June 10, 2011
Transportation board
Governor names D-5 representative to board
Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter announced this week the appointment of Dwight Horsch, an Aberdeen farmer and former Idaho legislator, to succeed Neil Miller of Blackfoot on the Idaho Transportation Board. Horsch, 65, officially joined the seven-member board June 1 and will serve a six-year term. He fills a designated Democrat seat on the board, which is the latest in a series of public service positions he has held over the years.
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Workshop planned before Thursday business meeting
The Idaho Transportation Board will focus on the design-build construction concept, ITD’s Vehicle Investment Program (VIP) and the FY 2012-16 Capital Investment Program during a workshop that precedes Thursday’s business meeting in Boise. The Wednesday workshop will be at the District 3 office on Chinden Boulevard. Thursday’s meeting in the Headquarters auditorium, is open to the public.
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Aviation
Workshops help teachers incorporate aviation in lessons
ITD’s Division of Aeronautics will sponsor three two-day Teacher Aviation Workshops next month, demonstrating how aviation subjects can be incorporated into regular classroom lessons. Three workshops are planned: Bird Aviation Museum, Sandpoint, July 14-15; Idaho Falls, July 25-26; and Caldwell, July 28-29. Although the workshops are intended primarily for teachers of grades 6-12, the lessons are appropriate for all grades.
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Highways
Truck leaves mark on highway, guardrail
A semi truck jackknifed and nearly went in the Payette River Monday afternoon on Idaho 55 north of Banks. The driver of the semi reported to Idaho State Police that he was fatigued and may have fallen asleep.
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Freeman defends D-3 roadeo title for foremen
About 100 people, including 39 competitors and judges, coordinators, cooks and managers/supervisors, took part in the District 3 Equipment Roadeo last week. The annual test of driving and equipment knowledge took place Wednesday (June 1) in Garden Valley. For the second straight year, Robin Freeman, a three-time state champ from the New Meadows shop, came out on top in the Foreman division.
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Employees
Definition of 'dependent' changes for health plans
Effective July 1, the definition of an eligible dependent in the Group Insurance medical and dental plans will be changing. The new definition will be as follows: Eligible dependent means: (1) The spouse of the Enrollee and/or 2) the children of an Enrollee or Enrollee's spouse, up to their 26th birthdays, unless the dependent child(ren) are eligible to enroll in their own employer based group coverage.
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Preparedness
Flood preparation: It's in the bag
Localized flooding could occur from a clogged storm drain, fallen trees or other debris causing an obstruction under a bridge or riverbank erosion from the sustained high flow rates. If a flood threat is ever identified in your area, one of the simplest ways to protect your home is with sandbags. Using proper sandbagging techniques can reduce or eliminate flood damage to your home and save you from unnecessary backache in the process.
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ITD Mailbox
• Thanks for expert testimony
• Astonished newcomer has questions
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Encore
Published June 3, 2011
Technology
Welcome to ITD's inaugural online public meeting
In the first online public meeting offered by the Idaho Transportation Department, Treasure Valley residents will be able to conveniently learn about improvements to Eagle Road and ask questions using ITD's new online public meeting format next week. Information exchanges through the Internet will enable citizens to receive and provide information about the project in a format that fits their schedules.
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Highways
Family shown walking concrete walls of Ten Mile
It calls to mind Norman Rockwell and the old idyllic Saturday Evening Post covers that depicted the best of American family life. Drivers near the new Ten Mile Interchange between Meridian and Nampa will notice a new mural on the interchange wall. It’s a cast concrete relief overlay showing a man, woman and child walking down a pathway, holding hands. The family-themed mural portrays the trio on a winding path near a blooming tree, with a mountain scene as the backdrop.
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Education
Students to explore ITD options this summer
ITD is partnering with universities and local school districts this summer to provide young people an opportunity to learn more about the department’s wide range of transportation-related activities and career paths. Summer outreach activities begin with as many as 100 students from Canyon County’s middle schools participating in separate field trips to ITD June 8 and June 15. Students will tour Headquarters and District 3 facilities where they will watch demonstrations, meet and learn from department personnel and try some hands-on projects.
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Driving knowledge
Idaho drivers score 11th on national test
The good news is Idaho drivers remain among the most knowledgeable in the country when it comes to understanding the rules of the road. The bad news is Idaho fell from best in the nation on the annual GMAC Insurance knowledge test in 2009 to eighth last year and 11th this year. GMAC has provided an online knowledge test the past seven years, and Idaho drivers typically score among the best in the U.S.
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