Friday 081123
Yesterday the Idaho Supreme Court threw out ballot titles written by Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s office over a new ballot initiative relating to Idaho’s primary elections and ordered Labrador to deliver new ballot titles to the court by today. The issue came before the Court because Idahoans for Open Primaries and Reclaim Idaho filed a legal challenge, alleging that the ballot titles Labrador’s office supplied were misleading and inaccurate.
Idaho doctors asked state legislators this week to let doctors continue managing health care for people on Medicaid, a health insurance program for the poor. Idaho formed a committee of legislators to study how to potentially restructure funding for the state’s Medicaid program, which uses up to $4.5 billion this fiscal year is mostly funded by the federal government.
An Idaho judge has barred Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador from pursuing demands for information in civil court from three senior staffers from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, unless he appoints an independent special prosecutor. Labrador said he wants to investigate how the Health and Welfare administered $36 million of child care grants authorized last year by the Idaho Legislature.
The U.S. District Court decided yesterday that it would temporarily block enforcement of an Idaho law meant to prevent transgender students from using school restrooms that correspond with their gender identity. The Bill would have required public schools to maintain two separate multi-occupancy restrooms, showers, changing facilities and overnight accommodations for students based on their sex assigned at birth.
Quite a number of court filings over the Kellogg man accused of murdering an entire family of four are keeping a judge busy. Attorneys representing the Idaho Press Club and other media outlets have petitioned the court to vacate the non-dissemination order currently in place, which prohibits anyone related to the case from talking or making statements to news reporting agencies. Majorjon Kaylor faces four counts of murder after he said he snapped following an argument with the family next door to him.
WEATHER
Today: Sunny and hot, with a high near 91. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph becoming south southwest after midnight.
Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 91. Southwest wind 6 to 13 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Patchy smoke after midnight. Mostly clear, with a low around 59. West northwest wind 9 to 14 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 89. South southwest wind around 6 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.
Monday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 94.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.
Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Thursday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 93.
Thursday 081023
Two people died north of Pocatello yesterday afternoon after a dump truck struck three vehicles. It happened around 2 pm. The victims were Idaho Falls residents. Police say the truck was southbound on I-15 when it approached slowing traffic. The truck didn’t slow down in time. Two other people including the driver of the truck, were taken to the hospital.
A federal judge has dismissed a TikTok user's counterclaims against University of Idaho Professor Rebecca Scofield, who sued for defamation when the TikToker accused her of murdering four college students last year. Scofield sued Ashley Guillard when she posted multiple videos on TikTok claiming she discovered, through spiritual readings.
Serve Idaho recently received a $4,339,065 grant to fund the AmeriCorps programs in Idaho. Nearly 370 AmeriCorps members will be supporting efforts to provide communities with low-income access to health care, education and mental health services.
58 year old Randy Scott Vail of Meridian has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise for shooting two Idaho power stations, causing damage to both. According to the United States Attorney's Office Vail is alleged to have used a rifle to shoot at the Hells Canyon Dam hydroelectric power station and the Brownlee Dam hydroelectric power station in June.
Rodney McMullen the CEO of Kroger is giving few clues as to who potential buyers could be for stores it plans to shed if the proposed merger with Boise-based Albertsons goes through. Kroger hopes to buy Albertsons in a $24.6 billion deal. It would put together the nation’s two largest standalone grocery chains with somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 locations under one corporate command. Kroger hopes to close the deal by early 2024.
The body of the 30 year old that went missing in March near Lowman has been found. Authorities say Tyler Beyer’s remains were found in the area of Red Mountain. They believe the snowmobile he was riding was caught in an avalanche and he died from hypothermia.
WEATHER
Today: Sunny, with a high near 86. Southwest wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. West northwest wind 5 to 13 mph becoming east southeast after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 89. East southeast wind 5 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. West northwest wind 5 to 11 mph becoming south southwest after midnight.
Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 90. South southwest wind 6 to 14 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 89.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61.
Monday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 90.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 93.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.
Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 94.
Wednesday 080923
Late Monday night Jerome deputies were called to a resident northwest of Jerome for a reported disturbance involving a person with a firearm and a young child in the residence. After talking for several hours, authorities say 40 year old Charles Randall Clay peacefully surrendered. He was charged with Aggravated Assault, Resisting Arrest and Attempted Strangulation.
Police say a juvenile failed to yield to an oncoming train yesterday afternoon died at the scene of the accident. It occurred in Payette County.
A coalition of professors from across Idaho have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the state alleging a law prohibiting the use of public funds to promote or counsel in favor of abortion is “sweeping and unclear” and violates their constitutional free speech and due process rights. It is the fourth lawsuit filed against Idaho for abortion-related laws.
Following last week’s resignation, the Idaho Public Charter School Commission is beginning the search for its third director in the span of six months. Bluum is a nonprofit that helps develop charter school growth. CEO Terry Ryan expressed concern, because the commission is critical to ensuring the financial and academic quality and integrity of the vast majority of Idaho’s public charter schools.
A lawyer for Boise-based Babe Vote and the League of Women Voters Idaho argued at a court hearing that a new law passed in the 2023 legislative session is making it harder for voting advocacy groups to register voters. Meanwhile, the defense argued that the new law is constitutional, and it makes the registration requirements easier to understand.
Idaho families will soon no longer have to send their children out of state to get their children mental health care inside a residential facility. The Idaho Youth Ranch is opening a treatment facility that has 64 beds, all with their own room, and a charter school on a campus only a short drive from downtown Caldwell.
WEATHER
Today: Sunny and hot, with a high near 90. Light and variable wind becoming west northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 61. West northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming south in the evening.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 88. Southwest wind 9 to 15 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 59. West northwest wind 6 to 15 mph becoming south after midnight.
Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 90. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61.
Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 91.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.
Sunday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 92.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Monday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 90.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 92.
Tuesday 080823
The state of Idaho is almost done removing people from Medicaid who state health officials flagged either for being ineligible for the program, or not replying to the state’s requests for new information. The state health department flagged about 153,000 people. Of the 118,710 people, 89,325 people were removed from Medicaid.
Within the next four months, convicted murderer Lori Vallow Daybell will be heading to Arizona where she will face charges in Maricopa County. She will face two conspiracies to commit murder charges related to her late husband Charles Vallow’s death at their home in Arizona and an attempt on Brandon Bourdeaux’s life. Chad her 5th husband, still faces trial in the murder of Lori’s Children. His trial is set to begin April 1st of next year. He could face the death penalty.
A Concert with Luke Bryan in Nampa has been cancelled. The concert was set for August 5th. Bryan went on social media to say doctors want him to rest his voice. Ticket holders are being told to hang on a possible reschedule could happen. Meanwhile the Salt Lake concert has been rescheduled for August 31st.
Water experts and public officials across the state presented challenges, success stories and solutions regarding Idaho’s water supply at the Governor’s Water Summit yesterday. Officials recognized that water levels in Idaho are in decline, and some of the main challenges they discussed at the summit include population growth, outdated water infrastructure and climate change.
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is hosting virtual workshops Aug. 14 and 15 to share information about Idaho Power’s application to increase rates for electric services. If approved, Idaho Power will increase its overall rates by 8.6 percent.
Questions about how to describe a proposed ballot initiative that would change Idaho elections were the focal point of oral arguments before the Idaho Supreme Court yesterday. Idahoans for Open Primaries and Reclaim Idaho sued Labrador. They are asking Labrador fix ballot titles he submitted for their proposed initiative and disqualify him from doing anything further on the initiative due to bias. The ballot titles are important because they describe to voters and the public what the initiative is and what it does.
WEATHER
Today: Sunny, with a high near 80. West southwest wind 8 to 15 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. West northwest wind 6 to 10 mph becoming south after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Light and variable wind becoming west northwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. West wind 6 to 8 mph becoming south after midnight.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 88.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 89.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.
Saturday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 90.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 89.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Monday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 91.
Monday 080723
This morning fires continue to burn on public lands in Idaho. The Elkhorn Fire burning in the mountains near McCall continues to burn and has scorched an estimated 24,025 acres since the fire began on July 24th. The Hayden Fire, burning in the Salmon Challis National Forest near Leadore has burned 24,489 acres.
Today marks the first day of the Jerome County fair and Rodeo. There is a rodeo through Wednesday. The parade is set for tomorrow afternoon. Antique tractor pulls in the arena Thursday. A concert with Warren Zeiders Friday and sand drags on Saturday.
Seven teens were critically injured when a school bus crashed near the North Fork Payette River on Highway 55 Friday afternoon. There were 30 teenagers on the bus. All were taken to the hospital. 11 were injured. They were traveling for a Treasure Valley YMCA summer camp program. Authorities are investigating what caused the crash. The camp has been cancelled.
Christopher Calbo, Jerome’s prosecuting attorney was taken into custody last week after deputies went to his home to find he had violated a protection order in connection with a domestic violence charge in Lincoln County Oregon. When deputies arrived at the residence, the victim, who also resides at the residence, was uncooperative and verbally combative with the sheriff’s deputies, refusing to let them in the home.
As the beginning of the school year approaches, only one Idaho school district remains without a superintendent: Council. And this is after more than 20 openings in school district and charter leadership positions that needed to be filled. In Buhl, Angie Oparnico will take over. The Mackay Joint School District board hired Christine Ivie. She will remain in Jerome directing Heritage as well. In Bliss, the new superintendent is Matt Valladao. David Carson, Buhl’s superintendent, took the helm in Gooding on July 1. Spencer Larsen, who was the superintendent at Gooding School District, will take the reins of Minidoka County School District.
Today, Idaho drivers are feeling the misfortune of gas prices hitting the $4 mark for the first time this year. The average price for a gallon of regular in the Gem State is $4, which is ten cents more than a week ago and five cents more than a month ago. At last check, Twin Falls average is at $3.95.
WEATHER
Today: Patchy smoke after noon. Increasing clouds, with a high near 80. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tonight: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Some of the storms could produce small hail, gusty winds, and heavy rain. Patchy smoke before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. West northwest wind 8 to 13 mph becoming southwest after midnight.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Southwest wind 6 to 13 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south after midnight.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 90. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 86.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59.
Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 90.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Saturday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 90.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 89.
Friday 080423
Police say a 44 year old Filer man died yesterday morning just before 11 when he attempted to pass a turning freightliner truck near the Jerome airport on Highway 25. Both were eastbound.
A 22 year old Twin Falls man died when he was ejected from a vehicle near Shoup Idaho and a 21 year old Jerome man was charged with Vehicular manslaughter. Police say Kolby Slagel died after Garret Duncan was driving recklessly and traveling too fast for conditions.
As the trial for Bryan Kohberger moves closer, the defense team is now hinting that the 28 year old was out driving alone and not at the home where the murder of four University of Idaho students happened. Kohberger had previously declined to provide a pretrial alibi in response to the state’s request. His trial is set to begin October 2nd in Latah County district court.
One man is dead after a shooting involving the Boise Police, marking the sixth police shooting in the city this year. Police say a man called them yesterday morning to a parking lot on Dale Street, located near Ann Morrison Park. The man, who was in his 50s he said he was going to go back inside his apartment, but instead ran down the stairs with at least one sharp or edged weapon. The subject aggressively approached the officer with the weapon, police asked him to drop the weapon and he did not.
31 year old Dakota Kennemer a former youth pastor at Grace Baptist church in Twin Falls was indicted on two counts of sexual battery of a minor child who was 16 or 17 years old. The incident allegedly occurred between 2019 and 2022. He is due in court on August 18th.
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador has joined a coalition of nine attorneys general urging the FDIC to reverse course on its proposed rule to impose a special assessment on banking organizations. The would-be rule is an effort to recover the costs of bailing out depositors like venture capitalists and foreign nationals at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The group said the federal government’s decision to invoke the systemic risk exception of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act for the bailout was arbitrary and reckless.
WEATHER
Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Patchy smoke. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday Night: Patchy smoke before midnight. Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph becoming south after midnight.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north northeast in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. West wind 9 to 13 mph becoming south southwest after midnight.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 84.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 87.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 88.
Audio On Demand
Lee Family Stations
