The Idahoi Enterprise/Caribou County | January 16, 2025

Caribou County Officials Sworn in to start year

Whether national or local, officials elected (or re-elected) in the last election are being sworn in across the county as January gets under way.

The national spotlight is inevitably focused on the impending swearing of President-elect Donald Trump, but the business of running cities and counties can’t officially get going until its governmental representatives are in place.

Bright and early on Monday January 13, a number of Caribou County officials were sworn in in the second-floor courtroom of District Judge Cody Brower. Newly elected County Coroner Casey Batterton was not available during the morning session, but was sworn in later in the afternoon.

In the presence of family and co-workers, Judge Brower administered the oath of office to Chairman of the Caribou County Board of Commissioners Mark Mathews, County Commissioner Marty McCullough, Caribou County Sheriff J. Adam Mabey, and County Attorney S. Doug Wood.

The newly sworn in officials are not new to the positions, having won re-election in November. Most of the candidates faced election competition in the form of primary opponents earlier in the spring, leaving continuity from the last governmental session relatively seamless.

Judge Brower congratulated the men on their efforts, and thanked them for their attendance.

As the year begins in earnest, the county is set to face some issues that are likely to span the year in its entirety.

Perhaps most notable in terms of pricetag is the Event Center currently under construction in Grace near the site of the Fairgrounds. The roughly $4 million project is intended to serve as a multipurpose county facility, which will house some of the county’s agencies (such as the Agricultural Extension Office), as well as provide facilities for Fire and EMS vehicles, and rentable space. Recreation facilities are also planned as a part of the building’s amenities.

As the project has moved forward, some predictable change orders and construction issues have emerged.

Nonetheless, the plan is still to have the building up and running for this year’s Fair season in August. It will be interesting to see how the move of some county assets and resources to the west side of the valley affects the makeup of the county itself.

One thing that will be affected is the county’s reach in terms of Fire and Emergency services. Closer staging areas and water supplies will expand the county’s reach as far as services, and improve its response times. County Emergency Services continues to refine its operation and keep the community safe.

A number of land issues will also be on the docket during the year. Despite a reported drop in the number of solar power permits in the county, the issue of solar farms and outside entities seeking to locate them on county land is unlikely to go away. Even if the economic incentives for green energy infrastructure are allowed to lapse, the interest on the part of large energy producers has been persistent. Bans on solar farms throughout Idaho will almost certainly continue to be an issue.

Owing to a state law passed during the last legislative session, the issue of Agricultural Protection Areas will also take hold. The bill requires counties to create boards that will hear petitions from landowners seeking to have their property declared APAs, which will create some protections for them against zoning and development, but also create some legal obstacles should the landowners plans for the property change. During 2024 discussions, the Commissioners expressed the belief that the APA law was essentially redundant legislation in places like Caribou County, where the Development Code and Comprehensive Plan for land use already stressed the primacy of agricultural land.

Whether the new national administration will result in any changes to the county in terms of citizenship issues and concerns about resources devoted to non-citizens is hard to predict. There have been some concerns expressed by farmers and ranchers about the potential effects a reduction in migrant workers will have on their industries. On the

flip side, a potential slowing of the drug corridor that passes through the county as a route from the southern border to the northwest would create some relief on the part of law enforcement, whose efforts at drug interdiction are at times intense.

Changes in the agencies that regulate state and national public lands may also represent decisions for the county. This is particularly true with regard to how the various mining operations in the county are able to operate in the coming years. Mines which have been stalled in the permitting process may possibly see a window for moving forward, and there is a strong chance (or at least it has been so stated) that regulations may be relaxed with regard to some industrial operations.

Growth is, as always, going to be another major focus of the upcoming year. Around the county, several multi-unit housing projects and developments are underway, with population growth expected to be on pace with previous years. A report issued last year found that Idaho, and specifically southeast Idaho, was one of the fastest growing areas of the entire country. If economic factors are positive over the next year, there is no reason to suspect that trend will not continue.

As the year rolls along, it will be interesting to see what kinds of changes come to the valley. The current administration has experience under its belt, and residents will have a front row seat to watch how it uses that experience. While January is an exception due to other meeting commitments, the Board of County Commissioners meets every second and fourth Monday throughout the year at 9:00 a.m. at the Caribou County Courthouse. Members of the public are always invited to attend the meetings and find out what is happening in their county. As a newspaper, we try to make the proceedings of those meetings available to the public the same week they occur by way of the County Commission report, but the sessions really do deal with a large agenda of items, and being in attendance is by far the best way to keep a line on issues going on throughout the county.

Idaho Mobilizes Firefighting Teams to Support California’s Wildfire Efforts

According to a press release from the Idaho Office of Emergency Management, The State of Idaho is mobilizing five task forces to ssist in protecting communities threatened by wildfires burning in Southern California. In response to a request from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, the Idaho Office of Emergency Management and the Idaho Fire Chiefs Association have coordinated efforts to evaluate available resources across the state. As of Wednesday evening, 104 firefighters and 25 fire engines are preparing to deploy Thursday morning to support California’s response efforts. The task forces are set to arrive in Southern California on Friday. IOEM and IFCA will continue monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide additional assistance as needed. The task forces are being mobilized from fire agencies across Idaho, such as the City of Emmett and Kootenai County as well as the Idaho National Laboratory. “Emergencies like these remind us of the critical importance of teamwork and mutual aid,” said IFCA President Kirk Carpenter. “Idaho firefighters are prepared to join the fight in California, standing shoulder to shoulder with our partners to protect communities in harm’s way.” “The Emergency Management Assistance Compact has been invaluable in ensuring that states can rely on each other during crises,” added IOEM Director Brad Richy. “After receiving support during our own wildfire seasons, Idaho is proud to return the favor by providing resources and personnel to help protect California’s communities.”

Hamas expected to release 33 hostages CNN reported that Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages in the early phase of a ceasefire agreement which is being negotiated in Doha. The news was relayed to international news agencies by two unnamed Israeli officials, and is seen as a positive sign in the course of the Israel-Hamas war which has taken untold lives and destroyed infrastructure, houses, industry, and more. The conflict between the two entities has been underway for 15 months, which is how long dozens of hostages have been held. It is reported that Hamas still holds 94 of the original 251 hostages which were taken. 34 of those are reported to have died, although Israel believes the majority of hostages which will be released are still living. Some contention remains to be resolved around the extent to which Israeli troops will be positioned inside Gaza during any potential draw-down, and what the size of the buffer zone will be.

Wild Card Round in the NFL books

The Houston Texas beat the LA Chargers, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Buffalo Bills beat the Denver Broncos in a trio of games without a lot of drama. On the other hand, the Washington Commanders managed to upset to Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 in the NFC South. The Commanders have the task of facing the top seed Lions next week, however. The Eagles managed to take out the scrappy Packers, sending them home to enjoy another Wisconsin winter. Rams beat the Vikings on Monday.

Sixth District Judge Cody Brower swears in Sheriff J. Adam Mabey on Monday.

Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mark Mathews taking the oath of office.

Newly re-elected Commissioner Marty McCullough. County Attorney S. Doug Wood.

City Council Report Soda Springs 1/8

A regular meeting of the City Council of Soda Springs was held on January 8, the first meeting of 2025.

Payroll and payables

Council President Mitch Hart noted that 5% overtime had been accrued by city workers, which is less than it might have been as a result of less snow early in the season. Fewer people than Hart had expected took advantage of PTO buyout.

Justin Hansen reported that the Road Scholar certification was moving forward for members of the crew.

Citizen Input

Some clarification about the location of the Hooper sled hill was made during the citizen input section of the agenda. It was clarified that the hill is over the red access bridge in the southwest corner of the park.

Project Updates

Engineer Alan Skinner gave status updates on projects underway in the city. A contractor is reportedly lined up to repair the ground/cover of the building at Hooper Springs.

A Wastewater planning study is in the works, and a PRV study conference call is coming up.

President Hart informed the council that he and Engineer Skinner were talking and they’d like to schedule a work meeting to define the scope and schedule of a bunch of projects like Ledger Creek, 2nd S, the highway, and a number of other things that he thinks need to be scheduled to allow Alan to clarify his priorities. The meeting was tentatively scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on the 15th. Because the meeting may end up having more than a quorum (all of the other council members indicated they’d like to attend), it has been posted.

Chamber of Commerce—Kent Loosle

Kent Loosle, CEO of CMC, spoke to the council on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. He introduced Emma Walton as the HR director of the hospital. Erika Dannelly, communications director, was also present.

On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, Loosle invited the city to join the organization. The chamber, of which the Enterprise is a member, was officially reconstituted last February. “One of the reasons a city joins is to be a part of smart growth, to promote growth, and to make sure the city has a forum for business growth. Sometimes small businesses join the chamber for different reasons. We’re not asking you to house or run the chamber or have it be a component of the city—we’re just asking you to be a part of it and help commerce in the area of growth.”

Councilman Paul Gritton asked Loosle, “how does the chamber utilize the dues?”

Loosle explained that “What they’ve been doing is creating education opportunities. 5-6 times this year. That’s been the biggest expense.” Over the course of 2024, the newly formed chamber held a number of training session covering topics of interest to local businesses, such as social media, employee retention, and others. “We still have some other things to do— website, etc. there’s still a lot to do,” Loosle continued. “We just want to have critical mass so it doesn’t just dissipate. We felt like being a significant employer we should join at a $4000 level. If you’re smaller, you’re thinking about ‘what am I getting out of it?’ Larger businesses might think about what they’re giving. There are opportunities at a lot of different levels. The chamber as a whole financially will be ok. From a funding standpoint, we’d like to get someone working at the chamber. Right now it’s all volunteer, and we don’t want to fatigue people.”

Councilman Gritton noted that “The Chamber of Commerce is an important part of the community. I would ask that we table this until next time and look things over for the next meeting.”

Somewhat jokingly, Mayor Austin Robinson asked whether there were any plans to resurrect bingo, to which Engineer Skinner noted that the chamber does has a lottery license for bingo. Councilman Ryan Carpenter noted that “the last two bingo events I’ve been to have been very well attended. I think we have a hidden bingo faction among us.” Be careful what you wish for!

Tamara Henesh, member of the

Chamber of Commerce board, noted that “We were able to donate a tree to the Festival of Trees. We also did a ticket promotion for local businesses. We are trying to get out there.”

Loosle informed the council that “Buy local is our motto for this year.”

Stephen Simmons

Simmons is an EMT who works at the mine, and expressed an interest in serving on Planning and Zoning for the city. Mayor Robinson recommended him for the board, and his nomination was voted on. “Do I know what I’m getting into? Absolutely not,” Simmons said.

Simmons’ appointment was approved.

Enders/Event Center

At a recent city council meeting, the idea of a community center was raised. The idea was born out of the possibility of selling the Enders property, as well as a few other city holdings, and using the proceeds to finance a separate community center. Optimistically, the center would house facilities for indoor sports, meeting and event rooms, and possibly a Fire Station, or storage for other city departments.

President Hart undertook a cost estimate for such a center, at $250 a square foot based on conservative estimates, at an area of 17,000 sqft. The total cost in that case would be 7 million. By adjusting the space and the number of amenities a price tag of between $2.5 million and $7.5 million was given, with a contingency of 30% bringing the upper end possible total to $9.5 million.

Appraisals for the Enders building in the past have placed its value around the $1.5 million range, so any community center would require significant additional funds.

Continuing the thought exercise, Hart posed the question of where the center could be placed. Kelly Park West was one idea. The City Park was another, maybe coupled with City assests like the library and firestation.

Other ideas were to locate it on the Hooper School site, the old Maverik location, the block where Caribou Jacks is, and other areas, though those properties themselves would have to be purchased by the city.

For reference, Engineer Skinner noted that “The [planned Event Center] building in Grace is 18K square feet, but 12K is to cover basketball court/ fire engine. So 2/3 is open space at a cost of $3.7 million.” The majority of funding for the center is coming through remaining ARPA funds allocated during COVID, which would not be available to the city.

President Hart stated, “It’s doable but expensive. And we’d have to find some buried treasure.”

Councilman Gritton expressed the opinion that “We need to set a target up downrange that we’re aiming for to get this decided so we’re not kicking this down the road.”

President Hart laid out the issues: “We either keep it or we sell it. The two appraisals have averaged 1.5 mil.

The replacement cost is in the neighborhood of 9 million. Are we willing to accept something less than the appraised value? The artifacts that came to us [the museum holdings] are a gnarly issue. They were donated, but there’s no accounting of who gave what. The Maughan family instructed that everything came with the bldg. They are now the city’s. We would have to decide what to do with them. If the bldg. is kept, what do we do with it? Do we co-locate city hall with other businesses? Is the PD interested? One idea is to move them here. Do we lease out unused portions out? Do we lease out café/ballroom? All of that is fine, and noise we have to deal with—once we decide whether we are going to keep or sell, the rest will fall into line. We can dive deeper into all of these issues. We can have a work meeting, etc.”

The council agreed that a fixed time for making a decision was important. It was clarified that the current cost of maintaining the building is around $2000/month for utilities, radiators, water, etc. to keep it maintained.

It was decided to hold a work meeting on the 12th of February to hash out the possibilities and gather all the relevant information, and then to formally announce a decision at the March 5 City Council meeting.

Main Street

After a long process, the city received approval to bore under the RR tracks on Main Street. The work will most likely occur in April or May.

Dept Heads

Library—Hope Hansen

Library Director Hope Hansen spoke to the council.

She is working with the rec dept on an outdoor summer adventure program. It will combine library activities with outdoor activities like geocaching. The goal is to get families out and doing things together. She’s working hard to complement but not interfere with summer reading.

Beth Cherriet of the Friends of the Library told Hansen that they had an event coming up—family mini golf. There is no firm date yet, but the event will likely take place some time in March.

SSPD--CJ

Newly sworn in Police Chief Cejay Golightly reported that things in the department were going well. “We’re working on getting the canine program up and going again. One of the officers went and met with the working group/ ISP/Blackfoot/Power County, and I’ll provide more info as it becomes available . A new dog will not be free, but at a reduced cost.”

“I think a dog is a valuable asset to the town,” Councilman Gritton noted. Golightly agreed, and noted that “We do have drugs in our community.”

The SSPD has only received one application to date to fill the position opened by Golightly when he was appointed Chief, but more people have

picked them up. A DUI grant for the holiday season ended on Jan 2. During the heightened patrol and apprehension period, an increased number of DUIs were cited.

Justin Hansen

“We’ve been plowing snow, slush. Now we’re dealing with ice. New trucks are working well. Overall, they’ve been good,” Hansen said. His crew has also been working on the flooring at the restrooms at the Geyser, where they ripped out the old carpet and the baseboard trim has been replaced.

Hansen reported that Rick Hill, city mechanic, has been requesting new diagnostic scanner to check our equipment. They run between $4K and $7K. The current one we have is old and not able to perform many advanced scans. This would give the city some sense of what repairs were needed for equipment before contracting for them.

Citywide

The issue of hiring guidelines for city jobs was raised. It was noted that there might be some inconsistency in the application of the practice of requiring city employees to live within the city. The exact nature of that rule was discussed, and the council as a whole agreed that something specific was needed to clarify the city’s position on the issue so that it could be applied fairly across the board.

Clerk Haderlie

The City Clerk noted the need to work on updating the city’s asset list, which hasn’t been updated for more than 15 years.

Attorney Tom Smith

The County is working on Area of Impact plan, which will be presented at PZ next week, then presented to council. The change is not expected to be very much, other than to potentially adopt some of the city’s regulations. The county does the ordinance and has jurisdiction and they do the inspections.

Mayor Robinson

BPA rate increase. This mostly obtains to 2026. 4% increase in power and transmission. The rates should go up at that time. The city pays two bills to BPA. $92K and $7K for transmission. Should end up being 5-6%.

Chief Dan Squires

A gas leak call in the morning at Enders was resolved with the assistance of Intermountain Gas.

The Fire station is painting the office and building.

The Wastewater Treatment Plant is a 3 level plant, but now needs a 4 level admin and operator. They have been listed as a 4. “My gut feeling is that they see the future coming that we can’t see.” “I knew eventually this was coming, so I went out and got my 4. This doesn’t change anything, except the time it will take everyone to get up to 4s.”

“The other problem we have is the ops have to split their time between water and wasterwater. So they only get hours half as fast.”

Misc

President Hart thanked Justin Hansen for coordinating getting the power back on the other Sunday during an outage.

Councilman Worthington also thanked Hansen and the city crew on behalf of Thirkill. “We had an unsafe situation on 4th S at the school, and they came by with their bobcat and snowblower and they took care of it.”

Councilman Gritton also commended Hansen. “Shout out to Justin for keeping the shooting range open. There was a New Years Day shoot that had 17 shooters at the event. That range is proving to be quiet a resource for the community and even economically. Some even come from outside the state.”

A discussion about the most effective call routing during power outages was discussed. Often the dispatchers with the county are overwhelmed with calls essentially asking when the power will be back on. Because Rocky Mountain Power is only contracted to repair the network, updates are not accessible through their website. The issue was tabled for the present.

Stephen Simmons was sworn in as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission by Mayor Austin Robinson.

Bill to amend ballot initiative threshold introduced

MIA MOLDONADO, IDAHO CAPITAL SUN

Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, introduced a bill in the House State Affairs Committee Wednesday morning to amend Idaho’s law related to the voting threshold for statewide ballot initiatives and referendums.

Idaho Code currently states that “no measure shall be adopted unless it shall receive an affirmative majority of the aggregate number of votes cast on such measure.” This means an initiative or referendum can pass so long as it receives 50% of the vote plus one.

Skaug’s bill proposes to change that language, increasing the threshold to at least 60% of votes. Skaug told the committee the purpose of the bill is to fix Idaho’s “broken” initiative process.

“It’s all out-of-state money, or most of it’s out-of-state money, millions of dollars, coming into our state to affect and change what we as a Legislature would have done as representatives of the people,” he said about state initiatives. “…This is one way to level the playing field a little bit by raising it to 60%.”

In Idaho, a ballot initiative is a form of direct democracy. It allows Idaho residents to place and vote on laws on a ballot, independent of the Idaho Legislature.

The bill so far has 11 legislative co-sponsors in the Idaho House and Senate. The committee voted to move the bill forward, clearing the way for a full public hearing at a later date.

Rep. Todd Achilles, D-Boise, said he has concerns he wants Skaug to address moving forward, pointing

out that the Idaho Supreme Court in 2021 ruled that initiatives are a fundamental right to Idahoans.

“We’re putting a 60% threshold on citizens, on Idaho citizens, when we as legislators only have a 50% threshold, so I think we have to justify that more clearly,” he said.

Achilles also asked the sponsors to address the implications of this change.

“Had we had a 60% threshold on past initiatives, we would not have passed sales tax relief, property tax relief, the homeowners exemption, and a couple of others,” Achilles said. “So I think it’s important that we look at the totality of this.”

Reclaim Idaho Co-Founder Luke Mayville in an email said the bill, if passed, would dramatically change and restrict ballot initiative rights.

Reclaim Idaho has worked on and supported several initiatives in the recent past, including a successful initiative in 2018 that expanded Medicaid access to Idaho’s working poor and a failed Proposition 1 initiative in 2024 that would have opened Idaho’s closed primary elections and established rankedchoice voting in the state.

“For the entire history of Idaho’s initiative process, ballot measures have required a simple majority of the vote to pass,” Mayville said. “… By ratcheting up the requirement to 60%, Skaug and his allies are attempting to rig the process so that future initiatives will fail even when they are supported by the majority of voters.”

Mayville said if a 60% requirement had been in place, half of Idaho’s majority-supported initiatives would’ve been blocked.

Scam Alert!

While in the literal act of putting together the paper this week, I spent longer than I should have on the phone with a pretty convincing scammer who informed me I had been issued warrants for failing to appear for federal jury duty after I had apparently signed a document last week committing to do so. After a nervous few minutes, I realized I had been at work two counties over on the day in question, and some further reflection led me to belatedly realize that none of what was happening was the way the courts or law enforcement work.

If you should find yourself on the receiving end of a call offering you an over-the-phone chance to clear up your warrant status for around $2000—fully refundable when it’s cleared up!—hang up immediately and call your actual local sheriff’s office. Just explaining to the person on the other end that if they could wait a second I could conference call with a deputy ended the call. My scammers also said “10-4” a lot, which seems pretty obviously goofy

in retrospect. It turns out this particular scam is well-noted, and warnings have been issued by a number of states. The callers use “spoofed” numbers to make it appear that they are calling from your area; however, the caller ID is a cell number, rather than a police landline. They obtain your street address through public records, and use that as a way to seem legitimate. They will also use what sound like real warrant “numbers” and identifying information. My guy had a badge number. Be wary of unsolicited calls from numbers you don’t know, and if you have any concerns about an immediate threat to you on the part of law enforcement or the courts, contact police through a direct number to explain the situation. There is no actual situation like the one described above that is resolved with a phone payment, and the scammers are potentially also trying to get a signature from you to misuse in the pursuit of loans, title or deed transfers, and other fraud.

COMMUNITY NOTES

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 busses 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.

On a related note, when driving in winter conditions, make yourself more visible by turning on your headlights, even during the daytime hours. Heavy snow can create difficulty in seeing other drivers on the road, and headlights and running lights greatly help.

Valentine’s Dance Planned for February

It was announced at the recent Soda Springs City Council meeting that the The Soda Springs Volunteer Fire Department is hosting the first annual Valentine's Day Dance on February 14th 7PM-10PM, at Tigert Middle School commons. According to organizers, “DJ Carp will be flippin' tunes for the evening. Door prizes will be had by those in attendance. Prize for the best dressed couple. Sunday attire. Admission by donation, proceeds to flower planters for Main St. Hors d'oeuvres generously provided by Caribou Medical Center. Mark your calendars and come have an evening of fun mixed with a bit of romance while helping a good cause.”

The Black Swan Inn in Pocatello has graciously provided a stay for a lucky couple. How to win? Just come to the dance! Want to donate door prizes or have questions: Contact Paul Gritton, 208-220-5254. Please let people know and plan to attend what will hopefully be a great annual event!

The dance is open to adults, and kids over 16.

4-H Events

County 4-H will be holding several classes coming up.

On February 7 at 1 pm a class on baking and decorating cake balls will be held. The cost is free due to a grant from Nutrien. Cloverbuds will be allowed in the class with a parent.

Earlier in the day at 10 am a Valentines craft class will be held, limited to 10 students. Cloverbuds will again be welcome with a parent. The cost for this class is $10. In all cases, students must be registered with Zsuite and have their fees paid to enroll. Jennifer Smith, Goat Chairman on the Market Animal Committee, reminded local parents that it was time to start thinking about animal projects for the upcoming year. While the window for beef might be close to closed, pigs, sheep, and goats are still on the table. Smith noted that he would be happy to help people get started with goats, or pointed in the right direction with other animals. The Extension office can be reached at 208547-3205 for questions about any 4-H issues.

VFW Post 9141 Soda Springs

An update on activities and resources from the SS VFW Post 9141: “It was a great weekend at the mid winter conference. District 7 had 2 Students go to state this year. Patriot pen we had Angela Zhu from Pocatello take first place and she will be sent to national for judging. Then for Voice of Democracy we had Kylisto Leading From Soda Springs take Fourth place. They both did amazing.

We are looking for anyone interested in being part of the VFW Auxiliary it is for any family member of a service member brother, sister, dad, mom, wife, kid. We need the number to hold our seat at congress for veterans benefits. That's the main reason family members should join. Second is your supporting veterans and active duty. Third you get all the benefits. Contact Brittany Hirsbrunner 801-819-4576.

If you want veterans to have benefits in the future and present we need the numbers at congress. By signing up you give your vote for VA benefits. There is a vet center in Idaho falls that does family counseling, child counseling, spouse, parents, and also assists the veterans by getting them with other vets to help in this battle after combat. There number is 18779278387 anyone call the number even family members to vent even when it's not about suicide or PTSD. They assist in many situations.

Also, if any family member just needs more advice please call 2146508892 I'll give you contacts and a support group here in Caribou county and state wide.”

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 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 for more information. gritton@tuta. com or 208-220-5254. Signups: https://forms.gle/UVev9ntZuRPxqR5W6

WANTED

Family Educator for the Bear River Early Head Start 0-3 homebased program for Caribou, Bear Lake and South Bannock Counties. Provide weekly home visits and bi –monthly playgroups to enrolled families. Partner with parents to provide learning experiences and monitor developmental progress of infants and toddlers. Qualifications: minimum of a home-based CDA credential or equivalent coursework as part of an associate's or bachelor's degree (early childhood education, family and human development or related areas preferred.) For more info please email rtorbenson@brheadstart.org or apply on Indeed. Search Family Educator.

Ghosts of the Last Chance

Part 3

We last left Erin having started work at the Last Chance gas station somewhere in a small town in the west. After being shown the illusion called a Pepper’s Ghost, which uses light to make a figure appear on glass, he was informed that even though the whole thing was a trick, it shouldn’t work without being plugged in! His new manager had gone into the store to deal with a customer at the last break.

BY H R REYNOLDS

Erin found himself alone with the “ghost” as it moved back and forth against the glass window pane. On the other side, he saw only the mostly empty parking lot, and the thin ribbon of road that led back up to the interstate. One third of the cars in the parking lot was composed of his truck, and another third had been there when he pulled up, so he assumed it was Chantelle’s Honda. There was nothing particularly alarming about the newest car, the one he assumed belonged to a customer who had just showed up. It was still running, but that wasn’t too unusual. He had noticed that it was more common than not for people around here to keep their cars running while they attended to errands inside. Not an extremely environmental bunch, he laughed to himself. Or one that worried about having their cars stolen, he added to himself.

While it ran, the car hitched and chugged in a way that didn’t sound especially healthy. It was a long car— if he had to guess, maybe a late 70s or early 80s American sedan. The setting sun made it impossible to accurately gauge the color, but it was dark, in any case. Smoke leaked from the exhaust. Again, nothing that was “wrong” about it, per se. Older cars were also common around here. And while it wasn’t exactly a “classic,” he could see why someone would hold on to it. Still, it made him anxious for some reason.

“Not this again,” said a voice extremely near him. He somehow jumped and froze at the same time. There was no one around him on any side. The only one even remotely close was the pepper’s ghost image— Ryan, he remembered Chantelle had called it—which was still looping back and forth.

As he stared at Ryan, suddenly remembering that the light wasn’t even plugged in, the blue-lit image stopped and stared back at him. “We don’t have a lot of time,” it said.

He had always prided himself on being brave enough, as far as it goes.

He had never blanched at the sight of blood, or run from a fight. Never had a nightlight or worried about monsters under the bed. Later he would blame his highly attuned fight or flight response for showing his feet the way to the exit.

As he rounded the corner to the back door of the Last Chance, ready to demand some serious answers from Chantelle, he heard something much more immediately worrying than possible proof of the afterlife.

The distinct sound of a shotgun being racked seared through the air from the front counter to where he was hidden in shadow in the back.

“There’s two cars here,” a high, reedy voice said. “Who else is here with you?”

He had no idea how long the pause in her response actually lasted, but it felt like nearly an eternity.

“Th-that’s Ryan,” she said. Erin didn’t know whether to be relieved, or even more worried. He wasn’t a coward, and he wouldn’t abandon Chantelle to whoever was at the front of the store, but he hadn’t had time to come up with a decent plan for exactly what to do to help yet.

“Well, get him in here!” the man yelled.

“I can’t,” Chantelle said. “We’ll have to go to where he is.”

Erin could almost hear the man trying to make sense of that from where he stood. “Why?” he finally asked. “Well, he can’t move,” Chantelle said. “We’ll have to walk over to him.”

“Fine,” the man said, and he heard the two of them moving to the entrance. His concern about the immediate crisis overrode his concern about the talking ghost, and he crept back around to the window to see what was happening.

As he moved toward the glass again, the ghost said, “I always hate this part.”

To be concluded in the next available issue!

War on Weeds—weeds are everybody’s problem

THE ISSUE: Diffuse knapweed Diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa) is an annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial forb native to southeast Europe and western Asia. It was introduced into the U.S. as a contaminate in seed. It is not palatable to livestock, allowing it to outcompete palatable plants in grazing systems, subsequently allowing it to replace native vegetation. It invades roadsides, pastures, rangeland, and sandy riverbanks. After diffuse knapweed germinates, it develops into a rosette with greyish green leaves that are finely divided. As the plant bolts and matures leaves develop short dense hair. Leaves located towards the bottom of the plant are long and lobed. Leaves become decreasingly smaller towards the top of the plant. It typically grows single stems with many branches, that can grow up to 3 feet tall. It has a stout taproot that allows it to thrive in dry conditions. Flowers are usually white but may also be pink to lavender in color. As it matures it develops into a tumble weed, spreading its seed across the landscape as it is pushed along by the wind.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Options:

• Prevention— Learn to identify this plant. Never transport unknown plant material. Always plant clean seed!

• Mechanical— Mechanical control methods are not usually recom-

Bugwood.org

mended as it can cause further invasion. Under some circumstances tillage can be effective if used with other control practices. Mowing is not recommended either because it can cause plants to produce more flowers than normal.

• Cultural— Plant beneficial perennial plants that will compete with weed seedlings. Manage plant populations in a way that will benefit beneficial plants. Burning is not recommended, as it will stimulate germination.

• Chemical— There are several herbicide options available to use on this weed species. For more information on products and rates visit: https:// pnwhandbooks.org/weed. Then search “Knapweeds”. 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 Cindy Roche,

Word Worries

BY BRANDON HALL

The best kind of trivia is trivia that has a practical use. Although that might seem at odds with the whole concept of trivia, it’s more a matter of perspective than anything. A lot of what we think of as trivia is very useful in its own way to the right audience.

English is a language that matches the nature of the countries who speak it pretty well. It’s odd, inconsistent, and seemingly loves to disregard rules. One of the more common aspects of the language people point to in this regard is spelling. English spelling controversies are as old as the language itself, and have their own long history of oddities and even violence. While writers of large stature like Chaucer and Shakespeare had a demonstrable effect on fixing some spellings, it wasn’t until Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary in the middle of the eighteenth century that a “right and wrong” set of spellings began to become commonly understood. The underlying oddness was still in place though.

eventually became known as Middle English. French and German have different sounds, different rules of grammar, and different cultural reference points, which is partly responsible for the idiosyncrasy in English. The fact that the Normans were a formerly foreign conqueror which brought a certain amount of wealth and luxury to England is also why many of the words for upscale concepts and ideas—particularly in art, finance, and government—are French rather than German.

By JoAnn Derson

The reason why is easy in its basics, but complex in its finer points. English has a foundation of Germanic languages that contribute a lot of its core sounds and words. If you think of a basic human activity that has existed since time immemorial, chances are that the modern word for it in English derives from a root Germanic language. “Drink,” “sleep,” “eat,” “fight,” and even “dream” all come from the same language spoken in Beowulf, for instance. And of course, I just described the plot of Beowulf; if you haven’t read it, I’m sorry for the spoilers.

Trivia would tell you that in 1066 King Harold II’s England was invaded by the William the Conqueror from Normandy, and the Normans occupied the country. The Normans spoke a version of Old French, which was admixed with Old English into what

But those aren’t the only additives. Latin was something of a lingua franca (shared language) around Europe, and many works of Greek and Arabic philosophy were translated into Latin as a stepping stone before they made their way fully into “the vernacular” (or local language). As a result of the fact that Latin was used between the monks who were translating the works of Aristotle, Plato, Archimedes, Seneca, Copernicus, and so on, it also became the language of science and the law. And that all happened by the fourteenth century. As time rolled on, the spelling nightmares persisted.

You may be familiar with the famous example word “Ghoti”. If you haven’t seen this before, think of all the English spelling rules you know and give it a guess. What is the strangest thing you could spell this way in English, based on established rules? Look at the word “ghoti” minutely, and take a guess.

If you guessed “fish,” than you have an uncanny sense of English spelling weirdness. Or possibly you’ve seen a reference to the letter from Charles Ollier to Leigh Hunt, both of whom were well-known in the poetry circles of the Romantic era and later, in 1855. In the letter, Ollier explains that his son had come up with this way to spell “fish” based on the terminal “gh” in “enough,” the “o” in “women,” and the “ti” in “nation.” While clearly meant as a joke in the letter,

BRAIN TEASERS

it was taken up as a serious cause by many in the “Spelling Reform” movement of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. People as different as Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw, Isaac Asimov, Melvil Dewey (of the system), and Teddy Roosevelt all did their best to effect some regularity to our spelling.

Did they ever solve the problem? Well, no. Unlike some other languages, English doesn’t have an academy to enforce things like spelling. Like the country itself, I suppose you have to just embrace the oddness at this point, unless someone is planning to pass a law on the spelling of “February” or “poignant.”

Word of the Week:

This week, I’m presenting the word “minutely” along with the word “momentarily.” I find I have a hard time wrapping my head around these terms as they mean something not quite opposite themselves. What I mean is, a “contranym” is a word that means its own opposite. “Sanction” can mean to “approve” as well as to “disapprove,” for instance. But “momentarily” can mean “for a moment” as well as “in a moment.” They’re not really opposites—more meanings at right angles with each other.

In a similar but even more complex fashion, “minutely” can mean “by the minute” as well as “in a minute” AND “in fine detail.” That last meaning is actually the oldest meaning, because it reflects the meaning of the Latin root “minitus,” which means “small.”

The word “minute” to refer to time is a later application of the general Latin word to a specific application once keeping time in increments as brief as minutes, and of course “seconds” became necessary. Trivial, but it’s a good snapshot of how words tend to change what they refer to in English, which is always good to remember before you email the kids or grandkids!

• If you’re expecting your first child, heed this bit of advice: Assemble and otherwise try out complicated items right away, while you have the time to learn how to work them. New dad Dan had a heck of a time trying to load bags into his brand-new Diaper Genie in the middle of the night.

• Bloodstains on clothing can be really tough to treat. The best way to get a bloodstain out of clothing is by dousing the stain with hydrogen peroxide and washing immediately as usual.

• “I love to refinish and paint furniture pieces and woodcrafts. I always check my local recycling center for small amounts of “recycled” paint. Usually, someone has gotten rid of good paint, and the people at the recycling center are happy to have it used.” — B.B. in Virginia

• Toothpaste works well as a silver polish. Wet your silver, plop a little non-gel toothpaste on it and rub gently with a damp, clean rag. Rinse well with a separate rag, and buff dry. Then just step back and let it shine.

• If you’ve ever oversalted soup, don’t worry; here’s a great tip to recover your meal. Just cut a single potato into several large slices. Add them to the soup, and they will soak up the extra salt. Remove before serving.

• S.W. of South Carolina has this tip to share: “If you can’t seem to keep track of your keys, make an extra set for those mornings when you are running late and can’t spare the time to look for them. It has saved me a lot of stress, for sure.”

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. © 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

EVENT CALENDARS LUNCH MENUS

SODA SPRINGS/ CARIBOU COUNTY

January 16 – Thursday

Library Story Time (10am)

Catholic Daily Mass (6:30pm)

Addition Recovery Program (7pm)

IDAN-HA Movie

January 17 – Friday

Catholic Daily Mass (9am)

IDAN-HA Movie

GBB w/West Side

Speech/Debate @ Thunder

Ridge

Wrestling @ Aberdeen Tournament

January 18 – Saturday

IDAN-HA Movie

Wrestling @ Aberdeen Tournament

BBB w/Declo

Speech/Debate @ Thunder Ridge

January 19 – Sunday

Presbyterian Services

Caribou Bible Church Services

Catholic Mass (8:30am)

Open Arms Church Services

LDS Services

Hope Lutheran Church

January 20 – Monday Catholic Daily Mass (9am)

January 21 – Tuesday

GSSCDC (5:15pm)

January 22 – Wednesday Catholic Daily Mass (9am)

IDAN-HA Movie

BBB w/Malad

School Board Mtg. (7pm) City Council (5pm)

GRACE

January 16 – Thursday

Library Story Hour (10am)

Wrestling w/Rich County

January 17 – Friday

Wrestling @ Tiger/Griz

January 18 – Saturday

Wrestling @ Tiger/Griz

GBB w/American Falls

Cheer Competition @ Pocatello

January 19 – Sunday

LDS Services

Caribou Bible Church (2pm)

January 21 – Tuesday

Music Festival

January 22 – Wednesday

BBB @ West Side

BB w/North Gem (C-Team)

JH BBB @ Malad

BANCROFT

January 16 – Thursday

MS Ski Trip

MS BBB w/Clark County

BBB w/Clark County

GBB w/Bear Lake

January 17 – Friday

Wrestling @ Magic Valley Tournament

Cheer Mini Camp

MS BBB w/Sho-Ban

January 18 – Saturday

Wrestling @ Magic Valley Tournament

BBB w/Sho-Ban

GBB w/Sho-Ban

January 19 – Sunday

LDS Services

January 21 – Tuesday

MS BBB w/Grace Lutheran

January 22 – Wednesday

MS BBB @ Rockland

GBB @ Grace

CARIBOU COUNTY SENIOR CITIZENS' MENU

Every meal served with Juice/Milk/Coffee

Jan. 17 - Birthday Dinner, Ham & Bean Soup, Green Salad, Breadsticks, Apricots, Birthday Cake & Ice Cream (Served In-House Only)

Jan. 22 - Biscuits & Gravy, Peas, Mandarin Oranges, Berry Dream Cheesecake

NEWS OF RECORD

CARIBOU COUNTY SHERIFF

Lilianna Miller, Pocatello, speeding (16 mph or over), $98.50, costs $56.50; fail to provide proof of insurance, $75.00, costs $56.50

Fermin Alan Ponce, Alpine, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50

Julie Deone Smith, Logan, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50

SODA SPRINGS POLICE

Stephen Monwell Avila, Grace, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50

Houston Andrew Cassita, Saint Charles, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50

Mircea Crisan, Laguna Niguel, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50

Andres McKay Lloyd, Soda Springs, fail to have windshield and/or window view be unobstructed, $10.50, costs $56.50

Jennifer Leigh McDonald, Peoria, speeding (16 mph or over), $98.50, costs $56.50

SODA SPRINGS LUNCH MENU

Lunches served with Milk

Monday, January 20

NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, January 21

Breakfast Scramble, Muffin

Wednesday, January 22

Spaghetti, Breadstick

Thursday, January 23

Pizza

NORTH GEM LUNCH MENU

Milk and Choice of Bar Each Day

Monday, January 20

Bacon Ranch Flatbread, Green Beans, Mandarin Oranges

Tuesday, January 21

Soft Shell Taco, Honey Mustard Chicken, Roasted Baby Carrots, Apricots

Wednesday, January 22

Tator Tot Casserole w/Roll, Broccoli/Cauliflower, Mixed Fruit

Thursday, January 23

Corndogs, French Dip, French Dip, Fresh Sliced Apples

GRACE LUNCH MENU

Lunches served with Milk

Monday, January 20

Soft Shell Taco, Refried Beans, Cookie, Food Choice – Corn or Mandarin Oranges

Tuesday, January 21

Hamburger, Tots, Food Choice –Sunshine Carrots or Fresh Fruit

Wednesday, January 22 – Chicken Noodle Soup, Grilled Cheese, Food Choice – Fresh Veggies or Peaches

Thursday, January 23

Corndog, Mac & Cheese, Food Choice – Crisp Garden Salad or Peaches

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

Tom Matthews, Jan. 16

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

1868 Refrigerator car patented by William Davis, a fish dealer in Detroit

1909 Antarctic explorers Douglas Mawson, Edgeworth David and Alistair Mackay reach south magnetic pole as part of the Nimrod Expedition

1919 The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, authorizing the prohibition of alcohol, is ratified by a majority of U.S. states

1920 First assembly of the League of Nations is held in Paris

1939 Daily newspaper comic strip “Superman” debuts

1943 -60˚F, Island Park Dam, Idaho (state record)

1944 U.S. Coast Guard pilot Stewart Graham first to fly a helicopter from a ship, taking off for a surveil-

lance mission from British freighter SS Daghestan, part of a convoy sailing from New York to Liverpool, England

1951 World’s largest gas pipeline opens (Brownsville, Texas, to 134th St, New York City

1972 NBC presents 440th & final showing of western series “Bonanza”

1973 Scientists at Corning Glass granted U.S. patent #3,711,262 for optical fiber (invented August 1970) - beginning a telecommunications revolution

1976 “Donny & Marie” (Osmond) musical variety show premieres on ABC TV

2005 At 66 years old, Romanian university lecturer Adriana Illiescu becomes the oldest birth mother in the world

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 Idaho Fish and Game extended congratulations to Gaylon Newbold of McCammon for landing a new catch/ release state record Bonneville whitefish. Newbold caught the impressive 21 inch whitefish while jigging on Dec 10, beating the previous record held by Dalton Jackson since 2016. As an avid Bear Lake angler, Newbold holds multiple state records, including the catch/ release record Bonneville cutthroat trout, and the current certified weight record for Bonneville whitefish. Bear Lake is unique in that it’s home to three different endemic species of whitefish, which are only found in that lake. Bonneville Cisco, Bear Lake whitefish are all thought to be relatives of the widely distributed mountain whitefish present in much of Idaho. The three species of whitefishes found only in Bear Lake evolved over the last 14,000 years since the ancient Lake Bonneville receded, isolating Bear Lake from mountain whitefish nearby.

2015

A special event was planned at the Bancroft LDS Church in honor of Rose Denese Chandler White on her 90th birthday. There will be a light luncheon and a program.

Chad and Jacki Neibaur spent the first part of December in Europe. They toured Germany, visiting the equipment factory where Chad gets some of his farm equipment from, Austria where Jacki was born, Switzerland, looking up Norma’s ancestors’ home, and France.

Jamie Pristupa was here from Arkansas to spend time with her family for the holidays.

Wade and Anne Olorenshaw traveled to Utah County to spend time with EJ and his family for Christmas. Leon and Candy Rindlisbaker enjoyed a visit from Richelle and her family before they returned to Utah for sports practices for their children.

2010

This year saw a record number of angels both on the Angel Tree and behind the scenes. The Main Street Cruisers signed up 129 angels from Caribou County families who were experiencing difficult economic circumstances and may not have had Christmas otherwise.

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Dooley, accompanied by their daughter, Danielle of Logan, visited over the Christmas holidays in Cheney, Washington as guests of another daughter and family, Desirie and Ammon Hopkins, Gideon and Jeremiah. Laurie had taken time off from school and spent three weeks in Washington with the Hopkins to help take care of Gideon while Desirie was in the hospital before and after the baby’s birth Thursday, Nov. 19. Mark had taken her to Cheney when he was en route to Couer d’Alene for a school board conference.

Bear River Gym is holding its annual weight loss challenge and will track your beginning weight, body measurements, and body fat. Participants will receive points for all three areas, inches lost, body fat lost, and weight lost.

2005

The 2005 Caribou South District Klondike Derby was held on Jan 7 and 8 at McPherson Canyon Boy Scout cabin, east of Grace. This event included an overnight campout in the snow, an all-you-can-eat breakfast, and a winter outdoor skills competition. Around 50 boys and 24 leaders from the twelve Boy Scout units in the Soda Springs, Grace and Bancroft areas participated in the annual event. Each competing patrol had built a Klondike sled that used Scout power to pull it instead of dogs. With all of their equipment they wound through the course stopping at eight stations. The scouts also tested their knowledge in safety, firebuilding, orienteering, first aid, emergency preparedness, and wilderness survival.

A trucker with an oversized load found his rig plowed in on First West Sunday in Soda Springs after city crews went to work Saturday evening

to begin clearing the snow from the city roads. What was billed as a possible snow storm of the half-century turned out to be something less, but that didn’t stop shoppers from cleaning out many of the staples from the shelves of local stores all across Idaho. One local grocery store said they normally sell 40 gallons of a certain kind of milk ended up selling 400 gallons of it. There were reports across the valley of between 16 and 24 inches of new snow.

North Gem second grade students would like to thank all those who contributed beanie babies and Matchbox cars to be sent to Sgt. DeMarco Watson of the U.S. Army, stationed at Camp Danger in Iraq. Sgt. Watson is the son-in-law of Mrs. Helm. Students in second grade have been writing to Sgt. Watson for the last two years. He has written back and even donated a unit flag for their classroom. Sgt. Watson will share these toys with others in his unit, so that they can hand them out to the Iraqi children they come across when they are out on patrol.

A big scoring night for Kim Burton, 26, sealed a conference win for the Lady Grizzlies. Grace defeated Malad 46-43. The following night Grace met with North Gem and the fired up Lady Cowboys not only led at the half but won the game 48-39.

Holiday visitors for the Jack Porters included their son John who came from his home base in Seattle to visit until Christmas Eve. Jim Porter visited also from Boise the day John got here and spent the night before leaving to take care of some business in Pocatello. Another son, Tom Porter, wife Wendy and four children arrived Monday after Christmas for a holiday visit, until Wednesday.

At the December meeting of the Caribou Memorial Hospital and Living Center’s board of directors, Kelly Holt, who served on the voluntary hospital board for the last four years, was formally honored. He also received a framed certificate of appreciation from hospital chairman, Rulon Wistisen.

The Grizzly wrestlers compete in the Fifth Tournament Dec. 29. Eight team members placed in the top five and the team ended up 4th overall. Brett Beckland (171) and Kim Frandsen (215) both placed 1st at the tournament and are undefeated so far this year. Reed Crandall (135) placed 2nd. Nick Torres (189) and Stuart Bitton (152) placed 4th and Jake Millward (145), Tate Harris (140) and Shane Harris (130) all placed 5th. Tyler Hobson, Braiden Weeks, and Alex Hubbard also participated in the tournament.

A “lock in” is planned for Friday at Soda Springs High School from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. It will feature air toys such as the joust, bungee run, the mechanical bull, and also karaoke.

A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest or issuance of a citation in the killing of three trumpeter swans in Dec 20, 2004 by the Idaho Citizens Against Poaching. “Words such as egregious, despicable cannot describe this kind of unconscionable act. The person who did this obviously did it deliberately and apparently has no code of ethics for wildlife or probably anything else,” said Fred Christensen, president of the CAP. The directors of the organization approved the reward as an effort to obtain information on the shooting, which recently occurred near Preston.

2000 Representative John Tippets from Bennington has officially sent his letter of resignation to Governor Dirk Kempthorne, effective Jan. 3. He had previously stated his intentions to resign because of increased responsibilities at Agrium, where he works. The announcement comes just a week before the legislative session, which is scheduled to begin on Monday. The precinct committeemen from District 32 will be called to meet and send three names to the governor to choose from for Tippets’ replacement.

The Bear River at Garner Bridge south of Soda Springs chocked with ice last week after several days of zero degree nights and a large water flow. The ice jammed the river and backed up within about a foot of flowing over the Bailey Creek road before the water broke a channel through the ice.

Five people were arrested by the Soda Springs Police Department early Friday morning, after a routine traffic

stop led to several alleged violations. As a result of the 1 a.m. stop, two juveniles and three adults were arrested for various charges ranging from curfew to felony intent to deliver LSD. One male juvenile from Soda Springs was released to his parents on a curfew charge. One female juvenile from Rock Springs was released to her parent and will be petitioned on curfew and possession of a controlled substance.

1995

Les Hottel and Tracy Lindsay, representing the employees of Rhone-Poulenc Basic Chemicals Co. at the Wooley Valley Mine, presented a check for $1,000 to Susan Abrams of SEICAA recently to help make Christmas a little 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 SEICAA.

Rodney Hoggan, son of Bruce and Cecelia Hoggan, has accepted a call to serve as a missionary in the New York, New York South Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Rodney is a 1994 graduate from Soda Springs High School and has been working at Lew and Dan’s prior to his mission call.

A new city council president was elected at the Jan 3 meeting of the Grace City Council. The 1994 council president, Joan Farnworth, conducted the meeting in the absence of Mayor Kelly Holt. Councilwoman Joyce Bennett was elected as the new council president to serve in 1995.

Stacy Godfrey, a sophomore at Soda Springs High School and daughter of Craig and Nadine Godfrey, has been chosen as the 1995 Soda Springs High School HOBY Ambassador. Stacy has been involved with cheerleading, volleyball, Business Professionals of America, Students Against Drunk Driving, Spanish Club, Girls’ Choir, and Concert Choir. Stacy has served as Mia Maid President, was chosen as Class Favorite, and is an All-American Scholar. She enjoys playing the piano, dancing, volleyball, basketball, skiing, and singing. She is excited about being chosen to attend HOBY this year.

David C. Hopkins, son of Chet and Robyn Hopkins of Soda Springs, has accepted a call to serve as a missionary in the California, San Jose Mission, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. David is a 1994 graduate of Soda Springs High School, were he was active in football and wrestling. He will enter the Missionary Training Center on January 11.

Hoop Shoot winners for the fourth grade were Molly Davis, first place, BreAnn Farnsworth and Alicia Moldenhauer tied for second place. BreAnn beat Alicia in the shoot-off. All winners received gift certificates from the Soda Shoppe.

1970

A snowstorm which deposited about six inches of snow blanketed the area the night of December 23 and 24 “just in time for Christmas.” Intermittent snow flurries continued during the week, until a cold wave came in Saturday, December 27. High that day was 32, with a low of 5 during the night. Sunday night was 12, with an overnight low of minus 15. Monday was not much warmer, as it only got up to 15 during the day, and was minus 15 overnight again. Tuesday has so far been warmer, and it appears the cold snap is over, at least for now.

Chadwick’s Store in Grace was broken into Tuesday morning and several thousand dollars in merchandise was taken, along with a small amount of money. The break-in apparently took place some time between the hours of 2:30 a.m. and 7:20 a.m. Entry was gained by prying open the front doors of the store. Taken were a large quantity of men’s sweaters and sport coats, and other outer wear coats, and approximately $25 from the cash register. Estimated loss was reported to be approximately $4,000. Investigation is continuing by Grace Chief of Police Herb Walters.

The Soda Springs Third Ward Webelos met Monday night at the church for their weekly meeting. The boys enjoyed singing Christmas carols. Den Chief Dana Bedingfield led the boys in game sand then they wrapped the gifts they had made, assisted by Den Mothers Gloria Weeks and Willa Andrews.

For refreshments they had a piece of cake in honor of Vernon Two Shields’ birthday after Christmas. Attending were Scott Andrews, Brian Fowler, Dennis Nichols, Vernon Two Shields, Brent Atwood, John Seamon, and his guest Mike Johnston.

1965

Mrs. Martina Larsen Schenk, Bancroft, will be honored on her 90th birthday with an Open House on January 17 at the Bancroft Ward Chapel Cultural Hall, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Mrs. Schenk was born in Denmark on January 18, 1875. Her mother died when she was twelve years old, and at 14 she came to America with her older brother. Later, her stepmother, who was the mother of Mart and Holm Larsen, also came to America. Mr. Larsen married Hans Nielsen and they made their home in Soda Springs until the Alexander Dam was constructed, which made it necessary that they move.

The Senior class of the Grace High School had an interesting assembly last week. Class President Clynn Christensen took charge. The program was as follows: Dance by Darla Condie; Modern dance by Barton Bennett, Song, by Kathy Coombs; A novelty song by Neta Michelson and Norma Hogan; Humorous skit by Candy Garbett; Barber Shop quartet and jokes by Bob Weaver, Randy Robbins, Dean Manhart, and Ron Wright. The finale was the judging of the boys legs contest. Bud Barthlome, with chauffeur Linda Miles on tricycle; Lynn Rasmussen, with Glenna Steele; David Anderson with Janice King; Dick Burnham with Lynette Balls; Bob Young with Leslie Taylor; Arvin Skinner with Colleen Roper. Highlight of the contest was picking the winner, who was Arvin Skinner. The prize was a pair of nylon hose which the winner had to don before the school.

Greeting the New Year as Caribou County’s first arrival, was little Luke Dietrich Crawford, born Sunday, Jan 3 to the Reverend and Mrs. David L. Crawford of Soda Springs. The baby boy, born at 2:16 a.m., weighed 8 pounds and 4 ½ ounces. Luke was welcomed home by three brothers, Robin 14, Guy 11, and Phillip 3. Dr. Allen Tigert was the attending physician.

A family get together was enjoyed on Christmas at the home of Mr. and Mrs. R.O. Hatch with the following in attendance: Cal and Elizabeth Holbrook and the family of Ogden, Ransom, and Marjorie Hatch and family, Roy and Jolene Hatch and family, Wane and Marcelle Hatch and family visited on Christmas Eve.

The personnel of the Sanders Furniture Store of Grace, Bancroft, and Soda Springs were treated to a holiday dinner Saturday, Jan 2, at Bob’s Café. Present were Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Sanders, Mr. and Mrs. Dewey Anderson, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Orlando Anderson of Pocatello, Mr. and Mrs. Argil Davids, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Watkins, Mr. and Mrs. Dick Finlayson, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Modersitzki, and Mr. and Mrs. Allen Bennett.

Thursday, January 16

Friday, January 17

Saturday, January 18

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 22

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

HEREBY

LEGAL NOTICE IS

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.

#1063_T5_01-9-16-23-30_026-25

52 Weeks A Year

Caribou County Commission Meeting 1/13

The Caribou County Board of Commissioners met on January 13 for their only scheduled meeting of the month. Due to conflicts with other scheduled meetings, the second meeting in January will not be held.

Following the approval of the minutes and payroll from the last month, the meeting turned to the swearing in of county officials. County Coroner Casey Batterton was sworn in later in the afternoon.

The first order of business following the swearing in was the approval of a resolution establishing the board and member assignments. Resolution 2025-2 appointed Chairman Mark Mathews to the position, and Bryce Somsen as the Vice Chairman. The resolution was approved.

A list of the commissioner responsibilities was presented for review and approval. It was determined that Mathews would be the liaison on matters related to the Eastern Idaho State Fair. A motion to accept the assignments as they had been drawn was approved.

Chairman Mathews is over Weed Control, the TV Translator board, IDAWY, Parks and Recreation, and the Fair Board/ Extension Office. Commissioner Somsen is over Public Safety, the Caribou Loop Trail, Idaho Transportation Department, Juvenile Detention and Justice, Tri County Snowmobile Association, Caribou Forest Initiative. Commissioner McCullough is over Health, Mental Health, SICOG, Planning and Zoning, and Senior Citizens.

Kevin McClain—Road and Bridge

A snowplow had been in need of being towed back onto the road on two occasions. This was due to the way the vehicle is constructed and the road conditions at the time.

Cutting edges for the snowplow sweeps were also purchased.

McClain met with a business called New Rock in Utah recently. They are a competitor for local asphalt companies, including Idaho Asphalt, for the provision of road oil. $595 per ton is the current bid for oil. The county uses about 1000 tons of oil a year on the roads, and the Utah company can offer $537 per ton.

Somsen got a call from an individual in Star Valley asking whether County workers could open a road generally cleared by the mine. The road would affect no more than three people, and the cost was discussed as potentially not justified. McClain will keep his eye on it to see if it becomes an issue.

There were reports of a vehicle stuck near Big Springs campground as a result of gates being left open to access the area. Another car who had attempted to assist the first also became stuck. It was clarified that the area is under Bannock County’s jurisdiction as far as the roads are concerned.

Potential areas for a longrange shooting range in the county were discussed. A citizen had queried the department about the possibility for doing so, though the property was adjacent to BLM land. The issue will require more research.

A position for a mechanic with the county is in the hiring phase.

Eric Hobson—EMS

EMPG money from Homeland Security to pay for salaries needed to be signed for by the commissioners. The 2024 Emergency Management Performance Grant was accepted for just over $20K.

ISU offers an online Advanced EMT class. This will upgrade the qualifications of EMTs with the county. The class is one day a week. The

increased licenses will allow the county to upgrade certifications for the trucks. “We’re not going to make a lot, but we’ll break even and keep things going,” Hobson said. The training and other requirements should be covered. “It’s a win-win on it.”

Last year, the county fire rating scores were re-evaluated. It used to be a 7W 1-10. 10 Is remote from a station. The county is now on a 6-10 scale. Overall, the number dropped by one, which represents an insurance savings. 3% of property claims went to fire, according to a report cited by Hobson. The county is hoping to get everyone in the county to within a 5 mile range of a station. The new station in Grace should help to this end. Property owners will benefit from the rating change, although the county won’t necessarily see the direct benefit.

Rowdy Larkins

Larkins presented the final report for 2024 to the commissioners. There was some slow-down in building across the county. He noted that there was some skepticism about the economy.

The number of solar permits was reported to be down.

“Land is still selling, but I don’t have a prediction,” Larkins said, in regard to anticipated building demands for 2025.

Larkins also discussed a number of change orders for the County Event Center. Number 8—cabinetry for the 4-H/Annex bldg. Some of the desks were determined to not be useful for the needs of the staff who will be using them. The change order added $4300 for those changes. The printer room cabinetry was unaccounted for in the plan, so one wall was reconfigured to add them, which added around $17K. The issue was deemed to be related to the blueprints themselves. A motion to deny the change order passed.

Change order 9 for winter condition ground-thawing for $14K was approved.

A potential change order for the HVAC system was flagged by Larkins as likely to come across the desk before too long.

Some of the charges related to site administration were discussed. The county feels that some of the contractor fees are perhaps unnecessary. Dwight Lloyd—Weed Dept

Lloyd spoke to the commissioners on behalf of the Weed department. Damage to one of the trucks was discussed. The truck swerved to avoid a deer on the road and ended up in a snow bank. $4200 was quoted as repair work. Lloyd does not think that the repair should cost that much, so he’s getting a second opinion. The commission approved repair up to that amount, pending a second quote.

Eric Hobson suggested that Twisted Metal would be a good local business to contact for another bid.

Lloyd mentioned that on the north end of the county near the Bonneville border might represent a problem in the future.

Some of the houses in the Grays Lake area might be hard to access during winter months, despite efforts to keep driveways plowed. Eric Hobson stated that EMS could utilize helicopters to access remote areas in the case that a snow sled would not be a good option. The county EMS goes up to a mile south of Paradise cutoff. “If we have a serious medical up there at this time of year, we’ll launch a helicopter. If it’s not a critical thing we’re able to transport by ground. We have options that we pre-plan for.”

“There are not a lot of water sources out there as far as fire,” Hobson said.

Angie Mendenhall Landfill fees were perma-

nently discontinued at one property in the county as a result of a landowner request. Mendenhall suggested looking at the landfill fees for businesses that are not industrial and don’t have employees, as she saw a certain amount of inconsistency in the way that the county applied fees to some types of locations in its jurisdiction.

Overall, Mendenhall expressed the opinion that landfill fees needed to be more carefully examined in the county in order to create more consistency in how they are applied.

The county is required to assign a landfill fee to every address in the county. The shops or storage containers in questions have addresses, which is why they are subject to these fees.

“I think that there needs to be some clarification. If you read the code…it doesn’t address shops or ag ground,” Mendenhall said.

County Assessor Aaron Cook agreed. “The things that aren’t residences are a little unclear,” he stated.

A resident spoke to the commissioners about his fees. Several years ago, the landfill fees on his property were waived. He is on a fixed income, and feels a landfill fee is excessive. According to the language of a meeting in 2016, his property was given a permanent exemption from the fee, which he feels should be honored.

Another question was that since the property is not generating any solid waste, does is meet the terms under which the fee is applied in the first place?

The exact logic behind the assigning of the fees was determined to be in need of further examination.

The fee to the property was waived for the year, though Aaron Cook, along with Angie Mendenhall and the commissioners felt that they needed to more fully examine the issue and make the process and regulations more consistent across the board.

Planning and Zoning—Helen

Barker

A finalized proof for the recreational zone signs was presented to the commissioners. The signs clarify what the building restrictions are on properties in the recreational zones around the county.

Barker also discussed a bid from MR&E for maintenance of the docks and the storage of the trashcans, as well as maintenance of the porta potties. $32K was the cost for taking care of the grounds and the porta potties. $19K was the cost of just the assembly and maintenance of the structures.

Kaylee Peck—Bayer

Kaylee Peck spoke to the commissioners on behalf of Bayer. The Caldwell Canyon Mine project was updated for the board. In May 2016 the plan was submitted to BLM. In August a note to proceed was issued. In April 2021, a group filed a suit to block the mine. EIS was vacated in 2023. A settlement was reached last September to proceed. The settlement was agreed to not be challenged (the new EIS). $5.1 million of conservation and rehabilitation funds will be spent as part of the settlement. Rail won’t be used until April, and noise limitations will be in place during operation. The suit was based on concerns about the sage grouse on the land.

The mitigation will include sage grouse habitat restoration and conservation.

Bayer hopes to have project back underway by the end of 2025. Bayer would like the county to provide comments during the comment period by Feb 3.

OBITUARY

Shirley Ann Wardle Carver

November 30, 1938 ~ January 5, 2025

Shirley Ann Wardle Carver of Soda Springs, passed away peacefully on January 5, 2025, in Pocatello, Idaho. She was 86. She was born a twin in Blackfoot to parents Clyde C. and Nettybell Williams Wardle, the seventh of nine children. She grew up and attended school in Pocatello and graduated from Pocatello High School. She was the mom of three daughters, grandma of 7, great grandma of 9 and great, great grandma to 3.

Shirley was a fun-loving person, making friends wherever she went with whatever she did. In her earlier working years, she was a proud and professional waitress in the heydays of the Bannock and Whitman Hotels in Pocatello. She landed what she called her best job at the Union Pacific Railroad where she excelled as a Yard Clerk, and which took her to Soda Springs, a community she deeply loved. She retired with UPRR, but missed working. She went back to work at Stockman’s Lounge and later at the Soda Springs Senior Center, where she worked as a cook until she was almost 80. No matter what job she had, she took great pride in being prompt, reliable and putting in a good days’ work.

She fulfilled a lifetime dream of home ownership at the age of 69, where she relished making her home and yard beautiful and hosting family get-togethers. Her favorite memories were of sharing meals, playing cards and laughing around the table with her loved ones. She also appreciated the outdoors where she enjoyed fishing, hunting and camping with her family.

She had an active and competitive streak throughout her life. She played softball, bowled on the ladies’ league. She was a league and tournament golfer with the Oregon Trail Country Club where she was a long-time member. Her great joy in

more recent years was to play cards with the Wednesday card group at the senior center, where she was a very shrewd and competitive player. She was a stickler for the rules and taught many the nuances of the game.

She is survived by her daughters Sherrie Seegrist Springsteed (Clarence) of Chubbuck and Tammie

Martin Archibald (Dallas) of Boise; her Son- in-law David Rogers of Omaha, NE; her siblings: Alvin Wardle of Logan, Utah, Budd Wardle (Bonnie) of Kingman, Arizona; Bob Wardle (Karen) of McCammon, Idaho and Jeannie Isham (Bill) of Preston, Idaho. She is also survived by most of her grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her twin Bonnie; other siblings: Clyde, Pattie and Junie; her daughter Debbie Seegrist Rogers, infant son Stephen Seegrist, and her grandson Desmond Field.

A Celebration of Life will be held in her honor at the Soda Springs Senior Center on Saturday, January 25 at 12:00 noon. Graveside dedication in Pocatello to follow.

DEATH NOTICES

Dianna Carol Brewer, 76, passed away January 6, 2025. Dianna was born in Weippe, Idaho to Donald and Mary Harrington. There are no services at this time.

Sandra Ann Wakeman Christopherson, 89, passed away on Friday, January 10, 2025. Services entrusted to Linduist’s Ogden Utah Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd.

Robert Henderson Ladner, 67, of Grace Idaho, passed away on December 24, 2024. Robert was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts to Henderson and Thelma Ladner. There are no services at this time.

Kenneth Gene Munk, 68, of Pocatello passed away January 1, 2025. Kenneth was born July 20, 1956 to Jesse and Lois Munk in Malad, Idaho. Ken is survived by his wife, Carla Munk of Pocatello, Idaho; his daughter, Jessica (Nathan) Hobbs of Henderson, Nevada; and three grandchildren: Payton Ayers, TayLynn Ayers, and Cooper Hobbs.

Ruth E. Sparks, 83 of Soda Springs, passed away January 2, 2025. Ruth was born December 2, 1941 in Massachusetts. There are no services at this time.

Trump pick to head Interior delayed

BY JENNIFER SHUTT, CAPITAL SUN TIMES

Utah Sen. Mike Lee announced Monday he had postponed the confirmation hearing for two days for President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department.

Lee, chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, delayed former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s hearing, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, until Thursday.

“Governor Doug Burgum has been fully cooperative throughout the confirmation process, promptly submitting his paperwork to the Office of Government Ethics,” Lee wrote in a statement. “Despite his compliance and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee noticing the hearing in accordance with all rules, OGE has yet to complete its review. This bureaucratic delay is unacceptable.”

Lee wrote the extra 48 hours was meant to give the Office of Government Ethics a bit more time to wrap up its work, but cautioned the agency should work quickly.

“To ensure transparency and uphold the integrity of this process, the committee will postpone Governor Burgum’s hearing until Thursday,” Lee wrote. “However, we expect OGE to act with urgency and complete its review without further unnecessary delays. The American people deserve a government that operates efficiently to advance their priorities, and we remain committed to ensuring these critical confirmations move forward as quickly as possible.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, and Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., both raised concerns last week about Burgum’s hearing taking place before certain paperwork was filed with the committee.

“The Senate has a constitutional duty to advise and, if it determines, consent to the President’s nominees. This requires careful consideration of each nominee,” Heinrich wrote in a statement released last week.

steps have been completed, I will not consent to notice of nomination hearings.

“Every nominee, every party, every administration should be subject to the same standards. I would urge Chairman Lee to reconsider his decision.”

Heinrich and seven other Democrats on the committee and one independent released a letter Monday morning, urging Lee to delay the hearing until the panel received “the standard financial disclosure report, ethics agreement, or the opinions from the designated agency ethics officer and the Office of Government Ethics stating that the nominee is in compliance with the ethics laws.”

“In view of the fact that the Committee still does not have these documents, which are essential for us to faithfully discharge our constitutional advice-and-consent responsibilities, we respectfully request that you postpone the scheduled hearing on Governor Burgum’s nomination for at least a week to give Members sufficient time to receive and review these materials,” the lawmakers wrote.

Those lawmakers included Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Angus King, a Maine independent, Alex Padilla, D-Calif. and Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, led by Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, later on Monday postponed its Tuesday hearing for Trump’s pick to lead the VA, citing an uncompleted background check.

“Congressman Doug Collins has submitted all his paperwork in a timely manner and has been transparent and forthcoming with the committee,” Moran wrote in a statement. “At this time, the FBI has not completed its customary background check of Congressman Collins. In accordance with long-standing practice, the committee should have an opportunity to review Congressman Collins’ FBI file before the confirmation hearing. I expect the FBI to complete its review quickly so that the committee can move forward with its role of evaluating the President’s nominee.”

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

“To achieve this, for decades, nominees that have come before the ENR Committee have submitted responses to a standard questionnaire and a completed financial disclosure form, approval from the Department’s ethics office, and completion of an FBI background check. Until these

Trump announced in November that he had selected the former Georgia congressman to lead the VA.

Shirley Ann Wardle Carver

Former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ACHTERLING NORTH DAKOTA MONITOR

Ag Concerns heading into 2025

BY ALLISON ELIASON

The United States is days away from a new president taking the helm, a president that 62% of rural voters voted for according to AP VoteCast. Donald Trump stepping into the Oval Office is a relief to many in contrast to his competition. But at the same time, producers across the country have some serious concerns with regard to the appointments, policies, regulations, and the like that will be established over the next four years. Between his previous term and his campaign comments, Trump is not looking to do any favors for the agriculture industry.

While there are so many unknowns, there are some key issues the ag industry will be keeping their eye on as they anticipate the rippling effects of the new administration. Every part of the ag industry that plays a role in taking food from the farm to the dinner table has felt the economic hard times of late. Rising input costs with uncertain markets has meant that everyone is watching their bottom dollar. New tax policies, environmental regulations, and foreign trade might seem to be a far off concern from the everyday ranch business but eventually every business and operation will be impacted by the governing body of the United States.

High on the list of items to tackle is the issue of border and immigration control. With an increasing number of migrant workers filling the need of farm hand positions, this matter

is of high importance to producers. Trump has clearly indicated that he would establish a far more aggressive immigration policy that would include strengthening border patrol and enforcing mass deportations.

Trump has gone so far as to claim his plan to eliminate the H-2A program, a program that plays a vital role in providing a rural workforce. Reducing migrant workers may seem like an opportunity for more American workers to take up the slack but that would come as a heavy cost for producers. Truthfully, there are no available skilled workers to replace the current workforce and the most likely fallout would be for producers to use less labor and turn to more automated technology to get the work done.

Climate control continues to be a dominating issue for policy makers and, in one way or another, will be a major issue for this administration as well. When Trump took over from the Obama administration, he immediately reversed a number of environmental policies and regulations in the very first weeks after taking office. Reducing regulations like Trump has already stated could bring some relief, but his intention to completely remove programs for sustainable food or climate-smart practices could hurt those operations already heavily invested.

On the flip side, Trump has hopes to propose alternative solutions that will protect air and water while also promoting energy independence and economic growth. More affordable

fuel and energy sources with less regulatory pressures may be the difference of staying afloat for many operations.

The debate over foreign trade and tariffs is already hitting many crop producers square in the face and what they are seeing is lending to a squeamish feeling deep in their gut. Trump has admitted that he will go back to already established trade agreements with China, laying down tariffs that could strongly hamper crop markets such as soybean and corn. The trade wars of 2018 and 2019 are still fresh in the minds of many farmers that were affected by the drop in US exports and fear history repeating itself on Trump’s path to more fair trade agreements.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 is set to expire in 2026 and tax reform will be on the table for heavy discussion. Any conversation involving estate and capital gains taxes could have large repercussions for landowners in the agriculture industry. Trump and the republican party generally advocate for extending the tax cuts from the 2017 bill as they have significantly contributed to economic growth, job creation, and relief for middle-class families and businesses, including the American family farm.

In addition to Trump’s own intentions to redirect the affairs of the United States and the agriculture industry, his cabinet appointments and their own agendas will clearly influence the immediate future of farming and ranching operations.

Brooke Rollins, newly appointed Secretary of Agriculture has said little about what the future of ag will look like under her command, only that “It will be the honor of my life to fight for America’s farmers and our nation’s agricultural communities.” Rollins comes from a farming background in Texas, graduating from Texas A&M in agricultural development before receiving her law degree from the University of Texas. With little known of how she will handle affairs involving agriculture, her background in ag is at least a step in the right direction.

Appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Jr is also likely to have a large influence on farming and ranching practices. Declaring war on any and all practices that may be responsible for the epidemic of chronic disease, RFK is looking to take on “modern agriculture” with an overwhelming “agricultural reformation.” His anti-pesticide views with his animal activist rhetoric is a concerning preamble to his term leading the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Fortunately, despite the unknowns of the new administration taking over the country, there is one thing we know- US farmers and ranchers across the country are forever dedicated to the cause of raising the best products in the best way. It may be an uphill battle, but they are always ready to defend their way of life and their right to do it, for themselves and their country.

Bancroft City Council Report December 9

This report is adapted from the official minutes recorded by City Clerk Debbie Swensen.

Roll call showed the following council and staff members present: Jessica Vawser, Eric Christensen, Nate Eiman, Mayor Spencer, and Clerk Swensen. Councilmember Rick Hatch was absent.

Others in attendance were Mike Ackerman, James Ackerman, Jules Belyea/SICOG, George Hulse/Airport Manager.

Mayor Spencer called the meeting to order at 8:00 p.m., after which he led the pledge. The prayer was given by Councilmember Eric Christensen.

Jules Belyea/SICOG-Income Survey Updates

Jules Belyea is the planning specialist for SICOG (Southeast Idaho Council of Governments). SICOG is a non-profit organization that assists rural communities in getting grants and other types of funding. Jules is one of the representatives working with region five, including Bancroft city. Jules has been assisting with administering the income survey in Bancroft. The survey is a stepping stone to help cities and organizations qualify for community development grants.

The funding is intended to aid communities in improving their parks, wastewater, economic development and create more jobs.

Belvea informed the council that a portion of the surveys were sent out in the mail but returned due to accidentally being sent to the physical address. Those surveys were redirected to PO boxes and should be coming back in shortly.

Councilmember Jessie Vawser asked if they are planning to leave extra surveys for the residents that didn’t receive one, but would like to participate. CM Eric Christensen stated that he did not receive a sur-

vey. Belvea informed council that not everyone was selected to take the survey and due to the strict guidelines set by urban housing development they are not allowed to leave extra copies of the survey in town. The surveys are to be administered and each address accounted for.

Belvea agreed to stay after the meeting if anyone wants to check the address list or complete the survey in person. They are required to administer 49 surveys in total from the address list. Belvea explained that they originally planned to go door-to-door and then due to weather decided to mail the first round. They plan to go door to door next week with the next phase and hopefully meet their required quota. Belvea gave out his business card and encouraged anyone with questions to call. He asked that everyone who received a survey take a few minutes to fill it out and send it in. He will be in touch in the next couple weeks with the results.

Variance Request

Council reviewed a variance application that was filed. A public hearing was set for January 13, 2025 at 7:45pm.

CM Eric Christensen made a motion to set the public hearing for January 13, 2025 at 7:45 p.m. Motion passed 3-0.

Building Permits

Kyle Mills submitted a fence permit. Mills would like to replace an existing fence and expand the fence to the south of the property. Mayor Spencer visited the building site to check boundaries. The resident stated that he is planning to fence off the water shutoffs to ensure that livestock cannot damage the public utilities. Mayor Spencer does not have any issues with the plan or application.

CM Vawser commented that the contractors working at this location are parking on the public street making it difficult for buses to turn around. Mayor Spencer will address the problem with the contractor and home owner. CM Jessica Vawser made a motion to approve the application for a fence permit. Motion passed 3-0.

Items needed for the 2025 Lighting the Square Maintenance informed council that several strands of street lights are not working and need replaced before next year. The city also needs two more stock pots and an additional drink dispenser for the hot cocoa. Council suggested purchasing LED lights with a warranty.

Maintenance Moreland stated that good lights with a warranty are several hundred dollars a strand so the city might want to up the Lighting of the Square Budget. Maintenance will get quotes from a couple vendors for the next meeting.

Clerk Swensen asked if the city would purchase another two-burner camp stove with a higher btu. It was a struggle to serve the hot cocoa due to the propane burners not heating the water fast enough to keep up with the lines. The last couple of containers served were barely warm. Also, the dry cleaners will not be able to clean the frosty costume again due to aging and thinning at the seams. The suit has been worn twice without going to the drycleaners. Council reviewed a couple options for replacement costumes. Council would like to wait and see what prices do after January 1st.

Airport Updates - George Hulse / Manager George Hulse gave council a list of the materials needed to build a tetrahedron for the Bancroft airport.

He hopes to have it done and ready to go by summer. The plate and pipe are estimated to cost approximately $400 and the additional items and costs are listed. Mayor Spencer suggested purchasing a signature book and put it in a dry box to as a record of those using the Bancroft facility. Council agreed to purchase the materials needed for the construction of the tetrahedron.

CM Eric Christensen made a motion to purchase the items needed to build the tetrahedron (up to $1,000).

Motion passed 3-0.

Council and Staff Reports

Mayor Spencer asked if the city received the check from the Blue Cross Walk Challenge. The check was in the morning mail. The city will get a list and order basketballs for North Gem.

Mayor Spencer would like to set a public hearing to discuss issues and make a plan for the sewer ponds.

CM Vawser wants to follow up with the city attorney on the violation letters and get them ready to go out.

CM Vawser asked about a few residents that have 3 or more dogs and make sure they get a kennel license application mailed to them. Cm, Vawser would like to post the dog fees notice on Facebook.

CM Vawser has had a few individuals suggest holding off on the community family treasure hunt activity until February or March when things are not so busy with the holidays.

CM Vawser asked if invoices for business licenses have been sent out. They are out and many of them are back and paid.

CM Vawser asked if the truck route signs are up and mentioned that trucks from the local milling business are still driving through town. Mayor Spencer will address the problem and make a few calls.

Lady Grizzlies Wrap Up Long Road Stint

BY JODY REEVES

The Lady Grizzlies took on a pair of non conference foes last week traveling first to Marsh Valley on Wednesday then to Oakley on Saturday. It was a challenging week of games for the Grizzlies with Marsh Valley being two classifications larger than Grace and Oakley being the number one 2A team in the state.

At Marsh Valley the Lady Grizzlies got off to a good start. Tessica Jorgensen put in six points in the first quarter and helped the Grizzlies establish an early five point lead. The Lady Grizzlies continued to do some solid scoring in the second quarter that included a pair of three point shots by Kallie Stoddard and Kameron Mansfield. However the Eagles would not be outdone in the second. Marsh Valley returned the favor of the first quarter and outscored Grace by five points in the period sending the teams to the locker room deadlocked. In the third period the Grizzlies continued to put up good scoring numbers. Grace would get baskets from six different players in the quarter but were outdone by the Marsh Valley starters who by the end of the period had built a four point lead. The defenses from both teams tightened up in the fourth quarter and the game stayed close and competitive. When the final horn sounded the Lady Grizzlies came up just one basket short, losing the game by just two points.

Following the close loss the Grizzlies hit the road once again this time traveling to Oakley for an early Saturday game against the Hornets. Oakley entered the game undefeated and sitting at the top of every 2A poll in the state. It didn’t take long for Oakley to show why they have been so successful. At the end of the first quarter the Lady Grizzlies had scored seven points but the Hornets

had put up twelve. In the second quarter the Grace defense went to work. The Lady Grizzlies were able to hold the Hornets to just one field goal but did see Oakley go three out of four from the charity stripe. Unfortunately the Lady Grizzlies were not able to cut into the lead as they themselves struggled to score and the teams headed to halftime with Oakley still holding a five point lead. In the third the Grizzlies continued to play solid defense and nearly matched the Hornets offensively. However as the fourth quarter began the Lady Grizzlies still trailed now by six points. In the fourth the Grizzlies would get to the foul line four times but would only manage going two for eight in those attempts. The uncharacteristic poor foul shooting combined with a pair of three point shots from the Hornets helped Oakley pull away in this one. The Grizzlies fell to the top team in their classification by fourteen points.

This week is a slower week for the Lady Grizzlies as they have just one game. The road weary Grizzlies will be at home for the first time since November 21st. The Lady Grizzlies will face another tough match up in that game taking on 4A American Falls on Saturday. Grace lost to the Beavers early this month on the road.

Grizzlies 11 12 13 9 45

Eagles 6 17 17 7 47

E.Olenslager 2, K.Stoddard 12, K.Christensen 6, K.Mansfield 10, P. Steadman 2, C.Yost 1, T.Jorgensen 12

Grizzlies 7 5 8 6 26

Hornets 12 5 9 14 40

E.Olenslager 2, K.Stoddard 5, K.Mansfield 2, C.Yost 6, T.Jorgensen 11

Cowboys Stumble Against The Vikings

BY JODY REEVES

The Cowboys entered last week on a high coming off of a huge upset at Grace Lutheran the week before. Any hopes of keeping that momentum rolling on their home court against the Challis Vikings were quickly dashed last Thursday. Challis came out and jumped on the Cowboys early. Some poor passes and a number of turnovers limited the amount of shots taken by the Cowboys. Yost put up the only points for the Cowboys in the opening period but he also began picking up fouls. By the end of the quarter North Gem already trailed by double digits. In the second the struggles continued for the Cowboys. Yost was forced to spend some time on the bench due to foul trouble. This took the Cowboys primary ball handler out of the game. Hatch stepped up with Yost on the bench and put up four points of his own in the second. Unfortunately the lead just continued to grow for Challis. By the end of the first half North Gem trailed by nineteen points.

The bad luck for Yost continued in the third. Less than one minute into the quarter Yost picked up his fifth foul and his night ended. The rest of the Cowboys continued to battle but made little progress. The Cowboys leading scorer on the season Ryver Hayden did not get his first field goal in the game until part way through the third and would finish with only five points in the game. The Cowboys also struggled from the foul line going just ten of twenty-three. This game ended with a running clock and a loss for the Cowboys.

Things did not get easier for the Cowboys as they next faced top ranked Rockland on Tuesday on the road. They will have better match ups at home later this week with Clark County on Thursday and ShoBan on Saturday.

Cowboys 4 8 7 3 22

Vikings 15 16 15 8 54

R.Hayden 5, C.Yost 4, R.Hatch 12, W.Wakley 1

Lady Cowboys Season Struggles Continue

BY JODY REEVES

Last week the Lady Cowboys faced a pair of conference opponents in the Challis Vikings and Mackay Miners. In the large ten team conference Challis and Mackay are comfortably sitting in the top half of teams while the Cowboys are fighting to stay out of last place. Last week’s games did not favor North Gem.

In Thursday’s game against Challis the Lady Cowboys put forth their lowest scoring output of the season. The Lady Vikings are currently in second place in the conference and proved to be too much for the Lady Cowboys. North Gem finished the game averaging just two points a quarter. The Cowboys only managed two made foul shots out of ten attempts on the night as well. In the end this game is one of those that you might be best off just forgetting about and moving on to the next one.

Moving on is just what the Cowboys had to do last Saturday. Following the big loss to Challis, North Gem now had to face an equally tough Mackay team. The Miners came right out in a press and caused the Cowboys to turn the ball over

several times. Before they knew it the Cowboys found themselves in the same position as their previous game. After just one quarter of play they already trailed by double digits while only scoring one basket themselves. Though they would be able to score a little more in this game the Lady Cowboys still struggled to keep pace and once again fell by a large margin. North Gem also continued to struggle from the charity stripe going just one for ten in this one. The Lady Cowboys have plenty of room for improvement but are running out of time. With just six games left in the regular season North Gem desperately needs to pick up some wins in the closing weeks before district tournament play.

Lady Cards Face Two Top 5 Teams

BY JODY REEVES

Last week the Soda Springs Lady Cardinals faced a schedule that no team would want to take on. With match ups against the top 3A team, Malad, and the third place 4A team Bear Lake the Lady Cardinals had a huge challenge to face. They began by facing the Lady Dragons at home on Friday. Malad is the consensus number one 3A team in the state in both the coaches and media polls. The size of the Lady Dragons would make scoring difficult for the Cardinals all night long. Soda Springs’ Gracie Moldenhauer stepped up big in the first quarter of the game scoring all ten points for the Cardinals and keeping them within striking distance of Malad. The second quarter of play proved to be more challenging for Soda Springs. The Lady Cardinals struggled to put points on the board for the majority of the period and watched the Dragons begin to pull away. A late charge by the Cardinals did cut into the lead but at the halftime break Soda Springs still trailed. During the third quarter the Lady Cardinals made some critical defensive mistakes that allowed the Dragons to increase their lead. By early in the fourth quarter the game had begun to slip away from the Cardinals. Part way through the quarter Coach Gronning went to his bench conceding the game. The Dragons showed their dominance winning the game by twenty-one points.

The Lady Cardinals had to regroup quickly as the very next day they faced a very tough Bear Lake squad. The Lady Bears are ranked in the top five of the state polls for 4A. Bear Lake has a well balanced team with

Cardinal Boys Begin Conference Play

BY JODY REEVES

The Soda Springs Cardinals began their conference play last Thursday on the road in Dayton taking on the West Side Pirates. West Side is currently sitting at the top of the conference along with Declo. Meanwhile the Cardinals have had a bit of a see-saw season that has seen some great wins but also some devastating losses. Some of those losses can be attributed to injury and illness while others were very competitive close games.

In Thursday’s game the Cardinals struggled early to get many clean

looks at the basket. The active defense of the Pirates combined with some hot shooting helped West Side jump out to an early lead. By the end of the first quarter Soda Springs already trailed by double digits. In the second quarter the Cardinals did a far better job at attacking the rim which got them to the foul line several times. The Cardinals took advantage of those opportunities going six for eight on those attempts. Soda Springs added a trio of three point shots from Hansen, Thompson, and Martinsen. The Cardinals had managed to get the lead down to just seven points but a halftime buzzer beat-

er from the Pirates pushed it back to ten. In the third quarter the Cardinals continued to get opportunities at the foul line making the trip to the charity stripe six times. However they had less success capitalizing on those trips making just fifty percent of the shots. A three pointer from Jacobson and eight points from Hansen helped keep the Cardinals afloat in the third but they could not chip away at the ten point deficit they faced at the half. In the fourth quarter the Cardinals could not get many shots to fall and were unable to keep pace with the Pirates. Late in the game the coaches emptied the benches and the Cardinals fell to

plenty of size and great outside shooting. As the game began it did not take the Bears long to establish a lead. Soda Springs gave up ten straight points before they were finally able to crack the scoreboard. By the end of the first the Lady Cardinals trailed by a large margin. Bear Lake applied pressure on the ball throughout the night giving the Cardinals very little time to work with on the shot clock. By halftime the Bear Lake lead had ballooned to twenty-three points. In the second half of play the Lady Cardinals would get some good looks at the basket but just could not get any shots to fall. Meanwhile the hot shooting Bears kept pushing their lead so that by the end of the third quarter they had met the criteria for a running clock in the fourth. Not much changed in the fourth and the Lady Cardinals tough two game stretch came to a close with another substantial loss.

This week the Lady Cardinals will see the opposite end of the spectrum as they face the two bottom teams in the conference. Soda Springs will play at Aberdeen on Wednesday before facing off with West Side at home on Friday.

Cardinals 10 9 8 6 33 Dragons 12 11 18 13 54

J.Rasmussen 2, C.Gronning 11, A.Goodin 4, G.Moldenhauer 15, E.Wood 1

Cardinals 8 6 7 7 28 Bears 24 13 16 13 66

C.Gronning 5, A.Goodin 6, G.Moldenhauer 6, R.Harris 2, E.Wood 3, M.Kempe 3, J. Parker 3

the Pirates in the conference opener by thirteen points. The Cardinals faced Grace on the road Tuesday, a game that had not yet taken place at the time of the writing of this article. Following the game against Grace the Cardinals will jump back into conference play by hosting the other top team in the conference the Declo Hornets. That game takes place Saturday night in Soda Springs.

Cardinals 7 15 15 7 44 Pirates 18 14 15 10 57

G.Hansen

5th District Duals

BY JODY REEVES

The 5th District Duals were held at Soda Springs last week and featured several of our local wrestlers. All six schools that will compete in the district meet were in attendance. Each one of the schools competed in a dual with each one of the other schools. The duals included both boys and girls teams. There was a lot of action and some of the best matches involved our three local schools. This is a great competition for the individual wrestlers as well as the teams to prepare for the upcoming district tournament. It helps everyone get an idea of where they stand and where they need to improve in order to qualify for the state tournament. All available results are listed below.

Eddins Siblings Earn Top Spots At Weekend Tournaments

BY JODY REEVES

Over the weekend, the Lady Grizzly wrestlers attended the Madison Invitational tournament in Rexburg while the Grace and North Gem boys went to the Ririe Rumble Tournament in Ririe. Most of the local wrestlers involved in both tournaments did extremely well with several placers. With seventeen schools represented at the boys tournament and a whopping thirty four at the girls, the competition was fierce. With terrific performances by so many it can be difficult to stand out in the crowd but last weekend a brother and sister duo stole the spotlight.

Senior Jack Eddins and his little sister Bella have made names for themselves as premier wrestlers for the Grace Grizzlies. The brother and sister’s physical makeups give them a different appearance than what many would picture as being the prototypical body type for a wrestler. The two are often much taller and leaner looking than their opponents. The Eddins have learned to use their length to their advantage by being able to stretch and reach beyond their opponents abilities. The siblings’ style and technique were on full display Saturday as each entered their respective tournaments. Bella competes at 126 pounds while Jack wrestles in the 144 pound class.

The Grizzlies Are Back!

BY JODY REEVES

Coming into this season, the Grace boys basketball team was full of high expectations. After missing out on a state tournament berth last year, this year’s team is hungry to get back. With a roster full of upper classmen that includes eight seniors and five juniors there is plenty of talent and experience to work with. You know what they say about the best laid plans. Even the most careful plans can go wrong due to unforeseen circumstances. That is exactly the circumstance that the Grizzlies found themselves in with several lingering injuries from a long football season affecting several of those players. Those injuries, combined with the juggling of players required to fill three full teams and stay within the state’s quarters played parameters, stretched the Grizzlies thin. Before they knew it December was over, and the Grizzlies were sitting with an abysmal 2-6 record. Luckily for the Grizzlies there is enough season left to turn things around. Last week the Grizzlies were finally at full strength, and just in time too. Grace had three big games last week and a full roster to work with. This is just what the Grace coaches and fans had been waiting to see and the players did not disappoint.

The Grizzlies kicked off their busy week last Tuesday in Malad. The Dragons had some early season success and proved that they were not going to be push overs. In fact, they were the aggressors in the early going and before the first quarter was over it was clear that the Grizzlies were in for a dog fight. A somewhat low scoring opening period ended with the Dragons leading by two points. The Grizzlies had started off slow and the pace did not pick up much in the second. The game stayed close as the teams

battled back and forth. When the first half came to a close, the Grizzlies had matched the Dragons and the teams went into the locker room all knotted up. It was during the third quarter that the Grizzlies took control of the game. Grace exploded with a nineteen point quarter and took a comfortable lead into the fourth. In the fourth Grace may have gotten a little too comfortable, allowing Malad to go on a scoring run of their own. The Dragons put up eighteen in the final period. Fortunately the Grizzlies were able to connect on six of seven foul shots and did just enough to earn a three point victory.

With a day break between games, the Grace coaching staff made some minor adjustments to the personnel before the team traveled to Aberdeen to face the Tigers. This game was a runaway right from the get go. The speed, depth, and athleticism of the Grizzlies quickly overwhelmed the Tigers. Grace seemed to almost score at will while swarming the Tigers on defense. After three quar-

In her tournament Bella was awarded a first round bye. In the next three rounds Bella tore through the competition earning pins against girls from Preston, Green Canyon Ut., and Idaho Falls. Each of those matches lasted less than two minutes. In her championship

ters Grace had a commanding lead and just coasted through the fourth. This is an area where the coaches would like to see improvement. They feel like the players get too comfortable and allow their opponents to make things interesting. This game never got to that point but the Tigers were able to match the Grizzlies score in the fourth. In the end Grace still breezed to a twenty-three point victory.

In their final game of the week the Grizzlies hosted the Bear Lake Bears. In an early match up in the season these two teams needed extra time to decide the winner. Grace did win that game in overtime but they had to battle hard and were still short handed at the time. This time things would go much different. Just like the night before in Aberdeen the Grizzlies jumped all over the Bears right out of the gate. After the first quarter Grace had a nine point

match Bella faced another opponent from Green Canyon. Though it would take a little longer Bella once again emerged victorious by pinning her opponent and earning first place.

Just a short distance away from his sister Jack was facing some of the top talent in the state from 3A. Jack’s bracket began with three rounds of pool matches. Each wrestler would wrestle everyone in their pool before being seeded in a quick style bracket. Jack made it out of the pool matches unscathed earning one technical fall and two pins. Jack began his bracket matches facing off with a Ririe wrestler who Jack pinned in under a minute earning him a spot in the championship match. In that match Jack took on a wrestler from Aberdeen. It would take nearly two minutes longer but Jack once again earned the victory by pinning his opponent and capping off a day to remember for the Eddins family.

The rest of the results for the Grizzlies and Cowboys are listed below.

Madison Invite Results: 107 Ha.Ball 4-1 3rd, 126 B.Eddins 4-0 1st, 126 K.Hulse 1-2 DNP, 126 Ho.Ball 2-2 DNP, 138 G.Succetti 0-2 DNP, 145 J.Newby 2-1 2nd, 152 S.Cloud 2-1 2nd

Ririe Rumble Results: (Grace) 120 C.Newby 3-1 2nd, 126 D.Wood 2-3 4th, 132 C.Kimball 3-1 2nd, 138 B.Hobbs 3-1 2nd, 144 J.Eddins 5-0 1st, 165 M.Jorgensen 1-3 4th. (North Gem) 138 L.Rindlisbaker 2-2 5th, 138B J.Welker 1-3 4th, 144 L.Welker 3-2 5th, 165 H.Frandsen 2-2 3rd

lead and had held the Bears to just four points. The second quarter was one of the biggest scoring quarters of the year for Grace. The Grizzlies put up a whooping twenty-two points and took a nineteen point lead into the locker room. Once again the Grizzlies eased off in the second half but still managed to outscore the Bears winning the game by twenty one points.

For the first time this season the Grizzlies appear to be running on all cylinders with their biggest criticism being they aren’t finishing strong enough. That is something the coaches will work on this week. Grace faces another busy week this week with three more games. Grace will have already played Soda Springs on Tuesday night before having a rematch with Malad on Wednesday. They wrap up the week with their first 2A game of the season when they travel to Raft River on Saturday for an afternoon game.

7, B.Kimball

Hayden Ball gets her hand raised following one of her wins in last weeks district duals.

Jack Eddins claimed first place in a very competitive tournament at Ririe last weekend.

Bella Eddins earned the top spot on the podium beating out a very large field of competitors.

Cael Newby earns the advantage and goes for the pin in last weeks district duals.

Senior Jamie Smith brings the ball up the court for the Grizzlies. This was Jamie's first game of the season after recovering from a serious offseason accident.