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With reduced capacity and few guests in masks, Silverwood opens ahead of almost all other theme parks
Less than 10 minutes after Silverwood Theme Park reopened Saturday, dozens of children splashed in the wave pool at Boulder Beach, adults lay out on lounge chairs and no one in sight wore a mask. Silverwood, which has been drawing thrill seekers to North Idaho for decades, is one of the first theme parks in the nation – and by far the largest – to open since the pandemic shut the industry down.
Some Idahoans have gone 11 weeks without unemployment payments
Some jobless Idahoans still await unemployment compensation 11 weeks after Gov. Brad Little declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic.
Politics prompts Idaho Fish and Game chairman to quit
Idaho Fish and Game Commission Chairman Jerry Meyers won’t seek a second term on the board, saying he has grown tired of not being able to participate in Republican primary elections.
Idaho theaters, bars back in business as state moves forward with reopening plan
Idaho theaters and bars are reopening today as the state moves into the third stage of Gov. Brad Little’s “Idaho Rebounds” plan.
Kootenai County asks voters nonbinding questions about prison re-entry, taxing districts
The two questions on the ballot won’t be binding, but supporters say they hope voters will send a clear message to future decisionmakers.
New unemployment claims in Idaho dropped 18% last week
New jobless claims in Idaho continued to decline May 17-23, dropping 18% from a week prior, according to the Idaho Department of Labor.
Coeur d’Alene Fourth of July fireworks canceled, parade modified
The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce canceled its annual Fourth of July fireworks show Thursday but plans to hold a parade within public health guidelines.
Idaho State track athletes want transgender lawsuit tossed
BOISE – Two female athletes at Idaho State University want a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a new state law banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports, the first such law in the nation. Madison Kenyon, 19, of Johnston, Colorado, and Mary Marshall, 20, of Twin Falls, Idaho, run track and cross country on scholarships at the university. Each said they’ve lost to a transgender athlete from the University of Montana and contend that transgender athletes are unfair competition.
Self-employed in Idaho now eligible for state coronavirus-related assistance
Self-employed Idaho residents can now apply for a portion of the $300 million worth of financial help from the state.
Loved ones remember how 3 killed in Silver Mountain avalanche sought adventure, spread goodwill
As thousands of pounds of snow swept down Silver Mountain Resort in January, the avalanche plucked up the souls of three people who, in many aspects, couldn’t have been more different but by all accounts led their lives with strikingly similar values.
‘It’s just overtaking me’: Those who survived the deadly Silver Mountain avalanche say it offers painful lessons
The storm formed off Canada’s west coast, north of Seattle, in early January. It was a typical winter storm in the Pacific Northwest: heavy precipitation first, followed by a front of cold air.
Little details goals to expand COVID-19 testing in Idaho
Ramping up COVID-19 testing and tracing is key to Idaho’s containment strategy, Gov. Brad Little said Friday, as authorities said they hope to be consistently testing 2% of the state’s population in the coming months.
New jobless claims exceeded 5,800 in Idaho last week
Laid-off workers in Idaho filed 5,800 new jobless claims last week, according to the Idaho Department of Labor.
Kootenai sheriff, candidate each claim the other is misleading public on contact tracing. Public health says law enforcement isn’t involved
Kootenai County Sheriff candidate John Grimm has for months published misinformation about COVID-19 pandemic response efforts on social media accounts affiliated with his campaign.
Nervous, rusty, excited: Idaho restaurants welcome customers back with relief and concern
After almost two months, the owner of the Garnet Café in Coeur d’Alene opened the doors of her business to customers on Saturday and found it was an unexpectedly emotional feat.
Idaho Republican claims state botched mail-in ballot process
BOISE – Idaho election officials botched the mail-in primary process, says a Republican candidate seeking to represent the state in Congress who has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to extend the deadline for requesting a ballot until next week. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday against Idaho Secretary of State Lawrence Denney, Nicholas Jones said the secretary of state’s website became overwhelmed and failed to meet the demand for ballot requests as the 8 p.m. Tuesday deadline loomed, denying some people their only opportunity to prepare to vote.
Idaho Land Board will stick with timberland-buying strategy
Gov. Brad Little’s desire to make a significant course change involving a politically charged strategy on how to invest millions of dollars to benefit public schools and other beneficiaries has been rejected by his fellow members on the Idaho Land Board.
Kootenai, Bonner counties see high demand for absentee ballots required by governor
Gov. Brad Little ordered all voting to occur via mailed ballot by proclamation in March in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Local elections offices say they’re being inundated with requests for absentee ballots, as many federal, state and local races prove competitive.
Self-employed Idaho residents can tap virus rescue money
Gov. Brad Little says self-employed Idaho residents can tap into the $300 million in grant money the state has set aside to help small businesses financially harmed by the coronavirus pandemic.
3 Republicans file to replace outgoing state Sen. Don Cheatham in North Idaho
Alex Barron, the self-proclaimed “bard” of the Redoubt Movement, has earned Cheatham’s endorsement in a race against Marc Eberlein and Peter Riggs. No Democrat has filed for the seat.