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My perfect candidate
America’s national debt recently surpassed $30 trillion, a sum that exceeds our country’s entire annual economy (Alan Rappeport’s column, New York Times, Feb. 1, 2022). Interest rates are being raised in an effort to reduce inflation, but this will further exacerbate the burgeoning debt’s impact upon our economy. Donkeys and elephants alike have expanded this financial albatross for years, and few politicians will speak honestly to voters about solving the problem.
No candidate wants to campaign on a platform of higher taxes and reduced government benefits — most would consider it suicidal, but America is headed for financial disaster if it doesn’t prioritize spending and tighten its belt, and we voters share complicity.
The United States, once the envy of the world, doesn’t come close to making it into the top 10 list of countries for quality of life these days, and our middle class continues shrinking while the wealth gap expands between the haves and have-nots.
Donald Trump sensed the slogan “Make America Great Again” would resonate; however, he utilized Ronald Reagan’s faulty game plan of expanding debt while giving additional tax cuts to the rich and corporations. The percentage of national debt increased more during his four years than at any period in American history, and the Biden administration is adding to the problem.
The countries with the best standards of living in the world have higher rates of taxation. The difference is that their governments deliver when it comes to providing affordable education, substantive health care and retirement level support that doesn’t bankrupt their citizens.
Railing about the national debt is fruitless. It’s out of control, and we need to corral this wild stallion because no amount of enhanced economy will solve a $30 trillion issue. The problem can’t be cured solely on the backs of the rich although raising their tax rates is a no-brainer. Our debt is growing so fast all Americans need to accept the truth — it’s time to increase taxes while assessing what we want from all governmental programs.
My perfect presidential candidate in 2024 won’t be a candidate qualified for life support. We need someone with a vision for improving America that extends beyond borrowing more money during their projected political life span.
If America is to reverse course, it needs a leader who will staunch the flow of red ink. This person will candidly acknowledge that we can no longer afford the government we are paying for based upon the current tax system. The solution is either more tax revenue, or less and better prioritized government, or a combination of both factors.
This candidate will insist that we evaluate the entire American military machine in order to make it efficient and affordable. We spend more money on the military than the next 11 countries combined in the world (yes, that includes China and Russia), and we continue losing ill-founded wars. Having a prepared military is important, but that doesn’t mean we should continue engaging in mindless spending to support an industrial military complex that is contributing to our declining standard of living.
We need a candidate who recognizes failing to invest in education and bankrupting our youth before they get started in life is bad policy. This same candidate will revise our health care policies to provide quality affordable care for all Americans. We have been abused far too long, and it’s time for meaningful change.
My mythical candidate will explain to Americans that worthwhile services like education, medical care and retirement stability have a cost, but that the government will actually deliver something beyond mediocrity. The problem is voters will never elect a person who is truthful about revising our tax structure in order to properly fund government services.
We are living in our deluded bubble that America still has the greatest living standard in the world while continuing a tax structure that is driving us towards financial collapse. I don’t expect Americans to elect a candidate with the honesty and courage required to right our sinking ship. That would require tacit acknowledgment that we helped to create this problem. | 2022-02-11T19:41:08Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | My perfect candidate | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/my-perfect-candidate/article_4fcb3b0e-88da-509c-8e69-b3496cd0404c.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/my-perfect-candidate/article_4fcb3b0e-88da-509c-8e69-b3496cd0404c.html |
Supply chains: Kick them when they’re down
“Supply chains cannot tolerate even 24 hours of disruption. So if you lose your place in the supply chain because of wild behavior you could lose a lot. It would be like pouring cement down one of your oil wells.” — Thomas Friedman
Have you noticed the dwindling shelves at the grocery store? Are you still waiting on product orders placed months ago? In our household, this is a regular observation. School uniform items like pants and shirts that we ordered for our children last summer took the better part of four to five months to arrive, and we were left scrambling for approved apparel for them to wear to school this past fall. This phenomenon is not limited to school uniforms or grocery items either.
In October of last year, I penned an op-ed about societal planners actively working to disrupt supply chains and devalue currencies in pursuit of a reimagination of global capitalism. At every point during the last few years, they have advertised their intent, utilizing corporate finance publications like Forbes and Bloomberg to sell their vision of a new system with themselves positioned comfortably at the top. Others like The Hill advertised the Biden administration’s devotion to this vision of a new capitalism.
There was always going to be a correction after our ill-advised COVID retreat policies. Locking down supply chains in an attempt to run from viral contagion based on a high school experiment was never going to be without consequence. Perhaps our greatest error was allowing these policies to persist unfettered for as long as we did? Earlier course correction may have saved us from our current trajectory. Recent reports of economic indicators saw inflation climb to 6.8 percent, the highest rate in 40 years, and 4.5 million people quit their jobs in anticipation of OSHA-enforced vaccination policies, the highest number ever recorded.
Have you heard the phrase about kicking someone when they’re down? That seems a fitting description of the Biden administration’s policy positions. Build Back Better? No, Kick Them When They’re Down! So many of our mistakes seem to be forced errors. Our economic indicators have been trending the wrong way for the better part of the first year of the Biden administration, and so chalking these policies up to ineptitude seems gracious at best.
When the Supreme Court recently scrapped the Biden administration’s OSHA vaccine mandate in the private sector, the Biden administration didn’t abandon their misguided policy. Rather than move on they merely redirected their focus toward those whom they still held the authority to bully. In this case, healthcare workers and international truckers became the new targets of the Biden administration at a time when we’re short eighty-thousand truckers and 1 in 5 US healthcare workers quit with mandates pending. As a response, US and Canadian truckers have parked their rigs at US borders and assembled a convoy in protest.
In a time of major goods and labor supply crunch, implementing new choke points on the supply chain can’t simply be dismissed as inept and reads more like malicious policy. When every policy response exacerbates the circumstances in which we find ourselves, it’s hard to see them as anything but disdain toward the American workforce. Then from time to time a policy response that borders on the absurd is floated or introduced and one is left considering that maybe the Biden administration truly is inept?
One such example is the administration’s response following their suspension of truckers. They have proposed an apprenticeship program to put teenagers behind the wheel of big rigs. Don’t get me wrong, I am an ardent supporter of apprenticeship programs and believe that they’re far better for career training than what most government schools deliver. Still, putting trillions in supply in the hands of novice teenage drivers versus relaxing regulation and letting seasoned drivers do what they do in the short term seems every bit as irrational as it sounds.
Many economists are predicting that the global supply chain may never recover from our current predicament, and perhaps that would be by design for those who wish to reimagine global commerce? One is certainly left questioning if that is the objective of the Biden administration. The rest of us are left asking, why can’t they return? Supply chains are just mechanisms of facilitating supply and demand, and all of the pieces that existed before our pandemic response remain. People still require goods and services, and businesses still require meeting those demands to flourish. | 2022-02-11T19:41:20Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Supply chains: Kick them when they’re down | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/supply-chains-kick-them-when-they-re-down/article_94bedc23-8bf9-5641-9d2b-915351471168.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/supply-chains-kick-them-when-they-re-down/article_94bedc23-8bf9-5641-9d2b-915351471168.html |
In addition to reducing out-of-pocket expenses, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act would increase drug price transparency. While brand-name drug net prices, which account for discounts and rebates, declined by 2.9 percent in 2020, list prices, or sticker prices, for these same drugs increased by 4.4 percent. Given that both price-points can impact out-of-pocket expenses, the legislation would establish transparency requirements that empower consumers through meaningful oversight of pricing practices.
Beyond these provisions, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act would advance dozens of other pro-patient policy solutions. A new chief pharmaceutical negotiator, for instance, would be tasked with combating foreign freeloading, ensuring the best trade deals possible for domestic job creators and consumers, who subsidize a disproportionate share of biomedical innovation. Our proposal would also strengthen cost comparison tools, remove disincentives for prescribing lower-cost medications and facilitate outcomes-based arrangements to expand access to cutting-edge personalized medicines, to name just a few key provisions.
To date, congressional Democrat leadership and the Biden administration have chosen to pursue a partisan plan that would lead to higher launch prices for new drugs, fewer new treatments on the market and an increasingly bureaucratic health system, in addition to compromising our global life sciences leadership and providing rivals like China with a competitive opening. I sincerely hope that my colleagues course-correct and instead embrace common sense solutions like the Lower Costs, More Cures Act. | 2022-02-11T19:41:26Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | The Lower Costs, More Cures Act | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/the-lower-costs-more-cures-act/article_7679cb6f-cbdf-593a-9927-5870aa58c79a.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/the-lower-costs-more-cures-act/article_7679cb6f-cbdf-593a-9927-5870aa58c79a.html |
Bud-isms: Part 1
Last week I wrote about my dad and referred to his quips I call Bud-isms. I promised to occasionally share one or two with you. I dare not document all, for reasons you can assume. So thank you for allowing me to continue waxing nostalgic.
Cultures and generations own their uniqueness when it comes to phraseology and folksy sayings. Farming is especially prone to that, and my dad was no exception. Some of these phrases had no meaning other than they were funny. Others contained hidden messages worded in a way to get your attention.
My brothers would agree with me that his most famous line, used on a hot summer day on the dry farm was “Hotter than a wild woman’s dream!” I never dared ask him, but just how did he know how hot a wild woman’s dream really is? And did my mom know that he knows?
Another phrase he used to describe the opposite seasonal condition: “Colder than a well digger’s butt!” Again I would ask myself, “ What precisely is a well digger? And how does he know the comparative temperature of his glutes?”
The real attention getter that you were messing things up and on his last nerve was: “I shoulda drown you in a gunny sack in the canal with the rest of the kittens!” Horrible right?! I know it sounds bad and please nobody call PETA. He was of course kidding… I think. Imagine the call for psychological counseling that was possibly induced when a young boy thinks his dad drowns kittens? “You really drown kittens by putting them in a sack and throwing them in the canal?” I would almost tearfully ask. “How do you think we get rid of the extras around the barnyard that don't catch mice?” he would respond with a look and a smirk that didn’t exactly clear my conscience.
I honestly don't think that my dad was a cat killer. In fact, I can clearly picture a Sunday afternoon summer day in our backyard. He was lounging on the grass playing with the new kittens of the mother cat who inhabited our barn. He was never cruel to animals. It was his way of using a darker form of humor to convey the desired message of: “straighten up, do better, I expect more of your performance.” It was used to stop some of the nonsense and unacceptable behavior I was no doubt engaging in as a teeanger. Being the youngest and most hyperactive of the three Thomas boys, I heard that admonition more than my older brothers. I never ever wanted to disappoint my dad, and I heard the message loud and clear — most of the time.
Let us not forget his advice on selecting a wife. “Don’t marry her til you get copies of her last three years tax returns and a picture of her in a bikini.” A year or so after mom died, he actually used that line in a phone conversation to chase away a potential suitor who kept asking him out to dinner. When I asked him what her response was, he giggled and said, “There was an awkward moment of silence, then she hung up! Told you it was good advice!”
I borrow the Bud-isms frequently but have some of my own as well that I hope make sense and inspire. My own son could tell you of hearing me say with exasperation in my voice, “A lack of preparation on your part does not necessitate an emergency on mine.” Or the often used, “speak your mind, but mind what you speak.” Feel free to interpret as it serves you best.
I will conclude with one last favorite. After hours on a dusty, slow D4 Caterpillar tractor, turning left, crawling around our dry farm fields, I would start to whine and hint that it was probably quitting time. I was anxious to get home, take a shower and head for town with my letterman’s jacket on (even though it was summer and I did not need a jacket). Searching for my friends who were enjoying the summer night tradition of dragging Main Street, flirting with girls and consuming milk shakes, burgers and fries.
He would simply say, “Are you looking for sympathy? Look it up in the dictionary, it's in the S’s between _____ and _______!” Enough said, I got it. Keep going, make a few more rounds before it gets dark. The work ethic of a farmer being taught to his son.
How can anything be better than that?! | 2022-02-12T00:58:49Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Bud-isms: Part 1 | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/bud-isms-part-1/article_3ecd8ba6-56bd-50ae-93a8-b61beed29d51.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/bud-isms-part-1/article_3ecd8ba6-56bd-50ae-93a8-b61beed29d51.html |
Billy Chaddock cleans spent grain out of a mash tun after making a batch of beer at Star Route Brewing on Thursday.
STELLAR HIRE: Star Route Brewery brings in brewmaster from former California brew pub
POCATELLO — Kettle sours were a staple at Billy Chaddock's old Channel Brewing Co. in Stockton, California, which was known in the Central Valley for its creativity.
Chaddock and his brother-in-law, Ryan Sharpe, had home brewed together and went on to partner on opening their dream brewery in 2015. Recipes including mouth-puckering kettle sours, a smoky Scotch ale and Blinded Sailor IPA were a hit with Channel's customers, but the brewery ultimately folded in 2019, unable to recoup large investments in brewing equipment.
Chaddock, 33, who now lives in Pocatello, recently committed himself to building up another small brewpub in need of a lift, Star Route Brewery, 218 N. Main St.
And one of Channel's signature kettle sours is about to make a comeback in the Pocatello market. Sharpe agreed to visit Chaddock's new brewing digs — and to help him whip up a sour batch to be featured at Gate City Brewfest, a March 12 bar crawl hosted by the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce and Historic Downtown Pocatello.
"I'm here to help. I think (Star Route's) location is great. I think the venue is second to none in the downtown area with that giant beer garden," Chaddock said. "(White) keeps his place really, really clean. I'm seeing a lot of momentum."
White also learned the ropes of zymurgy as a home brewer. He used to work as a semiconductor engineer but thought building upon his hobby would make for a more enjoyable career. He opened Star Route around Thanksgiving in 2020, and he's been on a revenue roller-coaster ride ever since then because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After a slow start, things started to pick up for White over the summer. He had ample space and open air in his bustling beer garden. Having lived in Austin, Texas, he introduced a southwestern tradition of setting out dog bowls to encourage patrons to walk their dogs to the bar and stop by the beer garden for a drink and a barbecue sandwich.
As the weather cooled, however, so did business. Patrons have been less excited about dining and drinking indoors during winter, with the omicron variant resulting in another surge of COVID-19 cases. Staff turnover amid a national labor shortage has posed another challenge for White.
"It's been very rough," White said. "We're trying to make it through this mess and hopefully as things get better then things will start getting better for us, too."
Looking ahead, White has reason for optimism. Star Route is planning a Mardi Gras party for Feb. 26, which will feature the music of Rail City Jazz and a specialty beer intended to taste like a king cake — the recipe White concocted includes corn flakes, lactose sugar, pecan and cinnamon flavoring and other unusual ingredients.
White plans to buy a pizza oven to expand his menu.
Furthermore, Star Route has developed a close relationship with the Gate City Grays local baseball team and also hosts occasional meet-the-players events. The brewery named an IPA in the team's honor.
White has come to realize he likely caught his biggest break when he brought on Chaddock as a part-time bartender.
Chaddock joined the Air Force at 19 and was stationed in Great Falls, Montana, before returning to Stockton to serve with the Air National Guard.
Following the closure of Channel Brewing, Chaddock and his family moved to Pocatello in 2020 for his job as a service provider for Southeast Idaho with Delta Defense. The Wisconsin-based company sells memberships for the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, which provides firearms training and education and self-defense liability insurance.
The two brewers have found their skillsets mesh well. Chaddock explained White, with his background in engineering, is extremely detail oriented. Furthermore, White enjoys making basic ambers and brown ales. Chaddock specializes in IPAs and believes he can help White "branch out and do a more wide variety of styles." His goal is to help put the brewery "on the map."
Star Route planned to offer Chaddock's first beers on tap starting on Saturday.
Billy Chaddock
Ryan Sharpe | 2022-02-12T00:59:26Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | STELLAR HIRE: Star Route Brewery brings in brewmaster from former California brew pub | Gastronomy | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/townnews/gastronomy/stellar-hire-star-route-brewery-brings-in-brewmaster-from-former-california-brew-pub/article_afbf04cc-aa34-5a8f-a5b0-2a7e9861ced3.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/townnews/gastronomy/stellar-hire-star-route-brewery-brings-in-brewmaster-from-former-california-brew-pub/article_afbf04cc-aa34-5a8f-a5b0-2a7e9861ced3.html |
Idaho State Journal sports reporter Greg Woods goes up for a sick reverse layup.
Idaho State guard Estefi Ors puts up a shot from the corner, rudely beating the sports reporter.
My quest to beat ISU's Dora Goles and Estefi Ors in two shooting competitions
I knew I was in trouble when my 15-footer clanked off the rim and sounded like a gun going off. That was my one — one! — warmup shot before I challenged Idaho State guards Estefi Ors and Dora Goles in some shooting competitions to see whether a sports writer could stack up against DI athletes.
Goles gave me that one warmup shot before we started our game of PIG in Reed Gym. Maybe she was scared. Maybe she just wanted to get things over with. I appreciated her and Ors' generosity, agreeing to a couple post-practice shooting games with me so I could illustrate for readers the difference between mere mortals and college athletes, who operate in a truly elite stratosphere, but come on. What if she could only shoot one warmup shot before Big Sky games?
Anyway, things actually began OK for me. Goles attempted her first shot behind the backboard, unfurling a parabola that clanked off the front rim. At least I could breathe easy, knowing I was in the driver’s seat. Well, apparently I thought I had put my misses behind me with that first misfire, because I tried a regular 3. Nope. Back to Goles.
We traded misses for the first few minutes before Goles caught on to a secret I was desperately trying to hide: I have no right hand. I’m left-handed, which is the type of thing you notice when someone shoots a basketball, so Goles decided to test my skills with my off hand. Wish she hadn’t done that. Her next shot was a running floater with her left hand. Cash. I tried it with my right. Brick. I had a P.
The next part is the part I wish I could leave out of here, but my job is to tell the truth, so here goes: Goles, a Croatian native, walked over to the left corner for a 3-pointer. Swish. But I felt confident about my shooting abilities. In college, my entire exercise program consisted of going to the rec center three times a week and playing hours of pickup, where my best attribute was my shot. Even over the last year-plus of living in Idaho, I’ve found groups to play with, and I always felt like people respected that part of my game.
So anyway, I think Goles and Ors lowered the rim juuuust enough to throw me off, because I missed from that corner too. I had PI. This, friends, was not going well.
But listen. I am no pushover. I didn’t expect to win, not against a first-team all-conference guard who played in last year’s NCAA Tournament, but I wanted to put up something resembling a fight. So that’s what I did. When Goles was gracious enough to miss and it was my turn to pick a shot, I walked over to a spot that has always felt automatic, the right wing behind the arc. That one fell through the net. Goles missed again. She had P!
Have you ever seen National Treasure? It is unironically one of my favorite movies. There’s a scene where Riley, a silly character who rarely knows what’s going on, remembers something about 19th century history that has slipped the mind of Ben Gates, the genius leader of the whole operation. Before he tells Ben what he remembered, Riley takes a moment to soak in the moment. “This is cool,” he says. “Is this how you feel all the time?” Anyway, that’s how I felt when I made a shot Goles missed.
The rest of the game did not go swimmingly for me, so I’m gonna go ahead and fast forward to the last part of the night, a shooting competition against Ors. Some background on her: The Spain native is a sixth-year player. She holds the school record for most career 3-pointers. Excluding the 2019 season, when she missed all but seven games with a knee injury, she’s a 41% shooter from deep. If you don’t know, that’s an insane number. Only the best NBA shooters hit 40% or better. Granted, they’re shooting from farther away and doing so at a much higher volume, but still. It’s nuts.
So naturally, shooting is the part of the game I wanted to challenge her at. We set it up like this: 10 shots. Two from one corner, two from the right wing, two from the top of the key, two from the left wing, two from the other corner. Most out of 10 wins.
In a twist that makes zero sense, this was the challenge I felt best about. I knew Ors is the best shooter ever to come through Pocatello, but listen, I can hit catch-and-shoot 3s. If there was ever a Klay Thompson of eastern Idaho pickup basketball, he’s writing this story.
Thing is, I shot it more like Russell Westbrook. I actually knocked down my first two corner shots. Money! Then I moved on to the left wing, which is my sworn enemy, much like every shot outside of 10 feet for Westbrook. Clank and clank. Same with the top of the key. I hit one from the right wing, but I didn’t make another until I moved all the way around the right corner, where I splashed my last shot. All told, I hit 4 out of 10. Not what I needed.
But hey, what if Ors had an off night? The Bengals had just wrapped up practice. Maybe she was tired. Maybe she was intimidated by this skinny white guy. I only needed her to miss six shots to force a tie. Well, by the time she advanced to the top of the key, she had already cashed four. She moved to the right wing. She hit one. Then she hit two more. She finished 7-for-10, beating me with a smile on her face.
As it turns out, the players who moved from across the world to play college basketball were better than the guy who gets paid to write about sports. Weird. | 2022-02-12T05:36:20Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | My quest to beat ISU's Dora Goles and Estefi Ors in two shooting competitions | Sports | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/sports/my-quest-to-beat-isus-dora-goles-and-estefi-ors-in-two-shooting-competitions/article_9df6cfd7-00e3-55e6-867e-f31e595c1cfb.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/sports/my-quest-to-beat-isus-dora-goles-and-estefi-ors-in-two-shooting-competitions/article_9df6cfd7-00e3-55e6-867e-f31e595c1cfb.html |
Legislative sign-off on K-12 is officially broken
We now enter the second decade of this endless war with the chair of the House Education Committee committed to one bill to eliminate content standards in English, math and science and another to illegally force the State Board of Education’s approval of the most recent politicized attempts to needlessly rewrite these standards. And Chairman Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, without irony, states that, “We need to give consistency and stability to our content standards — all of them — so schools don’t have to worry about what’s coming or going.” Yes, War is Peace.
What’s not so easy is paying for remaking the high-quality assessments aligned with these three sets of standards that could no longer be used — in the ballpark of $200 million. What’s not so easy is paying the catastrophic education cost of dislocation and chaos as students, parents and educators are whipsawed back and forth due to political ideology. There is a seamless interconnection between content standards, curriculum, instruction and assessment. Changes in standards ripple mightily through our schools for years.
It’s easy to be sympathetic to this cabal’s plight as their gambit to rid the science standards of all mention of human impacts by lopping off all the supporting content failed in summer 2020. Following the demand of 14 legislators for the replacement of math, English and all supporting content in science, Superintendent Sherri Ybarra, ignoring the legal process, brought to the board’s June 2020 meeting a science standards document with all the supporting content struck out, nearly half the document, calling this a technical correction (“transcription errors or clerical errors”). Caught in the lie, she slunk back the next month and asked the board to restore the supporting content.
As the extremist rabble descends further into irrelevancy, we can take heart in the local control provision in Idaho Code that places primacy on adoption of content standards at the local level “with state standards as a minimum.” School districts can do the right thing for students by ignoring the Legislature and using the math and English standards adopted in 2016 and the science standards adopted in 2018, and the governor should promise and deliver a veto of any politically tainted standards. As for the extremists, they seek to divide, not unify; to destroy, not create; to obstruct and abuse power rather than get the people’s work done. They have become a joke — but not a funny one. | 2022-02-12T09:35:37Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Legislative sign-off on K-12 is officially broken | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/legislative-sign-off-on-k-12-is-officially-broken/article_a83c51ff-4ec8-5330-bc8b-053aebd098d3.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/legislative-sign-off-on-k-12-is-officially-broken/article_a83c51ff-4ec8-5330-bc8b-053aebd098d3.html |
Century guard Jordan Lee dribbles up the court Friday night against Highland.
Century freshman Isiah Harwell lines up a free throw Friday night against Highland.
Highland guard Fischer Anderson dribbles past Century forward Nash Harding Friday night.
Highland coach Ty Pearson talks to his team Friday night.
Highland forward Jayden Wright puts up a short shot Friday night against Century.
Highland guard Braedon Kelley puts up a 3-pointer Friday night against Century.
In a hallway next to the gym where something nearly as unthinkable as the previous few days' events had just unfolded, tears welled in Travis Bell’s eyes. His face grew red with emotion. He reached out and pulled Ty Pearson into a hug, where athletic director and head coach stayed for a moment, embracing after Highland’s 60-57 overtime loss to Century, a game so unbelievable it tempted you to forget about the circumstances that led to it.
Bell fought tears to mention he felt proud of the team. Pearson agreed. Neither man said much more. Bell bid farewell and walked away, leaving Pearson to digest what on earth had just happened — how the same team that had walked out on him earlier this week returned to play Friday’s game, fought like hell, and came so close to a statement win that it could be measured in millimeters.
For Pearson, whose Highland team on Tuesday said it wouldn’t return to play until he resigned, there was a lot to think about: How the Rams fell behind early, how they couldn’t quite take the lead, how they took a four-point lead in the fourth quarter, how they watched it vanish and lead to overtime, how they missed one free throw in the final seconds that would have tied the game.
For the moment, though, Pearson could only think of one thing.
“Just gratitude,” Pearson said. “Just thankfulness that the kids came back and played. They’ve been through a lot. They’re really good kids. Just glad they were playing. It was fun to watch them.”
Both Pearson and Bell declined to comment on how this game came together, on why the Rams changed their minds and decided to return to play.
This game featured several astonishing twists — in the final 10 seconds of regulation, both teams lost costly turnovers, and down as many as eight at one point, the Rams came roaring back to take the lead in the final minutes — but the most improbable was this: Earlier this week, when this newspaper reported Highland’s plan to sit out the rest of the season until Pearson resigned, it amounted to one of the more stunning stories to grace the area in some time.
Somehow, Friday’s game gave it a run for its money.
“It was good to see our guys fight,” Century coach Ryan Frost said. “District tournament’s gonna be a battle.”
That’s the next stop for both teams, but to get there, they had to endure a game that went back and forth so often a seesaw might blush.
Century (17-4, 3-1) entered the final seconds of the third frame with a 40-35 lead, but that’s when Highland (7-14, 1-7) engineered a run that changed the game.
Garrett Campbell, who totaled 11 points, stuck back a miss through a foul. He made the free throw. That cut the lead to two. Moments later, a loose ball caromed around Century’s basket, only for Highland to secure it and get it to junior Jayden Wright, who laid it in. Tie game. The Rams took the lead with a bucket from Raimon Barela, and they cushioned it when Rhidge Barela turned a steal into a layup, seizing a four-point advantage with four minutes to go, making a road game sound like the best home-court advantage in the country.
“They did a good job ball-pressuring us. It was turnovers,” said Frost, whose team lost 13 turnovers in the win. “Can’t win a game when you’re turning the ball over, so it felt like there was like three turnovers in a row, allowed them to get layup, foul, layup. Kinda dug ourselves in a hole.”
That was only the beginning. In the last 90 seconds of regulation, Century guard Zak Gillespie connected on his third triple of the night, handing the Diamondbacks a 49-46 lead. On the other end, Highland junior Ezra Godfrey answered with his own trey, knotting the game at 49, the final points of regulation.
In the extra session, after Century senior Bruin Fleischmann (12 points) helped his team take a 54-52 lead, Highland missed a triple, handing the Diamondbacks the ball with 35 seconds to go. Jordan Lee scored for a four-point lead. On the other end, Wright canned a critical trey. Century 56, Highland 55, 20 seconds left.
That forced the Rams to foul, Lee hit two more free throws and Century took a 58-55 lead with 17 seconds to go. So Highland dialed up a triple for Wright, who faked his first attempt. Harwell fell for it. Wright side stepped and unfurled the shot — only Harwell fouled him the act, sending Wright to the free throw line with a chance to tie the game.
Wright hit the first one. Made the second. Then he put a touch too much on the third, putting it off the back of the rim and into the arms of the Diamondbacks, who iced the game with more free throws. Wright finished with 13 points. The 14th eluded him.
“It would be nice to have a couple practices before we play a game,” Pearson said with a kind smile. “But they did great.”
Entertaining as the game was, it matters little for both teams moving forward, at least in terms of the postseason. Century, the top seed in 4A District 5, gets a bye to kick off next week’s district tournament. Highland will take the fourth seed into the 5A District 5/6 event.
That’s assuming the Rams play — they will “as far as I know,” Pearson said — but signs point toward Highland finishing things out in the postseason. Last week, they did beat Rigby, one of the state’s best teams, so it’s possible they could even challenge for a state tournament appearance.
Whatever the future holds for this Highland team, district tournament or not, the Rams followed a crazy story with an even crazier game. Good luck finding a sports book that would take odds on that.
Jayden Wright | 2022-02-12T09:35:43Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | In Highland's return, Century escapes with 60-57 win in overtime | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/in-highlands-return-century-escapes-with-60-57-win-in-overtime/article_e16ac82b-e46b-5c8e-9ded-0d2f8250cd39.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/in-highlands-return-century-escapes-with-60-57-win-in-overtime/article_e16ac82b-e46b-5c8e-9ded-0d2f8250cd39.html |
A recent police pursuit in McCammon ended in the arrest of a 20-year-old, police said.
A Bannock County Sheriff's deputy attempted a traffic stop for an outstanding warrant just after 10 p.m. last Saturday, Feb. 5, at the intersection of Center Street and 2nd Street in McCammon. The driver and one passenger fled in their vehicle, initiating a pursuit that went several miles southwest toward Robin.
The chase, with which the Idaho State Police assisted, ended at South Robin Road and Gittins in McCammon after about 10 minutes.
Police arrested the passenger, 20-year-old Markus Hottel, on the outstanding warrant. Police did not say whether they arrested the driver, who was a juvenile.
Markus Hottel
Robin Road | 2022-02-12T18:17:28Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Police pursuit in McCammon leads to arrest of 20-year-old | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/police-pursuit-in-mccammon-leads-to-arrest-of-20-year-old/article_fee08df9-b2a3-580f-a81f-b38b83a29597.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/police-pursuit-in-mccammon-leads-to-arrest-of-20-year-old/article_fee08df9-b2a3-580f-a81f-b38b83a29597.html |
A pressure cooker is not a pressure canner
Electric Pressure Cookers were popular the moment they came to the United States market. Electric programmable pressure cookers (EPPCs) generate a lot of questions about use and safety. With anything new, there comes lots of questions: are EPPCs safe, is pressure cooked food nutritious, does cost equate to quality, and are these cookers/pots of value? The noted promise of an EPPC is to save you time so you can eat well. If you are thinking about purchasing an electric pressure cooker, here are some things you will want to know.
Pressure cookers have long been noted to decrease cooking time, reduce energy consumption and retain nutrient quality equal to or higher than that of foods cooked by other methods. In today’s world, the consumer has a wide choice of pressure cookers ranging from the conventional stovetop pot to the EPPCs known as the “Third Generation” of pressure cookers. This cooking device is known for being safer and easier to use with the big advantage of convenience over stovetop models because they are programmed to start and stop. Some disadvantages of EPPCs when compared to stove top models, are capacity, non-stick coatings, inadequate handles, weaker heating elements and storage issues.
Nearly all EPPCs these days are multi-cookers that include slow-cooking, searing, sautéing, simmering, steaming, yogurt making and warming functions. The Instant Pot brand is simply one of many multi-cookers designed to replace a slow cooker, EPPC, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, sauté/browning pan and warming pot. Choose the multi-cooker which has the functions you are more interested in using on a regular basis. Utah State University Extension tested five different cookers and compared several consumer considerations including safety features, ease of operation, cleaning and special features. Based on their tests, the following features were deemed the most important to consider before purchasing an EPCC:
1. Look for a safety valve that locks the appliance while still under pressure.
2. A spring-loaded venting system (quick-release vent) delivers the best and most consistent performance.
3. Look for a pressure setting of 10psi or above.
4. Detailed troubleshooting/safety sections and thorough instructions on use and care in the user manual is a must.
5. And I would add to purchase from a well-known company, which will be around for parts.
Most importantly, there are major differences between a pressure cooker, whether it is a stove top model, an EPPC or a multi-cooker and a pressure canner. A pressure cooker is not a pressure canner and should never be used for canning, even if the recipe book or instruction manual states it is safe. Often, the two are used interchangeably in conversation and I want to make it clear that they are not! A pressure canner is designed to safely process low-acid foods for storage in canning jars at a temperature higher than boiling water. Pressure cookers are designed to cook everyday foods: they heat up and cool too quickly to adequately process canned food safely, and there is no pressure gauge to know the exact pressure.
By reviewing the basic differences, consumers can make better food safe choices when preparing food.
Source: Iowa State University, Marlene Geiger.
Eppcs | 2022-02-12T22:47:08Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | A pressure cooker is not a pressure canner | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/a-pressure-cooker-is-not-a-pressure-canner/article_ccdab9de-c3e3-5860-ab58-9a9b88724a08.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/a-pressure-cooker-is-not-a-pressure-canner/article_ccdab9de-c3e3-5860-ab58-9a9b88724a08.html |
A street sign for Northgate Parkway is pictured with the Rupp family's land in the background.
Lavelle Rupp and his family have filed state and federal lawsuits against the city of Pocatello and the two private development companies involved with the Northgate project alleging fraud, breach of contract and false advertising resulting in economic losses of at least $21 million.
A screenshot of the photo included in the lawsuits filed by Lavelle Rupp and his family against Pocatello and private developers involved with the Northgate development project. The lawsuit alleges the photo is displayed on the Northgate website, shows the Rupp property and misrepresents that the land is available from Millennial Development for interested buyers.
A screenshot of an image included in the federal lawsuit filed by Lavelle Rupp and his family against Pocatello and two private developers involved with the Northgate development project. The portion colored blue is Pocatello and the pink portion is Chubbuck. The suit alleges the annexation into Pocatello of Northgate Parkway, the blue shoestring section, was unlawful.
The suits were filed about five months after Pocatello received from Olsen on the Rupps' behalf a notice of a tort claim, a legal document filed as a precursor to a civil lawsuit against an Idaho governmental entity.
Nearly five years ago, the Northgate development project east of Chubbuck and north of Pocatello was heralded as a unique partnership of private developers, municipalities and state governmental entities that Blad said could double Pocatello’s population once completed. The entirety of the Northgate development project, which provided a new Interstate 15 interchange for access to the Northgate development area, represented an investment of roughly $31 million, including the $13.1 million interchange as well as connecting roads such as the main arterial street, Northgate Parkway, and its associated utility infrastructure.
Both the federal and state suits allege the Millennial-owned website used to promote the Northgate development project, northgatedistrict.com, uses images of the Rupp property.
In Idaho, a civil conspiracy exists if there is an agreement between two or more entities to accomplish an unlawful objective or to accomplish a lawful objective in an unlawful manner, according to the Idaho Supreme Court case of McPheters v. Maile.
Lavelle Rupp
Northgate Project
Rupps | 2022-02-13T02:37:40Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | $21 million lawsuit filed against Pocatello, developers associated with Northgate | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/21-million-lawsuit-filed-against-pocatello-developers-associated-with-northgate/article_e20c9b7a-9ec1-5e7b-a67e-d01f8ac3deb6.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/21-million-lawsuit-filed-against-pocatello-developers-associated-with-northgate/article_e20c9b7a-9ec1-5e7b-a67e-d01f8ac3deb6.html |
League of Women Voters of Pocatello to sponsor 'Building Resilience in Children' forum
By League of Women Voters of Pocatello
POCATELLO — The League of Women Voters of Pocatello is sponsoring a public forum, “Building Resilience in Children,” on Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., and it is online-only via Zoom, with recorded video posted to the website soon after the event. Attendees will learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences, their impact on a child's future and how evidence-based practices can help by preventing or mitigating the toxic impact of these experiences so to build resiliency in children.
Panelists include Rhonda Allenger, LISW, with 23 years experience in community mental health; Darcie DeLeon, licensed master social worker, with 14 years experience working with children and families; Holly Whitworth, a child development specialist and manager of the Teachers as Parents program; Teresa Fritsch, school psychologist and state delegate for the Idaho School Psychologist Association; and Kathy Dawes, co-chair of the Idaho League Building Resilience with ACEs Interventions committee.
The Idaho League BRACEs committee has been working with legislators and the Idaho Resilience Project to pass an important resolution, HCR 29 — Traumatic Childhood Experiences, which represents an acknowledgement of both the trauma and the interventions can help. Information about this resolution will be shared at the forum. The Zoom link is https://bit.ly/3JjWURk.
The League of Women Voters is a nonprofit organization of the United States that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information about the League in Pocatello, contact lwvpocatelloid@gmail.com | 2022-02-14T21:58:38Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | League of Women Voters of Pocatello to sponsor 'Building Resilience in Children' forum | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/league-of-women-voters-of-pocatello-to-sponsor-building-resilience-in-children-forum/article_4cc9c803-dcb2-510a-aaf3-1968d56732f3.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/league-of-women-voters-of-pocatello-to-sponsor-building-resilience-in-children-forum/article_4cc9c803-dcb2-510a-aaf3-1968d56732f3.html |
Bonneville County Sheriff's Office file photo
Bonneville County Sheriff's Office Press Release
Over the past 2 days, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies have issued more than 10 Misdemeanor citations to individuals who traveled into closed areas and got stuck in the snow.
Bonneville County Commissioners closed a number of roads in the back country on December 21st, 2021 due to annual winter conditions and for maintenance of snowmobile trail systems, a resolution that happens every year during the winter season.
Road closed signs are positioned at the major intersections of these areas, however multiple vehicles opt to travel beyond the signs, get stuck, and require rescue.
The rescue operations over the past couple days required a considerable amount of time and resources by Deputies, including the use of a snow cat, to make sure everyone could return home safely from the cold weather conditions.
One rescue involved an individual in his 60’s who had medical issues and recent surgeries, making the situation more delicate for responding Deputies.
Fortunately, no one was injured in these incidents, however encountering people with medical issues or a lack of preparedness for weather and/or road conditions is something our Deputies respond to often this time of year.
Many back country roads will remain closed until spring maintenance by Road and Bridge crews can be completed.
Between now and when roads re-open, conditions where Road Closed signs are posted can be deceiving as it appears passable or vehicle tracks travel beyond the signs giving motorists a false impression that it’s ok drive through.
However, just like the incidents over the weekend, vehicles traveling beyond the signs until they get stuck in the mud or snow put themselves at risk to the elements and cause severe damage to the road base.
What typically follows is more vehicles traveling beyond the Road Closed signs to help try to get others un-stuck, which in turn causes even more damage to the road base and sometimes Private Property. The result of this damage ultimately causes Road and Bridge to utilize more time, equipment, and resources to make the road safe for travel before they can be opened in the spring.
Proper maintenance of roads and accesses to the Back Country areas of Bonneville County is important to everyone who enjoys what it has to offer. Part of that maintenance process requires roads to be temporarily closed during times when its unsafe to travel and to prevent costly damage that requires repair. Motorists should always remember, just because a road looks passable where they see a posted Road Closed sign, doesn’t mean it’s safe or legal to drive on it.
A Misdemeanor Citation for driving past a Road Closed sign and into closed areas could result in a fine and costs associated with vehicle recovery and damage to property.
Remember, Road Closed signs and other traffic control devices are posted for your safety. The more motorists can do the safe thing by obeying these signs, the safer and more accessible our roadways can be. To access maps of closed and under construction areas of the over 1000 miles of Bonneville County maintained roads, click on the maps link at www.bonnevillecountyidaho.gov . No matter what time of year, always be prepared for quickly changing weather and road conditions, especially in the remote back country areas of Bonneville County. | 2022-02-15T04:30:25Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Sheriff's deputies cite more than 10 people in 48 hours for driving past road closed signs and getting stuck in snow | Freeaccess | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/sheriffs-deputies-cite-more-than-10-people-in-48-hours-for-driving-past-road-closed/article_9ddf6642-a8ec-5714-9e1b-976818b9b4a9.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/sheriffs-deputies-cite-more-than-10-people-in-48-hours-for-driving-past-road-closed/article_9ddf6642-a8ec-5714-9e1b-976818b9b4a9.html |
BOISE — Careful hands hoisted Monica, Phoebe, and 43 other furry friends off the plane and onto the Boise Airport's Jackson Jet Center tarmac on Monday, Valentine’s Day.
The dogs arrived in a small cargo plane early Monday afternoon. The plane's pilots and Idaho Humane Society staff unloaded the plane kennel by kennel. The event was dubbed “Love at First Flight” and some kennels were decorated for the occasion with colorful hearts, the event name, and phrases such as “I want to be loved bayou.”
"The biggest thing the South needs is access to low-cost spay and neuter,” Robbins said. “And until they do, we’ll find homes for the (animals) that are born homeless,” she said.
Dogs tend to be adopted quickly once in the Idaho Humane Society's care, Robbins said. | 2022-02-15T04:30:37Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Jet full of rescue dogs makes Valentine's flight to Idaho to find new homes | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/jet-full-of-rescue-dogs-makes-valentines-flight-to-idaho-to-find-new-homes/article_de79109b-acf8-5cc6-8d0d-fbdda4d2fe58.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/jet-full-of-rescue-dogs-makes-valentines-flight-to-idaho-to-find-new-homes/article_de79109b-acf8-5cc6-8d0d-fbdda4d2fe58.html |
Movies at the Bengal Theater this week
"American Underdog" plays Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Bengal Theater. This story about NFL star Kurt Warner follows his unlikely rise from grocery clerk to Superbowl MVP quarterback, spurred on by his faith and dedication and support from his family. Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff and free for ISU students with Bengal ID.
Looking ahead to next week, the "Night at the Museum" trilogy will play Feb. 21-23, at 7 p.m. in the Bengal Theater, with part one on Monday, part two on Tuesday and part three on Wednesday night. A security guard at a museum stumbles onto a discovery that the animals and people featured in the museum come alive at night with chaotic and humorous results. Admission is $3 for the public, $2 for ISU staff and children aged under 12, and free for ISU students with Bengal ID. | 2022-02-15T20:14:19Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Movies at the Bengal Theater this week | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/movies-at-the-bengal-theater-this-week/article_afec2676-34dc-516b-bc63-16769a8f9550.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/movies-at-the-bengal-theater-this-week/article_afec2676-34dc-516b-bc63-16769a8f9550.html |
Mike Kirkland, 68, joined ski patrol when he was 16, following in the tracks of his father, Max.
DIANNA TROYER
Jerry Waters, 71, is in his 52nd year of working on ski patrol.
Ski Patroller Joe Lehman has rescued injured skiers and done avalanche control for 48 years at Pebble Creek Ski Area.
By Dianna Troyer For the Journal
Even on overcast days, the mood in the Ski Patrol building at Pebble Creek Ski Area is radiant from high energy Ski Patrollers reminiscing about their half century of service to the volunteer organization.
They have rescued countless injured skiers, some with life-threatening injuries. They also have felt the triumph of rescuing avalanche victims and the tragedy of recovering fatalities.
“We’re just doing what we love,” said Mike Kirkland, 68, who became a Ski Patroller as soon as he was old enough at age 16. “You never know what’s going to happen here.”
Kirkland grew up skiing at Pebble Creek and followed in the tracks of his father, Max, who was a patroller.
“He died of a heart attack the day after helping some kids caught in an avalanche, so we named a run, Max Out, in his honor,” Kirkland said. “Every time I come up, the first run I make is for him. I tell him, ‘This one’s for you, Dad.’ ”
At the Ski Patrol building during a break, Kirkland laughs with Joe Lehman, 76, a patroller since 1974, and Jerry Waters, 71, in his 52nd season on the patrol.
“We have hundreds of stories,” Lehman said, laughing. “They’re even true.”
“Remember the early days of avalanche control and what they gave us?” said Waters, triggering more laughter.
They are among 85 Ski Patrollers at Pebble Creek who intentionally put themselves at risk to keep skiers safe. Before lifts open, they set explosives to dislodge potential avalanches, mark obstacles, and rope off areas that lack snow coverage.
Instead of being paid, they pay yearly dues to National Ski Patrol, a nonprofit dedicated to service, safety, and education. To keep their skills honed, they take annual refresher courses in first aid, avalanche mitigation and lift evacuation.
“I’m sincerely blessed to lead this patrol and to ski here,” said Stefan Berkel, 52, Ski Patrol director since 2006 and a ski patroller since he was 20. Before working at Pebble, he was ski patrol director at Utah Olympic Park near Park City.
“When I heard about this job at a summer instructor training, I jumped,” Berkel said. “The ski area is a gem with the terrain. Plus, the patrol here is like family.”
Generally Berkel schedules six patrollers on weekdays and 12 on weekends.
When Berkel was hired, Kirkland, Lehman, Waters and others shared their insights about the ski area with him. With the steep terrain, avalanche mitigation is crucial.
Poignant avalanche
Avalanches are poignant for Kirkland. Riding up the lift on January 7, 1995, with his dad, they were dispatched along with other patrollers to help teens who had hiked above the lift to find fresh powder and had triggered an avalanche. One teen went for help, while two were partially buried, and one had vanished.
All 12 ski patrollers made a line.
“We were elbow to elbow and started pushing our avalanche probes 6 feet down,” Kirkland said. “Then we moved one foot forward and did it again. I hit the buried skier on his head. We dug him out in time. He was lucky to have survived.”
“Dad rode down the lift with them to reassure and calm them,” Kirkland said. “He died of a heart attack the next day. He was only 64. I think the exertion of responding to the accident impacted his heart. The skiers he helped came to his funeral.”
Not all avalanche rescues are triumphant. Three fatalities have occurred, the most recent in 2020 near the end of the season. Patrollers recovered the body of Phil Bregitzer, 60, an experienced backcountry skier, who was skiing out-of-bounds with friends.
Although serious about avalanche control, patrollers laugh about how avalanche mitigation has evolved. In the 1970s, they trained with a prototype of the Avalauncher, a fickle device that launched charges and was challenging to calibrate.
“Sometimes we overshot our target,” Lehman said. “Other times, a charge wouldn’t detonate, so I was voted to deal with it. You’d tape a new cap and fuse to it, then light it and run. Other times, I was the one lowered by a rope to put a charge at a certain place. Why was it always me for those jobs?”
They all laugh.
“These days, our charges and detonation methods are safe and stable,” Berkel said.
Some accidents were unforgettable. One skier going off a cat track near the Ridge got his ski pole stuck into his femoral artery when he landed. A patroller rode the toboggan down with him and applied direct pressure to the artery so he wouldn’t bleed out.
“It was the first time a LifeFlight helicopter landed in the parking lot to evacuate someone,” Kirkland said. “He lived to ski again.”
Then there was a speeding skier in South Bowl who overshot the cat track, landed on rocks, and ruptured his spleen.
“We had to move fast on that one to get him to the ambulance,” Lehman said. “He survived.”
During a shift, no matter what happens or whether the mountain is enshrouded in clouds in the morning, Kirkland predicts skies are usually clear by late afternoon.
“It’s always golden here by the end of the day,” he said.
Mike Kirkland | 2022-02-16T18:34:11Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Guardian Pebble Creek Ski Patrollers give a half century of service | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/guardian-pebble-creek-ski-patrollers-give-a-half-century-of-service/article_641d871b-5dfd-531f-8fe4-5993d7df704a.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/guardian-pebble-creek-ski-patrollers-give-a-half-century-of-service/article_641d871b-5dfd-531f-8fe4-5993d7df704a.html |
The former Naval Ordnance Plant, which will now be called Titan Center, is seen from the air. The facility has been sold to Industrial Realty Group, one of the nation’s largest owners of commercial and industrial properties.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DON ZEBE
PDA considering funding increase to aid in rehabilitation of former Naval Ordnance Plant
Pocatello Development Authority is mulling a Los Angeles real estate investment firm's request that it increase a pledged contribution toward the rehabilitation of the city's former Naval Ordnance Plant by $500,000.
Industrial Realty Group, which specializes in rehabilitating expansive older properties, purchased the 150-acre property along Pole Line and Quinn roads and plans to call it the Titan Center.
IRG originally requested more than $1.6 million from PDA to update four old warehouses with new paint, new windows and other aesthetic improvements.
PDA administers the city’s tax increment financing districts, which represent the primary tool available to help Idaho communities attract economic development.
The board chose last fall to contribute $1.1 million, concerned PDA didn't have the full amount of IRG's request in its coffers.
PDA Executive Director Brent McLane explained the board recently authorized writing up the proposed agreement between PDA and IRG for the adjusted amount of $1.6 million. McLane said PDA will vote on approval of the updated agreement on March 16.
McLane said IRG officials had indicated they wouldn't be able to refurbish one of the buildings in their plan without the full $1.6 million from PDA. McClane said PDA currently has about $1.4 million in its account for that TIF district, but all of the necessary funding should be in the account by next January.
McLane emphasized that IRG would receive PDA funding only in repayment of completed work.
McLane explained the TIF in which the plant is located is unique in that it allows for upgrades to the privately owned buildings.
"That TIF plan specifies facades as eligible because of impact they have on community," McLane said. "It’s going to be a significant improvement to the development there and to the Pocatello skyline."
McLane said IRG has already started working on utilities and infrastructure work at the site, but no work has commenced on aspects of the project that will be reimbursable by PDA.
Though the buildings in the former NOP plant are somewhat dilapidated, IRG officials have told the Journal they have industrial cranes and tall ceilings and would cost a fortune to build today. They also have good rail access, with tracks running through some of the buildings.
IRG also plans to develop a retail and commercial area, with restaurants, coffee shops and possibly a hotel, on 5 to 9 acres near the site’s Quinn Road entrance.
In TIF districts, property values used for calculations by the general taxing entities are frozen at the rate before development. Funds generated from improvements within the designated urban renewal boundaries — known as the increment — are diverted from the general tax rolls for a specified period to repay investments in infrastructure.
Brent Mclane
Irg | 2022-02-18T01:10:14Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | PDA considering funding increase to aid in rehabilitation of former Naval Ordnance Plant | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/pda-considering-funding-increase-to-aid-in-rehabilitation-of-former-naval-ordnance-plant/article_c6ea8460-3387-5346-9166-3bd6a7c25d2a.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/pda-considering-funding-increase-to-aid-in-rehabilitation-of-former-naval-ordnance-plant/article_c6ea8460-3387-5346-9166-3bd6a7c25d2a.html |
Garden City Police Department Facebook
GARDEN CITY — Garden City Police arrested a woman on Wednesday for spending $1.5 million under company accounts.
Tanya Cerda, who was recently fired from a local business, spent money from her employer on various items from multiple vendors. They ranged from paper products to office equipment, Sgt. Tyler Domney of the Garden City Police Department said in an email to the Idaho Press.
After an investigation in which police served search warrants and submitted digital forensic evidence to a lab, they arrested Cerda on multiple charges.
Cerda, 32, is charged with grand theft, facing up to 20 years in prison, and computer crime-access or uses to defraud or obtain money or services by fraudulent pretenses.
Tanya Cerda
Tyler Domney | 2022-02-18T05:39:55Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Woman arrested for grand theft, ordered $1.5 million in office supplies | Crimes & Court | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/crimes_court/woman-arrested-for-grand-theft-ordered-1-5-million-in-office-supplies/article_d923d6ab-1711-5705-929e-24646c20ce6c.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/crimes_court/woman-arrested-for-grand-theft-ordered-1-5-million-in-office-supplies/article_d923d6ab-1711-5705-929e-24646c20ce6c.html |
This weekend, when Idaho State finds time to flip on the tape and review its 53-52 road loss to Northern Colorado Thursday afternoon, the Bengals might feel a little disoriented. Maybe a little whiplashed.
Idaho State looked like two different teams over the course of this loss. Early on, ISU (16-9, 12-4 Big Sky) dug itself a hole and fell behind by as many as nine, misfiring on a few shots and facing an early deficit.
Then, in the third quarter, Idaho State made things interesting again. The Bengals ripped off — no typo here — a 20-1 run, turning a 28-24 halftime deficit into a 44-34 lead late in the third frame. For ISU, everything changed: The visitors played better defense, got shots to fall, and when the third frame ended and they owned a 10-point advantage, they looked ready to start this road trip with a convincing win.
That’s when something changed. Idaho State’s offense vanished like a magic trick. The Bengals made just one field goal in the fourth frame — a triple from Tomekia Whitman, who totaled 10 points, giving ISU a one-point lead with around 90 seconds left — and languished against the same zone the Bears played all game.
“In the fourth quarter, we just missed shots,” Idaho State coach Seton Sobolewski said in a phone interview. “We missed multiple layups. I think we counted three to five missed layups in that quarter. So just bad shooting. If we had shot a little better in the fourth quarter, we would have won.”
Sobolewski could say that again. In the fourth frame, Idaho State’s offensive numbers looked like this: Four points, 1-for-12 from the field (1-for-4 from beyond the arc), 1-for-2 from the free throw line, one assist, five turnovers and, if his staff’s count was right, enough missed layups to make the Bengals feel like they lost a winnable game.
If you follow this team closely, that might sound like a phrase you’ve heard before. Over the last month or so, Idaho State has watched its missed layups problem bubble to the surface at the worst times. Some shots are contested. Some aren’t. Either way, for a team that entered Thursday in first place in the Big Sky, the Bengals are missing too many layups to win these types of road games.
“There’s a lot of different reasons,” Sobolewski said. “Sometimes you’re going too fast, sometimes you’re off balance. Sometimes you’re really not that open and you probably shouldn’t shoot, if it’s going to be a tough or contested shot. And then sometimes you just miss.”
Montana Oltrogge led Idaho State with 12 points, while Whitman and Callie Bourne logged 10 each for the Bengals, who actually played effective defense. For the game, Northern Colorado shot just 36% from the field, made 4 of 19 triples and coughed up 19 turnovers. More importantly, the Bengals held bruising forward Kurstyn Harden to four points (two at the free throw line), meaning they won a really important matchup.
Even the Bears’ leading scorer, guard Hannah Simental, tallied eight of her 16 points at the free throw line. But Sobolewski took issue with a different part of his team’s defense.
“I thought we had to do a little better in the fourth quarter of rebounding the ball,” said Sobolewski, whose team lost the rebounding battle, 37-27. “We got them to miss on their initial shot a few times, but then we give up a second attempt that they put in.”
For Idaho State, which will visit white-hot Sacramento State on Saturday, cleaning that up will become paramount. For one, the Hornets are the conference’s hottest team with wins in nine of their last 10 games, but they also roster 6-foot-5 center Isnelle Natabou, the conference’s leading rebounder and the player who gave the Bengals the most trouble in the teams’ first meeting.
With this loss, Idaho State gave up the lead in the conference standings. But to make sure their grasp doesn’t loosen more, the Bengals will need to find a way to corral Natabou and scrape out one win out of this two-game road stretch.
“Stay confident,” Sobolewski said of what his team needs to do differently on the glass. “Just focus more on, hey, we gotta finish plays with a block out. Every defensive possession needs to finish with a block out and a rebound.”
Isnelle Natabou | 2022-02-18T05:40:07Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Idaho State lets fourth-quarter lead slip in 53-52 loss to Northern Colorado | Sports | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/sports/idaho-state-lets-fourth-quarter-lead-slip-in-53-52-loss-to-northern-colorado/article_585c27f9-df26-528d-a0e6-c062ef8c8251.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/sports/idaho-state-lets-fourth-quarter-lead-slip-in-53-52-loss-to-northern-colorado/article_585c27f9-df26-528d-a0e6-c062ef8c8251.html |
Pocatello guard Kesler Vaughan sinks a 3-pointer Thursday night against Century.
Pocatello guard Matt Christensen lays in a basket Thursday night against Century.
Century forward Nash Harding puts up a shot Thursday night against Pocatello.
Shortly after the calendar flipped into the new year, Pocatello coach Joe Green had something like a revelation. The JV team, he noticed, rostered this thin sophomore with blonde hair that rested on his head like a mop. He played varsity some, but Green and his assistants liked Kesler Vaughan’s aggressiveness, his mentality, his toughness.
He’s a winner, Green realized.
So on Jan. 6, Green ended Vaughan’s double duty between the JV and varsity squads and pulled him up to his team, making him a full-time rotation player for the Thunder. His decision paid immediate dividends. Vaughan knew his role. He knocked down triples, guarded like hell, and helped Pocatello reel off win after win after win.
Someday, when Green retires and reminisces on his time as Pocatello’s head coach, he’ll smile when he thinks about his choice to pull Vaughan up. If he hadn’t, Vaughan wouldn’t have been under the hoop to stick back the game-winning basket in a 64-62 4A District 5 tournament win over Century Thursday night, and he wouldn’t have connected on two gargantuan triples to make it all possible.
Instead, after he knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game in regulation and one to take the lead in overtime, he crashed the glass and put back the two points the Thunder needed to move on in this district tournament. Now, Pocatello gets a week off before hosting the winner of Century/Preston in next week’s district championship game.
“It was like slow motion,” Vaughan said. “I just jumped in the air. The rebound came down. It was like slow motion. Just put it back in.”
After the game ended and a crowd caught its breath, Vaughan walked back onto the court, where a group of cheerleaders and teammates chanted his name. Kes-ler. Kes-ler. Vaughan smiled. He was only a few feet away from the right wing, which is where he slung home two triples that engineered this Pocatello win: In regulation, he tied the game at 54-54 with 39 seconds left. In overtime, after Century took a two-point lead, he splashed another trey, this one to retake the lead with three minutes to go.
That’s the thing about this Pocatello team, though. Two weeks ago, when these teams met in this same gym, Century raced to an early lead and cruised the rest of the way. Same goes for their first meeting, at Pocatello, when the Diamondbacks controlled things and freshman phenom Isiah Harwell singed the Thunder’s defense.
The same movie threatened to roll early in Thursday’s game. Century seized an early lead and took a 14-point advantage into halftime. The Diamondbacks were playing, well, like the Diamondbacks: They were using their speed, their size, their athleticism to bury defenders around the basket and dare the Thunder to score inside. On the scoreboard, Pocatello only hung around by making 11 of 14 free throws in the first half.
But in their heads, something else happened.
“We just didn’t panic,” Pocatello coach Joe Green said. “In the other two games, I felt like we panicked a little bit, tried to hit home run shots. But we just stayed the course today. Got those five easy passes and waited until we got a good look.”
In crunch time, the Thunder got good looks by the bushel. Guard Ryan Payne, who totaled 16 points, posted five in the third, which helped Pocatello kickstart its rally. Julian Bowie, who scored 11, registered six in the fourth quarter and overtime. Guard Matt Christensen, who tallied 15 crucial points, knocked down two free throws in the fourth and sank a mid-range jumper in the extra session.
But that group, important as it was on offense, swung the game on defense. In the first half, Century shot an asinine 78% from the field, missing just four shots. In the second stanza, that number plummeted to 29%. Harwell scored 11 points in the first half. He went scoreless in the second. Century forward Nash Harding did his darndest to keep his team in the game, registering 12 of his 17 points in the second half, but Pocatello largely silenced his teammates.
“At halftime, we just looked at the score, like, we gave them 42 points. That’s way too many,” Green said. “We’re not gonna score that many on Century. We just talked about, no more layups, no more offensive rebounds. Just a gut-check for them. They responded.”
“We’ve gotta do a better job of getting touches for guys to get good shots,” Century coach Ryan Frost said. “I take a lot of blame. I think I made our guys more passive than they needed to be.”
Now this tournament gets really interesting. Century hosts Preston on Tuesday. The winner of that game visits Pocatello in the district title game. In this three-team conference, only one team goes to state, which makes next week feel like the final fight in The Matrix.
Vaughan doesn’t resemble Keanu Reeves much, but he might be the one.
“Just confidence,” Vaughan said. “I’ve made those shots 100 times in my church. Just confidence. Straight confidence. Catch it, shoot. It’s the shot I shoot every day in my church, you know?” | 2022-02-18T07:41:50Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Vaughan sticks back game-winner as Pocatello tops Century in district semis, 64-62 | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/vaughan-sticks-back-game-winner-as-pocatello-tops-century-in-district-semis-64-62/article_1c68266f-574e-5318-9b31-5a46d0b8d675.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/vaughan-sticks-back-game-winner-as-pocatello-tops-century-in-district-semis-64-62/article_1c68266f-574e-5318-9b31-5a46d0b8d675.html |
Beginning Tuesday, the Lower City Creek Trailhead and trail below Bridge 1 will be closed to all users while Russian olive trees are being removed.
To protect trail users, this closure is in effect daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice. Please use an alternative trailhead (e.g. Upper City Creek or Cusick Creek) for your safety, as crews will be using chainsaws and large chipping equipment. Work is expected to be completed within three weeks.
For more information, contact Hannah Sanger, Environmental Division administrator, at hsanger@pocatello.us or 208-234-6518.
Upper City Creek | 2022-02-18T21:58:37Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Portion of City Creek Trail system to be closed to remove invasive species | Freeaccess | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/portion-of-city-creek-trail-system-to-be-closed-to-remove-invasive-species/article_76c00efa-3798-5ba1-bba1-9f77243706a3.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/portion-of-city-creek-trail-system-to-be-closed-to-remove-invasive-species/article_76c00efa-3798-5ba1-bba1-9f77243706a3.html |
Haley McMichael, left, holds a pizza with Lewis & Clark Elementary School Principal Nichole Garza.
From left, Jill Robertson, Katie Gilbert, Samantha Christian, Haley McMichael, Sydney Stranger and Nichole Garza hold pizzas delivered Friday by McMichael to express appreciation to her child's teachers and staff at Lewis & Clark Elementary School.
Parent buys pizza for teachers, staff at Lewis & Clark Elementary
POCATELLO — Haley McMichael made a big lunch delivery Friday to let the teachers and staff at her son's elementary school know how much they're appreciated.
McMichael brought 26 pizzas and 20 orders of bread sticks from Little Caesars to Lewis & Clark Elementary, 800 Grace Drive, where her son Felix is a second-grader.
McMichael said she's been disturbed by recent inaccurate "us-versus-them" accusations about Idaho's teachers, including that they're teaching critical race theory and indoctrinating students with their own liberal ideologies. McMichael emphasized that critical race theory, which examines the intersection of race and law in the U.S., isn't taught to Idaho school children. She's also found that her children's teachers have been transparent and open-minded in their dealings with parents, and she noted parents can always review their children's assignments and discuss concepts with them.
She's been especially troubled by legislation throughout the country limiting content teachers can cover and the recent banning of books in certain states.
"I thought about how much Lewis & Clark has done for my family over the years by giving my children dedication and by addressing issues and concerns we've had," McMichael said. "I have just been blown away by the level of involvement my children have received at Lewis & Clark."
McMichael said she got the idea to thank her school with lunch from a friend who delivered candy to her child's school teachers and staff.
"They all seem like the most positive people in the world," McMichael said. "We as parents need to be allies. Everything works better for our children if we work as a team."
Haley Mcmichael | 2022-02-18T21:58:59Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Parent buys pizza for teachers, staff at Lewis & Clark Elementary | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/parent-buys-pizza-for-teachers-staff-at-lewis-clark-elementary/article_5ec4c77d-bfc3-5d57-bafd-16fc3a3182a3.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/parent-buys-pizza-for-teachers-staff-at-lewis-clark-elementary/article_5ec4c77d-bfc3-5d57-bafd-16fc3a3182a3.html |
The progressive left has lost the war of COVID population control politics. It will be interesting to see if the Biden-Harris administration has learned how to deal with defeat this time around. You would think they would be world -lass experts at losing wars and retreating by now.
The left lost the war on crime by following Biden/Harris’ lead to defund the police and by supporting equity-motivated, non-prosecution of criminal behavior.
And who says President Joe Biden’s not a self starter! He started our battle with inflation with his oil and gas policies and escalated the conflict with his reckless spending. Now “Bidenflation” is an out of control lost cause.
President Biden is no better at ending wars than he is at starting them. Even with the most powerful military on the planet Biden managed to lose not only the war, but even the retreat from Afghanistan.
Now the radical lefts’ war of population-control-by-virus is coming to its conclusion in yet another Democratic-lead defeat. Down in President Biden’s bunker, Democratic/Soros leaders imagine they are still commanding armies of fully masked, triple-boosted, obedient Karens, but their COVID war of population control is lost. Folks have become numb to repeated shrieks that “the sky is falling!” if we don’t comply with Biden’s mandates.
Court rulings are shooting down mandates and out-flanking overreaching governors. Authoritative studies from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center have explained the folly of hiding in shutdown bunkers. It was a mistake to think that ill-fitting paper masks would stop or even significantly slow a highly contagious virus. Images of leading Democrats living their mask-less lives shout out the hypocrisy of mask mandates more clearly than Jen Psaki’s spin or Biden’s whispered threats. Moreover, even with all their benefits, today’s vaccines are a far cry from the victory-winning “super weapon” Biden promised.
Data confirms that healthy children with their strong immune systems should be treated as non-combatants in the war on COVID. The left’s woke storm troopers have used masked school children as human shields while they promoted their progressive ideology and radical social engineering.
At the other end of the demographic spectrum, feckless politicians ignored both science and common sense and sent our oldest and weakest to the front lines early in the viral war. While the elderly became lonely casualties in nursing homes and quarantined hospital wings, Democratic leaders fiddled with COVID death statistics and ignored all the red flags. Now the white flags are out.
Democrat-controlled states (Oregon, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Nevada) are joining red states and surrendering their mask mandates. Other states will follow the polls. Vaccination mandates will soon capitulate as well. Entire countries (United Kingdom, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and others) are surrendering to the victorious army of rational science, economic sanity and individual freedom. As our neighbors to the north in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Prince Edward Island have found out, it’s better to keep on trucking than it is to die on the hill of mandate madness.
However some diehard fanatics are still fighting on for their lost cause of population control. Next door the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls his protesting truckers all of the scarlet letter words the left loves so much. Who would have guessed that the diverse melting pot of Canadian truck drivers are “Nazis”, “racists” and “white supremacists”? And here I thought they were all Canadians, eh.
Last week, Trudeau used overwhelming police power to clear a blocked bridge, but that wasn’t nearly enough punishment for his uppity, working class truck drivers. Declaring the truckers’ protest over COVID mandates “terrorism” and an actual danger to the country of Canada, Trudeau has suspended civil rights and declared martial law. It’s the most brutal step he can take short of deploying the Canadian army. All of this because of carnival-like civil disobedience to dubious COVID control mandates.
Why the appalling overreaction? Because to the left’s shock and dismay the workers of the world are finally uniting, but against them! And the left won’t stand for it.
President Biden flashes in anger, too, when his mandates are “disrespected.” His minder-managed view of the political landscape is profoundly distorted, but the polls are clearing up his vision. Any day now I expect President Biden will hold a no-questions-allowed press conference and in a creepy whisper proudly declare that the science has miraculously changed, the COVID war is over and that we can now stack arms and finally forgo the mandates inspired by the pandemic crises.
As the political side of the COVID, crime, inflation and Afghanistan conflicts cave in on the progressive left, those who are guilty of political and media “war crimes,” i.e., the crime of being so wrong for so long, are deserting. Twitter histories are being erased. Facebook accounts are being deleted. Democrats by the score are retiring and declining to run in the next election. Media commentators, executives and producers are falling by the wayside and scurrying to safe places. Media networks are pledging to “reinvent themselves” in the hope that we will forget, or at least ignore, their past duplicity.
But changing one’s stripes is not as simple as shredding documents and inking over damning tattoos any more. Let the Democrats’ finger pointing and Trump-blaming begin, but voting records and the Internet are forever. It’s become impossible to re-write history and get away with revisionist spin-perjury. The most effective Republican political ads have already been written, produced and directed by the Democrats themselves. The jury is still out until next November, but we can expect a red wave of verdicts in the coming elections.
But don’t expect unconditional surrender or even sincere contrition from Democratic leaders. Those arrogant elites are incapable of self awareness. It will never occur to the left that they cause their own failures. They always have to blame someone else. Yesterday it was the deplorables, today it’s the unvaccinated, and forever and always it’s Trump. The best we can expect from the Democrats and their media is some well practiced deflection, gaslighting and spin. | 2022-02-18T21:59:06Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Another war lost | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/another-war-lost/article_45e84953-9f2f-50e0-b21e-0bc1b5af0085.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/another-war-lost/article_45e84953-9f2f-50e0-b21e-0bc1b5af0085.html |
Don't ID.Idahoans
The IRS raised serious red flags about the protection of confidential taxpayer information and fundamental civil liberties when it announced a major expansion of its collaboration with ID.me, which would have required taxpayers to submit to ID.me a trove of personal information, including sensitive biometric data. While IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig has since announced the IRS is pursuing short-term options that do not involve facial recognition, we need to know what verification tools the IRS plans on transitioning to and what data security measures are in place to protect individuals’ privacy when they create or access accounts online. As the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, I have been leading an effort to raise these concerns and questions with the IRS.
At the end of 2021, the IRS announced its intention that starting in the summer of 2022, it would require taxpayers to have an ID.me account to access key IRS online resources, including to check on the status of a return, view balances and payments received, obtain a transcript and enter into an online payment agreement. As part of the registration process, ID.me requires a considerable amount of personal information, which may include a photo ID, birth certificate, social security card, video "selfie," bills, recorded video interview with an ID.me employee and more. The most intrusive verification item was the required "selfie," which is much more than simply uploading a picture; it is submitting one's face to be digitally analyzed by ID.me into a "faceprint."
Identity verification is important in benefit-paying programs to prevent fraud. Unfortunately, the IRS has been expanded from a tax-collecting agency to a mixed-purpose entity increasingly involved in paying out benefits, including refundable credits to those with no income tax liability. That has put increasing pressure on the IRS to have to root out fraudsters trying to get quick payouts from the IRS. Biometric identity verification at the IRS is not the way to relieve those pressures.
In its most recent announcement, the IRS seems to be backing away from using mandatory biometric data submission or facial recognition to help authenticate people creating new online accounts, but we cannot let up in pressing the IRS to focus on protecting taxpayers’ data and preventing fraud — not exposing taxpayers to unnecessary facial recognition or bank reporting requirements.
The IRS’s expanded use of sensitive information is especially concerning given the government’s unfortunate history of data breaches. Examples are many. They include the U.S. Office of Personnel Management breach, where the government failed to protect some of its critical employees' most sensitive identity details; the recent ProPublica leak, which exposed the legally protected confidential taxpayer information of many American taxpayers; and an IRS breach when hackers gained access to the tax returns of over 300,000 people. To put this in perspective, in 2019, the IRS estimated it faced 1.4 billion cyber-attacks annually. It is highly likely, with personal information on a reported 70 million individuals — including biometric data — ID.me could be a top target for cyber-criminals, rogue employees and espionage.
Americans should not be forced to pay the toll of giving up their most personal information — biometric data — or return to the era of a paper-driven bureaucracy where information moves slow, is inaccurate and some would say is processed in ways incompatible with contemporary life. It is basically asking Americans to decide which bad outcome they prefer (neither, thank you). I will continue to push back against efforts to require unprecedented levels of confidential, personal data, which would be used simply to meet the responsibilities the federal government places on Americans. | 2022-02-18T21:59:12Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Don't ID.Idahoans | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/dont-id-idahoans/article_0d2cc66f-f5a3-54fd-a8cd-5ce762fb8c09.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/dont-id-idahoans/article_0d2cc66f-f5a3-54fd-a8cd-5ce762fb8c09.html |
From ice fishing to book banning, GOP has your back
Theocracies like Saudi Arabia have government-sponsored morality police forces that report citizens for such things as obscene dancing, PDA and wearing nail polish. No such officially sanctioned group exists in the U.S.
But recent incidents give strong indications that Republican politicians in this country, from mayors to governors, see themselves as self-appointed morality police — and none too soon. Otherwise, we would have never known about the hanky-panky possibly going on in ice fishing tents.
As reported on several news websites last week, Craig Shubert, Republican mayor of Hudson, Ohio, and City Council members were in the middle of a discussion concerning whether to allow ice fishing on a city park lake. Shubert stupefied council members when he informed them that if they “allow ice fishing with shanties, then that leads to another problem: prostitution.”
As one reader commented: "Prostitution in an ice fishing shanty? That’s cold." Yes, in more ways than one, but it should come as no surprise. If people are trolling for trouble and the right bait is offered, they can easily be lured into sin. Because when that ol’ devil casts his nefarious net, he can snag people hook, line and sinker.
It's possible that the mayor’s insinuation could just be another fish story. Or he is simply angling for voter support this election year. If that’s the case, it may be difficult for the mayor to worm his way out of such deception.
This is not the first time that Mayor Shubert has cast his moral light on perceived wrongdoing in his community. Last year, he made national news when he called for the resignations of school board members over a textbook that Shubert called “child pornography.”
The book in question was an optional book in a college-level creative writing class offered at the local high school. One writing prompt in the entire book was the source of Shubert’s ire. The county prosecutor sharply criticized the mayor’s false claim after school board members received scores of threats.
The effort to ban certain school library books appears to be the GOP’s latest modus operandi to rally the troops. It can be amazingly effective — especially in an election year. At least, that’s what Texas lawmaker Matt Krause (R) who is running for state attorney general this year appears to be counting on.
Krause recently sent all schools statewide a list of 850 books that he compiled. He wants to know if school libraries have any of them because these books “might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress.”
What I’d like to know is where were guys like Krause when I was in high school? My friends and I felt so much discomfort and psychological distress while reading our school textbooks that we usually fell asleep after reading … oh, about two pages.
One book on Krause’s list is “The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine,” a five-volume set containing medical information for the layperson. No doubt that book is in big demand in school libraries due to its “illustrations of the reproductive system and its diseases.” Gasp! I’m sure we all agree that these are things teenagers simply should not see.
Naturally, once Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who is seeking re-election, saw how Krause’s probe stirred up Republicans, he decided to jump on the book “ban-wagon,” too. Abbott called for a criminal investigation to see whether students have access to “pornographic books” in Texas public schools.
All these efforts by Republican politicians to rid school libraries of evil books would be noteworthy except for one teeny-weeny problem: Kids don’t read library books anymore! According to a 2021 Pew Research Center report, the percentage of young people who read books for fun is at its lowest point since 1984.
I recommend that Republican governors, state legislators and mayors go hang out in school and public libraries for a while. They might be surprised by what they see or, rather, what they don’t see — like kids checking out books on their own.
Whenever I go to the public library, all the kids there are playing games on computers, thank goodness, and not reading evil books like “The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine.”
In schools where I taught, the librarians would practically beg me to bring my students to check out books since very few kids would come in on their own. Why would they when kids can read whatever they want on their computers and phones.
If politicians like Matt Krause want to bully kids into not reading books like "Avoiding Bullies? Skills to Outsmart and Stop Them,” one of the books on his hit list, then kids can go online and read much worse stuff.
Fortunately, here in Idaho, Republican politicians so far have been fixated on eradicating critical race theory in public schools which, of course, does not exist, so no harm done.
But it’s just a matter of time before library books and ice fishing become their next targets. In fact, I recommend that a 2022 Republican candidate for office in Idaho adopt this campaign slogan: “If the ice hut is a rockin’ don’t come a knockin’.”
Sage advice, since you never know what they may be reading in there. | 2022-02-18T21:59:18Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | From ice fishing to book banning, GOP has your back | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/from-ice-fishing-to-book-banning-gop-has-your-back/article_4213969f-42bc-5841-9477-ccd8a97550d3.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/from-ice-fishing-to-book-banning-gop-has-your-back/article_4213969f-42bc-5841-9477-ccd8a97550d3.html |
Rebels with a bad cause
I support civil disobedience for a good cause, and I believe public protest is viable when it is a force against injustice or inequality. I doubt that I would have had the guts to join the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965, since John Lewis and his fellow demonstrators met state police with clubs and dogs, but I certainly supported their civil rights cause.
What if the cause is questionable or creates unintended harm to the people and the economy? Perhaps the protest tactics should be reconsidered. The Canadian truck Freedom Convoy, which had blocked the Ambassador Bridge leading to America, finally left Windsor, Canada, but the “Freedom Convoy” incurred a great deal of financial loss for the American automotive industry. Angry truckers are still clogging the streets of Ontario and causing paralysis in the country. Prime Minister Trudeau has evoked the emergency act to remove the truckers.
Just what is their cause?
The truckers are protesting mask mandates and restrictions due to the COVID pandemic that lingers with us still, infecting people and restricting activity. Wearing a mask actually protects others. Why is that a problem? It is a bit ironic that Canada has a very high vaccination rate so the mask mandate is rapidly becoming unnecessary. Was the massive protest really needed? Whose “freedom” is the Freedom Convoy protecting? (I get nervous when I see “freedom” injected into a name. Freedom for whom? Freedom from what?)
I agree that COVID fatigue is very real. I also think that “mandates” — that awful word, again — are sometimes necessary. I have a mandate to get a driver’s license and insurance if I want to drive. I have a mandate to stop for red lights. When I travel to a foreign county, I have a mandate to get a passport. Before traveling, I visit the health department to see what vaccines I need. Granted, that’s not a mandate, but who would go into a dangerous area with deadly viruses without proper vaccination? When I went to Paraguay for my stepson’s wedding, I found I needed protection against dengue fever, hepatitis A and yellow fever.
As President Abraham Lincoln said so well, "Government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more.”
When people are misguided for whatever reason and a pandemic threatens to snuff out their lives like the victims in “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel, perhaps the government has a right to mandate not only masks but vaccinations.
The 1965 march across Edmund Pettus Bridge led to a second march that went without incident and their cause succeeded. Now, Americans consider John Lewis and Martin Luther King Jr. to be genuine national leaders with great courage and humanity. The Canadian truckers, however, have met with and continue to be trashed by a majority of their fellow citizens. Here is a passage from the New York Times:
“Nearly three in four respondents said it was time for protesters to ‘go home, they have made their point,’ and 44 percent said the protests had made them more inclined to support indoor masking requirements as well as vaccination requirements to cross the Canada-U.S. border,” Angus Reid said.
“If the goal of the Freedom Convoy was to capture the attention of millions of people in Canada and around the globe — mission accomplished,” said a report by Angus Reid. “If, however, the goal was to build support for their demands to end pandemic-related restrictions — it has backfired utterly.”
When this crisis in Canada is resolved, then perhaps we can turn our attention to those forms of injustice we can do something about through honest protest. | 2022-02-18T21:59:49Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Rebels with a bad cause | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/rebels-with-a-bad-cause/article_5ea2b4dc-5998-5cbf-9f62-b5f3a27c8d1c.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/rebels-with-a-bad-cause/article_5ea2b4dc-5998-5cbf-9f62-b5f3a27c8d1c.html |
What is blatantly confusing to me is why has no one talked about our underlying health? That is a subject for another article, but I do want to mention one powerful way to boost your body’s anti-inflammatory response, improve your immunity and boost mitochondrial energy generation to burn more fat that is not in the mainstream information network: caloric restriction. This does not mean starving yourself for the sake of smaller hips.
In a study published in the journal Science, using data from Pennington Biomedical's CALERIE 2 (Comprehensive Assessment of the Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy), the longest-running calorie restriction trial in humans, the researchers showed that a simple 14 percent caloric decrease over two years generated key players in immune function called T cells. As we age, the thymus, a very important organ of our immune system, tends to shrink and we have a harder time fighting off infections and certain cancers. Mild caloric restriction helps prevent the thymus from shrinking so we are able to generate more T cells. This is key when we have rogue viruses running around. This small caloric restriction has also shown potential in treating age-related inflammation and improving overall metabolic health.
A 14 percent caloric decrease is rather simple if you do the math. If you’re eating a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet and cut it by 280 calories (that is approximately one average plain donut weighing 2.5 oz without a coating or sugar) and stick with it, you can boost your immune function in anticipation of the next malevolent virus. That’s a lot cheaper and has far more benefits than taking a bunch of supplements, medications and unnecessary risks. | 2022-02-19T01:09:58Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Caloric restriction and your immune system | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/caloric-restriction-and-your-immune-system/article_70233816-1636-5742-9786-5f830b044d09.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/caloric-restriction-and-your-immune-system/article_70233816-1636-5742-9786-5f830b044d09.html |
Day two of the girls basketball state tournament is officially behind us, so let’s recap the District 5 action.
The Broncos fell in a stunner, watching their 29-game win streak come to a halt in a narrow loss to Skyline. In the third-place game, Blackfoot plays Preston at noon Saturday at Mountain View High.
Burley 49, Preston 36
Preston made things a little tough on Burley star guard Amari Whiting, but the Indians struggled in a 49-36 loss to the Bobcats.
The Panthers couldn’t overcome a slow start in a semifinal loss to Teton. In the third-place game, Snake River plays Parma at noon Saturday at Eagle High School.
Aberdeen 60, Grangeville 53
To help the Tigers pull off a giant upset and topple top-seeded Grangeville, Aberdeen’s Ellie Watson racked up 22 points and 11 rebounds, Hope Driscoll posted 11 points and Yazmin Ortiz added nine points. The Tigers, who led by as many as 15, also held the Bulldogs to just 29% shooting — which helped Aberdeen survive Grangeville’s 22-17 fourth quarter.
“That girl just fought for every shot, every rebound, every play,” Aberdeen coach Lincoln Driscoll said in a phone interview. “They keyed on her, double teamed her, and she just played through it. She fought for everything she got tonight.”
Aberdeen moves on to the 2A state championship game against Cole Valley, which is set for 1:40 p.m. Saturday at the Idaho Center in Nampa.
On the loser’s side of the bracket, the Cardinals earned a spot in the consolation title game. Zippy Somsen tallied 19 points and Jinettie Garbett recorded 17 for Soda Springs, which shot an efficient 51% for the game.
Soda Springs will play Ririe in Saturday’s consolation game, which is slated for 10 a.m. Saturday at Kuna High School.
Rockland 44, Deary 16
To move on to the state championship game, Rockland held Deary to a few nightmarish numbers: 18% shooting, 25 turnovers and just two points in the fourth quarter. Kiersley Boyer scored 11 points and Ember Farr totaled 10 for the Bulldogs, who raced to a 16-4 lead and never looked back.
“Our girls have bought into playing defense this season,” said Rockland coach Vern Nelson, who added that his team’s transition game keyed this win. “They take a lot of pride in it. They really do.”
Rockland will play Council in the 1AD2 state title game, set for 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Idaho Center.
If the Bulldogs can win that one, they’ll capture their second state championship in program history, with the first coming in 2020.
Yazmin Ortiz | 2022-02-19T06:32:09Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Girls basketball state tournament: Day 2 roundup | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/girls-basketball-state-tournament-day-2-roundup/article_5c505120-18f0-5d1a-b71b-51c2e7d6a186.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/girls-basketball-state-tournament-day-2-roundup/article_5c505120-18f0-5d1a-b71b-51c2e7d6a186.html |
Snake River guard Rylie Edlefsen scans the court in a game earlier this season.
EAGLE — Moments before his Snake River team took the court for this 3A state semifinal against Teton, Jeff Steadman looked around the gym, scanning Eagle’s cavernous basketball arena. Two video boards. Lots of bleachers. Even practice gyms behind the main one.
“Yeah, it is pretty nice,” Steadman mused.
“But I’d like to play in the other one,” he said.
By the other one, Steadman meant the Idaho Center, which is where the 3A state championship is played. With this semifinal matchup, the Panthers had a chance to play there. All they had to do was beat a Teton team that employs a cadre of shooters and smart guards.
Instead, Snake River couldn’t contain those weapons in a 54-41 loss to Teton. So on Saturday afternoon, the Panthers will have to return to this same gym in Eagle, where they’ll play for a third-place trophy.
“I think we came out a little flat. Maybe a little too overconfident,” Steadman said. “We beat them twice this season, and it’s really hard to beat a team three times. They started out really hot and kinda got a big jump on us. We tried to right the ship, and we gained on them, but we just didn’t quite get it done.”
The Panthers did notch two single-digit wins over the Timberwolves this season, which is part of what made this matchup intriguing: How would Snake River fare in clash No. 3?
Answer: Snake River, which will play Parma at noon Saturday for third place, was rarely in this one. Teton bolted out to a 25-8 lead in the first quarter. Snake River never could recover. The Panthers spent the rest of the game trailing by double digits, which meant even their 7-0 run in the second frame — their best stretch of offense all night — only sliced the Timberwolves’ lead to 13.
On defense, the Panthers struggled because they couldn’t locate shooters. All told, Teton connected on 8 of 18 triples, a 44% clip. Tatum Streit splashed four. Grace Hogan hit two. Morgan Johnson cooled off as the game unfolded, but she also cashed two long balls.
For Snake River, giving up those bombs hurt, but particularly because it stopped the Panthers from piecing together anything that resembled momentum. Even — and especially — when Snake River strung a couple baskets together, Teton responded with a 3-pointer, forcing the Panthers to come back again.
The weird part about Snake River’s defense is that it wasn’t all bad. The Panthers forced the Timberwolves into 17 turnovers, including seven in the fourth stanza. At times, they sped things up and created live-ball mistakes. That gave them chances to score in transition
But after awhile, Teton’s marksmanship became too much for Snake River to overcome.
Still, Snake River could have parried those issues if the team’s offense could respond. The Panthers couldn’t find much rhythm in that department. Here are their numbers: 14-for-50 shooting, which translates to 28%, including 5-for-20 from beyond the arc, which is 25%. Reagan VanOrden did notch 11 points, but she needed 18 shots to do so, and guard Rylie Edlefsen finished with just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting.
“We shot below our season average, and they probably shot above theirs,” Steadman said. “Sometimes that’s enough to do it.”
The Panthers needed shots to fall to make some type of rally. They couldn’t. So they’ll have to pass the Idaho Center and make a trip back to Eagle on Saturday.
“We get the girls to have short memories about the loss and get prepared to bring home some hardware tomorrow,” Steadman said. “We still have an opportunity for a trophy. We have to put a positive spin on tomorrow’s game and come in with the mentality that we’re gonna get Parma.”
Jeff Steadman
Idaho Center | 2022-02-19T06:32:15Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Snake River can't overcome slow start in 54-41 loss to Teton in 3A semis | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/snake-river-cant-overcome-slow-start-in-54-41-loss-to-teton-in-3a-semis/article_15bb88f3-7f93-5878-ba7e-150416d49a28.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/snake-river-cant-overcome-slow-start-in-54-41-loss-to-teton-in-3a-semis/article_15bb88f3-7f93-5878-ba7e-150416d49a28.html |
The girls basketball state tournaments concluded on Saturday. Here’s a roundup of our area’s teams and how they did.
One day after falling in the semifinals, Blackfoot responded with a 36-29 win over Preston, good for a third-place finish.
Marlee Pieper led the Broncos with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Hadley Humpherys posted nine points and 12 rebounds. That went a long way in helping Blackfoot, which had its 29-game winning streak end on Friday with a shocking loss to Skyline.
Snake River 43, Parma 39
Snake River had a rough go on both sides of the ball in Friday’s semifinal loss to Teton, but the Panthers came back and secured a third-place finish with a win over Parma on Saturday afternoon.
Rylie Edlefsen tallied 17 points and Abby Gilbert added 11 for the Panthers, who outscored Parma 16-8 in the fourth frame.
Cole Valley Christian 58, Aberdeen 45
Aberdeen held a lead late in the third quarter, but Cole Valley rallied for a 58-45, capturing the 2A state championship. The Tigers finished second.
Soda Springs will head back to the east side of the state with hardware, earning a consolation title with a 51-50 win over Ririe.
Taylor Billman led the Cardinals with 13 points, while Alexa Moldenhauer recorded nine and Jinettie Garbett and Abby Goodin each totaled eight.
Rockland earned its second state championship in three seasons with a 44-26 victory over Council. | 2022-02-20T05:39:29Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Girls basketball state tournament: Day 3 roundup | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/girls-basketball-state-tournament-day-3-roundup/article_a3aaaf38-687b-59ee-a7e5-fbd4bf2bc9f4.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/girls-basketball-state-tournament-day-3-roundup/article_a3aaaf38-687b-59ee-a7e5-fbd4bf2bc9f4.html |
Life is what you do with Plan B
However when plan B had to be implemented I was stunned. My belief system was greatly challenged.
I believe in a friendly Universe!
I believe we all stand in front of a white background with a few dark spots.
I believe human beings are evolving to exist with dignity and living the “Golden Rule.”
I believe in trust, honesty, generosity, compassion and justice.
And most of all I believe love is wishing the best for all others.
Surprise! I betrayed myself with the virtues I try to live by. I have been scammed!!! Out of the five family members I was discussing this, three of us had this experience. I refuse to be part of the walking wounded, living as a victim. Victor Frankl, a survivor of the Nazi concetration camps in writing his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, said this “Everthing can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. When we are no longer able to change a situation we are challenged to change ourselves. Between stimulus and response there is a space, in that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom”.
That is a space for me. I am still alive so I must walk as a learning student not that victim that is so easy to use. So what have I learned? I have learned to be open about my very foolish failure and to share the pain that so many honest, loving people experience. I have learned that trust and honesty does not exist in all people.
Control has always been important to me.. What a difficult lesson this has been! Those who know how to take advantage of another person, or country, are the controllers right now. But I believe in consequences, Karma. I remain knowing that eventually goodness will win. There is no room for hate in this world. There is no room for hate in this country or town. Most importantly there is
no room for hate in me.“HATE DESTROYS THE VESSEL THAT HOLDS IT”, a Grecian proverb.
I refuse to finish my journey as a victim. I still have much to learn!
Virginia Kelly, Pocatello
Victor Frankl | 2022-02-21T18:55:53Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Life is what you do with Plan B | Letters To Editor | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/life-is-what-you-do-with-plan-b/article_76b001ff-764e-52e6-9967-7faa1b9d8fce.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/life-is-what-you-do-with-plan-b/article_76b001ff-764e-52e6-9967-7faa1b9d8fce.html |
Happy first anniversary to Valentine Ballroom & Bridal! Located at 200 S. Arthur Ave. inside the historic Valentine Building, you will find beautiful and elegant bridal gowns, a newly renovated chapel and event space and an amazing ballroom. The perfect match for your wedding day or special occasion! Book your wedding date, special event date or dress fitting appointment today. Call 208-221-6049 for information.
Cherub Caper Creations has moved from 115 N. Main St. to a new, more spacious location at 308 W. Center St. Watch Facebook for details about their grand reopening.
Pocatello Running Company, 328 W. Clark St., has a wonderful inventory of new running shoes. Now is a great time for a custom fit, brand new pair of running shoes so you are ready for spring.
Poky Kidz Art, 200 N. Main St., hosts a variety of workshops every week that are designed specifically for kids. For more information and to register, visit Poky Kidz Art on Facebook.
Snake River Fly, 257 N. Main St., is our locally owned progressive fly tying and fly fishing shop. They have a huge assortment of locally tied flies specific to the area. For flies and all types of fishing supplies, Snake River Fly can help you!
The Shady Lady, Too “Artiques” located at 315 W. Center St., inside the Historic Kane Building, is full of art and antiques. The shop is open Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The original Shady Lady, Pocatello’s lighting store located at 655 N. Arthur Ave., is open Monday through Wednesday by appointment, 208-317-4406.
The variety of restaurants, breweries, bars and grills located in Historic Downtown Pocatello would love to serve you a wonderful meal along with a hot or cold beverage. Dine in or takeout is available throughout our area. Dine local and support local this week.
Food O'Clock is now open inside Station Square, 200 S. Main St. This new eatery features a menu full of American-Venezuelan food including salads, sandwiches, soups, and specialty drinks. Stop in this week and enjoy a delicious meal!
Open Mic Jam Session happens every Thursday at Station Square. The evening starts at 7 p.m. Join in on a fun evening with open mic for poetry, stories, and of course music. Bring a friend and bring an instrument. If you're hungry, Food O’Clock will be open!
Star Route Brewery, 218 N. Main, has buy-one, get-one pints of select beers on Wednesday from 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday is Tipsy Trivia from 7 to 9 pm, free to play with teams up to six with prizes for top teams. On Friday, live music by Strings Attached from 7 to 9 p.m. On Saturday, Bannock Civitan Putt-Putt Indoor Golf Tournament hole location, Mardi Gras Celebration from 5 to 10 p.m. with beer and drink specials featuring Cajun Food: Gumbo, Boudin and King Cake and live music with Rail City Jazz beginning at 7 p.m.
Watch Facebook
Poky Kidz Art | 2022-02-22T00:17:45Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Historic Downtown Pocatello weekly update | Commentary | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/business_journal/commentary/historic-downtown-pocatello-weekly-update/article_149dc089-215f-5462-9235-5a5042943c4c.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/business_journal/commentary/historic-downtown-pocatello-weekly-update/article_149dc089-215f-5462-9235-5a5042943c4c.html |
East Idaho is forecast to experience dangerously cold wind chill and more snow through the middle of the week.
The National Weather Service has issued wind chill watches and warnings for much of East Idaho in anticipation of wind chill that will make conditions feel like they're as cold as 20 to 30 degrees below zero late Monday night through Tuesday morning and late Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. The weather service said conditions will be cold enough to "cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes."
Snow is also in the forecast for East Idaho on Monday and Tuesday, with up to 2 or 3 inches expected in mountain areas such as Island Park, Driggs, Victor, Tetonia, Wayan, Henry, Palisades, Swan Valley, Bone, Inkom, Lava Hot Springs, Arbon, Rockland, Soda Springs, Grace and Bancroft.
East Idaho's lower elevations including Burley, Rupert, American Falls, Aberdeen, Pocatello, Chubbuck, Fort Hall, Shelley, Blackfoot, Idaho Falls, Ammon, Rexburg, Rigby, Malad and Preston are forecast to receive less than an inch of snow on Monday and Tuesday.
The snow comes on the heels of a Sunday snowstorm that brought up to 3 inches to East Idaho.
Elsewhere in the state, wind chill warnings and/or advisories are in effect in much of the central Idaho mountains including the Mackay, Arco and Salmon areas and winter weather and wind chill advisories are in effect in North Idaho.
Winter weather advisories, winter storm warnings and/or wind chill alerts are in effect in all of the states surrounding Idaho.
Stay with idahostatejournal.com for updates on this week's weather forecast. | 2022-02-22T00:17:51Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Dangerously cold wind chill, more snow in forecast for East Idaho | Freeaccess | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/dangerously-cold-wind-chill-more-snow-in-forecast-for-east-idaho/article_10451d1f-1d8a-5191-8361-38d8c7d86ee0.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/dangerously-cold-wind-chill-more-snow-in-forecast-for-east-idaho/article_10451d1f-1d8a-5191-8361-38d8c7d86ee0.html |
Kash Conn, 8, of Chubbuck, high fives a Pocatello firefighter during a fundraiser at Fred Meyer on Saturday. The 8-year-old boy will join five Pocatello firefighters in Seattle next month for the 31st annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Firefighter Stairclimb at the Columbia Center.
Kash Conn, front middle, joined Pocatello firefighters during a fundraiser event at Fred Meyer on Saturday to help Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in finding a cure to blood cancer.
A flyer for the pint night at Star Route Brewery on March 5 to benefit the Pocatello fire stair climb team.
Image courtesy of Jordan Peterson
When local firefighters are finished climbing 1,356 steps to reach the Sky View Observatory on the 73rd floor of the Columbia Center in Seattle next month, an 8-year-old Chubbuck boy and his family will be waiting there to congratulate them.
Five Pocatello firefighters will join over 2,000 other firefighters from across the country on March 13 to participate in the 31st annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Firefighter Stairclimb at the Columbia Center in Seattle on March 13. Waiting for them at the finish line this year will be Kash Conn, a Chubbuck child who was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2019. The 8-year-old is in remission, but has continued to receive daily chemotherapy treatments since the diagnosis and will continue to do so until August.
“Kash was our department’s honorary nominee for the stair climb event in 2020 and we had plans for the family to come up with us but the pandemic happened and we weren’t able to go,” said Pocatello firefighter and stair climb team captain Jordan Peterson. “It was a huge bummer because we were really looking forward to having them join us and the entire family was excited to go to Seattle and be a part of the event.”
Last year’s event was held virtually, but firefighters are returning to Seattle this year and the Pocatello Fire Department’s Local 187 Union is doing it’s part to make sure the Conn family can attend. In addition to donating $3,000 for the travel and lodging expenses for the five Pocatello firefighters, the Local 187 Union matched the donation for the same expenses for the Conn family, Peterson said.
“We sat down with the union and they agreed to donate $3,000 to the Conn family so they don’t have to worry about travel and lodging,” Peterson said. “That money will pay to fly home Kash’s dad, who is working in California. I think the union did a really great thing making sure this family can make the trip without spending any of their own money.”
In addition to Peterson, Pocatello’s five-person team includes Brian Christiansen, Tab Fleming, Taylor Garcia and William Tarantino. Chubbuck is also sending a team of firefighters to the stair climb event in Seattle. The Chubbuck team will climb in honor of the brother of a Chubbuck firefighter recently diagnosed with a blood cancer. The seven-person team includes Eric Wojcik-Bryan, Dillon Chandler, Richard Kuciemba, Steven Lanham, Morgan Monney, Cody Russell and Dillon Sperber.
The LLS Firefighter Stairclimb is the world's largest on-air stair climb competition and annual fundraiser. All 2,000 participants are career, volunteer or retired firefighters who will climb up one of the tallest skyscrapers on the West Coast in full turnout gear, weighing over 60 pounds. Since 1991, the event has raised over $20 million.
“We have our (self-contained breathing apparatus) on and our air tank on the back and start hiking stairs,” Peterson said. “It’s not only heavy but it’s hot as well. You have 2,000 firefighters climbing throughout the day so the temperature gets up there. We are definitely sweaty at the end.”
Peterson continued, “But they hang up dedication posters to honor survivors or pay respect to those who lost their battle to cancer and we’re able to look at their faces and see some of their stories. It’s extremely motivating to know that we are doing something that is difficult and hot but these people have cancer or died from cancer. You realize that if they fought so hard then we can definitely finish climbing these stairs.”
Peterson said it helps knowing that every step forward is representative of moving closer to a cure. All proceeds from the stair climb event directly benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s patient services and patient advocacy programs. Peterson added.
“Every dollar that we raise goes directly toward blood research and patient services,” Peterson said. “So if a cancer patient needs treatment but cannot afford to get there, some of this money goes to that. Not only is this about finding a cure, but also about getting people to the treatment services that they need right now.”
The Pocatello team kicked off its fundraising efforts with a stair climb event at Fred Meyer on Saturday, raising $4,845 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The team has three more upcoming events on the schedule.
Jim Dandy Brewing is donating 10 percent of all proceeds from a pint night and raffle on March 2. Peterson said Harley Davidson donated some gear, and, among other raffle items, Lava Hot Springs donated some passes to the hot pools and swimming pool.
Star Route Brewery is also donating 10 percent of all proceeds during a pint night on March 5. Coming Home will be playing live music from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Pocatello firefighter Andy Moldenhauer is offering a menu of smoked food — including tri-tip, sausage, potatoes and macaroni and cheese — with 100 percent of proceeds going to the Pocatello stair climb team.
Hooligans on March 26 is hosting and event that will feature live music from Side Chick and 100 percent of all sales that day will go toward the Pocatello stair climb team.
Those interested in contributing directly to the Pocatello stair climb team can visit bit.ly/3LMe1xo and contributions to the Chubbuck team can be made by visiting bit.ly/3JKDzck.
Andy Moldenhauer | 2022-02-22T00:18:09Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Local 8-year-old cancer patient to join Pocatello firefighters in Seattle for annual stair climb fundraiser | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/local-8-year-old-cancer-patient-to-join-pocatello-firefighters-in-seattle-for-annual-stair/article_9b4ae842-69cb-5c00-927e-1ab6bdb829d6.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/local-8-year-old-cancer-patient-to-join-pocatello-firefighters-in-seattle-for-annual-stair/article_9b4ae842-69cb-5c00-927e-1ab6bdb829d6.html |
Photo courtesy of Constance Haworth
Pictured is the 22-pound Groundhog Day cake created by Rexburg’s Constance Haworth
Retirement cakes like the one pictured here are among the variety of cakes that can be made by Rexburg’s Constance Haworth.
Rexburg mom takes the cake
Running your own business is a piece of cake, says a woman who oughta know.
Rexburg’s Constance Haworth has owned and operated her Rexburg Cakes since 2015. In that capacity, she makes everything from traditional birthday cakes to wedding cakes.
“I’ve even done divorce cakes,” she said. “We do cakes for every occasion.”
One of her more memorable creations involved a Groundhog Day cake that came complete with a truck’s steering wheel — yes, a steering wheel. In the movie of the same name, a scene-stealing groundhog grabs the truck’s steering wheel from weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) and drives them off a cliff where they meet their demise.
“It took three and a half batches of Rice Crispy treats to sculpt (the groundhog),” Haworth said. “It took one batch of marshmallow fondant to cover the groundhog. It took another batch of buttercream for his fur.”
Haworth placed the groundhog on top of a German chocolate cake that weighed 22 pounds and served 40 people.
“This thing was massive, but it was so cute, so adorable,” she said.
All of Haworth’s cakes are made from scratch.
“We do use our own recipes. Our list of cake fillings changes every year,” she said.
Haworth is busiest during the warmer months of the year.
“Definitely the summer, without a doubt, is busiest. June, July and August, I’m always booked solid,” she said.
Ideas for her cakes come from Haworth’s customers.
“Somebody will call me and say, ‘I need a birthday cake for grandpa who is really into hunting and fishing’,” she said.
Haworth gets some of her ideas from Google or will have her customers send a picture of what they want. Haworth later sketches out a design and asks her customers if that’s what they’d like.
“There’s a lot of different ways of getting ideas and designs for a cake,” she said.
Originally from Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Haworth learned to love baking thanks to her grandmother, Hazel Wingler, who taught her how.
“From the time I was 2 years old, I remember crawling up on a chair in the kitchen sitting there and watching her. She let me do cookies with her,” she said. “It was fun making huge messes in the kitchen. She didn’t care what a big mess I made. She just let me be involved in cooking. She was a typical southern grandmother and the best cook.”
Haworth later moved from North Carolina to Rexburg to attend the former Ricks College, now Brigham Young University-Idaho. While at an Iona dance, Haworth met Ryan, and the couple went on to have eight children.
Haworth soon found herself continually making cakes for friends and family. Once her children got older, Haworth started her Rexburg Cakes company. Haworth’s business became so productive that she and Ryan expanded their kitchen to make more room for Haworth’s cake business.
“We added a set of double ovens. We added a full-size cake room with shelving for all my products,” she said.
A successful business equates excellent customer service, Haworth said.
“It’s really caring about customer service,” she said. “It creates a business and builds a business. I have wonderful customers who are loyal and amazing.”
With all that baking comes a lot of dirty dishes, but Haworth says she doesn’t mind that part of her business.
“See, that’s why you need eight kids,” she joked.
Haworth’s children range in age from 9 to 26. They all love to cook and are artists just like their mom.
“We’re a family of cooks. We love to bake. We're always in the kitchen,” she said. “The family that bakes together sticks together.”
Haworth noted that cooking is now considered an art form.
“The artistic medium of baking is one that’s blown up over the last 10 years. There is ‘Cake Wars’ and ‘Ace of Cakes,’" she said, referring to the television shows.
Haworth once met “Cake Boss” Duff Goldman at his Los Angeles Charm City Cakes.
“That was really fun. He’s really nice," she said. "It was fun getting to talk to him and to talk about cakes."
Haworth encourages anyone with the dream of starting their own business to do so and to create one that they love.
“I would say, ‘Just do it,’” she said. "There’s always a little fear in starting something new. There’s the fear of the unknown, but you’ll never know unless you try it. Pursue something you’re passionate about. If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.”
For more information on Haworth’s Rexburg Cakes, call 208-970-8521 or visit rexburgcakes.com.
Constance Haworth | 2022-02-22T16:50:15Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Rexburg mom takes the cake | East Idaho | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/business_journal/east_idaho/rexburg-mom-takes-the-cake/article_f83d8eeb-ad74-5dad-92d4-6fd00fe6d5ad.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/business_journal/east_idaho/rexburg-mom-takes-the-cake/article_f83d8eeb-ad74-5dad-92d4-6fd00fe6d5ad.html |
Josh and Sloan Dalley, pictured here, co-own Envision Escape Rooms, a Pocatello-based business that specializes in custom and pre-designed mobile escape rooms.
Photo courtesy of Envision Escape Rooms
Josh Dalley, co-owner of Envision Escape Rooms, is pictured in front of a 35-foot Cadillac Escalade limousine — one of the business's most popular mobile escape rooms.
The Ghost Bride escape room is located in an enclosed trailer that can be transported to any location.
POCATELLO — East Idahoans looking for an escape don’t have to travel far thanks to a Pocatello-based business that’s bringing the adventure right to their door.
Envision Escape Rooms, which opened in September, specializes in custom and pre-designed mobile escape rooms.
“We’ve loved escape rooms for a while now and we knew we wanted to start our own, but we were having trouble finding the absolute perfect location,” said Sloan Dalley, who co-owns the business with her husband, Josh Dalley. “We figured if we couldn’t find a brick-and-mortar spot, we would just scale it down and make it mobile so more people could enjoy them.”
In an escape room, participants must work together to find clues, solve puzzles and get out.
Sloan says the escape rooms, which they can bring to people’s homes, make for a fun date night, team-building exercise or youth group activity.
“It’s something the entire family can do together — just good wholesome fun for everyone,” she said.
Envision currently offers three pre-designed escape rooms: Ghost Bride, Limo Escape and Unabomber Tent.
Those looking for a slightly spooky experience can try out the Ghost Bride escape room inspired by the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland. Located in an enclosed trailer, participants have 30 minutes to search an “attic” for clues and escape the Ghost Bride’s lair.
The business’s most popular escape room takes place in a 35-foot Cadillac Escalade limousine.
“You’re on your way to a concert when things turn for the worse, and you must escape before it’s too late,” Sloan said, adding that the limo stays parked the entire time, so people don’t have to worry about getting car sick.
The Unabomber Tent is a true-crime inspired escape room. In that room, up to four separate groups can compete against each other and the clock as they try to solve clues and diffuse a bomb.
Sloan says they change their themes occasionally so their guests can continue to enjoy new experiences.
The rooms come fully staffed, powered and ready to go, Sloan said, adding that there is no setup required on the customers’ end.
“We rent the escape rooms out hourly, and rates start at $100 (per) hour,” Sloan said, adding that there are discounts available after the first hour. “You can add on other rooms for an additional fee.”
Sloan says they’re willing to travel anywhere, but they do charge a small mileage fee for locations that are 25 miles or more outside of Pocatello.
The business is willing to create custom escape rooms as well.
“We can design an escape room for any theme, budget and party. We’ve done events like ‘Amazing Race, Idaho,’ private birthday parties, high school sports team parties and pop-up locations throughout Southeast Idaho,” Sloan said, adding that they’ve received requests based on television, book and decade themes as well. “Anything you can ‘envision,’ we can create — hence the name, Envision Escape Rooms.”
For those who just want to try out an escape room rather than rent one, the business also offers pop-up events once or twice a month.
“This is where you come to us and pay by the person to do our escape rooms. We did a Christmas pop-up where we had a Christmas version of our limo available,” Sloan said.
The locations of their pop-up events change each time, so those interested in learning more should follow the business on Facebook or Instagram to find out when and where the events are going to take place.
The Dalleys want to do even more things in the future.
“We are always planning to expand and grow,” Sloan said. “Our favorite thing to do is to design the rooms and puzzles. We have some exciting plans for pop-up events this year that will be unlike any escape room you’ve ever been to.”
In the meantime, Sloan encourages people to give their current escape rooms a try.
“The cool thing about our escape rooms is they are only 30 minutes, so if you’re hesitant to try an hour-long room, ours is a perfect one to try first,” Sloan said. “We also give out unlimited hints if needed, so we can help you along the way.”
For more information, visit envisionescaperoomsidaho.com.
Sloan Dalley | 2022-02-22T19:13:35Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Pocatello couple brings escape rooms right to customers' doors | East Idaho | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/business_journal/east_idaho/pocatello-couple-brings-escape-rooms-right-to-customers-doors/article_db3a4d10-a128-5fe2-b077-8937557cc522.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/business_journal/east_idaho/pocatello-couple-brings-escape-rooms-right-to-customers-doors/article_db3a4d10-a128-5fe2-b077-8937557cc522.html |
A semi burns on Interstate 15 southbound south of Pocatello on Tuesday morning.
POCATELLO — Interstate 15 south of Pocatello remains partially blocked because of a Tuesday morning semi fire.
The semi caught fire around 8:25 a.m. while traveling southbound on Interstate 15, Idaho State Police said.
The truck's driver was able to escape without injury but the semi's cab was a total loss.
The Pocatello Valley Fire Department responded and extinguished the flames.
The semi fire caused the partial blockage of Interstate 15 and as of 11:25 a.m. Tuesday one of the freeway's southbound's lanes remained shut down and the fire-damaged semi had not yet been towed.
State police said they're uncertain what caused the fire.
Pocatello Valley Fire Department
Power Unit | 2022-02-22T19:14:00Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Burning semi partially blocks Interstate 15 near Pocatello | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/burning-semi-partially-blocks-interstate-15-near-pocatello/article_bd9bc392-2c56-5d1d-95c3-106d17acdb4d.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/burning-semi-partially-blocks-interstate-15-near-pocatello/article_bd9bc392-2c56-5d1d-95c3-106d17acdb4d.html |
Pocatello Animal Shelter organization donates to local rescue groups
The Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter advocacy group recently announced it is providing some financial support to two other local animal advocacy and rescue groups.
The FPAS will donate to Bannock Feral Friends and Aid to Adoption Rescue using excess funds it has acquired as a way to advance the groups’ collective goal of reducing the number of animals in area shelters and finding forever homes for those in shelter care that are awaiting them.
“These two volunteer organizations, as well as many others, such as Fort Hall ROAR, PAWS, Bannock County Humane Society, Bingham County Humane Society, Snake River Animal Shelter, and the newly formed animal rescue alliance All About the Animals, provide a vital community service that supports and furthers the goals and visions of animal advocacy throughout the area,” FPAS said in a news release about the donation. “The Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter will continue to support Bannock Feral Friends and Aid to Adoption Rescue as well as other worthy animal advocacy groups as long as funding beyond what is needed for FPAS to support the Pocatello Animal Shelter allows.”
FPAS said its mission is to “fund, plan and lead projects that benefit all local animals, especially those temporarily housed at the Pocatello Animal Shelter, with a vision to reach a point where there are no more homeless, unwanted, or unnecessarily killed animals in the Pocatello area.”
As part of that mission, the group is donating an undisclosed amount of funds to BFF and A2A, which collaborate with the Pocatello Animal Shelter and other local animal advocacy groups.
“We are very excited about being able to assist the efforts of other worthy animal organizations in our area,” said Chris Stevens, a member of the FPAS Board of Directors.
Community members and estates wishing to contribute to the on-going efforts of FPAS may visit our website at https://www.pocatelloshelterfriends.org/donate, send a check to Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter, PO Box 281, Pocatello, ID, 83204, or drop of a check or cash in the “dog house” on the table next to the kitten bowl at the Pocatello Animal Shelter.
Fpas Board Of Directors | 2022-02-22T19:14:06Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Pocatello Animal Shelter organization donates to local rescue groups | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/pocatello-animal-shelter-organization-donates-to-local-rescue-groups/article_ecc0ddb2-a13e-5f44-8ccd-845f3ed69779.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/pocatello-animal-shelter-organization-donates-to-local-rescue-groups/article_ecc0ddb2-a13e-5f44-8ccd-845f3ed69779.html |
Rocket-Miner Photo/Gregory R.C. Hasman
Conditions are going to be so cold Tuesday night through Wednesday morning in East Idaho that the National Weather Service is urging people to avoid being outdoors.
And if you have pets, don't leave them outdoors either.
The weather service has issued multiple wind chill warnings for East Idaho because of the dangerously cold wind chill.
The coldest areas of the region Tuesday night through Wednesday morning are forecast to be Island Park, Dubois and Spencer, where the wind chill will make conditions feel like they're 35 below zero.
The rest of East Idaho including the region's largest cities — Blackfoot, Pocatello, Chubbuck, Rexburg, Idaho Falls and Ammon — is forecast to experience wind chill that will make conditions feel like they're 20 to 25 degrees below zero.
Conditions this cold can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
The weather service recommends that East Idahoans "avoid outside activities if possible. When outside, make sure you wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves. Provide adequate shelter to outdoor pets."
Elsewhere in the state, winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings are currently in effect in southwest Idaho including Boise and Mountain Home and wind chill advisories are in effect in North Idaho.
Washington, Montana and Wyoming are under wind chill warnings and advisories while winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect in Oregon, Utah and Nevada. | 2022-02-23T01:27:42Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | WIND CHILL WARNINGS DECLARED FOR EAST IDAHO: People and pets should remain indoors during dangerously cold conditions tonight, tomorrow morning | Freeaccess | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/wind-chill-warnings-declared-for-east-idaho-people-and-pets-should-remain-indoors-during-dangerously/article_546c51cd-1d90-5f99-aff4-5efbe75706a6.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/wind-chill-warnings-declared-for-east-idaho-people-and-pets-should-remain-indoors-during-dangerously/article_546c51cd-1d90-5f99-aff4-5efbe75706a6.html |
The Loaves and Fishes Warming Shelter is run from inside of the gymnasium at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 309 N. Garfield Ave.
COURTESY OF AMY KENNA
Local warming shelter opens for night stays in time for extreme cold
POCATELLO — A local warming shelter has resumed offering nighttime hours in time to help keep area homeless people safe amid a bitter cold spell.
It opened in late January, originally sheltering area homeless people through the night. The shelter had to suspend nighttime stays after the first couple of weeks in business, however, while the church awaited confirmation that its insurance policy would cover the shelter's operations.
After getting the thumbs up from the insurance provider, the shelter resumed offering nighttime lodging on Feb. 15, explained Amy Kenna, a lead volunteer with the shelter.
The shelter is open during the day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and during evenings from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Kenna explained the church is seeking to raise awareness about the shelter this week because bitter-cold weather has arrived.
Kenna said the shelter serves people who have "fallen through the cracks" with other services. For example, they accept people who might be intoxicated but don't appear to pose any threat, who are often turned away from other shelters. People who are extremely intoxicated are referred to the local crisis center.
Kenna said the shelter also calls police before each shift and reminds them that they're available to people in need, and police officers often drop off guests.
"Our focus is on raising awareness we're here," Kenna said. "We don't want folks out in the cold not knowing they can come here."
Kenna said the shelter has been getting both day traffic and several nighttime guests recently. On Monday, for example, she said the shelter had seven guests.
"We know if we put it out there other folks might start to come in," Kenna said.
Kenna said the the shelter needs both volunteers to help staff it and donations of hand warmers, socks, hats and other cold-weather supplies.
Shelter staff can be reached at 208-232-3056 or by emailing office@uccpocatello.org.
From midnight to 1 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service had declared a wind chill warning for Pocatello, Blackfoot, American Falls, Shelley and Fort Hall, predicting wind chills down to 20 below zero.
The National Weather Service also predicted wind chills in Pocatello dipping down to 6 below zero on both Wednesday night and Thursday.
Another option for people in need of lodging on cold nights is Valley Mission, which gives away vouchers for motel stays when the low temperature is predicted to dip below 20 degrees. Several local organizations, including Salvation Army and Aid for Friends, distribute the vouchers.
Furthermore, Aid for Friends has a large, new homeless shelter at 209 E. Lewis St.
"I feel Aid for Friends continues to provide safe and quality homeless services and sheltering," Aid for Friends Executive Director BJ Stensland said. "We have over 43 people staying every night, and we're still complying with CDC recommendations on social distancing on our sleeping areas."
Amy Kenna | 2022-02-23T01:27:55Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Local warming shelter opens for night stays in time for extreme cold | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/local-warming-shelter-opens-for-night-stays-in-time-for-extreme-cold/article_f1352d4a-f5ae-5883-96ed-329f3bef6842.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/local-warming-shelter-opens-for-night-stays-in-time-for-extreme-cold/article_f1352d4a-f5ae-5883-96ed-329f3bef6842.html |
Century freshman Isiah Harwell throws down a dunk Tuesday night against Preston.
Century guard Jordan Lee gets by a defender Tuesday night against Preston.
Century freshman Isiah Harwell lays in a basket Tuesday night against Preston.
Every fall, when players try out for Century’s team, they do so knowing at least one thing: We’re going to play defense. In the Diamondbacks’ program, defense is everything. It dictates everything the team does, speeding opponents up with full-court presses and making them uncomfortable in half-court sets. It runs in Century’s program like water. When players take sips, they do it with active hands.
That part may be an exaggeration, but there’s no way to overstate the point, which is this: The Diamondbacks emphasize defense like breathing oxygen to get ready for enormous games like a 68-55 win over Preston Tuesday night, which helped Century move on to Thursday’s 4A District 5 championship game, on the road against Pocatello.
“No one wakes up for a big game going, ‘Man, I’m so nervous to play defense tonight.’ It’s one of those things you don’t really think about getting nervous over,” Century coach Ryan Frost said. “Yeah, you get nervous on offense and shooting and stuff like that — can I shoot the ball well? But no one’s like, ‘Man, I’m so nervous I can’t talk on defense tonight, or I’m not gonna have my hands up.’ Control things you can control, and that’s on the defensive side most of the time.”
What makes Century (18-5) so good is what helped the team run away with this win over Preston. The Indians did shoot 41% from the field, but that’s including a marathon fourth quarter that lasted close to 30 minutes because of a flurry of fouls, so check out Preston’s numbers through three quarters: 26% shooting, 4-for-15 from distance, seven turnovers.
By the time halftime rolled around, Century had built a 31-18 lead, and when the third quarter ended, the Diamondbacks had stretched it to 16. Their presses forced the Indians to play far faster than they liked. Their half-court defense turned Preston’s possessions into molasses, making the Indians try a million passes before they found a shot that looked halfway decent.
For their parts, the Indians did make some of those looks — Brecker Napp totaled 14 points and Tyler Lindhart added 10 — but that was never going to be enough to top Century, a defensive juggernaut.
“We were just talking, being in help side,” said Century forward Nash Harding, who posted 12 points. “Mainly blocking off, not letting them get second chances. That’s been hurting us a lot, and we’re getting better at that. We’ve gotta continue to get better at that.”
If they do, the Diamondbacks can look forward to more outings like the one they got out of freshman Isiah Harwell, who led all scorers with 23 points. More than half came at the free throw line — thanks to what felt like a million fouls, the fourth frame turned into more of a free throw shooting contest — but with a series of putbacks and triples, Harwell reminded the area that he remains one of the best around.
That’s the thing about this game, though: The Diamondbacks had to push past what plagued them last week, when they fell to Pocatello in the first round of this tournament, stumbling in an overtime thriller. In that game, Frost said, they became passive on offense. Didn’t defend like they usually do. All of that conspired to doom Century, forcing the team to play Preston for the right to move on to Thursday’s game.
For the top-seeded Diamondbacks, it came as something of a surprise. That was just their fourth loss all season, their first in this calendar year. Suddenly, instead of hosting a potential title game, they had to play another game just to survive another week.
But that’s where the defense comes in. On Tuesday, Harding and Jordan Lee each logged 12 points, but Century knows that offense might fluctuate. What the Diamondbacks can control is the other end of the floor. That’s what keyed this win.
To secure another against Pocatello on Thursday, Century might have to be even better. For one, the Diamondbacks will have to manage a crowd that will sound like a volcanic eruption at every basket. But they couldn’t overcome a sluggish second half in last week’s meeting, so they’ll also have to be more engaged, more consistent than they were in that game.
“We always tell our kids to enjoy those moments. Not too many kids get an environment like that,” Frost said. “Enjoy being a part of something that’s pretty fun.” | 2022-02-23T06:54:21Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Century smothers Preston in 68-55 win, moving on in district tournament | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/century-smothers-preston-in-68-55-win-moving-on-in-district-tournament/article_18c9674d-8c58-5b75-b47e-c9c89d1ed2cc.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/century-smothers-preston-in-68-55-win-moving-on-in-district-tournament/article_18c9674d-8c58-5b75-b47e-c9c89d1ed2cc.html |
A new Chubbuck City Hall at 290 E. Linden Ave. is the centerpiece of a planned downtown area in the city.
CHUBBUCK — The city's Land Use and Development Commission is accepting feedback on a proposed municipal comprehensive plan amendment that would guide development within a new downtown area.
A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 8 at the new City Hall, located at 290 E. Linden Ave. After the hearing, the commission will vote on whether to recommend that the City Council reject the plan, approve it as proposed or approve it with changes. The commission will also make a recommendation on a proposal to update city code to implement the draft comprehensive plan amendment.
View the proposals under the "public hearing information" heading online at https://cityofchubbuck.us/land-use-commission/. Public comments — whether they're positive, negative or neutral — may be emailed by March 1 to dmatson@cityofchubbuck.us.
The new downtown area will be bounded by Yellowstone Avenue to the railroad tracks and Interstate 15 to Chubbuck Road.
Don Matson, the city's planning services manager, said the proposed comprehensive plan emphasizes "form-based" building concepts, which emphasize the pedestrian experience. For example, it calls for wide sidewalks, walking paths, angled parking and includes minimum standards for having storefront windows to "connect" businesses with the sidewalks.
Street lights would be shorter to keep light focused beneath the urban tree canopy. Ramps would make intersections accessible, and sidewalk dining would be encouraged. More shared parking would be made available on the streets, allowing businesses to maintain smaller parking areas.
Matson said community surveys have found residents support the location, as well as efforts to make the future downtown pedestrian friendly.
"A lot of things have been pointing to this area as the central heart of the city," Matson said. "There was no central gathering place."
Matson said Chubbuck Development Authority has acquired properties within the planned downtown area and will be seeking proposals from development interests that would be a good fit.
He said existing businesses in the area will be allowed to continue operating without making changes, although any large expansions would have to comply with the new codes for the downtown.
Don Matson | 2022-02-24T20:09:51Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Chubbuck to host public meeting on downtown plan | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/chubbuck-to-host-public-meeting-on-downtown-plan/article_e3757ea5-0d41-5b57-bbf1-6fddf0107e0b.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/chubbuck-to-host-public-meeting-on-downtown-plan/article_e3757ea5-0d41-5b57-bbf1-6fddf0107e0b.html |
Pocatello guard Ryan Payne reacts to his 3-pointer in the fourth quarter Thursday night against Century.
Pocatello guard Julian Bowie puts up a shot Thursday night against Century.
Pocatello guard Ryan Payne drives to the basket Thursday night against Century.
Pocatello guard Ryan Payne puts up a 3-pointer Thursday night against Century.
Pocatello guard Kade Jensen dribbles up the court Thursday night against Century.
Pocatello's team poses with the 4A District 5 tournament championship plaque after beating Century Thursday night.
Pocatello players celebrate with the 4A District 5 championship plaque after beating Century Thursday night.
Pocatello guard Ryan Payne and head coach Joe Green hug after the Thunder's win over Century Thursday night for the 4A District 5 tournament title.
Pocatello guard Ryan Payne smiles at the crowd after he cut down a piece of net after his team's win over Century Thursday night.
Pocatello coach Joe Green cuts down the final piece of net after his team's win over Century Thursday night.
Century guard Elias Blackhawk surveys the defense Thursday night against Pocatello.
Century guard Jordan Lee puts up a shot Thursday night against Pocatello.
Pocatello guard Julian Bowie drives to the basket Thursday night against Century.
Ryan Payne wore a smile bright enough to light the streets of downtown Pocatello. In his hands, he cradled the prize he and the Thunder had yearned for, the 4A District 5 championship plaque. Standing right where he had hit a triple that will go down in Pocatello lore, the one that put the Thunder in position to secure a 44-42 win over Century and advance to the state tournament, he raised his voice.
“We’re going to state. We’re going to Boise,” Payne said, nearly yelling over the crowd noise. “That’s the biggest thing in my mind right now.”
With that, the Thunder kicked off a celebration that his program hasn’t experienced in more than a decade, celebrating a state tournament bid for the first time since this year’s players wore diapers and watched Caillou. Pocatello coach Joe Green found Payne and wrapped him in a hug. To their left, the Thunder joined their classmates in a giant party. In the stands, hordes of fans roared and laughed and screamed, making this blue-and-red tinted gym sound like a volcano.
That’s what happens when your team pulls off a win that will resonate through the halls of the program for years to come. It’s what happens when the Thunder, who fell to the Diamondbacks in two 20-point defeats in the regular season, came back to stun their rivals in the semifinals of this district tournament last week. That set up this clash, which the Thunder won, capturing the district crown and booking a spot at state.
If this sounds like a big deal, that’s because it is. It’s one thing that Pocatello hadn’t earned a trip to state since 2009. It’s another that starting last year, this conference went down to three teams — with only one state tournament bid. That made the district race a brawl. This time, the Thunder emerged winners, bloodied and victorious.
“It’s a huge step for us,” Green said. “We’ve been in the championship game so many times and haven’t gotten over the hump. I just love these kids and how resilient they are. They’re the ones that fought and got over the hump. They beat a really, really good team tonight.”
The game unfolded accordingly. Freshman phenom Isiah Harwell led Century with 25 points. His counterpart, Pocatello guard Julian Bowie, totaled eight, nursing a hip injury. But the shot that set this gym ablaze and resurrected the Thunder’s program came off the hands of Payne, the club’s lanky, blonde-haired guard who tallied 13 points.
The sequence went like this: Clinging a one-point lead with two minutes to go, Pocatello got out in transition. Matt Christensen misfired on a three, but like he always does, Krue Hales came soaring in for the rebound, pulling it down over two defenders. That’s when he spotted Payne, wide open on the wing. Hales kicked it out. Payne did the honors. Nervous for so long, this crowd sounded like a jet engine.
“That was in the hole the entire way,” Payne said. “Once I saw that one, I was like, ‘We’re going.’ Once I hit that, it’s like, it’s over.”
“That whole game, every time I saw the ball come off the rim, I had the mentality to go up and get it,” Hales added, referencing his rebound to set up Payne’s triple. “I was refusing to let them get any board over the top of me.”
Except that even after Payne drained the trey, Century stayed composed. Moments later, after the teams traded free throws to a 43-39 Pocatello lead, the Diamondbacks called timeout to set up a play with 30 seconds left. Harwell received the inbounds pass. He passed it off, came back around a screen and sank a long ball from some 30 feet. Timeout Century. Pocatello’s lead was down to 43-42 with 21 seconds left.
On the other end, Payne made one of two free throws, pushing the Thunder’s lead to two. That’s when Century got a chance for a rebuttal. Harwell tried a stepback 3, but that clanged off the rim. The rebound found Century forward Nash Harding, who tried to drive, but Hales ripped the ball out of his hands. The Thunder pushed it ahead, running away from the Diamondbacks, watching the clock melt away on the win they always wanted.
“I made the play and we ran out the game,” Hales said. “It was awesome.”
If there is better theater in eastern Idaho, it hasn’t surfaced yet. Century may have dismantled Pocatello twice in the regular season, but when the teams met in last week’s district tournament semifinals, it became clear that the Thunder had made adjustments. They didn’t let the Diamondbacks parlay an early lead into a blowout. On offense, they trusted their playmakers to take them home. On defense, they found a comfortable balance between guarding Harwell and his teammates.
Pocatello’s reward is a bus trip to Nampa, where the team will try to capture the program’s first state championship since 2000 — back when these players were barely a glimmer in their parents’ eyes. In fact, that year is printed on the wall of this gym. After the game, Bowie pointed up to it, nodding in acknowledgement of its meaning.
“We’re trying to get that one right there — 2000,” Bowie said. “We’re trying to get 2022 right there.”
Ryan Payne
Krue Hales | 2022-02-25T07:19:30Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Pocatello topples Century in district title game, earning first state bid in over a decade | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/pocatello-topples-century-in-district-title-game-earning-first-state-bid-in-over-a-decade/article_5c37e6c6-fccc-56f0-9750-28dc58c898c2.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/pocatello-topples-century-in-district-title-game-earning-first-state-bid-in-over-a-decade/article_5c37e6c6-fccc-56f0-9750-28dc58c898c2.html |
Fuger Harriet Rose Fuger Harriet Rose Fuger, 82, of Pocatello, slipped away quietly from her home February 23, 2022. She was born January 16, 1940, in Wenatchee, WA., to Harry Letts and Elsie Brunton. Her parents moved to Pocatello, Idaho, where Harriet attended Franklin Jr. high and Pocatello High School. She was introduced to her future husband by her best friend Rose Linton. Harriet married Frank Fuger and was a devoted loving wife and mother to 3 children Rick Fuger, Donna (Delbert) Gomez, Julie (Joel) Greene. She had 10 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Harriet is preceded in death by her husband Frank, her parents Harry & Elsie, a brother Dale Letts and a sister Marlene Bradford. She is survived by her children, 3 sister's and one brother, Deanna Letts, Susan (Ernie) Daugherty, Larry Letts and Vicki Fuger all residing in Columbia Falls and Kalispell Montana. There will be no services at this time. Harriet asked for everyone to be happy and celebrate her life in your own way and to please give your family and friends in your life all the love you possibly can just as she did. Arrangements are under the direction of the Cornelison Funeral Home, 431 N. 15th Ave., Pocatello. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.cornelisonfh.com 208-232-0542
Frank Fuger
Harry Letts
Elsie Brunton
Dale Letts | 2022-02-25T08:59:32Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Fuger, Harriet Rose | Obituaries | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/obituaries/fuger-harriet-rose/article_15c43a03-0148-56f6-84a5-ae51514516e2.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/obituaries/fuger-harriet-rose/article_15c43a03-0148-56f6-84a5-ae51514516e2.html |
Answering the call: Idaho’s elections
“In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.” ― Mark Twain
Acommon theme in my writing is to encourage and embolden those who know that something is wrong to get activated and engaged with whatever skill set that they’ve been equipped with. Prior to 2016, many of us were asleep at the wheel. Many of us went into the Trump administration skeptical, but with open minds that perhaps a businessman could go into Washington and get some things done. Many of us were shocked at the level of corruption that exists in government but pleasantly surprised at the level of success that was achieved by spurning special interests and the D.C. establishment in the pursuit of main street American policy.
After four years of the Trump administration and a nakedly partisan alliance between entrenched government bureaucrats, media and Silicon Valley, Main Street America has been left with little choice but to fight to preserve the American inheritance that their predecessors left for them. That inheritance is not the divisive identity politics version of America that is actively being sold by the American Left. It is the classically liberal America that represents freedom and opportunity for all, however imperfect our system.
I previously wrote that school parents would save America, and they have largely proven me right. From unseating hostile school board members to reasserting the public/servant hierarchy, parents have driven local education policy by advocating for their children around the nation. If we are to succeed, we must harness this sentiment and direct it toward every seat of government.
Here at home, Idahoans have heard the call of freedom and are answering in a significant way. Despite the weeping and gnashing of teeth from much of Idaho’s lukewarm center and left, Idaho has presented a solid crop of challengers to establishment candidates. Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, who challenged the authority of Gov. Brad Little’s COVID policies by patronizing small business owners in the midst of mandated lockdowns, and who spearheaded anti-activist campaigns in the schools, is nipping at Little’s heels for the state’s executive seat. She is the Trump-endorsed challenger for Idaho’s governorship. Other notable candidates include financial adviser Ed Humphreys of Eagle. Activist Ammon Bundy of Emmett has refiled to run as an independent.
Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, who has been in office for 20 years, famously refused to join in with nineteen other conservative states in challenging the electoral malfeasance of November 2020. While the courts made it clear they had no intention of touching electoral challenges, this was an opportunity for Wasden to represent the majority of Idahoans who recognized the electoral sophistry for what it was. Wasden has garnered two challengers in Eagle’s Raul Labrador and Coeur d’Alene’s Art Macomber. Labrador has a good track record in elected office and is a solid candidate. There is little question that had Labrador won the state’s governorship in 2018, our COVID management policy would have been a more freedom-centric approach. Despite no political record to date, Macomber seems to recognize our current predicament and espouses the right ideas as well.
As Lt. Gov. McGeachin vacates her current position, two Republican challengers have risen to fill it: Rep. Priscilla Giddings of White Bird and Speaker Scott Bedke of Oakley. Giddings, a former female fighter pilot in the Idaho National Guard, garnered controversy for her defense of Rep. Aaron Von Ehlinger against sexual assault allegations when she shared an article detailing the accusations including Von Ehlinger’s accuser. Controversially, she was censured by the Idaho House of Representatives, spearheaded by her opponent, Speaker Scott Bedke. I previously authored my opinion on the case of Aaron Von Ehlinger and I will only state here that Scott Bedke’s position as a political opponent made him the wrong person to spearhead a campaign against Giddings. That is precisely the type of good ol’ boy politics that we ought to throw out of Idaho. Rep. Giddings earns an excellent rating from the Idaho Freedom Foundation, while Scott Bedke earns a failing score for his legislative record on freedom.
Amongst charges that private funds from Mark Zuckerberg’s Center for Tech and Civic Life flowed into 21 counties in Idaho for the administration of Idaho’s elections, Idaho has drawn three Republican challengers for Secretary of State: Rep. Dorothy Moon of Stanley, State Sen. Mary Souza of Coeur d’Alene and Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane. One of the primary recipients of CTCL funds was Ada County, which received almost half a million dollars under these partisan grants and represents two-thirds of grants awarded in Idaho. Sen. Souza alleges that McGrane encouraged all of Idaho’s counties to apply for these partisan grants. Further, it was just announced that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is building a data center in Ada County. If true, Phil McGrane has no business running elections for the State of Idaho and this should be investigated. Giving credit where it is due, Sen. Souza has taken a lead role in exposing CTCL’s influence in our 2020 elections. Of the remaining candidates, Rep. Moon earns an excellent rating from the Idaho Freedom Foundation, while Sen. Souza earns a failing score for her legislative record on freedom.
Long-time U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson of the 2nd District of Idaho has garnered a challenger in Idaho Falls Attorney Bryan Smith. It is no secret that I’m not a fan of Mike Simpson. I find his legislative priorities to be out of step with Idaho. I find his obsession with conservation projects to be tone-deaf and not representative of the concerns of Idahoans. In the middle of global pandemic and race riots, Mike Simpson has been laser-focused on breaching the hydroelectric dams on the Snake River to save the salmon and dumping federal funds into national parks. Simpson’s office was unresponsive in regard to challenging the electoral malfeasance of 2020. Mike Simpson is a shining example of our need for term limits. Bryan Smith has no record of elected office but has challenged Simpson in the past and previously received key endorsements from organizations like FreedomWorks and the Club For Growth.
Here in Pocatello, long-time Democrat State Sen. Mark Nye has announced his retirement and Democrat State Rep. Jim Ruchti will seek to replace him to represent Eastern Idaho. Pocatello native and former candidate for mayor, Republican David Worley, is challenging Ruchti for Nye’s seat. Anecdotally, following the 2020 election, I contacted Rep. Ruchti’s offices to express my concerns over the administration of our elections and inquired about what measures they were taking to ensure Idaho did not experience the election issues experienced around the nation. Rep. Ruchti expressed concerns over any newly proposed measures citing equal access to voting and ultimately did not support any proposed changes at the time. Ruchti receives a failing score from the Idaho Freedom Foundation. Worley is a relative newcomer but carries key endorsements from the Leadership Institute and Republican National Committeeman Morton Blackwell. Republican Jake Stevens currently runs unopposed for Ruchti’s seat. | 2022-02-25T19:43:41Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Answering the call: Idaho’s elections | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/answering-the-call-idaho-s-elections/article_29090cc8-4a0c-5ac9-9d5e-80270acfcc32.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/answering-the-call-idaho-s-elections/article_29090cc8-4a0c-5ac9-9d5e-80270acfcc32.html |
Grocery tax gamesmanship
A flippant and cynical game is being played with the grocery tax. We all recognize that food is vital to both human health and childhood development. Our tax policy should not create obstacles to putting nutritious meals on the table.
For years the Idaho Legislature has debated two different approaches to lifting the burden of taxes on food. They are:
ONE — A GROCERY CREDIT: The winning proposal to date has been for Idahoans to claim back a major portion of sales taxes paid through a grocery tax credit. Most Idahoans who file income tax returns obtain this credit automatically. But even qualifying non-filers can obtain the rebate.
An advantage to the grocery credit is that it retains the tax on out-of-state visitors who buy food as they pass through Idaho. The current credit is a good deal for the poorest 20 percent of Idahoans. For these homes, food is a big portion of monthly expenses, and the credit returns money even to those families operating on “shoestring” food budgets.
The current $100 per person credit doesn’t fully reimburse for taxes paid on caviar, wine and expensive cheese. But those living off ramen and oatmeal probably get back more from the credit than they pay. Because of an added $20 bump up for those over 65, the credit is especially helpful to the elderly poor.
A big disadvantage of the credit is that you pay the government and then wait to get your money back. Any adjustment to the credit must be legislated, so inflation can degrade its value over time. The Legislature acted this year to raise the credit to $120 per person, but Idaho taxpayers won’t see it until they file for refunds on their 2023 taxes, which will be in 2024.
TWO — A GROCERY EXEMPTION: An alternative idea debated each year would be for Idaho to exempt groceries from the 6 percent sales tax. “Taxable status” can now be programmed into computerized cash registers, making implementation nearly invisible. Roughly four out of five Idahoans would pay less in food taxes, and the impact of inflation would no longer affect the tax rate.
There would be new legislative battles over what constitutes “a grocery.” National controversy already exists over food fed to pets, foods partially or completely prepared or cooked onsite, and ingredients that are dietary in small quantities, but industrial in bulk (i.e. salt or vinegar).
Because of these controversies, online retailers are frequently defaulting to collect the tax and then assume you will file for any refund due on your state taxes.
Each approach has advantages and disadvantages. They are both “progressive” in that billionaires get next to nothing from either tax treatment, while the working poor get a major boost either way.
Unfortunately, some Idaho partisans ignore this straightforward debate. These scoundrels look only for a wedge issue through which to gain political power, dishonestly suggesting a vote for one approach without repealing the other. But “doing both” makes no sense.
Set aside for the moment that it would be impossible to appropriately size a “credit” for taxes on something that is never taxed. Also forget that the “double-dipped” revenue forgone must come from somewhere, most likely state education budgets.
The real deceit in “doing both” is that the “grocery credit” becomes a wealth redistribution that has nothing to do with purchasing food. It takes revenue from those who pay taxes and redistributes it to everyone equally, including to those who don’t. There’s a name for that. It’s called socialism.
Honest legislators can differ: Some are for the credit and some prefer an exemption. But those who will not tell you which they would adopt, and which they would vote against, are being dishonest with you.
“Doing both” is policy nonsense, and most legislators know that. That means the politicians pretending they can “do both” are lying to you. And liars don’t deserve re-election. | 2022-02-25T19:43:47Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Grocery tax gamesmanship | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/grocery-tax-gamesmanship/article_e2440601-6dbd-5b2d-9b0b-80fefb202770.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/grocery-tax-gamesmanship/article_e2440601-6dbd-5b2d-9b0b-80fefb202770.html |
Grocery tax is immoral and needs to go
Most states recognize the immorality of this and therefore choose to avoid this tax. Not in Idaho. We’re one of the few remaining states that still requires cash purchases to be marked up with the same 6 percent sales tax you’d pay on other goods. | 2022-02-25T19:43:53Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Grocery tax is immoral and needs to go | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/grocery-tax-is-immoral-and-needs-to-go/article_7ffdb77b-657a-5d5e-868d-bb3d45bd16cf.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/grocery-tax-is-immoral-and-needs-to-go/article_7ffdb77b-657a-5d5e-868d-bb3d45bd16cf.html |
Jethro Tull, Plato and a new day
Plato taught that “music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” I couldn’t agree more!
I am obsessed with music, a true musicophile. It could possibly be genetic as I grew up in a home where records were playing on the stereo every day at some point. I spent hours with my dad playing gin rummy and listening to his collection of big band record albums.
Each of the Thomas boys were encouraged if not demanded to play a musical instrument. Ironically, neither of our parents played anything other than the radio or turntable. My two older brothers picked (or had it picked for them) the accordion. I chose the saxophone. My choice was influenced by listening to Boots Randolph play his famous song “Yakety Sax.” I took it as far as becoming a music performance major in college for the first couple of years but am now just an avid listener and collector of many genres of music with the exception of rap and modern country (sorry Taylor Swift). I will admit, however, to the occasional choice of a Johnny Cash or Marty Robbins classic. My Spotify app has an ever-growing list of over 2,200 songs. I have lost count of the vinyl albums, cassette tapes and CDs as they are all stored away in totes in the basement.
I have actually used a line from a Jethro Tull song to answer the maiden phone call of the day when the caller asks, “How are you doing today, Todd?” Just “skating away on the thin ice of a new day,” I responded. That usually draws a slightly dumbfounded pause on the other end of the line as most people do not know of or listen to Jethro Tull. Out of those 2,200 songs on my Spotify, there are over 20 saved songs from Jethro Tull. Other groups or artists with high numbers of saved songs include: ZZTOP, AC/DC, Steely Dan, Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave and solo), Disturbed, Alice in Chains and Led Zeppelin. The top number belongs to Tool. Genre playlists show blues (Stevie Ray Vaughn and Buddy Guy), Mozart, Vivaldi, Japanese Minyo and Mongolian throat singing.
I have one labeled as “cooking music.” I put that one on when I am creating in the kitchen. It's a mix of jazz, featuring the many saxophone artists I like. Mood dictates music for me. If anyone is wondering what my attitude or outlook is at the moment, just take a peek at the songs I have been listening to that day. My grandsons (Peanut and Sock Monkey — nicknames, all my grandkids get nicknames) could tell you of times driving in the car, when I rewind to a specific part of the song, over and over, for them to “listen to the drums right here” or “listen to this guitar riff, it's awesome.” I knew I was successful as a fun grandpa when I looked in the rearview mirror to see them playing along air guitar style to my music.
If you are looking for some non-chemical, mind altering, escape, try Tool’s “Forty Six and Two.” It's about the possible genetic evolution of humans and shedding the shadows that hamper our progress. If you’re in the mood for some world culture, try The Hu. Described by music critics as heavy metal Mongolian throat singing. I suggest “The Great Chinggis Khan.”
What is it about the aspects of music that appeal to the mind? It seems to me that tones and rhythm stimulate the release of endorphins in the brain. Normally, dissonance is unpleasant, uncomfortable and distasteful when it enters our lives. We seek to resolve it, to reach what biologists call homeostasis, a state of well being or safety. But when a dissonant chord or melody is echoing in my headphones, I find it oddly pleasurable. There is a special kind of relief or masochistic pleasure when that dissonance is resolved as the chord settles to a “home” or the key signature changes to something more aesthetically soothing. It is a mental challenge to try and figure out the time signature or memorize the lyrics.
Music has helped me celebrate, pump up for a ballgame, grieve, cry and relax all through my life. God created a lot of wonderful things: Moms, babies, shrimp, sushi and NASCAR. But he broke the mold when he created music. Or maybe I should say when He gave us the ability to create music.
To all those skilled musical geniuses that have delighted me for nearly 60 years, I give a melodious shout of thanks: Job well done! | 2022-02-25T19:43:59Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Jethro Tull, Plato and a new day | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/jethro-tull-plato-and-a-new-day/article_91f68920-3009-5c7b-9d22-ff7de6be1392.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/jethro-tull-plato-and-a-new-day/article_91f68920-3009-5c7b-9d22-ff7de6be1392.html |
We should heed George Washington’s warning against partisanship
Idaho’s almost 310,000 independent voters, who comprised 35 percent of total Idaho voters two years ago, would have no say in the selection between these types of candidates if highly partisan Republicans have their way. The House approved legislation on Presidents’ Day to prevent independent voters from registering in the Republican primary after March 11. They have always had until election day to make that choice. | 2022-02-25T19:44:18Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | We should heed George Washington’s warning against partisanship | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/we-should-heed-george-washington-s-warning-against-partisanship/article_e5f9f902-6d30-52d5-a41e-23c4f649e07a.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/we-should-heed-george-washington-s-warning-against-partisanship/article_e5f9f902-6d30-52d5-a41e-23c4f649e07a.html |
A map of the project.
Pocatello Creek booster station and transmission line construction begins Monday
POCATELLO — The city of Pocatello recently awarded IMCO General Construction Inc. to construct a new booster station and transmission line off of Pocatello Creek Road with funding provided through the Water Department’s capital reserve budget. The contractor has mobilized to the site, and construction will begin on Monday.
The Pocatello Creek booster station and transmission line project will provide additional water supply and redundancy for the Highland Bench area. The project consists of a new booster pump station and over 2 miles of water transmission pipe ranging in size from 24 to 30 inches in diameter. The project route has been identified to minimize public impact to both traffic and business operations while maintaining the lowest cost of the identified alternatives. The pipeline will require several trenchless crossings beneath Pocatello Creek and the I-15 interstate corridor.
The construction work will be completed in several phases with a project duration of 18-months.
For more information on the city of Pocatello Water Department, visit pocatello.us/water.
Pocatello Creek
Pocatello Water Department
General Construction Inc. | 2022-02-25T22:33:14Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Pocatello Creek booster station and transmission line construction begins Monday | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/pocatello-creek-booster-station-and-transmission-line-construction-begins-monday/article_8c17524e-d77e-5c97-89cd-b562d78c394f.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/pocatello-creek-booster-station-and-transmission-line-construction-begins-monday/article_8c17524e-d77e-5c97-89cd-b562d78c394f.html |
My dog is a person, just ask her
This past week Idaho state Legislature committees introduced several bills of arguable benefit and one which is downright inexplicable.
The House Transportation and Defense Committee which, according to the Legislature website, deals with “fuel taxes, state/local highways, motor vehicle issues,” none of which has anything to do with “defense,” moved to repeal a law banning private militias.
Idaho National Guard general counsel Maj. Steve Stokes supports the bill because, according to him, Idaho already has too many laws. Well, then, by golly, let’s get rid of laws to protect us and get those armed militias out there patrolling the streets instead. I feel safer already.
Despite a number of people testifying before the committee with intelligent and logical reasons as to why the existing law should be strengthened rather than repealed, the 15 Republican Committee members outvoted the three Democrats and approved House Bill 475 to move forward.
Next up, Rep. Doug Okuniewicz. R-Hayden, is pushing for a bill to deprive local communities of the right to eliminate or change historical monuments because, you know, Republicans are such staunch supporters of local control. I’m not too worried about this bill except for the fact that Okuniewicz got the idea from South Carolina, which is a little scary.
Then there is Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, who is sponsoring a bill that would force women to choose whether they want to get an abortion before most of them even realize that they are pregnant. Uh, OK, I see no potential legal problems at all with that law.
A final problematic bill advanced last week by the House Business Committee would bar employers from requiring employee vaccinations. Bill sponsor Rep. Charlie Shepherd, R-Pollock, said, “We are not going to allow a business to push their will on an individual worker.” He says this while simultaneously implying it’s OK for the Republican Legislature to push its will on individual employers. Sounds fair.
None of the above bills sponsored by Republican legislators last week to please their base so they can retain office makes my blood boil. But here is one additional bill that does: A proposed law that would prevent animals, including dogs, from being granted “personhood status.”
The “personhood” bill was proposed by Rep. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, on Feb. 15, one day after celebrating Valentine’s Day, a time to show love for one another! And who shows more love for its fellow “persons” than dogs?
How can ANY politician, including Tammy Nichols, declare that my dog is not a person based on about five minutes of discussion at a committee meeting?! When I have lived with her (the dog) for 13 years.
Nichols said personhood for animals must be bad because “there’s a growing trend that’s taking place across the United States as well as globally where we are seeing this occur.”
Well, of course the trend is growing. And there are some obvious reasons why it’s growing. Consider these statistics:
Seventy percent of U.S. households own a pet.
About 90 percent of owners consider their pets “part of the family.”
More than 80 percent of us would likely risk our lives for our pets.
2020 U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures totaled $103.6 billion.
Gross written premiums for pet insurance totaled $1.99 billion in 2020.
In other words, millions of Americans treat their pets as well or better than they do other so-called “persons,” commonly referred to as humans.
Analyze any “person” definition traits, and you can easily see why the bill is absurd.
A person has reason. My dog avoids conflict. Humans invade nations for dubious reasons.
A person practices morality. My dog is more honest, good and decent than any human, including many politicians.
A person has consciousness. My dog is much more aware of what is going on around her than humans who are constantly staring at their phones.
A person has an individual personality. You will observe a wide variety of personalities at a dog park while you can’t distinguish one Trump rally crowd from the next.
Even the Bible declines to give God dominion over dogs — fish, birds and creeping things that creep around maybe, but not dogs.
If dogs are not persons while humans are, then how does one explain a typical home page on the local newspaper’s website with headlines like “Young boy’s dogs save him from being devoured by mountain lion,” “Bonneville County Sheriff's Office mourns loss of K9 Drax” or “Avalanche dogs critical to life-saving operations” while stories about humans and the crimes they have committed tend to dominate the news.
There are other ways in which dogs display “personhood” just as much or more than humans do. There are guide dogs, comfort dogs, emotional support dogs, psychiatric service dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs of all types. I would vouch that my dog does all these things and more to a certain extent. So, yes, she is a person.
And anyone, including the Supreme Court, who claims that a corporation is a person, displaying traits such as reason, morality and consciousness, but my dog is not a person, needs to have their head examined.
Proof of this is Facebook. | 2022-02-25T22:33:39Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | My dog is a person, just ask her | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/my-dog-is-a-person-just-ask-her/article_d2ec3be9-840e-5bf5-b4a1-dcde81c0f3aa.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/my-dog-is-a-person-just-ask-her/article_d2ec3be9-840e-5bf5-b4a1-dcde81c0f3aa.html |
Good news about cognitive function
Maintaining brain health and cognition should be at the top of our list of health-related ambitions as we continue to age.
We’ve known for years that exercise can create new neurons in the brain but recently part of that mechanism was discovered.
Exercise increases levels of a key protein that transports selenium to where it can help in the process of creating new neurons. The next logical step after that discovery was asking, can selenium supplementation increase neuron generation and improve cognition? A study done in mice suggested it could.
The levels of new neuron generation decline rapidly in aging mice just as they do in humans. When selenium was supplemented in the mice, the production of neurons increased and reversed some of the cognitive defects observed with aging. A similar benefit was found in improving cognitive decline following strokes in mice.
It could be argued that extrapolating or comparing mouse brains to human brains is difficult, but this is still some eyebrow-raising data.
Selenium is an essential trace mineral and is found in foods such as meats, grains and nuts, with the highest levels found in Brazil nuts. Selenium potentially has some drug interactions, and you can overdose on selenium, causing everything from bad breath to kidney, heart, liver damage and possibly even death. Selenium levels can be checked by your doctor, so, as with utilizing any form of dietary supplement, it’s a good idea to review it with your health care provider and do appropriate testing prior to starting when applicable.
Selenium supplementation is not a substitute for exercise to help conserve cognitive function, however. Anything we can do to maintain cognitive function as the years slowly pass, in my opinion, is of value. | 2022-02-26T18:20:04Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Good news about cognitive function | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/good-news-about-cognitive-function/article_3e57ae2e-65cc-5527-a99e-d119151b6d60.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/good-news-about-cognitive-function/article_3e57ae2e-65cc-5527-a99e-d119151b6d60.html |
Joshua Jay Bluemel
An ongoing police investigation that began in early 2020 has resulted in a local man being accused of failing to report a death.
Joshua Jay Bluemel, 38, of Downey, was charged Tuesday with failing to report the death of his 60-year-old housemate, Richard Wiggill, as well as concealing/destroying evidence related to the case, authorities said.
The investigation that led to the charges against Bluemel began in March 2020 when Bannock County sheriff's deputies were called to the Downey home he shared with Wiggill after neighbors had found Wiggill dead, according to the Bannock County Prosecutor's Office.
Wiggill had been dead for up to two weeks and his body had been partially eaten by dogs in the house when it was discovered, prosecutors said.
The pandemic delayed the investigation and to date no autopsy has been done on Wiggill's body.
What authorities allege thus far is that Bluemel had knowledge of Wiggill's death but did not report it and that Bluemel sold some of Wiggill's belongings including a tractor after he died.
Prosecutors said it's likely that Wiggill's body will be exhumed so that an autopsy can be conducted as part of the ongoing investigation.
Bluemel's currently being held at the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello as he awaits the adjudication of his case.
If convicted of the charges against him, Bluemel faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $60,000 fine.
Richard Wiggill | 2022-02-26T21:53:12Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Prosecutors: Local man facing charges for failing to report housemate's death | Freeaccess | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/prosecutors-local-man-facing-charges-for-failing-to-report-housemates-death/article_b231e0a1-c051-5352-ab14-45623562f57b.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/prosecutors-local-man-facing-charges-for-failing-to-report-housemates-death/article_b231e0a1-c051-5352-ab14-45623562f57b.html |
Otto Kitsinger Photo
McGeachin, who is running in Idaho's gubernatorial campaign, told those gathered in Florida that she needs "freedom fighters all over this country that are willing to stand up and fight" even when that means fighting "amongst our own ranks."
McGeachin in a statement on Twitter said she was invited by the America First Political Action Conference to submit a video, "and I took the opportunity to share my views about these vital America First policies."
She added that the "media wants us to play a guilt-by-association game."
McGeachin's chief of staff, Jordan Watters, didn't respond on Saturday to email and phone messages seeking further comment on McGeachin's decision to address the gathering.
A group of more moderate Idaho Republicans who are members of a group called Take Back Idaho on Saturday called for McGeachin to resign, saying her speech at the gathering "shows that she is openly courting the most extreme fringes of society."
Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming took issue with Republicans taking part in what she called a "white supremacist, anti-Semitic, pro-Putin event."
"All Americans should renounce this garbage and reject the Putin wing of the GOP now," she tweeted.
Trump has endorsed McGeachin for Idaho governor. Little, who often touts the state's record budget surplus of about $2 billion and significant cuts in state regulations, has not announced he's running for reelection but is widely expected to do so in the coming weeks. | 2022-02-27T01:04:30Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | McGeachin delivers taped speech to white nationalist meeting | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/mcgeachin-delivers-taped-speech-to-white-nationalist-meeting/article_6ca2d5fe-ea98-5c45-a2d8-55fd890a81a8.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/mcgeachin-delivers-taped-speech-to-white-nationalist-meeting/article_6ca2d5fe-ea98-5c45-a2d8-55fd890a81a8.html |
Idaho State guard Dora Goles puts up a 3-pointer Saturday afternoon against Portland State.
Idaho State guard Tomekia Whitman puts up a floater Saturday afternoon against Portland State.
Idaho State guard Montana Oltrogge (25) slings a pass to Callie Bourne Saturday afternoon against Portland State.
Idaho State players react to a 3-pointer from Dora Goles Saturday afternoon against Portland State.
Goles erupts late as Idaho State holds off Portland State on senior day, 67-64
When fall turned to winter this year, the complexion of Idaho State’s season changed. Injuries descended on the Bengals like a dark cloud, robbing them of the lineup that helped them win last season’s conference tournament, forcing them to confront the only reality that might prevent them from repeating: What if we don’t have the lineup we want?
So in December, when Dora Goles injured her finger, the Bengals had to think even harder about it. Their star guard, the one who had spurred them to wins by the bushel and taken the team to new heights, couldn’t do what made her special. Her shot abandoned her. Her handle vanished. She supplied a calming veteran presence, but because she didn’t feel comfortable twirling the ball like a magician, she couldn’t do much more.
Which is what made Goles’ performance in Idaho State’s 67-64 win over Portland State Saturday afternoon so mesmerizing. She looked like the Goles of old. In the fourth frame, she tallied eight straight points, pulling the Bengals out of a four-point hole and planting them atop a one-point lead. In a win that helped ISU stay in position to secure a share of the conference title, Goles authored her finest outing of the season, completing her final game at Reed Gym with an outing that felt all too appropriate.
“I have one word for today: Dora,” said Estefi Ors, Idaho State’s other sixth-year player. “It’s special. She’s a role model for young people, how she didn’t lose faith, she came back with confidence. The younger people see that, and I think in the future, they might be (like her).”
Only even after Goles finished her onslaught, Idaho State hadn’t finished off Portland State. After Diaba Konate knocked down a pair of free throws, widening the Bengals’ lead to three with 90 seconds left, Portland State trimmed the lead with a layup from Syd Schultz.
But that’s also who forced Goles out of the game. With around 10 seconds left, Portland State ran a play to try to take the lead, but Goles took a hard charge from Schultz. Goles went to the floor, holding her head. She stayed there for a moment before trainers helped her walk back to the sidelined. She stayed there for the rest of the game.
The good news for the Bengals (19-9, 15-4) was they no longer needed her services. They forced a stop, and Ors made one of two free throws. Then they produced another, and Montana Oltrogge produced another 1-for-2 trip at the stripe. That gave ISU a three-point cushion. On the other end, Portland State guard Jada Lewis clanged a trey, Idaho State corralled the rebound and in breathless fashion, the Bengals vanquished the Vikings.
“We obviously did not shoot the ball well,” said Idaho State coach Seton Sobolewski, whose team hit just 37% of its shots. “We got some nerves. We had some good, open shots and Portland State played smart. There’s just some more Reed Gym magic that we’ve seen a lot over the years.”
Result aside, this amounted to a surprising game for the Bengals. Idaho State is one of the conference’s best teams. Portland State is one of its worst. In fact, the Vikings entered the weekend still searching for their first conference win, languishing under an 0-16 league record.
When you watched the game, though, you would never have guessed. Possessions passed like molasses. Whistles blew. The Bengals struggled to complete stops with rebounds. Oltrogge tallied a team-best 18 points and Tomekia Whitman added 11 for Idaho State, but the hosts never found rhythm, never found the motion offense that has unlocked so many wins this year.
It prompts what feels like a fair question: How much did the day’s emotion — the final game in this gym for seven seniors, including Goles and Ors, who finished their sixth season playing here — factor into the way the game unfolded?
“A lot,” Oltrogge said.
“You wanted to make shots. You wanted your night to be special,” Ors added. “Then you rush shots. You feel like, oh, I need to score. So I feel like that played a part of the game today. You try and not think about it, but you still think about it.”
For Idaho State, the blueprint headed into Saturday was simple enough: Win these final two regular-season games, assure themselves at least a share of the conference regular-season title and head into the Big Sky tournament with a first-round bye and a top seed. All the Bengals had to do was beat the worst team in the league.
They did it, just barely, which gave them a chance to reflect on what the moment meant: Why everything felt so emotional, why Ors teared up before the game, taking pictures with her family, a Spanish flag wrapped around her shoulders. Why time seemed to freeze when this one went final, the end of an era on the doorstep, one of the program’s best players ever arriving just in time like Batman, playing the hero when the team needed it most.
“Thinking back on it now, it’s really cool. It’s totally fitting,” Sobolewski said. “Dora swoops in and saves the day like she has in some games in the past, hitting deep 3s, the things she’s always done.” | 2022-02-27T01:04:36Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Goles erupts late as Idaho State holds off Portland State on senior day, 67-64 | Sports | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/sports/goles-erupts-late-as-idaho-state-holds-off-portland-state-on-senior-day-67-64/article_e25ffdb0-3177-537c-9735-e544a26807c6.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/sports/goles-erupts-late-as-idaho-state-holds-off-portland-state-on-senior-day-67-64/article_e25ffdb0-3177-537c-9735-e544a26807c6.html |
Blackfoot junior Tradyn Henderson, who captured an individual state title in weight class 170.
Highland junior Eli Anderton pins Thunder Ridge's Garrett Roedel Saturday evening at Holt Arena.
Tradyn Henderson felt lucky to feel his pulse. He had just gotten in a car crash with his dad, Travis, and they knew immediately it was bad. Tradyn had sustained injuries to his face, Travis ones to his shoulder and hip, thanks to the way he was ejected from the truck. They had been T-boned outside Blackfoot, where Tradyn wrestles and Travis coaches.
Tradyn, then a sophomore at Blackfoot, pounced into action. He called 911. He called his mother, Brindie, to alert her of the accident. He even performed first aid on the women in the other car, helping them breathe normally, creating a brace to hold them upright until help arrived.
Soon, Brindie pulled up to the scene and helped the two get to a local hospital. There, Travis received treatment that put him in a wheelchair for 10 weeks. Tradyn was sidelined from wrestling for a couple weeks.
“A year later we’re up and moving,” Travis said. “Smiling and celebrating and excited to be part of what we’re doing.”
For father and son, that’s part of what made Henderson’s 4A state championship in weight class 170 so special. It’s also what added meaning to Blackfoot’s team performance, finishing third in Class 4A with 173.5 points Saturday at Holt Arena, helped in large part by Henderson and sophomore Mack Mauger, who captured his second straight individual state title.
“Super amazing feeling,” Tradyn Henderson said. “It means everything. I’ve put a lot of hard work into this sport, and I’ve been wanting to win a state title for a long time.”
Elsewhere in the area, Marsh Valley (178.5) and Snake River (166.5) finished second and third, respectively, in Class 3A. Highland carded a sixth-place finish in 5A with a team score of 114.0. Malad’s team finished fourth in Class 2A with 115 points. In 4A, Century finished 13th with 46 points, getting a second-place finish from junior Jackson Geslin in weight class 285, and Pocatello scored one point for 24th.
Individually, Snake River got titles from senior Emilio Caldera (weight class 138), Joshua Curzon (weight class 285), helping the Panthers finish third. Marsh Valley got championships from Brock Young (126) and Easton Branson (195). American Falls saw championships from Kolter Burton (106) and Grayson Williams (132).
“It feels really great,” Caldera said of his title, nursing a torn ACL in his left leg. “It took a lot of effort, and it took a lot of mental fortitude. Battling a lot of injuries, it’s really great. I had to push through that and I got it done.”
Still, good luck finding a bigger upset than the one Highland Eli Anderton pulled. In weight class 220, he had fallen to Thunder Ridge senior Garrett Roedel three times earlier this season. On Saturday, though, Anderton won by fall, capturing his first state championship.
It may have been an upset, but Anderton said he felt it coming. In every clash this season, he could feel himself improving, inching closer to defeating Roedel.
“This time was just the time that I got him,” Anderton said.
“He’s had a great year in practice, great year in the room,” added Highland coach Kolby Cordingley, whose team also got a second-place finish from Ian Allen, who came up one step short in weight class 285. “We were fortunate to get the win. We’re happy for him. Proud of him.”
Locally, though, the spotlight belonged to Blackfoot.
For one, Mauger did his thing again. Now a two-time state champion in weight class 106, Mauger has also secured national championships for his age in folk, greco and freestyle styles, making him a rare breed — not just in Idaho, but in the country. “In the sport of wrestling, he would be like Usain Bolt,” Blackfoot coach Kelly Moysh said.
But more importantly, Moysh said, his sophomore phenom may be a better wrestler than person — which is saying something.
“He’s that kid that everybody wants their daughter to date,” Moysh said. “He’s just a good kid.”
District 5 top team finishers
No. 6 Highland
Placers: Payson Solomon (sixth in 126), Rustan Cordingley (fourth in 160), Luke Sidwell (second in 182), Eli Anderton (first in 220), Ian Allen (second in 285)
No. 3 Blackfoot
Placers: Mack Mauger (first in 106), Avian Martinez (sixth in 120), Eli Abercrombie (third in 132), Luke Moore (second in 138), Taye Trautner (third in 145), Austin Ramirez (second in 152), Tradyn Henderson (first in 170), Micheal Edwards (fourth in 182),
No. 13 Century
Placers: Jackson Geslin (second in 285)
No. 2 Marsh Valley
Placers: Collin Morris (third in 98), Brock Young (first in 126), Brady Dahlke (third in 138), Kole Dahlke (third in 145), Ryker Gibson (third in 152), Brad Bensen (third in 170), Easton Branson (first in 195), Hunter McQuivey (third in 220)
No. 3 Snake River
Placers: Brian Bensen (third in 106), Jace Leavitt (fifth in 113), Easton Gardner (fifth in 132), Emilio Caldera (first in 138), Gary Hunter (fourth in 145), Lance Hunter (fourth in 160), Lane Carter (fourth in 170), Dylan Anderton (sixth in 220), Joshua Curzon (first in 285)
No. 5 American Falls
Placers: Kolter Burton (first in 106), Mason Aiken (fourth in 113), Grayson Williams (first in 132), Tanner Hartley (fourth in 152), Ryker Permann (fifth in 160)
No. 4 Malad
Placers: Trevor Mills (sixth in 106), Zach Mills (third in 113), Cole Willie (fifth in 138), Ruxton Tubbs (third in 145), Austin Nalder (first in 152), William Maddox (first in 195)
Eli Anderton
Tradyn Henderson
Kelly Moysh
Mauger | 2022-02-27T06:26:23Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | At state wrestling, Blackfoot finishes third and Highland's Anderton pulls upset | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/at-state-wrestling-blackfoot-finishes-third-and-highlands-anderton-pulls-upset/article_4d57bf5f-6a6f-5fe7-b8f6-ba1c4c8a66ab.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/at-state-wrestling-blackfoot-finishes-third-and-highlands-anderton-pulls-upset/article_4d57bf5f-6a6f-5fe7-b8f6-ba1c4c8a66ab.html |
Rockland’s team poses with the 1AD2 District 5/6 tournament title plaque.
The boys basketball district tournaments are behind us, so let’s recap the action and check out where our local teams are headed in their state tournaments.
Highland put up an admirable fight, topping Thunder Ridge twice, but the Rams’ season ended when they fell to Rigby in the final game of the 5A District 5/6 tournament.
In the three-team gauntlet of Class 4A District 5, Pocatello emerged victorious, going 3-0 with one win over Preston and two over Century, including the title clincher Thursday night.
The Thunder take the No. 2 seed into the 4A state tournament, where they will face Burley 7 p.m. Thursday at Rocky Mountain High School in Nampa.
Marsh Valley won the 3A District 5 tournament, but thanks to the bracket setup, Snake River also earned a bid to the state tournament, getting there with a win over Filer in Saturday’s play-in game.
At the state tournament, top-seeded Marsh Valley plays Bonners Ferry at noon Thursday at Meridian High School. No. 3 Snake River gets Homedale, which is set for 5 p.m. Thursday at the same place.
In the 2A district tournament title game, Bear Lake beat West Side, but both teams have earned a trip to the state tournament — and they play each other.
No. 2 West Side and No. 7 Bear Lake square off at 7 p.m. Thursday at Capital High School in Boise.
Class 1AD1
Grace earned a state berth win a win over Butte Country in the district tournament title game. Grace gets No. 6 Rimrock at 5 p.m. Thursday at Vallivue High School in Caldwell.
Brigham Permann tallied a team-best 17 points for Rockland in its win over North Gem in the tournament title game, and now at state, the No. 3 Bulldogs get Kendrick 5 p.m. Thursday in Caldwell. North Gem also advanced to state, playing Council at 2 p.m., same day and same place.
Brigham Permann | 2022-02-27T08:45:27Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Boys basketball district tournaments: Recaps and state assignments | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/boys-basketball-district-tournaments-recaps-and-state-assignments/article_1434d2e6-12e5-5fef-a33a-88f93f49226f.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/boys-basketball-district-tournaments-recaps-and-state-assignments/article_1434d2e6-12e5-5fef-a33a-88f93f49226f.html |
Raymundo Enriquez
Chubbuck Police Department Photo
An intense manhunt involving heavily armed SWAT officers and police from multiple agencies is underway for an armed and dangerous robbery suspect in the Pocatello area.
Late Saturday night Chubbuck police identified the suspect as 40-year-old Raymundo "Mundo" Enriquez of Tucson, Arizona. Chubbuck police described Enriquez as being approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 165 pounds.
Chubbuck police said Enriquez is the suspect in the early Saturday morning armed robbery of a Chubbuck home during which the robber was wearing a mask and all black clothing.
Chubbuck police said in their press release: "Anyone with any information about Enrqiuez's location is encouraged to contact their local law enforcement agency or the Chubbuck Police Department at 208-237-7172. Enriquez should be considered armed and dangerous."
Police conducted multiple searches for Enriquez in Pocatello and Chubbuck on Saturday night but he evaded capture.
Chubbuck police said Enriquez was reportedly seen fleeing the Travelodge motel in the 100 block of West Burnside Avenue in Chubbuck around 7:50 p.m. Saturday.
He was then observed on the south side of Interstate 86 running in a southeast direction wearing a black "puffy" coat and black pants, Chubbuck police said.
The Pocatello police SWAT team along with Pocatello and Chubbuck patrol officers and Idaho State Police troopers responded around 8 p.m. to the Pine Ridge Mall area south of Interstate 86 in search of the suspect.
At times on Saturday night police shut down access to parts of the mall area including the Pine Ridge Apartments.
Late Saturday night police and SWAT officers executed a search warrant at the Travelodge, finding a firearm in Enriquez's unoccupied motel room. Police said the vehicle they believe Enriquez used in the robbery was located at the Travelodge and was impounded.
An earlier search for Enriquez occurred around 5:30 p.m. Saturday when over a dozen Pocatello police officers responded to a home on Sonoma Street near Satterfield Drive on Pocatello's north side.
Police believed Enriquez could be at the home and they temporarily closed Sonoma Street to all traffic and urged the neighborhood's residents to stay indoors while officers searched for him. But around 7 p.m. police said they were leaving the scene because the suspect could not be located.
Police have not yet provided any additional details about the armed robbery at the Chubbuck home.
Chubbuck Police Department
Travelodge Motel | 2022-02-27T16:00:20Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | INTENSE MANHUNT UNDERWAY FOR ARMED AND DANGEROUS ROBBERY SUSPECT IN POCATELLO AREA | Freeaccess | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/intense-manhunt-underway-for-armed-and-dangerous-robbery-suspect-in-pocatello-area/article_9a829ddb-5947-5ce9-ae54-c5804fc4bfd7.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/intense-manhunt-underway-for-armed-and-dangerous-robbery-suspect-in-pocatello-area/article_9a829ddb-5947-5ce9-ae54-c5804fc4bfd7.html |
Left, Bannock County Coroner Torey Danner, and right, Bannock County Sheriff Tony Manu, are both supporting a proposed center in Pocatello where the region's autopsies would be conducted.
Bannock County Sheriff Tony Manu said 17 sheriffs from the state's eastern counties have all signed a letter of support for the center. Furthermore, he said Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei presented the concept to police chiefs from throughout the state, who have also offered their overwhelming support for the idea.
Manu said several investigators must sometimes make the trip to Ada County for cases that touch multiple agencies. Manu added that his investigators have to leave at 5 a.m. to arrive in Treasure Valley in time for a 9 a.m. autopsy. He also worries that by being at the mercy of the Ada County facility's schedule, it opens the door for East Idaho investigators to have to take autopsies out of state.
According to Bannock County officials, Ada County conducts about 750 autopsies per year, and the local facility would lessen the burden on Ada County. | 2022-03-01T00:46:21Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | State committee to vote on funding for ISU-based autopsy facility | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/state-committee-to-vote-on-funding-for-isu-based-autopsy-facility/article_ba8241f1-0efc-5bb8-941b-22e78e0a6971.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/state-committee-to-vote-on-funding-for-isu-based-autopsy-facility/article_ba8241f1-0efc-5bb8-941b-22e78e0a6971.html |
United Way of Southeastern Idaho invites you to take a research survey on barriers to health and wellness
By United Way of Southeastern Idaho
POCATELLO — An organization committed to improving outcomes for children, families and individuals in need invites you to participate in a research project studying barriers to health and wellness in Bannock County.
The goal is to identify important issues and create a community action plan to improve overall health for the residents of Bannock County.
To take the confidential, five-minute survey, please visit https://bit.ly/3IXmiMU. Or to attend a focus group about experiencing health disparities, please sign up at https://bit.ly/3sh9f20.
“We need everyone’s help getting the word out about taking this survey,” said Ginny Hoyle, UWSEI’s community resources manager. “And it is crucial that we hear from those in Bannock County who are experiencing barriers to health and wellness so we can pinpoint the core issues and work as a community toward high-level solutions.”
UWSEI is partnering with leaders from across Bannock County on this project. Shin Kue Ryu, assistant professor in Idaho State University's Department of Political Science; Elizabeth Fore, associate professor in Idaho State University’s College of Community and Public Health; and Dr. Monica Mispireta, director of program development at the Pocatello Free Clinic, are helping with data collection and analysis and the development of the community action plan survey results are complete.
For more information about this research project or community action plan, please contact the project lead, Amy Wuest, community resources director at UWSEI, at amy@unitedwaysei.org.
Uwsei
Monica Mispireta | 2022-03-01T21:16:50Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | United Way of Southeastern Idaho invites you to take a research survey on barriers to health and wellness | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/united-way-of-southeastern-idaho-invites-you-to-take-a-research-survey-on-barriers-to/article_4f2bba1b-59f2-5c76-b3c4-54c5a7d74998.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/united-way-of-southeastern-idaho-invites-you-to-take-a-research-survey-on-barriers-to/article_4f2bba1b-59f2-5c76-b3c4-54c5a7d74998.html |
U.S. actress Zoë Kravitz arrives for the sixth annual Instyle Awards at The Getty Center in Los Angeles on Nov. 15, 2021.
Valerie Macon / AFP via Getty Images / TNS
HBO’s latest feature, “KIMI,” sees director Steven Soderbergh carefully balancing his interest in classic crime fiction and Hitchcockian suspense within the framework of an intimate COVID-era indie. Zoe Kravitz' portrayal as a Seattle programmer suffering from post-traumatic stress and agoraphobia keys into the types of anxieties the public has suffered through these last few years of the pandemic. Screenwriter David Koepp mines the universality of those experiences to create a minimalist thriller through the prism of a fractured mind.
Angela (Kravitz) works from home as a technician who manages the efficiency of a popular Alexa/Siri-style home unit. Her job involves going through endless audio streams in which people fail to correlate their requests with the KIMI device’s search optimization. One night while listening to a stream, Angela comes across a bit of audio that sounds like a muffled assault or possible murder. This discovery leads her up the chain of command at her company, wherein she must conquer her fears to find the root of what might be a corporate cover-up.
Soderbergh knows how to maximize the drama of any sequence through conscious camera work and purposeful editing. He’s working with a small budget for this project so many of his shots are in one location and much of the world-building takes place within the lead character’s mind. Often, we see longer takes with a steady cam that follows Angela around in her apartment, only cutting when necessary to shift to her subjective POV. Once we do leave the protagonist's Seattle loft, the frame allows for wider shots capturing modest action sequences that make use of special availability.
The story widens as well, sometimes in ways that are explicitly more focused on genre and less tethered to normality. Luckily, the leg work observable in Kravitz performance and Koepp’s script pares Angela’s trauma arc to her presence as a cinematic detective archetype. Nothing is compromised for the sake of the thrill ride and the emotional reality never strays too far from the wilder story elements.
Not every side performance lives up to Kravitz' level of commitment and occasionally the techie jargon from these supporting players comes across as stilted, but overall, "KIMI" delivers the goods.
The writing excels in its use of action as a form of metaphor. Koepp covers a lot of ground here within the subtext, including COVID paranoia, post-#MeToo discussions of believing victims of assault, and a general examination of cyber-privacy and the overreach of Big Tech. None of these topics ever overwhelm the story and place neatly within the context of each scene.
“KIMI” is the exact type of movie that Hollywood forgot how to make — a fast-moving, character-oriented genre film that pays off narratively and fulfills the premise. Kravitz is vulnerable and engaging as the lead, and while the movie is small in scale, Soderbergh still sells each twist and turn with a sense of meaningful visual elegance. | 2022-03-02T00:49:49Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | HBO thriller 'KIMI' is a modern-day 'Rear Window' that explores COVID-era paranoia | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/hbo-thriller-kimi-is-a-modern-day-rear-window-that-explores-covid-era-paranoia/article_a22eb212-f621-5714-b425-0e88da2c8fd9.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/hbo-thriller-kimi-is-a-modern-day-rear-window-that-explores-covid-era-paranoia/article_a22eb212-f621-5714-b425-0e88da2c8fd9.html |
Micole Hamilton
Nathen Hamilton
Jordan Mustain
Brandon Steffens
POCATELLO — One of two local brothers involved in an alleged East Idaho crime spree this past summer who’s accused of opening fire on pursuing officers while evading capture now faces an additional felony charge for damaging jail property, according to court records.
Micole Johnathan Hamilton, 24, of Pocatello, has been charged with felony injury to jail property after he and two other inmates at the Bannock County Jail, Brandon Steffens, 24, and Jordan Mustain, 29, allegedly destroyed the sprinkler systems in an attempt to flood their cells.
The incident began to unfold around 11:15 p.m. on Jan. 26 when a detention deputy at the jail observed Steffens tearing up about a dozen plastic foam meal trays inside his cell, deputies said in a Bannock County Sheriff’s Office incident report.
A short while later the deputy heard numerous inmates kicking their doors and yelling back and forth between cells, prompting him to turn on the inmate communication system in Steffens’ cell, deputies said. The deputy overheard Hamilton telling Steffens how to properly plug a toilet and flood a cell, to which Steffens said, “Be quiet, so they don’t expect anything,” according to the incident report.
The deputy entered the cell block and began turning off the water to the lower and upper cells, at which point Hamilton began shouting profanities and vulgarities at him and threatened to break the sprinkler system in his room if his water got shut off, deputies said.
Once the deputy returned to the central station he could hear a faint noise and listened into Hamilton’s cell where he heard the sound of running water. When the deputy went to check on the cell Hamilton was “furiously kicking his door and screaming death threats,” at him deputies said.
Once all the water had been shut off to all the cells, the deputy heard a loud thud that sounded like steel against concrete followed by the sound of running water, deputies said. The fire alarm sounded next and the deputy discovered that Hamilton damaged the sprinkler system inside his room, deputies said.
Hamilton then proceeded to bang the fire suppression system sprinkler head against the window, door and toilet in his cell, according to the incident report.
When the Bannock County Jail maintenance worker entered the cell block the following morning to repair the damage, it was discovered that Mustain and Steffens had destroyed the sprinkler systems in their rooms as well, said deputies, adding that the damage was not initially noticed because the water for the fire suppression system had been turned off after the damage to Hamilton’s cell was identified.
Steffens and Mustain were also charged with felony injury to jail property, which carries a maximum penalty in prison of up to five years and a fine of up to $10,000.
Steffens has been incarcerated at the Bannock County Jail since May 30. He faces numerous felony and misdemeanor charges including drug possession, assault on an officer, resisting and obstructing and battery. He has also been charged with felony injury to jail property three times now following the incident late last month.
Mustain has been incarcerated at the jail since Jan. 21 and faces felony charges of drug possession and forgery.
Hamilton is one of two brothers accused of committing numerous crimes in multiple East Idaho counties this past summer and has remained incarcerated since he allegedly opened fire on pursuing police officers during a high-speed chase near the Hamilton family home on Gwen Drive while police were attempting to arrest him on June 25. Micole was able to evade police after allegedly firing at them and was later arrested on June 30.
He currently faces charges of attempted first-degree murder, robbery, grand theft, eluding police, a weapons enhancement and two persistent violator enhancements charges. A trial date in the case has been set for March 22.
Micole’s alleged accomplice in the crime spree this past summer was his brother, Nathen Jay Hamilton, 26, of Pocatello, who was recently as part of a plea agreement with Bannock County prosecutors.
Nathen’s plea agreement covers 17 criminal charges alleged in nine separate criminal cases, of which 13 crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2021 and the other four are related to probation violations in connection to charges Nathen was convicted of in 2017 and 2019.
Nathen was ordered to serve concurrent prison sentences, ordered to be served simultaneously, for all of the new charges and previous cases from 2017 and 2019, the largest of which carries a unified 16-year prison term. Nathen will be eligible for parole after nine years. | 2022-03-02T00:50:14Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Local man accused of shooting at police now facing felony for damaging jail property | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/local-man-accused-of-shooting-at-police-now-facing-felony-for-damaging-jail-property/article_4c2fa366-7ea0-5920-868e-3765d59e7812.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/local-man-accused-of-shooting-at-police-now-facing-felony-for-damaging-jail-property/article_4c2fa366-7ea0-5920-868e-3765d59e7812.html |
Lonnie S. Schaefer
Photo courtesy of the Gooding County Sheriff's Office
Idaho State Police have arrested a man on multiple charges after a Trooper spotted him at a rest stop in a stolen vehicle. The man tried to run, rammed multiple patrol cars, and was taken into custody following an off-road vehicle and foot pursuit.
Idaho State Police received word early this morning to watch for a white Ford pickup pulling a trailer with a Bobcat skid-steer loader recently reported stolen out of Twin Falls.
At approximately 8:15 a.m., a Trooper on patrol located a vehicle matching the description at a rest stop on westbound Interstate 84 west of Bliss. As the Trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver rammed the patrol car, drove through a fence and into the desert near Power Plant Road. The pickup soon became disabled and the suspect ran on foot, circled back, and drove off in the skid-steer.
The suspect rammed a Gooding County patrol vehicle before the skid-steer also became disabled in a ditch. The suspect remained non-compliant. Gooding County Sheriff's deputies deployed bean bag rounds and Troopers deployed a Taser before finally taking the suspect into custody.
During the incident, there was evidence the suspect may have ingested a controlled substance. He was transported by ground ambulance to a medical center in Gooding where he was treated and released. Upon release this afternoon, Troopers booked the subject into the Gooding County Jail on the following:
Arrested: Lonnie S. Schaefer, 33, Sacramento, CA
Charged: Possession of stolen property (F)
Aggravated Battery (F)
Driving without privileges (m)
Possession of drug paraphernalia (m)
Eluding officers (m)
Resisting and obstructing officers (m) | 2022-03-02T03:56:59Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Police: Man arrested after ramming state police cruiser in stolen vehicle at I-84 rest stop | Crimes & Court | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/crimes_court/police-man-arrested-after-ramming-state-police-cruiser-in-stolen-vehicle-at-i-84-rest/article_fde8bdd0-c909-547c-ac36-f3fff83accfc.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/crimes_court/police-man-arrested-after-ramming-state-police-cruiser-in-stolen-vehicle-at-i-84-rest/article_fde8bdd0-c909-547c-ac36-f3fff83accfc.html |
In this photo provided by KUOW, a Seattle police car burns on May 30, 2020 in downtown Seattle, during protests over the police killing of George Floyd. Margaret Channon, of Tacoma, who lit the car on fire along with several other police vehicles during the protest, was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison.
Megan Farmer / KUOW via AP | 2022-03-03T01:50:38Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Woman gets 5-year term for police car fires in 2020 protest | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/woman-gets-5-year-term-for-police-car-fires-in-2020-protest/article_b9015399-beb2-5eae-9574-a8d44e809fce.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/woman-gets-5-year-term-for-police-car-fires-in-2020-protest/article_b9015399-beb2-5eae-9574-a8d44e809fce.html |
POCATELLO — A female pedestrian was hospitalized with injuries described as non-life threatening after being hit by a car Tuesday evening in south Pocatello, police said.
Police said both the driver and the woman who was struck are Idaho State University students. Police said there will likely be no charges filed related to the accident as it was dark where the woman was walking and she wasn't within a crosswalk.
The woman who was struck was transported via Pocatello Fire Department ambulance to Portneuf Medical Center for treatment.
The names of the driver and female pedestrian have not been released. | 2022-03-03T04:00:39Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | ISU student struck by car in south Pocatello | Freeaccess | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/isu-student-struck-by-car-in-south-pocatello/article_77a1d49c-040f-53b8-b42f-767bc6df00fc.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/isu-student-struck-by-car-in-south-pocatello/article_77a1d49c-040f-53b8-b42f-767bc6df00fc.html |
BOISE — A massive rally in response to COVID-19 mandates and other orders encapsulated the Treasure Valley and extended upon highway overpasses, with those in attendance publicly supporting truckers who are refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The People’s Convoy, an organization that aims to lift mandates and emergency orders, made its way through the valley on Wednesday. The protest comes shortly after truckers in Ottawa, Canada, shut down border crossings temporarily for a demonstration opposing COVID-19 vaccine requirements.
The demonstration took place at the TA Travel Center truck stop on Broadway Avenue in Boise. The overpass was riddled with adults and children holding anti-mask signs, wearing anti-liberalism shirts, and waving American and Confederate flags. It drew a few hundred people, including Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, who spoke at the event organized by Health Freedom Idaho. | 2022-03-03T04:01:04Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Crowd including Lt. Gov. McGeachin gathers to protest COVID-19 mandates, support truckers | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/crowd-including-lt-gov-mcgeachin-gathers-to-protest-covid-19-mandates-support-truckers/article_0b2a383e-9a68-5fd7-a9f2-407c92d2d73c.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/crowd-including-lt-gov-mcgeachin-gathers-to-protest-covid-19-mandates-support-truckers/article_0b2a383e-9a68-5fd7-a9f2-407c92d2d73c.html |
Andrew Lee Hoopes, left, and Cory Nicholas Purkett.
Two local men were arrested and charged with felony driving under the influence after police say they were each driving drunk when they struck vehicles and left the scene during separate incidents in the Gate City area late last month.
Andrew Lee Hoopes, 51, of Pocatello, faces one felony count of DUI and one misdemeanor charge of failure to report an accident, according to court records the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.
Hoopes was charged and arrested on Feb. 28 after a Pocatello police officer observed him strike another vehicle while backing out of the parking lot of the Five Corners bar on Randolph Avenue, police said.
The officer shouted at Hoopes to stop the car, though Hoopes looked out the window and then left the parking lot on East Oak Street and then onto Randolph Avenue, according to police.
After initiating a traffic stop, the officer asked Hoopes if he realized he backed into another vehicle, to which Hoopes said yes and that he left the scene because he was nervous, police said.
After failing to complete a standardized roadside test in a satisfactory manner, Hoopes provided the officer with a breathalyzer sample that revealed his blood alcohol content was 0.139, which is over the legal limit of .08, according to police reports.
Hoopes was previously convicted of felony DUI in 2013, which resulted in officers charging him with felony DUI again, arresting him and booking him into the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello.
He appeared in court for an arraignment hearing on Feb. 28, during which his bond was set at $10,000. Hoopes posted the bond on Tuesday and was released from jail, court records show.
He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on March 8 in which prosecutors will attempt to prove there is enough evidence against him to elevate the case from the magistrate to district court level for trial.
If convicted of the felony DUI charge, Hoopes faces no less than 30 days in jail and up to 10 years in prison as well as a fine of up to $5,000.
Cory Nicholas Purkett, 37, of Chubbuck, was charged with felony DUI and one misdemeanor count of failure to report an accident after Chubbuck Police were dispatched to Arby’s on Yellowstone Avenue in Chubbuck for the report of a vehicle accident, police said.
Upon arrival, a witness informed the officers that a man, later identified as Purkett, had struck another vehicle in the parking lot of the Jack in the Box located about a block away, according to police reports.
Officers contacted Purkett while he was parked in a handicap space in the Arby’s parking lot, noting that his speech was slurred and his eyes were bloodshot and glossy, according to the report. Purkett refused to exit the vehicle initially and only finally complied when an officer removed his baton from the holster and threatened to smash out the driver’s side window to unlock the door, police said.
Purkett eventually unlocked the door but refused to exit the car so he was removed, placed into handcuffs and detained, according to police. Officers had to threaten Purkett with being tased in order to place him inside the patrol car, police said.
At the Chubbuck Police Department, Purkett refused to provide a breathalyzer sample so a warrant was obtained to draw his blood, said police, adding that Purkett was then transported to Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello.
At PMC, Purkett threatened to fight officers and hospital staff if they attempted to draw his blood and briefly obstructed officers inside the hospital, which led to him being taken to the ground and restrained, police said.
Just before a nurse successfully drew Purkett’s blood, he told police, “I got a DUI. I’m guilty. I’ll plead guilty,” in an attempt to prevent the blood draw, police said.
Purkett was previously convicted of misdemeanor DUI twice within the last two years, which resulted in officers filing felony DUI charges against him and transporting him to jail, police said.
Purkett appeared in court for an arraignment hearing on Feb. 28, during which his bond was set at $25,000. He posted the bond on Tuesday and was released from jail, court records show.
Purkett is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on March 8. If convicted of the felony DUI charge, he faces no less than 30 days in jail and up to 10 years in prison as well as a fine of up to $5,000.
Andrew Lee Hoopes
Cory Nicholas Purkett | 2022-03-04T02:11:11Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Two local men charged with felony DUI after allegedly striking vehicles while drunk, leaving scene | Crimes & Court | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/crimes_court/two-local-men-charged-with-felony-dui-after-allegedly-striking-vehicles-while-drunk-leaving-scene/article_d5f22b80-d172-58e5-9655-fd51b527f88c.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/crimes_court/two-local-men-charged-with-felony-dui-after-allegedly-striking-vehicles-while-drunk-leaving-scene/article_d5f22b80-d172-58e5-9655-fd51b527f88c.html |
Carter, Evlyne
Carter Evlyne Carter Evlyne Carter, 89, passed away on February 23, 2022 in Pocatello, Idaho. A viewing will be held at the McCammon LDS Stake Center on Monday, March 7, 2022, from 1-1:45 p.m. Graveside services will immediately follow the viewing at the Norton Cemetery in McCammon. A full obituary will appear online at www.wilksfuneralhome.com.
Mccammon Lds Stake Center | 2022-03-04T09:13:00Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Carter, Evlyne | Obituaries | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/obituaries/carter-evlyne/article_fd90be87-b336-5e14-a045-3c5c21e3e483.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/obituaries/carter-evlyne/article_fd90be87-b336-5e14-a045-3c5c21e3e483.html |
I’d just come in from doing choirs and plowing out the road. A winter storm was blowing snow and drifting overload.
I tried to stop her. She declared, “My leggings ain’t no crime. We better get a moving ‘cuz we’re running out of time!”
We busted through the snowdrifts, sweating bullets from my brow. I knew my Chevy truck would get us to the store somehow.
And then I saw a box of chocolate pudding, “Cook and Serve.” I figured, “Buy a dozen. ‘Twas no more than we deserve.”
Our cabin was a welcome sight from driving filled with strife. Thank heaven we are plumb stocked up on the daily, “Staff of Life.” | 2022-03-04T22:42:10Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Staff of Life | Arts & Entertainment | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/arts_and_entertainment/cowboy_poetry/staff-of-life/article_eaee5d9c-619e-59a6-bc94-e43d1d29f497.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/arts_and_entertainment/cowboy_poetry/staff-of-life/article_eaee5d9c-619e-59a6-bc94-e43d1d29f497.html |
Ciarra Fuller
By Ciarra Fuller
Most people know that exercise can have some amazing physical health benefits. Regular physical exercise can improve your muscle strength, boost your endurance and help you reach a target weight if that is your goal. Exercise also delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. What that means is that exercise helps you improve the function of your heart and lungs. This improvement can help increase your energy levels throughout the day meaning more energy to tackle everyday chores and tasks. Physical exercise can help keep your body strong, in shape and working as efficiently as it can be.
Exercise isn’t just for your physical health either. Regular physical exercise can help improve your mental health as well. One of the most common mental health benefits of exercising is that it is a great stress reliever. Exercise increases concentrations of norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a chemical in your brain that helps moderate the brain’s response to stress. Exercise also causes your body to produce endorphins, which trigger feelings of happiness and euphoria. Research has shown that in people dealing with major depression, exercise can increase the chance of remission by 22 percent by circulating endorphins. Other mental health benefits of exercise include the following:
• Improving self-confidence: Regardless of weight, size, gender or age exercise can quickly elevate a person’s perception of their attractiveness.
• Preventing cognitive decline: Exercise can not cure things such as Alzheimer’s, but it can help defend your brain against cognitive decline that begins after age 45.
• Alleviating anxiety: Hopping on the track or treadmill for some moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety symptoms.
• Boost brainpower: Studies have shown that cardiovascular exercise can create new brain cells and improve overall brain performance.
• Sharpen memory: Working up a sweat increases production of cells in the hippocampus that are responsible for memory and learning.
There are several benefits of regular physical exercise for you both physically and mentally. Maybe it is the right time to get back in shape or just start exercising for fun. Maybe you can make it your new year’s resolution or make it a friendly competition with friends or coworkers to see who can make it to the gym regularly. Whatever your motivation is for getting in some exercise just know that you are doing your mind and your body a load of good.
Ciarra Fuller, LMSW, is a psychotherapist currently working at Health West. She practices social work from a Strengths-Based Perspective. She enjoys outdoor activities, swimming and reading a good book. | 2022-03-04T22:42:28Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | The physical and mental health benefits of regular exercise | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/the-physical-and-mental-health-benefits-of-regular-exercise/article_e82cfc78-e845-540a-9ed0-73170a79f0c8.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/the-physical-and-mental-health-benefits-of-regular-exercise/article_e82cfc78-e845-540a-9ed0-73170a79f0c8.html |
And the war came
“And I hope that you die/And your death will come soon/I'll follow your casket/On a pale afternoon.” — “Masters of War,” Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan’s angry antiwar protest song from 1963 seems more relevant than ever.
Can we watch the nightly news about the Russia-Ukraine conflict without feeling a mixture of horror and powerlessness? We see compelling but disturbing images: a young Ukrainian girl dying as doctors try to save her while a grieving mother watches; a sobbing Russian soldier is given food and a cellphone to call his mother while surrounded by Ukrainian freedom fighters; last but certainly not least, Russian troops fire on a nuclear plant, which could threaten Ukraine, Russia and Europe if a nuclear meltdown occurs.
One has to ask, “Just what f…..g madness is going on here?
Putin’s actions are savage and reckless, threatening Ukraine and his own country with its already destroyed economy. We witness on television bombs and rockets dropping on Ukraine’s beautiful cities. This senseless invasion may signal the eventual end of Putin’s Russia, even as a second-rate world power, and could trigger a wider conflict. It could also precipitate a war crimes trial like the one in Nuremberg that sent Nazis to the gallows. The current situation seems hopeless because Ukraine is not a member of NATO and can’t expect military help with NATO soldiers on the ground — but there is a precedent for rescue.
Remember Sarajevo, the site of the 1984 Olympics, being bombed by Serbian forces during the Bosnia-Herzegovina war? The 1995 Srebrenica massacre marked the genocidal murder of more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys. It became a turning point. The violence and ethnic cleansing had to cease. After military action stopped, the Serbian army and peace accords were finally adopted, three notorious Serbian leaders were accused of war crimes. Slobodan Milošević died awaiting trial; Radovan Karadžić, a self-proclaimed poet, and Ratko Mladić, a brutal general who taunted UN peacekeepers, are now serving life in prison.
Putin might also find himself facing a trial for war crimes in the Hague, though it is unclear just how that could happen.
Sen. Lindsey Graham from South Carolina had a blunt suggestion: “Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military? The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out. You would be doing your country — and the world — a great service.”
Though I don’t believe the assassination of a world leader, however cruel, is ever justified, I find it hard to refute Sen. Graham’s dramatic statement. Of course, the next question is: who will take Putin’s place? The hanging of Saddam Hussein led to more bloodshed.
I think the obscenity of brutal war should be a last resort and can only be justified by three reasons: a country is attacked and must defend itself, a country comes to the aid of an ally, or something so inhumane and appalling occurs that world leaders and their people cannot hesitate and take necessary action. The Holocaust, comes to mind.
(It is ironic that the excuse of coming to the aid of an imperiled country can also be used by dictators.)
One bare fact is clear: These atrocities in Ukraine cannot continue. One way or another, the invasion of Ukraine must be stopped. | 2022-03-04T22:42:41Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | And the war came | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/and-the-war-came/article_b9015045-a93d-5669-995d-af09b838f5af.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/and-the-war-came/article_b9015045-a93d-5669-995d-af09b838f5af.html |
Dr. Caitlin Gustafson
By Dr. Caitlin Gustafson
I’ve been a unique and honored partner in the journey of health care. These stories reflect everyone in Idaho. They reflect you. You or a person you love seeking an abortion is often a parent already. You could have received test results that your fetus has a serious medical condition, or news that this pregnancy could risk your safety or your life. Some of you have been in the throes of addiction, substance use, chronic physical or mental illness or in an abusive relationship. You may be a pastor, a teacher, a politician or the partner of one, or an anti-abortion protester, but what I’ve learned over my two decades of providing care is that life is hard, it’s messy, and decisions about pregnancy are complicated.
When we face difficult and painful decisions in our health, we turn to our families, our friends, our faith communities and our physicians. I believe our elected officials shouldn’t be involved in making these intimate, personal medical decisions.
Idaho lawmakers see this differently. Senate Bill 1309 is on its way to becoming Idaho law. This is essentially a copy of Texas’ abortion ban, SB 8, which has proven to be harmful to women’s health, families and communities. You or your loved one may be so early in pregnancy that you didn’t even know you were pregnant — but once this bill becomes law, physicians in Idaho won’t be able to provide you the critical medical care you need. We’ll be telling you that the nearest provider is in Spokane, Bend, Portland or Seattle. This devastating law will not only make abortion very early in pregnancy illegal in Idaho, it will allow relatives of the patient to sue your doctor if you receive what is still standard medical care.
Now is the time to make our voices heard to maintain our right to make decisions about our own pregnancy and to protect the patient-doctor relationship and access to standard medical care in Idaho. Call your legislators and tell them to oppose this harmful ban.
Caitlin Gustafson, MD, practices family medicine with obstetrics in Idaho. She is a fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health.
Caitlin Gustafson | 2022-03-04T22:43:12Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Idaho lawmakers are coming into my exam rooms to make your health care decisions | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/idaho-lawmakers-are-coming-into-my-exam-rooms-to-make-your-health-care-decisions/article_2fe0c470-5f9b-52b5-be55-a1ad9c0fa6ca.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/idaho-lawmakers-are-coming-into-my-exam-rooms-to-make-your-health-care-decisions/article_2fe0c470-5f9b-52b5-be55-a1ad9c0fa6ca.html |
Idaho Sen. Jim Risch has found a common enemy — and it isn’t President Joe Biden or congressional Democrats who are trying to ram through their socialist agenda. That’s trivial stuff compared to the monster that Risch is talking about.
But this is not your usual partisan debate on Capitol Hill. Democrats and Republicans can agree that Putin is some kind of a “madman,” and anything on the table is worth discussing in a calm fashion. Risch is not spending his time, or wasting energy, on blasting the president and Democrats. Thank goodness Risch also isn’t talking about how everything would be better with Donald Trump in the White House. | 2022-03-04T22:43:24Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Risch has eyes on the ‘real’ enemy | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/risch-has-eyes-on-the-real-enemy/article_cc69ad52-e70a-5a67-9dcf-c89b0905c9d5.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/risch-has-eyes-on-the-real-enemy/article_cc69ad52-e70a-5a67-9dcf-c89b0905c9d5.html |
With Russia having invaded Ukraine, it is timely that I just finished reading “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.” Exceeding 1,000 pages, I do not recommend this book if you are looking for a light read.
However, this well-researched treatise reveals that Vladimir Putin’s ruse behind the Russian invasion comes right out of Adolf Hitler’s playbook. The Nazi dictator utilized the same pretense of mistreatment of German populations for “peacefully” seizing control of Austria and Czechoslovakia, and Russia initiated a similar move when it annexed Crimea in 2014. The world finally woke up when Germany and Russia entered into a 1939 pact that resulted in the military conquest and pre-agreed division of Poland.
It’s history repeating itself when Putin claims mistreatment of Russians in Ukraine prompted the world’s latest war. His country suffered more deaths than any other nation during the Second World War driven by the megalomania and deviousness of Hitler and Joseph Stalin.
The paramount concerns are determining Putin’s ultimate objectives, and where and how does the rest of the world draw its line of resistance? The coming weeks should provide clues regarding these matters as some commentators maintain Putin wants to eventually restore Russian territory to that held by the Soviet Union at the end of the Second World War.
Appeasement did not work with Hitler who documented his ruthless aims long before he seized power in his book, “Mein Kampf.” A world weary of war sought to avoid another massive conflict, but ultimately paid a horrific price in trying to pacify Germany’s warmonger.
We don’t have a Putin book revealing the inner workings of his mind where Russia is concerned, but we do know his pretenses for initiating the Ukraine war mimic Hitler’s. I’m not advocating NATO put troops on the ground in Ukraine, but if Putin further expands his territorial conquests, he must be met with unequivocal world opposition. Every economic sanction possible should be levied immediately to economically isolate Russia. Time will soon tell if that stops further aggression from our latest macho man.
One development in the world order did not exist at the time Hitler started his madness. No country had the ability to start a nuclear conflagration that could end humanity. That is tragically the case today, and Putin postures like Donald Trump did when he threatened North Korea with annihilation.
It’s difficult to be positive about human destiny when countries with nuclear arsenals periodically provide us with leaders who are mental pygmies. Imagine what our world could look like today if we had prevented numerous megalomaniacs from coming to power and leading their nations to destruction?
We all pray that leaders of nuclear powers fully grasp the insanity involved in invoking annihilist warfare, but know that Hitler ordered utter destruction to his master race’s country after he knew further fighting was futile. Constant pressure must be maintained upon Russia to ensure Putin gains no further latitude in becoming the world’s next Hitler.
There is a footnote to my reading of “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” that is apropos to the America we live in today. It’s ironic many white supremacists in the United States affiliate with Nazi ideology and revere the symbolic swastika.
The fascism that drove Nazi Germany wasn’t promoting white superiority. Hitler and his fanatics believed Germanic (Teutonic) blood belonged solely to this master race. His plan extended beyond exterminating Jewish people, gypsies and people of color. He acted immediately after invading Poland to have all white people of intellect killed, and sought to enslave the balance for German needs. He intended to let 25 million Russians starve to death, and his invasion plan for England involved removing all lily white boys and men above the age of 16 for placement in work camps on the continent.
Adolf Hitler was a ruthless monster who used deception and murder to achieve his aims. Plenty of Germans within his master race despised him, and they regularly plotted assassination before and after the war started. Their single unsuccessful bombing attempt in 1944 provoked heinous retaliation from the führer and his henchmen who killed thousands of white Germans before the war mercifully ended in 1945.
There is nothing about Adolf Hitler that warrants reverence or symbolic respect by anyone capable of reading books. Most white supremacists supporting his ideology in the United States today would have been exterminated at Hitler’s whim for their inferiority. | 2022-03-04T22:43:43Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | The rise and fall… | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/the-rise-and-fall/article_a4bc506e-8082-54d8-b59b-dfbfdb3e50da.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/the-rise-and-fall/article_a4bc506e-8082-54d8-b59b-dfbfdb3e50da.html |
Trump Jr. in Boise: Crass but honest
He won’t win awards for tact or delicacy, but when Donald Trump Jr. recently took the stage at the Ada County Lincoln Day Banquet, he struck notes that resonated with a diverse audience.
The Ada County Lincoln Day is unique. Unlike other similar county fundraisers, Ada’s is the only one not sponsored by a political party. The Ada County Lincoln Day Association is its own historic nonprofit, host of the longest running annual honor to President Lincoln west of the Mississippi River. Its first event was held in 1911.
Among past keynoters are world-renowned historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, national columnist Fred Barnes and presidential contender Barry Goldwater. It is unusual for the association to feature a sharp-tongued and controversial son of a fanatically idolized yet obsessively hated former president.
Don Jr. lives up to his reputation. At the pre-banquet reception he dropped at least three “f-bombs” while describing Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris and Jen Psaki in terms that would, in the #MeToo era, get any man immediately fired.
His formal banquet address was, by comparison, “cleaned up” for public consumption. His disdain for Democrats and mainstream media dripped from every sentence uttered. But, if you managed to overlook the presenter’s biases and language, there was truth underlying his grievances.
Don Jr. began by highlighting the recent news from federal Special Prosecutor John Durham. Durham has leveled the charge of “lying to the FBI” against the original “source” of the rumor linking President Trump with Russian banks. That source was Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussman.
“Hillary has her attorney lie to the FBI, eventually sending millions of our tax dollars off on a wild goose chase, and no one asks her a question about it,” quipped Don Jr. “In the meantime, I meet with an adoption advocate and get deposed over 30 hours, with each question asked 50 times in different ways, knowing the slightest deviation in my answers could earn me a perjury charge.”
Don Jr. then asked the audience if they’d ever been in Facebook jail. He bragged, “I’ve been there five times,” and listed his offenses:
1. Accusing California Congressman Adam Schiff of being “full of bull#*@t” for claiming conclusive evidence President Trump colluded with Russia. After a $30 million investigation, the “Mueller team” reported they “did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government.”
2. Denying Russia placed bounties on U.S. soldiers. A year later a Military Times headline revealed, “There may not have been Russian bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan after all.”
3. Claiming COVID-19’s origin was likely the Wuhan Institute of Virology. “It’s the one place on earth where they are studying this same virus. Absurd to think it coincidentally appeared a few feet outside the door from natural causes,” the young Trump jeered.
4. Advocating reopening schools. A few months later Dr. Anthony Fauci told the Washington Post “the evidence doesn’t support closing schools.”
5. Asserting Hunter Biden was getting away with “crap” (not the actual word used) that he, Don Jr., would have been crucified for doing. “Can you imagine pictures of me with a crack pipe, or me with a whore? Not to mention with both,” he complained. “And what would the reaction be if I had a sham consulting contract with Ukraine, or obtained a billion-dollar investment deal from China?”
Don Jr. wrapped up by taking a sketch of Abraham Lincoln and autographing it. “If Hunter Biden can sell watercolors splashed on a canvas for half a million, I should get a few thousand for this,” he said. He then offered the drawing to raise scholarships for the children of fallen patriots.
In each case, while eloquence and poise were missing, it can’t be denied: He raised valid points. | 2022-03-04T22:43:55Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Trump Jr. in Boise: Crass but honest | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/trump-jr-in-boise-crass-but-honest/article_8c647498-a935-5807-91ef-867c20f0c129.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/trump-jr-in-boise-crass-but-honest/article_8c647498-a935-5807-91ef-867c20f0c129.html |
Pocatello guard Julian Bowie drives to the basket in Friday's game against Jerome.
Pocatello guard Julian Bowie goes up for a layup in Friday's game against Jerome.
Pocatello guard Ryan Payne unfurls a shot in Friday's game against Jerome.
Pocatello guard Ryan Payne puts the ball on the floor in Friday's game against Jerome.
Pocatello players and coaches react to the ending of Friday's game against Jerome.
NAMPA — Julian Bowie jogged back on defense with a grin. Pocatello’s sophomore guard had just knocked down another jumper, part of his offensive onslaught here at the 4A state tournament, but the smile felt wry. It felt like he knew something everyone else didn’t. Maybe it was that none of these Jerome players could guard him. Perhaps it was that the Thunder had something brewing.
Realistically, Bowie probably doesn’t have the gift of prophecy, but he does have the gift of scoring, which is an enormous reason why Pocatello hung on for a 75-72 win over Jerome Friday afternoon, good for a spot in Saturday’s state championship game, at 6 p.m. against Hillcrest.
For Bowie, who tallied 21 of his 24 points in the first half of this win, it seemed to come easy. He scored from every angle, every speed, every distance, controlling the game like a director of a choir. He cashed the turnaround mid-range jumper he’s perfected. He splashed contested triples. That Bowie set a scorebook ablaze is nothing new. That he did it at the state tournament — Pocatello’s first trip since 2009 — was a revelation.
“I think this gym is a shooter’s gym. So 21 in the first half,” Bowie said. “They took me away in the second half, which was their main defensive goal, but people stepped up, hit shots, offensive rebounded and got buckets.”
The main culprit was Pocatello guard Ryan Payne, who registered 19 points, including 17 in the second half. Nothing captures the Thunder’s team quite like a game where Bowie and Payne both pour in points. That’s why this Pocatello win felt like so many of its previous ones. The trouble for the Thunder was that the victory nearly mirrored their last game, when they overcame a late deficit and hung on by a margin that could be measured in centimeters.
“At one point, we just said, we gotta enjoy this moment,” Pocatello coach Joe Green said. “We can’t play with fate and lose (the lead) like we did last night. So I thought guys stepped up and made plays when they had to. Hit free throws. In the state tournament, they’re gonna be close games, and you gotta enjoy the moment either way.”
Here’s what happened: Pocatello, which led by as many as 12 in the fourth quarter, saw its lead — nearly — evaporate. With a triple from Jerome guard Scott Cook, who singed Pocatello for 34 points, the Tigers pulled to within one as the clock approached two minutes.
Then, after the teams traded free throws and Pocatello’s lead stayed at one point, all the Thunder’s momentum faded. They had trouble getting stops, particularly on Cook. So naturally, all Payne did was drive to the basket and flip in a layup, good for a three-point lead with under two minutes to go.
So when the game turned into a free throw shooting contest, Pocatello cashed in. In the final moments, Payne went 2-for-2 and Bowie went 3-for-4, putting this one away.
“You just prepare for it,” Payne said. “We shoot big-time shots in practice. So we’re ready for it.”
Deep in a hallway after the game, Bowie looked like he did 24 hours prior: Ice packs on both knees, walking gingerly, wearing the appearance of a guy who had just exhausted himself. He peered down at his chest, where a gold necklace hung, a number 21 in the middle. He didn’t have it made in the locker room to commemorate his 21-point first half.
For Bowie, that number means far more. It’s the figure his father, Lambert, wore in his playing days. Born into poverty in Oakland, California, he went to school in Oregon, moved to Louisiana and met his wife, Amy, in Boise. They raised Julian and his sister Timmie, who developed a condition called aplastic anemia, which occurs when the body stops producing enough new blood cells, leaving affected people fatigued and more prone to infections and uncontrolled bleeding.
When Timmie played, she came devastatingly close to winning a state championship, only to miss time because of her condition. So that’s what drives Bowie: His dad, who worked to put his son in a better situation than the one he inherited. His sister, who never had this opportunity.
For Pocatello, a moment beckons. When the Thunder went to state last, they saw their dreams sputter in a one-point overtime loss. So for everyone involved, the meaning is palpable. All that’s left to do is win the last one.
“We fight through adversity,” Payne said. “We’re from Pocatello, Idaho — one of the weirdest players in the country. We’re ready for everything.” | 2022-03-05T05:18:01Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Pocatello tops Jerome, 75-72, earning spot in 4A state championship game | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/pocatello-tops-jerome-75-72-earning-spot-in-4a-state-championship-game/article_f9472035-e83b-51be-ab7d-127c1423dfc6.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/pocatello-tops-jerome-75-72-earning-spot-in-4a-state-championship-game/article_f9472035-e83b-51be-ab7d-127c1423dfc6.html |
Rockland players run onto the court, celebrating a 1AD2 state championship Saturday morning.
Rockland forward Teague Matthews throws down a dunk Saturday morning against Camas County.
NAMPA — First, Shae Neal had to run. Rockland’s head coach sprinted onto the floor with the rest of his team, celebrating the Bulldogs’ 53-51 win over Camas County for the 1AD2 state championship, jumping and screaming and laughing like a player.
Then, 30 minutes later when he caught his breath and the gravity of the moment set in, Neal exhaled. Rockland had just captured its first state championship in program history. The Bulldogs won in overtime on Friday and by two points on Saturday. For everyone involved, this was catharsis. This was the Bulldogs’ reward for responding when things looked bleakest.
“This has been a long time coming for Rockland,” Neal said. “We’ve had great coaches and a great foundation, building it for us. It’s been a long time coming. So to be able to win it, the first one for Rockland, it’s not just what I’ve been doing — it’s been happening over years, building and building.”
Check out Rockland’s season and you might feel tempted to feel like the Bulldogs should have won. They lost just three times all season. They reeled off 10 victories in a row. They roster a compelling mix of talent and experience, of size and skill, from players like towering forward Teague Matthews to speedy guard Brigham Permann.
But after the Bulldogs dispatched Kendrick in a first-round victory and snuck by Carey in an overtime win on Friday, they stared down the barrel of the last reality they wanted to face: A loss to Camas County in this state championship game.
That looked like the most likely scenario when the Mushers took a 10-point lead on the Bulldogs in Saturday’s game. Rockland lost 18 turnovers in the first half alone. This game was played on a court, but if you didn’t know any better, you might have thought Rockland was trudging through mud.
Except in the fourth frame, Rockland’s offense revved to life.
Permann totaled 22 points. Matthews clocked a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Neither made bigger plays than the one that sealed things for the Bulldogs. With eight seconds left, the game tied at 51-all, Permann stepped to the stripe for two free throws. Cash and cash. On the other end, Camas County scoured the perimeter for a shot to try and win, but Matthews caught a piece of the ball, watching it sail to the court as the buzzer sounded.
Matthews’ block secured the win, to be sure, but Permann had to steel himself for the two free throws. Before he went to the line, Permann exchanged looks with Neal, who told him, hey, it’s OK. Just knock them down.
“There were nerves, for sure,” Permann said.
“I knew if he got to the line, he was gonna drill them,” Neal said. “Just clutch. He’s a clutch player.”
For Rockland, the other part of the calculus that led to this win came on defense. All told, Camas County shot just 33% from the field. Guard Breken Clarke did tally 23 points, but no other Mushers shot better than 50%. The Bulldogs forced 11 turnovers.
Matthews made some of his most crucial contributions on that end. He swatted two shots. Even when he didn’t get a piece of shots, he altered them, forcing Camas County to think twice about making forays into the lane.
And to think: Camas County had scored 60-plus in each of its last four games. The Mushers recorded as many as 83 points this year. They looked like a different team on Saturday.
“That’s a team that’s usually scoring about 80 a game,” Matthews said. “So I think we did a really good job playing defense, and we made plays when it counted.”
So now these guys get to travel back to Rockland, where they can match the girls hoops team, which also secured a state championship two weeks ago. If this isn’t a new era in Rockland basketball, it’s close. Permann will return next season. So will Matthews. As will JT Parish, who posted six points in this win, as well as Brandon Neal, who pulled down nine rebounds.
For now, though, the Bulldogs get to bathe in the win they always envisioned.
“We had to win it, because we didn’t want the girls to make fun of us,” Neal said with a chuckle. “We had to get the job done, and the boys had to get it done. That was another incentive for us.”
Shae Neal
Brigham Permann
Teague Matthews | 2022-03-06T00:42:55Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Rockland sneaks by Camas County, 53-51, capturing 1AD2 state title | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/rockland-sneaks-by-camas-county-53-51-capturing-1ad2-state-title/article_2a220029-ec11-5a80-96ac-be31736282fe.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/rockland-sneaks-by-camas-county-53-51-capturing-1ad2-state-title/article_2a220029-ec11-5a80-96ac-be31736282fe.html |
Pocatello guard Julian Bowie hugs Hillcrest forward Isaac Davis after the Knights’ win over the Thunder Saturday evening.
Pocatello guard Ryan Payne drives to the basket Saturday evening against Hillcrest.
Pocatello guard Kesler Vaughan puts the ball on the floor Saturday evening against Hillcrest.
Pocatello senior Matt Christensen puts up a shot Saturday evening against Hillcrest.
Pocatello players and coaches pose with the 4A state runners-up plaque.
NAMPA — Sometimes there are no surprises. Sometimes Goliath annihilates David. Sometimes, when teams like top-seeded Hillcrest take on ones like second-seeded Pocatello on the state tournament stage, there is no magic, no upset brewing.
So when the Knights completed a 76-46 win over the Thunder in Saturday’s 4A state championship game here at the Idaho Center, the players in the navy and red laundry looked somber. Their season had just ended. They came devastatingly close to the goal they spent hundreds of days working toward.
But in the days ahead, when their eyes dry and they zoom out on the season, the Thunder might smile. The truth is that even with this loss, Pocatello did more for this boys basketball program than any team across the last decade. Before this season, the Thunder had not booked a spot at the state tournament since 2009. That record has evaporated like mist.
In its place might be a second-place plaque, but the team that won first looked the part all season long — and all game long. Hillcrest, widely considered one of the best teams in all of Idaho, thrashed Pocatello with weapons the Thunder had never seen: 6-foot-7 bruiser Isaac Davis posted 18 points and 11 rebounds. Speedy guard Cooper Kesler tallied 18 points. His brother, Kobe Kesler, recorded 20 points on three triples. All told, the Knights cashed eight long balls, burying the Thunder under the weight of shots that ranged from back-breakers to back-destroyers.
“We were trying to decide if we wanted to double him or not. We were kinda switching it up,” Pocatello coach Joe Green said. “If we didn’t, he scored, and he’s got shooters around him. He’s really good at finding them. So they’re a complete team, and they were really tough tonight.”
“Davis causes a matchup problem,” added Pocatello guard Julian Bowie, who scored 19 points on 21 shots. “You gotta send more than one guy at him, and once you do that, they’ve got shooters everywhere. So he’s a big problem.”
Davis and the Knights became problems right away. Hillcrest scored seven points before Pocatello scored one. They used a 10-0 run to take a 21-4 lead. Even when Bowie capped the first quarter with a layup, that only trimmed Hillcrest’s lead to 23-8.
No Pocatello run closed the gap. Senior Matt Christensen did use a putback to slice the Hillcrest lead to 25-12, but then, the Knights turned around and rattled off the following sequence: Cooper Kesler bucket. Eric Patterson free throw. And a breakaway dunk from Davis, who flushed the ball so violently that you wondered if the rim might come down and shatter the glass.
So for the Thunder, those trends never quite went away. Pocatello shot just 31% for the game. Bowie didn’t shoot particularly efficiently, and neither did senior guard Ryan Payne, who managed five points on 11 shots. If the Thunder were going to find a way to win, the recipe was always going to involve Payne and Bowie, Pocatello’s electric duo that torched dozens of opponents all season. They needed to deliver some of their best basketball to help the Thunder capture this one.
Instead, they rarely found the looks that led to those kinds of nights. Davis and the Keslers led the Knights’ charge on offense, but they also kept Payne and Bowie in front of them on defense. Even when the Thunder found ways into the lane, they had trouble getting shots off over Davis, himself an imposing threat in the paint. Rarely has Pocatello run into an issue like him. The Thunder made just 4 of 20 shots from beyond the arc.
“We just missed the ones that we usually make,” Payne said. “I missed a bunch of right-by-the-rim shots and it’s in-and-out. We had some missed 3s. We just missed shots that we usually make.”
In that way, the only true mistake Pocatello made in this game was playing it against Hillcrest. This season, the Knights never lost to an Idaho team. They ended the year on a 24-game winning streak. Up and down their roster are guys brimming with athleticism, with basketball smarts, with shot-making abilities that, when they’re on, are all but impossible to dethrone.
Combine that with the new standard the Thunder have established and you realize, long term, what this season does for Pocatello.
“I’m just really proud of them. I thought they brought back something to Pocatello basketball that hasn’t been there for a long time,” Green said. “I thought they restored some of that Poky pride. I just love them as guys.”
That’s when, deep in a hallway at the Idaho Center, Green motioned down at his son, six-year-old Jaden. The blonde-haired toddler wore a blue and red jersey to support his older buddies. That, Green says, is what this season does for the Thunder’s program. “He gets to grow up in the gym with those guys,” Green said, “and they’re good influences on him.”
Someday, Jaden might trade his Allen Iverson jersey for a Pocatello one. By then, his dad hopes, these trips to state will have become the norm. When the Thunder of the future talk about playing in the Idaho Center, they’ll reminisce on last year, not a season they were never around for. They’ll remember more seasons like these, when Pocatello captured the 4A District 5 tournament crown and dispatched opponents like they were swatting flies.
Players like Payne, a senior, are passing the keys to teammates like Bowie, a sophomore. If that reality comes to fruition, if Pocatello becomes the state power it looked like all season, Bowie will likely engineer it.
For now, though, he gets a break. So Bowie and Payne ducked out of the hallway and walked back around the court, where the Thunder fell one step short of their goals for this season, but established several new ones for years to come. | 2022-03-06T08:28:04Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Pocatello's dream season ends with state championship game loss to Hillcrest | Preps | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/pocatellos-dream-season-ends-with-state-championship-game-loss-to-hillcrest/article_86d33d09-f567-554e-b354-5fb5a38e3d35.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/pocatellos-dream-season-ends-with-state-championship-game-loss-to-hillcrest/article_86d33d09-f567-554e-b354-5fb5a38e3d35.html |
POCATELLO — A crash has shut down a busy downtown Pocatello street.
North Arthur Avenue is currently closed to traffic at West Custer Street because of a two-vehicle crash that happened around 1:10 p.m. Sunday at the intersection.
A Hyundai compact SUV collided with a Buick sedan and both vehicles appear to be totaled.
Pocatello police have closed North Arthur until the vehicles can be removed from the scene. | 2022-03-06T22:27:07Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Downtown Pocatello street shut down after two-vehicle wreck | Freeaccess | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/downtown-pocatello-street-shut-down-after-two-vehicle-wreck/article_2c68cf11-4d05-5946-bf90-585ff7db66f9.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/downtown-pocatello-street-shut-down-after-two-vehicle-wreck/article_2c68cf11-4d05-5946-bf90-585ff7db66f9.html |
Three kittens died in an early Monday morning blaze that gutted this home on Henry Avenue in Chubbuck. Three cats and two dogs were saved and nobody was injured during the fire.
Photo courtesy of the Chubbuck Fire Department
A Chubbuck firefighter administers emergency oxygen to a cat that was rescued from a burning home on Henry Avenue early Monday morning.
CHUBBUCK — Three kittens died and a local home suffered extensive damage following an early Monday morning blaze, according to the Chubbuck Fire Department.
Chubbuck firefighters were dispatched to a home on the 200 block of Henry Avenue shortly after 2 a.m. on Monday morning after the homeowner called to report the blaze.
Firefighters actively battled the blaze using a pumper truck, an aerial truck and two support vehicles for about 30 to 60 minutes, according to Chubbuck Fire Chief Merlin Miller. Crews were released from the scene at about 7:30 a.m. Monday, Miller said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, said Miller, adding that he believes it was caused by faulty electrical systems in the utility/laundry room of the home.
Nobody was injured during the blaze, though three kittens died. Miller said firefighters were able to rescue two dogs and three cats from the burning home, some of which required first aid and emergency oxygen afterward.
The Chubbuck Police Department also had four officers on scene assisting the firefighters who deserve some kudos, Miller said.
Some neighboring homes temporarily lost power because of the blaze, but electricity was promptly restored after Idaho Power arrived, Miller said.
In addition to heavy smoke damage, the residence suffered significant fire damage as well, Miller said.
Merlin Miller | 2022-03-07T23:05:34Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Three kittens die in early morning blaze that gutted Chubbuck home | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/three-kittens-die-in-early-morning-blaze-that-gutted-chubbuck-home/article_b5f4d394-9ad1-5ae5-a4f3-484f5fad5e0e.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/three-kittens-die-in-early-morning-blaze-that-gutted-chubbuck-home/article_b5f4d394-9ad1-5ae5-a4f3-484f5fad5e0e.html |
BOISE — The Idaho House on Monday defeated bipartisan legislation co-sponsored by Reps. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, and James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, to curb certain abusive practices involving rental application fees, such as charging application fees when a prospective renter won’t even be considered for a unit.
Ruchti said HB 442 hasn’t gotten a Senate hearing yet, because senators are “waiting for this trailer bill before they’ll consider that bill.”
But their bill, HB 730, failed on a 28-38 vote in the House on Monday. During the debate, Rep. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, said, ““I just feel this is going to be creating more problems than it’s worth.” | 2022-03-08T09:32:16Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Idaho House kills rental fee fairness bill | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/idaho-house-kills-rental-fee-fairness-bill/article_f7bd4655-9e10-55ee-b09b-350a2efbb176.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/idaho-house-kills-rental-fee-fairness-bill/article_f7bd4655-9e10-55ee-b09b-350a2efbb176.html |
An incoming storm is forecast to bring snow to the entire region Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon. Motorists should expect hazardous road conditions throughout East Idaho because of the storm and near zero visibility at times.
The weather service reports that maximum possible snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches could fall on the Swan Valley, Palisades, Victor, Emigration Summit, Inkom, McCammon, Arimo, Downey, Lava Hot Springs, Grace, Bancroft, Soda Springs, Henry, Wayan and Bone areas, while 4 to 8 inches of snow could fall on the Island Park, Spencer, Dubois, Ashton, Tetonia and Driggs areas.
The Montpelier, Paris, Georgetown, St. Charles, Thatcher, Preston and Malad areas could receive 3 to 6 inches of snow while 2 to 4 inches of snow could fall on the Pocatello, Chubbuck, American Falls, Aberdeen, Burley, Rupert, Raft River, Malta, Albion, Rockland, Arbon, Fort Hall, Blackfoot, Shelly, Firth, Atomic City, Arco, Rigby and Rexburg areas, the weather service reported.
East Idaho's higher mountains could receive up to a foot of snow depending on the storm's severity.
Winter weather advisories calling for snow are in effect in much of the rest of the state while winter weather advisories, winter storm watches and/or winter storm warnings are in effect in Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and Montana because of the storm. | 2022-03-08T16:29:04Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | WINTER STORM WARNINGS, WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES DECLARED FOR EAST IDAHO | Freeaccess | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/winter-storm-warnings-winter-weather-advisories-declared-for-east-idaho/article_8bc0f4b3-5d4b-5e9c-9b06-9d415eb5979c.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/winter-storm-warnings-winter-weather-advisories-declared-for-east-idaho/article_8bc0f4b3-5d4b-5e9c-9b06-9d415eb5979c.html |
Idaho State guard Diaba Konate tries to get to the basket Tuesday afternoon against Northern Colorado.
Idaho State coach Seton Sobloewski chats with his team during Tuesday's game against Northern Colorado.
Idaho State guard Dora Goles puts the ball on the floor Tuesday afternoon against Northern Colorado.
Idaho State senior Estefi Ors fights for a loose ball Tuesday afternoon against Northern Colorado.
Idaho State guard Montana Oltrogge drives against Northern Colorado forward Kurstyn Harden on Tuesday afternoon.
Idaho State guard Callie Bourne drives into the lane Tuesday afternoon against Northern Colorado.
Idaho State falls to Northern Colorado in stunner, 72-54, bowing out of conference tournament
BOISE — When the unceremonious end arrived, Dora Goles untucked her jersey and began to walk off the Idaho Central Arena court, joining her Idaho State team in the march. As tears welled in her eyes, she raised her arms above her head and waved to the ISU fans, the enthusiastic followers who had traveled hundreds of miles to watch the top-seeded Bengals play in the Big Sky Tournament.
Goles wanted to show her appreciation for the supporters, but after Idaho State succumbed to a massive upset and bowed out of the tournament with a 72-54 quarterfinal loss to Northern Colorado Tuesday afternoon, she and the Bengals could no longer do so on the court. She put on a brave smile as she looked upward. As she realized what this moment meant, that the fifth-year senior’s time at Idaho State was coming to a close, she felt the emotion weigh on her.
Then Goles vanished into the hallway, and with her, she took the end of an era.
“It was one of my last times playing in an Idaho State jersey,” Goles said, “and I know how many people came to watch us play and watch me play. I wanted to make sure they know they’re appreciated.”
Idaho State’s season isn’t over yet — the Bengals earned a WNIT bid because they won the conference’s regular-season championship — but for Goles and the team, this amounted to a stunner. Idaho State, last season’s regular-season and conference champs, were heavy favorites. The Bengals had nearly a week of rest. The Bears had to win a first-round game to advance to this one.
So the list of ways to describe this result might stretch to the moon: Surprising and perplexing in some ways, predictable and understandable in others. Idaho State may have been front-runners to win the tournament crown, but all season, the Bengals had trouble defending physical post players like Northern Colorado forward Kurstyn Harden, who singed ISU’s defense for 23 points and nine rebounds. Idaho State rosters a cadre of reliable shooters, but on Tuesday, they made just 32% of their shots from the field.
Idaho State’s best chance to mount a rally came early in the fourth quarter, when Goles splashed a triple from the corner, slashing Northern Colorado’s lead to 49-46. The Bengals, languishing in dire straits for so long, found momentum. Bench players yelled like banshees. The fans, the same ones Goles waved to after the game ended, urged their team to keep going.
Instead, the Bengals’ fatal flaw became a death knell. Harden turned around and engineered a personal 10-2 run. The 6-foot-2 bruiser buried ISU players underneath the basket. She tip-toed around the sideline for reverse layups. Across the past few weeks, Idaho State felt like it had found ways to counter its lack of size, but Harden made mincemeat out of the Bengals. They had no answer for her.
When Harden completed her onslaught, Northern Colorado had seized a 61-51 lead with four minutes to play. The Bears scored nine more points in a row. The Bengals could not counter.
“Every time we started to get some traction, they’d get the ball in the post to Harden and she’d make a reverse layup,” Idaho State coach Seton Sobolewski said. “Or you’d have a ball screen late in a possession and someone hits a tough 3 off a ball screen.”
Idaho State’s biggest problems started there. Northern Colorado shot a blistering 51% from the field, including 6 of 11 from beyond the arc. Those issues had direct correlations. This season, to defend bigger posts like Harden well, the Bengals brought a double team when opponents lobbed it inside. But Northern Colorado features some of the conference’s best shooters, so the Bengals couldn’t always commit two defenders to Harden. That gave her one-on-one opportunities in the paint. She made ISU pay.
That made it harder for the Bengals to come back, sure, but it also prevented them from getting out in transition. Instead, when the Bears made shots, they settled into their zone defense. Idaho State rarely found ways to solve it.
The story was, to some extent, in the numbers. Junior guard Tomekia Whitman, who earned first-team all-conference honors on Monday, scored eight points on 12 shots. Estefi Ors, a sixth-year senior who landed on the second team, tallied seven points on 10 shots. Idaho State’s leading scorer was reserve Finley Garnett, who posted 11 points on an efficient 4-for-6 shooting performance — but with the experience and talent on the Bengals’ shelves, they needed more out of their key cogs.
At some points, Idaho State found ways to crack the zone. Montana Oltrogge cashed a pair of mid-range jumpers in the paint. Ellie Smith laid in a couple layups off nice dump-off passes in traffic. It was clear the Bengals knew how to navigate a zone. They just couldn’t do so nearly consistently enough.
“I think it was a mix of all of it,” Goles said. “A lot of missed shots and turnovers.”
That’s part of what made this Idaho State loss shocking: If any team in this tournament looked susceptible to those kinds of offensive blunders, surely it wasn’t the Bengals, far and away the Big Sky’s most experienced team. Around this time last year, with much the same team, they mowed down three teams in three days for the conference crown. Rarely do veteran teams wilt like this. When they do, they play defense well enough to make up for it.
Idaho State couldn’t execute on that end because the problem that plagued the team all year long — that no Bengal can match up with players like Harden, which forces double teams — haunted them when the stakes were highest.
ISU will find out its WNIT opponent this Sunday. Several teams across the country have already earned bids, so potential matchups range from Oregon to South Dakota State. But among those teams, good luck finding one that will enter the postseason tournament with a worse taste in their mouths than Idaho State.
For the Bengals, that’s the challenge: Find a way to put this loss in the past. Their expectations for the conference tournament lived in outer space, so it will take some time. But even on Tuesday afternoon, when Goles disappeared into the tunnel and a promising season took a disastrous turn, the Bengals knew they still had basketball to play. Now they just have to find out who it will be against.
“There’s a bigger picture that we need to look at,” Goles said. “Yeah, we’re sad right now, and we wish it was different. But we’re just gonna take the best outlook on it that we can.”
Kurstyn Harden | 2022-03-09T02:03:15Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Idaho State falls to Northern Colorado in stunner, 72-54, bowing out of conference tournament | Sports | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/sports/idaho-state-falls-to-northern-colorado-in-stunner-72-54-bowing-out-of-conference-tournament/article_f4f813d9-8916-5611-832a-46a5a131b87d.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/sports/idaho-state-falls-to-northern-colorado-in-stunner-72-54-bowing-out-of-conference-tournament/article_f4f813d9-8916-5611-832a-46a5a131b87d.html |
Cookie Monster skims across water during a past Pebble Creek Pond Skim event.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PEBBLE CREEK
INKOM — The schedule at Pebble Creek Ski Area will be packed with popular events during the final few weekends of the ski season.
On Saturday and Sunday, the 10 Barrel Beer Cat from 10 Barrel Brewing in Boise will be at the ski area selling beer and offering free swag.
The annual Cowboy Classic will be hosted starting at 1 p.m. Sunday. The event entails two tethers and a rider on barrel negotiating through gates and over bumps, with the rider hopping off the barrel at the end to rope a "steer." Registration for the event is $30 per team and it is limited to 50 teams. Register in advance at the Pebble Creek office by noon on race day. Cash prizes will be awarded. The minimum age for tethers is 18 and barrel riders must be at least 16.
Starting at 2 p.m. on March 19, which is a Saturday, Pebble Creek will host its annual Monster Dummy Jump. Dummies mounted on skis or snowboards will cruise down the hill and launch from a massive jump, with points awarded to entries for big air, style, staying on course, staying intact and proximity to a landing target. The entrance fee is $15 per dummy. First place will receive $100. Prizes will also be awarded for second place, third place and the People's Choice winner.
The Kings Pond Skim is scheduled for March 26, which is a Saturday. Participants are encouraged to wear a costume. The event entails skiing down to a pond between Skyline Lift and the lodge and attempting to skim across without sinking. There is no fee to enter but participants must have a wristband.
The last day of the season will be March 27, which is a Sunday. Best by Yesterday will provide live music on the deck, and drink and food specials will be available.
Pebble Creek is now offering season passes for next winter. People who buy a pass now may use it for the remainder of this season, as well. Pass prices will go up by 10 percent from last year's rates, with the lowest rates offered through May 1. Through May 1, passes will be $423 for adults, $297 for children ages 6 to 12, $363 for youth ages 13 to 17, $363 for seniors ages 66 and older, and $1,589 for family passes. Passes may be purchased online or at the Pebble Creek office.
Dana Kmetz, Pebble Creek's marketing and guest services manager, said the ski area started the season strong in late December with ample snowfall, but a dry January and February followed.
"Like all of the ski areas in the region, we really suffered from a lack of snow through February," Kmetz said.
Kmetz said Pebble Creek will be able to remain open through the end of the season thanks to some snow in late February, as well as some recent snow. Furthermore, the weather has remained cold, enabling Pebble Creek to continue making snow.
Kmetz said skier visits for the season were slightly below average.
"As far as staffing wise, just like a lot of businesses in town and the ski industry as a whole, we really suffered from a lack of employees," Kmetz added. "The group we have working for us really pulled through. We worked together as a team. Every department helped out every other department. It was pretty neat to see everyone come together like that."
During the summer, Kmetz said Pebble will host its annual wildflower concert, and the lodge will be available to book for weddings and other events.
Pebble Creek Ski Area
Dana Kmetz | 2022-03-10T19:57:02Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Pebble Creek's end-of-year schedule packed with events | Pocatello / Chubbuck | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/business_journal/pocatello-biz/pebble-creeks-end-of-year-schedule-packed-with-events/article_bfde92be-ede4-5947-a3b8-186c3a8c5715.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/business_journal/pocatello-biz/pebble-creeks-end-of-year-schedule-packed-with-events/article_bfde92be-ede4-5947-a3b8-186c3a8c5715.html |
Brody Wilson, 6, rides the motorbike his father won for him during the recent Ride on Dads Scavenger Hunt.
Courtesy of Zach Parris
INKOM — The children started scrutinizing the little motorbike hours before Zach Parris drew the prize winners for his Ride on Dads Scavenger Hunt on March 5 at Pebble Creek Ski Area.
Some of the adult participants who observed the spectacle vowed to Parris that if they were to win it, they'd find a worthy kid to give it to, or they'd have the kids pick numbers to claim it.
None of that was necessary, however, as the bike wound up going to the perfect home. The winner was Pebble Creek employee Jordan Wilson, the father of an adventure-seeking, cancer-surviving 6-year-old.
"All of those kids were just drooling over that thing," Parris said. "It's not like we planned it. We were just drawing prizes and (Jordan) won it. It was the coolest thing ever."
Parris, who has prostate cancer, founded Ride on Dads last year to raise funds to help the Salt Lake City-based Hunstman Cancer Foundation support prostate cancer research, in addition to raising awareness about the importance of men getting screened for prostate cancer.
The scavenger hunt raised more than $13,000 for prostate cancer research, due in large part to big donations from the local business community. About 70 skiers participated.
The event landed Jordan's little boy, Brody, a memorable prize. Jordan explained his son had recently outgrown his previous motorbike.
"I've got a circle driveway in town and he can cruise on it already. If I had a headlight on it he would never come in," said Jordan, who manages the lodge at Pebble Creek.
Brody was diagnosed with a Wilms' tumor on his kidney when he was 10 months old. Fortunately, it was caught early, making it curable. But doctors had to remove that kidney.
"The day we found out, three days later we were in surgery," Jordan said.
The family traveled on a weekly basis to Salt Lake City for Brody's chemotherapy treatments throughout the course of a year. Brody still has annual checkups to make sure his remaining kidney is functioning well, but Jordan said there is a 98 percent chance the cancer won't return.
Teton Financial and Southeast Financial partnered to buy the gas-powered Coleman CT100U mini bike as a scavenger hunt prize.
The next Ride on Dads fundraiser will be the Tour de Lava cycling tour on June 4.
Parris said one in nine men will get prostate cancer, and the blood test to detect it is quick and easy. | 2022-03-10T19:57:39Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Ride on Dads skiing scavenger hunt a win for cancer research, young cancer survivor | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/ride-on-dads-skiing-scavenger-hunt-a-win-for-cancer-research-young-cancer-survivor/article_a624868e-5650-528d-90c3-8a8381e63700.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/ride-on-dads-skiing-scavenger-hunt-a-win-for-cancer-research-young-cancer-survivor/article_a624868e-5650-528d-90c3-8a8381e63700.html |
Gate City Brewfest, pictured in this Journal file photo, showcases microbreweries.
Idaho State Journal file
Gate City Brewfest to be hosted in Historic Downtown Pocatello on Saturday
The 11th annual Gate City Brewfest, scheduled for 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, will feature about 80 different hand-crafted beers from more than 30 breweries from throughout the country, plus the four local breweries.
Participants visit several different bars, restaurants and businesses in the downtown area to sample a variety of beers, included with a Brewfest wristband.
The event is a fundraiser for Historic Downtown Pocatello and the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the popular fundraiser drew between 1,200 and 1,300 people and generated between $20,000 and $30,000 in annual revenue to be split evenly between the two organizations.
Matt Hunter, president and CEO of the Chamber, said the event showcases the downtown area, in addition to helping the organizations financially.
Though Brewfest has traditionally been scheduled for March, last year’s event was moved back until June due to the pandemic. Furthermore, a second downtown beer festival normally scheduled in September, called Brewfest 2, was called off.
General admission tickets for the upcoming Gate City Brewfest are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased online at gatecitybrewfest.com.
The window to buy VIP tickets has closed. VIPs receive a swag bag and are allowed to sample special beers at some locations. VIPs will also be invited to attend a Tap Takeover event the night before Brewfest at Wanderlust Craft Beer Taproom & Wine Bar, 1799 Hurley Drive in Pocatello.
Stephanie Palagi, executive director of Historic Downtown Pocatello, said several new breweries are booked for this year, which should provide some novelty for repeat participants. Terminal Gravity Brewing, Wind River Brewing and Salt Flats Brewing are among the new names. Palagi said the organizations have been pleased by advance ticket sales.
The city trolley will be available to transport participants to the various locations. The Union Taproom, 230 W. Bonneville St., and First National Bar, 232 W. Center St., plan to have live bands, Palagi said. She said some participating restaurants will also offer special quick-serve menu items during the event. | 2022-03-10T23:16:59Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Gate City Brewfest to be hosted in Historic Downtown Pocatello on Saturday | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/gate-city-brewfest-to-be-hosted-in-historic-downtown-pocatello-on-saturday/article_9e88a5d1-2864-533f-a37c-d685a14ae828.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/gate-city-brewfest-to-be-hosted-in-historic-downtown-pocatello-on-saturday/article_9e88a5d1-2864-533f-a37c-d685a14ae828.html |
Pocatello Police Department Press Release
On Thursday the Pocatello police Street Crimes Unit arrested Ridge Parsons, 31, on a felony arrest warrant charging Parsons with robbery and grand theft, subsequent to an ongoing investigation.
Parsons was incarcerated in the Bannock County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond.
Continuing the investigation, the PPD Street Crimes Unit served a residential search warrant at 2751 Sonoma Street, Pocatello, with the assistance of the Pocatello police narcotics unit and the Bannock County Sheriff's Office. | 2022-03-11T02:10:44Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | POCATELLO POLICE STREET CRIMES UNIT ARRESTS MAN ON ROBBERY, GRAND THEFT CHARGES | Freeaccess | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/pocatello-police-street-crimes-unit-arrests-man-on-robbery-grand-theft-charges/article_b0855769-6460-5704-b445-aa10fc6dba72.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/pocatello-police-street-crimes-unit-arrests-man-on-robbery-grand-theft-charges/article_b0855769-6460-5704-b445-aa10fc6dba72.html |
Extremist legislators demonstrate why voters need to clean house
Rep. DeMordaunt’s ominously labeled House Bill 666 would subject librarians to a fine of up to $1,000 and/or a year in jail for “making available to a minor” any “material harmful to minors.” That should cause librarians to shake in their boots and leave tons of their books on the shelves. Combined with the vague definitional terms in existing statutes, the bill could send a librarian to the hoosegow for checking out human anatomy books or Civil War histories.
Jim Jones is the former Idaho attorney general and former chief justice of the Idaho Supreme Court. His previous columns can be found at JJCommonTater.com. | 2022-03-11T19:13:57Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Extremist legislators demonstrate why voters need to clean house | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/extremist-legislators-demonstrate-why-voters-need-to-clean-house/article_40482127-d37f-5d29-98bb-0db9ffa5c3f5.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/extremist-legislators-demonstrate-why-voters-need-to-clean-house/article_40482127-d37f-5d29-98bb-0db9ffa5c3f5.html |
Identity politics: They’re for the stupid
“People who think with their epidermis or their genitalia or their clan are the problem, to begin with. One does not banish this specter by invoking it. If I would not vote against someone on the grounds of ‘race’ or ‘gender’ alone, then by the exact same token I would not cast a vote in his or her favor for the identical reason. Yet see how this obvious question makes fairly intelligent people say the most alarmingly stupid things.” — Christopher Hitchens
Identity politics are politics that are first and foremost based on how you identify with a politician. Unfortunately, your average voter is a sucker for identity politics, which is the entire electoral strategy of the American Left. Every horrible political policy that gains traction does so by appealing to the base emotion of the electorate and appealing to innate or assumed traits of the individual such as ethnicity, gender, etc.
Are you a mother? A Latino person? Black, Asian, Gay, Straight, non-binary? A farmer? A city-dweller? These are all ways in which someone might identify themselves within a collective. Identity politics aren’t about policy, but rather about your position within a collective. In this post-modern age of neo-Marxism, your value as a human being is defined by how many oppression points you have. The more identity boxes that you check, the higher your value in society.
If you oppose identity politics you will swiftly receive any number of labels that your ideological opposition can muster against you. The term Nazi comes to mind. Ironically, the Nazis specialized in identity politics. Adolf Hitler understood the power in scapegoating entire populations based on their identities and not their contributions to the world or their ideas. These people who throw around these labels so flippantly fail introspection enough to see that it is they who operate as Nazis.
As I write this the headlines of Idaho newspapers are filled with denunciations of Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin’s taped speech at the America First Political Action Conference or AFPAC. AFPAC coincided with the GOP mainstream Conservative Political Action Conference or CPAC, this past weekend. The headlines refer to AFPAC as a white nationalist event and cite the Southern Poverty Law Center as proof of the label. Never mind that the Christian organization, the Family Research Council, and any number of other conservative organizations are listed as hate groups by the SPLC. For critics’ purposes, they will suffice as the origin of labels.
I tuned in to a few speeches at the CPAC competing AFPAC event. I would certainly label it as a hodgepodge of alternate viewpoints that only seem to agree on the idea of America First. There were black, white, Asian, Hispanic, and Jewish men and women featured.
White nationalism espouses the superiority of white people, and nothing of the sort was said. This is not to be confused with replacement theory, which asserts that some actors seek to reduce the influence of white people in society by maligning them. Replacement theory adherents assert that things like unfettered immigration and critical race theory campaigns are about supplanting the white population and equating whiteness to an inherently toxic trait. In this regard, any rational person would have a hard time arguing against their assertions. But it’s not the white people that actors wish to replace. They wish to replace the classically liberal ideas like freedom and individuality that they espouse.
The mistake that replacement theory adherents make is to wear the labels that the left adorns them with, which in actuality is the point. There is a knee-jerk reaction for those accused of whiteness to wear the label as if it is a thing. In reality, there is no such thing as whiteness. This is a rhetorical strategy called the Kafkatrap. Your denial of an accusation is evidence thereof.
The closest thing that I watched to a celebration of whiteness at AFPAC was a speech by Jesse Lee Peterson. Peterson is a black 72-year-old conservative radio host and pastor. Peterson self-designated July as white history month to recognize the historical accomplishments of white people. It should be noted that Peterson does so tongue-in-cheek and as a meme of our insistence to recognize the accomplishments of all collectives, except the white collective. It is Peterson’s assertion that racism is nothing more than a form of evil, and that only good and evil exist.
My purpose in tuning in was to hear what politicians like Janice McGeachin and Marjorie Taylor Greene had to say, as well as to listen to the speech from Gab.com CEO Andrew Torba. White nationalism was not espoused and accusations to the contrary are just catering to the stupid. If you found yourself caught up in the outrage, you might be the intended audience. This is not to say that all speakers placated my sensibilities.
Saying things that every conservative agrees with is what CPAC is for. At AFPAC there was a heavy emphasis on America First policies like finishing the border wall, abstaining from foreign intervention, and election integrity. There were also ideas like a decentralized parallel economy, a return to classical liberalism, and most importantly for me, a revival of the Church in America. Many speakers saw the success that Donald Trump had in being a thorn in the side of the government establishment and did their best to imitate his success with all of the boisterous rhetoric, but with no platform from which to accomplish their ideas. In that regard, I tuned out.
Identity politics is an effective strategy in America. A majority of voters are susceptible to the lure of slanderous and libelous accusations against political opposition. Having seen the success of the American left, much of the right has adopted this strategy. This is why Gov. Brad Little and establishment Republicans within the government have made coordinated press and social media statements denouncing Janice McGeachin’s alleged participation in white nationalism. This coordinated response is called virtue signaling because they’re putting their righteousness on display for the world to see, and juxtaposing their ideological purity against their bigoted political opposition.
Identity politics caters to the intellectual bottom feeders of society. So long as we’re employing and consuming this strategy, we’ll be left with the results of exactly what we vote for. A minimum of intellectual honesty and research goes a long way in electing better candidates and, resultingly, achieving better policy. | 2022-03-11T19:14:15Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Identity politics: They’re for the stupid | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/identity-politics-they-re-for-the-stupid/article_043dbd95-fbcc-5869-bc14-4d2a481ad9a4.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/identity-politics-they-re-for-the-stupid/article_043dbd95-fbcc-5869-bc14-4d2a481ad9a4.html |
Tamara Code
Tamara Code announces candidacy for Bannock County assessor
By Tamara Code
Dear citizens of Bannock County,
Hello! My name is Tamara Code, and I am excited to announce that I am running for the office of Bannock County assessor.
I was born and brought up in Idaho, and for decades I’ve lived, worked and raised a family here in Pocatello, and I love this area.
Anyone who lives in Bannock County and owns property understands that the current assessor’s tenure in this critical position has been a train wreck: incompetent management, lack of preparedness, wildly assessed property tax valuations, poor customer service and tax bills that are so outrageously high and arrive so late there’s no time to prepare your appeal.
This isn’t the fault of the hard-working assessor’s office employees who, day after day, do their utmost to serve the public. These problems stem from an assessor who may mean well but is out of her league when it comes to understanding complex county finances and running a major county organization. Not everyone is suited by temperament or training to supervise a large group of employees or overcome financially challenging tasks — but I am.
With my degrees in business education and Master of Business Administration, my successful business and organizational experience, which includes supervision of over a hundred employees for a large hotel in Boise, and my ability to organize and creatively solve problems, I am the best assessor candidate to serve the citizens of Bannock County and will do so with diligence and pride.
Living in Bannock County, you know it’s time for a change in the assessor’s office. Besides all the problems the office is currently suffering, how many of you have had to wait in what seems like endless lines before you can speak to someone about your taxes, purchase new license plates or update your tags?
Long lines are not acceptable, and neither is going to another county to buy license plates due to those lengthy waits. This cuts a vital revenue stream Bannock County desperately needs. Instead of spending your license renewal dollars elsewhere, our assessor’s office needs to improve our services so you have the incentive to buy them here. This will help to avoid future property tax hikes while allowing us to fund critical county services.
With enormous hikes in home valuations in the last few years, the citizens of Bannock County are struggling to make ends meet. With your vote for me as your new assessor, I will see to it that this is addressed in a proactive way that is fair to the County and its citizens.
As Bannock County’s assessor, I will bring a new vision to the office. I vow to work toward accurate, equitable and timely assessments. I will streamline processes to make it easier for our citizens to access vital services. My experience and education have prepared me to excel at this office, and I promise you that every day I will work earnestly on behalf of the citizens of Bannock County. Thank you for your consideration and for your vote this November.
Tamara Code is a candidate for Bannock County assessor. | 2022-03-11T19:14:34Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Tamara Code announces candidacy for Bannock County assessor | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/tamara-code-announces-candidacy-for-bannock-county-assessor/article_4fd85e3c-bb4c-509c-8fd5-a62807e31f01.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/tamara-code-announces-candidacy-for-bannock-county-assessor/article_4fd85e3c-bb4c-509c-8fd5-a62807e31f01.html |
The soda straw perspective
One of my dietary quirks is that I can't, or don't like to, drink water through a straw. But I do like soda through a straw. Cold ice water tastes and quenches best in big gulps and swallows. Whereas the carbonation of soda pop (diet or zero sugar because I am a Type 2 diabetic) slides down better in the smaller sips and stream provided via the narrow conduit of a straw.
This is not my only food weirdness. I also don't eat fruit of any kind, never have, never will. I believe it stunts your growth. And as I am taller than average, about 6’6” in bare feet, my hypothesis usually holds true. My dad used to tell me that if I had been Adam, “We wouldn’t be in this mess.”
While watching CNN the other night for an update on the horrible condition of war in Ukraine, the commentator mentioned something called, “the soda straw perspective.” It reminded me of my soda preference for straws. The phenomenon they were speaking of is how narrow our view of some events can become. We only see things through a small window and that can be misleading to what the truth really might be.
With the soda, I think using a straw allows me to control the flow, concentrate the flavor to just the right spot on my tastebuds rather than flood my entire mouth and throat with liquid. Depending on which network we choose to watch, we are only getting a “soda straw” perspective of the news. They choose what to show us, which video clips to play and which commentators to interview that will agree or condone the chosen agenda. Forever editing our view to an all too often narrow little circle. Hold up a straw and gaze through it at the light, you will see just how narrow your view really is. Restricting our view of the world is similar.
So just as I use two different methods for hydration, I wonder if it is better to use two different networks or perspectives for news? In order to get a more gestalt view of current events and avoid the skewed screaming and yelling I tend to flip back and forth between CNN and Fox. Often the same story is being covered simultaneously and if nothing else, it can be a way to avoid sitting through commercials. I am not sure which channel is water and which is the soda, but both satisfy in part depending on my mood or craving at the moment.
In our analysis and judgment of world, national or state political affairs, taking a soda straw perspective is probably not a good idea. To the contrary, taking full mouth gulps and swallowing whole is not good either. So here is my suggestion: What might be the result if we still use a straw but one of slightly larger diameter? Even a bendy straw? Something more flexible and receptive to a wider view of the world and of other opinions? It might be effective to use a plastic versus paper straw to avoid the collapse and obstructions that often happen with those unreliable cheap paper ones.
All of this is metaphorical of course. We still have the option of spitting out what we draw in through the straw or we can swirl it around in our mouth, decide whether or not we like the taste and go ahead and swallow. No real harm done, right? But be aware, anything we take in is bound to at least partially absorb into our system. The taste may be bitter and linger or it may be sweet and leave us wanting more. Don't be scared — what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger and a better wiser person in the end.
If this goes well, you never know, you might end up eating a strawberry after all!
Soda Straw | 2022-03-11T19:14:46Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | The soda straw perspective | Columns | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/the-soda-straw-perspective/article_4df57dcd-54c6-546e-a1d0-8b76b044ecbe.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/the-soda-straw-perspective/article_4df57dcd-54c6-546e-a1d0-8b76b044ecbe.html |
Bannock County Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner will be 7 p.m. April 9.
Bannock County Republican events scheduled for March and April
By Bannock County Republican Central Committee
The Bannock County Republican Central Committee will hold a meet-and-greet for Republican candidates 7 p.m. March 24 at the Veteran’s Building, 300 N. Johnson Ave. in Pocatello. The public is welcome.
The Bannock County Republican Party will also hold its annual Lincoln Day Dinner event April 9 at the Idaho State University Stephens PAC Rotunda. The program will begin 7 p.m. There will be an auction with great items and a candidate meet and greet at 5:30 pm. This is a great opportunity to meet the candidates, visit with your state and local elected officials.
The evening guests will have the pleasure of having Gov. Brad Little as the keynote speaker. Tickets will be $45 online and $50 at the door.
Tickets for this event may be purchased at bannockgop.com.
Visit Bannock County Republicans and South East Idaho Republican Women on Facebook. For any questions, email bannockrepublicans@gmail.com.
Bannock County Republican Party | 2022-03-11T23:11:59Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Bannock County Republican events scheduled for March and April | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/bannock-county-republican-events-scheduled-for-march-and-april/article_1cf234e9-9aea-572c-9527-220abc0f900c.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/bannock-county-republican-events-scheduled-for-march-and-april/article_1cf234e9-9aea-572c-9527-220abc0f900c.html |
Bengal triathlon set April 22-23
POCATELLO — Students in Idaho State University’s Department of Human Performance and Sport Studies are proud to bring back the beloved Bengal Triathlon and Duathlon. This year’s event will take place on April 22-23. The Bengal Triathlon and Duathlon are perfect for beginners or seasoned racers. The triathlon consists of a 700-yard pool swim (14 laps or 28 lengths in a 25-yard pool), a 13-mile bike and a 3-mile run (asphalt with some trails).
Participants will swim on April 22 and swim times will seed Saturday’s bike and run start. A duathlon option (bike and run only) is also available. Individual and relay team (two to three members) options are available for both the triathlon and duathlon races. The event attracts close to 400 participants annually. This marks the 15th year HPSS students have coordinated the event. All contestants will receive a free sweatshirt if registered before April 1. Registration for the Bengal Triathlon is available https://bit.ly/3t6dqzs.
To learn more about the Bengal Triathlon, please contact Caroline Faure at smittyfaure@isu.edu. | 2022-03-11T23:12:05Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Bengal triathlon set April 22-23 | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/bengal-triathlon-set-april-22-23/article_d217625a-b2d6-5e92-91bb-039df92936c3.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/bengal-triathlon-set-april-22-23/article_d217625a-b2d6-5e92-91bb-039df92936c3.html |
The food production chain
Do you know where your food comes from? I was raised in the city of Pocatello and loved riding my bicycle to a local grocery store to buy my favorite treats. My paternal grandmother had a “green thumb” and grew wonderful flowers, a vegetable garden and fruit trees. I knew where her fresh produce came from, and I loved eating her raspberries with cream. As I started college and learned about food service management, I soon knew food can travel very far to get to our homes. At any point along the food production chain, our food can come in contact with foodborne illness.
Production starts on the ranch, in the orchards or vineyards or on farms. At this step, make sure you trust the food producer’s crop management to understand their use of herbicides, pesticides, the purity of water source and seed quality. Buying from local sources increases our chances to know more about how our food is grown.
Processing occurs in large commercial plants where crops are brought for sorting, cleaning and packaging. I have volunteered many times at a food processing plant and now better appreciate sorting rocks and insects from dry beans on a conveyor belt. Research the safety procedures at the company who processes your favorite brands.
Transportation may occur by car, truck, train or airplane. Refrigerated or freezer containers can bring food to our local grocery stores in a food safe manner. When we check the label to find out where our food originated, we can better understand the possible food safety concerns.
Handling happens when the food is off loaded from the transportation vehicle to our local grocery stores. Consideration should be given to keeping cold foods cold and frozen foods frozen as they transition from transport to store shelf.
Preparation occurs in restaurants, schools, hospitals, grocery stores and in our homes. I have worked in many restaurants in Pocatello as I was in college and knew firsthand how food was handled before it was taken to the customer. As home cooks, we can take care to keep food surfaces and utensils clean and sanitized to optimize our health.
Source:cdc.gov | 2022-03-12T20:21:30Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | The food production chain | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/the-food-production-chain/article_2fa134a2-bbbd-5715-91c2-37b1529dba8a.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/the-food-production-chain/article_2fa134a2-bbbd-5715-91c2-37b1529dba8a.html |
Bird Dani Rae Wakley Bird Dani Rae Wakley Bird passed away on March 9, 2022. She was born in Downey, Idaho on July 5, 1950, to Arley and Lila Wakley. She was the oldest of 5 kids and grew up in Downey and Lava Hot Springs. She graduated from Marsh Valley High School in 1968 and spent time as a model and later graduated from The LDS Business School in Salt Lake City, UT. Dani married Greg Leger in 1968 and they later divorced. She then met her husband of 45 years K. Michael Bird in April of 1976 on a blind date. They were married on October 16, 1976, and later sealed in the Idaho Falls temple in 1978. Dani loved her family and took great pride in nurturing and loving each child as they grew and transferred that mothering energy to each grandchild as they came along. She is lovingly known as a "second mom" to many and has had a welcoming home with everyone feeling comfortable enough to walk right in and make themselves a sandwich. Dani was compassionate, forgiving, quirky, loved having a good time and just being goofy. She has 7 kids and 15 grandchildren. Although she considered herself a homemaker, she was a Genealogist at heart and spent countless hours working on genealogy and researching family history. She loved visiting the LDS Temple. Dani cherished her membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held that very sacred her entire life. She has held many leadership positions in the church throughout the years and volunteered at the Family History Center since 2000. She loved reading; she was diligent with her daily scripture study and historical novels and mysteries were her favorite. She loved to travel and did so often with her family. Dani is survived by her daughters, Judy Rowe (Bend, OR), Heather Leger Coxe (Pocatello, ID), Brandi Bird Clark (Pocatello, Idaho), Misty Bird Olsen (Pocatello, Idaho) and Tiffany Bird (Bountiful, UT); sons, Shaun Bird and Jordan Bird both of Pocatello, Idaho; sons and daughter- in-law, Michael Scott Coxe, Adam Harrison Clark, Klinton Ray Olsen and Jerdanna Nicole Bird; grandkids, Koby Scott Coxe, Tayler Ray Olsen, Avery Ann Coxe, Ethan Fenway Clark, Jaxon Klint Olsen, Boston Harrison Clark, Jett Michael Olsen, Piper Ann Coxe, Giavonna Michelle Clark, Jagger Klint Olsen, Harrison Michael Bird, Naomi Debra Clark, Grant Jordan Bird, Kole Scott Coxe, and Logan Shaun Bird; special additions to the family are Jamie Carlson, Keeli Marie Carlson, Hallie Ann Carlson, Brennan Carlson, and Chloe Carlson. She is preceded in death by her husband, K. Michael Bird, father, Arley Wakley and mother, Lila Hurst Wakley. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at the Cedar LDS Church, 550 West Cedar Street, Pocatello, Idaho 83201. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. To watch the webcasting of the service or to share memories and condolences with the family online, visit Dani's tribute page at www.wilksfuneralhome.com
K. Michael Bird
Dani Rae
Lila Hurst Wakley
Logan Shaun Bird | 2022-03-13T09:32:47Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Bird, Dani Rae Wakley | Obituaries | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/obituaries/bird-dani-rae-wakley/article_3d685622-f9dc-526c-871d-d097d6c31e20.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/obituaries/bird-dani-rae-wakley/article_3d685622-f9dc-526c-871d-d097d6c31e20.html |
Fagg, Barbara Ravenscroft
Barbara Fagg Ravenscroft Fagg Barbara Ravenscroft Fagg passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 1, 2022. Barbara was born in Buhl, Idaho on July 29, 1923. Barbara lived a full life for 98 years. She spent the majority of her idyllic childhood in Tuttle, Idaho with her parents and brothers. She grew up a very determined young woman. With encouragement from her parents, Barbara attended University of Idaho to pursue her degree in Education. Barbara began her teaching career in Rupert, Idaho where she met Wayne Fagg, the love of her life. Barbara and Wayne were married in 1946 and celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary prior to Wayne's passing. They raised three children and she was extremely proud of each of them. Barbara was a lifelong educator, which took her from rural Idaho to Alaska and back. After retiring, Barbara and Wayne moved to Pocatello, Idaho. She had a tremendous impact on many students. She truly took pride in hearing about their great successes and used social media to stay in touch with them. Barbara loved her family. She always had unlimited patience for her grandchildren and a project at the ready - whether it be cooking, music, art, or science experiments. She was the consummate family historian and a true matriarch of the family. She loved sharing her stories and photos with everyone. Gardening was another passion of hers. She had a green thumb and all plants thrived under her care. She loved her roses and would proudly post pictures of them on social media to share their beauty with others. Barbara planted a vegetable garden every spring. Everyone around Barbara benefited from her garden. Each fall came the anticipation of her famous pickled beets. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren enjoyed eating the fruits of her labor, especially the canned peaches and beans. Barbara attributed her long life to always eating the food she had grown. Barbara is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Fern; her brothers, Vernon and Milan Ravenscroft; and her husband, Wayne Fagg. She is survived by her three children Lynda Steele, Sandy Tranmer (Dean), and Bruce Fagg (Diane). Eight grandchildren Leah Steele Barnett (Sean), Chelsea Hayes Carothers, Nicholas Tranmer (Erin), Bailey Barnes-Fagg (Evan Suiter), Zachary Barnes-Fagg, Patrick Barnes-Fagg, Eric Hayes, and Sydney Hayes. Six great grandchildren Jake, Josiah, Jack, Averie, Malone, and Veada. Barbara leaves behind many extended family members and those she considered family, Lance and LeeAnn Hayes, as well as her beloved cat, Mocha. Barbara will be greatly missed by all of us. She was a positive role model for everyone around her. Barbara enjoyed laughing, persevering through the tough times, loving to the fullest, and was always proud to help and serve others. As we write this, we are sure she is correcting our grammar from above. May our family Matriarch rest in peace. Barbara's family would like to thank Heritage Hospice Care, Dr. LaVonne Mills, Nurse Kelsey Scott, Jessie Nate and family, and Jen Bauman for their care and compassion. A viewing will be held at Cornelison Funeral Home in Pocatello, Idaho on March 25th from 12:00 to 2:00 PM. Graveside Service to follow at 3:30 PM at the Rupert Cemetery, 450 N. Meridian, Rupert, Idaho 83350 A "Celebration of Life" will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Barbara's name to: P.E.O. Chapter BJ Meg Long 355 Spoon Pocatello, Idaho 83204 These contributions will continue her passion of making a difference for others. The money will be dedicated to the Chapter's Memorial Scholarship Fund for women attending Idaho State University. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.cornelisonfh.com 208-232-0542
Wayne Fagg
Fagg Ravenscroft Fagg Barbara Ravenscroft Fagg | 2022-03-13T09:32:53Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Fagg, Barbara Ravenscroft | Obituaries | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/obituaries/fagg-barbara-ravenscroft/article_fce49515-5955-5426-bb4b-c1cc0e9517a9.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/obituaries/fagg-barbara-ravenscroft/article_fce49515-5955-5426-bb4b-c1cc0e9517a9.html |
Fast-moving storm forecast to bring snow to East Idaho's higher elevations today
A fast-moving storm will barrel through East Idaho on Sunday, bringing snow to higher elevation areas.
The National Weather Service issued a special weather alert for East Idaho's highlands warning the public about the storm, which is forecast to arrive during the day on Sunday and to exit the region Sunday night.
Higher elevation areas such as Emigration Summit, Grace, Bancroft, Soda Springs, Lava Hot Springs, Henry, Bone, Wayan, Swan Valley, Palisades, Victor and Island Park are expected to receive up to 3 inches of snow from the storm.
East Idaho's higher mountains could receive as much as 5 inches of snow depending on the storm's severity.
Lower elevation areas such as Pocatello, Chubbuck, Idaho Falls, Ammon, Blackfoot and Rexburg could receive rain and/or snow with very little snow accumulation.
The weather service said the storm could impact roads in East Idaho's higher elevation areas and motorists should use caution.
The storm is also forecast to bring snow to the central Idaho mountains including the Stanley, Ketchum and Sun Valley areas.
No winter weather warnings are in effect elsewhere in Idaho, but such warnings are in effect in parts of Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada.
Another shooting at Rexburg Motel 6 and this time two people are dead | 2022-03-13T22:09:20Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Fast-moving storm forecast to bring snow to East Idaho's higher elevations today | Freeaccess | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/fast-moving-storm-forecast-to-bring-snow-to-east-idahos-higher-elevations-today/article_f676b582-0e73-5049-b0f3-186d731f0e82.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/fast-moving-storm-forecast-to-bring-snow-to-east-idahos-higher-elevations-today/article_f676b582-0e73-5049-b0f3-186d731f0e82.html |
A Portneuf Air Rescue helicopter picks up an injured snowmobiler on Friday afternoon in the mountains of western Wyoming.
Courtesy of Portneuf Air Rescue
POCATELLO — A Portneuf Air Rescue helicopter picked up an injured snowmobiler who was stranded in the Wyoming backcountry on Friday afternoon.
Scott Strupp, flight nurse and public relations representative with the Portneuf Medical Center-based team, said the patient was with a group of about a dozen snowmobilers recreating in the mountains of western Wyoming east of Bear Lake.
Strupp said Wyoming snowmobilers were extremely prepared, which improved the outcome. He said the patient drove the snowmobile over a cornice and sustained a traumatic orthopedic injury.
The group brought a Garmin inReach device, which they used to make a distress call. Strupp said they used their snowmobiles to pack down a good landing area for the helicopter. He said they also had supplies to make a fire and blankets to keep the patient warm.
"They go out quite a bit so they were super prepared," Strupp said.
Strupp said the helicopter was at the patient's side within 35 minutes of Portneuf Air Rescue receiving the call. The patient was flown to PMC, which was the closest hospital well equipped to handle the injury, Strupp said.
Strupp emphasized the average patient out-of-pocket cost of a Portneuf Air Rescue transport is about $200. He said the company that operates the service, Classic, offers two free hours of search time per call to help keep patients' costs down.
Scott Strupp | 2022-03-15T00:06:04Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | PMC helicopter crew rescues injured snowmobiler in Wyoming backcountry | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/pmc-helicopter-crew-rescues-injured-snowmobiler-in-wyoming-backcountry/article_a48fa580-edbc-5571-afa6-406cd38528bb.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/pmc-helicopter-crew-rescues-injured-snowmobiler-in-wyoming-backcountry/article_a48fa580-edbc-5571-afa6-406cd38528bb.html |
'The Batman' makes up in artful pessimism what it lacks in plot cohesion
We’ve seen so many adaptations of Batman that it’s difficult to imagine an updated version that can still wow us. Tim Burton’s 1989 film advanced the character beyond the pages of DC Comics, imagining an art deco city setting, rubber armor, sleek vehicle and prop designs, and a truly menacing murderous villain. This movie not only set the bar for future bat pictures, but it set the template for the modern superhero genre.
Years later, Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy reimagined the character as a Bond-esque spy, involved in multi-national levels of intrigue and compelling moral dilemmas.
With this latest iteration, director Matt Reeves (“Cloverfield,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”) brings Batman back to his pulp roots in a rainy noir that combines the tactile asphalt action of “The Dark Knight,” along with the grimy crime dramas of David Fincher (“Se7en,” "Zodiac").
After two years of building his street reputation as a terror in the shadows, Bruce Wayne/Batman (Robert Pattinson) finds himself at the center of a mystery involving the murder of members of Gotham’s elite. The killer in question is a masked psychopath calling himself The Riddler (Paul Dano). This moniker comes from clues and riddles left behind after every crime scene investigation, in which letters addressed to Batman come with Zodiac-like ciphers that, if solved, will lead to the discovery of his next victim. It’s unknown why The Riddler seeks the attention of our protagonist, but these letters have Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and some of his police questioning their tentative cooperation with the vigilante.
These clues also lead the caped crusader to a seedy nightclub that caters to Gotham’s corrupted politicians, run by a mob heavy called Penguin (Colin Farrell). While looking for answers, Bruce runs into a cat burglar named Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz) who’s looking for the people who kidnapped her friend. Batman and Catwoman work together during a contentious mayoral election to figure out what this killer knows about Batman, the mob and the city’s crumbling political class.
Reeves is a capable visualist and his version of Gotham City shows a level of urban decay and dereliction not yet seen in previous Batman movies. The world-building, as encapsulated by the costumes, the plodding Michael Giacchino score, and the hazy, high-contrast cinematography, creates a nightmarish world where we believe a masked vigilante and a host of psychotic villains can thrive.
The tone is perfectly set within the first scene, wherein Pattinson’s voice-over describes Batman's effect on the criminal element, leaving lawbreakers gazing into the shadows of every alley, afraid of what their night might bring them. This is the heart of who the dark knight is, along with being the world’s greatest detective, a characterization not often utilized in previous films.
While vibe is on point, the movie strains to balance its multiple plot points, resulting in a narrative sprawl that struggles to effectively pull the tension. As a mystery, many of the puzzle pieces are telegraphed or solved too quickly to build pressure or pay off. Every character somehow links to the others in ways that only happen in a writers’ room, and too many red herrings are revealed without time to properly misdirect the audience’s attention. Individual scenes work well as set pieces or mood-scapes but the plot simmers until it cools, and the story keeps moving without raising the stakes or subverting our expectations.
“The Batman” is so close to achieving greatness it’s frustrating that it doesn’t deliver the goods within some of its most basic genre expectations. Partly, this comes from a baggy edit that could use a 35-minute trim, and it comes from a script that tries too hard to connect disparate story elements. There’s a lot to admire in this moody interpretation of the fan-favorite hero, including nicely tuned performances from Kravitz, Pattinson, Farrell and Dano, and I look forward to future installments of this universe, but I sincerely hope for more rigor and discipline on the page and within the final edit. | 2022-03-15T18:00:57Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | 'The Batman' makes up in artful pessimism what it lacks in plot cohesion | Community | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/the-batman-makes-up-in-artful-pessimism-what-it-lacks-in-plot-cohesion/article_81366736-bcd4-5d83-a69f-fe13825576c3.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/community/the-batman-makes-up-in-artful-pessimism-what-it-lacks-in-plot-cohesion/article_81366736-bcd4-5d83-a69f-fe13825576c3.html |
Shannon Fox plants blue pinwheels at Sun Power Auto Center in Pocatello in this 2019 file photo.
Blue pinwheels to return for Child Abuse Prevention Month
POCATELLO — Blue pinwheels representing innocence and raising awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month in April are expected to start popping up across Idaho in the coming weeks.
Bannock Youth Foundation organizes this effort throughout seven East Idaho counties, including Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Caribou, Franklin, Oneida, and Power. Bannock Youth Foundation is hoping to gain support for its campaign this year to help raise awareness for child abuse prevention.
"The planning efforts commence in January every year and in the last few years, we have been trying out new things to help create energy for the campaign," the campaign said in a news release. "We love providing yearly events and connecting to statewide work, but we are always looking for ways to grow and have more of an impact."
Last year, Bannock Youth Foundation had more than 7,000 pinwheels to place across East Idaho.
Those who are interested in participating should contact the Child Abuse Prevention Month coordinator Shannon Fox at 208-220-4048 or via email at Shannon.fox@byfhome.com.
Bannock Youth Foundation | 2022-03-15T18:01:04Z | www.idahostatejournal.com | Blue pinwheels to return for Child Abuse Prevention Month | Local | idahostatejournal.com | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/blue-pinwheels-to-return-for-child-abuse-prevention-month/article_5cbfb56e-7810-5f10-985f-88e321148670.html | https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/blue-pinwheels-to-return-for-child-abuse-prevention-month/article_5cbfb56e-7810-5f10-985f-88e321148670.html |
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