POCATELLO, Idaho — Eastern Idaho leaders say they’re still working to find a new purpose for the J.R. Simplot potato processing plant in Aberdeen.

The Simplot company announced last fall that it would close the plant in 2014, eliminating about 290 jobs.

Former Pocatello Mayor Roger Chase told the Idaho State Journal that the importance of the plant to the town of less than 2,000 people can’t be overstated.

Chase is one of several working on the issue. He says the first step is for workers to keep doing a good job at the plant in the hopes that Simplot will decide to keep the business open. Officials are also talking with Idaho State University to see if there are classes they can bring to Aberdeen to teach new job skills.

GREENSBURG, Ind. — Honda said Tuesday it will add 1,000 jobs at its southeastern Indiana plant by the end of the year by adding a second shift.

Greensburg plant spokeswoman Anita Sipes said the factory’s workforce will double by adding the shift. She said employees were told about the plans last week.

Sipes says the company planned to add a second shift since the factory opened in 2008, but that those plans were delayed because of the economic downturn, according to The Indianapolis Star, which first reported about the factory’s plans.

“We were waiting for the economy to rebound so this seemed like a natural time,” she told The Associated Press.

The March 11 tsunami that struck Japan and the widespread power outages that followed interrupted the flow of auto parts to Honda’s U.S. plants. Last month, Honda cut production to about half the normal level because of falling parts supplies. I

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