2/19/2016

Leadership
Minzghor named new D6 District Engineer
Jason B. Minzghor, who has served the transportation community in northern Idaho for nearly 17 years, is the new District 6 engineer for ITD. Minzghor will assume leadership of District 6, which is the department’s eastern Idaho region, on March 7.
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District 2
ITD's north-central office earns National Weather Service designation
The Idaho Transportation Department’s office in north-central office received the Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador endorsement Feb. 9 from the National Weather Service, making ITD still the only transportation agency in the region to earn the designation. Ambassadors serve as change agents and leaders in their communities, providing an example of preparedness.
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District 2
Landslide west of Elk City buries section of Idaho 14 in tons of debris
A major landslide late yesterday afternoon (Thursday, Feb. 18) buried a 500-foot section of Idaho 14 about 10 miles west of Elk City in rock and debris nearly 40 feet deep. Crews are developing, with the aid of geologists and landslide experts, a plan for safely removing the debris.
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Office of Highway Safety
Statewide highway-safety planning underway
Safety advocates across Idaho are joining with ITD’s Office of Highway Safety in actively planning to help move “Toward Zero Deaths” on Idaho's highways. The result will be a data-driven, comprehensive, collaborative State Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) that helps Idaho identify and prioritize its most pressing road-safety needs, and develop strategies with the greatest potential to save lives and reduce injuries.
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Partnerships
Department of Agriculture thanks ITD for Invasive Species assistance
Another example of the value of partnership, especially between state agencies, came in mid-January when the Idaho Department of Agriculture (ISDA) wrote to ITD Director Brian Ness to thank him for the department’s continuing efforts on behalf of Idaho’s Invasive Species Program.
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Idaho Freight Summit
Idaho Freight Summit attracts 90 attendees to set direction for future
The Idaho Freight Summit Feb. 10 pulled in 90 attendees to share in freight-related information and create a path for future initiatives in the Gem State.
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U.S. DOT
NHTSA launches new public awareness campaign
The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a new public awareness campaign Jan. 22 called Safe Cars Save Lives that urges consumers to check for open recalls at least twice a year and to get their vehicles fixed as soon as parts are available. Last year, there were close to 900 recalls affecting 51 million vehicles nationwide.
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DBE Program
Free workshops in eastern, southeastern Idaho Feb. 23-26 show how to do business with the government
Basic guidelines for doing business with the government will be discussed at free workshops in St. Anthony and Idaho Falls Feb. 23-24, and in Preston and Pocatello Feb. 25-26.
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District 1
Encore (02-12-16): District 1 office earns $85,000 energy rebate for LED lights along I-90
D1 recently earned an $85,411 rebate for replacing the light bulbs along Interstate 90 between Washington and Montana with energy-efficient LED lighting that creates better visual clarity for the safety of drivers. The rebate also included the switch to LED lighting in the main department office in Coeur d’Alene.
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Research
Encore (02-12-16): Department partnering with WTI to investigate wildlife-detection system to improve driver safety
The Idaho Transportation Department’s Research Program has initiated a project to evaluate the performance of an innovative wildlife-detection system that may bring improved safety to area highways by reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, personal injury and property damage.
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Donate Life
Encore (02-12-16): April ceremony will highlight personal connections to organ donation
The Idaho Transportation Department and Intermountain Donor Services will hoist the Donate Life flag Wednesday, April 20, as part of National Donate Life Month in April. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. in the ITD Headquarters’ Auditorium at 3311 W. State St. Besides attending the brown-bag event, transportation department employees are asked to share their personal experiences with the life-saving program.
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