Idaho Community Information

Idaho homeowners get broader insurance at lower premiums than people in most other states, according to a national survey. Idaho is one of four states that earned an A rating for favorable insurance environments from the The Heartland Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

David C. Howell, owner of Howell CNC and Machine, Inc., and Ammo Load Worldwide, Inc., at Lewiston reached a tentative agreement with an out-of-state investment group to form three new companies here with an annual payroll of about $2.4 million plus benefits. The three companies could add about 100 employees to the 30 employed at Howell's D Street site, according to Operations Manager Stuart Davis and a news release.

A quarter-million French police officers will be supplied with Speer Gold Dot 9 mm ammunition manufactured at ATK's Lewiston site for their pistols. ATK landed a contract for the work with a potential value of more than $14 million over four years sometime in the last two weeks, said Amanda Covington, a spokeswoman for ATK in Salt Lake City.