Gov. Butch Otter has named Molly Huskey, the state's appellate public defender since 2002, to fill a district judge opening in the 3rd Judicial District; click below for Otter's full announcement.
Friday will be Brundage Mountain's second-latest opening day in the ski area's 50-year history; the latest was Jan. 8 in 1977. The McCall-area ski resort announced this afternoon that after receiving 9 inches of new snow in the past 48 hours, it's ready to open…
Now that a big, wet storm is finally hitting the Treasure Valley, the question for our still-closed local ski areas is one of temperatures and snow levels. Bogus Basin reported an inch and a half of new snow yesterday and an inch overnight, but it's…
At 6 a.m. today, Grand Targhee was reporting 10 inches of new snow in the past 24 hours, and a 37-inch base; check it out here. Meanwhile, Pomerelle got an inch overnight and now has 20-28 inches; and Tamarack reported 2 inches of new snow…
I'm on vacation for the next two weeks, and with both kids home from college, was hoping for some family ski days at Bogus Basin, though the forecast isn't providing much to support that hope at this point - Bogus remains closed for lack of…
When the Coeur d’Alene Tribe first signed a gaming compact with the state of Idaho in 1992, tribal leaders insisted on donating 5 percent of net casino gaming proceeds to education on or near their reservation – a gesture that has added up to $16.8…
Police have completed an investigation into the murder of a University of Idaho graduate student, the AP reports, finding a professor acted alone when he killed the young woman he had recently dated outside her Moscow home and then committed suicide. "No evidence to date…
The governor's office wants to clarify this line that appeared at the end of my story in today's paper: "Otter has served in elected office since 1973, as a state lawmaker, longtime lieutenant governor, three-term congressman and governor." Notes Jon Hanian, Otter's press secretary, "From…
The Idaho House, the former Simplot mansion that's now Idaho's never-yet-occupied governor's mansion, will hold a holiday open house today to give the public a first look at recent renovations. The event is a benefit for the Wyakin Warrior Foundation for severely wounded veterans; donations…
The Idaho Transportation Department has just announced that a giant megaload will travel on U.S. Highway 12 starting tomorrow night, headed from east to west. The load, according to ITD, is a pipe that weighs 185,000 pounds, is 95 feet long, 22 feet wide and…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on Gov. Butch Otter's announcement that he'll see a third term in 2014. It includes this comment from longtime Idaho political observer Jim Weatherby: "Who knows whether it's for real or not? I suspect part of…
A federal judge has refused to unseal a settlement agreement between an Idaho inmate and a private prison company involving allegations of rampant violence at Idaho's privately operated prison, the Idaho Correctional Center south of Boise, the AP reports. The Associated Press had asked the…
Here's Idaho Statesman columnist Dan Popkey's take on Gov. Butch Otter's announcement that he'll seek a third term as governor in 2014: It's "gubernatorial bluster." Popkey wites, "My take: He hasn't made up his mind." He he notes that Otter is "keen to avoid a…
A few thoughts on Gov. Butch Otter's surprise announcement last night that he'll seek a third term as governor in 2014: First, it's awfully early for that news. Otter is just one year into his second four-year term; that election is three years away. Then…
Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said despite the positive budget outlook lawmakers are facing with state revenues growing, he doesn't feel like the state's in surplus mode, with its revenue still below 2008 levels. "From my way of thinking, a surplus is when you…
Idaho's longitudinal data system for public schools is working better now, JFAC members were informed today. After the big data upload in November to calculate school enrollment, legislative budget analyst Paul Headlee said the state Department of Education is reporting that 141 school districts or…
Idaho's various reserve funds hit a high of $393 million total at the end of fiscal year 2008, but now they're projected to be at $30.4 million by the end of the current fiscal year on June 30. That includes the unendowed portion of the…
Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron noted that if lawmakers consider raises for state employees - known as CEC, or "change in employee compensation" in budgeting speak - the "Students Come First" school reform laws could complicate that when it comes to public schools. That's because…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter is telling supporters that he'll run for re-election in 2014. His former campaign manager, Debbie Field, told Boise television station KTVB that Otter made the announcement Wednesday night…
As Idaho lawmakers begin to plan for setting the fiscal year 2013 budget, they'll have a beginning balance left over from the current year, because state tax revenues came in so far above the amount for which they budgeted. Under current revenue forecasts, that'll be…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Transportation Department has approved a plan allowing large loads of Imperial Oil equipment to resume travel on the state's highways. The megaloads were suspended Dec. 6 after a driver tried to…
Legislative budget director Cathy Holland-Smith noted that there are differing views of the $16.2 million that state tax revenues have lagged behind forecasts since the start of the fiscal year on July 1. Though that's only a 1.6 percent shortfall from the forecast, and lawmakers…
Every member of the Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee has turned out for today's interim meeting, where the first agenda item is a general fund update. JFAC Co-Chair Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, told legislative budget director Cathy Holland-Smith that the lawmakers are looking forward to hearing about…
Idaho's delegation has returned from a trade mission to Mexico and Brazil and reports "tremendous interest and opportunities in both countries for Idaho products and services," says Lt. Gov. Brad Little, who led the mission. Seventeen Idaho businesses or organizations participated, from Mountain States Oilseeds,…
A Boise man has failed to convince Idaho's Court of Appeals that he can't be prosecuted for marijuana possession because he used the weed as a religious sacrament after Idaho lawmakers in 2000 voted to elevate religious rights over all other rights in the state's…
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