University of Idaho Athletic Director Rob Spear has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Legislative Council - one of two top-tier governing bodies in the organization.

The Legislative Council is charged with evaluating proposals during the legislative cycle. It serves alongside the Leadership Council with both reporting to the NCAA Board of Directors. Each council has 31 members.

Spear’s term begins Sept. 1, 2008, and continues through April 30, 2010, at which time he can be reappointed.

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter is taking off the first full week in May.

A spokesman says the governor will be on vacation all next week and has no official appointments or public appearances planned during that time.

The holiday follows Otter’s recent trade mission to Mexico.

Idaho’s economy continued slowing in April as the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up a tenth to 3.1 percent from March, and for the first time in 5½ years fewer people were working across the state than a year earlier.

Continued sluggishness in construction and a ninth straight month of declining employment in manufacturing contributed to nearly 800 more people looking for work, raising the ranks of the unemployed to just over 23,000 in April – 2,500 more people off the job than a year ago.

At the same time, total employment was down 3,800 from March and over 1,400 from April 2007. The last time monthly employment came in below the previous year’s level was September 2002 in the aftermath of the national recession.

April’s rate was the highest unemployment rate Idaho has experienced since August 2006. Still, the rate was 1.9 percentage points below the national rate of 5 percent and the 79th month that Idaho’s rate has been below the national rate.

Nez Perce County reported 2.7 percent unemployment; Idaho County 4.9 percent; Clearwater County 9 percent; and Lewis County 2.8 percent. The city of Lewiston had 2.5 percent unemployment – the third lowest rate among Idaho’s nine largest cities.

Washington State University’s Board of Regents on Friday approved the university’s capital and operating budget requests, which will be considered by the State Legislature in 2009.

The capital requests include $7.4 million in design funding for a veterinary medical research building in Pullman, $15.75 million for a wastewater reclamation project and $16.1 million to turn the Bookie building in Pullman into classroom space. The Bookie will vacate its current building and move to the
renovated Compton Union Building, which will open this fall.

Included in the operating budget is $18 million to overhaul the university’s core computer systems; $5 million in funding for the School of Global Animal Health; $3 million for public safety and emergency management funding; money to fund salary increases for faculty, staff and graduate students, and funding to support higher enrollments.

The regents also approved several fee increases for the upcoming academic year. Generally, service and activities fees and health fees were raised by five percent. The regents approved a 6.64 percent increase in the per semester fees for Pullman students for use of the Student Recreation Center.

In other action, the board approved the creation of a bi-state School of Food Science, in collaboration with the University of Idaho. The action merges food science faculty and programs from the WSU Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition with those from the UI Department of Food Science and Toxicology.

Nez Perce County Sheriff Jim Dorion has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and will take paid medical leave from his post.

At a new conference on Thursday, county officials announced that Dorion, 48, will seek a medical disability retirement which, if approved, would take effect Nov. 1.

Dorion, who was elected as a Democrat, has withdrawn his bid for re-election, though his name will remain on the May 27 primary ballot. The Nez Perce County Democratic Central Committee would recommend a replacement for the last two months of the term.

Chief Deputy Dale Buttrey will run the department in Dorion’s absence and Lt. Steve Lutes remains in charge of the county jail.