Monday 071023

Two people died in separate accidents over the weekend locally.  A 37 year old Twin Falls man died in a single vehicle crash around 7:30 Saturday evening.  Police say the vehicle left the road and rolled in the 400 block of Grandview Drive.   A 52 year old Buhl man died last night just before 10 when he lost control and rolled his pickup along highway 30.

Yesterday marked the last daily print publication of the Twin Falls Times News.  In an editorial, the paper said it will be a mail delivered service Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday’s.  They plan to post a daily digital version. 

BLM officials have reopened about 45 hundred of acres of land near Boise after having to close it this weekend.   The Hulls fire burned into an area of unexploded munitions of the former Boise Army barracks artillery range 3 miles northeast of Boise.

A state trooper was injured while responding to a collision Saturday morning around 7 am.  The accident happened along Highway 20 in Elmore County.  The ISP vehicle struck a deer and rolled down a 40 foot embankment.  Those who saw the accident assisted the trooper from the vehicle.

The stage is set for a legal battle pitting the State Board of Education against Attorney General Raúl Labrador.  Voting unanimously Friday morning, the board stood behind its decision to hold three closed-door executive sessions to discuss the University of Idaho’s plans to purchase the University of Phoenix.  The state board said they will be sending legal bills to the AG’s office.

Friday, Idaho Health and Welfare reported the first heat-related death of the year.  An Idaho resident between the ages of 40 and 60 years old died of heatstroke. The individual was hiking a strenuous route in Southern Idaho. At that time, temperatures were in the 90s with little shade.

Fire conditions are rapidly changing in northern Idaho with a sudden increase in the number of wildfires.  Nearly 40 wildfires have been fought in northern Idaho since the last week of June. Idaho Department of Lands has been dispatched to 16 fires and the Forest Service has fought 13 wildfires. Many were human caused.

WEATHER

Today:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 95. South southwest wind 7 to 11 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.

Tonight:  Mostly clear, with a low around 62. West northwest wind 8 to 11 mph becoming southwest after midnight.

Tuesday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 92. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night:  Clear, with a low around 59. Northwest wind 6 to 13 mph becoming south after midnight.

Wednesday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 94. South wind 5 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night:  Clear, with a low around 61.

Thursday:  Sunny, with a high near 89.

Thursday Night:  Clear, with a low around 59.

Friday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 92.

Friday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Saturday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 95.

Saturday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Sunday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 99.

Friday 070723

The Idaho GOP is planning to host presidential caucuses instead of primary elections for the upcoming 2024 election cycle.  The change comes as a result of decisions made in the 2023 legislative session. Lawmakers and the governor passed a bill aimed at consolidating the March presidential primary election with the May primary election date, so that all primary elections in the State of Idaho will be held on the third Tuesday in May.

There was a groundbreaking ceremony this week just off Interstate 84 near U.S. 93 in Jerome County to celebrate the construction of the Idaho Army National Guard regional readiness center.  The center is a project with the department of Defense and the state of Idaho.  The two year project will cost 23-million dollars.  The center will house units that are currently in Twin Falls and Jerome.

Fire crews are quickly gaining control of the flying hat fire along the Big Wood River.  At last check no growth has occurred outside the control lines.  It ignited Wednesday afternoon and burned about 14 acres.

There’s no splashing going on right now at the First Federal Bank Park splash pad in Twin Falls.  The feature opened up Monday but was closed Thursday because of more surface issues.  There’s no estimate when it will re-open. 

Two years after his capture in Mexico, Erasmo Diaz Alcala is facing up to 30 years in an Idaho prison for what authorities called a domestic violence murder.  Diaz Alcala, now 59 years old, was the target of a manhunt that began in June 2015, after the Canyon County Sheriff's Office said he shot his wife at their home in Wilder. He was sentenced yesterday.

After a Jury found Lori Vallow Daybell guilty of murder, her brother and uncle are writing a book and doing a podcast about what led to her conviction.  Although Lori is now waiting for her sentencing on July 31, both said there are "gaps in the story," which is why they are working on the podcast and book.

West Nile virus has been detected in two different mosquito populations in Canyon County.  Mosquitos collected south of Nampa, near Lake Lowell and west of Parma both tested positive for the disease.

WEATHER

Today:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 93. East wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. North wind around 6 mph becoming south in the evening.

Saturday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 94. East wind 5 to 7 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. West wind 5 to 9 mph becoming east after midnight.

Sunday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 98. East wind 6 to 10 mph.

Sunday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 65.

Monday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 96.

Monday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 63.

Tuesday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 91.

Tuesday Night:  Clear, with a low around 58.

Wednesday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 94.

Wednesday Night:  Clear, with a low around 59.

Thursday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 92.

Thursday 070623

A Blaine County resident is facing up to 20 years in state prison for allegedly punching his partner multiple times while driving with a young child in the vehicle.  36 year old Adam Richard Pullin was charged with felony domestic battery.  He was arrested in Twin Falls.  The incident allegedly happened at a campsite near West Magic Resort on May 29th.

A motorcyclist died yesterday afternoon after colliding with a car in Caldwell.  The 44 year old crashed into a vehicle who failed to yield at a stop sign at the intersection of South Montana and East Ustick Road.

Idaho is struggling to retain child care workers. That is causing the price of child care to increase, which makes it more difficult for parents to find child care, leading to people quitting their jobs to care for their children at home.  According to Idaho Voices For Children child care challenges cost Idaho’s economy $525 million a year. From 2020 to 2021, 10 percent of Idaho children under age 5 lived in families in which someone quit, changed or refused a job because of problems with child care.

Idaho state agencies are facing two lawsuits after awarding a new, expanded $1.2 billion contract to manage behavioral health services statewide.  The contract, which could change care as soon as next March, controls how more than 425,000 Idahoans or 1 in 5 residents access behavioral health care. The new organization selected, Magellan Health, will manage care for Idahoans on private health insurance or Medicaid, and those who are uninsured.  Beacon Health and Optum Health are filing a lawsuit against the decision.

Jerome County has a new County Clerk.  Cy Lootens who has been head of elections for the county for about 10 years will replace Michelle Emerson who retired.  Her term expires at the end of 2024.  Lootens will have to decide if he wants to run for the position.

Its contract renewal time in the city of Eagle for the Police and there is a bit of friction.  Currently Ada County provides a police chief and services at 3.7 million dollars but the sheriff said that’s not enough.  He wants eagle to bump that up to 4.2 million.   The Eagle city officials disagree. 

WEATHER

Today:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 90. Light and variable wind becoming north northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight:  Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable.

Friday:  Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 90. East wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Friday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. East wind 3 to 7 mph.

Saturday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 92. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 7 mph in the morning.

Saturday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Sunday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.

Sunday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 64.

Monday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 98.

Monday Night:  Clear, with a low around 65.

Tuesday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 94.

Tuesday Night:  Clear, with a low around 61.

Wednesday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 94.

Wednesday 070523

Supporters of a proposed open primary ballot initiative said they are challenging the ballot titles assigned Friday by the office of Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador.   A coalition of groups called Idahoans for Open Primaries is backing the initiative, which would do away with the closed primary elections and replace them with an open primary that all candidates and voters could participate in, regardless of party affiliation.  On May 31, Labrador’s office issued a review of the initiative that raised concerns about the initiative conflicting with the Idaho Constitution and Idaho law.

Objections have been raised to demolishing the house where four University of Idaho students were killed last year, with members of three of the victims' families signaling it should be preserved until after the trial of the man charged in the deaths.  The owner of the property donated it to the school after the killings, and the university announced earlier this year that it was planning to demolish the home.

As proceedings continue in court over the murder of four U of I students last fall, the Brian Kohberger defense team gained a small victory after Judge John Judge granted them access to requested training records for some key officers in the case.  In the defense team's motion for discovery, they argued that they need access to the training records of three officers involved in the case in order to understand the methods they utilize.

The areas of Lewiston, Pocatello and Bliss are in the running to serve as pilot locations for a new network of electric vehicle charging stations paid for with federal funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law.  The three geographic locations were selected based on public input gathered in 2022. From the three areas, two will be selected to host pilot sites for the electric vehicle charging stations.

The public is invited to an event from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Twin Falls City Park to honor local law enforcement officers.  Musicians Heath Owens and the Heath Clark Band will perform, and food trucks will be on site.

WEATHER

Today:  Sunny, with a high near 86. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.

Tonight:  Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph.

Thursday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. West northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming east after midnight.

Friday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 90. East wind 6 to 11 mph.

Friday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Saturday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 93.

Saturday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 61.

Sunday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.

Sunday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 64.

Monday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 99.

Monday Night:  Clear, with a low around 64.

Tuesday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 96.

Monday 070323

Idaho’s longtime member of the Republican National Committee Damond Watkins has resigned from his position.   Watkins has served as national committeeman for the Idaho Republican Party since 2011.

Former lawmaker and state superintendent candidate Brandon Durst was appointed superintendent for the West Bonner County School District.  The process is still pending state board approval.  The board voted to approve Durst as the new district superintendent, the vote was 3-2.

Twin Falls County commissioners are looking at addressing large scale renewable energy projects.  To that end, an ordinance under consideration would block new projects on private land for 182 days.  The commissioners have no say on public lands.

Idaho-based beet sugar processing company, Amalgamated Sugar announced a new President and CEO.  Amalgamated Sugar Company hired Fran Malecha, who previously served as the CEO at Compass Minerals International, Inc.  Malecha is taking over for the previous CEO, John McCreedy, who concluded his 8-year tenure as CEO but will continue to serve as an advisor throughout the transition period.

The ITD is looking for your thoughts on the just-released draft Idaho Transportation Investment Program. It outlines the state's transportation priorities and guides investment decisions for the next seven years. Projects are located throughout Idaho’s 44 counties and involve all modes of transportation.

The Idaho State Board of Education says it will have to hire an outside attorney to defend itself in a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Raúl Labrador and the board plans to forward its legal bills to Labrador’s office.  The State Board fired off a pointed written response to Labrador’s office after the AG sued the board over a series of closed-door discussions of the University of Idaho’s plans to acquire the University of Phoenix.  The lawsuit argues that the board’s three executive sessions were illegal and did not constitute “preliminary” discussions of the purchase, as the law requires.

WEATHER

Today:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 91. South southwest wind 5 to 11 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph.

Tonight:  Mostly clear, with a low around 59. West northwest wind 7 to 11 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph.

Independence Day:  Sunny, with a high near 84. West southwest wind 7 to 9 mph.

Tuesday Night:  Clear, with a low around 54. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.

Wednesday:  Sunny, with a high near 86. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 8 mph in the morning.

Wednesday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 57.

Thursday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 92.

Thursday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.

Friday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 92.

Friday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Saturday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 92.

Saturday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 59.

Sunday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 92.

Friday 063023

A new state budget and dozens of new state laws take effect tomorrow in Idaho in connection with the beginning of the 2024 fiscal year.   House Bill 186 reinstates the firing squad as an alternative form of execution when lethal injection is not available.  A bipartisan bill known as the Clean Slate Act, allows people with nonviolent, nonsexual offenses to petition the state to have certain offenses shielded from public.  House Bill 138 consolidated the March primary election into the May election.   House Bill 213 creates the rural nursing loan repayment program. A property tax law will provide a minimum of $205 million in reductions in its first year and up to $355 million, if there is a budget surplus.

Tomorrow, Idaho becomes the only state without a legal requirement or specialized committee to review maternal deaths related to pregnancy.   Meanwhile, under new rules, Idaho families can make at least 7% more money per year and still qualify for WIC.

With the Fourth of July right around the corner, energy providers and forest officials are reminding Idahoans to take caution to prevent power outages and forest fires.  Idaho Power is asking customers to stay safe and prevent power outages this Fourth of July that could be caused by wildfires sparked by fireworks.

Six months after an Ada County judge dismissed battery charges against her, a Boise woman is now suing Idaho State Police troopers for wrongfully arresting her.  The lawsuit traces back to June 28, 2022 when Avalon Hardy, a Boise woman, attended an abortion rights protest at the Idaho State Capitol with her mother.  While walking through a crowd of hundreds of abortion rights and anti-abortion protesters, Idaho State Police troopers arrested Hardy on a felony battery charge, and she spent that night at the Ada County Jail without bond.

Hansen residents no longer need to boil their drinking water.  The order was lifted yesterday. 

WEATHER

Today:  Sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight:  Mostly clear, with a low around 59. West northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable.

Saturday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 95. Light and variable wind becoming west northwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south southeast after midnight.

Sunday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 95. South southwest wind 5 to 11 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.

Sunday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Monday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 93.

Monday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Tuesday:  Sunny, with a high near 89.

Tuesday Night:  Clear, with a low around 58.

Wednesday:  Sunny, with a high near 89.

Wednesday Night:  Mostly clear, with a low around 58.

Thursday:  Sunny and hot, with a high near 92.