Month: October 2019

The state of Wyoming will receive $641.11 million as its share of proceeds from energy production on federal and American Indian-owned lands during Fiscal Year 2019. It was the second highest disbursement in the United States. New Mexico received the greatest allocation in its history, $1.17 billion. Nationwide, oil and gas produced from Department of

The United States Mint will formally launch the America the Beautiful Quarters Program coin honoring the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness on Wednesday, November 6. The mint said $10 rolls of the newly minted quarters will be available for exchange following the ceremony. The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Salmon

Yellowstone National Park has created a specialized team to remove litter from geologic features in the park. The Thermal Area Preservation Program, TAPP, also documents any resource impacts in thermal areas. It is no small job. Park officials said this summer alone, the TAPP team removed 438 hats and 16,404 pieces of litter from thermal

A black bear cub that was illegally taken from the wild by a Boise man is headed to a rehabilitation sanctuary. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game says a “well-meaning” Boise hunter took the cub on Oct. 19. The department confiscated the bear two days later, and State Veterinarian Dr. Mark Drew has treated

Bingham Academy has the OK to stay at its current location after months of fighting between the City of Blackfoot and the school. The city’s planning and zoning commission unanimously approved the school’s conditional use permit application (CUP) Tuesday evening. “We’re just going to be happy to move on and to be able to focus

Bonneville Joint School District 93 is looking to improve the way it communicates with parents. The district has an outline on their website that would help to inform patents better by January 2020. They also hope to address an Idaho law that potentially limits teachers in mostly high school. Those that have credentials for certain

Melaleuca awarded $1,985,264 in bonuses to company employees marking landmark anniversaries Wednesday. The bonus is for full and part-time employees, regardless of position and is based on an employee’s length of service. The company pays $5,000 on a five-year anniversary, $10,000 at 10 years, $15,000 at 15 years, $20,000-net at 20 years, $25,000 at 25

The Franklin County Commission is offering free rides on the courthouse elevator Thursday night, as part of an open house to discuss an upcoming bond issue. That elevator is one of many parts of the Preston courthouse that may be replaced if voters approve. The courthouse was originally built in 1938 at a total cost

A Bannock County man has lost his effort to launch a class action lawsuit against the Pocatello-Chubbuck School District. The Idaho Supreme Court handed down its decision on the case Tuesday. Mike Zeyen had sought relief and damages on behalf of all students currently enrolled in District 25 and their guardians. Zeyen alleged that the

Some routine training led to a surprise recovery for Bonneville and Bingham County Sheriff’s Office Dive Teams. The teams were training at the John’s Hole Bridge Forebay on the Snake River Monday when deputies located an abandoned snowmobile. The machine was spotted near the bridge. Divers attached air bags to help raise it from the

Overall fall enrollment at the University of Idaho was up by 85 students to 11,926. The University said full-time on-campus student enrollment is down by a few tenths of a percent, but has stabilized over the past four years. Because of federal immigration processes, international student enrollment declined for the first time in several years.

Seven Idaho agencies will receive a share of $1.5 million in grants through the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. Two are headquartered in eastern Idaho. Health West, based in Pocatello will receive $195,000 to be used for new imaging equipment. Health West has offices throughout southeast Idaho to serve low-income and rural communities. The Trust will

Efforts by the U.S. Census Bureau to collect state driver’s license records as part of President Donald Trump’s order to gather citizenship information have been a bust so far. As of Wednesday, the vast majority of state motor vehicle agencies had not agreed to share their records with the bureau, according to an Associated Press

The City of Blackfoot Planning and Zoning Commission held a hearing today concerning Bingham Academy and the conditional use permit application submitted. Planning and Zoning unanimously approved the conditional use permit application after meeting for nearly three and a half hours Tuesday night. There seemed to be an issue with compliance and jurisdiction between the

Members of a southern Idaho family were looking through an elderly relative’s belongings when they got a couple of surprises: two World War II-era grenades. The Times-News reports one grenade was found Thursday tucked inside a shadow box, and another was stored among other items of memorabilia belonging to the 94-year-old former soldier. J.P. O’Donnell

Do you have unused or expired prescription medications? Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and the Pocatello Police Department will be accepting medications for disposal from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 911 N. 7th Ave, in the lobby of the police station. The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day initiative aims to

Idaho’s U.S. Attorney’s Office collected more than $1.6 million in criminal restitution, fines, assessments, and civil debts in the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2019. Crime victims receive funds collected in criminal restitution cases. In fiscal year 2019, the Office collected over $1.168 million in criminal restitution. “Our collection and asset forfeiture staff of

Catholic church leaders in Idaho say 15 priests and one deacon have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse in Idaho since the 1950s. The Diocese of Boise released the list on Monday, noting that some of the priests had died, others had been removed from the ministry or retired. The report says law enforcement

A human-habituated bull elk from the Sweet, Idaho area has found a “forever” home in Texas. After six weeks at a Fish and Game facility, the elk left Idaho early Thursday morning, ultimately bound for Texas A&M University where it will become part of the school’s wildlife management and veterinarian programs. The elk will join

A man who fled from the Wyoming Highway Patrol was captured in eastern Idaho Monday night. Idaho State Police said Andrew Thomason, 34, of Powell, Wyoming, was speeding away from the Highway Patrol and crossed into Irwin, Idaho via westbound US 26 at around 5 p.m. The Highway Patrol discontinued its pursuit of the man

Idaho Fish and Game Department conservation officers are investigating the deaths of two mule deer bucks. The animals were found wasted and dumped south of the Sand Creek Golf Course on Henry Creek Road last Thursday. “We are asking for your help,” said Conservation Officer Rob Howe. “Anyone with knowledge of these two deer is

Idaho Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke of Oakley has been elected vice president of the National Conference of State Legislatures. The group in a news release Monday says Bedke was elected Oct. 12 at the group’s Fall Executive Committee meeting. The group says Bedke will serve one year as vice president, become president-elect for one