Other News

The College of Idaho’s football program hasn’t been around since 1977. But today [ Friday ] the Board of Trustees will decide whether “Coyotes” football should be reinstated. College of Idaho President Marv Henberg said in a news release back in February several factors will go into this decision including the impact on student life, revenue, alumni engagement and community involvement.

The USDA this week announced $4-million in funding to help equip more farmers markets with the ability to take food stamp swipe cards.  Idaho’s portion of the allotment is about $45,000. 

According to the USDA,  only ten of the state’s 58 markets have the technology to accept food stamp cards, known as SNAP cards.   

The Idaho parents of the only U.S. soldier in Taliban captivity say they want the Obama administration to negotiate a prisoner swap to bring their son home. Bob and Jani Bergdahl broke their long silence in new interviews. They hope to build public pressure for a deal.

A granite memorial arrived by helicopter Tuesday at a remote cove in Hells Canyon on the Idaho-Oregon border. The stone will mark the site where a large group of Chinese gold miners was massacred way back in 1887. 

Private contributions paid for the engraving and transportation of the 1,100 pound granite marker. Memorial project treasurer Lyle Wirtanen says the stone was inscribed in English, Chinese and the native Nez Perce language.

"It basically says, Chinese Massacre Cove where in 1887 up to 34 Chinese miners were massacred for their gold. No one was held accountable."

The University of Idaho rededicated its Dan O’Brien Track and Field Complex on Monday following the completion of a $2.5 million renovation. The track’s namesake, 1996 Olympic gold medalist and UI alumnus Dan O’Brien, was on hand to recount his UI connection and what he learned about it during his first trip overseas to compete.

The race horse that’s recently generated considerable interest in the Treasure Valley is back home in California after an 8th place finish in the Kentucky Derby.  Rousing Sermon was flown from Louisville to Los Angeles Sunday morning.  

Dan Kiser helped raise the horse at Tree Top Ranches near Parma.  He attended the Derby and says Rousing Sermon came out of the grueling race in pretty good shape.

The University of Idaho is reevaluating its options in football, with the emphasis on staying in Division 1 and protecting its Football Bowl Subdivision status. The statement from University of Idaho Athletic Director Rob Spear came following announcements from colleges last week that make the future of the Western Athletic Conference unclear.

The city of Boise has revived its proposed overhaul of taxi ordinances after making changes requested by drivers.

With 24 cars ABC is one of Boise’s largest taxi companies. Tom Walker owns it. He objects to Boise’s proposed rule changes even though he says he’s already doing most of them. That includes the requirement that cabs take credit and debit cards.

The 391st Combat Engineer Company will be welcomed home Saturday at Gowen Field.  98 Idahoans are part of the unit, most of them from the Treasure Valley.  The Army Reserve Soldiers recently came home from their second tour of duty in Iraq.  The “Welcome Home Warrior Citizen” ceremony is for soldiers and their family members. 

Each soldier gets a label pin set, a commemorative coin, and an encased U. S. flag.

Realignment is changing the face of college football.  The latest evidence of that came yesterday at a press conference in San Marcos, Texas.  That’s where Texas State University President Denise Traught announced her school will move to the Sun Belt Conference.   

But one conference’s gain, is another’s loss.  The Bobcats are leaving the Western Athletic Conference – also known as the WAC.  Several other schools are too.  So many in fact, that after the dust settles, only two football-playing schools are expected to remain. 

For the first time, the U-S Army is confirming it was a midair collision that brought down two helicopters last December at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The results of an internal investigation into the crash that killed four pilots was released Monday. It blames pilot error, not a mechanical failure.

The two Kiowa Warrior reconnaissance helicopters were on a nighttime training mission last December 12th. According to the investigation, one of the helicopters flew directly into the side of the second chopper bringing both aircraft to the ground.

Northwest farm groups are cheering a federal decision this week to dump proposed child labor rules. The Department of Labor decided to withdraw the plan after it received thousands of comments opposing the change. But child safety advocates say the fierce opposition was based on faulty information.

Politicians from farm and ranch country called the regulations an attack on family farms, going as far to say the rules could outlaw chores and 4-H for farm kids.  However, the regulations specifically exempted children working on farms owned or operated by their parents.