Tagged: Other News

An animal rights group wants Burger King to sever its ties with Idaho’s Bettencourt Dairies, and force the rest of its suppliers to implement strict animal welfare guidelines. 

The demands from the group Mercy for Animals came Wednesday as it released a disturbing video of animal abuse shot inside one of the Bettencourt dairies near Hansen, in Twin Falls County. 

The video shows workers stomping, kicking, punching and dragging cows.

The owner of a large Twin Falls County dairy operation says he fired five of his employees in August after seeing an undercover video made at a farm near Hansen.  Luis Bettencourt’s operation at Dry Creek Dairy was the apparent target of an animal rights group. 

The head of the Idaho Dairy Association, Bob Naerebout, says the video shows a cow with a chain around its neck being pulled by a tractor.  He says cows are kicked and jumped on in the recording.  It also shows workers using an electrical prod on the animals. 

Updated October 8, 3:55 p.m.

Alaska Airline, which has flights to and from Boise,  has experienced delays today.

Company president and CEO Brad Tilden says a power outage in Wisconsin affected he airlines’ internet connection, and its ability to check in passengers. The system is now back up but the airline reports there are long delays for checking in online.

This time of year is typically the busiest for the Boise Airport. Commercial flights compete with air tankers being used to fight wildfires to get off the ground. And with the thick smoke around Boise, air traffic controllers have to take extra steps to keep flights safe.

Gordon Stewart manages Boise Airport’s Air Traffic Control. Lately, that room has been crazy.

“Overall, it’s kind of a balancing act and I think that, by and large, we make it work,” Stewart says.

A report this week from Reuters news service raises hopes there may be progress in efforts to get an Idaho soldier in Taliban captivity back onto U.S. soil. But the news about renewed negotiations also shows Bowe Bergdahl’s freedom is a key part of peace talks in Afghanistan.

Reuters reports the Obama administration has a new offer for Taliban leaders: five Guantanamo Bay detainees delivered to Qatar, in exchange for the release of Bergdahl.

Updated Thursday:

Idaho cyclist Kristin Armstrong won a gold medal Wednesday in the individual time trial in London.  The 18-mile course is a race against the clock and this event is Armstrong’s specialty.  She says now she's retiring. "No more competitive cycling for me," she explained in a text message from London. "This has been a challenging yet rewarding experience." 

Fast food restaurant Chick-fil-A is the target of protests and boycotts across the country. The company’s CEO recently angered gay rights activists with statements opposed to same sex marriage and his financial support for anti-gay marriage groups. Chick-fil-A is a privately owned company but what happens when that private company meets a public institution?

Imagine you step off a plane into an airport you've never been. You need a bathroom, a cup of coffee, and the gate for your connecting flight.  Which way do you turn?  Now if you’re in the Boise Airport, you can just turn on your smartphone, and follow the map. 

The Boise Airport is small, and easy to negotiate compared to say Los Angeles International. But spokeswoman Patti Miller says if you’ve never been here, you can get lost.