An early announced candidate for governor of Idaho on the GOP ticket has filed for bankruptcy for his development business, according to the Associated Press, and is trying to sell properties in Wyoming to cover his debts. According to the AP report, which originated with…
Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, who chaired the Idaho Transportation Board for 11 years, said, "I think any director at ITD is in a tough situation, because there are certain members in the Legislature that don't really give a lot of credibility to ITD. And so…
Idaho Transportation Board Director Darrell Manning declined to say what the board addressed in its closed session on personnel issues this morning, as rumors spread around the state that ITD Director Pam Lowe might be leaving the department. "I don't want to discuss anything like…
At least a dozen Idaho school districts have declared financial emergencies under a new state law, and more are considering the move as they face their first-ever cut in state funding for schools next year. "There’s no money, so what can you do?" asked Ryan…
Pam Lowe, director of the Idaho Transportation Department, is a professional engineer who was ITD's first female district engineer when she was named to that post in 2000. She first joined ITD in 1993 as a construction associate; became planning services manager in 1995 and…
The Idaho Transportation Board held a special meeting this morning for a closed-door executive session on "personnel issues," but when they emerged, they took no action. "The board had an executive session on personnel," said spokesman Jeff Stratten. "I do not sit in on those…
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called a one-year halt today to any road construction or timber removal on national forests under the roadless area conservation rule without his personal approval - but the new directive exempts Idaho. That's because Idaho already has a plan for…
The Nez Perce Tribe today notified Gov. Butch Otter that, in light of new bighorn sheep legislation sponsored this year by sheep producer Sen. Jeff Siddoway, R-Terreton, and signed into law by Otter, the tribe can no longer participate in the governor's Idaho Bighorn/Domestic Sheep…
Idaho Department of Water Resources Director Dave Tuthill, asked why he made the decision to retire at the end of June, said, "It's a good time for the agency and a good time for me, too. ... I've been eligible for full retirement since last…
The highest-paying sectors of jobs in Idaho in 2008 - management of companies, mining, and utilities - employed just 6 percent of the state's workers, while the lowest-paying sectors - accommodation/food services, and arts/entertainment/recreation, employed 10 percent. This according to the Idaho Department of Labor,…
Idaho Department of Water Resources Director David Tuthill will retire on June 30, after 33 years with the department, to "pursue a career in the private sector," according to an IDWR news release. Tuthill served as manager of the department's western regional office, adjudication bureau…
After House Education Chairman Bob Nonini declared on the floor of the House that Gov. Butch Otter's executive order for new accountability measures at the Idaho Transportation Department was “not worth the piece of paper it was printed on,” there was much speculation that Otter…
Post-Memorial Day holiday checklist: Get the kids back to school, recover from the long weekend, pack up the gear – and go vote? Idaho has held its primary election on the fourth Tuesday in May since 1980, which means that 45 percent of the time,…
Gov. Butch Otter and GOP legislative leaders Bob Geddes, president pro-tem of the state Senate, and Lawerence Denney, speaker of the House, have issued a joint op-ed piece contending that this year's legislative session "made real progress for Idaho." Wrote the leaders, "By any measure,…
Swung by the Idaho parks & rec office and purchased my invasive species sticker, which I then plastered onto my sailboard. Now we'll see if it sticks. They were plenty busy, but it was a breeze picking up the $5 sticker (for non-motorized craft; Idaho-registered…
Idaho teens ages 14 to 18 have until May 30 to apply to attend the Aviation Career Exploration (ACE) Academy, run by the Idaho Transportation Department's Division of Aeronautics. During the four-day academy, which runs from June 29 to July 2, the teens will get…
According to a new national survey by GMAC Insurance, Idaho drivers are tied (with Wisconsin) for best in the nation in their driving knowledge - performance on the written test for a driver's license. This isn't new drivers; it's existing ones. The annual survey polled…
Starting in about a month, anyone pulling a boat into Idaho will have to pull over at a port of entry for inspection and possible decontamination, in an effort to keep invasive quagga and zebra mussels out of the state. Top state officials approved emergency…
What often is a routine transaction for the state Land Board - turning over title to newly uncovered land along a river to the adjacent landowner when the river's channel moves - turned into a big controversy when the state was looking at a parcel…
The failed Tamarack Resort near Cascade could have a buyer in the offing, Tamarack chief Jean-Pierre Boespflug told the state Land Board today. "We do have a very difficult situation," Boespflug told the board. The ski and golf resort boosted employment in Valley County by…
Gov. Butch Otter late yesterday signed three bills into law: HB 372a, the major legislation to consolidate Idaho's elections to just four dates, for all levels of government; and two education bills, HB 303a and HB 374, which both promote funding "virtual education," or online…
Gov. Butch Otter and Idaho state Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs, led the opposition in a rare meeting of the Constitutional Defense Council this morning to paying court-ordered attorney fees in a case that the state mostly lost, but partly won; the case…
Idaho's state Department of Parks and Recreation has announced that all state parks will stay open through the summer season, despite budget cuts. "At a time when budgets are tight, our agency understands that families will want to turn to their state parks for affordable…
When Idaho Gov. Butch Otter was a legislator back in the ’70s, he was precisely the sort of outspoken, no-new-taxes, shrink-government conservative as those in the House who stymied his transportation initiative this year. Now he can’t understand why the young lawmakers don’t get his…
Starting on Monday, more than 50 Idaho law enforcement agencies will launch a 14-day crackdown on seat belt usage, a push that will extend through the Memorial Day weekend. According to the Idaho Transportation Department, 105 Idahoans who weren't wearing their seat belts were killed…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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