IDAHO

Under the budget, teachers and classified staff will see Idaho’s share of their salaries cut 4 percent. Teachers also won’t get automatic raises based on education or experience while and minimum teacher salaries were cut to $29,655, though districts could still pay them more from their other funding sources.

River’s Edge Energy, Inc. has contracted with All Bright International to sell and install wind turbines in all 50 states.

The GeoData tool in a Web browser allows one to fly through any area of the state, with detailed views of tourist attractions, hotels, boat ramps, golf courses and camping areas.

As saving energy becomes a rallying cry for utilities and the government, Idaho Power is in the vanguard. Since 2004, it has been paying farmers such as Erwin to cut power use at crucial times, resulting in drop-offs of as much as 5.6 percent of peak power demand.

Agency administrator Karen Ballard says the interactive tours, some featuring the sounds of bird chirps and rushing water, will show off Idaho’s natural beauty to people unfamiliar with the state.

Group launches the membership-driven Idaho Technology Council to spur growth statewide.

“Idaho has certain core competencies when it comes to technology: information technology, energy and agriscience. Our objective is to be able to look at those technology platforms and figure out how we can grow those core competencies and make them stronger.”

The 3,000-square-foot downtown office space funded by Meridian Development Corp. is the latest in a series of so-called business incubators to spring up in the Treasure Valley, joining the WaterCooler and the Green House in Boise.