Tuesday 040918

This seasons nasty flu bug is making this the deadliest on record in Idaho.  The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported eight more deaths from influenza in the last week of March. That brings the total to 94 as of April 2.  Last year was the highest year on record before the 2017-18 season. The Gem State saw 72 deaths, well above the average of 23 per year.

Idaho Republican gubernatorial candidate Tommy Ahlquist once promised to sign legislation allowing for the prosecution of women who have had abortions, while challenger Lt. Gov. Brad Little offered tepid support for the proposed bill but doubted the proposal would stand up in court.  However, the issue has received increased scrutiny after Republican state Sen. Bob Nonini said he supported harsher punishments for women seeking abortions.  The hard-line stance is the latest move from high-profile candidates in Idaho escalating anti-abortion rhetoric along the campaign trail.

Caldwell police are looking for a man they described as "armed and dangerous" after a shooting that sent two men to the hospital. The shooting occurred around 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

Workers at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation are being exposed to radiation as they tear down buildings that helped create the nation's nuclear arsenal.  Dozens of workers demolishing a plutonium processing plant from the 1940s have inhaled or ingested radioactive particles in the past year, and even carried some of that radiation into their vehicles.  The incidents have prompted the federal government, along with state regulators, to halt the demolition of the Plutonium Finishing Plant until a safe plan can be developed.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs say they will give almost $5 million in vouchers to public housing authorities in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington state. The 675 HUD veteran rental assistance vouchers went to 27 public housing authorities in four states.

The chief executive officer of the J.R. Simplot Co. has announced his retirement. The Idaho-based company announced Friday that Bill Whitacre will step down from his top post in August after serving the company for the past 18 years.

A small earthquake occurred in Idaho but there are no reports of damage.  The U.S. Geological Survey says the 3.4-magnitude earthquake occurred at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday about 9 miles east of Soda Springs.

Today:  Generally cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight:  Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Low near 45F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Tomorrow:  Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will become overcast in the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 62F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Showers likely.

WINDS: SW 5-10 mph

LOW: 38 (Mountains: 34)

THURSDAY: Rain and snow showers. Windy.

HIGH: 45 (Mountains: 42)

FRIDAY: Partly sunny. A few snow showers possible. Breezy.

HIGH: 50 (Mountains: 47)

SATURDAY: Partly sunny.

HIGH: 60 (Mountains: 52)

SUNDAY: Partly sunny. Chance of a few evening showers.

HIGH: 62 (Mountains: 54)

MONDAY: Showers possible.

HIGH: 53 (Mountains: 47)

Top of Form

April 10th: On this day

1921
Born on this day in Erick, Oklahoma, was Sheb Wooley, the singer, songwriter and actor best known for his 1958 novelty song "Purple People Eater". He played Ben Miller, brother of Frank Miller in the film High Noon, Travis Cobb in The Outlaw Josey Wales, and also had a co-starring role as scout Pete Nolan in the television program Rawhide. He died in Nashville, Tennessee on September 16th 2003.

1981
Born on this day, was Laura Bell Bundy, American actress and singer who has performed in a number of Broadway, television and film roles. She signed to Mercury Records Nashville and released her first country music single, "Giddy On Up," in early 2010.

1989
Winners at the Academy of Country Music Awards hosted by George Strait, K.T. Oslin and Patrick Duffy included: Pioneer Award - Buck Owens, Top Female Vocalist of the Year - K.T. Oslin, Top Male Vocalist of the Year - George Strait, Top Vocal Group - Highway 101 and Song of the Year went to Kathy Mattea for "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses."

1993
Reba McEntire and Vince Gill held the pole position on the Billboard country singles chart with "The Heart Won't Lie." The second single released from Reba's album, It's Your Call was originally planned to be a duet with Kenny Rogers, but when Rogers proved to be unavailable McEntire decided to record the song not as a duet and Vince Gill was added later.

2003
Former Oak Ridge Boys member Noel Fox died at a Nashville hospital following a series of strokes aged 63. Fox sang with the Oak Ridge boys until 1972, and later became a music business executive.

2006
CMT honored Hank Williams Jr. with the Johnny Cash Visionary Award, presenting it to him at the 2006 CMT Music Awards.

2007
The former home of Johnny Cash burnt to the ground. Cash and his wife June Carter used the base in Tennessee to write many of their songs, and to entertain fans and US presidents. Part of Cash's famous late-period video "Hurt" was shot inside the house, 20 miles north-east of 'country music capital' Nashville. After the couple's deaths in 2003, the home in Henderson was bought by Bee Gee Barry Gibb who was preparing to refurbish the property when fire struck - within a few hours, only the stone chimneys remained of the building.

2011
American reality-documentary television series The Judds debuted on the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The series followed the daily life of mother-daughter Grammy Award winning Wynonna and Naomi Judd while they rehearse and get ready for their latest tour.

2014
Linda Ronstadt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Brooklyn. Due to illness, Ronstadt was unable to attend. Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, and Carrie Underwood paid tribute to Ronstadt during the ceremony.

Monday 040918

A Buhl woman is dead following a fiery crash yesterday.  23 year old Cassidee Kippes was westbound on 3800 North just after 7 pm when failed to yield at a stop sign and entered the intersection of U.S. Highway 93 where she collided with a semi-truck.  The collision caused the semi to roll and erupt into flames.  Kippes was not wearing a seatbelt and succumb to her injuries.  The truck driver was transported to St. Luke’s.  Crews remain at the scene this morning as they work to clean up the site.

Twin Falls Police say they have arrested 42 year old Shawn Hatfield charging him with lewd conduct, sexual abuse of a minor child and battery with intent to commit a serious felony.  Multiple victims have been identified throughout this investigation authorities say.  The suspect lived in California and Nevada before moving to Twin Falls. 

Twin Falls State of the City will be presented tomorrow morning.  Council members will make their presentation at the Orpheum Theatre at 11 am.

Twin Falls Bureau of Land Management firefighters are helping surrounding states battle flames.  A crew of five arrives in Central Colorado today to help with wildfires.  A crew with a bulldozer has been in Texas working on flames for weeks.

State education officials have selected the new presidents of Idaho State University and Lewis-Clark State College. The Idaho State Board of Education said Kevin Satterlee will lead the university in Pocatello and Cynthia Pemberton will take charge of the college in Lewiston.

The U.S. Forest Service has expanded the Sawtooth National Forest through the acquisition of a ranch in Stanley. 368 acres of the Goat Falls Ranch adjacent to the forest were acquired last month.

The state department of education’s latest bullying data show there’s an increase in student bullying.  According to information reciently released, incidents in Public Schools climbed from 2162 in 2015-16 to 3578 in 2016-17.  25 percent of Idaho students polled said they have been bullied.

Today:  Sunny. High 62F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight:  Mainly clear. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 40F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow:  Partly sunny and warm, slight chance of a rain shower. High 69F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy, PM rain

High 64 (Mountains: 54)

THURSDAY: Scattered showers.

High 48 (Mountains: 43)

FRIDAY: Mostly to partly sunny

High 52 (Mountains: 46)

SATURDAY: Partly cloudy

High: 59 (Mountains: 49)

SUNDAY: Sun & Clouds

High: 60 (Mountains: 53)

April 9th: On this day

1932
Born on this day, was "the King of Rockabilly", Carl Perkins, American musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, and is known for his song "Blue Suede Shoes". Perkins' songs were recorded by many artists including: Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Johnny Cash. He died on January 19, 1998.

1941
Born on this day in Knox City, Texas, was singer Kay Adams. In the 1960s, Adams arrived on the country scene with the songs "Six Days a Waiting," "Old Heart Get Ready," "Anymore," "Honky Tonk Heartache" and "She Didn't Color Daddy." At the inaugural Academy of Country Music Awards , in 1965, Adams was named Top New Female Vocalist.

1942
Born on this day in Dayton, Ohio, was Margo Smith, singer who in the 1970's scored two US #1 Country hits, "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" and "It Only Hurts for a Little While." She is also considered a "world class yodeler".

1953
Born on this day in Greenwich, New York, was Hal Ketchum, country singer, songwriter. His 1991 album Past the Point of Rescue is his most commercially successful, having been certified gold and between 1991 and 2006, Ketchum scored seventeen entries on the Hot Country Songs charts.

1969
Bob Dylan released his ninth studio album Nashville Skyline, which embraced country music. Twenty seven minutes long and with liner notes by Johnny Cash, (who also appeared on the record), at the time of release it was dismissed by some critics as lightweight, but included "Lay, Lady, Lay", a major hit single for Dylan.

1997
Songwriter Mae Boren Axton died aged 82 after drowning in her bath at her home in Hendersonville, Tennessee after an apparent heart attack. Known as the 'Queen Mother of Nashville' she wrote over 200 songs including a co-writing credit on the Elvis Presley hit "Heartbreak Hotel". She worked with Mel Tillis, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Eddy Arnold, Tanya Tucker, Johnny Tillotson, and Blake Shelton. She was the mother of country singer, songwriter Hoyt Axton.

1998
A public tribute memorial service for Tammy Wynette was held at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium featuring performances by Randy Travis, Lorrie Morgan, Rudy Gatlin, The Judds, and Dolly Parton who performed "I Will Always Love You."

2007
Country singer Tanya Tucker was sued by her manicurist for $300,000 over claims the star's dog attacked and injured her. Danielle Hobbs stated in court papers that she was bitten by Bella at the singer's Nashville home and also claimed that the alleged attack, had left her with painful and disfiguring scars on her leg. She stated that Tucker's assistant told her the dogs were "just babies" and said "they will not hurt you".

2009
Singer Doug Stone, who charted four #1 country hits in the '90s, was arrested in Panama City, Florida, for domestic violence against his 21-year-old son, Dustin Brooks, (who played in Stone's road band in the 2000s). They reportedly engaged in a heated dispute over his son's car and Stone's drinking.

Friday 040618

Twin Falls High School Students evacuated the main building yesterday morning after the smell of gas was noted.  Officials say the students were sent to the Roper Auditorium.  A heat exchanger started leaking in a heating unit in the chemistry lab.  No one was reported injured.

56 year old Alan Kime of Gooding died Wednesday after the truck he was driving veered of the roadway shoulder near Minidoka along Idaho 24.  Kime wasn’t wearing a seat belt and was ejected.  The highway was blocked for 3-hours.

Thanks to a recent snowfall at the Pomerelle Mountain Resort, there will be a full complement of services available there this weekend.  If conditions warrant, the facility may add one more bonus weekend on April 14^th and 15^th.

Agribusiness giant Syngenta is planning a $30 million expansion to its research and seed production facility in Nampa.  The expansion project will allow the facility to accommodate the majority of the company's corn trait conversion work worldwide.  Construction should be completed next year.

Daily fines the U.S. Department of Energy is paying Idaho for missing a deadline to get radioactive liquid waste out of underground storage tanks passed $3.5 million this week.  The Energy Department built a $600 million facility to treat the liquid waste, but it has so far failed to work.

Idaho's U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador is disputing claims by a political action committee that the Republican lawmaker has accomplished nothing during his time in Congress. Labrador went on the defensive while responding to a television ad funded by the Idaho First PAC _ a group that supports Labrador's opponent Tommy Ahlquist.

A Eagle Idaho woman is recovering at a Boise hospital after her vehicle plunged 150 feet down a slope. Fifty-four-year-old Paula Marcolini was listed in fair condition Thursday at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.

A Washington state woman is suing an Idaho fertility doctor after discovering though an online ancestry website that the man had secretly fathered her. Kelli Rowlette and the parents who raised her filed the lawsuit in Idaho district court in March against Dr. Gerald Mortimer, his wife and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates of Idaho Falls.

One of Boise’s most well-known gun dealers has filed for bankruptcy.  Boise Gun Co. Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in late February.

Today:  Cloudy. Periods of light rain this morning. High near 60F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

Tonight:  Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low 47F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

Tomorrow:  Cloudy and damp with rain in the morning...then becoming partly cloudy and windy at times. Thunder possible. High 64F. SSW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 100%.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Showers possible.

WINDS: W 10-20 mph

LOW: 41 (Mountains: 31)

SUNDAY: Isolated showers.

HIGH: 53 (Mountains: 47)

MONDAY: Partly sunny.

HIGH: 60 (Mountains: 52)

TUESDAY: Partly sunny.

HIGH: 65 (Mountains: 54)

WEDNESDAY: Chance of showers.

HIGH: 60 (Mountains: 52)

THURSDAY: Chance of showers.

HIGH: 50 (Mountains: 43)

April 6th: On this day

1937

Born on this day in Oildale, California, was country music songwriter, singer, and guitarist Merle Haggard. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitar and the unique mix with the traditional country steel guitar sound. Haggard who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 1994 has scored 38 US #1 Country hits. Haggard died on the morning of April 6, 2016, his 79th birthday, of complications from pneumonia at his home in Palo Cedro, California.

1949

Hank Williams’ first publicity photos were taken in Shreveport. The photo which was later used for the Hank Williams stamp issued in 1993 as part of the Legends of American Music was taken on this day.

1974

Charlie Rich was at #1 on the country charts with "A Very Special Love Song". Written by Billy Sherrill and Norro Wilson, who had also written Rich's 1973 hit, "The Most Beautiful Girl". The song was included on Rich's 1974 album, Very Special Love Songs.

1987

Winners at the 22nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards hosted by Patrick Duffy and The Judds included: Top Female Vocalist of the Year - Reba McEntire, Top Male Vocalist of the Year - Randy Travis, Top Vocal Group - Forester Sisters, Top New Male Vocalist of the Year - Dwight Yoakam, Top Vocal Duet of the Year - The Judds and Country Music Video of the Year went to Reba McEntire for "Whoever's In New England."

1998

American country singer Tammy Wynette died aged 55. She scored 12 hit singles including "Stand By Your Man", is one of the biggest selling hit singles by a woman in the history of the country music genre. Wynette has sold over 30 million records world-wide, was married five times and once filed for bankruptcy. Known as the 'first lady of country music', Wynette had the 1991 hit "Justified and Ancient" with The KLF which became a #1 hit in eighteen countries.

1999

An all star tribute to Johnny Cash took place at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan. The show was introduced by Jon Voight and included appearances by Willie Nelson, June Carter Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Chris Isaak, Sheryl Crow, Trisha Yearwood, U2, Brooks And Dunn, Lyle Lovett and many more.

2010

Trisha Yearwood, with her mother and sister, released a second cookbook entitled Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood. The book consisted of recipes passed down through her mother, aunts, cousins and longtime friends.

2013

George Jones played his final ever concert at the Knoxville City Coliseum in Knoxville. Jones was scheduled to perform his final concert at the Bridgestone Arena on November 22, 2013. However, on April 18, 2013, Jones was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for a slight fever and irregular blood pressure. His concerts in Alabama and Salem were postponed as a result. While there, Jones died in the early morning hours of April 26, 2013, aged 81.

2014

Winners at the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards hosted by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan included: Entertainer of the Year - George Strait, Male Vocalist of the Year - Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert won Female Vocalist of the Year, Single Record of the Year for "Mama's Broken Heart" and Vocal Event of the Year with Keith Urban for "We Were Us". Song of the Year went to Lee Brice for "I Drive Your Truck" and Album of the Year went to Kacey Musgraves for Same Trailer Different Park.

2016

American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler, Merle Haggard died of complications from pneumonia at his home in Palo Cedro, California. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band the Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the twang of Fender Telecaster and the unique mix with the traditional country steel guitar sound. Haggard scored over 10 US Country No.1 albums during his career.

April 7th: On this day

1932

Born on this day in Gans, Oklahoma, was Cal Smith, country musician, most famous for his 1972 #1 hit “The Lord Knows I'm Drinking" and his 1974 hit "Country Bumpkin," which received the Song of the Year Award from both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. Smith died on October 10, 2013.

1935

Born on this day, was Bobby Bare, who scored over 30 US Country hits including his only Country #1 hit in 1974, "Marie Laveau", (which was written by written by Shel Silverstein). In 1998, he formed the band, Old Dogs, with his friends Jerry Reed, Mel Tillis and Waylon Jennings.

1970

The single “Tennessee Bird Walk" by the country music husband-and-wife duo Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan was at #1 on the country chart. “Tennessee Bird Walk" is a novelty song theorizing on the effects of removing the wings, feathers, singing ability, and common sense from birds.

1990

Randy Travis' "Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart" broke the four-week barrier, on the US country singles chart, the first since Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson’s 1978 hit "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys."

1990

The fourth Farm Aid benefit concert took place at the Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana. 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: Bonnie Raitt, Carl Perkins, Garth Brooks, John Denver, Bill Monroe, Alan Jackson, Asleep at the Wheel, Jackson Browne, Bruce Hornsby, Poco, Elton John, Lou Reed, Don Henley, Taj Mahal, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and Guns N' Roses.

2012

Jake Owen proposed to his girlfriend model Lacey Buchanan on stage in front of a hometown crowd in Vero Beach, Florida, at his annual charity event. The couple married the following month on May 7, 2012.

2013

Winners at this years American Country Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada included; Top Female Vocalist — Miranda Lambert, Top Vocal Group - Little Big Town, Top Vocal Duo - Thompson Square, Top New Male Vocalist - Brantley Gilbert, Top New Female Vocalist - Jana Kramer, Top New Duo/Group - Florida Georgia Line, Album of the Year - Chief, Eric Church, Single Record of the Year and and Song of the Year was "Over You" by Miranda Lambert.

April 8th: On this day

1946

Al Dexter and His Troopers were at #1 on the US Country singles chart with “Guitar Polka”. The track spent a total of 16 weeks on Billboard's list as the "Most Played Juke Box Folk Record" in 1946. Dexter owned a bar in the 1930s and helped popularize the style of country music known as 'honky tonk', when he recorded "Honky Tonk Blues" at his first recording session in 1936.

1960

Born on this day in Mount Kisco, New York, was John Schneider III, actor and singer best known for his portrayal of Bo Duke in the 1980s American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, and as Jonathan Kent on Smallville, a 2001 television adaptation of Superman. Alongside his acting career, Schneider performed as a country singer in the 1980s, releasing nine studio albums which gave him hits such as: "I've Been Around Enough to Know", "Country Girls", "What's a Memory Like You (Doing in a Love Like This)" and "You're the Last Thing I Needed Tonight", all of which reached the top of the Billboard country singles charts.

1979

Anne Murray was spending her third week atop of the country charts with "I Just Fall in Love Again". Written by Larry Herbstritt, with co-writers Steve Dorff, Harry Lloyd, and Gloria Sklerov. The song was originally recorded by The Carpenters and later covered by Dusty Springfield, whose version inspired Anne Murray to record her own cover.

1982

The Oak Ridge Boys were at #1 on the Country singles chart with “Bobbie Sue”, the title track of their seventh album became the Oaks' sixth #1 single.

1990

Randy Travis was at #1 on the Country singles chart with "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart" released as the second single from the album No Holdin' Back. The song spent four weeks at #1 on the chart and in doing so, became the first song to stay that long atop the chart for 12 years; the last to accomplish the feat was the 1978 song, "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

2007

Tim McGraw was at #1 on the US album chart with Let It Go his fourth #1 album. The album produced seven Top 20 US country hits. The first single from the album, "Last Dollar (Fly Away)" (written by Big Kenny of Big & Rich), reached the top of the country charts in early 2007, giving McGraw his first #1 hit since "Back When" in late 2004

Thursday 040518

Voters in Gooding will decide two ballot measures on May 15^th that if passed would change the residents property tax bill.  The North Canyon Medical Center wants to dissolve its district and the Gooding Public Library wants to create one. 

The speed limit along U.S. 30 East Main Street in Burley will be reduced due to safety in the area.  Right now it’s 45 MPH.  That will change to 35 mph between Idaho 84 and Pomerelle Avenue.

Police in Coeur d’Alene fired a shot that injured a person yesterday morning.  Authorities were called to an apartment where a man was reported suicidal and armed with a gun.  Police first fired a nonlethal beanbag round.  The man continued to ignore commands.  That’s when police shot once hitting the suspect.  He is expected to recover. 

Look for a large office complex at the Jerome Cheese Company.  Construction is underway on a 14-thousand square foot addition that will help accommodate employees, provide better locker rooms and add a modern lobby.

Fire damaged a Gooding home yesterday morning.  The fire began as a furnace failure in the basement and burned into the attic.  The home at 1800 east and 1600 south suffered extensive damage.  Three departments responded to the call.  

The Interior Department is backing down from a plan to impose steep fee increases at popular national parks after widespread opposition from elected officials and the public. The plan would nearly triple entrance fees at 17 of the most popular U.S. parks, including Yellowstone.

A 17-year-old Idaho student has pleaded guilty to stabbing his ex-girlfriend in the parking lot of a Nampa high school. Wyatt Weist pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted first-degree murder after reaching an agreement with Canyon County prosecutors. Authorities say Weist stabbed the 17-year-old victim seven times. The girl survived the attack.

The 11-year-old son of a west-central Idaho sheriff has died following a horseback riding accident. The Ada County Coroner in a release on Monday says Ethan Zollman of Council died Friday at a Boise hospital due to blunt force trauma resulting in a head injury.

Today:  Rain showers early becoming more intermittent for the afternoon. High near 60F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tonight:  Considerable cloudiness and a few rain showers. Low 44F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.

Tomorrow:  Cloudy slight chance of a shower. High near 60F. High: 62 (Mountains: 53)Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.

SATURDAY: Rain likely

High: 60 (Mountains: 53)

SUNDAY: Mix of sunshine and clouds - few scattered rain showers.

High: 53 (Mountains: 47)

MONDAY: Mostly sunny

High: 60 (Mountains: 52)

TUESDAY: Mix of sunshine and clouds

High: 62 (Mountains: 54)

WEDNESDAY: Chance of a shower or two

High: 56 (Mountains: 49)

April 5th: On this day

1931

Born on this day, was Jack Henderson Clement, (nicknamed 'Cowboy' Jack Clement). Clement worked with future stars such as Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, but most importantly, he discovered and recorded Jerry Lee Lewis. Clement wrote the song "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" that became a crossover hit for Johnny Cash. He died on August 8, 2013 at his home in Nashville, Tennessee after suffering from liver cancer.

1940

Born on this day in Dyess, Arkansas, was Tommy Cash, singer-songwriter and younger brother of Johnny Cash. While in the army, he was a disc jockey for the American Forces Radio Network and then played with Hank Williams, Jr., and later gained a record deal from Musicor Records in 1965. A year later, he joined United Artists Records and just missed the Country Top 40 in 1968 with “The Sounds of Goodbye.”

1972

Born on this day in San Antonio, Texas, was Pat Green who scored the 2003 #3 hit "Wave on Wave" from his gold-certified album of the same name.

1972

Freddie Hart and the Heartbeats were at #1 on the US Country chart with, "My Hang-Up Is You", Hart's second #1 on the US country singles chart. The single stayed at the top for six weeks and spent a total of eighteen weeks on the chart.

1974

Johnny Cash released Ragged Old Flag, his 46th album. The album addresses several political as well as ethical issues, not unlike many of Cash's other releases. The title track, and simultaneously the only single from the album, is a spoken word tribute to patriotism amid the Watergate scandal.

2000

Toby Keith was at #1 on the US chart with "How Do You Like Me Now?!", the second single released from the album How Do You Like Me Now?! The song spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard US Hot Country Songs chart.

2009

Winners at the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards included: Entertainer of the Year and Top Female Vocalist - Carrie Underwood, Top Male Vocalist - Brad Paisley, Top Vocal Group - Rascal Flatts, Top Vocal Duo - Sugarland, Top New Artist - Julianne Hough, Top New Male Artist - Jake Owen, Top Album of the Year went to Taylor Swift for Fearless and Vocal Event of the Year went to Brad Paisley and Keith Urban for "Start a Band."

NEWS 04/04/2018

Officers say he he tried to steal a police officer’s gun during a traffic stop in Twin Falls, and now, 38 year-old Travis Lee Presgraves faces a laundry list of charges. Presgraves was stopped just after midnight on Tuesday on what initially appeared to be a DUI. A subsequent search by a drug dog turned up 13 grams of heroin, meth, a handgun, and almost 8 grand in cash. Bail has been set at a half a million dollars.

A Buhl man has been arrested on a charge of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. Last May, Angel Chávez-Tofoya was reportedly driving west on U.S. 30 when he failed to yield to oncoming traffic while making a U-turn and struck a motorcycle.  The driver of the motorcycle, Dale Adams, also of Buhl, was killed in the accident, while his passenger survived. Trial begins on May 30th.

A Republican who is running for lieutenant governor softened his stance yesterday that women who get an abortion should be punished if it is ever criminalized in Idaho. It was just a day after agreeing the punishment should include the death penalty.  In a statement, Bob Nonini said that   "Prosecutions have always been focused on the abortionist."

______________________________________________________

A Filer man died yesterday morning-- the result of a rollover on I-84 west between Boise and Mountain Home. 46 year-old Samuel McCormic died at the scene of the crash a little before 5 a.m. 33 year-old Amy Beer of Mountain Home was driving a Toyota Camry when she went off the left side of the road and overcorrected. The vehicle rolled before coming to rest on the right shoulder of the road.

A Heyburn man is behind bars after prosecutors say he  reportedly confesed to a shooting that took place in November of last year.  George Lorenzo Sanchez of Heyburn was arrested March 28th.  Last fall, police reported to a call regarding a man who had been shot in the hand and groin.  Sanchez has been charged with felony aggravated battery and unlawful possession of a weapon for a convicted felon. He's headed to court for a preliminary hearing today.

50 year old Willie Sarratt has been charged with a felony count of discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle. Sarrat told prosecutors that he fired several shots into the back of a pick-up truck that was pulled off to the side of the road Saturday night, but he claims he was acting in self defense.  Sarrat contends he did not know his target before the incident.

The Nampa Police Department says it fired an officer charged with filing a false report to get prescription medication. Department officials say that Jarad Webb was fired after being charged with one felony count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deception, and one misdemeanor count of filing a false police report.

Today:  Generally cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 59F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight:  Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 43F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

Tomorrow:  Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 60F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with a possible shower

Winds: South 5-10 mph

Low: 39 (Mountains: 33)

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy scattered rain showers

Winds: South 5-15 mph

High: 61 (Mountains: 53)

FRIDAY: scattered rain showers

High: 61 (Mountains: 55)

SATURDAY: Rain

High: 59 (Mountains: 52)

SUNDAY: Scattered areas of rain showers.

High: 53 (Mountains: 47)

MONDAY: Partly sunny

High: 58 (Mountains: 51)

TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy chance of rain showers

High: 62 (Mountains: 54)

April 4th: On this day

1938

Born on this day in Scottsville, Kentucky, was Norro Wilson, country music singer, songwriter and producer. Wilson has written numerous hits including songs for Charlie Rich, Charley Pride, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, and has also produced artists, including Joe Stampley, Margo Smith, Sara Evans, Kenny Chesney and Shania Twain.

1944

Born on this day in Walden, near Beaumont, Texas, was Bob McDill, songwriter who has written numerous songs for country music artists, including 31 #1 hits for artists including Anne Murray, Don Williams, Waylon Jennings, and Mickey Gilley.

1971

Born on this day in Saltville, Virginia, was Clay Davidson country music artist who released his debut album Unconditional in 2000. Its title track was a top 5 hit for him on the Billboard country charts, and the album produced two more Top 30 hits.

1977

Kenny Rogers was at #1 on the country charts with "Lucille". Written by Roger Bowling and Hal Bynum, the song is about a man in a bar that meets a woman who has left her husband. It became Rogers' first major hit as a solo artist after leaving the successful country/rock group The First Edition the previous year. An international hit, it reached #1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart and #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top of the UK singles chart in June 1977.

1995

The Road Goes on Forever by American country supergroup The Highwaymen was released, featuring the line-up of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson. The album open’s with the Steve Earle song "The Devil's Right Hand".

1996

Shania Twain was at #1 on the US country chart with The Woman in Me, her second studio album and her first with the majority of the songs co-written by her. It went onto become her biggest-selling recording at the time of its release, selling 4 million copies by the end of the year.

2006

Hank Williams Jr. surrendered to police on a warrant issued in an alleged assault on a hotel waitress last month. Holly Hornbeak, 19, told police she was waiting tables at the Peabody Hotel's lobby bar when the country superstar asked to kiss her and lifted her off the ground in a chokehold. The country singer cut short a hunting trip to return to Memphis and surrender to the sheriff's department. All charges were later dropped citing lack of evidence.

2008

The Statehouse Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas hosted the Sparkle & Twang: Marty Stuart's American Musical Odyssey. The exhibit was on loan from the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville and ran until October 5, 2008.

Tuesday 040318

A semi-truck driver died in an early morning crash yesterday.  The truck, traveling westbound struck the guard rail of the I-84 overpass near milepost 211 a couple of times crashing down onto State Highway 24 below, striking a 1997 GMC pickup driven by 63 year old Gregory Grove of Albion. 

If you want to visit the Shoshone Falls plan on paying admission.  Again this year the city of Twin Falls will be charging admission fees to the park and Dierkes Lake through the end of September.  The fees help cover the cost of park maintenance and life guards.  $3 per car of $25 for a season pass.

Road Construction on a 12 mile stretch of Interstate 84 in Twin Falls County is underway.  Crews will work on pavement rehabilitation for the westbound lanes from the Kimberly/Hansen exit to the Ridgeway Road exit through mid-November.  Traffic will be reduced to one lane each direction and ramps will be closed intermittently.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed an order to spill more water over Columbia and Snake River dams to help protect salmon and steelhead.  Conservationists say the extra water will help young salmon migrate out to sea.

Idaho candidates seeking higher office didn't hit pause on their goal of wooing voters while the Legislature was in session for the past three months.  Republican Lt. Gov. Brad Little missed 34 Senate floor sessions this year.  Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Luke Malek missed 10 days in the House.

Idaho is joining a long list of states to require health insurers provide coverage for the treatment of autism. Department of Insurance Director Dean Cameron said his department has issued a bulletin warning insurers that an exclusion of autism treatments will be deemed discriminatory if that insurer's plan already includes coverage of rehabilitative or habilitative services.

Cherry and apple growers in Washington State are worried their exports to China will be hurt by a growing trade war that escalated on Monday when that country raised import duties on a $3 billion list of products. China buys Washington-grown cherries, apples and pears, which are all included in the trade dispute.

Today:  Sunny to partly cloudy. High near 55F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight:  Mostly cloudy. LOW: 37 (Mountains: 30)Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.

Tomorrow:  Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 58F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Chance of showers.

WINDS: SW 5-10 mph

LOW: 42 (Mountains: 35)

THURSDAY: Chance of showers.

HIGH: 60 (Mountains: 50)

FRIDAY: Scattered showers.

HIGH: 62 (Mountains: 53)

SATURDAY: Rain and windy.

HIGH: 60 (Mountains: 50)

SUNDAY: Scattered showers.

HIGH: 54 (Mountains: 47)

MONDAY: Partly sunny.

HIGH: 58 (Mountains: 53)

Top of Form

April 3rd: On this day

1928
Born on this day in Shelby, North Carolina, was Don Gibson, songwriter and country musician who was nicknamed 'The Sad Poet' because he frequently wrote songs that told of loneliness and lost love. Gibson, who made his first recodings in 1948, penned such country standards as "Sweet Dreams", “Oh Lonesome Me" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", (which has been recorded by over 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles in 1962) Gibson enjoyed a string of country hits from 1957 into the early 1970s. He died from natural causes on November 17, 2003.

1942
Born on this day in in Valdosta, Georgia was pop and country singer Billy Joe Royal. His most successful record was "Down in the Boondocks" in 1965. His first hit on the country music chart was in 1984 with "Burned Like a Rocket."

1948
Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys appeared for the inaugural broadcast of the Louisiana Hayride on KWKH, broadcasting from the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana. During its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American country and western music.

1971
Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty were at #1 on the US country singles chart with “After the Fire Is Gone". The duet written by L.E. White was the only single released from the LP, We Only Make Believe. "After the Fire Is Gone" was the first chart topper for Lynn and Twitty as a duo.

1981
Hank Williams Jr. was at #1 on the US country singles chart with "Texas Women", his third #1 on the country chart.

1991
Clint Black was at #1 on the US country singles chart with "Loving Blind" the second single from his album Put Yourself in My Shoes. It was his seventh single overall and became his fifth single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

2005
Miranda Lambert was at #1 on the US country chart with Kerosene, her first studio album. After placing third in the television competition, Nashville Star in 2003, Lambert signed with Epic Nashville in 2004. The album spawned four Top 40 Billboard Country Chart singles, however only the title track was a major hit, peaking at #15.

2011
Winners at the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards hosted by Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton included: Entertainer of the Year - Taylor Swift, Top Vocal Group - Lady Antebellum, Top New Solo Vocalist - Eric Church, Top New Vocal Duo or Group - The Band Perry, Single Record of the Year, Song of the year and Video of the year went to Miranda Lambert for "The House That Built Me" and Vocal Event of the Year went to Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson for "As She's Walking Away."

2014
Country guitarist Arthur Smith, best known for the theme tune from the 1972 film Deliverance, died. He was one of the most influential guitar-players in country and early rock 'n' roll. He found fame with his 1948 single "Guitar Boogie" and enjoyed other hits including "Feudin' Banjos" in 1955. When the Warner Bros film studio used a cover version and renamed it "Dueling Banjos" for Deliverance, he sued them and won substantial royalties. He died at his home from natural causes at the age of 93 just 2 days after his 93rd birthday.