There are thousands of Idahoans living daily with significant mental health and substance use disorder problems. While there are resources available, many people aren’t seeking them out. You can help by first helping your friends, family and loved ones find those resources and move towards r…
Some would say we live in an age of technological enlightenment because we have instant access to volumes of information at the tips of our fingers. I remember not too long ago that it would take days to read through stacks of books and Encyclopedia Britannica, the grandfather Wikipedia, to …
Ask any politician in the state what issue matters most to them and they will tell you education.
Where were you 18 years ago?
“Ideas have consequences.”—Richard Weaver
In a crisis, good people tend to pitch in to help each other and a community comes together as a team --a good sign of a strong and healthy society. So, why is it that for everyday needs, so few are willing to pitch in for the good of the whole?
Could you outshoot the sheriff? Here's Your opportunity! If you win the competition, sheriff gives up his .44 magnum pistol to you! Plus, you'll have some sweet bragging rights! Your donation goes exclusively toward the election of conservatives who will support Your 2nd Amendment gun right…
In mid-August on national news on national television was an item on the fire in the rainforest in the Amazon. It stated that the rainforest provided 20 percent of the world oxygen, and the smoke from the fire was putting an untold amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is a gre…
Idaho Education news reported this month that Governor Little’s K12 Education Task Force Co-Chair, Bill Gilbert, has a plan to improve Gem State education outcomes: Make the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) scores the sole measure used in holding schools and districts “accountable” for student growth.
I see Reclaim Idaho is going to fund education here by taxing corporations and "the rich" to the tune of $200M more a year. Fine idea. Except corporations pass their taxes on to their customers -- or they move somewhere else -- or they go out of business. Think Shopko, Wards, Kmart, Payless …
National Crime Victims Week is recognized each April to raise public awareness about the rights and concerns of victims and survivors of crime in the United States. This national recognition provides opportunities to honor crime victims, survivors and those who provide help in the aftermath …
Opioid and substance misuse is one of America’s – and Idaho’s – growing problems.
“As I was out a-ridin’ / the graveyard-shift, midnight ‘til dawn, / the moon was as bright as a reading light / for a letter from an old friend back home. / He asked me, / ‘Why do you ride for your money? / Why do you rope for short pay? / You ain’t gettin’ nowhere, / and you’re losin’ your …
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (www.nami.org), is deeply saddened by the mass shootings that are far too common and impact every corner of our nation. Every time we experience a tragedy like this, people with mental illness are drawn into the conversation. The truth is most vi…
As you know, Healthcare is constantly changing. But did you know that it is currently transferring from volume to value and what that may mean to you? Syringa Hospital District Board of Trustees members think it’s critical that their local communities understand the changes and how they may …
"There is no middle ground" in government and economics today! The battle involves the left, or liberal side, and the right, the conservative side! Who will control?
Nearly two-thirds of Idahoans voted for a clean Medicaid expansion program. The reasons are easy to understand: We bring $400 million in federal dollars back to Idaho, provide healthcare for tens of thousands of working Idahoans, create thousands of jobs in the process, and shore up our rura…
I would like to comment on two recent articles from your Aug. 14 Free Press regarding health care services on the Camas Prairie.
Although I have attended the Idaho County Fair in past years, I have never participated. This year, my “Students First!, Norma Staaf for Mountain View School Board Zone 2” campaign had a booth in the open exhibit hall and a parade entry. From the moment I walked in the door, the fair board m…
Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t strike just the elderly. The 200,000 Americans currently diagnosed with dementia before age 65 need services like in-home care, transportation, and caregiver support.
Among outdoor enthusiasts, the Pacific Northwest is known for its iconic salmon and steelhead that once thrived in the waters of the Columbia River Basin. At the turn of the 19th century approximately 10 to 16 million wild salmon and steelhead would return to the streams, rivers and tributar…
Your cemetery district needs you, and your fire district, and your city council, and your school board.
What keeps us alive? Five years ago this week, an amazingly successful comedic talent failed to find a reason to continue living. Robin Williams died Aug. 11, 2014, as the result of what was ruled an apparent suicide. For years, Williams had battled alcoholism and depression.
Insufficient broadband in rural Idaho is putting our students, businesses, and communities at a significant disadvantage. I am working hard to get more of this essential to the people living outside the major metro areas. Our government needs to work with businesses to take sound economic ac…
Let’s take a moment to thank the Nez Perce for the legal actions taken against Midas Gold! This action indicates that there is problem with the Stibnite mine and miners of old.
Spanning already a decade of time, it's indeed a long and arduous story, the details of which anyone can learn by visiting www.ithappenedtous.com.
In a lot of ways, it’s been a rough year to be an Idahoan. In the last several months, citizens have had to fight to preserve their most basic constitutional rights.
Being an Idaho legislator is not a full-time job: it’s more than that. This Idaho Legislature convened Jan. 7 and adjourned sine die on April 11. The session lasted 95 days -- the third longest session in history. But, that was only part of our job working for the people of this state.
This likely isn’t going to be a popular opinion, but hear me out: Nezperce Indians, it’s time to change our mascot.
Should access to medicinal marijuana be allowed in Idaho?
Women entrepreneurs are key to Idaho’s economic success, driving much of the extraordinary economic growth Idaho has experienced over the last decade. In the last two years, 621 new women-owned businesses have opened their doors in the state of Idaho, fueling our economy and making our commu…
Idaho is a state blessed with tremendous lakes and rivers, but for our state’s residents living near our waterways, those waterways sometimes produce flooding and with it the possible loss of life and property.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new deal U.S.F.S. of the ‘90s that came up with prescribe burns and the let-it-burn policy. You have almost successfully destroyed what the preceding 300 years of common sense people created in regards to the local forest. (Don’t feel…
Some would say we live in an age of technological enlightenment because we have instant access to volumes of information at the tips of our fingers. I remember not too long ago that it would take days to read through stacks of books and Encyclopedia Britannica, the grandfather Wikipedia, to …
Over the last year, the MVSD board members and some district staff have been the subject of an onslaught of untruths, misrepresentations, character assassinations, embezzlement charges and very intentional personal hurtful insults. There have been votes of no confidence, frivolous lawsuits a…
Over the last decade, we have experienced a digital revolution that sees people using the Internet to manage more of their daily lives. Mobile applications, social media and search engines have become everyday tools, but their usage is accompanied by a shocking amount of hidden data collect…
"I've been walkin’ / in my sleep: / countin’ troubles / ’stead of countin’ sheep. / Where the years went, / I can’t say: / I just turned around / and they’ve gone away / . . . Now I find myself on the mountainside: / Where the rivers change direction / Across the Great Divide.”— late-great K…
Grangeville steps into the seat of state power next week when Governor Brad Little comes to town for the Capital for a Day event.
Four simple budgeting concepts guide governing in Idaho:
Rita was sixteen years, hazel eyes and chestnut hair. / She made the Woolworth counter shine. / And Eddie was a sweet romancer / —And darn good dancer—/ And they’d waltz the aisles of the five-and-dime . . . / And they’d sing: ‘Dance a little closer to me; / Dance a little closer . . . / It’…
Not since Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers have we been treated to such a song and dance as the Idaho Department of Labor (IDOL) is giving us as their “Achy Breaky Heart” reasons for shutting down its physical location in Grangeville.
In the past, I have written about tax season scams to try to help raise awareness so that Americans do not fall victim to fraud that robs people of their hard-earned money. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently alerted the public to romance scams that the commission reports has resulte…
When I took office as Idaho’s 33rd governor in January, I was determined to follow through on my promise to reduce regulatory burdens on Idaho citizens and businesses.
When we think of what it means to be healthy, we often think of physical health--maintaining an optimal weight, eating well and not having any ailments slowing us down. However, the definition of “healthy” includes not just physical, but also mental and emotional well-being. Distressing stat…
A string of new Idaho laws is protecting our freedoms, making us safer, and helping our economy. July 1st is always a special day in the Gem State; it’s when most of the laws passed during the legislative session actually go into effect. It was a challenging year in the statehouse, but I wor…
Nearly everyone in Idaho has a friend, family member, or neighbor who has been impacted by the ongoing opioid crisis. Idahoans have spent years trying to figure out how to contend with the most addictive, widespread drugs in modern history. The opioid epidemic has become a pressing issue for…
Every July 4th we celebrate the establishment of our nation and the values that created it. The freedoms that our inspired founders affirmed in the Declaration of Independence, and upheld in our Constitution, are the guiding principles of our Republic.
We would like to thank the Honorable Jeff Payne for his generosity in providing a place for our resource center for the past two years. We were warm in the winter, cool in the summer, yard work was done, walks were cleared, trash was hauled, and all at no cost to us. We are so indebted and g…
“They took my saddle in Houston, / broke my leg in Santa Fe. / Lost my wife and a girlfriend / somewhere along the way. / But I'll be lookin’ for 8 when they pull that gate; / and I hope that judge ain’t blind. /Amarillo by mornin’ / Amarillo’s on my mind.”—George Strait
Enough seriousness now. Border Days starts this week.
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