Biz Buzz: Owners of new boxing gym want to train you to fight professionally

2 years ago 555

Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BRIEF

IDAHO FALLS

She and her husband boxed professionally and now own a boxing gym in downtown Idaho Falls

diaz wrapping boxing hand Melissa Diaz wrapping her son’s hand in preparation for boxing practice. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

IDAHO FALLS – Teacher by day, boxer by night.

That’s what life is like for Melissa Diaz, a Nevada woman who started teaching fifth grade at Temple View Elementary after moving to Idaho Falls with her husband in 2019.

She and her husband, Reyes, have been boxing since they were teenagers. They moved here to help a family member “on their way out.” They ultimately chose to stick around and are now the owners of Vegas Boxing, a boxing gym at 310 G Street.

Together, they provide a space to teach clients how to fight on the amateur and professional level, but training fighters to fight professionally is their primary focus.

Since the gym opened last summer, Melissa tells EastIdahoNews.com clients are inside sparring every night.

“It’s kind of a revolving door so far,” Melissa says. “Some days it’s really busy, and some days it’s really comfortable working one-on-one with a coach.”

Boxing became an outlet for Melissa when she was 15 years old and living in Henderson, Nevada. Reyes grew up in Washington and started around the same time.

They continued their boxing journey and eventually crossed paths as young adults in Las Vegas.

“We continued on through the amateurs, and there were a lot of aspects of amateur boxing we didn’t like, but we did that for many years and then went into the pros,” says Melissa.

Melissa’s grandma, who used to own Josie’s Styling Salon on Skyline and Broadway, passed away in 2020 after coming down with COVID. Melissa and her husband had moved to Idaho Falls the year before to spend some time with her because she was struggling with her health before the pandemic.

They had planned to open the boxing gym much sooner, but COVID delayed things significantly. They finally acquired the space and opened in July 2022.

Their goal is to help someone who’s passionate about the sport to fight in professional tournaments in and out of the state.

“We have a customer who has come a long way. He started at the bottom, and we helped him find some resources (to improve),” Melissa says. “We like this spot because there’s a lot of foot traffic and a lot of kids in the neighborhood, and we wanted to help keep kids off the streets on the weekends.”

Saturdays are free for kids who want to give it a try.

Vegas Boxing is open 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Visit the website to learn more.

BIZ BITS

Customers of local utility paid $1.5 million

ASHTON – More than $1.5 million in rebates were paid to Fall River Electric customers this month.

The Fall River board wanted to return current profits, referred to as margins, to all the cooperative’s owners as part of the patronage capital program.

This is on top of the $2.6 million plus paid out to owner-members in December through the cooperative’s annual Patronage Capital program, meaning Fall River Electric has now distributed more than $4.1 million in less than 60 days.

February’s disbursement is for customers that purchased power last year, while the December payments were for customers that purchased power back in 2004 and early 2005.

The patronage capital program is where extra revenues over the cost of operations are distributed to owner-members on an approximate 20-year cycle. Unlike investor-owned utilities that pay profits to stockholders, Fall River Electric’s patronage capital is a customer’s investment in the cooperative.

Local business ranked among top 60 home care agencies in the nation

IDAHO FALLS – Visiting Angels of Eastern Idaho announced earlier this month it had been ranked in the top 60 best home care agencies from over 3,800 agencies across the nation.

Home Care Pulse, the leading industry research firm in quality assurance for home care, has been recognized as the best home care agency and best employer in eastern Idaho for the 8th year in a row.

This Leader in Experience Award is the highest recognition awarded by HCP and is only awarded to 100 home care businesses in North America. Recipients must consistently rank among the very highest in 10 or more quality metrics.

Visiting Angels of eastern Idaho opened its doors in 2015 with a unique approach to senior home care. Over the years, seniors and their families have embraced a companion-based solution whereby each senior selects a designated angel, avoiding a shuffle of caregivers for home visits. This results in lasting relationships with extraordinary care and high job satisfaction for the caregivers.

To learn more, call (208) 529-2734 or click here.