A power struggle between the Republican-dominated Idaho House and Senate turned out to have big ramifications for a relatively unknown state employee who has toiled for three decades in an agency most people didn’t know existed. Read More
Searchers have located the body of a third person killed in an avalanche Tuesday at Silver Mountain Ski Resort in Kellogg, Idaho. Six people were found in the initial search Tuesday, two of whom died. Continue Reading 3rd Deceased Read More
The avalanche occurred on an area of the mountain called Wardner Peak. It’s a popular spot for expert-level skiers that can only be accessed by traversing from the top of a nearby chair-lift. It’s significant because the area is relatively easy to access and is considered in-bounds for the ski area, meaning it’s patrolled and has avalanche control done on it. Read More
While schools struggle to find ways to fund and maintain pre-K, advocates face another challenge: selling a skeptical Legislature on the value of early education. Pre-K is a values debate and a policy debate. Critics say the state should focus on K-12 spending, assert that young children are best taught at home, and dismiss research on the lasting value of pre-K. Read More
For the first time in at least four decades, Idaho is freezing college and university tuition. The one-year freeze will go into effect next school year — and it covers in-state undergraduate students at Idaho’s four-year institutions. Continue Reading Read More
An Idaho community is in mourning after nine members of one extended family were killed in a Thanksgiving weekend plane crash. Jim Hansen Sr. was killed in the crash that also killed his son, grandchildren and other relatives. Three generations of his clan ran a petroleum business called Conrad & Bischoff. They were returning from a pheasant-hunting trip in South Dakota Read More
A federal lawsuit challenging Idaho's ballot initiative process as unconstitutional because it requires signatures from multiple legislative districts has been dismissed. Continue Reading Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Idaho Read More
The University of Idaho has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by a woman who said school officials told her to transfer to another campus if she didn't want to continue attending classes with a student who sexually assaulted her. Read More
The old Amtrak route started in Seattle, went south to Portland, then east through the Columbia River Gorge to Boise, and then to Salt Lake City, with an onward connection to Chicago. A volunteer-led nonprofit called the Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates (AORTA) proposes to revive at least the Portland to Boise segment. Read More
Moscow voters will have the opportunity to hear from candidates running for city council Wednesday, Oct. 23. The civic group League of Women Voters is sponsoring a forum for the six candidates running for three city council seats. The format will include questions asked of candidates by a moderator. Read More
A panel of lawmakers is examining property tax options amid complaints that taxes are going up with rising property values, while also hearing on Monday concerns from cities and counties that they’re operating on tight budgets. Read More
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the southern mountain population of woodland caribou as endangered and confirmed 47 square miles in Idaho and Washington as critical habitat requiring special protection. Continue Read More
The Idaho Supreme Court is expected to decide next year whether prison officials must reveal the past source of their execution drugs. A University of Idaho professor's public records request is at the center of the case. Read More
The partially melted reactor core from the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history could remain in Idaho for another 20 years if regulators finalize a license extension sought by the U.S. Energy Department, officials said Monday. Read More
Grouse numbers also continued to drop in 2019 in Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming. Weather can affect populations from year to year, and wildlife officials say those short-term cycles are most directly responsible for the recent declines. Continue Read More
New research says climate change is decreasing the amount of snow in the Pacific Northwest. And that has implications for water resources in the region. Continue Reading Research Suggests Climate Change Is Reducing Snowfall In The Read More
Moving imperiled sage grouse from one spot to another can be hard on the birds. But research from Washington State University suggests that after a restless adjustment period, the birds eventually get used to their new homes. Continue Reading Could Read More
Three Northwest states’ request to lethally remove sea lions from the Columbia River is now open for public comment. Continue Reading Public Can Comment On Killing Of Sea Lions In Columbia River Until October 29Read More
Friday a panel of judges ruled that in denying a transgender inmate gender confirmation surgery, the state violated the Eighth Amendment. Continue Reading Court Says Idaho Must Provide Gender Confirmation Surgery To Transgender Read More
Firearms are not allowed on the Washington State University campus in Pullman. But now students will no longer have that option, due to a new interpretation of state law applying to university police forces like WSU’s. Continue Read More
The group that sponsored Idaho’s successful Medicaid expansion initiative last year is now working on a new project. Reclaim Idaho is trying to preserve the rights of citizen groups to propose initiatives and collect signatures to put them on the ballot. Read More
Radioactive waste shipped to Idaho during the Cold War has been compacted and sent out of state for permanent disposal, officials said Wednesday. Continue Reading Radioactive Waste Shipped From Idaho To New Mexico For Permanent Read More
The federal Bureau of Land Management will not pursue lethal measures such as euthanasia or selling horses for slaughter to deal with what officials say is an ecological and fiscal crisis caused by too many wild horses on rangelands in the U.S. West, an official said Thursday. Read More
Work can go forward on a trail crossing private land that connects the popular tourist destinations of Redfish Lake and Stanley, a judge has ruled. U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale late last week rejected a request by the owners of Sawtooth Mountain Ranch to halt construction of the 4.4-mile trail for pedestrians, cyclists, horseback riders and snowmobilers. Read More
At their peak, grizzly bears numbered more than 50,000 in the Lower 48. Facing threats from habitat loss, hunting and conflicts with people and livestock, their numbers dwindled to fewer than 1,000 in the lower 48 by the time the Endangered Species Act was implemented in 1975. Here's a timeline of the management actions, court cases and notable events that have shaped Read More
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says states can’t block the interstate transportation of hemp, but law enforcement in Idaho says it won’t follow those guidelines. Continue Reading USDA Says States Can’t Block Hemp Read More
A federal district court judge ruled in Adree Edmo's favor last December and ordered the prison to provide the surgery within six months. But the state of Idaho appealed, and the case is now being heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Continue Read More
The federal Bureau of Land Management has banned fireworks and exploding targets this summer in Idaho. Last year, people shooting at exploding or steel targets caused 60% of the wildfires on BLM land. Continue Reading Read More
With the stroke of the governor's pen Wednesday, Washington officially became the first West Coast state to ditch the twice-yearly time switch. But the end of "spring forward-fall back" won't happen until Congress gives the green light to all of the states moving toward year-round daylight saving time. Read More
Pullman Police say they defused a possible explosive device Sunday morning. It follows the discovery and disposal of a similar incident in Moscow, Idaho last week. Continue Reading Police Defuse Potentially Read More
Idaho will ask the federal government for permission to implement mandatory work requirements for those covered under the state’s Medicaid plan. Gov. Brad Little signed the bill despite concerns about the constitutionality of such requirements that were repeatedly brought up during public testimony and debates. Read More
In a rebuke to the Idaho legislature, Gov. Brad Little has “reluctantly” vetoed a bill that some say would’ve made it nearly impossible to get an initiative on the ballot. Little also plans to veto a second, similar bill that would’ve loosened some of the original proposal’s restrictions. Read More
Federal legalization of hemp arrived in the U.S. late last year and expanded an industry already booming because of the skyrocketing popularity of CBDs, a compound in hemp that many see as a health aid. But now, just a few months after Congress placed the marijuana look-alike squarely in safe legal territory, the hemp industry has been unsettled by an unexpected Read More
As coal plants retire across the country, Portland-based NuScale Power wants to replace some of that electricity with its small-scale nuclear plants. Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems wants to build a 720-megawatt nuclear plant at the Idaho National Laboratory site in Idaho Falls. Read More
Idaho Governor Brad Little signed legislation into law Thursday aimed at reducing the number of opioid deaths in the state by making naloxone overdose reversal medication more available. Continue Reading New Idaho Law to Make Overdose Reversal Drug Read More
The future of Idaho’s Medicaid expansion is now in the hands of the state Supreme Court. The libertarian-leaning Idaho Freedom Foundation quickly filed suit after more than 60 percent of voters signed off on expanding Medicaid in November. Read More
The plan to build Idaho’s first edible food forest keeps on growing. Continue Reading Plans Continue For Moscow’s Edible ForestRead More
Every winter for the past three years, almost 10,000 migratory crows have descended upon Nampa, Idaho, dotting the skyline in black and squawking away. By day the birds scavenge for food in farmland that surrounds the city. By night they flock to town to roost. Read More
Washington may soon copy a rural wildfire fighting strategy that Oregon, Idaho and Nevada already employ: letting private ranchers attack range fires before the blazes get big. Continue Reading Washington May Rope In Read More
Latest school closures and delays from our area. You can also report closures and delays on this page by filling out the form located at the bottom of the page. Continue Reading School Closures & DelaysRead More
Idaho has a new governor for the first time in 12 years. Brad Little took the oath of office Friday during a ceremony on the statehouse steps in Boise. Continue Reading Brad Little Sworn In As 33rd Idaho Governor Read More
Washington utility regulators say the Canadian utility Hydro One may not acquire the Spokane-based utility Avista. In a statement, the state Utilities and Transportation Commission said "the proposed merger does not serve the public interest." Read More
After years of inaction by the Idaho legislature on the state's healthcare gap, Proposition 2 on the state ballot gives Idahoans the chance to say whether they want Medicaid expansion -- a proposal endorsed by outgoing Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter. Read More
Photos of teachers wearing Halloween costumes at Middleton Heights Elementary in Idaho are going viral and causing controversy. Continue Reading Idaho School District In Hot Water After ‘Insensitive And Read More
Idaho’s gubernatorial candidates struck starkly different tones on topics ranging from transparency to health care and education during a live televised debate on Oct. 15. Continue Reading Brad Little And Paulette Jordan Talk Issues At Idaho Read More
Wildlife advocates scrambled Thursday to find a new way to block grizzly bear hunts set to begin this weekend after a judge said he wouldn't immediately restore federal protections on the bears living in and around Yellowstone National Park. Continue Read More
Wildfire activity in the American West is likely to get worse in coming years. A new study out in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences points to the lack of precipitation in the summer as the major driving factor when it comes to increasing fire severity. Read More
A North Idaho man has been arrested and charged with a hate crime after hurling racial slurs and threats at a group of teenagers at a Coeur d’Alene McDonald's on July 12.
Continue Reading North Idaho Man Read More
Ruya was at her third birthday party — complete with a pink doll-shaped cake and a Disney princess banner — Saturday evening when a man armed with a large knife attacked. Ruya and five other children were badly injured, along with the three adults who tried to protect them. Read More
Federal officials anticipate a big wildfire season in the Northwest throughout July, August and possibly into September. Continue Reading Big Wildfire Season And Summer Of Drought Await The NorthwestRead More
