Caribou County Caribou County, Idaho
September 5, 2024 | Vol. 1 No. 31
Library receives funds for computer upgrade, “Caribou Corner” The Soda Springs library was recently the recipient of generous donations from both Caribou Medical Center and Bayer, which were used for two separate projects. Caribou Medical Center has sponsored a resource at the library called “Caribou Corner.” A cart with a number of school supplies for students who may need them is now available to allow students to succeed throughout the year with essential supplies they may not otherwise have that can be checked out or used, including scientific calculators and other items. The corner also is place where students can receive a variety of healthy snacks to get them through the long days of school and homework. “This is so cool. You guys are doing such a great job,” Dillon Liechty said as he and CMC CEO Kent Loosle surveyed the library. “Do you think they’ll stay, or just come in and get the things?” Loosle asked. “Oh no, they’ll stay,” Hope Hansen laughed. The library is famously busy and full of enthusiasm, as well as kids who love to spend time in its walls. As the library staff is fond of saying, “it’s not a quiet library.” “You should have seen it the day I was in here,” Dillon. “I was in here talking about possible programs, and there were at least fifty kids here doing all kinds of things.” “Fridays, the kids aren’t in school and so it’s pretty busy. We have a group of them that come and play D and D [Dungeons and Dragons]. They had to cut down to once a week now that school started!” Hansen said. “But that’s just one of the things. We have so many kids and groups and people that come in every week.” Teens are the focus of many of the library’s programs, including the new Caribou Corner. “The Medical Center purchased snacks, and donated all these school supplies, and they’re also sponsoring our Page Turners program. So the stacks of books that we will be using for that, and we’ll have a lot of kids involved,” Hope Hansen said. “We wanted to grab worthy community projects to get involved with, and the library was one of those. A portion of whatever employees want to donate out of their checks goes into our Planetree fund, and we decide where to donate it,” Dillon Liechty said, explaining that the Medical Center was excited to support the library with the assistance of
Kent Loosle and Dillon Liechty of Caribou Medical Center present Library Director Hope Hansen with a check.
its employees. “There’s so much cool stuff going on here,” he added. The name Caribou Corner was coined by children’s librarian Dorajo Messerly. “Dorajo has this great energy around her to help,” Dillon noted. “I’ve seen so many amazing things that she’s done with the kids. She’s magical.” “I told her she can’t go anywhere,” Hansen laughed. It’s not just the youngest kids who love the library, but the teens who will be using the Caribou Corner as well. “The fact that a teenage would come to the library outside of school is a testament to the success of this place,” Loosle said. “You guys have created a safe haven for kids, and that’s one reason we definitely wanted to be involved,” Dillon. “How cool is this, a safe place for kids to come and have a snack and hang out when it’s cold, see their friends. It’s just great.” “It’s pretty special. It’s a great community asset,” Kent Loosle. Caribou Medical Center provided the startup funding for the Caribou Corner of $1,500, and funded the summer reading program for $1,000. “We want to encourage community involvement wherever we can,” Liechty said. Separately, a grant from Bayer for $10,000 helped to fund the summer reading program, and allowed the library to purchase new computers for use by patrons. “We need to let people know how much Bayer is doing for the community. They’re our single biggest outside funder and they help out so much. Almost every day we were having someone come up and say something about how their computer was having prob-
lems. This will be amazing,” Hansen said. The purchase included six new patron PCs and three for the staff. “We are really happy we could help,” Bayer’s Change Management and Communications Lead Kaylee Peck said. “Libraries are really important. I’ve been to a lot of them, and this one is always busy. It’s filled to the brim with people. You guys have a lot of beneficial programs for the community here, and we love to support you. We look forward to it.” “That was Cindy’s main thing,” Hansen said, referring to former library director Cindy Erickson. “She always wanted to have people here, and for them to feel welcome when they were.” The $10,000 comes from a Bayer Fund grant that requires an application process. The library has been a recipient of the grant for many years, and has used it to support and bolster its program offerings over the years. “You guys are so busy,” Kaylee said. “It’s great!” As Hope Hansen settles into her relatively new tenure as the Director of the Library, she has a lot of support from organizations like Caribou Medical Center and Bayer, as well as hundreds of grateful parents and kids.
Kaylee Peck of Bayer and Hope Hansen.
State Fair Underway; Success for local kids
The Eastern Idaho State Fair kicked off on Friday for its yearly surfeit of fried food, sugar, motor sports, rodeo, and music, as well as the 4-H and Open Class competitions that are at the heart of the event. As always, some of the 4-H participants from the county will make their way to Blackfoot for a variety of pursuits. By the time this edition hits the stands, a number of the major event will have taken place, though a number of livestock shows will still remain for Thursday and Friday. We will bring you results when they are finalized at the end of the week. This year’s featured concert is the band Journey, which is just one of the man potential draws to Bingham County. 4-H and FFA displays from all the county’s participants are on display in the exhibit halls, and many local participants also have photography, art, baking, handcraft, quilting, and other displays throughout the fair.
In the first days of competition, Ella Ozburn placed second in her class of Pre-Novice Obedience competition in the Dog Show, which allowed her to compete in the Championship drive. While ultimately the Grand and Reserve were taken by competitors with nearly perfect scores, Ella had a fantastic showing, and is a good snapshot of the future of Dog 4-H in Caribou County. The Horse Show events also started early in the Fair week, but official results were not available at press time to report on. After the Fair is finished on Saturday, full results should be available through the 4-H and Fair offices. The Livestock Showmanship and Market shows are taking place on Wednesday and Thursday, with the Market Sale on Friday. The other main draw of the fair is of course the food, and here are this year’s winners of the Best Fair Food Competition, judged by local (ahem) media.
Some of the 4-H kid entries at the State Fair. STATE FAIR On Page 3
IN THIS EDITION Quilt Exhibit...................................................Pg. 2 tate Fair Schedule........................................Pg. 3 Mustang Auction...........................................Pg. 4
Puzzles..........................................................Pg. 5 Deer and Elk Season Preview....................Pg. 9 Sports....................................................Pg. 10-12
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NEWS IN BRIEF Grizzly bear attack in Island Park
According to East Idaho News, on Sunday morning, an archery hunter was attacked by an adult male grizzly bear west of Henrys Lake in Island Park. The man had been elk hunting with a friend in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest when the attack occurred. One of the hunters was knocked down and bitten by the bear. Both men used their sidearms to shoot the bear, stopping the attack and killing the bear. The hunters were able to call 911 and the injured individual was transported by helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. After coordinating with Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Emergency Medical Service teams, Fish and Game responded to the scene. Conservation Officers investigated and determined that the hunters acted in self-defense. Fish and Game Regional Supervisor Matt Pieron said, “I am extremely grateful that both of these individuals survived this encounter…I have had the opportunity to speak with the injured hunter and his family, and they are truly wonderful people. I wish him a speedy recovery from his injuries and the trauma these two hunters experienced”.
Accidental shooting in Utah results in one boy critically injured
An 8-year-old boy was taken to a hospital in “extremely critical condition” after accidentally shooting himself in the head, on Monday evening, police said. Lehi police responded to a call of a shooting inside a parked car at a Maverick convenience store. An on duty officer performed life saving measures with help of bystanders until the boy was taken to a nearby hospital and then flown to another hospital. The boy’s mother said he found a gun that was under her seat and pulled the trigger. The incident still remains under investigation and no further details have been released.
A nonprofit is making future plans after purchasing Chad Daybell’s property
The property where Chad Daybell lived in Fremont County is now owned by a nonprofit organization. SJ Healing Crossroads took over ownership on Friday. The home was listed for $350,000 in June. According to East Idaho News, a local couple created the SJ Healing Crossroads with intentions to purchase the property and support those affected by traumatic loss. The couple told East Idaho News, “Such a horrible tragedy happened there and we wanted to be sure the right thing was done with the property…This is all about respecting JJ, Tylee and Tammy and the victims”. The couple plans to tear down the home and other buildings on the property. Nothing has been set in stone yet as they want to discuss future plans with family members affected by the tragedy. They said, “We want to transform this site from one of sorrow and tragedy into a place of peace, healing and hope for the community”.