House Speaker Hastert to visit Post Falls
U.S. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert will be in Post Falls this month for a fundraiser for Bill Sali, the Republican nominee for Idaho’s 1st District congressional seat.
Hastert will be at the Red Lion Templin’s Resort on Aug. 22, according to Sali’s campaign. A breakfast is scheduled for 8:15 a.m.
Hastert isn’t the only national GOP figure coming to Idaho to stump for Sali. Vice President Dick Cheney will attend a Sali fundraiser Wednesday in Boise.
Sali, who won the Republican primary with just 26 percent of the vote, faces Democrat Larry Grant in November, as well as Paul Smith of the Constitution Party, Andy Hedden-Nicely of the United Party and Independent Dave Olson.
– Meghann M. Cuniff
OROFINO, Idaho
Crapo says he’ll push feds on elk habitat
Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, says he will write to U.S. Forest Service officials to encourage them to pursue fire policies that will improve elk habitat in the Clearwater River Basin in northern Idaho.
“I hope to continue to be the glue that holds it together,” Crapo told the Lewiston Tribune.
Crapo toured the area by airplane Wednesday, following up on an elk summit he convened three years ago in Lewiston when he asked participants to come up with ideas that would help elk.
The elk population in the area has been declining for 10 years, with one possible reason thought to be maturing forests.
After the summit, the Clearwater Elk Collaborative formed and recommended using fire and some logging to improve elk habitat.
Forest and game managers say taking out some trees would make room for the brush and grass that elk eat.
– Associated Press
boundary county
Driver charged in fatal collision
A 64-year-old man is dead and a 43-year-old woman is in stable condition after the motorcycle they were riding struck a van Wednesday on U.S. Highway 2 about two miles east of Moyie Springs.
Robert F. Jacoby, of Naples, Idaho, was driving westbound on a 1971 Honda motorcycle with Mary D. Fisher when a 1994 Chevy Astro van driven by Bonners Ferry resident Georgia Ziegwied turned in front of him, according to Idaho State Police.
The motorcycle struck the passenger side of the van about 4:50 p.m. Wednesday, according to police.
Jacoby died at the scene; Fisher suffered life-threatening head injuries but has improved to stable condition, said ISP Trooper Jeff Jayne, who responded to the crash.
Ziegwied, 39, is charged with one count of felony vehicular driving and one count of reckless driving. She was not injured in the crash, nor were her two passengers, daughters Lyndsey, 4, and Kylie, 9.
Jacoby and Fisher were not wearing helmets.
– Meghann M. Cuniff