Receipts from local-option taxes in Ketchum were down in December but remain up for fiscal 2021. Read more
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 349 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 statewide today, raising the total to 167… Read more
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Nonprofits contribute significantly to the culture, education and health of the Wood River Valley’s residents. They also create hundreds of jo… Read more
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The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the hotel businesses last spring when it virtually shut down the travel industry, and some hotels in the Wood… Read more
Idaho’s unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent in December, down one-half of a percentage point from November’s rate of 4.9 percent and 7.4 per… Read more
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Since kicking off last spring, the Small Business Administration’s forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans have provided a lifeline for n… Read more
Since kicking off last spring, the Small Business Administration’s forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans have provided a lifeline for n… Read more
Beginning with money provided to three local agricultural enterprises, a new program of the nonprofit Sun Valley Institute for Resilience will… Read more
Guests occupied 29 percent fewer hotel rooms in the Sun Valley destination last month compared to November 2019, according to data from travel… Read more
Idaho’s unemployment rate fell to 4.8 percent in November and nonfarm payrolls regained 6,200 jobs during the month, as the state’s economy co… Read more
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 1,433 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 statewide on Wednesday, raising the tot… Read more
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A Wood River Valley restaurant has been named Idaho Small Business of the Month by U.S. Sen. Jim Risch. Read more
In a unanimous vote Monday, the Hailey City Council launched a new municipal small business grant program that will distribute up to $200,000 … Read more
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The coronavirus pandemic has changed tourism and the economy of the Wood River Valley, but business operators are adapting and the outlook for… Read more
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Two significant broadband projects funded by federal CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) grants are expected to brin… Read more
The rural communities of Carey and Picabo have been awarded a combined $1 million worth of state grants to improve internet connectivity. Read more
Following failed grassroots efforts to get a moratorium in the Wood River Valley against fifth-generation cell phone technology, 5G is now ava… Read more
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare counted 473 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 statewide today, raising the total to 22,7… Read more
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As more than 10,000 sheep in about a dozen flocks near the end of their annual foraging in the mountains around the Wood River Valley, the ran… Read more
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Continued investment in air service and marketing will be key to economic recovery this winter, two local agencies said on Wednesday. Read more
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported another 528 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total to 17,264. … Read more
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When Heidi Dohse learned that a piece of land had come up for sale in Stanley, she didn’t hesitate to make an offer. Read more
Concerns about reduced customer traffic are widespread among businesses in the Wood River Valley, a recent survey by Sun Valley Economic Devel… Read more
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The coronavirus pandemic has led to retail shortages in many sectors of the local economy; groceries, kitchen and art supplies, construction m… Read more
Nearly 2,000 businesses across Idaho applied to receive back-to-work bonuses for more than 10,000 workers on Monday, the first day of the appl… Read more
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The Friedman Memorial Airport Authority board approved a settlement agreement with Atlantic Aviation on Wednesday evening, directing the fixed-base operator to wire the authority $215,585 in past-due fees.
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Despite new restrictions brought on by COVID-19, the Fourth of July carried on with familiar sights: fireworks, cook-outs, parades and a noticeable uptick in tourist traffic.
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The city of Ketchum’s local-option tax, which collects taxes from building materials, liquor sales and condominium and room rentals along with other retail taxes, saw a drastic decline in tax receipts during the three-month isolation order, which began being lifted in May. Collections droppe…
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In December, developer Jack Bariteau provided proof of the $80 million in financing he needed to continue a hotel project slated to be built at the southern entrance to Ketchum. Since then, little to no progress has been made on the River Street project, currently known as the Harriman Hotel…
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The federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program has pumped millions of dollars into the local economy since early April. With more than $100 billion still available, the application period for the program is currently scheduled to end June 30.
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Movie theaters were given the green light to open last Saturday, two weeks ahead of the governor’s original plan for reopening Idaho businesses. But theaters in the Wood River Valley aren’t open just yet.
Idaho’s phased reopening in the past several weeks has allowed for eateries across the valley to once again welcome diners—in limited numbers—back indoors. Nonetheless, curbside takeout services have remained popular for local restaurants.
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Summer is in full swing and that means local and regional farmers and ranchers will take weekly trips to the Wood River Valley to sell and distribute their produce at the 20th annual Wood River Farmers Markets.
The Limelight Hotel reopened its doors yesterday, Thursday, May 21. To mark the occasion, the hotel—with the support of the Limelight Ketchum Community Fund and the Aspen Skiing Company Family Fund—donated $15,000 to local organizations. The sum was split among four nonprofits, with $5,000 g…
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As cities across the U.S. assess damage from the coronavirus—both to people’s health and to the economy—Sun Valley and Ketchum are making plans to go back to basics.
Ninety-one small businesses in Blaine County have applied for and received a cash grant from the state to help cover coronavirus-related costs, according to the most recent state data available Monday afternoon.
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Idaho is moving into the second phase of Gov. Brad Little’s plan to reopen businesses, the governor announced Thursday, giving local restaurants the go-ahead to reopen their dining rooms this weekend.
On Friday, Gov. Brad Little announced the creation of a new grant program to provide childcare business owners with funding amid the pandemic. The Idaho Child Care Emergency Grant is available to childcare providers licensed and/or Idaho Child Care Program certified and that are open.
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The first stage of Gov. Brad Little’s plan to reopen Idaho began Friday, allowing churches, daycares, and youth camps to open their doors to the public for the first time since March.
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The Trump administration an-nounced Sunday that the second round of the Paycheck Protection Program, launched April 27, had distributed 2.2 million loans totaling $175.7 billion. According to CNN, the average loan amount was $79,000, indicating that smaller businesses are being better accomm…
State officials on Monday released additional details about the cash grants Idaho is offering to small businesses, including a list of criteria for businesses that hope to receive funding.
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A mountainous pile of discarded potatoes near Picabo went viral on Twitter last week, highlighting the struggles of some large farms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tourism, along with everything else in a post-COVID-19 society, will look different.
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The first round of CARES Act stimulus funding brought a flurry of business activity to local banks as they worked to process hundreds of federally guaranteed loans for local individuals, businesses and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first round of CARES Act stimulus funding brought a flurry of business activity to local banks as they worked to process hundreds of federally guaranteed loans for individuals, businesses and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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For the first time in three weeks, landscapers, contractors and construction crews went back to work across the entire Wood River Valley on Monday, April 20—including builders in Woodside’s Sweetwater development, pictured here. Last week, Hailey, Ketchum, Bellevue and Blaine County joined S…
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Crews eased back onto the job on Monday in Sun Valley after Mayor Peter Hendricks announced that the city would allow its strict isolation orders to sunset Sunday night.
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Allen & Co. cancelled its annual Sun Valley summit on Thursday, dealing another economic blow to the Wood River Valley, multiple sources familiar with the event confirmed to the Idaho Mountain Express.
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In recent weeks, local nonprofit organizations and the donors who fund them have been responding to the COVID-19 crisis in multiple ways. Some organizations are pushed to the limit while covering immediate frontline expenses for those in need. Others are facing uncertainties over the schedul…
An employee at Albertsons grocery store in Hailey has tested positive for COVID-19, a spokeswoman for the company confirmed this week.
Two weeks ago, on Friday, March 20, Gov. Brad Little’s “shelter in place” order for Blaine County went into effect. By that point, businesses and other organizations across the valley had already closed in an attempt to stem the spread of COVID-19. The governor’s order more or less sentenced…
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Blaine County and its cities jointly announced plans to implement new, stringent measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 Wednesday night, including a ban on residential and commercial construction.
A lawsuit filed against the city of Ketchum, a current employee, a former employee and a former elected official remains in the court system following a partial summary judgment handed down by 5th District Judge Jonathan Brody on March 13.
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