Tag Archives: Idaho

The Idaho Statesman reports: The Boise City Council made the Pride flag a city flag Tuesday to get around a new state law. The Legislature earlier this year banned most flags from flying on government property, but left an exception for “the official flag of a governmental entity.” Cheers, boos and expletives erupted from the crowd during the rowdy meeting. …

NBC News reports: The owner of an Idaho bar and restaurant plans to host a two-day “Hetero Awesome Fest” outside of the state Capitol in Boise in June to coincide with LGBTQ Pride Month. Mark Fitzpatrick, the owner of the Old State Saloon in Eagle, a suburb of Boise, said the event was inspired by the restaurant’s inaugural “Heterosexual Awesomeness …

Boise’s ABC affiliate reports: Gregory Wayne Jones, a director of operations at a daycare, preschool, and after-school center in Mountain Home, was arrested on Friday, April 25 by deputies with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Department on charges of “human sex trafficking” and “sexual penetration with a foreign object.” His bail is currently set at $5 million. According to a police …

Investigate West reports: Trump’s second term was only in its second day when Ryan Spoon — vice chair of the local Republican Party apparatus in Idaho’s Ada County — turned the force of the federal government against a political enemy. “Could you please send some illegal immigration raids to the businesses owned by Idaho state Rep. Stephanie Mickelson?” he wrote …

The Idaho State Journal reports: West Ada School District has recently come under fire after a KTVB story highlighted Lewis and Clark Middle School teacher Sarah Inama, who was asked to remove signs and posters promoting inclusivity from her classroom. The signs share the message that all students are welcome and feature hands of different skin colors and a series …

The Independent reports: A CEO resigned after appearing to gesture a Sieg Heil in front of a montage of President Donald Trump pictures at a company event and later admitted his “parody fell short.” Tom Hill, the chief executive of Idaho-based Engineered Stuctures, Inc., stepped down from the construction company Monday after a video of him giving two straight-arm salutes …

Boise’s ABC affiliate reports: A co-owner of a Boise mental health clinic serving children and teens, who previously ran for the Idaho State Legislature as a Republican, was arrested Wednesday on multiple felony charges involving alleged sexual abuse of minors. Ryan D. Jenks, 45, was charged with three felony counts: lewd conduct with a child under 16 and two counts of …

The Associated Press reports: Several large book publishers, a tiny public library and others are suing Idaho officials over a law that forces libraries to keep some books in an adults-only section if community members believe they are “harmful to minors.” The Donnelly Library, Penguin Random House and the others suing say the law is overly vague and violates the …

Boise’s NPR affiliate reports: The House State Affairs Committee overwhelmingly passed a resolution asking the Supreme Court to overturn its 2015 Obergefell vs. Hodges decision, which gave same-sex couples the right to marry nationwide. The resolution was passed 13 to 2 and now goes to the full House for further debate. Rep. Heather Scott [photo above] defended the measure saying …

The Idaho Statesman reports: An Idaho House committee will consider a formal statement asking the U.S. Supreme Court to end same-sex marriage nationwide and allow the state to restore its ban on such unions. Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, proposed the measure that calls the 2015 decision from the nation’s highest court to legalize same-sex marriage an “illegitimate overreach.” It asked …

Agence France-Presse reports: Rick Naerebout, executive director of the Idaho Dairy Producers Association, warns the sudden disappearance of skilled laborers could be “devastating” to the dairy industry. “It would only take a couple days of disruption and not being able to feed or milk our cows to where you would damage our industry beyond repair,” he told AFP. University of …

The Associated Press reports: A regional public health department in Idaho is no longer providing COVID-19 vaccines to residents in six counties after a narrow decision by its board. Southwest District Health appears to be the first in the nation to be restricted from giving COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinations are an essential function of a public health department. Of the more …

Boise Public Radio reports: A bipartisan forum in a small Latah County community took a turn when Republican Senate incumbent Dan Foreman stormed out of the event, following a racist outburst directed at a Native American candidate. When asked if discrimination existed in Idaho, conservative Sen. Dan Foreman said no. In a statement released Wednesday, Democratic candidate for House Seat …

Courthouse News reports: A recently enacted law requiring Idaho schools and libraries to remove materials that are “harmful” to minors infringes on the First Amendment rights of private entities, a group of private schools, privately-funded libraries, parents and schoolchildren say in a Thursday lawsuit. House Bill 710 — which took effect July 1 after Governor Brad Little [photo] signed it …

NBC News reports: An Idaho bar has drawn national attention for celebrating “Heterosexual Awesomeness Month” in response to LGBTQ Pride month, which has been celebrated during June for decades. The Old State Saloon in Eagle, a suburb of Boise, announced its “inaugural Heterosexual Awesomeness Month” on social media last month. “Each Monday will be Hetero Male Monday and any heterosexual …

The Christian Post reports: Pastor Gene Jacobs of Real Life Ministries Silver Valley, who was found dead in a mountainous area south of Pinehurst, Idaho, on Tuesday evening, died from an apparent “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” local police said as his church continues to mourn their loss. While the church noted that an investigation into the pastor’s passing was ongoing, a …

SCOTUSblog reports: Less than a month after the justices heard oral arguments in a case seeking to roll back access to one of the drugs used in medication abortions, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Wednesday in another case involving abortion. At issue in Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States is whether emergency rooms in …

The Guardian reports: Opening statements are expected Wednesday in the trial of an Idaho man charged with killing his wife and his then girlfriend’s two youngest children in an unusual case rooted in extremist religious beliefs. Chad Daybell, 55, is facing charges of first-degree murder, insurance fraud, and conspiracy to commit murder and grand theft in connection with the deaths …

From the Justice Department: Alexander Scott Mercurio, 18, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, was arrested Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Coeur d’Alene for attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Mercurio pledged his allegiance to ISIS and intended to commit attacks on its behalf. He planned to attack individuals …

NPR reports: Police in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and the FBI are investigating after a team in the NCAA Women’s basketball tournament said they were racially harassed while staying in the city. Members of the University of Utah women’s team told police someone in a truck displaying a confederate flag yelled racial slurs and revved the engine in a menacing way …