House OKs rules for teen drivers

The House approved tougher requirements for new teen drivers Monday, despite some lawmakers’ concerns about how such restrictions would affect rural Idaho.

Senate Bill 1119 would require teens to drive two months longer with adult supervision before applying for a license. They could carry no more than one non-family teenage passenger for six months after being licensed.

The bill, which already passed in the Senate, would toughen the penalty when teen permit holders are caught for alcohol violations, requiring them to restart the permit process.

The House voted 55-12 to pass the measure, which will go to Gov. Butch Otter for approval.

Grocery credit bill goes to Otter

A bill increasing Idaho’s personal grocery tax credit quietly passed the House Monday morning, leaving only Gov. Butch Otter to sign off on the measure.

Otter originally requested more relief targeted toward low-income Idahoans, and it’s unclear whether he will veto the bill sometime this week. Both houses had more than veto-proof majorities in favor of the plan.

House Bill 81 passed on a 63-6 vote, with all Panhandle lawmakers voting for it.

Otter would have no comment until receiving the bill, spokesman Jon Hanian said.

The governor initially asked for a break of as much as $90 a year for the lowest-income Idahoans, phasing out for larger incomes.

The amended bill increases the credit from $20 a year to $40, and from $35 a year to $60 for seniors.

Priest Lake

Body found near Priest Lake

An unidentified body was found Monday morning in the Priest Lake area.

The Bonner County Sheriff Department was still securing the unspecified crime scene Monday evening and refused to give details until the body has been identified and the family notified.

A press release issued by the department said the body was found about 10:05 a.m.

In February, the sheriff’s office began looking for Leslie Carlton Breaw, a 48-year-old Coolin, Idaho, man whose truck was found abandoned.

Sheriff’s deputies and Bonner County Search and Rescue looked for Breaw in the area where his truck was found.

At the time, two associates of Breaw, Keith Allen Brown and Tyrah Brea Brown, were identified as persons who might have information about Breaw’s disappearance, the sheriff’s office said.

Coeur d’Alene

Licensing offices change hours

The two Kootenai County vehicle license offices are opening a half-hour later on Wednesdays starting this week.

On Wednesdays, the offices in Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene will open at 8:30 a.m. to give time for staff training. All other days, the offices will open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.

For more information, call (208) 446-1580.

From staff reports