Asked if Idaho has been contacted by federal officials about housing or staging unaccompanied minor immigrants captured at the southern border up north here in the Gem State, Gov. Butch Otter’s press secretary, Jon Hanian, responded, “The short answer is no.” “We have not received…
The plush Shoshone-Bannock Hotel & Event Center in eastern Idaho has come up with a creative way to capitalize on the state’s move to up speed limits on rural southern Idaho interstates to 80 mph tomorrow: It’s offering a special $80-per-room rate, noting that the…
Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Members of Occupy Boise are asking a federal judge to order the state of Idaho to pay more than $175,000 in attorney costs and legal fees after the group won a lawsuit over…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter today fired off a letter to three top federal officials declaring that he wants “to immediately eliminate the chance of the federal government using Idaho as a destination or a staging area for the influx of unaccompanied and illegal immigrants entering…
The National Taxpayers Union says it’s conducted a poll in Idaho that shows Idahoans oppose taxes on online sales, with questions such as, “Please tell me if you agree or disagree with the following statement. Out-of-state tax collectors, such as those from the state of…
The Morrison Center on the BSU campus has made the list of the top 50 theatre venues in the world for ticket sales in the first half of 2014, thanks in part to an extended 24-performance run of “Wicked” that drew Idahoans in droves. The…
After two conflicting appellate court rulings yesterday - in Washington, D.C. and in Richmond, Va. - about whether federal subsidies apply to those purchasing health insurance in states that haven’t set up their own insurance exchanges, Idaho’s exchange, YourHealthIdaho.org, announced that Idahoans should see no…
The Simplot Corp.’s JUMP building project now under construction in downtown Boise – JUMP stands for “Jack’s Urban Meeting Place” – will house a display of 52 antique tractors that the late J.R. Simplot collected and long wanted to put on display, the Capital Press…
Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: EAGLE, Idaho (AP) — A beaver and her baby have been captured after trying to get into a southwest Idaho grocery store and will be released into the wild. An Ada County sheriff's deputy responded Monday morning…
The state Land Board, which consists of the state's top five elected officials and is chaired by the governor, has sent out an opinion piece to Idaho news media hailing the endowment's record earnings in the past year, from the record 18.8 percent return on…
Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Transportation Department says speed limits on rural sections of interstates in the southern part of the state will go up to 80 mph starting Thursday. That's an increase from 75 mph…
Among those Gov. Butch Otter passed over for the two recent state Board of Education openings, to whom he appointed David Hill and Debbie Critchfield: Outgoing Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene; former Sen. Melinda Smyser, R-Parma; Trudy Anderson, a retired associate vice president…
The “Add the 4 Words” sentencing hearing has finally wrapped up at nearly 5:45 p.m. Boise time. Judge Michael Oths thanked all those involved – the lawyers, the defendants, the clerks, the marshals, “everybody.” He said, “Everybody’s been respectful of one another today,” adding to…
Many more people have been sentenced this afternoon, all receiving community service and court costs and some small fines for misdemeanor charges stemming from their arrests at protests at the state Capitol this year in favor of amending the Idaho Human Rights Act to ban…
Among the many people coming before the court for sentencing this afternoon for the “Add the 4 Words” protests at the state Capitol this year: Judy Cross, who was arrested five times in Add the Words protests, said her first arrest was in 1969, two…
After the break this afternoon, attorney Phillip Gordon – one of 20 lawyers who volunteered to represent the “Add the 4 Words” protesters for free after their arrests – told the court on behalf of his three clients, Salem Djembe, Deborah Graham and Dan Fink,…
After completing the first three sentencings, the court has now gone to a short recess. After former Sen. Nicole LeFavour, those sentenced so far were: Joseph Kibbe, a 35-year-old gay man who shared how he found his best friend after the friend’s suicide, and who…
Former state Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, told the court this afternoon that she had tried everything else to get the Legislature to hear legislation banning discrimination against gays before planning this year’s protests that led to arrests. “At one point we even had Republican co-sponsors…
Jeffrey Brownson, attorney for Nicole LeFavour at the “Add the 4 Words” sentencing hearing this afternoon, said this about the protests this year: “These people throughout the legislative session were willing to put their liberty at stake, to face prosecution having no idea what the…
Judge Michael Oths has imposed a $70 fine, 70 hours of community service and court costs on former state Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, for two misdemeanor counts of trespassing at the Idaho state Capitol during this year’s legislative session in favor of protecting gays from…
Madelynn Lee Taylor, a 74-year-old Navy veteran and one of the arrested protesters, was called next. She recounted how she and her wife have been denied permission to be buried together at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery because Idaho doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages. She said…
Julie Zicha, whose gay son, Ryan, committed suicide, was the first witness called by the defense at the “Add the 4 Words” sentencing trial this afternoon for state Capitol protesters. Zicha said she believes it’s critical that Idaho amend its Human Rights Act to ban…
The state has now called Maj. Steve Richardson of the Idaho State Police, who oversees executive protection and capitol security for the ISP, to address the “Add the 4 Words” protests at the Capitol this year. He read a statement including these stats from this…
Prosecutor John S. Dinger began the “Add the 4 Words” sentencing hearing this afternoon by reading a statement from Idaho Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Sarah Jane McDonald. She said visitors to the Capitol are expected to “behave in a civil manner. … So what happens when visitors…
There’s a full house this afternoon for the sentencing of two dozen “Add the 4 Words” protesters at the Ada County Courthouse for offenses relating to protests at the state Capitol during this year’s legislative session in favor of adding the words “sexual orientation” and…