The Malheur County Development Corp., the public company overseeing the rail project chose Ontario attorney Shawna Peterson to serve as executive director. If the county court approves, Peterson will replace former project manager and state legislator Greg Smith who quit last month.

Home sales have steadily declined in Ontario since 2018 when the city saw 186 homes sold. And despite mortgage rates at a historic low in 2021, buyers purchased 170 homes in Ontario, according to a report by the Four Rivers Association of Realtors. The five-year data, from 2018 to 2022, looked at real estate trends in Payette, Weiser, New Plymouth and Ontario. The region saw similar trends over the last five years. Home prices surged, and the demand for homes went up, with homes spending fewer days on the market and the number of houses sold in the region was down from the previous year, but not by much.

Lower commodity prices are expected to cause a drop in farm profits and income levels in 2023, U.S. agriculture officials say.

State legislators will be asked to put even more money into the Treasure Valley Reload Center to finish the stalled project. County officials are expected to ask for the money but how fast the relief could arrive isn’t clear.

Innovative strategies for farmers, ranchers could include generating new markets and on-farm income diversity, the nation’s agriculture secretary tells a conference of industry leaders and observers.