Toni Hobbs, a longtime employee of Idaho’s Legislative Services office, passed away unexpectedly in her sleep on Wednesday night, leaving fellow Statehouse workers surprised and mourning. Hobbs, 52, whose official cause of death was an enlarged heart, seemed healthy and active, and had run the…
Yesterday, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved an expanded permit for a wolf- and coyote-hunting derby in east-central Idaho, authorizing the event on 3 million acres of public land over a three-day period in January, with the permit good for five years. Just two…
This is a lot of snow for Boise – a lot. Yesterday’s official 3.3 inches broke the record for the date of 2.3 inches set in 1947; plenty more has fallen since then, and schools are closed across the valley. There’s more than 6 inches…
Linda Clark, the Meridian School District superintendent who co-chaired the tiered licensure committee with state Education Board member Rod Lewis, said she had no problem with the changes the board made to the tiered teacher licensing rule today. “I believe in the process, and when…
The state Board of Education has voted unanimously in favor of the new tiered licensing rule for teachers, as amended; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com. Board member Richard Westerberg made the motion, and member Debbie Critchfield seconded the motion. Board member…
Several Board of Education members have raised questions about how the new tiered teacher licensing rules would affect new teachers coming to Idaho from out of state – and whether they’d hurt Idaho’s efforts to attract teachers from out of state. They’d get the same…
The state Board of Education meeting started with board member Rod Lewis running down the list of the changes to the proposed tiered licensing rule, as detailed here. Board member Richard Westerberg said they are “fairly substantial changes.” Lewis said the biggest one is dropping…
There’s a full house at the Capitol today for the state Board of Education’s special meeting on tiered teacher licensing, though no public comment will be taken. Board Chair Emma Atchley told the crowd, “I appreciate your presence here – it’s always good to have…
Two big changes are among the modifications the state Board of Education will consider this afternoon to its controversial tiered teacher licensing rule. One would eliminate the third tier of licensing, so there would just be two: The residency certificate, for teachers in their first…
Rather than making new rules to restrict trapping in Idaho, state Fish and Game commissioners say they prefer to have trappers take educational classes to reduce the chance that dogs will be caught in deadly body-gripping traps, S-R reporter Scott Maben reports today. Meeting this…
Idaho Department of Insurance Director Bill Deal will retire on Dec. 31, he announced today. A former eight-term lawmaker and longtime insurance agent, Deal has headed the department for the past eight years. Gov. Butch Otter praised Deal, saying, “I hate to think where we…
The state’s legal bills for defending its now-voided contract for the Idaho Education Network high school broadband service is climbing toward $1 million; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com. The State Department of Administration, in response to a request from The Spokesman-Review,…
Changes may be in the works for the controversial tiered teacher licensing rule, Idaho EdNews reporter Kevin Richert reports; you can read his full report here. The state Board of Education meets at 4:30 p.m. today to consider the rule, and last night posted information…
Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: JEROME, Idaho (AP) — A south-central Idaho judge has dropped all charges against three Georgia residents accused of kidnapping a young woman and stealing credit cards after ruling police conducted an illegal vehicle search. The Times-News (http://bit.ly/1qEt771…
State officials and legislative leaders are scrambling to find a way to keep the statewide broadband network that serves Idaho high schools running, after a judge tossed out the five-year-old $60 million contract for the service on Monday. The head of Syringa Networks, the company…
Yesterday, I noted that Education Networks of America, the company that got the now-voided Idaho Education Network contract along with Qwest, has donated $18,250 to Gov. Butch Otter’s campaign, including $5,000 in September; and also has given $6,000 to state schools Superintendent Tom Luna’s campaign…
Syringa Networks, the company that won the lawsuit this week that threw out the $60 million state contract for the Idaho Education Network, is calling for the state to re-bid the deal, Idaho Education News reports today. EdNews reporter Kevin Richert reported that Syringa CEO…
Here’s a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the ruling in the Syringa Networks lawsuit, in which the $60 million contract for a statewide school broadband network – one of Idaho Gov. Butch Otter’s proudest achievements – was voided after a judge ruled…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter has issued this statement about the court ruling voiding the state’s contract for the Idaho Education Network: “There has never been a question about the opportunities the Idaho Education Network (IEN) provides to our students and teachers. Yesterday’s legal decision does…
Outgoing Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, said he’s concerned about the future of state-provided broadband for Idaho schools, after a judge voided the state’s contract for the Idaho Education Network, ruling it was issued illegally. “Certainly the attorneys for the state all along…
It may not be the state that’s out tens of millions of dollars because of an illegal contract for the Idaho Education Network – it may be the contractors, Education Networks of America and Qwest. In his ruling declaring the $60 million IEN contract illegal…
Idaho House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, said this morning that he’s hopeful a “do-over” can happen on the voided contract to operate the Idaho Education Network statewide broadband network, to find a way to keep the service linking Idaho schools running. “I think that’s probably…
Here’s a link to 4th District Judge Patrick Owen’s full ruling in the Syringa Networks case, declaring the multimillion-dollar contract award for the Idaho Education Network illegal and void. The judge’s ruling could cost the state tens of millions as it has to repay federal…
Idaho has lost the Syringa Networks lawsuit over the multimillion-dollar contract award for the Idaho Education Network, with a 4th District judge declaring the contract award void, and “made in violation of state procurement law.” The summary judgment ruling, which came out late yesterday from…
The Idaho Republican Party is encouraging two of its candidates to ask for recounts in elections that they narrowly lost to their Democratic challengers in the Nov. 4 election for legislative seats in north-central Idaho, the Lewiston Tribune reports. Republican state Rep. Thyra Stevenson of…
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