Wednesday 081518

An adult and a Juvenile have been identified as suspects by Gooding Police following a recent vandalism at East Park.  Public works employees discovered obscene works spray painted on buildings and equipment at the park. 

The city of Twin Falls is adding a left turn signal to lights on Blue Lakes North and Heyburn.  The new light will allow for a better flow of traffic and is something the city is looking at doing at other intersections. 

The Gooding County Fair is happening this week with a new event.  The xtreme bull riding event is set to kick off today.  It’s also family day where the admission price is lower and rides are only a dollar each. The parade through Gooding starts this afternoon at 5:30.  The rodeo is Thursday through Saturday. 

The Twin Falls City Council heard from supporters again this week asking they consider a resolution that would condemn separating immigrant from their parents.  One member on the council said it’s not in their jurisdiction and wasn’t what they were elected to do. 

In a district courtroom this week a Jury trial has been set for 22 year old Denis Lopez-Serrano who is charged with the April 28^th murder of 42 year old Rafael Gill Vargas of Minidoka County.  The former Nampa man is also charged with attempted murder and two counts of First Degree kidnapping. 

Authorities say a fatal plane crash in eastern Oregon killed two people including a retired Idaho doctor.  77-year-old William J. Watts and 70-year-old Mihoko Matsuda Nelsen were identified as the two passengers killed when a small passenger airplane nosedived into a hay field in Baker City on Saturday.  Nelsen was a neurologist at St. Als before retiring a year ago.

A man and woman got lost inside a mazelike ice cave in Wyoming for nearly two days and were hypothermic when rescuers found them.  The 27-year-old man and his 24-year-old wife left Idaho Falls at 7 a.m. Saturday to explore the caves. Their family called authorities when they didn't return.

A federal judge has ruled that Idaho officials violated the U.S. Constitution by forcing several mineral rights owners to sell their natural gas and oil to a Texas company without giving them a meaningful way to fight the state's decision.  The ruling could have significant ramifications for a state-approved process intended to prevent a minority of mineral rights owners from stopping natural gas and oil production.

Today:  Sunny. High 93F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight:  A clear sky. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow:  Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 96F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.

TOMORROW NIGHT: Patchy clouds, hazy, isolated evening storms. Winds: Light & Variable. Low 62 (Mountains: 53)

THURSDAY: Partly sunny, hazy, chance of isolated storms. High: 93 (Mountains: 89)

FRIDAY: Partly sunny, hazy, chance of isolated storms. High: 90 (Mountains: 85)

SATURDAY: Sunny & not as hot. High: 87 (Mountains: 83)

SUNDAY: Sunny and warm. High: 89 (Mountains: 84)

MONDAY: Sunny and warm. High: 90 (Mountains: 86)

August 15th: On this day

1925

Born on this day in Boaz, Alabama, was Rose Maddox country singer-songwriter and fiddle player, who was the lead singer with the Maddox Brothers and Rose before a successful solo career. Dolly Parton credits Maddox as an early influence. Maddox died on April 15th 1998.

1933

Born on this day, was Bobby Helms, American country music singer best known for his 1957 hit, "Jingle Bell Rock". He died on June 19, 1997 of emphysema at his home in Martinsville, Indiana, he was 63.

1941

Born on this day, was Don Rich, country musician who helped develop the Bakersfield sound in the early 1960s. He was a noted guitarist and fiddler, and a member of the Buckaroos, the backing band of country singer Buck Owens. Rich died on July 17, 1974.

1946

Born on this day in Elk City, Oklahoma, was Jimmy Webb, songwriter. His country hits include "Highwayman," by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson; and "Wichita Lineman" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," by Glen Campbell. "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" was the third most performed song in the fifty years between 1940 to 1990. Webb is the only artist ever to have received Grammy Awards for music, lyrics, and orchestration.

1961

Born on this day in Woodside, California, was Paul Jefferson, country music artist who has had his songs recorded by Keith Urban, Little Texas and Buddy Jewell, among others. He also co-wrote Aaron Tippin's #1 song "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You."

2009

114 people were arrested at Kenny Chesney's concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, near Boston and another 228 were taken into protective custody at the New England Country Music Festival. Most of the offenses involved underage drinking.

Tuesday 081418

The Rabbit Fire has burned more than 10-thousand acres in the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  The lightning caused blaze is zero percent contained.  Firefighters have been able to save a ranch from being burned down.

The Minidoka school district announced earlier this month that they will no longer be able to offer free breakfast for all students.  This after the Federal School Lunch Program changed the formula it uses to determine eligibility. 

 Authorities say a man is dead after being shot by an armed security guard inside a Coeur d'Alene credit union, in what appears to have been a botched robbery attempt. A man in dark clothing and a full-face-shield motorcycle helmet walked into Global Credit Union's Coeur d'Alene branch about 1 p.m. Saturday, waving a gun. The credit union says the man opened fire upon entering.

Idaho judges are studying a law that provides sentencing guidelines to see if it is contributing to the state's rapidly growing prison population. Fourth District Judge Michael Reardon serves on the Idaho Supreme Courts' Felony Sentencing Working Group. The law, which dates back to 1977, contains outdated thinking about how to deter crime.

Some Western governors say a new Trump administration directive threatens to undermine a hard-won compromise aimed at saving a beleaguered bird scattered across their region. The directive, issued in late July, severely limits a type of land swap involving federal property. Critics say that eliminates an important tool for saving habitat for the shrinking population of greater sage grouse.

An effort is underway to install two new weather stations before winter in the backcountry of Grand Teton National Park. The Grand Teton National Park Foundation is working to raise $25,000 by Sept. 1 to install the new weather stations. One would measure wind, the other snowfall.

Today:  Mostly sunny and mostly clear. Winds: WSW 5-10 mph. High: 93 (Mountains: 89)

Tonight:  Clear skies. Low 61F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow:  Sunny skies. High 94F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

TOMORROW NIGHT: Patchy clouds, hazy, isolated evening storms. Winds: Light & Variable. Low 62 (Mountains: 53)

THURSDAY: Partly sunny, hazy, chance of isolated storms. High: 93 (Mountains: 89)

FRIDAY: Partly sunny, hazy, chance of isolated storms. High: 90 (Mountains: 85)

SATURDAY: Sunny & not as hot. High: 87 (Mountains: 83)

SUNDAY: Sunny and warm. High: 89 (Mountains: 84)

MONDAY: Sunny and warm. High: 90 (Mountains: 86)

August 14th: On this day

1941

Born on this day in Elkhart, Indiana was Connie Smith the country music artist. She began her career in 1963 after winning a local talent contest near Columbus, Ohio, which attracted the attention of country songwriter Bill Anderson. Her first #1 hit was with her debut single “Once A Day” released in 1964. Smith won Billboards Most Promising Female Country Artist in 1964.

1966

"Almost Persuaded" by David Houston was at #1 on the Country chart. The song spent nine weeks at #1 and has since gone on to become a country standard. For 46 years and two months, no #1 song matched the chart-topping longevity of "Almost Persuaded," until Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" notched its ninth week atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart the week of December 15, 2012.

1976

Waylon Jennings was at #1 on the US country album chart with Are You Ready for the Country. Its title track is a song from Neil Young's seminal 1972 album Harvest. Despite the title, this outlaw country album featured covers of rock songs, including "Can't You See" by the Marshall Tucker Band. MacArthur Park (Revisited)" and won Waylon his first Grammy Award in 1969.

1995

Garth Brooks' The Hits became the first best-of album by a country-based artist certified for shipments of 7 million units. In June 1995, the master copy of the album was buried under Garth’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2001

Alison Krauss & Union Station released the album New Favorite which went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album and the single "The Lucky One" won the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or group.

2003

Toby Keith and Scotty Emerick performed for 25,000 troops and president George W. Bush at Miramar Marine Air Corps Station near San Diego.

Monday 081318

Twin Falls police say they arrested a juvenile male for his involvement in a rash of vehicle burglaries that occurred in Twin Falls and throughout the Magic Valley.  The primary items being stolen have been guns.  Police are warning residents not to leave their vehicle unlocked and if you are missing weapons to notify them immediately.

Two California drug dealers who shot at an undercover Idaho State Police trooper last year in Twin Falls retail store parking lot have been sentenced.  27 year old Arcenio Sosa-Solorio and 24 year old Bonifacio Carlos-Tafolla traveled from California to Twin Falls to distribute 25 pounds of marijuana to an undercover police officer on Dec. 2, 2017.  Sosa Solorio was sentenced to 12 years and three months and Carlos Tafolla to spend eight years 10 months behind bars.

The 5th Judicial District Magistrates Commission has announced new justices for Jerome County.  The commission selected John Lothspeich and Stacey DePew as the new Jerome County magistrate judges. 

Fewer classes but those attending CSI will be taking more.  That’s what officials from the college are saying.  Classes begin August 20^th at the  main campus in Twin Falls and it’s centers in Jerome, Gooding, Burley and Hailey.

The final management plan is in place for one of three new central Idaho wilderness areas.  The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service signed the Jim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness Plan.  The plan covers 183 square miles and is described by officials as a middle-ground plan when it comes to restrictions on human visitors and activities.

An Idaho man who tried to revive a fellow drug user who overdosed will spend two decades in prison for distributing the drug that resulted in the man's death. Ryan Curtis, of Nampa, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by three years' supervised release. Curtis distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine to Dominico Stewart. Curtis was charged with distributing a drug that resulted in death.

A southwestern Idaho man who unlawfully sold firearms has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Boise says 27-year-old Fabian Gonzalez of Caldwell received the sentence in U.S. District Court.

In local sports, in Legion Baseball, Burleys season ended Sunday when North Coos beat the Green Sox 16 to 11 in the elimination game at the Northwest Class A regional Tournament.  The Green Sox finished the year with 33 wins and 17 losses. 

Saturday saw the college of southern Idaho eagle volleyball team hit the court for a scrimmage against the College of Idaho.  It’s the only preseason match.  The eagles travel to Richfield Utah later this month for the Snow College Volleyball invitational. 

Today:  A good deal of sunshine. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight:  Mainly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow:  A mainly sunny sky. High 96F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

TOMORROW NIGHT: Partly cloudy.

Winds: SW 5-10 mph.

Low: 64 (Mountains: 57)

WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny.

High: 93 (Mountains: 84)

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny.

High: 92 (Mountains: 85)

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny.

High: 92 (Mountains: 83)

SATURDAY: Mostly sunny.

High: 86 (Mountains: 82)

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny.

High: 87 (Mountains: 81)

August 13th: On this day

1951

Hank Williams was at #1 on Billboard's country chart with "Hey, Good Lookin'". His version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. Since its original 1951 recording it has been covered by a variety of artists including, Ray Charles, Jo Stafford, The Mavericks and Jimmy Buffett.

1973

Born on this day in West Monroe, Louisiana, was Andy Griggs country music artist who scored "You Won't Ever Be Lonely" and "She's More", both of which peaked at #2 on the Country music charts. He also charted "Grow Young With You," a cut from the soundtrack to the film Where the Heart Is.

1994

John Michael Montgomery was at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart with "Be My Baby Tonight", the third single from Montgomery's 1994 album Kickin' It Up.

2011

Seven people were killed and more than 45 people injured when an outdoor stage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair due to high winds at a concert featuring Sugarland. Neither the duo or their opening act, Sara Bareilles, were onstage at the time of the collapse.

2011

The Farm Aid 2011, benefit concert took place at the Livestrong Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kansas. Held to raise money for family farmers in the US, the concerts were organized by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young. Artists who appeared included: Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, Jamey Johnson, Jakob Dylan, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Will Dailey & the Rivals, Billy Joe Shaver, Robert Francis, Ray Price, Rebecca Pidgeon, Hearts of Darkness, John Trudell, The Blackwood Quartet.

2013

Tompall Glaser, who recorded as a solo artist and with his brothers Chuck and Jim in the trio Tompall & the Glaser Brothers died in Nashville, Tennessee, aged 79, after a long illness. He scored the 1975 solo hit with Shel Silverstein's "Put Another Log on the Fire", which peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and appeared with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Jessi Colter on the album Wanted! The Outlaws.

Friday 081018

A warning from the Twin Falls County fair.  There are some third-party groups on the web selling Old Dominion Concert tickets.  John Pitz told reporters this week that the problem is they are not authorized and the tickets are worthless.  Pitz said some of the prices are actually triple what the real tickets are selling for.  Online tickets are only available at tfcfair-dot-com. 

Several school districts are going before voters August 28th hoping to get approval for renovations and resources.  The Gooding school district is seeking $950,000 annually for 10 years.  Richfield is looking for a 4-million dollar bond to build a new Gym and Agricultural shop.  In March of next year The Filer school district will be going for about 9.9 million for facility projects.

22 year old Stephan Nathaniel Lowry is accused of exchanging sexually explicit text messages with a 14 year old girl.  He has been charged with Lewd Conduct with a child under 16 and enticing a child through the internet.

An Idaho grand jury has indicted a man accused of killing a 3-year-old child and wounding eight others in a mass stabbing at an Idaho apartment complex. A grand jury has returned an indictment charging Timmy Kinner, 30, with one count of first-degree murder.

Firefighters made good progress on several large Idaho wildfires but another started that's expected to burn into the fall. The Sharps Fire burning timber and grass is about 6 miles east of Bellevue.  Full containment expected on Sunday.   In west-central Idaho, the Mesa Fire has consumed 53 square miles. That fire in timber and grass is 57 percent contained.  A fire in east-central Idaho in timber that started last week is up to 9 square miles. Officials say the Rabbit Foot Fire is burning in timber with dead and dying trees in all directions, and won't be contained until October.

A Nevada wildfire that has burned more than 200 square miles along the Idaho line is now 92 percent contained. The Goose Creek Fire was sparked by lightning southeast of Jackpot on July 26.

The national weather service has issued a fire weather watch for many of the forest lands in Southern Idaho.  Such a warning means fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. The weather service has also issued a heat advisory for Southern Twin Falls county and Western Magic Valley.  Temps are expected to be 95 to 103.  The warnings extend till midnight tonight.

Today:  Partly cloudy. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. High 102F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight:  Partly cloudy skies. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. Low near 65F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow:  A mainly sunny sky.  High 95F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.

SUNDAY: Sunny skies.

High: 90 (Mountains: 85)

MONDAY: Mostly sunny.

High: 91 (Mountains: 86)

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny.

High: 92 (Mountains: 85)

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny.

High: 92 (Mountains: 86)

August 10th: On this day

1928

Born on this day in Olton, Texas was Jimmy Ray Dean the American country music singer, television host, and businessman who had the 1961 country crossover hit "Big Bad John". Dean became a national television personality in the late 50’s with his television series, The Jimmy Dean Show and is also famous as the creator of the 'Jimmy Dean sausage brand'. Dean died of natural causes at the age of 81, on June 13, 2010.

1973

Born on this day, was Jennifer Hanson, country singer, songwriter, (well as a former Miss California). Hanson who is married to songwriter Mark Nesler has also written singles for other artists, including "Leave the Pieces" for The Wreckers, and "A Different World" for Bucky Covington, a co-write with Nesler, and "Let Me Down Easy" for Billy Currington. She also co-wrote "Country Strong" for Gwyneth Paltrow for the movie of the same name.

2001

Dixie Chick Martie Erwin married Gareth Maguire, a Roman Catholic teacher and actor from Northern Ireland in a civil ceremony in Hawaii.

2009

Brooks & Dunn announced that they were breaking up in 2010 after 20 years as a duo. Signed to Arista Records in 1991, the duo recorded ten studio albums, one Christmas album and three compilation albums for the label. They also released fifty singles, of which twenty went to #1 on the Hot Country Songs charts and nineteen more reached top ten.

2013

With 22 weeks at #1, "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line set a new record for most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, breaking a three-way tie of 21 weeks at #1 jointly held by Eddy Arnold ("I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)," 1947), Hank Snow ("I'm Movin' On," 1950) and Webb Pierce ("In the Jailhouse Now," 1955). "Cruise" benefited from changes in Billboard's methodology, made in 2012, from a country airplay-only chart to one that reflected all-genre airplay, music downloads and streaming.

August 11th: On this day

1946

Born on this day in Versailles, Kentucky, was John Conlee, country music singer who between 1978 and 2004 scored a total of thirty-two singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Conlee has scored seven #1 hits including, "Lady Lay Down," "Backside of Thirty," "Common Man," "I'm Only in It for the Love," and "Got My Heart Set on You."

1952

Hank Williams was fired from the Grand Ole Opry for habitual drunkenness. (After a fall suffered during a hunting trip in Tennessee early in the year, Williams started to consume painkillers, including morphine, and alcohol to ease the pain).

1960

Johnny Cash appeared at the Three Rivers Inn in Syracuse, New York during a four night run.

1974

Born on this day in Charleston, West Virginia, was Rachel Proctor, country music artist who co-wrote Martina McBride's 2002 single "Where Would You Be". Her debut hit “Days Like This" which peaked at #24 on the country charts, was the first of four singles from her 2004 debut album Where I Belong.

1989

"Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That" by Dolly Parton was at #1 on the country chart. Released as the first single from the album White Limozeen, the song was Parton's eighteenth #1.

2005

Steve Earle married Allison Moorer at the Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville. It was the American singer, songwriters seventh wedding, and her second.

2008

Don Helms a steel guitarist best known as the steel guitar player of Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys died aged 81. Helms was a featured musician on over 100 Hank Williams recordings and went on to play on many classic country hits, including Patsy Cline's “Walking After Midnight,” Stonewall Jackson’s “Waterloo,” the Louvin Brothers’ “Cash on the Barrelhead,” Lefty Frizzell’s “Long Black Veil” and Loretta Lynn’s “Blue Kentucky Girl.”

August 12th: On this day

1927

Born on this day, in West Plains, Missouri was Porter Wagoner, Country singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. In 1967, he introduced a then little known Dolly Parton on his long-running television show. Also known as Mr. Grand Ole Opry, Wagoner has scored over 80 US singles from 1954–1983. He died from lung cancer on October 28, 2007.

1929

Born on this day in Sherman, Texas was Buck Owens, Jr., singer and guitarist, who scored twenty 21 #1 hits on the Billboard country music charts and pioneered what has come to be called the Bakersfield sound a reference to Bakersfield, California. Owens died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack on March 25th 2006.

1969

Charley Pride was at #1 on the Country charts with “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me).” In doing so he accomplished a feat not done in 25 years: an African American entertainer having a #1 hit on the Billboard country chart. The last song by a black performer to reach the summit was "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" by Louis Jordan, in July 1944. Pride became the third black singer to have a #1 country hit (the Nat King Cole-led King Cole Trio had a #1 hit earlier in 1944).

1986

The estranged father of 17 year-old Shelby Lynn shot and killed her mother and then himself at their home in St. Stephens, Alabama. She and her younger sister Allison Moorer subsequently moved in with relatives.

1991

Liberty Records released "Rodeo" by Garth Brooks. Written by Larry Bastian the single which was taken from his album Ropin' the Wind peaked at #3 on the US country chart.

2000

Lonestar were at #1 on the country music charts with "What About Now", the fourth single from their 1999 album, Lonely Grill.

Thursday 080918

The fire burning near Carey should be contained by this weekend.  The evacuations have been lifted but road closures remain in effect for many of the areas.  The fire has damaged over 64-thousand acres.

Searchers in Wyoming are looking again for a Utah man who is missing but presumed dead after being suspected of killing his wife, another woman and a 14-year-old girl in Idaho last year. Authorities believe Mike Bullinger has died in a remote area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Chobani could be appearing in the condiment section of your grocery store as the company has developed a squeezable sour cream.  The product was developed and produced in Twin Falls. 

The DEQ has a request from a dairy near Declo that if approved would provide regulation to a stationary concrete batch plant.

Idaho Secretary of State Lawrence Denney has said who will manage the state’s election system and voter registration database.  Tenex Software solution is costing the state $4 million dollars over five years.

Two small wildfires are burning in Yellowstone National Park, but officials say they are in areas that do not pose a threat to tourists or park facilities.Smoke from the fire may be visible from the Grand Loop Road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Junction in the northern part of the park.

The Wendell School District officials say students are now going to be given a choice for Kindergarten.  All Day classes are being offered for the first time which is something the district has been working on for quite some time.

Top officials with the Idaho Department of Correction are considering telling state lawmakers they need a nearly 20 percent budget increase to fund beds, staff and services for the state's growing prison population. The three-member Board of Correction held off from finalizing their request until later this year.

An eastern Idaho man is recovering after being pinned underneath his truck for at least two days after the vehicle rolled into a ravine. 21 year old Joe Rightmire was found the 21-year-old pinned near Idaho Falls.

Today:  Sunny, hazy and hot.   Winds: ENE 3-8 mph.   High: 101 (Mountains: 95)

Tonight:  Some clouds. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow:  Intervals of clouds and sunshine. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. High 102F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Clear with smoky haze.

Winds: South 5-10 mph.

Low 67 (Mountains: 57)

SATURDAY: Sunny not as hot

High: 91 (Mountains: 88)

SUNDAY: Sunny

High: 88 (Mountains: 84)

MONDAY: sunny & hotter.

High: 92 (Mountains: 86)

TUESDAY: sunny & hot.

High: 95 (Mountains: 86)

WEDNESDAY: sunny & hot.

High: 96 (Mountains: 87)

August 9th: On this day

1934

Born on this day in Chickasha, Okla, was Wyatt Merle Kilgore, American singer, songwriter, and manager who co-wrote (with June Carter), "Ring Of Fire", which became a hit for Johnny Cash, ending Cash's three-year career slump, staying at #1 on the country chart for seven weeks in 1963. Kilgore started his career in country music as a teenage gofer for Hank Williams and ended as the manager of Hank Williams Jr. Kilgore died on February 6, 2005.

1969

Special guests on this week's Johnny Cash ABC television music variety show included, Diana Trask, Pat Boone who sand a duet “Peace In The Valley” with Cash and Tom T. Hall who played "The Ballad of $40."

1973

"Lord, Mr. Ford" by Jerry Reed was at #1 on the Country chart, Reed's second of three #1's. "Lord, Mr. Ford" is a satire on the social, cultural and economic influence the automobile has had on the American public. The lyrics bemoan the fact that a seemingly simple invention to assist mankind has instead brought nothing but grief.

1980

The Urban Cowboy soundtrack double album was at #1 on the US Country chart. The album spawned numerous Top 10 Billboard Country Singles, such as #1 "Lookin' for Love" by Johnny Lee, #1 "Stand by Me" by Mickey Gilley, #3 (AC chart), "Could I Have This Dance" by Anne Murray, and #4 "Love the World Away" by Kenny Rogers. The film is said to have started the 1980s boom in pop-country music known as the "Urban Cowboy Movement" also known as Neo-Country or Hill Boogie.

1986

The Judd’s' "Rockin' With The Rhythm Of The Rain" was at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart, The Judds' seventh #1 country single.

2003

Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett were at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart with the Jim "Moose" Brown and Don Rollins penned song, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere". The song spent a total of eight weeks at the top of the chart and won the Country Music Association (CMA) Award for Vocal Event of the Year.

Wednesday 080818

Fifteen states including Idaho are siding with Nevada as it fights drug companies battling the use of their products in an inmate's execution.  The state's high court has been asked to quickly review the matter so convicted killer Scott Raymond Dozier's lethal injection can be put back on track.

A teenager has passed away following a swimming incident at Dierkes Lake last month.  According to the Ada County Coroner's Office, 19 year old Fernando Estrada of Wendell, died at Saint Alphonsus in Boise just one week later. The official cause of death is accidental drowning.

A criminal investigation is underway after a fire broke out near Bear Trap Lava Tube cave located in the Craters of the Moon National Monument on Saturday.   Blaine County Sheriff's Office said 41 year old Daniel C. Jones of Rupert, was with his family, shooting targets which caused a small fire to break out burning 66 acres.

A Jerome man who participated in a December burglary and assault will serve at least two years in prison.  22 year old Gaudencio Sandoval-Carbajal pleaded guilty to charges of burglary and aiding or abetting aggravated assault for his role in the attack.  A Twin Falls woman told police in December that three men broke down her door and threatened her with weapons including a knife and assault rifle.

The Twin Falls City Council intends to use some of its forgone balance for the coming year’s budget in order to pursue some sidewalk and road overlay projects.  The Council unanimously passed a resolution Monday stating the intent to go after $770,000 of the total $2.2 million in forgone balance which is property tax increases the city declined to take in past years.

Two Twin Falls men accused of having sexual contact with drunken teenagers were bound over to district court after preliminary hearings. 33 year old James Shaff and 37 year old Bryan Thieme face charges stemming from allegations that the men sexually abused several underage boys at Thieme’s house in May.

After nine days of testimony, the government has rested its case against indicted FBI agent W. Joseph Astarita.  He is charged with making false statements and obstruction of justice after telling investigators he did not fire two shots that missed Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, an Arizona rancher who served as spokesman for the Ammon Bundy-led group that seized an Oregon wildlife refuge in 2016.

A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. government doesn't have to turn over documents to an environmental law firm involving legal arguments behind President Donald Trump's decision to shrink national monuments.  U.S. District Court Judge David Nye on Monday ruled the records are protected presidential communications, making them exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests.

Today:  Sunny, hazy and hot.  Winds: Light & Variable.  High: 96 (Mountains: 91)

Tonight:  Some clouds. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow:  Intervals of clouds and sunshine. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. High 100F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Clear with smoky haze.

Winds: East 3-8 mph.

Low 64 (Mountains: 56)

FRIDAY: Sunny, hazy and hot.

High: 103 (Mountains: 97)

SATURDAY: Sunny and not as hot

High: 88 (Mountains: 85)

SUNDAY: Sunny

High: 90 (Mountains: 85)

MONDAY: sunny & hotter.

High: 95 (Mountains: 88)

TUESDAY: sunny & hot.

High: 97 (Mountains: 88)

August 8th: On this day

1921

Born on this day in West Monroe, Louisiana, was Webb Pierce who became one of the most popular American honky tonk vocalists of the 1950s, charting more #1 hits than any other country artist during the decade. His best know hit "In The Jailhouse Now," stayed on the charts for 37 weeks in 1955. Pierce died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer on February 24, 1991.

1932

Born on this day in Dover, Florida, was Mel Tillis, country music singer who scored the 1972 US #1 ‘I Ain't Never’. Tills is also known for his hits "Good Woman Blues", and "Coca-Cola Cowboy".

1939

Born on this day, was Phil Balsley, Country singer, songwriter with The Statler Brothers who had the 80’s US Country #1 hits ‘Elizabeth’ and “Do You Know You Are My Sunshine”.

1943

Born on this day in Alamosa, Colorado, was Michael Johnson, pop, country and folk singer-songwriter and guitarist best known for his 1978 hit song "Bluer Than Blue" and his two #1 country hits from 1986, "Give Me Wings" and "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder". He also co-wrote "Cain's Blood", the debut single of 1990s country group 4 Runner.

1950

Born on this day in Toledo, Ohio, was Jamie O'Hara, country music artist who between 1986 and 1990, with Kieran Kane comprised The O'Kanes, a duo which charted seven singles on the Billboardi Hot Country Singles charts, including the #1 single "Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You".

1953

Born on this day in Detroit, Michigan, was Todd Cerney, songwriter and musician. He composed "Good Morning Beautiful", a 2002 five-week country #1 hit for Steve Holy (co-written with Zack Lyle). In October 2009, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton reunited for the first time in 25 years to sing "Tell Me That You Love Me," a duet that Cerney co-wrote. Cerney died in Nashville, Tennessee on March 14, 2011 from melanoma, a disease with which he had first been diagnosed with in November 2010, following a brain seizure. He was 57 years old.

1973

Born on this day in Cleveland, Tennessee, was Mark Wills, country music artist who scored the 1999 US #1 Country hit “Wish You Were Here.”

1975

American Country musician Hank Williams, Jr. suffered a near fatal fall off the side of Ajax Mountain in Montana. He slipped while mountain climbing and fell nearly 500 feet, landing on a boulder. He suffered multiple skull and facial fractures and later to hide the scars and the disfigurement from the accident, Williams grew a beard and began wearing sunglasses and a cowboy hat. The beard, hat, and sunglasses have since become his signature look, and he is rarely seen without them.

2013

Jack Clement died aged 82. The songwriter and record producer is best known for his work with Johnny Cash. Clement wrote a number of highly successful songs that have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Ray Charles, Carl Perkins, Bobby Bare, Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charley Pride, Tom Jones, Dickey Lee and Hank Snow. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973. He also produced albums by Townes Van Zandt and Waylon Jennings.

2013

President Barack Obama announced that Loretta Lynn would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The press release read as follows: "Loretta Lynn is a country music legend. Raised in rural Kentucky, she emerged as one of the first successful female country music vocalists in the early 1960s, courageously breaking barriers in an industry long dominated by men. Ms. Lynn’s numerous accolades include the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010."

2017

American singer, guitarist, songwriter, television host, and actor Glen Campbell died in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 81. He became a patient at an Alzheimer's long-term care and treatment facility in 2014. Campbell released more than 70 studio albums and sold 45 million records worldwide. His hits include: 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix', 'Wichita Lineman', 'Galveston' and 'Rhinestone Cowboy'. His guitar playing can be heard on ‘Strangers in the Night’ by Frank Sinatra, ‘You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'‘ by The Righteous Brothers and ‘I'm a Believer’ by The Monkees.