April 15, 2011
Transportation Board
Board begins annual tours, business meetings in districts
The Idaho Transportation Board will begin its annual visits to districts Tuesday and Wednesday (April 19, 20) with a tour in Latah County and a business meeting in Lewiston. Tuesday’s schedule includes a stop at the U.S. 95, Moscow Mountain passing lane project to view a new animal detection system. In Moscow, the board will meet with city officials and travel the proposed White Place to South Fork Palouse River Bridge project.
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Accolades
ITD projects receive honors from Council of Engineering Companies
ITD and its partners collected several project awards, including two first place honors, Monday from the Idaho Council of Engineering Companies. Several of the state awards also advanced to the American Council of Engineering Companies competition where they received national honors.
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Finding rest at Blacks Creek Rest Area
Jack and Alice Hodge from British Columbia, Canada, stopped by the Blacks Creek eastbound rest area on March 3. They were headed to Yuma, Ariz., on their annual trip from Okanagan Falls in southern B.C., traveling on I-84 to Twin Falls and south on U.S. 93.
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Highway Safety
Seatbelt advocate relives tragic crash that launched her involvement
Forevermore a seat belt advocate .
We met under the worst possible conditions; the man and I. He explained to me, a mother in shock and disbelief, how my son and my son’s best friend died. He tried to explain that my son, who left the night before in a car with his friends to go cosmic bowling, would never be coming home again.
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Highway cleanup
Kamiah children to clean highways next week
The city of Kamiah will look a little different next week thanks to a lot of helping hands from school children and adult volunteers. As part of a combined Earth Day/Arbor Day activity, children from kindergarten through high school will trade traditional classrooms for the outdoors when they conduct a community-wide cleanup campaign that includes state highways.
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Public Transportation
Mobility council to meet April 26
The Idaho Mobility Council, including members of the Public Transportation Advisory Council and Interagency Working Group, will meet April 26 at the Holiday Inn Vista, 3300 Vista Ave. in Boise. Scheduled in the Cascade Room, the meeting will begin at 9 a.m. with an overview by facilitator Marsha Bracke.
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Personal security
Free document shredding offered Saturday in Boise
Don’t burn it, or bury it. Shred it. ITD employees in the Boise area can securely dispose of financial records and personal documents without contributing to landfills by shredding the paper Saturday (April 16). The annual shredding activity, which is open to the public, is planned for the ITD Headquarters parking lot from 10 a.m. to noon.
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Closing statement
Karl Vogt to step down from ITD position
Assistant Attorney General Karl Vogt recently announced a career change -- after a 15-year assignment to the Idaho Transportation Department, he will bid farewell at the end of April. The ITD legal staff invites Karl's friends and colleagues to a sendoff Friday, April 22, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Headquarters Auditorium. A formal presentation is planned at 1:30. Anyone who would like to contribute to a parting gift should contact Heidi Lewis at heidi.lewis@itd.idaho.gov .
ITD Mailbox
• Welcome to Idaho
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Encore
Published April 8, 2011
Highways
State highways victimized by rockslides
A rock slide about three miles north of Banks on Idaho 55 closed the highway from around noon on Sunday until about 5:45 p.m. on Monday. ITD crews worked on Monday to remove loose rocks from a hillside three miles north of Banks. Debris had been falling from the mountainside for three or four days, but around 10 a.m. Sunday the hillside shifted and debris slid over the guard rail and onto the highway, said Dan Davis, the ITD supervisor for Banks and Cascade.
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ITD preparing for arrival of rushing water
Rapid warming usually comes as good news in almost every regard for the travelers who’ve been cooped up inside all winter … but not always. As temperatures warm, the winter snowpack thaws and spring rains arrive, escalating the potential for flooding across the state. ITD’s District 3, along with most other districts, already is preparing for the rushing runoff.
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Technology
Smartphones become newest security concern
Smartphones shipped worldwide have surpassed personal computer shipments for the first time, according to International Data Corporation (IDC) statistics for the last business quarter. Many of those phones will be used for much more than just making calls. That’s more people using smartphones to visit websites, manage social media postings, send and receive e-mail and even access important business documents.
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Highway safety
ITD supports campaign to reduce speeding
Excessive speed causes too many motor vehicle crashes that result in serious injuries or deaths, so ITD is partnering with Idaho law enforcement agencies in a campaign to "Stop Speeding Before it Stops You." The aggressive driving education and enforcement campaign began Thursday (April 7) and continues through April 18. Law enforcement agencies statewide will step up patrols to catch speeders on all roads in Idaho.
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Accolades
D-3 praised for helping USFS dispose of weed
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) U.S. Forest Service early this month formally commended District 3 for its assistance in cleaning up and disposing of illegal marijuana-growing operations. The letter of commendation specifically referred to the dramatic increase in the number of pot-growing sites in southwest Idaho the last few years,
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Employees
Newsletter focuses on confining health insurance costs
Are you looking for new ways to control your household costs? How about reducing your healthcare expenses? Blue Cross of Idaho, the state’s health insurance provider, recently sent an e-mail newsletter to employees with suggestions on how to save money on medical costs without compromising on quality of care.
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