Here's a news item from the Associated Press: TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — One of two motorcycle daredevils is calling off plans to try to attempt a jump over the Snake River Canyon in Idaho that Evel Knievel failed to complete 40 years ago. The Times-News reports (http://bit.ly/1kwFxQN ) "Big Ed" Beckley of Texas made the announcement on his website Saturday. Despite spending $1.6 million on the project, Beckley has faced multiple challenges preparing for the jump near Twin Falls ever since he announced his plans nearly a year ago. Most recently, Fox Broadcasting opted out of the jump because of budget concerns and time restraints. Beckley says he won't attempt the jump unless a network pays him several millions of dollars so he can recoup his costs. Hollywood stuntman Eddie Braun's attorney says he will still jump the canyon Sept. 7.

On Beckley's website here, he posted on Saturday: “For those of you who have not heard we are not doing the Snake River Canyon Jump this year and who knows yet if we ever will do it.” He added that he is “still trying to get a media partner for 2015” and has “dumped over a million bucks of our own cash money in this project.” That includes $968,000 Beckley paid the state of Idaho last fall after a hotly contested auction for rights to use state endowment land for a landing site; that money went to the endowment, which benefits the state’s schoolchildren.