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.).
Senators Risch and King have repeatedly partnered to stress the importance of improving cybersecurity protections for the nation’s grid. Their Securing Energy Infrastructure Actwas passed as part of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act, and established partnerships to utilize engineering concepts to remove vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to access the grid through holes in digital software systems. In December 2019, they led a bipartisan group of senators in a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission emphasizing the dangers of incorporating equipment manufactured by Huawei Technologies Co. into the nation’s critical infrastructure.
As you consider the organization of the Department of Energy (Department), we write to express our support for the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), and for maintaining its current leadership structure.
The reliability and resilience of the electric grid is critical to the economic and national security of the United States. Nearly every sector of our economy, including healthcare, defense, finance and manufacturing, relies on electric power to function. Top officials within the intelligence, defense, and power communities have warned that the United States remains vulnerable to cyberattacks that could result in catastrophic damage to public health and safety, economic security, and national security.
Recent news reports have illustrated that our adversaries are actively seeking to exploit holes in U.S. internet networks and control systems, which leaves our electric grid and other critical infrastructure vulnerable to foreign surveillance and potential disruption. In the 2019 World Wide Threat Assessment, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence stated that “[o]ur adversaries and strategic competitors will increasingly use cyber capabilities – including cyber espionage, attack, and influence – to seek political, economic and military advantage over the United States and its allies and partners.” Russia, in particular, has demonstrated its willingness and ability to disrupt electrical networks like it did in Ukraine in 2015 and 2016 leaving 230,000 residents in the dark.
As you know, CESER was created in 2018 to support the expanded national security responsibilities assigned to the Department, and led by an Assistant Secretary to appropriately focus on the importance of cybersecurity to its many missions. CESER plays a vital role in protecting the nation’s critical energy infrastructure from cyber threats, physical attacks, and other disruptive events. It helps maintain situational awareness, coordinates emergency support functions under the National Response Framework, and carries out its responsibilities as the Sector-Specific Agency for the energy sector by working in a collaborative and integrated manner with industry, as well as Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions.
We urge you, as Secretary, to continue to prioritize cybersecurity by preserving the CESER office and upholding its leadership at the Assistant Secretary level. It is imperative that the Department does not march backwards on its responsibilities to the energy sector and the protection of our critical infrastructure given the persistent, growing, and significant threat cyberattacks pose to our nation’s economy and national security.
Trash and tech are coming together in the City of Pocatello Sanitation Department.
Starting March 23, department staff will begin utilizing Routeware. Using a host of data collected by the department, the software helps staff optimize routes of sanitation collection trucks. Routeware analyzes a route’s size and its costs in terms of man-hours, fuel, vehicle maintenance, and more. All the data will help the department make efficient use of available vehicles and employees.
“By utilizing the Routeware software, City staff will be able to streamline our customer service efforts when receiving calls from residents or customers and in many instances be able to respond to customers’ requests faster,” said Tom Kirkman, Deputy Public Works Director.
For the drivers, the built-in GPS tracking and onboard tablets will allow drivers to better visualize their route and track all the containers along the way.
“Using the route optimization algorithms will create a more efficient process, allowing the drivers to accurately account for each required stop on their route,” Kirkman said. “This will eliminate the need for drivers to return to an area that could have been missed using the previous system.”
As the department launches the new system, collection times may differ for the first several weeks. Customers are asked to have their autocart at the curb no later than 7 a.m. on their collection day.
“We know many of our customers are in a routine and know what time their pickup happens every week,” Kirkman said. “As we start using Routeware, please make sure you have your autocart out by 7 a.m. Doing so will ensure that your cart will be picked up on your collection day while we establish our new route procedures.”
For more information on all the services offered by the City of Pocatello Sanitation Department, visit pocatello.us/sanitation.
KHON 2 News in Hawaii reported earlier this month that the Hawaii Department of Health confirmed that three fully vaccinated residents later contracted COVID-19.
A KHON reporter in the field stated, “Health officials want to remind vaccinated people, they can still catch COVID-19. What the vaccine does is help protect you against catching severe COVID symptoms, and help keep you out of the hospital.”
(Idaho Governor’s Office Press Release, March 24, 2021)
Governor Brad Little (Official Photo)
Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little announced his decision today to open up COVID-19 vaccine appointments to all Idahoans over age 16 starting April 5.
Starting April 5, there will be no prioritization of any group of people. All Idahoans over the age of 16, regardless of their age, medical condition, or occupation, will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Governor Little also announced that starting March 29, any Idahoan with at least one medical condition will be able to access the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I want to thank the close to 390,000 Idahoans who have chosen to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. You have taken one of the most important steps during our pandemic fight to protect lives and get us closer to normal. Hundreds of thousands of Idahoans have received the vaccine because it is safe and it works,” Governor Little said. “If you are still unsure about the vaccine, I encourage you to talk to your doctor or healthcare provider. There are good reasons most of them did not hesitate to receive their COVID vaccine weeks ago – the COVID vaccine has been tested and it is proving to be safe and effective.”
Idahoans are encouraged to continue accessing the COVID-19 Vaccine Pre-Registration System at COVIDvaccine.idaho.gov. More than 90,000 individuals have used the tool since it went live on March 5, making life easier and resulting in tens of thousands of appointments.
Idaho still ranks above the national average for getting vaccines administered, with an 82-percent vaccine administration rate. More than 63-percent of Idaho’s 65-and-older population have been vaccinated and almost 30-percent of individuals between the ages of 55 and 64 have been vaccinated.
“Folks, with each passing week as more and more Idahoans choose to get vaccinated, we get closer to returning to normal. The COVID vaccine really is our best shot at protecting jobs and saving lives. Please choose to receive the safe and effective vaccine,” Governor Little said.
Spring is here and that means the City of Pocatello Sanitation Department’s Yard Waste Collection Program will get underway.
Starting Monday, April 5, Pocatellans can place grass clippings, leaves, and garden trimmings in their designated autocart for pick up. No other material will be accepted. Yard waste autocarts are picked up the same day as their regularly scheduled trash pick up day. The program will run through the last full week of November.
“Yard waste is another form of recycling and helps divert waste away from landfills,” said Tom Kirkman, Deputy Public Works Director.
To sign-up for the Yard Waste Collection Program, contact the Sanitation Department at 208-234-6192. The cost is $5 per month from April to November and is billed to your City of Pocatello utility bill.
Starting with 500 customers in April 2013, the program has expanded to 1,615 customers and diverted 3,591.84 tons of waste from the Bannock County Landfill.
Compost generated from the program is available for purchase for $35 per ton at the Bannock County Landfill Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Homeschool Idaho has announced that the 2021 Homeschool Idaho Convention will be held in-person on June 4th and 5th at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. The Convention will be preceded by a used curriculum sale on June 3rd.
In an email announcing the Convention, the group states, “Homeschool Idaho brings together authentic speakers with change-your-life messages and exhibitors with passion and knowledge to equip and encourage you with new ideas, strategies, perspectives, and vision.
Come join us and other like-minded homeschool families. Let’s recharge, learn, grow, and walk this challenging and important journey TOGETHER.”
You can learn about the used curriculum sale, here:
