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News > Idaho

Post Falls and Athol libraries lose thousands of books in flood, prepare for multi-million dollar repair

UPDATED: Thu., Feb. 1, 2024

Cold, foul-smelling water poured out of the ceiling of the Post Falls Public Library on Jan. 14 when a pipe froze and then burst. It rained on DVD collections, artwork and toys – while completely destroying row after row of books.

News > ID Government

Idaho bill to fund school facilities could be introduced soon

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 2, 2024

An Idaho lawmaker said legislators have drafted a bill that would invest $1 billion into school facilities over the course of a decade, half the amount of funding Gov. Brad Little proposed in his State of the State address.

News > Idaho

Two men trespassed from Bonner County Commissioners meeting after disruptions and indirect threats

UPDATED: Wed., Jan. 31, 2024

Two Bonner County men were arrested after refusing to leave a county commissioner meeting Friday. The incident has caused a rift within county government and law enforcement over how to handle disruptive behavior at public meetings.

News > Pacific NW

Bryan Kohberger’s defense in Idaho student murder case asks for change of venue for trial

UPDATED: Wed., Jan. 31, 2024

Attorneys for Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in November 2022, has formally asked that a trial be held elsewhere than the community where the homicides took place.

News > Idaho

Sex definition bill moves to Idaho House floor despite lack of support in public hearing

UPDATED: Wed., Jan. 31, 2024

A bill to change the legal definition of “sex” under Idaho law is making its way to the House floor after it passed in the House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday morning.

News > Idaho

‘Terrorism is upon us,’ Idaho lawmaker says as House OKs bill for concealed guns in school

UPDATED: Wed., Jan. 31, 2024

A bill to allow any public school employee with an “enhanced” concealed weapons permit to carry a gun in hallways, classes and lunchrooms across the state passed the Idaho House on Wednesday. House Bill 415 would require teachers or other employees who want to carry guns to notify their principal, but it does not require them to notify their local school board or students and parents. The ...

News > Pacific NW

Rich Idahoans pay smaller share of income in taxes than low-income families, report says

UPDATED: Wed., Jan. 31, 2024

Low-income Idahoans pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes than wealthy residents, according to a new report.

News > Pacific NW

Latest execution date set for Thomas Creech, Idaho’s longest-serving death row prisoner

UPDATED: Tue., Jan. 30, 2024

The day after the state’s parole board denied a reduced sentence to life in prison for Thomas Creech, Idaho’s longest-serving death row prisoner, a date next month was set for his execution.

News > Idaho

Do you pay your fair share of Idaho taxes? What a new report says rich, poor Idahoans pay

UPDATED: Wed., Jan. 31, 2024

Low-income Idahoans pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes than wealthy residents, according to a new report. The latest edition of “Who Pays?” from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that Idaho’s tax system is regressive, meaning poor- and middle-income families pay a disproportionate share of taxes, relative to their incomes, than their richer counterparts. The ...

News > Pacific NW

Idaho ‘serial killer’ Thomas Creech’s death sentence upheld after clemency review

UPDATED: Mon., Jan. 29, 2024

Thomas Creech will remain Idaho’s longest-serving death row prisoner after the state parole board recommended Monday against his plea to avoid execution with a reduced sentence to life in prison.

News > ID Government

Idaho Senate passes bill to define ‘domestic terrorism’ as activity associated with foreign groups

UPDATED: Sun., Jan. 28, 2024

The Idaho Senate voted 27-8 on Thursday to advance a bill that would define “domestic terrorism” in Idaho as activities done in cooperation with foreign groups.

News > Idaho

Proposed amendment to Idaho Constitution would limit special legislative sessions to 20 days

UPDATED: Fri., Jan. 26, 2024

A proposed new amendment to the Idaho Constitution would ask Idaho voters to decide in November whether to limit the length of any special session of the Idaho Legislature to 20 days.

News > Pacific NW

Attorneys in Idaho student murder case signal trial may not begin until next year

UPDATED: Fri., Jan. 26, 2024

The trial of Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students, is unlikely to happen for at least another year, with attorneys on both sides of the high-profile capital murder case mutually targeting summer 2025.

News > Idaho

Gov. Little to send Idaho State Police troopers to Mexico border amid Texas standoff

UPDATED: Fri., Jan. 26, 2024

Gov. Brad Little announced Friday that he plans to send more Idaho State Police troopers to the U.S.-Mexico border “to assist with securing our nation’s border,” as Texas is in the middle of a legal standoff with the federal government over border security. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this week that federal agents have the authority to take down razor wire that Texas law enforcement ...

News > Idaho

Idaho librarians contemplate leaving work – and the state – as a result of proposed legislation

UPDATED: Wed., Jan. 24, 2024

Maegan Hanson became a librarian because of her love of reading. Her favorite part of her job is helping people discover their next favorite book.

News > ID Government

Idaho’s Crapo, Simpson endorse Trump on eve of New Hampshire primary

UPDATED: Mon., Jan. 22, 2024

WASHINGTON – Two Idaho Republicans threw their support behind Donald Trump’s re-election bid on Monday, endorsing the former president on the eve of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary.

News > Idaho

Most Idahoans want abortion exceptions, and trust librarians, Boise State research shows

Sun., Jan. 21, 2024

Most Idahoans trust public libraries and librarians and more Idahoans feel the state is on the wrong track than they have in the past decade, according to a new report published by Boise State University’s Idaho Policy Institute and School of Public Service.

News > ID Government

Idaho legislative committee recommends raises of up to 3% for state employees

UPDATED: Fri., Jan. 19, 2024

A committee of Idaho legislators studying state pay and employee benefits is recommending raises of up to 3% for state employees next year.

News > Higher education

Phoenix deal offers ‘more than enough’ to cover student-loan risk, says U of I president

UPDATED: Fri., Jan. 19, 2024

The University of Idaho remains intent on completing its high-profile acquisition of the University of Phoenix for hundreds of millions of dollars, which also comes with a possibility of millions more in financial liabilities in the deal. Terms of the $550 million agreement require the University of Phoenix to provide $200 million in cash at close to a nonprofit, Four Three Education, created ...

News > Idaho

Mom called Boise police for son’s welfare. Report reveals new details of his fatal shooting

UPDATED: Fri., Jan. 19, 2024

Boise officers planned to arrest 26-year-old Zachary Snow in October 2021 after his family members called the police to inform them he was suicidal and attempting to jump off a structure near downtown, according to an investigative report obtained by the Idaho Statesman. Instead, Snow was fatally shot. The report revealed details for the first time of officers surrounding Snow to arrest him on ...

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