Caribou County, Idaho
April 18, 2024 | Vol. 1 No. 11
$1.50
NEWS IN BRIEF Iran attacks Israel; Israel considers response
Students from North Gem and Soda Springs high schools joined contractors and volunteers at this years Construction Combine in Pocatello. The event created a number of sheds for veterans.
Caribou County helps build Construction Combine Legacy
The Construction Combine, headed by Scott Stephens of Continuing Education Workforce Training (SWET) at Idaho State University, is made of a large number of moving parts, including contractors, sponsors, leaders, volunteers, businesses, and students. This year, a number of those essential parts came from Caribou County. There are two main goals for the Combine, according to Stephens—to honor veterans, and to provide an opportunity for students considering entering into the construction field to get hands-on experience with the processes and skills involved, along
with a chance to make connections with potential employers looking for motivated and interested potential employees. Dave Pristupa, who has a long history in Caribou County, including his current role on Grace’s Planning and Zoning Commission, is the primary point person for the veterans’ part of the program. As a result of his tireless efforts, a group of veterans were on hand at the combine to receive new sheds, built and finished by students from around the region. Each shed is also outfitted with a plaque created by students from Gooding, and topped
with a flag pole. Heather Hendren and counselor Walt Eiman brought seven students from North Gem to the Combine, which is an impressive percentage of the school’s total student population of 38. “We thought it sounded like an amazing idea when they told us about it, and it definitely turned out to be!” Hendren said. “We try to give the kids at our school the best opportunities possible for their future,” Eiman added. Based on the enthusiasm of CONSTRUCTION COMBINE On Page 2
Arrest in connection with School Threat in Soda; Law Enforcement holds unrelated training at Grace High School
Over the weekend, the Soda Springs Police Department notified the public about action taken to prevent a potential threat toward a local school. Due to the sensitivity of the issue and the minor status of the individual who was taken into custody, the SSPD is not releasing detailed information on the incident at present, however, as details became available in the future, we will continue to present any developments to the public. In a sobering coincidence, the Caribou County Sheriff’s Office and Soda Springs Police Department held a scheduled training exercise at the high school in Grace on Friday as part of ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training). The two events have no direct connection except that they demonstrate the prevalence of the threat in the country as whole, including our own part of it. April is an especially sensitive time for the issue of threats against schools, as it is often viewed within the context of the anniversary of the Columbine shooting on April 20,1999, 25 years ago. While there is no evidence that this particular incident has any specific connection to that anniversary, the 25 year mark since that shooting is a sad milestone for a country that has seen a large number of school shootings in the past two and a half decades. The
events in Columbine were certainly not the first of their kind, but they were the first that brought the issue into the kind of national focus that it currently holds. When reached for comment, Soda Springs Chief of Police Scott Shaw stated: “the Soda Springs Police Department takes these threats very seriously and will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” The announcement of the arrest was posted to the Soda Springs Police Department Facebook page, and reads in full as follows: “On Sunday the 14th of April 2024 the Soda Springs Police Department was notified of a possible school threat. The tip came from “Crime Stoppers” information center and was immediately investigated by the police department. The investigation led to the arrest of a juvenile for the crime of Making Threats of Violence Towards a School. The juvenile was transported to JDC in Pocatello by a Caribou County Sheriff’s Deputy. He will remain there pending an initial court appearance. A search warrant was obtained for the juvenile’s residence where multiple firearms were located and seized by officers. The juvenile was acting alone. There is no further threat to the public or our schools. No further information can be released at this time. Thank you!” It is worth noting that the event
was brought to law enforcement’s attention through a tip from the public. Anyone who has concerns about an individual expressing a desire to commit violence directed at themselves or others is encouraged to contact authorities with the information, or a related organization such as, in this case, Crime Stoppers.
OJ Simpson dead of cancer at 76
Former NFL star and broadcaster OJ Simpson died at the age of 76 of cancer. While Simpson had a long and impressive career as both an athlete and a TV and media personality, he will almost certainly be remembered most for his 1995 trial for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The trial was a months long sensation that riveted an entire nation, beginning with the infamous slow speed white Bronco chase. The trail was noted for its high-caliber defense team and a variety of innovative and dramatic tactics that ultimately resulted in an acquittal for Simpson on the charges. Simpson would later be convicted of robbery in an unrelated matter of sports memorabilia in 2008 and spent around nine years in prison.
Jury selection underway in Trump “hush money” trial
The selection of a jury for former President Donald Trump’s began this week, and could potentially be a tumultuous process. Both the prosecution and defense are considering which jurors from the pool they want to dismiss. Each side has ten “strikes” that it is allowed for rejecting potential jurors who will evaluate the case against the former president alleging a criminal conspiracy to undermine election integrity through payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to remain quiet about an alleged affair. Trump is the first former president in U.S. history to be go to criminal trial. It is likely that the case will be the only one to be brought before a jury within the timeframe remaining before the 2024 presidential election.
Supreme Court allows gender-affirming care ban to go into effect
Lt Overlin and Sgt Call participating in training designed to increase effectiveness in responding to critical incidents in local schools.
INSIDE Community Food Bank..................................Pg.3 Obituaries........................................................Pg.4 Puzzles...........................................................Pg. 6
Over the weekend, the country of Iran attacked Israel in an unprecedented move. The strikes were reported to have done little damage, but escalated the tension and the stakes in the region as Israel mulls its response. The United States and other allies are cautioning Israel to exercise restraint in its response, in order to avoid a massive expansion of the conflict, which has been ongoing ever since Hamas attacked Israel in October of last year. The death toll in Gaza, which has been the primary location of the fighting, was recently estimated to be nearing the 34,000 figure in casualties since the conflict began, though that number is widely believed to be underestimated.
Looking Back................................................Pg. 7 Sports....................................................Pg. 10-12 Team of the Week...................................... Pg.12
The Idaho Statesman reported that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Idaho’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors may go into effect, overruling a lower court while the long-term constitutionality of the state’s law is still being litigated. Idaho AG Raúl Labrador asked the high court to allow the ban to go into effect in February, after a federal judge in Idaho temporarily paused the law in December. Judges on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently denied Labrador’s request that they overrule the lower court judge, which led him to appeal to the conservative-dominated Supreme Court. The court’s three liberal judges dissented with the decision.