UPPER VALLEY HEADLINES

Madison County deputies are trying to figure out how a family van crashed into the front window of the Shell Food Mart in Thornton Sunday.   The van, driven by 39 year old Juan Ventura of Sugar City somehow left highway 20, avoided vehicles and gas pumps before crashing into the store shortly after 3 Sunday afternoon.   The driver, three passengers and the store owner were not hurt, but damage was substantial.   Ventura was booked for driving without privileges. Mechanics are attempting to determine if there were any problems with brakes or the accelerator of the Oldsmobile. Investigators say alcohol was not involved….but they suspect “sleep” may be.

 

The Department of Interior’s decision not to list the sage grouse as an endangered species, at this time, won’t have a lot of impact on existing management objectives in eastern Idaho.   Idaho Fish and Game Department spokesman Gregg Losinski says the biggest sage grouse habitat in our area is the Egin Hamer desert. ”We’ve been monitoring the situation with sage grouse population for decades now so we’re well aware of what’s going on in various populations. The federal government….BLM and Forest Service…have 72% of the habitat, so that’s the key.”   The Idaho Fish and Game commission will review data in August to determine if they will set hunting seasons or not.

They’ll continue to monitor other issues that could affect the bird…including precipitation, West Nile Virus and human development.

 

Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has hired three additional staffers to help with in-state casework. One…ISU graduate Sally Symons will join the Idaho Falls office. Caseworkers help individuals deal with just about any problem with a federal agency ranging from tax questions to veterans services.    Crapo’s office handled some two thousand cases last year.

 

A 21 year old North Dakota man was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center Saturday night after he drove his snowmobile over a 15 foot cliff near the Continental Divide by Taylor Mountain. Fifteen Fremont County Search and Rescue team members were called out to help reach the man in steep terrain.   They stabilized the Bozeman college student for a helicopter flight out of the area.

Western states have been holding their breath to learn how the Department of Interior would approach endangered species management of sage grouse in the region. They’re breathing a bit easier after Assistant Secretary for the US Fish and Wildlife Service Ted Strickland announced Friday, ”The greater sage grouse does warrant the protection of the endangered species act.  However, we are proposing to not list the species at this time because of the need to address higher priority species ahead of it.”

Strickland said the action was avoided thanks to aggressive management at the state level. ”A number of western states have been very out front in terms of doing very important work to protect the habitat of sage grouse….Wyoming, Montana and Idaho in particular. Management of the species will continue to be a state rather than a federal responsibility.”

Sage grouse populations have declined by 90% from historic levels while their habitat has shrunk by 50%.   It’s blamed on fire, invasive species, agricultural and energy development.

 

Idaho’s Congressional delegation issued the following statement.

 "For the past eight years groups around the state have been working voluntarily and in good faith to preserve Idaho's sage grouse habitat.  The listing of the sage grouse as a candidate species does not add any additional resources, other than greater federal oversight.  While we do not believe greater oversight is necessary, the state, conservation groups, permittees and recreationists will continue to find ways to reverse the decline of sage grouse habitat."

 

More than 20 area employers are expected to participate in an Idaho Falls job fair today (March 8).   It’ll run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Idaho Falls High School Civic Auditorium. Several businesses will be on hand with positions to fill. 

Those include Home Link Trust, Executive Training, Compa, Battelle Energy Alliance, the U.S. Census Bureau, Schlumberger US Recruiting, Telstar, Ascendent Engineering, Center Partners, Qwest, Hoku Scientific, Technology Ventures Corp., Bechtel  BWXT, Red Inc., Voicecurve, Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and Sleep Inn & Suites.

Madison County will begin enforcing its “spring break up” limits on county roads effective today (March 8).   It limits speeds for trucks and buses to 35 miles per hour to reduce wear and tear on county roads.  

 

Appropriately called “Abacus” the US Census road tour comes to St. Anthony today (March 8). The van will be located at South Fremont High School from 1 to 3.   Census Bureau spokesperson Stacy McBain says it’s intended to answer just about any question or concern you might have, “IIt shows the ten census questions, why they’re asked and allows people to interact with the census website.”

The census forms will hit the mail March 15th. They’re intended to determine where you live on April 1st.   Required by the US Constitution every ten years…McBain says it’s important to mail them back by April 15th. ”For every percentage point we can raise the national mail-back response rate it saves 80 to 90 million in taxpayer dollars.”

 

Energy Secretary Steven Chu has filed a request with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to withdraw the government’s application to operate the Yucca Mountain radioactive waste repository. In a Senate hearing this week, Senator Jim Risch says that endangers a court-ordered cleanup agreement with Idaho. He told Chu…the Idaho National Laboratory is doing its part,”They’re keeping up with the contract. The waste is being removed to the WIPP site. Unfortunately, there’s material that’s not qualified for the WIPP site and it was anticipated that would go to Yucca Mountain.”

Risch pointed out the nation has already invested $16 billion in the Yucca Mountain site. Idaho’s agreement calls for all waste to be out of Idaho by 2035. Chu said he was unaware of the Idaho Cleanup Agreement, but indicated he’d make a decision on what to do with high level waste later this year.

 

Rexburg City Councilmen have agreed to a land exchange with Ferguson and Company. Mayor Richard Woodland said it’s intended to correct some faulty surveys done many years ago. Since then, the city learned one of its sewer lift stations wasn’t on city property. The exchange moves the lift station onto city property behind the Rexburg K-Mart store.

 

The Idaho Senate has unanimously approved a measure to join a nationwide Streamlined Sales Tax project…aimed at getting states their share of internet sales tax revenue.   But, the proposal could face a tougher time in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee. Committee member Dell Raybould of Rexburg told us he thinks it’s an issue of sovereignty.   ”they didn’t want the federal people or a national organization coming in and telling us what we can do with our sales tax.”

Supporters estimate Idaho is losing somewhere between 50 and 80 million dollars a year in sales tax revenue to web-based internet sales.  

 

Rexburg City employees presented the city council with a proposal this week that would allow them to set a more flexible weekly work schedule. After some debate and a tie city council vote Mayor Richard Woodland agreed…on condition that it be approved by the mayor and council

He notes that, in some cases, adjusted work schedules would more closely align with the needs of contractors and other citizens working with city departments.

 

The Legislature’s budget-setting committee approved a 7.5 percent reduction to the public schools budget for fiscal year 2011.

 

The proposal also declares a financial emergency, which would allow school districts to renegotiate current teacher contracts. The Idaho Education Association is protesting that provision.

 

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna and educational stakeholder groups representing teachers, administrators and school board trustees had worked with legislators on crafting the budget for the upcoming school year and agreed to the proposal before it was approved Monday.

 

 

The budget approved by Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) today includes the $27.5 million in additional revenues Superintendent Luna secured from the State Board of Land Commissioners and other sources within the State Department of Education.

 

After adding in the funding for estimated growth in student enrollment next year, Idaho public schools budget will be reduced by $128.5 million, or 7.5 percent, next school year. Previously, the shortfall for public schools for FY2011 had been estimated to be between $135 million to $160 million.

 

Here are the major changes that JFAC has approved to the public schools budget for FY2011, which begins July 1:

 

Funding for teacher and classified staff salaries was reduced by 4 percent. The funding for administrator salaries was reduced by 6.5 percent. The experience and education movement on the grids for all certificated staff are frozen for FY2011.

Funding for technology, teacher incentive award, programs for expectant or delivered mothers, gifted and talented, classroom supplies, textbooks, and Safe and Drug-Free Schools programs was moved from line items within the public schools budget into discretionary funding to give districts more flexibility in how they fund these programs next year.

Funding for the Idaho Reading Initiative, Idaho Math Initiative and ISAT Remediation funding was combined into one line item and reduced by $2.4 million, or 20 percent.

Funding for Limited English Proficient (LEP) was reduced by $2 million, or 33 percent. The $2 million was moved to discretionary funding.

Funding for transportation was reduced by 10 percent in addition to eliminating funding for field trips.

Hard to believe, but the winter season is winding down at Yellowstone National Park.   Snowmobile traffic will close on interior roads March 15th. The road from Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris Junction will close to motorized oversnow travel Sunday (March 7).   But, deteriorating conditions may prompt the park to limit or change some vehicle access during the final days.   Updated information is available 24 hours a day by calling 307 344 2117.

After months of scraping by, the Rigby Senior Center says it may have to curb its Meals on Wheels program for homebound seniors.   Office manager Cynthia Park says it costs about $7 to $7.50 per meal to deliver meals to about 50 homebound senior citizens in the Rigby area….but donations only cover about a $1.25 of that cost. ”Right now we’re just hoping every month that some donation comes in the door to keep things running.   But, by May 1st, we may have to sell them to seniors rather than deliver them “by donation”. The Rigby Senior Center Board will meet tonight (March 4) to discuss the program and listen to any community suggestions.

 

Senator Jim Risch will open his new east Idaho office Friday. He’ll join Mayor Jared Fuhriman is a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4 p.m.   The new office is located at 901 Pierview Drive in Idaho Falls…Suite 202-A.

 

The Rexburg City Council will consider appointment of a new city councilman tonight.   Adam Stout stepped down last month in order to apply for a position with the city. He later withdrew his application.   Now, Mayor Richard Woodland says, ”He’s such a good city councilman, he’s such a good thinker and he was elected to be a city councilman and, if he’ll accept, I’m certainly going to reappoint him to return to his council seat.”

That appointment will, of course, be subject to city council approval as well.

 

The Senate has broken Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning’s week long effort to hold up provisions in a new jobs bill.   He was mounting procedural objections to get Congress to cut spending in other areas to pay for it. While it caught the ire of most Senators…Idaho’s Mike Crapo sympathized with the effort. ”Many of us are very concerned that we not continue to dig this whole deeper…even with worthy projects.” The bill included funding for federal highways, extended unemployment benefits, Medicare adjustments, extension of COBRA premium subsidies, and Small Business Administration loan programs.

 

Five BYU Idaho Interior Design students have won a total of  $17,500 in national design competitions. Each will be given a free trip to Chicago for the National Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. Out of 509 kitchen design entries…1st and 3rd prizes were awarded to Hillaree Harriss and Brittany McPheters. Clarisse McCann took 1st place in the Bath Competition, while Kevin Anderson and Angela Miller each placed in a student essay competition.