The Idaho Attorney General’s office has issued its opinion…the current relationship between the Rexburg Police Department and its BYU Idaho Campus division is not constitutional and that the Idaho Post Academy is not authorized to certify its employees as law enforcement officers. That’s because they’re paid directly by the University….a Utah based corporation.   However, since it previously certified BYU Idaho employees as members of the department, all arrests and other actions taken by those officers should be upheld.   The city and university have been working on a new agreement and expect to release details soon.

 

With help from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Committee the Idaho Fish and Game Department is trapping and collaring grizzly bears as far south as the northern reaches of Teton Valley to the Wyoming border this summer.    Spokesman Gregg Losinski says the collars contain GPS systems capable of tracking bear activity on a daily basis.   That’ll give a better picture of bear movements, food resources, and how they move among people.   Because the bears, for the most part, are staying out of trouble…the collars may help biologists learn more about how to avoid human-bear conflicts.

 

Two vehicles were totaled after a car pulled out in front of a Rexburg Police vehicle Monday night.   It happened on 2^nd West and 1^st South shortly after 7 p.m.   Investigators say a car driven by BYUI student Violet Teichert of Wyoming had stopped at a stop sign…then pulled into the front of the vehicle of Detective Colin Erickson.   There were no serious injuries.   Teichert was sited for failure to yield.

 

A BYU Idaho employee escaped serious injury Tuesday when the grain truck he was driving failed to negotiate a turn and rolled over.   It happened just before 8:30 Tuesday morning as Ross Wagstaff was driving the University truck down 7^th South and attempted to turn onto University Boulevard.   Damage was estimated at around 20 thousand dollars.

Madison School Superintendent Dr. Geoff Thomas estimates the district’s student population will grow by 40 to 70 students this fall.   He asked the school board last week to approve an emergency levy to cover those unexpected costs.   Idaho law allows an emergency levy to meet the expense of rising student populations. However, the school board opted not to pursue the emergency levy this year.   They felt taxpayers had already stepped up to the plate in supporting a supplemental, high school construction bond in June.

 

Madison School Board trustees have postponed the sale of $19.5 million in high school construction bonds approved by voters last June. Financial advisors are waiting for a better time to sell the bonds in order to secure a lower interest rate.   Superintendent Dr. Geoff Thomas points out that even a hundredth of a percent difference can mean a great savings to taxpayers.

 

There has been some movement in the price of gas in Idaho.  While last week we were paying the 4^th highest price in the lower 48….AAA spokesman Dave Carlson reports we’re now paying the 3^rd highest price. The national average price is down 35 cents in the past 30 days to an average today of $3.69 per gallon.   Idaho’s price is down 19 cents in that same time frame to an average $3.97. Nationwide, Triple A says Labor Day travel will be down nine tenths of a percent from last year.   Idaho travel will be off by about three percent.

 

Interagency fire managers slated a public meeting in Lakeview, Montana Tuesday (Aug. 26) to discuss strategies and tactics being used on the Willow Wildfire Use Event. It’s slowly grown to over 32 hundred acres about 12 and a half miles southwest of Henry’s Lake.   

 

Firefighters doused a three acre, lightning caused fire about 15 miles west and south of Island Park Monday morning. 

 

The new Archer-Lyman school has a new name.   The Madison School Board will call it Southfork Elementary.   The board has also adjusted its preliminary potato harvest break. Based on harvest projections…it’ll now begin on October 6^th and continue thru October 15^th.

 

Picked from three final candidates, Corey Child has been named the new Chief of Rexburg-Madison Emergency Services.   Emergency Services Board Chairman Ken Anderson is confident Child will be able to help the combined agencies accomplish some lofty objectives. They include securing funds and building a new fire station on property the Madison Fire Protection District has purchased in Sugar City and expanded ambulance service. They also intend to make sure all firefighters are fully trained in the use of a new 600 thousand dollar ladder truck delivered to the department this summer.

 

The Madison School District’s first week of classes found four thousand 559 students at work.   That’s down from the four thousand 598 enrolled last year….but is expected to increase to near the same level over the next few days.

Idaho will be one of only five states to receive a US Department of Education Charter School Program grant.    The grant…totaling three point three million dollars over three years will be used to promote the growth of high quality charter schools throughout the state. Idaho currently has 31 charter schools serving 11 thousand students across the state.

The guest of honor will actually show up at the Sawtooth Salmon Festival in Stanley this weekend.   Idaho Rivers United spokesperson Amanda Peacher credits a couple of things that happened in 2006…a court-ordered “spill” order and a good spring run-off. About 400 sockeye salmon made it back from the Pacific Ocean this year….compared to four last year.

 

Rexburg-Madison County Emergency Services has hired a new Chief.   Corey Child of Gustavus, Alaska will succeed Chief Spencer Larsen when he retires in September. Child has 18 years experience in Fire-EMS, serving as Chief in East Zion, Utah.   He’ll oversee the Rexburg Fire Department, Madison Fire Protection District and Madison County Ambulance District.  

 

Now that Rexburg’s plans to proceed with construction of a new swimming pool at Riverside Park are under legal challenge…the Rexburg Urban Renewal Agency is looking at another option.   URA chairman Glen Pond says they’re accepting bids from private companies interested in building the pool on city and district property at Riverside Park, then renting it back to the district for up to 22 years.   So far, four builders have expressed interest.   The district will review the options later this month.

A string of cattle killings on State Endowment and Forest Service lands near Kelly Canyon is continuing.   Since July, a total of nine head owned by Theron and Tim McGarry have been killed…most near Forest Service Road 218 between Windy Ridge and Argument Ridge. The latest happened August 10^th and 13^th.   A five thousand dollar reward is still posted for information leading to the culprits.   Call the sheriffs office or their anonymous Crime Busters Hotline at (208) 359 3282.   The suspects face multiple felony charges that could add up to five years in prison and up to $50 thousand dollars in fines.

 

Madison County Sheriffs Deputies have arrested three people on misdemeanor warrants.   Karen Kathleen Pacheco, Jose Pacheco and Rose Marie Bemis were each charged with three counts of injury to children and three counts of failing to report abuse or neglect. No further details were released.   All were being held in the Madison County Jail Wednesday on $25 thousand dollars bond.

 

Hard to believe, but up till now, no one has bothered to objectively analyze the tax proposals being advanced by the two major party presidential candidates.   Enter Rudd and Company partner and Idaho Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee Chairman Brent Hill of Rexburg.   He’s worked up an apples to apples analysis that’s catching national attention. In general, he says McCain wants to maintain or expand the Bush tax cuts. Obama, in general, wants to roll back those tax cuts, provide more tax cuts for lower income people and higher rates for higher income people.   He says McCain’s plan would increase the national deficit by $4.5 trillion over ten years.   Obama’s plan would increase the deficit by three point three trillion. 

 

Highway 20 was blocked for a time after a deer wandered onto the road near the Teton Lakes Golf Course…and the middle exit at Rexburg.   A female driver was hospitalized after the collision at shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday.   She was not believed to have life-threatening injuries.

 

Two of Idaho’s three US Senate candidates participated in what will be the first of ten internet based debates in Couer D’Alene this week.   Each used the occasion to outline their basic beliefs.  

For Independent candidate Rex Rammell of Rexburg…its federal interference in “state’s rights”.

For Democrat Larry LaRocco its giving working families representation in Congress.

Republican Jim Risch refused the invitation.