Governor Little delivers State of the State
As the year 2025 kicked into gear this week, Idaho Governor Brad Little gave the governor’s State of the State report on last year’s successes and this year’s upcoming initiatives. Similar to the State of the Union address which will be delivered by President Trump later in the year, the State of the State is primarily a chance for the executive in question to speak positively about their agenda, unveil a few new programs, and highlight the themes and topics which are expected to be important causes for the administration.
If there could be said to be topline themes for the speech, which was titled “Keeping Promises,” they could probably be said to include a direct association with the agenda so far laid out by President elect Trump, and a suggestion that Idaho as a state should serve as a model for federal legislative priorities and executive values. In fact, the very first statement in the governor’s speech following his acknowledgement of the other officials in the chamber was “Just two months ago on the eve of a historic presidential election, America teetered between two very different futures for the next four years and beyond. One future guaranteed the status quo—out of control federal spending, a lawless open border, sky high inflation, onerous regulations, and a depressed economy that traps families’ potential. Americans rejected that failed path an instead re-elected a man with a very different vision for America—Donald Trump. President Trump’s vision for America actually looks a lot like Idaho!...safe communities, bustling economic activity, increasing incomes, tax relief, fewer regulations, fiscal responsibility, and common-sense values.”
The opening of the speech was not abandoned as it went along; Little referred to his excitement to work with the incoming President on a shared vision throughout the remainder of the speech. He also, though, invoked a spirit of reaching across the aisle. “I want to congratulate all our legislators on their elections and recognize the new members of leadership in both parties. As a former legislator and member of Senate leadership, I understand the challenges and rewards of bringing everyone together. I commit to all my legislative partners that we will work productively together this legislative session.” The remark is perhaps a rejoinder to the criticism of the last legislative session, which was often seen as not having been especially productive.
In line with the “Keeping Promises” theme of the speech, Little reiterated the tax cuts that had been given to residents of the state over the past five years, much of them made possible by budgetary surpluses, the nature of which has been the subject of some back and forth between the parties. “I am proposing yet another round of tax relief for hardworking Idaho families--$100 million—on top of the $4.6 billion we have already given back to Idahoans over the past five years,” Little stated, as well as “we stand ready to implement President Trump’s promised tax cuts.” The exact nature of any federal tax cuts is not known at this point, as President-elect Trump will not be sworn in for two more weeks. Tax cuts are certainly an anticipated legislative priority for the incoming Republican government, but
again, there are no detailed specifics yet.
After discussing the importance of tax cuts, Little shifted to promoting his vision for education in the state. “We promised and delivered unprecedented investments in schools, the American worker, water, roads, fire, outdoor recreation, and other infrastructure without raising taxes…My Keeping Promises plan builds on those investments by adding more support for schools—on top of the 80 percent increase in state funding we championed for education since I took office.”
Little then talked about what he termed “education freedom.” “We lead the nation in expanding and supporting public charter schools,” Little said. “Public charter schools are unquestionably popular in our state, serving about 30,000 student, up 30 percent from just five years ago. I support charter schools because they offer families more options for their children’s education while providing taxpayers the accountability and transparency they deserve. We are also one of the few states that enable parents to choose the best school for their children regardless of where they live, and our popular Empowering Parents program offers grants to support students’ education outside of the classroom.”
Among specific policy announcements that Little made were $50 million “to further expand education options for Idaho families…for students with unique physical or developmental conditions.” School choice has been a hot button issue in Idaho’s legislature over the past several sessions, and Little was clear to add that
STATE OF THE STATE On Page 2
No need to stay indoors for winter
Despite the winter temperatures and precipitation—or perhaps because of them—there are plenty of things to do around the area this January. This is by no means a complete list of places to go and things to do, but it’s a start!
The City of Soda Springs has built a sledding hill at Hooper Park. According to Shalynn Heneffer at the City Office, “You park in the parking lot and walk a short way up the trail to the south of the parking lot. There are 3 separate spots with berms so multiple people can go at one time without crowding each other. My kids have spent hours on it already. It may not look steep but you get going pretty fast. Fun for all ages!” There are a number of other sledding hills throughout the county, and their availability is likely to change with the weather conditions
WINTER On Page 3
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau resigns Prime Minister for over a decade, Justin Trudeau announced his intention to resign from the position on Monday, as soon as the ruling Liberal Party of Canada chooses a new party leader. Trudeau, 53, has been under steadily increasing negative pressure over the last year as a number of allies inside his government have resigned, and opinion polls have found that growing numbers of voters are dissatisfied with the direction Trudeau has been leading the county. With an economy linked to and in many ways shared with the United States, the same economic problems that dogged the Biden administration have put the party in a precarious position with voters. The issues of inflationary pressures and a high cost of living that has not been mitigated by increased wages have resulted in a lack of public confidence in the government to right the economic ship and make the situation more responsive to Canadian consumers. The tariffs proposed by US President-elect Trump loom as a potential further economic shock to the Canadian economy. A new party leader will serve as PM until the general election in October of 2025. At present, the Conservative party is outpolling the Liberal party by more than 20%.
Demi Moore wins first acting award At Sunday’s Golden Globes award show, actress Demi Moore won her first ever major acting award for her performance in “The Substance.” Moore, who is 62, has been acting for over 45 years, beginning her career with a group of actors nicknamed the “brat-pack” at the time. The group includes actors such as Rob Lowe, John Cusack. Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Ally Sheedy, and James Spader, who all became famous in teen comedies of the 1980s. Moore has been vocal about some of the negative pressures she encountered in Hollywood, and said after the win, “I’ll just leave you with one thing that I think this movie is imparting,” Moore said of the film. “In those moments, when we don’t think we’re smart enough, or pretty enough, or skinny enough, or successful enough, or basically just not enough: I had a woman say to me, ‘Just know, you will never be enough, but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.”
Gas prices fell in 2024
A year end report from the AAA found that overall gas prices were down an average of 34 cents per gallon in 2024 over 2023. In terms of Idaho specifically, the salient part of the report was that the average gas prices in Idaho—which are sometimes as much as half a dollar higher than the national average!—were more in line with the countrywide fuel rates. 2023 was a notably bad year for consumers on the gas front, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and middle east conflicts causing sustained uncertainty in the fuel producing countries that underwrite the systemic costs to the west. Unlike 2023, which saw fuel prices in the $4.00 plus range for much of the summer, 2024 saw a peak of $3.60 across the state on average.
Governor Brad Little, speaking in Southeast Idaho last year. The State of the State was broadcast live from Boise.
The City sledding hill in Soda Springs is at Hooper Park.
Decluttering Your Ranch Life
BY ALLISON ELIASON
The turn of a calendar year is notorious for all sorts of new starts, goals and challenges. Everywhere we see people trying to take on new habits, break old ones, and put their best foot forward. Business is at its peak for life coaches, personal trainers, and professional organizers.
I’ll admit that my curiosity gets the better of me and I have to take a look at all the upgraded life hacks, new and improved menus, and life-altering cleaning schedules. And there is a time or two that I give those tips and tricks a try, and once in a while there is a winner idea I keep around.
Unfortunately, in all my time perusing those cleaning, organizing, or rearranging work sheets there has never been a category dedicated to decluttering a rancher. Either no guru has had a rancher in their life to see the need for such specific instructions on purging or they haven’t been brave enough to take it on.
Today is that day we finally have a chapter on “How to Declutter a Rancher.”
To start the process with an easy win, begin decluttering with their overwhelming hat collection. Every fertilizer rep, bank loaner, nutrition consultant, tractor dealer, feed clerk and vet has probably given your rancher a new hat or two. And despite what they tell you, they do not need every hat, they don’t even like them all. There are always hats that can be tossed.
Whether it is the old sweaty, greasy ball cap they were given last year and have clearly worn out or a new hat they were given but don’t actually like, it’s time to part ways. Tell them to keep a
few nice clean hats to wear around town, get rid of the grungy few that have given all they can, and put a few different hats into the work rotation.
After getting the ball rolling with a few hats out the door might, a rancher next needs to purge the glove pile. I can tell you all the arguments that they will give- “That one is still good, its mate was just worn out,” or “It just has a small popped seam here and has a lot of life left,” or my favorite “This is the back up pair to my back up pair.”
Now I have seen enough to see the logic of hanging on to the backup pair and I know there are winter work gloves and there are summer work gloves. But when there are backup gloves to the backup gloves and seven left handed gloves to only two right handed gloves, it’s time to throw some away.
The same logic of evicting old worn out hats and gloves can also apply to old worn out boots. It’s completely sensible to have a pair of town boots and work boots. I can even see having work boots to ride in and then a more comfortable pair of work boots for those long days on the feet. But there is no need to hang on to those boots that were replaced two or three or four times ago. If the boots need replacing, the boots need chucking. Don’t waveryou know I’m right and the chaos those boots bring sitting in the way, tripping people left and right just isn’t worth it.
Don’t leave the mudroom without decluttering the coats, sweaters, vests and scarves. Your rancher will try to use the same logic to hang on to those tattered, old favorites but you also know how to negotiate them into the toss pile.
The next place a rancher will
State of the State
continued from front page
“Just as we expect the following form our public schools, any school choice measure I would consider must be done the Idaho way, which means it is fair, responsible, transparent, and accountable. It must prioritize the families that need it most and it must not take funds away from public schools. We will do so while continuing to prioritize first and foremost our public schools. Adequately funding public schools is both our constitutional and moral obligation, and we will not abandon that obligation. We have significantly improved teacher pay and health benefits, increased funding for literacy, and began to address the longstanding facilities needs in schools across Idaho.”
Little then noted that even with the positive improvements he listed there are still “known gaps” in education funding. Little stated that his Keeping Promises plan will commit $150 million to public schools, although no specifics were given about the destination of those funds.
Returning to his opening remarks, Little provided an example of what he termed “common sense values” in his support of the Boise State University women’s volleyball team, and recent controversies over the role of transgender athletes in women’s sports. The line “I was incredibly proud of the Boise State University women’s volleyball team for standing up for what’s right” received what was probably the afternoon’s largest spontaneous and sustained applause from the assembled lawmakers.
Moving on to an issue that certainly affects this area, Little discussed “the long-term decline of water in the aquifer that sustains Idaho agriculture.” Water and water rights issues are no stranger to southeast Idaho, and Little’s remarks sought to reassure farmers that the state was dedicated to maintaining its ability to regulate those rights within the state. “Our farmers worked hard to secure a new water deal that safeguards Idaho’s water sovereignty. Friends, let’s thank our farmers.
need to declutter is his closet. You already know it is their nature to make do with the old but that they also can’t resist a little bit of something new. But you can draw the line at keeping ALL the work shirts when there just isn’t any more room in the closet for them. Here’s how to proceed: Step one- throw out anything with a hole in it. It was really never going to get fixed. Step twoanything stained with grease, tattoo ink, tag marker or paint stick can go because they will likely complain about it. Step three- if there are still too many shirts, it’s time to make your rancher try them on. This is likely to produce some whining but the solution to their objections is an offer to just pick a “few more” yourself. One way or another, the wardrobe is eventually purged.
There is only one rule necessary for decluttering the work pants pile. Never mend a patch you have already mended. If the pants are so worn out they need fixing again, it’s time to replace them.
With so many decisions decluttering their work gear and wardrobe, the next move is to simply send your rancher out with the collection of wire bits, fencing clips, loose tags, miscellaneous tools and the like that has been collecting in the house for far too long. It’s possible that they won’t actually be put away where they truly belong, but they are no longer in the house and that’s a win for you.
Now it’s time to turn to the less obvious but still unnecessary collections a rancher might stash. In the bathrooms will be far too many bull sale catalogs and ranching magazines. If they haven’t read it already, they likely won’t now.
While you may have already thrown out all the outdated food from
your fridge and pantry, go back and do the same with all the old vaccines and medicines your rancher has in there.
It’s ok to go through the burgeoning collection of lunch boxes, coolers, water bottles and ice packs. If you never get another, you still have too many and I’m confident that over the next year, you will probably get one more of any of them, or all of them.
One final tip- remember that ranchers are sorting pros, you just might have to set the scene up a little different. They have no problem sorting culls out on the ranch so I figure if they should do just fine calling out “by” for keep or “in” for trash to cull things in the house. If you were successful in any amount of helping your rancher declutter inside the home, it may be worth it to encourage a little decluttering outside the home. Start in the garage by getting rid of broken tools, old truck parts, and useless project materials. Then move on to the more testy items like old broken down tack or destroyed sorting sticks and hot shots.
In all transparency, I have a rancher that could use a real dose of decluttering. There are just too many good hats, gloves with a little life in them, favorite shirts, cool magazines and hot shots that just need a little attention. This tutorial is largely theory and wishful thinking instead of successful experience being passed on. If you happen to use this advice and actually make some progress on the ranchy hordes taking over your home, let me know. I’d love to hear that someone has triumphed over the ever growing collections.
Along with our citizen legislators and Lt. Governor Scott Bedke, they crafted a new plan that maintains control of our water destiny, not other states, not the feds, and not the men and women in robes. My plan helps tackle the backlog of unfunded water projects because securing water for future generations and protecting Idaho agriculture requires both the new plan and continued investments that have proven to raise water levels in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer—the lifeblood of Idaho agriculture.”
Little then discussed how his Keeping Promises plan would provide additional bonuses to allow the state to hire and retain wildland firefighters for the state’s always busy fire season. Several firefighters in the audience were acknowledged by the governor to applause. While there was no specific policy commitment from the governor’s office, Little stated that he was asking the Legislature to “properly fund the fire suppression account so these firefighters know we’ve got their back.” He again returned to the explicit contrast between the Biden and Trump administrations on the topic: “Last summer, I called out the feds for not putting out wildfires more aggressively. The State of Idaho leads on fire and forest management where the feds have failed. Idahoans are tired of choking on smoke for weeks on end. I look forward to working with the Trump administration to boldly transform how wildfire and out western lands are managed.”
Little announced plans to increase transportation funding to improve existing roads and the infrastructure around commercial transportation. Deviating from his prepared remarks for a bit, Little had fun coining the term C.O.W.s, by which he meant to invoke those from California, Oregon, and Washington, who he noted were the primary source of the population boom happening across the state. “We are victims of our own success,” Little said. "Growth" does come with many opportunities, but it also comes with challenges. The cost of own -
ing a home is just too expensive for too many Idaho families. You have heard me state my goal from day one—to make Idaho the place where our children and grandchildren choose to stay and for the ones who have left to choose to come home. It’s difficult to achieve that goal when home ownership is so far out of reach.” Little stated that he was looking forward to working with legislators to remove regulatory barriers and improve the permitting process in order to keep up with housing demands. There were no specifics mentioned, but housing has been a key issue in the county in recent years as growth has accelerated. The tension between the need for more housing in the area and the desire on the part of local officials to make sure development is in harmony with the public’s vision for the future has been at the heart of a number of development code and zoning map discussions.
Little championed his LAUNCH program, which promotes grants for training programs designed to provide immediately practical work skills for graduated Idaho high school students. According to Little, “two-thirds of the students who went on to an Idaho school last year used a LAUNCH grant. Community college attendance surged 15 percent…LAUNCH convinced those who would never have considered training after high school to go on. Many of these students will support the industries that help us keep up with growth—jobs in construction, auto technicians, and plumbers, along with welders, electricians, and a host of other professions.”
Little once again linked himself to Trump in saying: “There is one major takeaway from the historic presidential election two months ago: the working people of America want someone fighting for them. President Trump himself said, ‘We must embrace new and effective job-training approaches.’ Mr. President, we welcome the opportunity to work with you to structure innovative, effective workforce training programs
like Idaho’s LAUNCH across the nation!”
Little noted that he, and by extension Idaho, was ready to work with Elon Musk as the director of the new “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, named after an early example of cryptocurrency. According to Little, DOGE “is already looking to Idaho for the blueprint on how to cut red tape, stimulate economic growth, and streamline government. As the least regulated state in the county, Idaho has an incredible story to share— one worth replicating elsewhere, including Washington D.C.”
As he approached the end of his speech, Little shifted from highlighting the lack of regulation in some areas of Idaho to praising regulatory efforts in the areas of drug policy and the internet. Little pointedly called out the state of Oregon as “drug-friendly,” which he said sends a welcome message to “nefarious criminals” unlike Idaho. Little noted that over the last several years, violent crime in Idaho was down by 17 percent, and the state has been listed as one of the top ten safest in some metrics.
Little praised the efforts of the Idaho State Police, who “just wrapped up their fourth mission to the border. They intercepted deadly drugs and apprehended criminals coming across the open border under the Biden administration, No other state has completed more missions to border states than Idaho.”
Little announced a new prosecutor for Northern Idaho who would be exclusively in charge of drug prosecutions.
Little ended his speech by saying: “As we prepare to celebrate the 250th birthday of our great country, we reflect on what it means to be an American. Our past and future are rooted in freedom and self-reliance while taking care of each other and with a constant faith in God. To the people of Idaho, as your elected leaders, we promise to continue governing responsibly and to uphold freedom and common sense in our decisions.”
and grooming demands. As you head out to sled, make sure kids are dressed appropriately for the snow and wind. While sledding is generally limited to bruises and falls for the most part, make sure that kids are supervised and have access to first aid if needed. Sledding in backcountry areas is discouraged by state officials as a result of both avalanche danger, as well as the difficultly presented to first respond -
ers in the case of any injuries.
In Bancroft, the ice rink next to the Bancroft Trading Post has been filled and is ready for skaters. There is no charge to use the rink, although you do need to bring your own skates. The rink is provided as a courtesy, and skaters are advised that they skate at their own risk. If you haven’t been up on a pair of ice skates for many years—or ever!— take it slowly and plan to fall a few times as you work those muscles. The rink is open at all times, and has
lights for night time use. The Bancroft Trading Post is open on Thursday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday from 12:00 noon to 10 p.m. Karaoke is on Saturdays from 6 to 10 p.m. The Trading Post offers a warm menu for skaters, including stew and biscuits—you’d be insane not to try some out while getting your exercise outdoors.
The ice on the west side of Alexander Reservoir is firm enough to support ice fishing, judging by the huts that sprang up over the last week or so. A state license is required. Anglers can fish up to five poles or lines at a time, although all lines need to be attended by the angler. The statewide daily trout limit is six fish. Fishing is allowed only through a hole up to ten inches in diameter, though there are no restrictions on the number of holes. Anyone who leaves a shelter or enclosure overnight must provide identifying and contact information
visible on the outside of the shelter. The Nordic Ski Track at Kelly Park is also open for cross country skiing. A slot for donations to the city for the maintenance of the trail is available at the entrance to the trails in the park. Rules of etiquette are posted at the same entrance. As more possibilities for outdoor activities emerge, we’ll be sure to let you know! If you have any winter events of your own to tell people about, email brandon.h@idahoenterprise.com.
The Nordic Trail at Kelly Park is a great place to learn the basics or get in a run. A cold Sunday afternoon at the skating rink in Bancroft. The rink is open to the public, and is lit up at night!
A lone fishing "shack" sits on the windy flat of Alexander Reservoir over the weekend.
COMMUNITY NOTES North Gem News
These notices can be found, along with more information about North Gem Schools, at sd149.com.
Superintendent’s Letter
Dear North Gem Community,
Happy Holidays! We hope your Winter Break was both enjoyable and rejuvenating. As we return to school and embark on the second semester, we find ourselves with an opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year and identify areas for improvement as we move forward together.
One of our standout achievements this semester is the remarkable progress of our K-3 students in reading. I-Station reading scores show that 87% of our K-3 graders are reading at proficiency. This is an outstanding milestone that speaks to the dedication and effort from every level—our school board, teachers, students, and parents. This achievement is truly something the entire North Gem community can take pride in.
In addition to our reading success, we are equally committed to improving math practices and scores across all grade levels. While this is an ongoing process, we’ve already begun to see positive results in a short time. I am optimistic about the direction we are headed and look forward to seeing continued growth in this critical area.
Winter sports are also in full swing, and we’re thrilled to support out boys and girls basketball teams, as well as our wrestling team. These activities not only foster teamwork and school sprit but also highlight the dedication of our student-athletes and coaches.
As we approach the coming months, preparations for ISAT testing will begin. We encourage everyone to stay engaged and focused as we aim for continued academic growth. Additionally, with winter weather upon us, please be mindful of road conditions and plan accordingly to ensure the safety of all.
It is truly a privilege to work alongside the exceptional staff and students here at North Gem. Together, we are building a strong foundation for success, and I am grateful for the support of our incredible community.
Here’s to a wonderful second semester filled with growth, achievement, and collaboration.
Sincerely,
Kyler Miller Superintendent,
North Gem Schools
Counselor’s Message
Dear North Gem Students, Families, and Community,
As we reflect on the holiday season and all the joys and traditions that come with it, I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. I hope your holidays were filled with warmth, happiness, and time spent with those who matter most. As we begin the second semester of the school year, let’s carry the spirit of the season with us—embracing new opportunities, setting fresh goals, and supporting each other as we work toward success.
The upcoming semester will bring some exciting opportunities for our students, particularly for juniors and seniors. We are planning college visits to BYU-Idaho and Utah State University. These visits will give our students a chance to explore higher education options and gain insights into the college experience. I strongly encourage juniors and seniors who are interested in these visits to sign up, as it’s an invaluable opportunity.
Seniors, as you continue to work toward graduation, remember that now is the time to focus on your future plans. Keep working on your Idaho LAUNCH applications, complete your FAFSA forms, and think about what comes next for you after high school. If you need any
assistance with these tasks, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m here to help and support you in any way I can. Together, we can ensure that you’re prepared for the next chapter.
We are already halfway through the school year, and it’s natural for motivation to dip as we move into the new year. However, I want to remind everyone that success is determined by the effort you put in. Grades and achievements reflect hard work and determination more than any natural talent. Remember, consistent effort and strong work ethic will outshine talent alone. It may be tempting to slack off, but now is the time to buckle down and finish strong. Keep pushing forward, stay focused, and you will see the results of your hard work.
As we begin 2025, let’s also make a commitment to kindness and respect. This is the perfect time to make new friends, strengthen existing relationships, and lift others up. Never miss an opportunity to show someone you care. By treating each other with respect, supporting one another, and focusing on the good around us, we can build a positive, welcoming culture at North Gem where everyone feels valued and can find success.
I’m excited to see all that this new year holds for each of you. Let’s make it a great one!
Best wishes for a successful 2025!
Sincerely,
Walter Eiman Counselor
North Gem School District
Lunch Fund Request
The North Gem School District 149 requests that parents please be aware of the balance of their children’s lunch account. The state requires that the district keep the balance of a student’s account in the positive.
The school asks that parents do not ask the Child Nutrition Department to break the rules of the USDA. The district asks that parents please make a reasonable effort to pay any negative lunch balances that students may have.
Fees
North Gem also reminds students and parents to pay any fees that may be owed to the school in the additional areas of athletics and yearbook fees, among others. Preschool fees for the first semester are due the first week back, 1-925. Second semester fees are due by March 6. Parents can contact the school to make arrangements for any and all fees which are outstanding.
Cheer mini Camp
The North Gem High School Cheerleaders and Coaches will be hosting a Cheerleader mini camps for boys and girls from Pre-K through 5th grade. The camps will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on January 10 and 17. The group will perform at the boys basketball game at 7:00 p.m. (the girls game will be at 5:30 p.m. that day).
A $30 fee covers the camp cost, as well as a cheer shirt and bow/ sweat band.
North Gem Cheer can take cash, Venmo, or check. Coach Brenda Barnes can be contacted at 208-5477782, and Coach Camille Yost at 208-852-6471.
Jobs
North Gem is hiring for the following positions: Part time para professional (emphasis on math), substitute paraprofessionals, substitute bus drivers, substitute custodial workers, substitute teachers, and substitute food service workers. Contact the school at 208648-7848 for more information about applying.
Reminder to stop for school buses! Winter driving adds even more danger for children waiting for the bus in the morning and exiting the bus after school. Visibility can sometimes be affected by snowy conditions and wind, and the icy roads can present sliding danger and add to stopping times. Drivers throughout the county are reminded that it is unlawful to pass a stopped school bus from either direction. As soon as a bus slows and begins flashing its lights, the safest strategy for drivers is to give the bus the full right of way, and stop a safe distance behind (or if coming from the facing direction in front of) the vehicle. According to anecdotal reports from drivers, many times students are hurrying toward the bus from locations which are not easily visible from the road, and are not always paying attention to traffic on the road itself. As an extra precaution, give the bus time to well and fully depart the stop to allow for any straggling students to be spotted by the driver. It should go without saying, but there is absolutely no appointment that is more important than the safety of children on their way to school. It should also go without saying that passing buses is a sure path to a rather expensive ticket. In Idaho, a first offense can be punished up to $300. Second violations and up within five years constitute misdemeanor crimes, and can cost $400-$1000, and even result in jail time! Do everyone a favor and plan ahead for morning drives— give yourself room to be patient and cautious on your commute.
Thirkill Early Childhood Screeening
Developmental screenings for children ages 3-5 will be held at Thirkill Elementary at 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on January 13 and 15 or by appointment. The screenings are conducted to identify potential delays in speech/language, motor, cognitive and social/emotional development. Early Childhood Education provides children with strategies that help them develop the emotional, social, and cognitive skills needed to become lifelong learners. Screenings and services are provided at no cost to families. At the time of the screening, please be prepared with a certified birth certificate for the child, a parent’s ID, and an immunization record. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 208-547-4426 or email steeshan@sodaschools.org.
Community Garden Meeting
It may be the dead of winter, but the Community Garden of Soda Springs will be holding a planning meeting to discuss the upcoming season this Saturday January 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Soda. The meeting is open
to anyone interested in the operation and future of the Community Garden in Soda Springs.
Friends of Soda Springs Library to Meet Fresh off the success of the Festival of Trees, the Friends of the Soda Springs Library will be holding their first meeting of 2025 on January 15 at 2:00 p.m. at the library. Elections for the Friends board will be held, and the discussion will primarily involve setting goals for the upcoming year. If you were impressed by this year’s Festival and would like to become a part of the group that put it on, now is your chance to get in at the ground level! Members of the public are invited to the meeting, member or otherwise.
HAM Radio Class in February
Caribou County’s HAM radio operators are an invaluable piece of the emergency preparedness toolkit for the area. During times of emergency or disaster, amateur radio operators work to create a communications network that is mobile, easily established and maintained, and responsive to emergency situations. Those interested in learning the ropes of amateur radio operation, or in obtaining a license, are in luck! Attend a free class to get licensed to use amateur radio on February 24th & 25th (Mon & Tue) in the evenings starting at 5:30 PM. Testing will be done at the end of the second evening. There is a small fee for testing and licensing paid to ARRL and FCC. Class itself is free. Call or email Paul Gritton for more information. gritton@ tuta.com or 208-220-5254. Signups: https://forms.gle/UVev9ntZuRPxqR5W6
Family History Class
A FamilySearch class will be held at the FamilySearch Center on Sunday, January 12, 2025 from 3:00-4:00. The topic for the class will be “U.S. Military Pension Files (1776-1916): A Gold Mine for Family History Research.”
Information about the class reads as follows: “From the founding of the United States of America, its government has provided compensation for those who served in the military. Pension files contain applications from soldiers and their family members for government assistance and often include information of great genealogical value. This class will cover when an why military pension records were created and what information they contain; how to identify whether pension files exist for your ancestor; and how to access, read, and evaluate these records.”
The Family Search Center for Caribou County is at 290 S 3rd W in Soda Springs, near Thirkill. For information, call 208-547-3232 or email ID_ SodaSprings@familyhistorymail.org.
War on Weeds—weeds are everybody’s problem
THE
ISSUE:
Bittersweet nightshade
Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) is a climbing perennial vine native to Eurasia. It was probably introduced into the U.S. for medicinal and ornamental purposes. Care should be taken when handling this plant as all parts of the plant are toxic to humans, pets, and livestock. It invades roadsides, thickets, fence rows, and other moist disturbed sites.
Bittersweet nightshade can grow up to 10 feet in length as it climbs other plants, trees, or structures. It has simple alternate leaves that are approximately 2-4 inches in length, with a broad ovate shape, and it often has lobes at the base. Leaves are dark green on the top and lighter green on the bottom. Stems and leaves produce an unpleasant odor when bruised or crushed. Flowers are bright purple with yellow anthers (have a similar appearance to tomato or potato flowers). After flowers are pollinated, small green fruit develops. As they ripen, they turn bright red. Bittersweet nightshade can reproduce by seed and by rhizomes (underground stems). Some birds and mammals can eat the fruit without getting sick, seeds are then dispersed as they pass through their digestive system.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Options:
• Prevention— Learn to identify this weed. Do not transport unknown
plant material or seed.
• Mechanical— Hand pulling individual plants can be effective but take care to where protective clothing as this weed can cause skin irritation. Mowing can also be effective, but it may require multiple treatments. Perform mechanical treatments prior to seed production.
• Cultural—Establish a healthy stand of beneficial plants that can compete with weed seedlings.
• Chemical—Effective post-emergent herbicide active ingredients include Glyphosate, Triclopyr, or Imazapyr. Be especially careful when applying herbicides, as herbicides can damage or kill non-target vegetation. Always read and follow herbicide label directions!
Justin Hatch, University of Idaho Extension Agriculture Educator in Caribou County. 208-547-3205 JLHatch@uidaho.edu
Photo courtesy of Steven Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
Word Worries
BY BRANDON HALL
You know how whenever you get a group of people together who all care about something with its own specific rules and history they always find a way to make an argument out of something that looks exactly like nothing to an outsider? Sports is one obvious example (no offense to Jody Reeves!). Do all NFL records set since 2021 need an asterisk, since the season used to be 16 games and now it’s 17? What about records from the dead ball era in baseball? Or before the three point line in basketball? You can find similar arguments about rules and subrules in just about any field of endeavor where people are passionate, from chess to hot dog condiments to Beach Boys lead singers.
In English, one of those arguments surrounds the use of what is often referred to as the “Oxford comma”. The comma, which by all appearances looks to be a standard example of the thing, is named for the Oxford University Press, which heavily promoted its usage in the decades on either side of the year 1900 in its industry standard writing style guides. And what, you well may ask, is an Oxford comma?
The phrase refers to a comma used in a series of words to demarcate the line between the penultimate and the final items in a list. In other words, it’s the last comma in a sentence like this: “The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.” For many years (and certainly when I was a student in high school), it was taught that the final comma was unnecessary as it performed the same function as the conjunction “and.” This is also thought to partly be connected to the rise in printing costs during the twentieth century. Leaving out one comma (as in “The primary colors are red, yellow and blue”) is clearly not a huge change. Over the course
of many thousands of printings, however, it adds up. All those little commas are fractions of a cent in someone’s ledger.
But here we are entering the second quarter of the twenty-first century, and a majority of the writing that people produce is now digital. While there is still an associated cost with producing digital documents, a pile of commas doesn’t make the same kind of difference. As a result, there is something of a push to re-enshrine the Oxford comma, and a rift exists between those dedicated to clarity and precision, and those who prefer a sleeker, more modern approach to commas. Language people are dorks, obviously.
Myself, I’m an Oxford comma adherent. In my opinion, it does make a substantive difference, and the reasoning supporters like myself give is the principle of discreteness, or separating things into positions of equal value. In the example of the primary colors, each one is equally important and of equal value. Primary colors are not ranked in importance, they are a set of three equal things. The Oxford comma creates a visual and logical marker of that relationship.
But, you might say (if you’re still reading this, that is…), an “and” works just as well, and it saves on clutter. You have a point, and that’s certainly the counterpoint. But let’s take another example. What about: “There are many great pets—iguanas, cockatiels, ferrets, spider monkeys, cats, and dogs.” In this case, the Oxford comma is applied to the list in the same way as the first example. But (and I promise this is a point), let’s say we do the following: “There are many great pets—iguanas, cockatiels, ferrets, spider monkeys, cats and dogs.” In a case where the Oxford comma is NEVER used by the writer, this is simply a list with the final item following an “and”. In a situa-
BRAIN TEASERS
tion where the writer ALWAYS uses Oxford commas, the last pair stands out because it appears to change the writer’s usage rules. But that’s the trick—it’s a purposeful commentary on the closer relationship between cats and dogs than any of the other items in the list. In other words, it calls attention to the difference in value between those two items and the discrete items in the rest of the list. While a lot of times, the difference between a list with an Oxford comma and a list without one is minimal, there are cases where it can be a substantive difference. Legal and formal documents are one arena where the Oxford comma is generally preferred for that reason. One way of thinking about it is that using the Oxford comma as a default expands the playfield of meaning—it allows for greater nuance in writing situations where categorization is of utmost importance. Or to put it another way, it adds another precision tool to the toolbox.
Word of the Week: Barbatulous. It’s, ahem, a short one this week. The word has only been used once outside of references to how it has only been used once. The word means “possessed of but a small beard” and is only recorded to have been used in Shakespeare’s “Timon of Athens.” Based on the context of the play, in which an overly nice guy is gradually turned into an overly mean guy through the mechanism of poverty, it is clear that barbatulous is not a compliment. It is often used as an example of how while Shakespeare did create much of our modern language, he didn’t have a 100% success rate. It’s worth noting that in most historical drawings of him, Mr. Shakespeare is notable for his large forehead and small beard. I’m certainly not thinking about any of this because I recently shaved and now my neck is freezing.
Kirk L. Hansen Memorial Scholarship Announced
As we approach the second half of the school year, many students are turning their attention to scholarships available through local sponsors. In Soda Springs, a scholarship in memory of former mayor Kirk Hansen has been announced, which is unique in that it is reserved for children and grandchildren of current and former city employees or their spouses, including volunteers. Details for eligibility are laid out below.
Former Mayor Kirk L. Hansen served the Soda Springs community for 28 years with honor, dedication and distinction. At the end of his last term, Mayor Hansen was the third longest serving Mayor in the state of Idaho. His various significant accomplishments will forever bring positive effects to the Soda Springs area and its residents. He was an example to many and was always an eager mentor. Mayor Hansen raised a family of outstanding children during his many years of living in Soda Springs. Many notable members of his family still live in and make Soda Springs a better place to this day.
To remember and memorialize Mayor Kirk L. Hansen’s many contributions to the City of Soda Springs and the community and its residents, beginning January 1, 2025, two, $500.00 scholarships will be available each school year for a total of $1000.00 each school year. Should there only be one (1) applicant in a given school year, the scholarship will become $1000.00. Those with questions can contact Councilman Paul Gritton at 208-220-5254 or via email at gritton@tuta.com.
EVENT CALENDARS LUNCH MENUS
SODA SPRINGS/ CARIBOU COUNTY
January 9 – Thursday
Library Story Time (10am)
Catholic Daily Mass (6:30pm)
Addition Recovery Program (7pm)
IDAN-HA Movie
BBB @ West Side
January 10 – Friday
Catholic Daily Mass (9am)
IDAN-HA Movie
Cardettes @ Ship Shape Showdown, West Side
GBB w/Malad
Speech/Debate @ ISU
January 11 – Saturday
IDAN-HA Movie
GBB @ Bear Lake
Speech/Debate @ ISU
Community Garden meeting 9-11 am at the Presbyterian Church
January 12 – Sunday
Presbyterian Services
Caribou Bible Church Services
Catholic Mass (8:30am)
Open Arms Church Services
LDS Services
Hope Lutheran Church
January 13 – Monday
Catholic Daily Mass (9am)
County Commissioners (9am)
Poetry Out Loud
January 14 – Tuesday
BBB @ Grace City P&Z (6pm)
January 15 – Wednesday Catholic Daily Mass (9am)
IDAN-HA Movie
GBB @ Aberdeen Wrestling w/Preston Dual
GRACE
January 9 – Thursday
Library Story Hour (10am)
BBB @ Aberdeen City P&Z (7pm)
January 10 – Friday
Girls Wrestling @ Jaybird
Wrestling @ Ririe BBB w/Bear Lake
January 11 – Saturday
Girls Wrestling @ Jaybird
Wrestling @ Ririe
GBB @ Oakley
January 12 – Sunday
LDS Services
Caribou Bible Church (2pm)
Family Search class 3-4pm
Family History Center
January 14 – Tuesday
BBB w/Soda Springs
January 15 – Wednesday
BBB w/Malad
JH BBB @ Soda Springs City Council (6pm)
Friends of Soda Springs Library Meeting 2:00 pm Library
BANCROFT
January 9 – Thursday
MS Ski Trip
Banks – Practices
GBB w/Challis
BBB w/Challis
January 10 – Friday
Wrestling @ Ririe Rumble Tour-
nament
Cheer Mini Camp
Banks – Practices
MS BBB @ Watersprings
January 11 – Saturday
Wrestling @ Ririe Rumble Tournament
GBB w/Mackay
January 12 – Sunday
LDS Services
January 13 – Monday
City Council (8pm)
January 14 – Tuesday
Winter Sports & Class Pictures
GBB @ Rockland
BBB @ Rockland
January 15 – Wednesday
MS BBB w/American Heritage
CARIBOU COUNTY SENIOR CITIZENS' MENU
Every meal served with Juice/Milk/Coffee
Jan. 10 - Chicken & Stuffing Casserole, Broccoli, Pineapple w/ Cottage Cheese, Oatmeal Bread, Texas Sheet Cake
Jan. 15 - Meatloaf, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, Pears, Sourdough Bread, Pineapple Upside Down Cake
NEWS OF RECORD
CARIBOU COUNTY SHERIFF
Brooke Erin Winward, Preston, fail to register vehicle annually, $10.50, costs $56.50
SODA SPRINGS POLICE
Xu Liu, San Gabriel, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50
Xianpeng Sun, Shenzhen, speeding (16 mph or over), $98.50, costs
$56.50; fails to yield or stop upon ap-
proach of an emergency or police vehicle, $33.50, costs $56.50
IDAHO STATE POLICE
Kevin Dee Erickson, Beaver Dam, fail to stop when emerging from alley, driveway or building, $33.50, costs
$56.50
Michael Sherman Toone, Grace, fail to secure registration, $10.50, costs
$56.50
SODA SPRINGS LUNCH MENU
Lunches served with Milk
Monday, January 13
Crispito, Black Beans
Tuesday, January 14
Chicken Chili, Tortilla Chips
Wednesday, January 15
BBQ Ribs, Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy
Thursday, January 16
Chicken Fingers, Fries
NORTH GEM LUNCH MENU
Milk and Choice of Bar Each Day
Monday, January 13
Cereal Fun Lunch ES, Tator Tot Breakfast Wrap, Roasted Carrots, Applesauce Pudding Cups
Tuesday, January 14
BBQ Pork Sliders, California
Spinach Salad, Tropical Fruit Salad
Wednesday, January 15
Chicken Noodle/Tomato Soup, Tuna/Egg Salad Sandwich, Corn, Fresh Sliced Oranges
Thursday, January 16
Walking Tacos, Cheesy Refried Beans, Grapes
GRACE LUNCH MENU
Lunches served with Milk
Monday, January 13
Chicken Alfredo, Food Choice –Salad or Peaches
Tuesday, January 14
Fajitas, Food Choice – Seasoned
Black Beans, Corn or Pears
Wednesday, January 15
BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Fries, Food Choice – Glazed Carrots or Mandarin Oranges
Thursday, January 16
Chicken Nuggets, Potatoes w/Gravy, Roll, Food Choice – Roasted Broccoli or Cinnamon Applesauce
BIRTHDAYS
Darlene Meads, Jan. 1
Jerry Lakey, Jan. 2
Virginia Hamp, Jan. 3
Shari Robison, Jan. 5
Fred Peck, Jan. 13
Jessie Dunn, Jan. 13
Wade Cordell Crump, Jan 13
Starla Kingsford, Jan. 18
Gladys Greer, Jan. 18
Dee Farnsworth, Jan. 30
If you would like to add yourself, your kids, loved one, friend or family member to our weekly birthday list, contact Sherrie at 208-766-4773 or email sherrie.w@idahoenterprise.com
ON THIS DAY
1493 Christopher Columbus mistakes manatees for mermaids, describing them as “not half as beautiful as they are painted”
1768 Philip Astley sages the world’s first modern circus in London
1793 First hot-air balloon flight in the U.S. lifts off in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, piloted by Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard, it lands 15 miles away in Deptford, New Jersey
1884 New England Telephone and Telegraph installs the first battery-operated telephone switchboard in Lexington, Massachusetts
1936 U.S. Army adopts M1 semi-automatic rifle, designed by John Garand as new standard issue weapon
1956 Abigail Van Buren’s (Pauline Phillips) “Dear Abby” advice column first appears in newspapers
1956 Musical “Peter Pan”, starring Mary Martin broadcast live, for 2nd time, on NBC as part of “Producers’ Showcase” series
1959 TV western “Rawhide” with Clint Eastwood premieres on CBS
1973 Luna 21 launched, to Moon
1976 C.W. McCall CB song “convoy” hits #1 on the country music charts
1984 Rock band Van Halen release their most successful album “1984”
2007 Apple CEO Steve Jobs announces the iPhone
LOOKING BACK AT PAGES FROM THE PAST
The following stories are summarized from past issues of the Caribou County Sun over the last fifty plus years. The Enterprise thanks Mark Steele for permission to use the contents, and the Grace Public Library for access to the archives.
2020
The employees at the Itafos Conda facility are continuing their commitment to the communities of Southeast Idaho with a donation of more than $24,000 to the United Way. “When you have a lot of caring people who pout their hearts into something, this it the result, a larger donation that will help our neighbors in need,” said Jason Harris, who lef this year’s donation campaign. “I grew up here and so did most of our employees. We can’t stand to see people in out community struggling, so we did something about it.” The phosphate and fertilizer mine in Caribou County had nearly all of its 500-plus emplyees and contractors participating in various events and activities to raise the money, including raffles, an ice cream social, a silent auction, a dunk tank, pledge cards, and even purchasing the opportunity to pie face their boss.
Samanta Martinez-Villarreal of Grace and law student at George Mason University, has helped reunite families though her work in immifration cases with a Virginia-based nonprofit legal aid organization, according to an article in the Idaho Press. After completing internships in legal ethics and federal employment law at GMU, Martinez-Villarreal decided to rry out immigration law this year. In her work with Legal Aid Justice Center, she helped a man get out of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center neat Virginia, the story said. She said the process of becoming a U.S. citizen is complicated but very interesting to her.
Grace City Superintendent Wayne Bredehoft presented a setting permit for Todd Lloyd for a storage container. It was placed at the site sometime during the summer before the city put a moratorium on storage containers, so the permit was to bring the storage container into compliance.
2015
Mark your calendar and plan to attend the Soda Springs Winter Carnival happening on Saturday, January 17. This year’s events are family-friendly and sure to please. The events include the Clear Springs Foods Fishing Debry, the Snowmobile Fun Run, the “Cabin Fever Reliever” 3-D Archery Shot, and the free matinee movie at the Idan-ha Theatre. No fishing license is required for the derby, which costs $1 per fish. You may not use hooks bigger than #2. The Fun Run is sponsored by the Caribou Mud Racers, Inc. and will be held at the Trail Canyon Warming Hut. The Archery Shoor is sponsored by the Caribou Field Archers. The matinee wil run three different times. The Winter Carnival is dedicated to the memory of Dave Mason this year. He chaired the Soda Springs Winter Carnival since its inception 25 years ago. He was a true visionary, a philanthropist, and he believed in his community. Dave created this event to raise money for those suffering from Muscular Dystrophy.
The local Post Offices encourages their patrons to keep their mailboxes clear for carriers, especially during the snow and ice that is descending upon the region. “Snow and ice on sidewalks, front porches and around rural mailboxes present a serious safety challenge for our letter carriers, who make an average of 600 deliveries a day,” said Postmaster Dan Corral. “Letter carriers have hurt their knees or backs, or even suffered broken bones from falls on slippery surfaces.” Postal customers who receive door mail delivery should ensure that their sidewalks, steps, and access ways are kept safely clear of snow and ice. Customers receiv -
ing streetside mailbox or centralized cluster neighborhood mailbox delivery should also pay attention to having a safe and clear path to the mailbox.
2009 Retired K-9 Cobra, a former Soda Springs Police Department canine owned by Paul Gritton, is 14-years-old now and enjoying retirement. She is a Belgian malinois, imported from Holland and trained by Makor K-9 in California, the same company that the SSPD recently purchased their new canine from. Cobra saw duty at the Salmon PD, as well as Dillon, MT Police Dept., before serving with Gritton at the SSPD for five years, with the highlight of her career resulting in a $160,000 seizure of drug money here. Although nearly totally blind, hard of hearing and showing much gray hair, Cobra is still alert and getting around in retirement well.
Jasen White is home on leave from the service. His mother Terri met him in Salt Lake City on Saturday. He has been stationed in Goose Creek, South Carolina and taking classes there. He has finished his courses and waiting for a reassignment.
Roger Empey and son Shawn accompanied by his mother, Verda Empey, attended a 90th birthday open house in Pocatello, Saturday for Verda’s sister, DaNoma Lish. DaNoma was born December 19, 1919, the second of eight children of Alvin and Medline Vearl Skinner Monroe, and raised on a farm in Eight Mile.
2005
Citing a number of recent avalanche events, Caribou Targhee National Forest officials are urging winter recreation visitors to get current avlanache forecasts before traveling into the backcountry area. Increased snow packs and high winds have increased the potential for avalanche danger on slopes where wind has deposited snow.
“These wind-loaded slopes may be attractive to skiers and snowmobilers because of the added snow base, but are ripe for avalanches. Unstable winds and cornices create slabs of snow that could slide loose at any time,” officials said. Visitors planning a trip to the mountainous backcountry should contact the nearest avalanche hazard and forecast office or visit www.avalanche .org for the latest conditions prior to leaving. [The site is still active, and updated regularly. There has been a lot of avalanche activity just south of Caribou County in the last few days, as well as to the east.
U.S. Bank established a “Tsunami Relief Fund” for people who want to contribute to relief efforts in the aftermath of the devastating and deadly disaster in South Asia.
“With this being one of the world’s largest natural disasters involving human tragedies, US Bank is making the process of giving easier for those who wish to help help.
1999
The Soda Springs Nordic Ski Association will be offering a cross country skiing opportunity under the lights of the city park on Wednesday evenings this winter. Experienced cross country skiers will be available at the park to informally offer tips and coaching to less experienced skiers. The park’s lights will be turned on and trail grooming will begin at 6 p.m. A total of about 1 km of the ski trail will be set aside for both classes and skate skiing.
The Greater Soda Springs Community Development Committee has announced its 1999 Christmas Light Awards. Winners in the Soda Springs area are Wood Canyon—Jackie Bolton. Pioneer/ Finlayson—Mark Snooks. Cedar View/Valley View—Reggie Scheierman. Bailey Creek—Don Wassmuth. Northside—Greg Eisenbarth. Southside—Max Lewis. Commercial—Linz Style Station. Two cow elk were killed illegally over the weekend north of Henry along Highway 34. IDFG Conser-
vation Officer Larry Hlavaty said it appeared they had been shot from the road. One had been gutted and dragged part way across a CRP field and then left. The second one was shot in the hindquarters and left to die.
1995
Caribou County Commissioners decided at their Monday meeting that they could no longer be responsible for damage to mailboxes in the county caused by the snow hitting them. They said they will still take responsibility if snow equipment runs or backs over the mailboxes and will replace them. They felt snow hitting the mailboxes in the normal operation of snow removal should not be paid by the county. The new policy is similar to the state policy. Claim had been submitted to the county for previous damage and were up for review by the commissioners at their meeting.
Les Hottel and Tracy Lindsay, representing the employees of Rhone-Poulenc Basic Chemicals Co. at the Wooley Valley Mine, presented a check for $1000 to Susan Abrams of SECIAA to help make Christmas brighter for area families in need. The company normally uses the money for gifts for employee spouses, but the approximately 50 employees decided to donate the funds to SECIAA in the spirit of Christmas.
A conditional use permit for Doug Clegg was granted for an elderly care facility in a residential zone on Fourth South. Parking requirements, landscaping, sidewalks, curb and gutter, were the conditions placed on the facility by the planning board.
Nu-West Industries, Inc. has announced that Cecil Andrus, former governor of Idaho and former Secretary of the Interior, has been elected to the board of directors of the company. Nu-West, headquartered in Soda Springs, is a mining and manufacturing company which markets both dry and liquid phosphate fertilizer products. Andrus commented, “As the various segments of the North American agricultural community continue to expand and propser, I see a greater demand for the products of NuWest in the future. I am familiar with the company’s people and its business operations and I look forward to assisting an already strong management team in positioning the company to capitalize on that future growth and on the changes that lie ahead.”
A new city council president was elected for the Grace City Council. The previous year’s president, Joan Farnworth, conducted the meeting in the absence of Kelly Holt. Councilwoman Joyce /Bennett was elected as the new council president.
Dr. H. Kenton Reavis, a noted authority on student behavior from the Salt Lake City area, announced that he would be speaking in Soda Springs. Reavis is the author of several books, including the “Tough Kid Book,” and the “Tough Kids Tool Box.” He will be presenting a workshop to teachers from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to help them learn how to deal with “Tough Kids.” Reavis generally uses the phrase to refer to behavioral problems with students, and his presentation will suggest a number of strategies for parents, educators, and others to mitigate and deal with those problems.
Caribou County officials were given their oath of office last week, with District Judge Dan Harding swearing the employees in. Cor-
oner Duayne Sims, Assesor Preston Phelps, Teasurer Diane Meads, Commissioner Carol Davids, Clerk Edie Izatt, and Commissioner Max Rogby were at the ceremony.
1969 Four break-ins in four different firms Wednesday night of Thursday morning last week netted a lot of work for the thieves, a few dollars in cash and a great deal of damage to the roof of Eastman Drug, and a ruined safe in the same place.
As reconstructed by Chief of Police Blynn Wilcox of Soda Springs, the thieves first broke into the county shops at Grace and took some gauges and hoses from welding tanks, also a cutting torch. They then proceeded to Soda Springs where they broke into Ace Chevrolet body shop and took a tank of oxygen and a tank of acetylene. Evidence indicated that the thieves (apparently more than one) dragged or carried the tanks taken from Ace back through the DriveIn Theatre, through the cemetery, and then abandoned them on geyser hill. They next broke into Croney’s Body Shop at the rear of Sanders Furniture, and Chief Wilcox stated they apparently used this location as a lookout point only, as nothing appeared to be missing from Croney’s. They went up on the roof of Eastman Drug, cut a square out of the roof, over the soda fountain area, and lowered themselves inside the store by a rope. Wilcox stated that it was his opinion that the thieves were after narcotics, as they then proceeded to pry open the door of the sage and get access to the lower half. Frank Chistensen, owner of the store, said the safe was unlocked, and by merely pulling, it could be opened without trouble. However, the narcotics are kept in the upper portion of the safe in a special compartment of a new resistant metal, and the thieves were unsuccessful in their efforts to open it. They then took about $30 in change from the two cash registers in the store, and left, not taking any merchandise. Several leads are being followed. It appears that the tools used to pry open the safe had been purchased from Wayne’s Trustworthy several days previous. They were left in the Eastman Drug store and identified by Wayne Pool, owner of Wayne’s Trustworthy.
Grace High News—Everyone is excited and happy about the beautiful trophy that Grace received. The team and coaches left Friday at noon and that evening played Twin Falls. Grace won over Twin Falls, which gave them the chance to play Declo for the championship. Grace was victorious over Declo by a score of 82-59. This championship adds one more trophy to the case. Congratulations to Coach Moffitt and the team.
IDAN-HA THEATRE
Thursday, January 9 Friday, January 10 Saturday, January 11
Mufasa: The Lion King (PG) Lost and alone, orphaned cub Mufasa meets a sympathetic lion named taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destinies.
Thursday, Friday & Saturday 6:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.
Saturday Matinee 2:00 p.m. (All seats $5)
Wednesday, January 15 6:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. (All seats $5) 208-547-3282
NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALE
To be sold for cash at a Trustee’s Sale on April 22, 2025, 11:00 AM in the lobby of the Caribou County Courthouse, 159 South Main Street, Soda Springs, ID 83276, the following described real property situated in Caribou County, State of Idaho (“Real Property”): Lot 1, Block 1, Lakeview Subdivision, First Addition, in the City of Soda Springs, Caribou County, Idaho, according to the Official Plat thereof, as recorded in the office of the County Recorder of Caribou County, Idaho, under Recorder's Instrument No. 39672 Commonly known as: 301 South 2nd West, Soda Springs, ID 83276 Rusty A. Short and Sharon Short who acquired title as Sharon M. Short, as Trustors conveyed Real Property via a Trust Deed dated April 24, 2006, in favor of Beneficial Mortgage Co. of Idaho as Beneficiary, in which Alliance Title and Escrow was named as Trustee. The Trust Deed was recorded in Caribou County, Idaho, on April 27, 2006, as Instrument No. 175551, of Official Records. The Deed of Trust was assigned for value as follows: Assignee: U.S. Bank National Association, as indenture trustee, for the holders of the CIM Trust 2018NR1, Mortgage-Backed Notes, Series 2018-NR1 Assignment Dated: February 28, 2019 Assignment Recorded: May 8, 2019 Assignment Recording Information: Instrument No. 202660 Shelly M. Baur f/k/a Shelly M. Espinosa is the Successor Trustee pursuant to a Substitution of Trustee recorded in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of Caribou, State of Idaho on May 8, 2019 at Instrument No. 202661, of Official Records.
The Beneficiary has declared a default in the terms of said Deed of Trust due to Trustor's failure to make monthly payments beginning May 28, 2024, and each month subsequent, which monthly installments would have been applied on the principal and interest due on said obligation and other charges against the property or loan. By reason of said default, the Beneficiary has declared all sums owing on the obligation secured by said Trust Deed immediately due and payable. The total amount due on this obligation is the principal sum of $53,652.72, interest in the sum of $2,073.16, escrow advances of $1,618.19, other amounts due and payable in the amount of $2,287.60, for a total amount owing of $59,631.67, plus accruing interest, late charges, and other fees and costs that may be incurred or advanced.
The Beneficiary anticipates and may disburse such amounts as may be required to preserve and protect the property and for real property taxes that may become due or delinquent, unless such amounts of taxes are paid by the Trustors. If such amounts are paid by the Beneficiary, the amounts or taxes will be added to the obligations secured by the Deed of Trust. Other expenses to be charged against the proceeds of this sale include the Trustee’s fees and attorney’s fees, costs and expenses of the sale, and late charges, if any. Beneficiary has elected, and has directed the Trustee to sell the above described property to satisfy the obligation. The sale is a public sale and any person, including the Beneficiary, may bid at the sale. The bid price must be paid immediately upon the close of bidding by certified funds (valid money orders, certified checks or cashier’s checks). The conveyance will be made by Trustee’s Deed, without any representation or warranty, including warranty of title, express or implied, as the sale is made strictly on an as-is, where-is basis, without limitation, the sale is being made subject to all existing conditions, if any, of lead paint, mold or other environmental or health hazards. The Trustors, successor in interest to the Trustors, or any other person having an interest in the property, or any person named in IRC § 45-1506, has the right, at any time prior to the Trustee’s Sale, to pay to the Beneficiary, or the successor in interest to the Beneficiary, the entire amount then due
under the Deed of Trust and the obligation secured thereby (including costs and expenses actually incurred and attorney’s fees) other than such portion of the principal as would not then be due had no default occurred and by curing any other default complained of herein that is capable of being cured by tendering the performance required under the obligation or to cure the default, by paying all costs and expenses actually incurred in enforcing the obligation and Deed of Trust with Successor Trustee’s and attorney’s fees. In the event that all defaults are cured the foreclosure will be dismissed and the foreclosure sale will be canceled. The scheduled Trustee’s Sale may be postponed by public proclamation up to 30 days for any reason. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Successor Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. The above Trustors are named to comply with IRC § 45-1506(4) (a). No representation is made that they are, or are not, presently responsible for this obligation. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Dated this 11th day of December, 2024. Shelly M. Baur f/k/a Shelly M. Espinosa Substitute Trustee 376 East 400 South, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Telephone: 801-3552886 Office Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8AM-5PM (MST) File No. ID10206
#1060-01-02-09-16-23-25-T4
LEGAL NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN that IDAWY Solid Waste District (District) has submitted to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) a Siting Application for the IDAWY Caribou Landfill Facility (Landfill) located at 1979 Central Rd, Grace, ID 83241. The purpose of this application is to provide siting suitability information for the construction of a Municipal Solid Waste Transfer Station at the Facility. This public notice is made pursuant to IDAPA 58.01.06.032.03.b, and as determined in Section 31-819 of Idaho Code. This application may be reviewed at the District office located at 241 S Main, Suite #3 Lower Left, Soda Springs, ID 83276, (208) 417-1625 or an electronic copy can be downloaded at: http://swti. org/caribou2. Office hours are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, except holidays. The public is invited to comment on this Transfer Station siting application. The 30-day comment period commences with the first publication of this announcement starting the week of January 6, 2025. Written comments will be accepted during the public comment period and should be directed to: The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Pocatello Regional Office, Attn: Dustyn Walker, 444 Hospital Way #300 Pocatello, ID 83201.
#1061-01-09-25-T1
#1063_T5_01-9-16-23-30_026-25
52 Weeks A Year We Will Deliver Oneida County’s News To You! Call or Email Us Today. 208-766-4773 or sherrie.w@thecityjournals.com
Ghosts of the Last Chance
In the first part of the story, Erin had just moved to a small new town with his father following the death of his mother. We left him walking into his first day on a new job, and being told some odd news.
BY H R REYNOLDS
“The ghost is acting up again,” the woman behind the counter said again. The tag on her vest said “Randy.” Erin stared at her, waiting for her to crack a smile and make it clear that she was joking. She didn’t, so maybe she wasn’t…
“Wait—Randy?” Erin started.
“Huh?” she looked at him in confusion, then followed his eyeline down to her nametag. “Oh,” she said. “My name’s not Randy. I’m Chantelle,” she said. She didn’t offer any further explanation, but handed him a similar vest, this one with a tag that said “Ryan.” He took it from her and put it on. As he started to take the nametag off, she stopped him.
“It’s easier when you have a name. We’ll make you one soon…Ryan!” She finally laughed. It broke the tension a little, though he was still weirded out.
“Ha,” he said. “So, what’s the ghost you were—” Chantelle cut him off. “Follow me,” she said.
They tracked a course through the inside of the store, past stacked boxes of snacks and brake fluid and fishing supplies and who knew what else. They went past the freezer storage and out a door that led to an alley that ran alongside the building. As they rounded a final corner, Erin suddenly stopped and let out a sound he hoped Chantelle hadn’t heard.
Once she started snorting with laughter, he guessed she must have.
In front of him was a strange, translucent figure. There was no other way to explain it than to say it looked like a ghost, slowly moving in the darkness and lighting up the area around it. From this angle, he realized he must be looking at what had been an empty window in the front of the building.
“That’s Ryan,” Chantelle said.
Realizing that the “ghost” had been performing a loop of the same action over and over, he cautiously approached it. Chantelle’s smug and distinct lack of terror also signaled to him that whatever was going on was not a mortal threat.
“It’s called a Pepper’s Ghost,” she said, as he approached the glass window. The figure moved back and forth on its surface, and he reached out and tapped it. No reaction, of course.
A projected light from behind him was blocked as he moved to the other side of the window, and he was briefly covered with the image of “Ryan.” It was probably his imagination, but he felt a chill as the light passed over him.
“The light reflects on to the window and looks like it’s in the room. It how they do the Disneyland Haunted House,” she said, still chuckling.
“The Haunted Mansion,” Erin corrected.
Chantelle rolled her eyes. “Uh huh.”
As he came to grips with what the “ghost” was, he had more questions that anything. Why did this convenience store have a ghost special effect anyway? Why was it running in the middle of the summer, as opposed to say, Halloween? Who had decided it was a good idea for a town of a few thousand people?
“So…” he started, unsure which question to ask first. He settled on the one that had brought them here in the first place. “You said it was ‘acting up?’ What do you mean?”
Chantelle gave him a long look, then she walked over to a long cord nearby on the ground and held it up. It was not plugged in to anything. “This is the only power supply back here. It hasn’t been turned on for weeks,” she said.
He instinctively moved back from the glass. “You mean…?” he started, unsure what he was actually planning to say of it came to it.
“I don’t mean anything. Just what I said,” Chantelle grunted, kicking the projector with her size ten or eleven Hey Dudes. Her kick demonstrated that the power supply cord was not currently plugged into anything. Nevertheless, the projector was clearly shining out into the growing darkness.
“It’s probably got a, uh, solar power backup or something,” Erin said.
Chantelle managed to roll her eyes without even opening them. “Sure,” she said. “It doesn’t matter that much. That’s not even the real problem.”
“Ok,” Erin said. The low thrumming of trucks on the freeway was constant, but a distinct carrier of that sound seemed to peel off the main bulk and move in their direction. As headlights lit up the front lot, Chantelle sighed.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” she said, heading for the entrance.
“But wait!” Erin shouted. “What’s the actual problem then? You said—”
Chantelle turned as she opened the door back inside. “That ‘ghost’ we’ve been calling Ryan isn’t the one on the projector. Until the other day, we’ve never seen him before.” She turned and went inside, leaving Ryan alone with his thoughts and the ‘ghost.’
Part 3 will be coming when space next permits!
The Idaho Enterprise - Caribou County Edition P.O. Box 331 Soda Springs, Idaho 83276 (U.S.P.S. -- 090-560) ISSN: 2997-1004
The Idaho Enterprise - Caribou County Edition is published weekly at 76 South Main Street, Ste. 207, Soda Springs, Idaho. Postmaster, please mail address corrections to:
The Idaho Enterprise, P.O. Box 331, Soda Springs, Idaho 83276.
Entered as “periodicals” at the Soda Springs, Idaho Post Office.
Subscription rates are strictly in advance -- $55.00 per year delivered in Caribou County, and $67.00 per year delivered outside of Caribou County within the United States.
The Idaho Enterprise reserves the right to refuse publication of any or all materials.
Brandon Hall
Editor brandon.h@thecityjournals.com
Bryan Dean Scott Publisher bryan.s@thecityjournals.com
Shelly Williams Advertising shelly.w@thecityjournals.com
Phone: 208-766-4773 www.cariboucountynews.com
it’s movie time!
3 Essential New Year’s Movies to Watch Heading into 2025
BY VANNA HADDOCK & ROSEMARY HALL
With the adage “out with the old, in with the new” as heard so frequently around the last week of the year, sometimes it’s good to ignore this piece of advice and revisit old classics. This is a list of our personal top 3 favorite picks for an amusing watch to not panic as we head into 2025. Remember to grab a couple snacks and a towel, and get ready to return to some classic quality cinema. In no particular order, of course.
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Take a blast to the past with the iconic Billy Wilder film Sunset Boulevard, which features the talented cast of William Holden & Gloria Swanson. It is a comedic film noir that focuses on its protagonist, Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter who finds himself entangled in the delusions of a former silent film star named Norma Desmond. This is an unforgettable piece of cinema that’ll entertain you and leave you with a deep appreciation for classic American films. Using blackand-white cinematography, Wilder achieves the fantastical aesthetic of the noir genre. The movie’s witty dialogue will keep you both laughing and on the edge of your seat. However, what makes it a perfect choice for a New Year film is the script’s involvement with the holiday, featuring an iconic scene of Norma Desmond’s New Year’s Eve Party.
The Great Gatsby (2013)
A perfect movie that encapsulates the glitz and glamour of the holiday, Baz Luhrmann’s The Great
Gatsby highlights decadence & celebration through screen like no other. This film has legendary performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Macguire, and Carey Mulligan. As well as picturesque set designs, elaborate costuming, and skillful cinematography. Based on the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, the story focuses on the friendship between Nick Caraway, and the perplexing millionaire known as Jay Gatsby. Taking place during the Roaring Twenties in New York, it’s a movie that relishes the iconic parties of the time, giving you the perfect atmosphere for your New Year’s Eve.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
A fantastic adaptation of a classic book series, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy , features a stacked cast and all the charms of the original paper version of the story. This film begins with an unsuspecting New Year’s Eve party, which soon devolves into a wild and zany space adventure. With phenomenal acting from Martin Freeman, Zooey Deschanel, Mos Def, Bill Nighy, and even Alan Rickman, this movie will leave you with a good chuckle and even a bit of philosophical contemplation about the meaning of life, the universe, and everything as our band of wacky heroes go to discover this very idea. If you’ve never read the original book series or if you’re an avid fan, you’ll be able to enjoy the movie equally as well. This piece of cinema is an absolute must to add to your New Year’s movie watch list. It’ll leave you saying “so long, and thanks for all the fish” to 2024.
E 2nd S
Springs, ID 83276
Phone: (208) 547-3371
Fax: (208) 547-4878
SSHS: (208)547-4308
Tigert: (208) 547-4922
Thirkill: (208) 547-4426
SPORTS
Grizzlies Struggles Continue On The Road
BY JODY REEVES
The Grace Grizzlies boys basketball season has struggled to get off of the ground. With several injuries plaguing the team, the first month of the season has seen some competitive games, but more often than not the Grizzlies have been on the losing side. Coming off the long Christmas break, the fans and players hoped to turn things around as the new year began. The first test for the Grizzlies came last Saturday when they traveled to American Falls. The 4A Beavers entered the game on a six game win streak while the Grizzlies were a dismal
one and four over the last month.
As the game got going, the Grizzlies looked as though they might pull off the upset. A quick three pointer by Braden Kimball followed by a good move inside by Carson Reeves gave Grace an early lead. As the quarter continued, the Beavers settled into the game and the two teams traded baskets back and forth. As the quarter ended, the Grizzles held a small two point lead. In the second quarter, the Grizzlies struggled early and often to break the press from American Falls. This affected the Grace offensive output while also leading to quick scores by the Beavers. As the
quarter came to a close, the Grizzlies had only managed a pair of foul shots and trailed by ten. Out of the half the Grizzlies intensified their defense and made a good attempt to get back into the game. Though they were able to improve on the second quarter performance they were only able to cut into the lead by two points. With the lead at eight starting the fourth quarter of play, both teams struggled to add points to the board. The difference in score stayed consistent throughout much of the final period. During the closing minutes Grace began to foul to try to save precious time on the clock. This strategy was to
no avail as the Beavers were able to make six of their final eight free throws and secured the victory. The Grizzlies will have to look to improve their scoring output and will get plenty of opportunities this week. They faced Malad on Tuesday and will take on Aberdeen and Bear Lake Thursday and Friday. Stay tuned for the results and rundown from those games.
Grizzlies 12 2 10 9 33 Beavers
Carson Reeves fights for a rebounding position in the road game at American
Cardinals Get Clipped By Huskies
BY JODY REEVES
The Soda Springs Cardinals boys basketball team ended their holiday break with a long road trip to Ashton to take on the North Fremont Huskies. This was the second meeting of the teams this season. Back on the eighteenth of December they faced each other at the Bird’s Nest in Soda and the Cardinals came away with a narrow two point victory. Unfortunately for the Cardinals in Friday’s matchup they were without two of their top players. Cooper Thompson was out with an illness and Gavin Hansen suffered an injury during practice. Not only are Thompson and Hansen the leading scorers on the team but they are also the team’s primary ball handlers. Missing the two guards made it difficult for the Cardinals to move the ball down the court. As the game got going, Soda Springs committed several turnovers in the early going that led to some easy buckets for the Huskies. Three and a half minutes had run off the game clock before the Cardinals finally got on the board with a single made foul shot by Konner McWilliams. That is all the scoring the Cardinals would manage in the first period while the Huskies ran up the score to a twenty-six point lead.
In the first quarter the Cardinals were able to get several shots off but there was a lid on the basket while everything the Huskies threw up went in. The second quarter was much more competitive with the teams battling to a near deadlock. The Cards were able to just outscore the Huskies by two in the quarter but still trailed by twenty-four at the half. The third quarter saw more struggles for the Cardinals. Soda Springs committed several fouls and gave up more points.
The Huskies doubled the Cardinals scoring output and the quarter ended with a thirty-four point lead for North Fremont. With the large point discrepancy the final quarter would start with a running clock and the Huskies would put in their back ups. Little scoring was done in the fourth and the Cardinals had a long bus trip home following the loss.
The Cardinals will hope to heal up and improve on their recent slump this week. Soda gets into conference play on Thursday night at West Side.
Cardinals 1 16 10 5 32
Huskies 27 14 20 3 64
K.Kirby 9, L.Moldenhauer 1, K.McWilliams 9, P.Ozburn 3, D.Billman 4, K.Harrison 2, M.Finlayson 4
Rollie Lane Invitational
BY JODY REEVES
The Rollie Lane Invitational is among the largest wrestling tournaments in the Western United States. Dozens of schools from Idaho, California, Washington, Oregon, Utah and Nevada all came together last weekend at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. With hundreds of top tier wrestlers in attendance just being in the tournament is a big accomplishment. If you were able to pull out any wins or better yet place it becomes very impressive.
Several Grace wrestlers along with one from Soda Springs decided to make the trip to Nampa and try their hand in the very deep field of wrestlers. Many of them were able to secure at least one win and a few were even able to earn a placing.
Lady Grizzly participants start-
ed with Valeria Chavez at 100 lbs. Chavez was one of the few wrestlers that did not earn a win but did get some valuable experience. Chavez finished with a 0-2 record. Hayden Ball competed at 107 lbs and she was able to pick up a pair of wins finishing 2-2 in the tournament. Kallie Hulse wrestled at 120 lbs and was able to get one victory before being eliminated with a 1-2 record. Likewise Holland Ball at 126 lbs was also able to get a single win before being eliminated with a 1-2 record. Giulia Succetti followed suit in the 145 lb bracket where she also finished with one win and a record of 1-2. Skyla Cloud competed at 152 lbs and was the only other Lady Grizzly to fail to earn a win. Cloud did survive all rounds of both matches losing by decision in each and finishing 0-2. The two standouts for the Lady Grizzlies
were Bella Eddins and Josie Newby. Eddins wrestled at 120 lbs finishing with a staggering record of 8-2 and placing fourth overall. Newby matched Eddins’ success finishing with a record of 7-2 and also placing fourth overall.
The Grizzlies also took a contingency of boy wrestlers to the tournament. Cael Newby wrestled at 120 lbs and went 0-2 but wrestled very tough losing his second match by close decision. The Kimball brothers Carter, and Kade both wrestled in the 126 lb bracket. Kade failed to earn a win but gained some valuable experience. Carter on the other hand was able to pull off a pair of wins but did not place, finishing with a 2-2 record. Brett Hobbs and Dylan Wood both wrestled at 132 lbs where the going was once again tough for the Grizzlies. Wood finished 0-2 while
Hobbs did nab one win finishing 1-2. Mack Jorgensen at 175 lbs and Christian Barrera at 215 lbs rounded out the Grizzly wrestlers. Neither Jorgensen or Barrera were able to earn wins, each finishing 0-2 in the tournament.
A lone Soda Springs wrestler was in attendance at the tournament. Elijah Dilworth represented well at the large tournament. Dilworth competed in the 190 lb weight class and finished with an impressive 5-2 record finishing in seventh place. Like most of the brackets listed above Dilworth’s bracket contained over fifty participants making any top ten finish an incredible feat.
Catch all of these amazing wrestlers this week in Soda Springs at the district duals on Wednesday evening.
Lady Grizz Split A Pair Of Road Games
BY JODY REEVES
The Lady Grizzlies got back into action after a long holiday break by playing two road games in less than twenty-four hours. They kicked off last week’s road stint by traveling to Murtaugh on Friday night. Kallie Stoddard helped get the Grizzlies going in the first quarter of this game putting up five of the team’s twelve points. Stoddard’s five points matched the overall lead that the Grizzlies held going into the second period. Tess Jorgensen took over in the second quarter as she scored six of her ten points in the game. The Lady Grizzlies also turned on the
defense in the second, holding Murtaugh to just one field goal in the stanza. Going into the half the Lady Grizzlies held a commanding thirteen point lead. In the third period the Lady Grizzlies faltered just slightly and were out scored by three but still had a ten point lead going into the final quarter of the game. In the fourth quarter the Grizzlies once again put on some defensive pressure and once again limited the scoring by Murtaugh. Grace only gave up two baskets in the quarter while offensively nine different Lady Grizzlies contributed to Grace’s twenty point quarter. Several younger girls were able to get into this game in the fourth and get
some varsity experience.
Following the Murtaugh win, the Lady Grizzlies didn’t arrive home until after midnight. In a quick turnaround they had to be up and back on the bus by nine o’clock the next morning to travel to 4A American Falls for an early one o’clock tip off time. Once again Stoddard got off to a good start putting up five points in the first and was joined by Karlie Christensen who also added five points. Unfortunately American Falls also got off to a good start and were able to outpace the Grizzlies in the first going up by six points. In the second quarter the teams traded blows. Grace spread the scoring out a little more and were able to close the lead to four points going into the halftime break. In the third quarter the Lady Grizzlies suffered from several tough calls by the officials. The Grizzlies sent the Lady Beavers to the charity stripe six times in the quarter and American Falls took advantage
of the opportunities making eight out of eleven foul shots. The tough quarter was enough to doom the Lady Grizzlies. Grace was not able to chip into the Beaver lead any further and eventually fell in this game losing by ten points.
The Lady Grizzlies will hit the road once again this week. They travel to Marsh Valley on Wednesday then take on a tough Oakley team on Saturday.
Grace 12 12 8 20 52 Murtaugh 7 4 11 5 27
E.Olenslager 4, K.Stoddard 10, K.Christensen 4, K.Mansfield 4, S.Lloyd 2, L.Gilbert 6, P.Steadman 6,
Kallie Stoddard drives to the basket looking to score.
Karlie Christensen quickly brings the ball up the floor for Grace.
Preston Ozburn and Dakota Billman set up in defense to try to slow down the hot Husky offense.
Cowboys Get Dramatic Road Win
BY JODY REEVES
Just prior to their holiday break, the Cowboys team traversed some team personnel issues that ironically resulted in the team gaining four players. This gave North Gem some bench players and a fresh start heading into the new year. That fresh start began at Grace Lutheran last Friday night. The Cowboys and Royals had already faced off earlier in the season in Bancroft. In that game, the Royals dominated the Cowboys, winning 4628. This go around things were much more competitive.
In the first period of play both teams came out with an explosion of scoring. Ryver Hayden led the Cowboys in the quarter scoring twelve points
that helped the Cowboys build a four point lead with just seconds left. As the buzzer sounded, the Royals threw up a desperation half court shot that went in and the North Gem lead was just a single point ahead going into the second. In the second quarter, the Cowboys took control of the game. North Gem added fourteen points coming from five different players. Meanwhile they were able to hold the Royals to just six points. In the third period of play the Cowboys hit a slight wall while the Royals turned the scoring back on. During this momentum shift the drama was not limited to just the players. Part way through the quarter one of the two officials in the game suffered a minor medical episode which temporarily
Royals Buck The Lady Cowboys
BY JODY REEVES
The Lady Cowboys continued their season last Friday following their long Christmas break. They kicked off the new year on the road taking on the Grace Lutheran Royals. In the first match up of these two teams a month ago the Lady Cowboys were held to a season low of just thirteen points and lost the game by nine. In Friday’s game the Cowboys were determined to put more points on the board and keep the game competitive.
As the game got going things did not go the way North Gem hoped they would. Despite a big three point shot by Kaly Foster, North Gem was outpaced by the Royals in the first quarter. The Royals jumped out to a big lead and would not give it up throughout the game. The Cowboys trailed by nine after the first quarter. North Gem did fare better in the second quarter but was still outscored by four in the quarter which in turn extended the overall lead for Grace Lutheran. Coming out of the halftime break North Gem picked up the intensity on the defensive side of the ball. Unfortunately this led to several fouls being committed which sent the Royals to the foul line. Even though Grace Lutheran only went three of six from the charity strip it was enough to help boost the lead another four points in the quarter. In the fourth quarter of play the Cowboys were
finally able to cut into the lead but ultimately it was too little too late. The Cowboys fall in this game losing by ten points.
The loss puts North Gem towards the bottom of the conference. The Lady Cowboys will have to put together some wins if they want to get a good seed in the district tournament. With just about half the season left they will have to act fast to get this done. Their first chance to improve on their record comes Thursday night when they take on Challis. The girls will turn right around and face Mackay on Friday. These will be challenging games but you can bet the Cowboys will give it their all in both contests.
Cowboys 3 9 8 9 27
Royals 12 13 10 2 37
S.Daniels 8, K.Whiting 9, M.O’Brien 2, S.Thompson 5, K.Foster 3
delayed the game. Following the short delay it was decided to complete the game with just one official. The Royals went on to outscore the Cowboys by eight points in the third making it a one point game once again.
In the fourth quarter the two teams continued to battle back and forth with the game staying close throughout. At one point in the quarter the Royals would be called for a technical foul. Hayden would make one of the two foul shots which would prove to be crucial in the closing seconds of the game. With time ticking down the Royals were awarded the ball under their own basket trailing by one with just enough time left on the clock to get a shot off. The Cowboy defense stepped up to the challenge making
it very difficult for the Royals to inbound the ball. Just as they were about to get a five second call the Royals got the ball into an open man. Craig Yost quickly closed in on the ball, knocking it loose and recovering it to secure the Cowboy win.
This was an important win for the Cowboys as they continue their way through conference play. The win will help them when it comes to seeding the district tournament. The Cowboys will be back in action on their home court hosting Challis on Thursday before traveling to Mackay on Saturday. Cowboys 18
P.Hill 4, H.Frandsen 2, R.Hatch 6, C.Yost 10, R.Hayden 26, W.Wakley 2
Barnes takes a shot over the Grace Lutheran defender in last week's game.
Traeden McPherson Memorial Tournament
BY JODY REEVES
The Traeden McPerson Memorial wrestling tournament was held last weekend hosted at Bear Lake High School. Several local wrestlers from Soda Springs and North Gem were in attendance. Joining our local wrestlers were competitors from thirteen other schools located in Idaho, Western Wyoming and Northern Utah. Even with the tough and deep competition several local wrestlers were able to tally some wins with a few placing very well. Soda Springs had four girls take part in the tournament. At the 100 lb weight class Brinlee Hemmert went 2-0 getting two pins and placing first. Taylor Hirsbrunner wrestled at 107 lbs
and earned a 1-1 record placing her in third place. Laryah Dilworth was unable to secure a win going 0-2 at 132 lbs. Abbiegail Krupp wrapped up the girls wrestling finishing with a 2-1 record at 165 lbs winning third place.
Several boys from Soda Springs and North Gem competed in a much deeper tournament than the girls had.
At 120 lbs Conner Lee and Jace Garbett both from Soda Springs competed. Lee made it all the way to the semi finals before suffering his only loss. Lee finished with a 4-1 record and placed third. Garbett made a good effort but finished with a 1-2 record.
Ryker Hemmert from Soda Springs competed at 126 lbs and finished 1-2 missing his shot at a placing. At 138 lbs the first North Gem wrestler com-
peted. Luke Rindlisbaker made it to the semi finals before his first loss. Rindlisbaker finished in fourth place with a record of 3-2. In the 144 lb weight class three locals competed. From North Gem we had the Welker brothers Jaxsyn and Lukky and from Soda Springs we had Troy Krupp. The younger Welker, Jaxsyn, finished 0-2 and missed out on placing. Lukky also missed placing but did get a pair of wins going 2-2 in the tournament. Krupp managed to get one win but finished just 1-2 and did not place.
At 157 lbs Craig Yost of North Gem and Zayden Garbett of Soda Springs each finished with a 3-2 record. However the bracket favored Garbett this time and he was able to finish in fourth place. At 165 lbs once again we had
two local wrestlers. Kaiden Kimball from Soda Springs and Haydn Frandsen from North Gem each finished with 1-2 records both missing out on placing. Two Soda Springs wrestlers competed at 175 lbs. Carson Cook finished with a 1-2 record and did not place. Ashtin Call put together a pair of wins but still missed placing with a 2-2 record. We saved the best for last. At 215 lbs Cole Garbett rolled through his bracket only needing three wins to earn first place overall. Garbett won all three matches by pin with the longest match only lasting one and a half minutes.
The public can get a first hand look at all of these wrestlers this week when Soda Springs hosts the district duals Wednesday evening.
Parker Hill pushes the ball up the court in last weeks closely contested game. Ryver Hayden takes a technical foul shot. Ryver led the Cowboys in scoring during the upset win.
Madalyn