Golden bear sighting in northern Idaho • Sugarbeet beat down • The what-do-you-know-about-Idaho quote of the day • National Geo feels the love for Hailey • WinCo: A darn good place to work

Golden bear sighting in northern Idaho

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus was in Sandpoint on Wednesday to christen the Idaho Club — the first Nicklaus-designed golf course ever built in Idaho.

The Bonner County Daily Bee said, "He envisioned it, designed it, helped sculpt it, tweaked it, and finally on Wednesday, the Golden Bear got to give it his stamp of approval by playing it."

More than 300 club members, media and invited guests followed Nicklaus around the picturesque course for all 11 of the holes that are currently ready for play.

Nicklaus (nicknamed "The Golden Bear") has designed more than 250 golf courses.

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Sugarbeet beat down

The Times-News reports that the amount of sugarbeets being grown in Idaho this year likely will be down 40 percent from last year.

Brad Early, a USDA statistician, told the paper high prices for wheat, corn and hay have caused Idaho farmers to plant those crops instead.

According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, the harvested acreage of sugarbeets in Idaho has dropped to its lowest level since 1977 at 117,000 acres.

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The what-do-you-know-about-Idaho quote of the day

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that black students are disciplined more frequently in Georgia schools than any other racial groups.

Citing a recent study about states and discipline, James Taylor, executive director of the department of academic support, told the Gwinnett County school board that only one state — Idaho — does not seem to be having problems with disproportionate discipline.

"Do they have any blacks in Idaho?" asked Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks. "They don't have many."

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National Geo feels the love for Hailey

"Hailey is not only a 14-mile drive (or kick-and-glide on the Wood River XC Trails) to Sun Valley, but there's nothing Gucci or Prada about this Mayberry town in the two-million-acre Sawtooth National Forest. Locals volunteer at the 395-foot ski hill—serviced by a rope tow and platter lift—and opt to work out on the area's vast nordic trail network instead of the posh health clubs up the road."

So says National Geographic Adventure in naming the Idaho town to its top 50 adventure cities list.

"Hailey is often overlooked with Sun Valley next door," Greg Melville, co-author of the article, said.

"What was attractive about Hailey is that it is largely full-time residents, which gave it more of a hometown feel," Melville told the Mtn. Express. "It has some subjective parts to it, of course. But it has to have a vibrant outdoor community."

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WinCo: A darn good place to work

Boise-based WinCo Foods received applications from 3,000 people hoping to score a job with a new store in Indio, California.

The new store, which is expected to open Sept. 8, began accepting resumes on Aug. 3 but had to stop Aug. 7 after the influx of applications.

"We cut it off when we hit 3,000," said Michael Read, vice president of public and legal affairs for WinCo. "We always get a good showing, but this was one of our stronger showings."