Wednesday 051023

Idaho researchers will receive $24 million for a new research project on the impact of changes in climate, population and technology on energy and water use in Idaho. Researchers will work to identify energy and water use strategies that will be resilient to Idaho’s changing needs, based on ongoing feedback from communities.

When the jury returns its verdict in the trial of Lori Vallow Daybell, people will be able to watch it live on the internet and on television.  Judge Steven Boyce yesterday issued an order stating the the court will broadcast through its official YouTube channel using the court's own media devices.  The date and time of the verdict are not yet known.

A federal judge denied Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s request to reconsider the order barring the state from prosecuting emergency room physicians for providing abortion care to stabilize a patient.  U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill made his initial decision to block part of Idaho’s ban on abortions in August, just before the ban went into effect.  Idaho’s ban on abortion applies to all stages of pregnancy.

A 28 year old Twin Falls man was arrested Monday afternoon after he led police on a high speed pursuit through Twin Falls ending in a parking lot on Kimberly road.  Zachary Cole is facing charges of eluding officers and possession of meth. 

A Payette attorney who is qualified for capital murder defense has joined the defense team of Bryan Kohberger who faces charges of killing 4 U of I students.  Elisa Massoth joined the team on Monday.

Police say 46 year old Joseph Baxter of Twin Falls died Monday after his pickup rolled down a ravine in the South Hills.  A horseback rider discovered the accident just after noon off Cottonwood Road south of Foothill road.

Yesterday was groundbreaking for a new business in Heyburn.  Advanced Biofuels of Idaho looks to be the first renewable natural gas facility in the Magic Valley will take over the old ethanol plant that started 15 years ago.

WEATHER

Today:  Partly sunny, with a high near 65. Light and variable wind becoming west northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Tonight:  Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Southwest wind 7 to 13 mph.

Thursday:  Sunny, with a high near 70. West wind 6 to 13 mph.

Thursday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 44. West wind 6 to 15 mph becoming south southwest after midnight.

Friday:  Sunny, with a high near 73. South southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming north northwest in the afternoon.

Friday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 49.

Saturday:  Sunny, with a high near 76.

Saturday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 52.

Sunday:  Sunny, with a high near 78. Breezy.

Sunday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 55.

Monday:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

Monday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 55.

Tuesday:  A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.

Tuesday 050923

$4 gasoline could return to some parts of the Gem State as early as this week.  Today, Idaho’s average price for a gallon of regular is $3.75, which is four cents more than a week ago and 20 cents more than a month ago.  Meanwhile, the national average currently sits at $3.54 per gallon, which is seven cents less than a week ago and six cents less than a month ago.

As expected, some prominent Idaho Republicans have started pushing back against a new ballot initiative that is designed to end Idaho’s closed primary system and fundamentally change elections in Idaho.   Last week, organizers with Idahoans for Open Primaries filed a new ballot initiative with the state that is designed to replace Idaho’s closed primaries with an open primary election that all Idaho voters could participate in. Under the new primary format, the top four vote-getters from the primary would all advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. 

The U.S. senate has given their nod of approval for a new U.S. district judge that would serve Idaho.  Both Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch agreed Amanda Brailsford should be the next judge.  If confirmed, Judge Brailsford, would be the first woman to serve in the role of U.S. District Judge in Idaho.

Starting tomorrow if you want to burn outside the city limits you must obtain a Free State fire burn permit issued by the Idaho Department of Lands.  Within city limits, most cities require a burn permit as well if even allowed. 

Many school districts in Idaho are worried about the ability to access the full historic state funding allocated to public schools because of a change in the funding formula.  Starting the fall of 2023, Idaho will fund public schools on the regular attendance-based formula.  Some districts including Twin Falls say they have not seen attendance reach pre-pandemic levels. 

Boise-based Albertsons is being sued over a data breach that affected about 33,000 employees.  The breach happened in December of 2022, but employees did not find out until nearly five months later, in late April of 2023.

Today is National fentanyl awareness day and the local health district will be hosting a community panel in Twin Falls to awareness of the problem.  It’s set for tonight at 6:30 at the CSI Taylor building. 

WEATHER

Tuesday:  Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. West southwest wind 8 to 10 mph.

Tuesday Night:  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.

Wednesday:  Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. Light and variable wind becoming west 6 to 11 mph in the morning.

Wednesday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Southwest wind 8 to 14 mph.

Thursday:  Sunny, with a high near 68.

Thursday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 45.

Friday:  Sunny, with a high near 73.

Friday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 50.

Saturday:  Sunny, with a high near 77. Breezy.

Saturday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 54.

Sunday:  Sunny, with a high near 80. Breezy.

Sunday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Monday:  Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.

Friday 050523

Samples taken from Bryan Kohberger's apartment in Pullman, Washington, show some positive tests for blood.  Kohberger has been accused of stabbing four University Of Idaho Students in November last year.  The documents do not say whose blood it belongs to.

On May 13, graduates, friends and family will stream into the University of Idaho’s Kibbie Dome for spring commencement.  The ceremony will come six months to the day after Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen were found slain in an off-campus house.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission will take public comments on a proposed land transfer during a telephonic hearing next Thursday morning.  Idaho Power has applied to transfer 1.09 acres of land on Ritter Island, south of Hagerman, to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.  The island is part of Thousand Springs State Park and is along the Snake River. It has belonged to Idaho Power since 1989.

Forecasters in Idaho are warning of possible flooding through Sunday as snow is melting from higher elevations.  There are warnings in Blaine County, Sawtooth-Stanley Basin, the Wood River Foothills and Camas County.

The libraries in Rupert and Burley have gone fine free.  That means they will be dropping overdue charges for most materials.  In making the announcement yesterday, they said other libraries in Idaho and the U.S. have also opted to drop late fees.  Twin Falls did that the first part of the year. 

Twin Falls residents can now file property crime reports without speaking to an officer.  A new online reporting tool was launched this week designed to report vandalism, thefts or lost property.  It’s not designed to report emergencies and is for crimes that total less than a thousand dollars damage.

43 year old Trenton Powell of Pocatello man is headed to prison after being convicted of child sex crimes.  He faces 15 years to life behind bars after being convicted of eight counts of sexual exploitation of a child and three counts of child porn.  He will be sentenced August 15^th.

WEATHER

Friday:  A chance of showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds. High near 59. East southeast wind 13 to 16 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday Night: A chance of showers before midnight, then a slight chance of rain after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. West southwest wind 9 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday:  A chance of rain before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59. West southwest wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday Night:  A chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. South southwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday:  A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 59. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Sunday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Monday:  A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 63. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.

Tuesday:  A 30 percent chance of showers after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.

Tuesday Night:  A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Wednesday:  A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 61.

Wednesday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Thursday:  A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 65.

Thursday 050323

Court records show that witness harassment is what earlier led to Ammon Bundy’s arrest warrant.  After becoming the target of Bundy and his followers, a St. Luke’s nurse practitioner installed a security system in her home, according to court documents.   She avoided going to the grocery store, posting on social media or wearing her St. Luke’s badge outside of work. She didn’t want her children to spend the night at her home.

The city of Twin Falls is starting the annual budgeting process and is inviting public input.  Till the end of July, the community can hear current planning initiatives and provide comment on funding those initiatives.  Discussions will take place during city council meetings.

As a lawsuit by transgender Idahoans against the state’s Medicaid administrators makes its way through federal court, Gov. Brad Little stepped in this week to clarify the state’s official position on the matter.  Little said he opposes Idaho Medicaid using public funds to pay for irreversible sex reassignment surgeries, puberty blockers, or hormones for the purpose of changing the appearance of any child’s or adult’s sex.

Today at 5 p.m. is the deadline for Idahoans to request absentee ballots for the May 16 election.  Idaho voters can make their request through the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office or by visiting a county elections office.  Idaho voters have until 11 days prior to an election to make their request for an absentee ballot. Idaho does not require a reason for voting absentee.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing beds for children in need, has received the Platinum GuideStar Nonprofit Profile Seal of Transparency for the fifth consecutive year. The platinum rating is the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, a leading source of nonprofit information for donors and funders.  To achieve the platinum rating, Sleep in Heavenly Peace provided detailed information about its mission, programs, financials, and impact.

WEATHER

Thursday:  Isolated showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. East northeast wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday Night:  Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. East wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday:  Showers. High near 55. East southeast wind 11 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night:  A 30 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. West wind 7 to 15 mph.

Saturday:  A 50 percent chance of showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60.

Saturday Night:  A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Sunday:  A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 58. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Monday:  A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 59. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Tuesday:  A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 60.

Tuesday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Wednesday:  A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 64.

Wednesday 050323

Starting today, New Jersey-based Megabus will launch an expansion in partnership with Salt Lake Express to bring bus service throughout the Intermountain West.  The partnership will link cities in Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Montana, and Washington. The route that includes Boise will connect as far north as Spokane, WA and south into Salt Lake City, UT.  The route will also stop throughout Idaho including Jerome, Twin Falls, Burley and Rupert. 

When it was Idaho Sen. Jim Risch’s turn to address Interior Secretary Deb Haaland yesterday during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, he raised a singular talking point.  The Lava Ridge Wind Turbine Project.  Haaland was unprepared to answer questions about the scope of a project.  She was equally unaware of the near-total opposition in Idaho and across the Magic Valley.

Starting this morning, motorists using Bridgeview Blvd will find one lane restrictions in place.  A new fiber optic line is being installed along Bridgeview Boulevard east of Blue Lakes Boulevard Tuesday, May 30.

Organizers with Reclaim Idaho have teamed up with several other organizations to file a ballot initiative for the 2024 general election that is designed to replace Idaho’s closed primary elections with open primaries that any Idaho voter could participate in, regardless of political affiliation. The initiative would also change Idaho general elections by creating a new instant runoff also known as ranked choice voting system.

Idaho Supreme Court Justice John R. Stegner is retiring from judicial service to work at a private practice as an attorney. Stegner said he will retire as a Supreme Court Associate Justice Oct. 31.  He cited financial considerations and disparities in pay between judges and private attorneys as the reason behind his decision.

Deputies in Jerome arrested a Boise woman following a car chase late Monday night.  Authorities say 50 year old Marla King faces eluding law enforcement and injury to a child.  Initially police found her in a car that was blocking southbound traffic on Highway 93 near Crossroads point. 

WEATHER

Today:  Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. East northeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Tonight:  A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Increasing clouds, with a low around 52. East southeast wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Thursday:  A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. East southeast wind 9 to 14 mph.

Thursday Night:  A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. East wind 9 to 14 mph.

Friday:  Showers, mainly after noon. High near 56. East wind 11 to 14 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night:  A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Saturday:  A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59.

Saturday Night:  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Sunday:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.

Sunday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Monday:  A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 63.

Monday Night:  A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Tuesday:  A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.

Tuesday 050223

As the murder trial for Lori Vallow Daybell moves on, a DNA analyst told jurors that a hair found on duct tape wrapping JJ Vallows body matched his mother, Lori.  Keeley Colman testified the probability of randomly selecting a random individual in relation to that profile is 1 in 71 billion.

After lengthy legal action by St Luke's Hospital against Ammon Bundy, Diego Rodriquez, Freedom Man PAC, People's Rights Network and Freedom Man Press over defamation. Bundy, who has largely ignored it, has now filed a petition to move the case to a federal court.   The petition, filed yesterday, claims that the case could be moved to federal court because it involves people that now live in different states, the matter exceeds sums of $75,000.

The winter seasonal closures for the Sawtooth National Recreation area have been extended.  Normally they are lifted April 30^th but because of above average snowfall the roads are still covered with snow and the surfaces are very soft area officials say. 

The man who was facing first degree murder after a fatal crash on Blue Lakes north in Twin Falls has accepted a plea deal.  38 year old Cedric Mitchell still faces a sentence of life in prison.  He has signed a plea to Second Degree murder and aggravated battery.  He crashed into a car traveling near 76 miles an hour killing 60 year old Maryann Steiner and seriously injured her husband Dwayne.  The crash pushed the vehicle into others in the intersection of Heyburn and Blue Lakes in June of 2019.

It’s been another tough week for Idaho drivers according to AAA, today’s average price for a gallon of regular is $3.71, which is a seven-cent increase from a week ago.  Meanwhile, the national average fell by six cents to $3.61 per gallon over the same time period.  The Gem State currently ranks 11th in the U.S. for most expensive fuel.

The Public Health District is warning people to be cautious of algal blooms that can grow on Idaho lakes and reservoirs.  Officials say be aware of strange smells and scummy surfaces.  In addition monitor your pets when near any of the water to make sure they don’t drink any of it.

WEATHER

Today:  Partly sunny, with a high near 78. East wind 10 to 15 mph becoming south southeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.

Tonight:  Mostly clear, with a low around 51. South southeast wind 8 to 15 mph becoming east after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.

Wednesday:  Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. East wind 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Wednesday Night:  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. East southeast wind 9 to 15 mph.

Thursday:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Breezy, with an east wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night:  A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday:  Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. High near 57. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday Night:  A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42.

Saturday:  A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.

Saturday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.

Sunday:  A 50 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.

Sunday Night:  A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42.

Monday:  A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 61.