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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Governor to honor Brightest Stars

Compiled from wire reports The Spokesman-Review

Boise Gov. Dirk Kempthorne will honor the state’s Brightest Star winners next week in Boise.

The Governor’s Coordinating Council for Families and Children with the help of the Association of Idaho Cities operates the programs and doles financial awards donated by private individuals and businesses to residents in recognition of work on behalf of Idaho’s youth. Finalists are chosen from nominations sent in by mayors from around the state in Individual, Business, Organization and Corporation categories.

The grand prize winners will be announced Feb. 10 in a Statehouse ceremony.

Each grand prize winner will receive an unrestricted prize of $5,000. The winner in the corporate category receives a crystal award but no money.

Boise Cascade sells 2.2 million acres

Boise Boise-based Boise Cascade LLC sold about 2.2 million acres of timberland in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alabama, Louisiana and Minnesota to Boston’s Forest Capital Partners LLC.

Proceeds from the $1.65 billion sale will reduce Boise Cascade’s outstanding debt.

Boise Cascade Chief Executive Officer Tom Stephens said the sale to Forest Capital announced in December will help the company reduce debt from its $3.7 billion purchase in late October of the timber, paper and lumber divisions of Boise Cascade Corp., which changed its name to OfficeMax Inc. and now is based near Chicago.

As part of the transaction, Boise will continue to purchase timber harvested from the Idaho land to provide the material for its manufacturing operations.

Ex-paramedic lobbies for cancer center

Boise A Pocatello representative, who once worked as a paramedic, introduced a joint memorial to the Legislature to ensure state leaders support a proposed cancer treatment center in Pocatello.

Elmer Martinez introduced the measure to the House Health and Welfare Committee, saying Optivus Technology, a San Bernadino Calif.-based company that provides proton beam therapy to treat cancer, would open with about 90 local employees paid more than $70,000 each.

Martinez said beside construction employment and the lure of jobs, it would also afford people in the area more health options and be a draw for the town due to the influx of people coming to the facility to treatment.

The facility’s proposed site is next to Portneuf Medical Center, where other facilities such as the Advanced Imaging Center of Pocatello are also choosing to build.

Martinez said the joint memorial was to let Idaho officials know that the Legislature, and local legislators in particular, back the acquisition.

A hearing regarding the joint memorial will likely be scheduled for next week.