Thursday 060123

Some Idaho health and welfare officials say they are concerned.  Six of the eight top attorneys assigned to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare have quit or been fired by Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador since March.  The head of Health and Welfare said the departures have already caused problems for the department and the people it serves. Labrador argues that the departures are an isolated purge of personnel who weren’t the best candidates for those jobs under his administration.

The Twin Falls County Sheriff’s office rescued a motorist at Williams reservoir Tuesday evening.  The driver of the rented Prius said he was following his GPS when the car got high centered on a 2 track dirt road.  The driver was traveling from Las Vegas to Seattle.  The road remains closed at last check.

As part of the President’s investing in America agenda, the BLM will invest $26.95 million for the protection and conservation of wildlife habitats and recreational opportunities on public lands in Idaho. This funding will be focused in three areas:  The East Idaho Rivers and Plains, Snake River Plain and Upper Salmon River Restoration Landscape Areas.

A new measure may soon open state primaries and allow ranked-choice voting in the state.  The group calling themselves the Veterans for Political Innovation says the initiative will dissolve a law passed back in 2012 that required Republican voters to affiliate with the party in order to vote for their candidates. Under this initiative, voters would be able to vote regardless of party.

The evacuation orders due to flooding for residents of the Della View subdivision in Hailey, in place for just over two weeks, have been lifted. The roads in the area remain closed to thru traffic, but residents are allowed to re-enter their homes. The City of Hailey asks locals to remain cautious for deterioration in the roads and crumbling edges. 

The Jerome County Republican Central Committee met last week to select three candidates as a replacement for Commissioner John Crozier, who announced his retirement May 15.  The committee then selected three names to submit to Gov. Brad Little.  The three candidates are Art Watkins, mayor of Hazelton; Jesse Nelson, rancher and owner of American Beef Ranch; and former coroner Jason Robertson.

WEATHER

Today:  Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. South southwest wind 8 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon.

Tonight:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. West wind 10 to 13 mph.

Friday:  Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Southwest wind 9 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Friday Night:  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. West wind 7 to 17 mph becoming southeast after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.

Saturday: A slight chance of showers between 7am and 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 75. Southeast wind 7 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night:  A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Sunday:  A slight chance of showers between 7am and 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Sunday Night:  A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Monday:  A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.

Monday Night:  A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Tuesday:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.

Tuesday Night:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Wednesday:  A 50 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 80.

Wednesday 053123

Twin Falls city officials are warning residents of door to door scams.  Summer usually finds more people selling homeowner repairs and services.  Residents are warned that the sales person must have a license from the city that has a picture, name expiration date and the name of the business.  A license is available at city hall for $50 and will include a background check.

Authorities in Gooding County continue to try to unravel the circumstances after 58 year old Roger Driesel was found dead at a shop over the weekend.  The man was last seen alive at a Gooding home on 2nd avenue and Montana Street Monday May 15th.  After a verbal altercation, he left the home leaving behind his wallet and phone.  His death is being investigated as a homicide. 

A flood warning remains in effect for the Big Wood River near Hailey.  Snowmelt continues to raise the water and forecasters say flooding will occur along Cedar, War Eagle and Della Drives.  Flooding is also being reported in the Riverview drive area of Bellevue. 

Who’s up for a parade?  This weekend the Western Days parade will once again weave through Twin Falls.  It all kicks off Friday at 5.  The Parade down Blue Lakes and Shoshone street begins at 9 am with the lineup starting at 7 on Falls Avenue.

Authorities are investigating two people thought to have duped investors out of about 60-million dollars on a fake Marijuana business.  Rolf Hirschmann of Boise and Patrick Earl Williams have worked since at least June 2019 to raise capital from investors for a business called WeedGenics.  They reportedly promised a 36% return.

Boise State is mourning one of their own. 23-year-old graduate student Andrew Walker collapsed while jogging over the weekend. The cause of his death has not been determined at this time.

The Gem State ranks third in the nation for Work-Life Balance for its residents.  A study analyzed data including the average number of hours worked, commute times, childcare costs and overall happiness.  The average Idahoan works 41 hours a week, commutes for 21 minutes, averages $102/child/week for child care with a work-life balance score of 7.76 out of a possible 10.

WEATHER

Today:  Scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tonight: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. South southwest wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Thursday:  Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. West wind 8 to 13 mph.

Thursday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southwest wind 8 to 15 mph.

Friday:  A 20 percent chance of showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. West wind 8 to 17 mph.

Friday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.

Saturday:  A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 74.

Saturday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Sunday:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 77.

Sunday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 55.

Monday:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

Monday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Tuesday:  A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.

Tuesday 053023

Officials in Gooding County say they have found the body of the man who went missing over two weeks ago.  On Saturday say they found Roger Driesel under a tarp inside a shop of one of his two residences this one east of Gooding.  Foul play is suspected.  He had been missing since May 15.

The Heyburn Police department is catching heat from some residents after an officer shot and killed two dogs Saturday afternoon along Interstate 84.  The police say the dogs presented a safety hazard.  The two large dogs spotted near exit 211 and attempts to catch the dogs were unsuccessful.

The chapter 11 bankruptcy filed last august by Idaho’s central health records depository the Idaho Health data exchange is raising some concern.  At the time, the organization said they owed 4 million to creditors.  The bankruptcy has prompted questions from legislators and others about how the exchange will move forward, after receiving more than a decade of government support and millions of patient records.

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador has joined nearly all U.S. states in suing a company and its officials over billions of illegal robocalls made to millions of people.  Arizona based Avid Telecom reportedly facilitated more than 24.5 billion calls including more than 7.5 billion calls on the Do Not Call Registry.

Idaho's Fish and Game Commission unanimously passed a new wolf management plan in early May, hoping to gradually cut the state's wolf population by about 60%.  Currently, about 1,300 wolves live around the Gem State.  Officials say they are trying to bring that number down to 500.

The Idaho PUC will host public hearings in southern Idaho about a proposed 500 kilovolt transmission line.  Known as the Boardman to Hemingway transmission line, the project would expand 300 miles across five Oregon counties and connect to Idaho Power’s existing Hemingway substation in Owyhee County.

Authorities are investigating two people thought to have duped investors out of about 60-million dollars on a fake Marijuana business.  Rolf Hirschmann of Boise and Patrick Earl Williams have worked since at least June 2019 to raise capital from investors for a business called WeedGenics.  They reportedly promised a 36% return.

WEATHER

Today:  Scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. East wind 6 to 9 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Tonight:  A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. South southeast wind 11 to 16 mph becoming light and variable. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.

Wednesday:  A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Southwest wind 8 to 17 mph.

Thursday:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. West wind 8 to 16 mph.

Thursday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.

Friday:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.

Friday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 51.

Saturday:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77.

Saturday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Sunday:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

Sunday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Monday:  A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.

Friday 052623

The date that Lori Vallow Daybell will learn her fate has been set.  She will be sentenced on July 31^st at 9 am at the Fremont County Courthouse in Saint Anthony.  The sentencing follows a six week trial that found her gulty of murder and conspiring to murder her son and daughter and her current husbands former wife.

With the smoke from the Canadian wildfires in the air, the Idaho Department of Lands reminds residents they can sign up for Wildfire Alerts on their smart devices.  By doing so, Idahoans will receive up to date info on wildfires.  Go to IDL dot IDAHO dot Gov for more info. 

The families of two of the victims who were killed in Moscow last November say they are filing a tort claim against the city of Moscow.  The notices are asking for an undetermined amount of money for damages caused after the deaths of both Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, who were found dead in the home at 1122 King Road.

Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise and Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Nampa have received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2023.  This is the Nampa hospital’s first time receiving the award, while Boise is a repeat recipient.  They are the only hospitals in Idaho, and among only 262 nationwide, to receive this honor.

With increased reports of coyote and Fox activity around Twin Falls, city officials are reminding everyone to take additional precautions with pets.  One of the easiest ways is keep your dog on a leash at all times when outside of a fenced residence.  There have been coyote sightings near Justice Grade, and another in a vacant lot near Fred Meyers. 

The U.S. Supreme Court in a major environmental decision yesterday overturned the EPA’s definition of wetlands, siding with an Idaho couple who’d said they should not be required to obtain federal permits to build on their property that lacked any navigable water.  All nine justices agreed to overturn the ruling that endorsed the Biden administration’s broad definition of waters of the United States.

WEATHER

Friday:  Scattered showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday Night:  Scattered showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. South wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday:  A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. South southwest wind 6 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. West wind 6 to 11 mph becoming south southeast after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.

Sunday:  A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Sunday Night:  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.

Memorial Day:  A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.

Monday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.

Tuesday:  A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

Tuesday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Wednesday:  A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.

Wednesday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Thursday:  A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 76.

Thursday 052523

Weather is once again making headlines this morning.  Yesterday afternoon golf ball size hail was reported in parts of Rupert with heavy rain.  Several homes and cars were damaged.  Today there are several flood warnings in Blaine County.  There is also a flood advisory that was issued in Twin Falls where more rainfall is expected by early afternoon. 

Water levels on the Big Wood River are the highest they have been this year. They are expected to continue to increase through the weekend. The Northwest River Forecast Center is expecting river levels to exceed historical maximums for this time of year, especially on Saturday and Sunday. That means there will likely be more flooding impacts over Memorial Day weekend.

The Idaho DEQ is inviting public comment on a proposed settlement agreement after U.S. Silver allegedly violated the clean water act at Galena Mine.  Reportedly they discharged pollutants into Lake Creek near the city of Wallace.  U.S. Silver agreed to pay fines of $222,320 for past and continuing violations.

People should throw away chocolate chip cookie dough and s’mores bar dough from Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.  The dough has been linked to multiple Salmonella infections.  The health department said four people in southern and northern Idaho became ill, and one person hospitalized. There have been a total of 18 Salmonella infections associated with Papa Murphy's in six states, including Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Authorities in southern Idaho continue to search for a Gooding man who has been missing for now 11 days.  58 year old Roger Drisel disappeared On Monday May 15^th.  Contact the Gooding police or Sircomm at 324-1911 if you think you may have spotted him.

A Twin Falls man is facing charges of burglary after several vehicles were broken into early Monday.  21 year old Carlos Jose Lopez was taken into custody after police responded to a call of two males casing cars in the 1200 block of Park Meadows drive along with spray painting a car and a garage. 

WEATHER

Thursday:  Scattered showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday Night:  Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. South wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Friday:  Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 9am, then scattered showers between 9am and noon, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming south southwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday Night:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph.

Saturday:  A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.

Sunday:  A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 76.

Sunday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.

Memorial Day:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.

Monday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Tuesday:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.

Tuesday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Wednesday:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.

Wednesday 052423

Tensions between China and Micron continue to heat up.  The Chinese Government said this week it would not allow any company that produces “critical information infrastructure” in the communist nation to buy chips from Micron. China said the company was a “major security risk”.

Emergency 911 centers in Idaho are concerned with the increased amount of calls that are coming in that are just pocket dials or settings that need to be adjusted.  Part of the problem is Apple's relatively new crash detection feature, which calls 911 when a serious crash has been detected.  Problem is that it calls when the phone is dropped as well.   When the 911 operator can’t make contact with the caller, an officer is sent to the location. 

A judge issued a stark warning following Bryan Kohberger’s arraignment that the media has done “irreparable harm” to Kohberger’s case and could affect his right to a fair trial.  The judge said there’s a larger responsibility to the Sixth Amendment, the right to a speedy trial by an impartial jury.

The Blaine County Sheriff’s office has closed Warm Springs road to nonresidents because of flooding.  The Wood River continues to rise and there are several weather warnings that have been issued by the weather service to watch out for flooding.

The 38 year old Wendell man who was driving a pickup near the Jerome Cheese Company has died after he jumped out while the vehicle was still moving.  It happened early Monday morning.   

The state of Idaho will pay $1.2 million and allow a disability rights group to monitor how patients are treated at a state-run center for people with developmental disabilities. That agreement ends four years of litigation between the state and six families of vulnerable Idahoans who were abused, neglected or died at the Southwest Idaho Treatment Center in Nampa.

19 year old Sydney Gibson learned her fate from a police chase that ended with her boyfriend being shot and killed by police last August in Buhl.  She will be on probation for three years and perform 100 hours of community service.  She will also pay 900-dollars in restitution. 

There was a local winner from the Idaho Lottery recently.  Dennis Bell of Filer won 90-thousand dollars in the Big Spin Game.  It’s the largest win in the history of the game that the lottery debuted last summer. 

WEATHER

Wednesday:  Scattered showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Wednesday Night:  Scattered showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then isolated showers. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southwest wind around 7 mph becoming east southeast after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Thursday:  Isolated showers, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. South southeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Thursday Night:  Scattered showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southwest wind around 8 mph becoming east after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday:  Isolated showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday Night:  Scattered showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday:  A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.

Sunday:  A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 75.

Sunday Night:  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.

Memorial Day:  A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.

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

Tuesday:  A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.