The Idaho Enterprise/Caribou County | February 20, 2025

Fireman’s Dance has a great first year

In what is hoped will become a yearly tradition, the Soda Springs Fire Department sponsored a Valentines Dance for adults at Tigert Middle School. The dance, which was the only public semi-formal Valentines event on the calendar for the county, let couples come out to mingle, dance, catch up with friends, enjoy some dessert, and spend a rare

night out away from the hustle and bustle of the week. Like all events in Idaho, organizers were concerned right at the starting time when the dance cards were mostly empty. However, also like all events in Idaho, the “fashionably late” crowd eventually made their fashionable entrance and the dance floor stayed busy throughout the night.

DJ Ryan Carpenter and his assistants kept music flowing with a mix of contemporary, 80s, and country music (the crowd seemingly agreed that country was the preference).

Emcee DJ Carpenter, along with Fire Chief Dan Squires, also drew for the large number of door and raffle prizes throughout the evening. He took some time to introduce the notables in the crowd as well, including Senator Mark Harris.

During the course of the night’s events, a rifle was raffled off as the major prize, and was won by Hannah Beer. Other prizes included handcrafted bird houses made by Bill Horsley, electric toothbrushes from Soda Smiles, Vortex binoculars from Dave’s Tackle, a couples’ photo session from Shena Smith, a room from the Black Swan Inn, gift card from Ireland Bank to Eruption Brewery in Lava, a $50 gift card from the Flower Box, and more. Other

DANCE On Page 2

A new State Park at Enders?

After literally years of trying to find the best way to utilize the Maughan family’s gift of the Enders Hotel, a novel solution has already gained a warm reception among those who heard it, and takes the discussion in a completely different direction.

The Enders hotel was given to the city by its previous owner to be used as the city saw fit. Since that time, it has continued to house a museum’s worth of artifacts related to the Caribou County area, and been leased to a variety of different businesses for retail use. It has also been subject to numerous repairs, remodels, and updating in the process. Most recently, the building was leased by Terah Jones as an operating hotel, guest suites, a meeting center, gift shop, and catering concern. When the next contract term was under discussion, Jones decided that it was not feasible to continue in that way, and the city council was once again faced with a decision about what to do with the building.

The matter has been discussed in nearly every City Council meeting over the last year, at the very least, and the phrase “kicking the problem down the road” has been uttered just as often.

February 12 was scheduled as a special meeting session to provide a definite path forward. The choices on the table, as they had been discussed beforehand, included selling the building outright to a third party, leasing the building in part to defray operating costs, moving the city administration to the building and leasing space in it, or continue kicking the problem down the road.

The drawbacks to each of those proposals have been hashed out during numerous previous sessions. The expense of moving city hall to the building, when the current building is sufficient to the city’s needs, is seen as unnecessarily high. The risk involved in selling the building outright (as well as the question of what would become of the museum materials on the second floor) is that the owner could do whatever they wished with a landmark of Caribou County’s history. A partial leasing arrangement would bring with it the same instability and lack of permanence already faced by the city vis a viz the Enders.

It turns out, it was a proposal that had not previously been broached at all that gained the most interest. Councilmember Paul Gritton proposed that the city look into working with the State of Idaho to have Enders, and potentially the geyser facility itself, become an official state park. That’s right—an actual state park. The arrangement would relieve the bulk of

the financial burden of maintaining and operating the building and the associated assets. The geyser itself was not a part of the initial discussion, but the concept of a larger park designated area began to intrigue those in the audience, as well as the potential for increased tourism, retail acceleration, and preservation possibilities.

Members of the council seemed both surprised and delighted by the idea, and other stakeholders were also pleasantly surprised, having dreaded the potential of selling the building commercially. Bill Horsley, of the Caribou Historical Society, though the idea was excellent. “It’s a win-win!” he noted, echoing a sentiment shared by many. Horsley and the Historical Society had been willing to do whatever it took to house and preserve the museum artifacts, but if this proposal goes forward, it might obviate that need.

While Councilmember Gritton has been in contact with state officials, there is no official word from those entities about their intentions, although Gritton did take one representative on a tour of the facilities, and the proposal can fairly be said to be making its way through the chain of necessary parties.

As this is a brand new idea for most of the parties involved, and state government moves notoriously slowly, it will be a while before the status of this project is determined. At the very least, however, it presents an exciting possibility for resolving the long-running Enders issue.

European countries clash over sending troops to Ukraine European countries disagreed about sending troops to Ukraine as they held a crisis meeting intended to find consensus on a response to US President Donald Trump’s peace talks with Russia. Leaders convened in Paris for the emergency meeting on Monday afternoon, with Germany, Poland and Spain signalingreluctance to dispatch peacekeeping forces to the war-torn country, hours after Britain offered to put “boots on the ground”. The meeting, which France hoped would also plan to help European countries boost defense spending, was hosted by President Emmanuel Macron and attended by six EU countries, the UK and officials from Nato and the EU.

Death toll rises in multistate floods as rivers rise and rescues continue After the initial blast of the weekend’s massive winter storm, the next phase of danger quickly set in. Water levels are still rising on some waterways in Kentucky and other portions Ohio the and mid-Atlantic, which is now flooded by a fatal coast-to-coast winter storm. Even worse, more snow and extreme cold is on its way. At least 13 people across Georgia, West Virginia and Kentucky have been reported to have died in the initial storm. Many others were missing amid flooding across the area as of Monday morning. Kentucky saw over a month’s worth of rain in a single day, which set the deadly flooding into motion. The rain itself is done for now, but waterways are swollen and running dangerously fast.

Idaho recorded very dry January, February starts out wet January was extremely dry across Idaho, with precipitation falling only the first week of the month and then the final day of January, according to the state’s Feb. 1 water supply summary. Precipitation totals last month ranged from 37 to 68 percent of normal across Idaho. The Panhandle basins were the driest, receiving less than 40 percent of normal January precipitation. The first week of February saw a shift in precipitation, but that data isn’t included in the water report issued Feb. 6 by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. If the wet February weather continues, the report states snowpack levels throughout Idaho could increase. Cold, wet weather is predicted for February in most of Idaho, the report states.

Bill to protect seniors introduced

AARP Idaho is urging Idaho lawmakers to help protect vulnerable Idaho seniors by passing recently introduced “Report and Hold” legislation. HB 182, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Ehlers, R-Meridian and Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls, enables the financial industry to withhold payments if illicit activity is suspected. It provides private and public partners with the collaborative, investigative, and information sharing tools they need to identify and stop financial crimes. These laws also help facilitate legal action against the financial criminals who are harming Idahoans. Idaho is currently one of only eight states that does not provide “Report and Hold” authorities, which is leaving the financial assets of Idahoans vulnerable to financial crime and exploitation.

The Enders building has been the subject of ongoing discussion in the city. A new proposal would potentially convert it into a state park.

The first ever Fireman's Valentine's Dance was a great night for couples.

MC DJ Ryan Carpenter works the crowd, which included Sen. Mark Harris and Councilmember Paul Gritton.

sponsors include Itafos, CMC, The Idaho Enterprise and others, as well as many volunteers. Sponsor Caribou Medical Center provided the desserts and refreshments for the night. The idea came about as a recognition of the need for some sort of community-wide occasion for couples to spend time with each other and other couples in a fun setting. It might be noted that while those do exist, they are often focused on the couples’ kids. After discussions of some kind of event started, the Fire Department was seen as a logical sponsor for the event. “The Fireman’s Ball” is a time-honored social event across the country, after all. Dan Squire’s

Caribou County Commission Dance

The Board met for a regular commission meeting on Feb. 10. Commissioner McCullough joined the meeting by phone.

The first County Commission meeting for February included some change orders for the Event Center project, various department requests, funds allocated to businesses on Main Street in Soda Springs, a public hearing on the Impact Zone, an Update on the Public Defender’s office, and other issues.

Dwight Lloyd—Weed Dept

Dwight Lloyd spoke to the commissioners about expanding the county shop building.

The addition for Kevin and Dwight’s stuff was presented with a cost of over $325K. County Building Inspector Rowdy Larkins asked whether that represented a “whole barn style” or not. Commissioner Bryce Somsen told Lloyd to meet with Larkins to talk about what might be possible. Attorney Doug Wood said that it would need to be put out for bid at the amount, even with capital outlay used.

The bids will need to be advertised and posted. The new building would replace the existing trailer.

This would create place to store expensive equipment in order to keep it as well-maintained as possible.

A traffic study determined that there was not enough traffic at the area of the county shed to warrant the implementation of a turn lane.

Kevin McClain—Road and Bridge

“Mainly it’s a wish list,” McClain started. He discussed the need for a new vehicle, explaining that while he had a problem going through the port with equipment before, the trailer they have has a lot of stress fractures, especially on the beaver tail element. There is one at Diesel Depot that would work

as a replacement for $121,700. The existing trailer still has value for hauling locally, but the port does not want to see it go through again, as it needs welding repair.

The road grader is still on the way. The county has the option to lease it, or lease to buy.

McClain also noted that snowplows for the county were in need of replacement. One of the snowplows, which has had three transmissions, might need engine repair. The chassis was cited at over $150K, with a total of over $250K for the vehicle. A proposal was made to purchase two trucks and keep one for reserve, though McClain said they could probably get by with one if they had to. The commissioners asked for a firm bid, which would ideally include the trade value of the current truck. The issue will be discussed at the next meeting.

The BLM required an extension on the lease for land at the center pit on the govt dam road.

Out of the materials discussion, a motion to approve a Road grader and trailer was made, with buyback option and trade $323K. Trailer from Diesel Depot 2025 XF110 Low Boy trailer for $121,700. Both were approved.

McClain reported that there were quite a few job applications for 2 positions within the department. The positions are a mechanic and a general worker for the department. There were some applicants that were interested in both. McClain would like to hire one of the mechanics first.

Rowdy Larkins

Larkins once again discussed change orders for the Event Center project, including bringing current elevations up to finish footing work so they can bring in material, with county providing fill. Chairman Mathews questioned the

wife Jennifer, and Ryan Carpenter’s wife Lanae were in charge of the decorations and set up for the event, which was inviting and very nicely appointed. There was a fun “LOVE” backdrop against which couples and groups took pictures throughout the evening, and a full refreshment table for the shier people in attendance to retreat to.

After the initial reluctance to dance had been broken by Hannah and John Beer, couples began to take the floor and break in their shoes. By the end of the evening, full country line dances were underway. The event was well-attended and a hit with those who were there, so there’s a strong chance it will be returning next year, bigger and better!

fact that the fill should have been part of the original bid.

The commissioners discussed various ways to save costs on the change order issues, and the project elements.

Some of the changes came through discussion with the Extension office, who pointed out some changes that needed to be made in order to make the space functional for them.

“Building is coming along. Got some framing going up. It puts the size in perspective,” Larkins said.

Helen Barker—PZ

“I just wanted to talk Parks and Rec this morning.” Regarding the RV park, JUB might be contracted for a landscape architect, at $5K for the cost. “Especially where it’s right there at the entrance to our community, it would be nice to have it be good looking, etc.”

A Bid from Craig’s Backhoe regarding porta potties was discussed. “I don’t think it will be much more than we were paying prior, and we will be paying for service, and it will be a good service.” All of the toilets are tagged and tracked on the computer system as far as service/maintenance. “What we try to do it keep it clean,” a representative said. “The toilets I have are quite an upgrade from the ones you have.” A cost of $125 an hour for using the equipment to empty the toilets was cited.

Angie Mendenhall--Assessor Assessor Mendenhall spoke to the commission about the Idaho Power assessment changes, which involve refunds to Idaho Power from the county as the result of a settlement, at a total of $12,951.17 which includes interest. The county owes those funds to IP as a result of the value being reassessed. Mendenhall recommended just paying the amount and getting it

over with, rather than trying to levy it. The best source was the commissioner contingency fund, according to Clerk Jill Stoor.

Move to pay this credit out of PILT was approved.

Aaron Cook Cook spoke to the commissioners about an error that was discovered from two years ago. There was a parcel that had been paying city of Grace taxes when it shouldn’t have been. The difference that the resident overpaid was $5600 and $389.27. The resident does not get a tax bill, and had not noticed that the taxes were being directed to a place they shouldn’t have been. The money has already been collected in escrow. The easiest solution was determined to be to have the county issue a check for the difference as a refund. The commissioners voted to issue a check for $5,989.64 on a W99, which is non-taxed.

Dave Martinez

A significant budget change for Public Defense resulted from legislative action during the last session. The Whole State Public defender’s office had been operating on a budget from 2021, which included COVID. The budget has been increased for this year, as proposed by the governor. “We’ve made the transition smoother in the Sixth District, mostly because the attorneys working in this area are outstanding,” Dave Martinez, representing the office said. “We had 13K cases dumped on us right after we took over. Now we’re traveling all over. We will start to right our ship. One of the concerns was that district managers didn’t have enough time to manage…but In Caribou County we’re doing it right. We’re working COUNTY COMMISSION On Page 9

By the end of the night, full scale line dancing was underway.

The LOVE backdrop was a great spot for pictures.

Legislative Update-Senator Mark Harris

Dear friends and neighbors —

The Idaho Mining Association was in Boise this week and it was good to see them and hear about the mining operations going on across the State. The State of Idaho has a strong history with mining and a miner is prominently featured on Idaho’s State flag. Mining is still a major economic force in Idaho from the Silver mines in North Idaho to the Molybdenum and Phosphate mines in Eastern Idaho, and the many Gold mines throughout our fair State.

Our national security is highly dependent on Idaho mines. When we fail to protect and develop what we have here, we must rely on foreign sources to supply what our industries and companies need to advance technology, feed our citizens, and equip our military. Idaho plays an important role by supplying the materials our nation needs. Our mines also provide thousands of jobs across the State with people that build and support our communities. Idaho mines add nearly $1.58 billion to our Gross State Product and $43 million in local property taxes.

Idaho’s State Senate has seen some weighty issues this week that were debated on the Senate floor. One of these issues was school choice. House Bill 93 (H93) passed out of the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee early this week and will be heard on the Senate floor at the beginning of next week. It establishes tax credits for parents and/or guardians who incur expenses in the education of their children.

Another piece of legislation is Senate Bill 1025 (S1025) which will be up for consideration at the end of the week. S1025 was amended earlier in the week and some substantial changes were

made by the sponsor of the bill. The bill includes funds from the existing Empowering Parents Grant Program for early childhood/preschool education programs at accredited preschools. Requirements for participation schools are outlined in the bill including the requirements of no religious, disability, or race discrimination. Schools must also have achievement standards among other things. A lot of work has gone into this bill by Senator Dave Lent (LD 33), Chair of the Senate Education Committee. It will be interesting to hear the debate on the Senate floor. As of the writing of this update, it is not certain it has enough votes to pass.

The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) legislation we have been working on has received an introduction hearing in the House Transportation and Defense Committee where it became House Bill 206 (H206). It will be up for a full Committee hearing soon. I am hopeful it will get enough votes in Committee to advance to the House floor. This legislation is important to the EMS districts around the State and, if passed, it will be the beginning of a process to get adequate funding and support for Idaho’s EMS volunteers. Some EMS districts are in desperate need for help in order to keep providing the critical services they do for all Idaho citizens. I am excited and hopeful the EMS legislation can make it to the Senate and eventually to the Governor’s desk.

It continues to be a privilege and an honor to serve the good people of Legislative District 35. I look forward to hearing from you with any questions or concerns. You can email me at mharris@senate.idaho.gov or call me at 208-332-1308.

You

Legislative Session 2025 Week #5--Rep.

This was a week full of lively, important debate. We are up to roughly 230 bills being considered in the house. They are all in a variety of stages: in committee, on the floor, or headed toward the Senate. Even with a winter storm warning, and several inches of snow in the capital, the work continued.

One bill of real concern for me is House Bill 138. This bill directs the Department of Health & Welfare to apply for and implement 11 different waivers to alter the Medicaid Expansion programs. The waivers range from work requirements, the enrollment caps, to restrictions on certain procedures, and other creative and potentially effective guardrails to control costs in the Medicaid Expansion program. Unfortunately, the bill also states that unless all 11 of these waivers (many of which require federal approval) are implemented by the middle of 2026, then the Medicaid Expansion Program will be repealed. The bill cedes our power as Idahoans to unelected federal bureaucrats and will leave our citizens in a worse situation. We will debate it on the floor next week, and I appreciate hearing from community members who have thoughts about that bill.

I personally was privileged to present a couple new bills this week. One memorial recognizes the value of en-

trepreneurship, and especially the value for our youth to work, and to be engaged in capitalist efforts throughout the state. The memorial calls upon our cities to encourage youth entrepreneurship, to provide avenues for youth to run businesses without onerous fees, permits, and licensing requirements. That memorial will couple nicely with house bill 144, which provides a sales tax exemption to sellers who make under $5,000 annually, will provide a business friendly environment for Idaho’s young people.

I also introduced a bill that seeks to encourage more preceptors in the medical education space. What this bill will do is provide continuing education credits to medical professionals who provide rotations for our medical students. I anticipate that this will be especially helpful to our rural medical communities.

Budgets are beginning to be approved in the Joint Finance and Appropriations committee. I am encouraged to hear that, as it is some of the most important work we will do this session. I anticipate much conversation, debate, and hard work in the coming week. I am grateful for the confidence my fellow citizens have placed in me. Thanks for your ongoing support.

NEWS OF RECORD

CARIBOU COUNTY SHERIFF

Stanislav C Binev, Bulgaria, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50

SODA SPRINGS POLICE

Steve Jason Bassaw, Rexburg, speeding (16 mph or over), $98.50, costs $56.50

Zachary Dakota Hanson, Pocatello, fail to register vehicle annually, $10.50, costs $56.50

Jin Ming, Beijing City, speeding,

$33.50, costs $56.50; fails to yield or stop upon approach of emergency or police vehicle, $33.50, costs $56.50; fails to use turning movement and required signals, $33.50, costs $56.50

IDAHO STATE POLICE

Anthony Walter Swope, Soda Springs, fail to sign registration card, $10.50, costs $56.50 Joel Villalobos, Mesa, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50

do anything

Senator Mark Harris of LD 35 (Senate Assistant Majority Leader) and Senator Kelly Anthon of LD 27 (Senate Pro Tem) at a dinner with students from BYU-Idaho sponsored by the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.

Senator Harris met with trainers and students of the Idaho Athletic Trainers Association in the State Capitol.

Brain Games at TMS to raise funds for music program

Orchestra Director Debbie Hansen is excited about the second Brain Games event, which will be coming to Tigert Middle School on February 24. The event is “like a field day, but with different kinds of activities.” Hansen noted that in the past, she had seen kids who did not necessarily enjoy participating in the athletic field day events, but lit up when playing chess or building with Legos.

“Brain Games” will start at 6:30 p.m. at Tigert Middle School, and offer an array of different “thinking” competitions to participants. Competition will take place at four levels— Adults, High School, Middle School, and Elementary Levels, with a winner in each game being named for each.

The games themselves will include Chess, Spelling (a spelling bee style competition), Jigsaw Puzzle speed runs, Rubix Cube solving, Scrabble, Checkers, Lego building, and Trivia. The cost to enter into a specific event and be eligible for prizes is $2 per event, though anyone can participate in the games for free.

“It was created sort of out of nothing last year, and it’s still evolving,” Hansen said. “I think it’s a fun way for a lot of our kids to express some of the amazing talents they have and to be recognized for them.”

Prizes have been donated by a number of local businesses, organizations, and individuals, including Lallatins, Soda Smiles, Mountain View Dental, Caribou Medical Center, Baked Fresh Sourdough, and more. Anyone interested in donating prizes for Brain Games, or support to the music programs can contact Debbie Hansen at hansdebb@sodaschools.org.

Funds raised at the event will go

exclusively to the music programs, which require fundraising for any activities beyond the bare minimum (and even to sustain the bare minimum, at times). Hansen and others work as efficiently as they can with the resources they have, and have taken on event concessions to help supplement the program needs. Expenses include maintenance and repair of instruments, which can be very expensive and are always needed. Her classroom has an “Instrument Hospital” where supplies are rehabilitated. A large pile of bows is currently awaiting treatment. Instruments such as timpani drums, tubas, cellos, French horns, and other more complex instruments across band and orchestra usually require more costly outside repairs.

Sheet music, which must be purchased in most cases, requires funds as well. When an orchestra or band performs a musical, they need sheet music for all of the pieces, and whether it is obtained in print or digitally, copies for all students are needed.

Travel to events is fairly limited, with the school district being able to supply busses, but not accommodations or entrance costs to many travelling events.

The orchestra and band together involve more than 80 local students.

Hansen is hard at work developing further fundraising opportunities for the music program, but in the meantime could use the support of the community for Brain Games on February 24. Prizes for winners and winning teams will be given out at 8:00 p.m.

“I hope this is a success and we can keep growing it in the future,” Hansen said. The event will be held in the TMS commons.

e 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:

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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

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COMMUNITY NOTES

Soup Luncheon March 4

It’s that time again! The longstanding Community Soup Luncheon at the Presbyterian Church in Soda Springs will be held Tuesday March 4th (Fat Tuesday-the last day of Mardi Gras before Lent begins) from 11 A.M. To 1 P.M. for eating in. Take-outs for the day will begin at 10:45. The lunch will be held inside the Soda Springs Presbyterian Church at 109 S. 1st East Those with questions are welcomed to call 208-5473771 for information or to order takeouts on March 4th. Organizers want to spread the word that “everyone is most welcome.”

For those whose interests lie in the soupy details, there will be 8 kinds of soup to celebrate the day: chicken taco, clam chowder, potato cheese, chili, beef cabbage, chicken Thai curry, ham and bean, and chicken noodle. Bread, dessert, and drink will be served with the meal.

There is no charge, though donations will be gladly accepted.

The event is always a wonderful non-denominational time to gather with friends and enjoy a bit of warmth as the winter slowly makes its exit from the valley.

Caribou County Market Animal WeighIn dates

Beef March 1st at 1 pm at the fairgrounds in Grace. You will need to have a bill of sale or a Brand Inspection. The

OBITUARY

State Brand Inspector will be there and you must pay for a brand inspection. It will cost you $3.00.

Swine April 12 at 9 am at the fairgrounds in Grace. You must have a C.O.O.L form signed by the person you bought your pig from or a bill of sale. If you need a C.O.O.L form it can be found on ZSuites in the shared files portion.

Sheep May 31st at 8 am at the fairgrounds in Grace. You must have a C.O.O.L form signed by the person you bought your sheep from or a bill of sale. If you need a C.O.O.L form it can be found on ZSuites in the shared files portion. All sheep need to have a scrapie tag. Make sure to ask your seller if they have one.

Meat Goat May 31st at 9 am at the fairgrounds in Garce. You must have a C.O.O.L form signed by the person you bought your meat goat from or a bill or sale. If you need a C.O.O.L form it can be found on ZSuites in the shared files portion. All Goats must have a scrapie tag. Make sure to ask your seller if they have one.

Important update for this year! To ensure a more accurate representation of weights and values, Market Animal Record Books will be due on August 15th, after the fair. A $100 fine will be imposed for late submissions. Additionally, checks will be held until the record books are turned in, judged, and receive at least a red ribbon.

Last week's issue listed the incorrect dates.

Brett Stoddard Lloyd

February 1,

Brett Stoddard Lloyd, age 65, passed away peacefully with his family by his side at his home in Pocatello, ID on Saturday, February 1st, 2025, after a short but aggressive battle with liver cancer.

Brett was born and raised in Grace, ID, where he attended elementary, junior high, and high school. He took great pride in being a part of the last graduating class of Red Devils from Grace High prior to the school mascot changing.

Brett spent much of his youth in the Beaver Dams, where he worked alongside his father, farming and raising cattle and enjoying outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. His connection to the Beaver Dams remained a constant throughout his life, and he spent as much time as he could camping there every summer. It was truly his most cherished place to be.

Though Brett tended to be a private man, his love for his family was undeniable. He was preceded in death by his parents, Merrill Hall and Diane Stoddard Lloyd. He is survived by his older sister Patti (Steve) Findlay, his three children Kelly (Jenn) Lloyd, Wade (Nichol) Lloyd, and Melissa Lloyd, 14 grandchildren, and one greatgranddaughter.

Brett had a reputation for his quick wit and dry humor, and willingness to lend a hand when needed. He was the kind of person who would serve you a helping of sarcasm with a side of wisecracks, but those who knew him well knew it was his way of showing he cared. He loved to cook, and was known for sharing his pickled eggs with visitors as another way he quietly showed his care for those around him.

2025

He was a hard worker who took pride in whatever he did, whether it was on the farm, in the shop where he was lovingly nicknamed “grandpa,” or just in life in general.

True to his wishes, there will be no funeral services. Instead, a few close friends and loved ones will gather in his honor before spreading his ashes in his favorite spot on earth as his final resting place.

Brett’s legacy lives on in the laughter, stories, and memories shared by his children, grandchildren, sister, extended family, and many friends. He will always be remembered for his big heart, his humor, and his devotion to those he cared deeply for. Though he is gone, the impact of his life will never be forgotten.

To share a favorite memory of Brett or offer condolences to the family, please leave a tribute at www.redrosefuneral.com.

Sherrie Wise Advertising sherrie.w@thecityjournals.com

Phone: 208-766-4773 www.cariboucountynews.com

Chess is one of the many Brain Games scheduled for next week.

Competition will include categories for Adults, HS, MS, and Elementary students.

Brett Stoddard Lloyd

Bancroft City Council Report

January 13,2025 Regular Council

Meeting

This report is adapted from the minutes recorded by City Clerk Debbie Swensen and is not official.

The following council and staff members present: Council President, Rick Hatch, Jessica M. Vawser, Eric Christensen, Nate W. Eiman and Clerk Swensen. Mayor Spencer was absent.

SICOG-Jules Belyea

Jules Belyea informed council that the income survey SICOG conducted recently in Bancroft has passed. Belyea thanked everyone that participated in helping meet the threshold quota, allowing the city to become eligible for Community Development Grants. The city can apply for federal and state block grants for up to five years before having to requalify. Grants may cover projects in the wastewater, downtown, and job creation and other miscellaneous funds. Belyea explained that there is a wastewater grant option coming up in the fall, but the city will need to sign a contract in order for SICOG to begin the application process.

Belyea left the contract for Mayor Spencer to review and sign. The wastewater grant is for $500,000. The deadline isn't until the Friday before Thanksgiving, so there is plenty of time to get the contract in. A motion to file the contract and apply for the funding was approved unanimously.

Variance Application-Mike and Roxie Holston

Cm, Nate Eiman made a motion to approve the fence variance for Mike and Roxie Holston.

During a roll call vote, the majority of members voted in favor, with a no vote from councilmember Jessica Vawser. Mike Ackerman-Ordinance Proposal Re: Parking Restrictions

Business owner Ackerman expressed concern about truck and trailer parking on city streets. He presented a copy of Burley, Idaho's parking restrictions ordinance to the council, and explained

that trucks and trailers are parking on city streets for long periods of time without proper accommodations. Ackerman noted that he “is getting tired of looking out his front window and seeing a car hauler.” He reminded council that he has brought these concerns up several times in previous meetings and nothing has changed. He explained that he had reviewed the Bancroft city codes and did not find anything that regulates long term parking of large trucks, trailers, or tractors.

Council stated that they would like to take some time and look around at other codes before passing a new ordinance. Ackerman informed council that this is the only ordinance he could find in the state that has the correct wording.

Councilmember Eiman raised his concern that there needs to be a designated parking area for trucks. CM Vawser asked whether the mayor had talked to Highland Milling regarding the problem with Highland Milling trucks driving down Main Street outside the designated truck route. Council discussed how there are several large trucks parking on city streets. Most of them are Doug Andrus trucks. Mike Ackerman commented that Doug Andrus offers free parking for his trucks. CM Eric Christensen stated that the drivers are bringing their trucks home in order to spend more time with their families.

Business License Application Review

Council reviewed the completed business license applications and payments. There is (1) alcohol license that has not been paid and a couple businesses that still need to pay their annual license fee. Council asked about a couple of the local businesses and had questions regarding sending them an application. Council would like to contact the attorney before sending applications to the self-employed trucking companies.

Mike Ackerman commented that he runs another business out of his store and has filed an application and paid his fees. CM Vawser asked whether the attorney has responded regarding the

BRAIN TEASERS

sale of small business items like jewelry, makeup, etc. The city attorney advised that ultimately it is up to the city council how technical they want to get with licensing requirements, but suggested that they look at whether a business creates additional traffic and are they publicly advertising their product or services.

Building Permit-James Ackerman

James Ackerman submitted a building permit to demo his existing shed and replace it with a pre-built shed. Ackerman stated that it would be the same size and wouldn't encroach on the alleyways. CM Jessica Vawser is concerned about doing another permit approval for James due to the recent fence that was constructed after council approved the permit. Cm, Vawser stated that the fence is unsightly and was not presented accurately to the city council. Council decided to table the permit and allow time to check boundaries and other conditions before moving forward with the application. A motion to table the permit decision passed 4-0.

Lighting of Teuscher Square

Council reviewed the quotes for single burner stoves, stock pots, hot drink dispensers, and a new costume for the Lighting of Teuscher Square. CM Eric Christensen made a motion to purchase (2) propane burner stoves, (2) stock pots, a drink dispenser, and a new costume. The motion passed 4-0.

Fire Department Chief

CP Hatch informed council that the Fire Chief may be moving and the city will need to start thinking about who would be a good replacement.

Sewer Increase

Council will wait until a later date to discuss the sewer rate increases, due to the ponds not holding water.

Council Reports

CM Vawser asked whether the attorney has made the updates and sent the violation letters out. The clerk will check the status on the letters.

CM Eric Christensen would like to add a separate line item to the general

fund budget for employee recognition. CM Christensen commented that the city has always done something around the holidays for the employees and needs to start doing this again.

Resident Roxie Holston stated that it is important to show appreciation for employees. She commented that she felt grateful when she got her employee bonus from the school this year. CP Hatch and CM Eiman agree that it is something the city should be doing and it will them remember if it is on the budget as a line item.

Clerk Swensen updated council on the water bond agreement transfer of $5,500. The funds were transferred at the beginning of January as advised in the contract. The clerk will be doing W-2's and 1099's this next week. Council should receive them in the mail by January 15m.

Clerk Swensen will be starting the auditing process the following week. The auditors are coming on January 29th. The clerk will be pulling documents and scanning files for the next couple weeks. The clerk advised that it will be very busy in the office until these items are done. Clerk Swensen found the contact information for the Christmas lights vendor in Salt Lake City that offer warranty on the lights.

CP Hatch asked how things are going with the residents paying their Kennel and Dog License Fees. Clerk Swensen advised that it seems to be going well so far.

Maintenance advised council that the transmission on the dump truck is going out. The transmissions are expensive and the city may want to consider purchasing a different truck. CP Hatch suggested looking around at transmissions and watch for a truck through surplus with the state.

Resident Mike Ackerman apologized for having to close down his restaurant. Bancroft cannot support the business alone, and he needs time to get ready for summer visitors. CP Hatch stated that everyone understands.

EVENT CALENDARS LUNCH MENUS

SODA SPRINGS/ CARIBOU COUNTY

February 20 – Thursday

Library Story Time (10 am)

IDAN-HA Movie Catholic Daily Mass (6:30 pm)

Additional Recovery Program (7pm)

Boys Basketball Districts

Girls Basketball State Tournament No School Winter Holiday

February 21 – Friday

IDAN-HA Movie

Girls Basketball State Tournament

Speech/Debate at American Falls Districts

Wrestling Districts

Girls Basketball State Tournament

February 22 – Saturday

Speech/Debate at American Falls Districts

IDAN-HA Movie

Girls Basketball State Tournament

February 23 – Sunday

Presbyterian Services

Caribou Bible Church Services

Catholic Mass (8:30 am)

Open Arms Church Services

LDS Services

Hope Lutheran Church

February 24 – Monday County Commissioners Meeting (9am)

February 25 – Tuesday Boys Basketball Districts

February 26 – Wednesday

Boys Basketball At Snake River

February 27 – Thursday

Library Story Time (10 am)

IDAN-HA Movie

Additional Recovery Program (7pm)

Boys Basketball District Tournament at Malad

GRACE

February 20 – Thursday

Library Story Time (10 am)

High School Girls Basketball

State Tournament at Columbia

High School

High School Boys Basketball District Game #2 (1 vs W1)

February 21 – Friday

High School Girls Basketball

State Tournament at Columbia

High School

High School Girls District Wrestling at Thunder Ridge

February 22 – Saturday

High School Girls Basketball

State Tournament at Columbia

High School

High School Girls District Wrestling at Thunder Ridge

High School Boys Basketball District #3 (L1 vs L2)

February 23 – Sunday

LDS Services

Caribou Bible Church (2 pm)

February 24 – Monday

High School Boys Basketball District Championship (W2 vs W3)

February 25 – Tuesday Track Coaches Clinic (7-8 pm)

February 26 – Wednesday

High School Boys Basketball District if Needed Game

February 27 – Thursday Library Story Hour (10 am)

BANCROFT

February 22 – Saturday

Boys Basketball District

February 24 – Monday

Booster Club Meeting

February 25 – Tuesday

Coaches Rules Clinic Track Meeting (7 pm)

February 26 – Wednesday

Boys Basketball District at Snake River

BIRTHDAYS

Rayola Bitton, Feb. 1

Mark Tompson, Feb. 3

Roger Moore, Feb. 4

Amelia Mae Crump, Feb. 6

LaRae Rasmussen, Feb. 7

Betty Moore, Feb. 7

JoAnn Rhodes, Feb. 11

Ulla Soderman, Feb. 12

Greg Elam, Feb. 13

Jan Barnes, Feb. 14

Dawn Briggs, Feb. 14

Margaret Barker, Feb. 15

Blair Smith, Feb. 19

Verlene Humphreys, Feb. 21

Clay Gentry, Feb. 22

Barbara Hamilton, Feb. 23

Patsy Tarbet, Feb. 26

Mike Cannon, Feb. 28

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

SODA SPRINGS LUNCH MENU

Lunches served with Milk

Monday, February 24

Chicken Burger, Fries

Tuesday, February 25

Walking Taco

Wednesday, February 26

Teriyaki Pork, Fried Rice

Thursday, February 27

Meatball Sub, Chips

NORTH GEM LUNCH MENU

Milk and Choice of Bar Each Day

Monday, February 24

Cereal Fun Lunch ES, Tator Tot Breakfast Wrap, Roasted Carrots, Applesauce Pudding Cup

Tuesday, February 25

RIBBQ Sandwich, California Blend Veggie, Tropical Fruit Salad

Wednesday, February 26

Cubano Sandwich, Sweet Corn, Strawberries

Thursday, February 27

Walking Tacos, Sunshine Carrots, Pears w/Blueberries

GRACE LUNCH MENU

Lunches served with Milk

Monday, February 24

Breakfast for Lunch, Food Choice – Hash Browns, Fresh Veggies, or Pears

Tuesday, February 25

Spaghetti, Breadstick, Food Choice – Corn or Mandarin Oranges

Wednesday, February 26

Quesadilla, Refried Beans, Food Choice – Fresh Veggies or Peaches

Thursday, February 27

Pizza, Food Choice – Green Salad or Cinnamon Appesauce

Every meal served with Juice/Milk/Coffee

Feb. 21 - Birthday Dinner, Grilled Ham n' Cheese, Cabbage Soup, Peaches, Birthday Cake & Ice Cream (served In-House only) Feb. 26 - Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy, Beets, Banana,

ON THIS DAY

1792 U.S. postal service created, postage 6-12 cents depending on distance

1824 First description of a dinosaur published - ‘Magalosaurus or great Fossil Lizard of Stonesfield’ to the Geological society of London by William Buckland - beginning of dinosaur mania

1872 Hydraulic electric elevator patented by Cyrus Baldwin

1872 Luther Crowell patents a machine that manufactures paper bags

1872 Silas Noble & JP Cooley patents toothpick manufacturing machine

1909 The Hudson Motor Car Company is founded in Detroit, Michigan by retail titan Joseph L. Hudson and other investors

1944 Batman & Robin comic strip premieres in newspapers

Berry Crisp Feb. 28 - Chicken Enchiladas, Green Rice, Green Salad, Fruit Cocktail, Mexican Wedding Cake

1952 Emmett Ashford is certified to be first black umpire in organized baseball; has to wait until 1966 for MLB debut

1959 Jimi Hendrix (16), rock and roll guitarist, plays his first gig in Temple De Hirsch synagogue basement, Seattle; fired from the band after the first set due to “wild” playing

1962 John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, aboard Friendship 7

2016 4-inch lock of John Lennon’s hair sells for $35,000 to a memorabilia collector at an auction in Dallas, Texas

2024 Former Youtuber Ruby Franke and her business partner sentenced to up to 60 years in prison for physically and emotionally abusing her children

LOOKING BACK AT PAGES FROM THE PAST

The following stories are summarized from past issues of the Caribou County Sun over the last fifty plus years. The Enterprise thanks Mark Steele for permission to use the contents, and the Grace Public Library for access to the archives.

2020

The Soda Springs Police Department has had numerous drug-related arrests recently, Chief Scott Shaw said. One of the largest was 15 pounds of marijuana that was confiscated and was the result of observing the alleged theft of a window squeegee from Maverik. Chief Shaw reported that officers had observed James Corbett of Salt Lake City allegedly steal the window squeegee from the gas station, and during the investigation of the theft, the officers smelled the odor of marijuana coming from his vehicle. The chief said that a subsequent search of the vehicle recovered approximately 15 pounds of marijuana. “Drugs are becoming more prevalent in the community,” Chief Shaw said. “Both by the area residents and people travelling through this area. Marijuana is always big, followed by meth and then heroin. We are committed to drug investigations to keep the community and our youth safe.

The Soda Pops plan to host their second annual Dessert Night at Tigert Middle School next week. The community is invited to come and enjoy delicious desserts while being entertained by local talent, including Jeff Uskoski, Lindsay Obray, Valee Wells, Julianna Lee, Allen and Rebecca Renfroe, the SSHS Trumpet Quartet, and members of the Soda Pops Choir. The event will also be hosted by a special guest master of ceremonies.

Grace City Council voted unanimously to amend the current appropriations ordinance to budget for a new garbage truck, as well as grants received from the DEQ and the Blue Cross Foundation. The mayor and council also discussed the personnel policy requiring certification requirements to be completed within four years of the hire date. It was agreed to change them to allow an employee to have two years to earn their Class I Wastewater Treatment certification and six years to get their Class I certifications for Water Distribution, Water Collections, and Class II Wastewater Treatment certifications. If they are not completed within that timeframe, the employee will be eligible for termination. Clerk Shelley Reeves suggesting budgeting for the city so that one computer was replaced a year on a schedule to ensure that no computer was older than five years before it was replaced.

In Soda Springs, the city’s airport study recently released by the Idaho Transportation Dept, which oversees some state funding for airports, showed the main runway was sampled by a contractor and is in need of repairs. The report and plan listed nearly $800,000 needed for improvements. Alan Skinner said the airport committee for the city said the first priority was to use what limited funds the city has to crack seal and seal coat the runway. The last time it was done it cost $40,000.

2010 The North Gem Student Body assembled in the auditorium to listen to North Gem Alumnus and former Student Body president Mitch Askew of Flagstaff, AZ, who had driven all night to be in Bancroft and inform the students about Haiti and the need there. Mitch and his wife Jenny have spent part of their last two summers helping out the communities there and knew first hand what Haiti needed before the devastating earthquake hit on Jan 12 killing at last count about 200,000 people. The students, faculty, and staff set a goal on Thursday to raise at least $7,000 to build one house in Haiti. They have Penny War jars set up for donations to be dropped in. People can make larger donations by dropping them by the school office. Kari has set up a special account for the funds to be

placed in until it is given to Mitch and Jenny to use this summer. The students hope they will be able to come back next fall and report on what the money was used for.

The Presbyterian women are holding their annual soup luncheon next week. The annual event is sponsored by the women of the church to “help the winter doldrums go away for a while, and to give people the opportunity to visit with friends and neighbors over a nice hot bowl of homemade soup.”

Shannon Larene Corbett will be inducted into the Alpha Chi Eta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Salt Lake Community College on April 6. Corbett, majoring in Pre-Med, is the daughter of Craig and Dawn Corbett of Grace.

An exciting night of basketball last Tuesday night with the overtime win by Malad on a last second shot over the West Side Pirates and ended with Soda Springs capturing their fifth district title under head coach Wade Schvaneveldt and his staff. After West Side was eliminated from the 2A Fifth District tournament by Malad the nightcap game featured top seeded Soda Springs and Grace. The Lady Cardinals pressured the Grizzlies into turnovers and an aggressive offense gave Soda Springs the 59-41 win. The win crowned the Cardinals District champions, and the loss for the Grizzlies put them in the loser’s bracket, of which they ultimately lost the play-in game against Malad, 33-30.

On Jan 16 and 16, the annual district winter camp was held at McPherson Canyon at Camp Sorensen, in which 12 troops from the Soda Springs, Grace, and Bancroft area competed. The Klondike is an event in which young scouters 1214 years of age get to have an experience camping in the winter and learn the importance of one’s shelter and survival skills. The Scout Troops participated in the Klondike Derby Race in which troops compete to see who could stake their claim first during the gold rush. Gold nuggets were earned at all of the events depending on troop participation, team work, time completion, etc. Troop 505 of the Soda Springs Fifth Ward took the first derby race. The overall Klondike winners included 1st place to Troop 542 from Chesterfield. Scott Elsmore, organizer of the Klondike, would like to thank all those who helped with the camp and the 63 scouts and 30 leaders for attending.

2000

The Soda Springs Cardettes attended the 5th District drill team competition on Saturday, Feb 12 at Snake River High School. The Cardettes were entered into three divisions—dance, military, and show, in which they performed a routine titled “When the Blue Meets the Gray.” They brought home 1st place trophies in all three of these divisions. Heather Bagshaw performed a solo and was chosen as a member of the Honorary 5th District Drill team. Only 12 girls were chosen for this honorary team. Berlin Kowallis placed 4th overall in the drill down competition.

Grace’s Vern Hardy was able to pin Shane Davis of Soda Springs just seconds before the end of the first round at a wrestling tri-meet

held in Grace last week. With no opponent to wrestle in his 125 pound weight class, Hardy moved up to the 130 pound class to be able to wrestle. The Soda Springs squad defeated West Side 43-39, while Grace emerged meet champs with wins of 52-46 over West Soda and a 60-51 point tally over Soda Springs. The Grizzlies area coached by Dennis Peck, assisted by Shane Mansfield.

Kyla Pepper, daughter of Kerry and Joette Pepper of Soda Springs, recently achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA in her first semester of college, as well as making the Dean’s List.

Kayla, a $12,000 Trustee Scholarship recipient, attends Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. She is pursuing a major in international business, a minor in the nationally renowned McDonough leadership program, and completing the entrance requirements of science classes for medical school.

Two cows and two calves were rescued by members of the Caribou County Sheriff’s Office, Search and Rescue and individual citizens recently when snowmobilers found them stranded at the head of Bacon Canyon northeast of Soda Springs. Sheriff Ray Van Vleet said the cattle belonged to a Grace rancher who was out of the area at the time. Rescuers spent three days getting the cattle out of the high country and down through the Blackfoot Narrows to where they could be hauled out. One cow was in bad enough shape, the sheriff said, that she had to “be hog-tied and put on a car op and pulled out with the snow car” that the sheriff’s department uses for Search and Rescue.

Alan Brown taught Mrs. Walters’ second grade class about bees recently. He showed them safety features and equipment to use when around bees, brought a real beehive, showed them a video about bees, and brought pictures of the bee cycle. He even brought some real bees. He concluded with questions before he gave the children a sample of honey on a fresh muffin.

The City of Soda Springs passed a resolution at its last meeting to encourage Amtrak to restore passenger rail service through Soda Springs. In signing the resolution, Mayor Kirk Hansen said the local residents have to rely on private auto for transportation needs, with neither rail nor air service. He noted rail service could be a major influence on the area’s economy because of the closeness to ski resorts in Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons, as well as the national parks at Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

1970

The six Licensed Practical Nurse students who started their 12-month schooling and training this last fall at the Caribou Memorial Hospital under the instruction of Mrs. Ada Smith, R.N., have completed the first half of their schooling and will receive their caps. Students of this class are Mrs. Cora Ruger, Mrs. Mary Meiners, Mrs. Hortense Yost, all of Bancroft, Mrs. Pat Bredehoft of Grace, Mrs. Sharon Bight of Soda Springs, and Mrs. Nancy Vose of Montpelier.

Start your set today—FREE Avocado Glassware with each fillup (10-gallon minimum) at Walt’s American 109 East 2nd South, Soda

Springs and Ed’s American, Main and Center in Grace.

The Honor Roll for the second nine weeks and first semester at Grace High School goes as follows: All A’s were Jolene Harris, Loa Dawn Izatt, Beverly Harris, Leslie Lloyd, Janet Nielsen, Debbie Stoddard, Carla Young, Annette Coombs, Avon Gibson, Mary Ann Lower, Patsy Bennett, Louise Bennett, JoAnn Allen, Nancy Peterson, and Blanche Jean Panter. A’s and one B were Holly Bennett, Leana Clegg, Peter Clegg, DeAnn Gibson, Mark Andreason, Beth Rasmussen, Boyd Allen, Jim McGregor, Karen Rasmussen, Lisa Robbins, Sharee Smith, Vicky Wheeler, Patsy Wright, Gail Gibson, Jessye Hale, Susan Krebs, Patti Parkhouse, Cindy Smith, Paula Christensen, Vicky Nungesser, Ed Taylor, Eric Ray, Kip Panter, Kim Egbert, Jeff Hill, Brock Hurt, Terasa Jaccobsen and Kevin Bitton.

The booster station being used by the Caribou County Community TV Association would be illegal if a bill now pending before the state legislature is passed, members of the association were told during an emergency meeting last week in Grace. The proposed bill would allow only cable installations. Grace and Bancroft and rural areas, and much of Soda Springs, is served by the booster. Members of the association said it is imperative that everyone using the booster station send in their small yearly dues, to keep the association solvent. Members of the board are Glen Palmer and Neal Sanders, Grace; Argil Davids, Bancroft; Pat Paterson and Dewey Anderson, Soda Springs. Carrol Dean Harris of Soda Springs is manager and repairman, and Seth Bailey of Bancroft is secretary-treasurer.

It has been announced that Miss Julie Argyle, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Doyle Argyle of Bancroft was chosen North Gem’s 1970 Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow on the basis of her score in the homemaking knowledge and aptitude test taken by senior girls on Dec 2. In addition to receiving a specially designed charm from General Mills, sponsor of the annual homemaking education program, Miss Argyle is not eligible for one of the 102 college scholarships totaling $110,000. Miss Argyle participates in the Pep Club, Future Homemakers of America, Lariettes, band, and girls’ chorus.

The new Soda Springs fire truck was tested last week. The new truck carries 1,000 gallons of water, which can be utilizes, as compared with 200 on the old truck. Fire Chief Don Salser said that this 1,000 gallons, immediately available, will put out 80 percent of all calls answered. In addition, the truck can pump 1,000 gallons a minute, and is capable of pumping 1,800 gallons a minute at 150 pounds pressure from a suitable hydrant.

Thursday, February 20

Friday, February 21 Saturday, February 22

Captain America: Brave New World

(PG-13)

Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, finds himself in the middle of an international incident and must discover the motive behind a nefarious global plan.

Thursday, Friday & Saturday 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Saturday Matinee

2:00 p.m. (All seats $5)

Wednesday, February 26

6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. (All seats $5)

208-547-3282

The Grace Lady Grizzlies were the 2023-24 1A Division 1 Champs last year.

NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that IDAWY Solid Waste District (District) has submitted to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) a Preliminary Design Application for the IDAWY Regional Landfill Facility (Landfill) located at 348 Diamond Gulch, Georgetown, ID 83239 (42° 34' 59.6" N, 111° 28' 43.8'' W). The purpose of this application is to provide preliminary design information for the construction of a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill 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. Office hours are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, except holidays. An electronic copy can also be downloaded at: http://swti.org/regional. The public is invited to comment on this preliminary design application. The 30-day comment period commences with the first publication of this announcement starting the week of January 27, 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.

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with cap tagged, "GVS PLS 9169" located on a fence line, the same being the Southeast corner of the lands described in said Quitclaim Deed Instrument No. 202221; Thence North 88°13'47" West for a distance of 311.83 feet along said fence line, the same being the South boundary line of said lands, to a 5/8 inch reinforcement bar with cap tagged, "GVS PLS 9169" located on a fence corner, the Southwest corner of the same; Thence North 00°05'08" West for a distance of 339.41 feet along a fence line the same being the combined West boundary lines of the above lands, the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING Commonly known as: 230 S 3rd W, Bancroft, ID 83217

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE - To be sold for cash at a Trustee’s Sale on June 4, 2025, 09:00 AM at the In the Lobby, 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”): A parcel of land located in the Northeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter (NE¼NW¼) of Section 22, Township 8 South, Range 39 East, Boise Meridian, the same combining all of the lands described in that Deed Instrument No. 116890 and Quitclaim Deed Instrument No 202221, all recorded in the records of Caribou County, Idaho, more particularly described as follows: Commencing at the Northeast corner of the Northeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter (NE¼NW¼) of Section 22, Township 8 South, Range 39 East, Boise Meridian, the same being marked and witnessed by a 1 ¼ inch diameter Brass cap monument per that Corner Perpetuation and Filing Recorded Instrument No. 128124 and depicted upon that Record of Survey Instrument No. 167133 all in the records of Caribou County, Idaho, the same being South 89°56'23" East a distance of 2629.04 feet from the Northwest corner of said section; Thence North 89°56'23" West for a distance of 1279.82 feet (North 89°56' West 1279.64 feet by record) along the North boundary line of said section; Thence South 00°00'23" East for a distance of 336.53 feet (South 336.63 feet by record) along a fence line to a 5/8 inch reinforcement bar with cap tagged, "GVS PLS 9169" located at a fence comer, the same being on the North most corner of the lands described in that Quitclaim Deed Instrument No. 116890, as recorded in the records of said County, the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING; Thence South 60°08'23" East for a distance of 444.60 feet (South 60°08' East 444.6 feet by Record) along the Northeasterly boundary line of said lands to a found 3/4" pipe located on the Westerly right of way boundary line of Third West Street (Holmes Avenue by record) as depicted upon the Village of Bancroft Townsite Plat Instrument No. 7373, dated August 30, 1909, as recorded in the records of said County; Thence South 29°53'11" West (South 29°52' West by record) for a distance of 147.27 feet along said boundary line to a 5/8" reinforcement bar

Nissel Rena Baker, as Trustor conveyed Real Property via a Trust Deed dated June 12, 2020, in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Beneficiary, as nominee for American Pacific Mortgage Corporation, its successors and assigns as Beneficiary, in which First American Title was named as Trustee. The Trust Deed was recorded in Caribou County, Idaho, on June 12, 2020, as Instrument No. 204882, of Official Records. The Deed of Trust was assigned for value as follows: Assignee: Freedom Mortgage Corporation Assignment Dated: June 6, 2023 Assignment Recorded: June 6, 2023 Assignment Recording Information: Instrument No. 211286 Shelly M. Baur 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 December 20, 2024 at Instrument No. 213931, of Official Records. The Beneficiary has declared a default in the terms of said Deed of Trust due to Trustor failure to make monthly payments beginning August 1, 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 $148,615.43, interest in the sum of $2,759.06, escrow advances of $2,184.80, other amounts due and payable in the amount of $3,580.88, for a total amount owing of $157,140.17, 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 Trustor. 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 Trustor, successor in interest to the Trustor, 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 Trustor 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 21st day of January, 2025. Shelly M. Baur Substitute Trustee 376 East 400 South, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Telephone: 801355-2886 Office Hours: Mon.Fri., 8AM-5PM (MST) File No. ID22053

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Getting out of the Comfort Zone

BY ALLISON ELIASON

The comfort zone- a place of ease, perceived control, and little stress. Let’s be honest, we all want to operate inside our comfort zone where we can keep anxiety at bay, feel confident, and know what we are doing. We fear failure so we ensure success by only doing those things we have already done. But experience teaches that the most growth and learning happens when we step outside that comfort zone. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do something everyday that scares you. These small things that make us uncomfortable help us build courage to do the work we do.”

Life on the ranch tends to give us all plenty of moments outside our comfort zone that we can either embrace and learn through or shy away from and stay stagnant. I’ll admit that embracing those moments feels especially hard when my failures are out on display for so many others to see. It’s ok for my growing children to learn from failure, but as a grown adult, I too often feel like I should just know, well... everything.

Just last week I took the opportunity to do something new and outside my comfort zone. For some, this might seem like a simple daily chore but for me, it was a whole new experience- feeding cows solo. Now I go out and help feed often, sometimes daily. I know the routine, what to feed, how much, but I’ve always been the crew that opens the gates, cuts the net wrap off and such.

What I haven’t ever done is be the guy in the tractor behind the wheel. If we had to choose between my very capable husband and myself in the seat, we choose him because we want to get the job done and move on. And, really, why should I do it when he is there?

Eventually the day rolled around when all of the usual feeding crew were gone. The roping that was supposed to get done with plenty of time for the ranchers to get home and feed, went long, lending to one of two possibilities. Either they would have to feed late after getting home or I could jump in and try to do it myself. I pulled on my big girl coveralls and jumped in the tractor seat, sure that I could feed three bales of hay without disaster striking.

There were a few things I knew I had on my side as I set outfirst I had the basics of tractor mechanics down so that I could drive faster than at a snail pace and move the loader in all the necessary directions. Second, if I had questions, FaceTime put me just one phone call away from help. And third, cows don’t care how pretty the feeding is, they just want the hay out.

LEGAL NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that IDAWY Solid Waste District (District) has submitted to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Groundwater Monitoring Programs for landfills servicing the Bear Lake County, Caribou County, and Oneida County areas. The purpose of these Groundwater Monitoring Programs is to provide updates to aquifer protection relevant to the areas served. This public notice is made pursuant to IDAPA 58.01.06.012.06.l, and as determined in Section 31-819 of Idaho Code. These Groundwater Monitoring Programs may be reviewed at Local County libraries, details provided below:

Caribou County: • Soda Springs Public Library 149 S Main Soda Springs, ID 83276. Phone: (208) 547-2606 email: https:// soda.lili.org/contact/ HoursMon-Thur 9:00am-7:00pm Fri 10:00am-5:00pm Electronic Copies can be downloaded at: http://swti.org/ CaribouGW Or at the IDAWY District office located at 241 S Main, Suite #3 Lower Left, Soda Springs, ID 83276 (208) 4171625. Office hours are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, except holidays.

Oneida County:

Oneida County Free Library 31 N 100 W, Malad City, ID 83252. Phone: (208) 7662229 email: oclib3@hotmail. com Hours - Monday – Friday 11:30 AM – 5:30 PM Saturday 10am-1pm Electronic Copies can be downloaded at: http://swti. org/OneidaGW Or at the IDAWY District office located at 241 S Main, Suite #3 Lower Left, Soda Springs, ID 83276 (208) 417-1625. Office hours are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, except holidays.

The public is invited to comment on this preliminary design application. The 30-day comment period commences with the first publication of this announcement starting the week of February 10, 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.

#1072-2-20-27-3-6-13-25-T4

Getting to the stackyard I found the right hay, and through a little trial and error, managed to get a bale on the forks and grab one with the three point bale squeeze on the back. It wasn’t as smooth and easy as when the guys do it, but I was doing it. I headed up the hill to the hungry heifers, planning in my mind how I was going to go about feeding. I would set the first bale down, cut the wrap off, tip it over, send it rolling down the hill and that would keep the cows out of the way while I put the other two in bale feeders around the pasture. Easy enough.

Everything started off according to plan until it was time to send that bale rolling down the hill. What seemed like a simple little push with the forks was hardly so and because it was taking longer than usual, the cows were now starting to get in the way. To complicate things even more, it was suddenly dark outside.

I was definitely outside my comfort zone, but also so in the thick of what I was doing that there was no quitting.

Scooping up the bale I had intended to roll down the hill, I put it in the first feeder and opted to try again with the second bale, learning from my earlier mistakes. It took a little trial and error but bale number two was finally rolled out and the cows were content to leave me alone while I fed the last bale. Heading to the feeder, I saw that it was on a hill and while I might be in a tractor, I had better be smart about how I went about getting there. Between the snow and mud, the hill was slick and in that moment, a distinct memory of a teenage girl failing to turn a tractor up a muddy hill came rushing back to me.

Putting the tractor in the low, snail pace gear, I carefully headed down the hill, making sure I had a clear plan out of there after dropping my load. All seemed well as I made my way to the feeder until I stopped the tractor to pull off the net wrap and noticed the tractor continued to slide. I quickly turned the wheels and that was enough to keep it still. I knew I could dump the bale but I wasn’t sure how I would get out of my predicament once I straightened out again.

Four wheel drive. That was the solution. I really should have thought of that before heading down the slippery hill but at least I was thinking of it now. The only problem was that of the millions of buttons, levers and switches, I had no idea which to toggle. And I was sure that the wrong one would probably make the whole tractor implode.

Mustering the courage to make that phone call that admitted a bit of failure, I called my husband and asked for help. Without laughing at my mistakes or making me feel even more dumb than I already felt, my rancher easily helped me get out of my sticky situation. I dropped the last bale, skirted around the feeder, and headed for home quite proud of what I had finally accomplished that night.

For some, this was a simple chore, something they could probably do with their eyes closed, although I don’t recommend it. They made it seem easy but as I went through the very steps they did, it seemed so complicated and almost daunting. I hope you chuckle about this little ranch wife willing to help even when the job is outside her comfort zone. But more importantly I hope you learn a few lessons from her. Learn that you can accomplish far more than you think you can. You just have to try. New things are hard and scary- they are supposed to be! But, trying, jumping in with both feet is the only way to grow. Learn that people are here to help you. Asking for help isn’t admitting failure, even though it feels like it. Learn that the only real confidence in life comes from conquering those moments of fear, big or small. I might not be on the “A team” when it comes to the feeding crew, but if the job needs doing, I know I can do it. Next time, I just might have to start a little earlier and find the four wheel drive a little sooner.

BY ALANA BURNS

The Friends of the Soda Springs City Park are proud to announce that they are half way to their goal of fundraising $45,000 to pay for professionally engineered and designed shade covers that will be welded to the existing swing sets at the Maverik Caribou CommUNITY playground. With the generous support of area residents and businesses, the group was able to put down half the money needed for the project as a deposit for materials to be purchased by Blaze Sign, the local company building and installing the covers this Spring. Planned installation will take place in March, depending on the weather. The goal is to install the shade covers prior to a time when children will be playing on the playground, and while the

Shade Covers Project Half Way Funded! “Matching” Grant Opportunity Until March 1, 2025 County Commission

on trying to streamline the process.”

Clerk Jill Stoor noted “It looks like Boise is taking that over and not letting the districts handle the case assignment.” “We would like to see it more local.”

“So would I,” Martinez said.

Molly Besaris

Molly from SEICAA spoke to the commission about the GEM grant which will be used to defray costs to main street businesses. In the recent City Council meeting, the City suggested that the county GEM grant would be used to that end. Each individual would end up with $1K off their bill from the city.

Commissioner Somsen said that the County could pay the entire $18k. It was on record that the intent was to help the other property owners. Could they bill the county a total of 3$0K or so for the county costs plus the $1K

ground is still frozen so that Blaze Sign can avoid making big ruts in the grass on the west side of the playground’s perimeter fencing as they deliver and install prefabricated metal structures to weld them in place on-site. The goal is to complete fundraising efforts by April 1, 2025 to pay the bill in its entirety shortly after the covers are installed.

Some of the recent donations that brought FOTSSCP across “the line” to the halfway mark are: Gibbs Farms ($500), London Drug ($500), Orion ($2,500), and Caribou Medical Center ($2,500), Portneuf Valley Family Center, Wayne and Dori Clegg, Abbie Tirrell, Lynette Anderson, Jan and Tookie Barnes, Bob and Marilyn Kukachka, Beta Sigma Phi, John and Marilyn Lee, ACE Hardware, Straight Forward Auto, Daniel and Amanda Larsen, Sim-

per business?

Wood said that he couldn’t be sure how the audit would work, but he thought they would be ok. Molly wrote two GEM grants—one for county and one for city. The city one was denied, but the county one was approved.

Clerk Stoor stated that she will work with City Clerk Andrea Haderlie on the wording, but that the county funds needed to be earmarked for the businesses. “The grant was to assist the city, the county was helping with infrastructure, so it has to go to them.”

Cody Brower

Cody Brower spoke to the commission about county property in Grace.

Brower owns property in Grace, which is potentially also listed in the county’s inventory. The property description from the 1922 does not include survey marks. In 1932, Bannock county deeded their portion of the property to a Satterfield, at which point the properties come into conflict with one

mons Family Farm, Preston and Noelia Christensen, and M&R Sports.

The Friends are also applying for several grants to gather additional funds to bring this dream to fruition, including: US Bank grant, Idaho Community Foundation for the IFFT grant, Valley Wide Cooperative & Land O’Lakes grant, Rocky Mountain Power Foundation grant, and the Intermountain Gas grant.

Modern Woodmen of America, an insurance company located in Pocatello, has generously agreed to offer the Friends a “matching” grant opportunity that will go from February 1st-28th, up to a maximum donation of $2,500. Donations received from the public during the month of February will be “matched’ by this company, essentially doubling the value of your contribution.

another. The property is on North Mingo. The GIS follows the canal, more or less.

Brower thinks that the property was improperly deeded at one point.

The property was taken for tax deed in 1942—Satterfield lost the property that way.

Brower wondered if the county would be willing to put the prop up for bid. Commissioner Somsen would like to run the issue through the title company first.

The issue will be on the agenda for the next meeting.

Kevin Smith, spoke in front of the commission about how he felt that the appraised value of the property was too high. Smith owns the neighboring land. It has been taxed in the past as dry graze/pasture. He feels it should be re-appraised.

Pipeline

Jacob from Lower Valley energy spoke to the commission about a pipe-

If finances allow, the Friends plan to not only install metal shade structures over the existing swing sets, but they are also considering using any additional fundraised money beyond the $45,000 goal, to potentially plant some trees around the perimeter fencing alongside additional picnic tables, to provide more sources of natural shade, beauty and functionality to the playground. This portion of the plans would still require approval from the City of Soda Springs and could possibly be considered “Phase 2” of this shade covers project sometime in the future.

If you would like to join in this important cause to provide shaded playtime for area children this Summer, please reach out to Laura Lind 208-604-0885 to make a donation!

line. They are looking to install a 10-12 inch poly line from Montpelier that may go through Caribou County. A county road permit has been submitted. This project has been going on for about 9 years, with environmental groups filing lawsuits to prevent it.

The county gave a greenlight to the project.

Attorney Doug Wood Doug spoke on behalf of DYW, and requested funds for the program. The last two years, the county has given $1000. The county approved a motion to donate $1K to the DYW program from the Commissioners contingency fund.

Angie Mendenhall has served on the Board of Guardians. Wood needs direction as to where to take those kinds of costs from. Mendnehall suggested setting up a line item for the Board. Wood’s budget can cover it this year, but going forward, a more complete solution was sought.

SPORTS The Cowboys Last Ride Of The Season

BY JODY REEVES

The North Gem Cowboys basketball season started with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. The Cowboys began the season with just five players on the roster. In just their third game of the season North Gem was forced to finish the game with just four players on the court due to one player fouling out. The Cowboys won that game over Taylors Crossing. That is when things took a slight detour. The team had one of their players face some disciplinary action and was dismissed from the team. The Cowboys faced the possibility of their season coming to an unceremonious end due to lack of players. The thing about Cowboys is they are tough enough to do most jobs on their own but in times of trouble they can always rely on another Cowboy to step up and ride into the challenges that face them. That is exactly what took place in North Gem when the season was on the line the Cowboys were able to recruit four new players and doubled their numbers. The Cowboys now had a bench and they forged on through the season. Unfortunately as they worked their way through the year the Cowboys racked up more losses than wins and finished the season with a record of 6-18. In the Rocky Mountain Conference you need to finish in the top five to guarantee a spot in the district tournament. The remaining six teams match

up based on rankings and play three play-in games. North Gems ended the season ranked tenth and would have to face number seven ranked Leadore in their play-in game. The Cowboys and Mustangs had only met up once in the regular season. That game was way back in early December at Leadore. In that game the Mustangs ran wild over the Cowboys winning by twenty-seven points. In last week's play-in game once again at Leadore the Cowboys would need to greatly improve on their performance from the teams first meeting if they wanted their season to continue.

As the game got underway neither team was able to get much of an advantage. In the first four minutes of the game the score remained close within one score. The Mustangs earned a little breathing room by the end of the first claiming a five point lead. In the second period the Mustangs got on a roll from beyond the arc. Leadore put up three three point shots and extended their lead. At the halftime break the Cowboys now trailed by ten. They needed some quick points to get back into the game. North Gem’s Craig Yost answered the call and put up twelve points by himself in the third quar-

ter. The Cowboys managed to cut the lead to just five points again but in the closing seconds of the quarter Leadore hit another three and pushed the lead out to eight. Yost was the only Cowboy to score in the third which did not help the cause. The game got bogged down midway through the fourth quarter when several questionable calls were made by the officials. Despite the Cowboys giving up a two shot intentional foul, a technical foul and losing one of their starters due to fouling out North Gem still had a shot at winning the game. Now just trailing by three with just over a minute left the Cowboys called a timeout to discuss strategy. Sadly out of the timeout the Cowboys immediately committed a foul giving the Mustangs an and one. That was followed by a couple more defensive breakdowns and some missed foul shots. In the end the Cowboys were not able to overcome all they were up against.

North Gem says goodbye to a pair of their top athletes in Rusty Hatch and Ryver Hayden who will graduate this year. However if they can retain that Cowboy tough mentality and bring everyone else back they could have a shot at building on the positives from this season and make a fresh start next year.

Cowboys 12 11 12 11 46

Mustangs 17 16 10 13 56

P.Hill 6,

Members of the North Gem basketball team advance down the court in a game from earlier in the season.

Cardinals Earn Senior Night Win And Begin Tournament Play

BY JODY REEVES

The Soda Sprigs Cardinals wrapped up their regular season last Tuesday celebrating their seniors as they took on Aberdeen. Prior to the game starting Soda Springs celebrated their senior pep band, dance, cheer and boys basketball members. Each of the seniors were escorted onto the court by their parents and cheered on by the crowd.

Following honoring the seniors we got right into the game. The Cardinals entered the final regular season game with only three conference losses while the Tigers entered the game with just three total wins on the year with only one of those coming in conference play. The Cardinals were set up to be heavy favorites in the game but the Tigers would not go down easy. Aberdeen played scrappy against the Cardinals all night long coming up with several steals and doing their best to keep the game close. The quick and athletic Cardinals struggled to get into their normal flow and were not able to create much separation early on. After one quarter the Cardinals only led by one and at the halftime break Soda Springs held just a small four point lead. In the third quarter Cooper Thompson got hot from outside putting in three shots from beyond the arc but the Tigers continued to hang around. At the end of the third period Soda Springs was able to add some to their lead but Aberdeen was still in striking distance now trailing by seven. In the fourth period Aberdeen kept the pressure on. The Cardinals had to battle hard to try to keep the lead. The Tigers went on to outscore the Cardinals in the final

stanza but Soda Springs was able to escape with a four point victory over the bottom team in the conference.

Following the near stumble Soda Springs began district tournament play. Despite having earned wins over every team in the conference with the exception of the number one seeded Declo Hornets the Cardinals would go in as the number four seed. This seeding was due to an agreement within the conference that stated since Wendell would not be playing every district opponent twice during the season that the tournament seeding would be based on maxpreps rankings. This meant that even though Soda Springs had earned wins over both the number two and three seeds they would have to settle for the fourth seed. Declo the number one seed and West Side the number two seed received first round byes. This left the number three seed Wendell hosting the number six seed Aberdeen and Soda Springs the number four seed hosting the number five seed Malad. The Cardinals match up very favorably with the Dragons. Just a week prior to hosting Malad the Cardinals traveled to Malad winning in a blowout where they held the Dragons to just six second half points.

Eager to get over their underwhelming performance against Aberdeen and wanting to put on a show in game one of the tournament the Cardinals were firing on all cylinders right out of the gates. The Cardinals bested the Dragons by ten points in each of the first two quarters to take a twenty point lead into the halftime break. In the third period the scoring slowed way down and things may have gotten a little sloppy at times

nevertheless the Cardinals still built on their lead and entered the fourth quarter up by twenty four points. In the fourth quarter the Cardinals let off the throttle and coasted to an easy first round victory. All fifteen Soda Springs players that were dressed got to see some court time in the win. The round one win earned the Cardinals a road trip to Declo. The Hornets have remained unscathed in district play but the Cardinals have played them tough in the last six quarters between the teams. I’m sure Soda Springs would have preferred to be the number two or three seed and avoided seeing the Hornets until the championship but to win the title you will have to beat them at some point. That round two match up will have taken place on Tuesday night. If the Cardinals won that game they will have qualified for the state tournament and earned a spot in the district

championship. A loss in that game will send them to the consolation side of the bracket and have them hosting Aberdeen on Thursday night. A loss to Declo will not eliminate the Cardinals from the state tournament but the road does get harder and longer. Check out next week’s edition to see how the Cardinals have fared and where they stand in making it to state.

C.Jacobson 2, C.Thompson 21, G.Hansen 9, K.McWilliams 8, P.Ozburn 2, D.Billman 6

K.Kirby 4, C.Thompson 15, G.Hansen 13, K.McWilliams 9, P.Ozburn 8, D.Billman 2, K.Harrison 1

Lady Cardinals Will Compete At State

BY JODY REEVES

The Lady Cardinals punched their ticket to state last week prior to playing in the district championship. With a spot secured in the state tournament the district championship was more for bragging rights and school pride. That championship game paired the Lady Cardinals against the district number one seed Malad. The Lady Dragons have had an incredible season with their only loss coming in week one against the number one 4A team in the state. The championship game marked the third time this season that the Lady Cardinals faced the Lady Dragons. In the first meeting the Dragons ran over the Cardinals winning by twenty one points. In the second meeting the Cardinals put up more of a fight losing by just nine points. In the championship game the high powered Dragons took control of the game and did not relent throughout. The Cardinals put up their best effort but could not keep pace with the Dragons. Malad finished the tournament unscathed and secured the overall number one seed in the upcoming state tournament. The Cardinals would have loved to get the win but a district championship is not the ultimate goal for Soda Springs.

The Cardinals enter the state tournament as the number seven seed though I think they are better than that

place on the bracket. Soda Springs has a tough first round draw. They face the Parma Panthers to open up the tournament. Parma is the number two seed and most pundits expect them to be on a collision course with Malad that will end in the championship game. There is no sugar coating this first game. The Lady Cardinals will have their hands full and will need to play nearly perfect and get a little help to move on. That being said there is a reason they play the game and stranger things have happened. Soda Springs will need to be accurate from outside and do their

best being undersized inside. This first round game will take place on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. at Bishop Kelly High School. The other two teams on the Cardinals side of the bracket are Melba and New Plymouth. In a rare early season match up both Melba and Parma traveled to Soda Springs. The Cardinals lost both of those games but I think most people would agree that the Lady Cardinals are a different team now than they were in November. Since those back to back losses early on the Cardinals have not lost to another team not ranked first in

their classification with their only 3A losses coming to the aforementioned Malad Dragons. The way the bracket sets up the Cardinals could potentially face all three 3A teams that have handed them losses this season giving them a chance at redemption. That being said it would be a tall order to accomplish. If the opposite happens and Soda Springs drops that first game against a tough Parma team they would likely face New Plymouth on the consolation side of the bracket. I don’t see the Pilgrims being much of a challenge for the Cardinals despite them getting the higher seeding.

As a reporter I should avoid speculation but what fun is a state tournament if you don’t try to make some predictions. While I will be cheering for the Lady Cardinals to win all of their games and bring home a championship I do find it more likely that they come up short against the Panthers. Furthermore, despite my own personal feelings that say the Cardinals are a top three team the way the bracket is set up, if they do lose that first game the best they can hope for is a consolation championship so that is my prediction for the girls of Soda Springs. With any luck they will prove me wrong and meet their district foe Malad in the championship game. Check back next week where I will give a complete rundown of how state went for the Lady Cardinals.

Senior Kyen Kirby looks to secure a rebound during the Cardinals win over the Tigers last week.

The Soda Springs boys basketball team earned a close win over Aberdeen on senior night.

Coach Gronning and his team huddle during a timeout. The Lady Cardinals begin state tournament play on Thursday.

Senior Chase Jacobson takes a foul shot during the Cardinals win on senior night.

Grizzlies Outmaneuvered In Regular Season Finale

BY JODY REEVES

The Grace Grizzlies finished their regular season schedule with a road trip to Butte County on a very snowy night last Thursday. To just make it to the game the team left an hour early and had to fight a blizzard the whole way there. The Grizzlies would soon find out that the snowy conditions outside were not the only onslaught they would face that night.

Despite having finished the season with a relatively slow schedule which should have given Grace plenty of time to prepare for their district rivals when the Grizzlies took to the court they looked less like ferocious bears and more like fish out of water. Early in the game the quick Pirate team exploited one of the weaknesses of the Grizzlies by applying a full court press. Grace struggled for several possessions to get

the ball even to the halfcourt line. It wasn't until Grace finally used a timeout and reassessed their strategy that the Grizzlies were able to break the press and earn a few layups. Even with the change in strategy the Grizzlies found themselves trailing big at the end of the first quarter with the score being twenty to seven. After weathering the first quarter storm the Grizzlies settled in and tried their best to claw their way back into the game. Senior Jamie Smith came off of the bench and put up eleven points in the period to help Grace get back to within five points at the halftime break. Coming out of the locker room for the second half of play Grace once again changed strategies. The Grizzlies switched to a man defense rather than staying with their very effective zone. The quickness of the Pirates and the lack of discipline from the Grizzlies saw the score once

again climb to double digits. Foul shots would help the Grizzlies stay somewhat close but the third quarter would end with Grace now trailing by eleven. The Grizzlies attempted to turn up the aggression in the fourth quarter but the Pirates would make them pay at the charity stripe. Butte County would shoot fifteen fourth quarter foul shots and make nine of them while continuing to exploit the Grace defense by driving to the basket and kicking the ball out for three point shots or going to the line. Grace attempted to answer by throwing up some desperation three point shots of their own but in the end the Pirates ran away with the victory winning by an astounding twenty points. The Pirates were able to score seventy-five points in the game which is the most points the Grizzlies have allowed all season with only one other team, 4A American Falls, scoring more than fifty

Local Wrestlers To Compete At Districts

BY JODY REEVES

It is a huge week for all of our local wrestlers. Boys districts will take place at West Side High School on Wednesday and girls districts will have a two day tournament at Thunder Ridge High School on Friday and Saturday. There are some differences between the two tournaments but the end result will be each wrestler male and female will be competing for a spot in the upcoming state tournament.

As mentioned above the boys will take center stage first on Wednesday. Wrestling is one of just two sports in the state that combines 1A, 2A, and 3A classifications into one tournament. The other is golf. What that means is every school in the county will be competing against each other in wrestling districts. Boys districts will also include all of the other schools that have wrestlers from the fifth district in the above classifications. Some of the toughest competition will come from Malad and West Side as well as our local schools. Currently there are four local wres-

tlers that are ranked in the top five wrestlers in their respective weight classes. Those wrestlers are Carter Kimball from Grace at 132 lbs, Jack Eddins from Grace at 144 lbs, Elijah Dilworth from Soda Springs at 190 lbs and Cole Garbett from Soda Springs at 215 lbs. Garbett currently holds the number one ranking while Dilworth and Kimball are ranked second with Eddins being ranked third. Though these four wrestlers are highly ranked statewide they are not the only ones to keep an eye on this week at districts. Lukky Welker and Luke Rindlisbaker from North Gem each have a good chance at qualifying for state. From Grace some other wrestlers to watch for are Cael Newby, Brett Hobbs and Mack Jorgensen each of which should do well at the district tournament. Lastly for Soda Springs, watch out for Conner Lee, Ryker Hemmert, and Zayden Garbett, they should all perform well. Though some wrestlers have been mentioned here in this article there are several others that can also qualify for state and represent our local schools well.

The girls district tournament is a

little tougher and more wide spread than the boys is. As the sport continues to grow it is hoped that one day girls districts and state will mirror the boys. For now will lower number of participants the state has decided to combine all classifications for the girls state tournament meaning that a girl from a 1A school may have to compete against girls from 6A schools. As for districts the fifth and sixth districts combine for one district tournament. Our local girls from Grace and Soda Springs will be competing against girls from all over southeast Idaho from all sizes of schools. The competition will be

six points on them. Grace will need to find some answers for the press and perimeter defense if they want to qualify for the state tournament.

Grace began district tournament play on Tuesday night at Thunder Ridge High School where they faced Alturas Prep. The Grizzlies should have won that game with ease advancing them to the semi finals against the Butte County team that just beat them. That game will be Thursday night once again at Thunder Ridge High School. The winner of that semifinal game will earn a huge advantage and a spot in the championship game. The loser will play Alturas on Saturday.

Grizzlies 7 16 13 19 55

Pirates 20 8 19 28 75

D.Hill 4, J.Smith 13, B.Kimball 2, G.Draper 3, C.Smith 6, C.Reeves 4, P.Yost 13, B.Smith 8, L.Moss 2

deep and fierce. Some of the local wrestlers to keep an eye on are Brinlee Hemmert from Soda Springs Alexandra Sturges from Soda Springs, Bella Eddins from Grace, Skyla Cloud from Grace and Josie Newby from Grace. Again the wrestlers mentioned are not the only wrestlers that have a shot at making it to state. With so many local wrestlers performing well this season don’t miss out on the chance to make your way to the two district meets this week and cheer them on. Check out next week’s edition to see who did qualify for state and for more information on the state tournament.

Ryker Hemmert of Soda Springs looks to take a shot on his opponent during an early season match.

Carter Kimball waits to take the top position in a match from earlier in the season.

Senior Carson Welch plays tight defense during the Grizzlies game at Butte County last week.

Senior Landon Moss fights to get around the Pirate player to earn a rebound during the Grizzlies regular season finale.

Soda Springs senior basketball player Chase Jacobsen with his parents Ben and Mindee Jacobsen.

Soda Springs senior basketball player Kyen Kirby with his parents Mark and Jamie Kirby.

Soda Springs senior basketball player Degan Stoor with his parents Brandon and Angela Stoor.

Soda Springs senior cheerleader Lily Davis with her parents Tracy and Tilly Davis.

Soda Springs senior basketball player Dakoda Billman with his parents Morti and Celeste Billman.

Soda Springs senior cheerleader Pricilla Miller with her parents Carl and Alisa Miller.

Soda Springs senior pep band member Lizzie Beutler with her parents Jacob and Abigail Beutler.

Soda Springs senior cheerleader Alivia Perkins with her parents Craig and Julie Perkins.

Soda Springs senior Cardette and pep band member Samantha Dickhaut with her parents Jake and Natalie Dickhaut.

Soda Springs senior cheerleader Taylor Dunford with her parents Colt and Kelsey Dunford.

Soda Springs senior Kacie Hansen with her parents Justin and Jennifer Hansen.

Soda Springs senior Cardette and pep band member Mariah Richardson with her parents Craig and Lara Richardson. Another round