Caribou County Caribou County, Idaho
September 26, 2024 | Vol. 1 No. 34
$1.50
NEWS IN BRIEF Teenager drowned in car crash
A artist's rendering of the proposed exterior of the new high school. The gray structure is the existing gym, which will be retained.
School Bond Informational Meeting: Superintendent presents project overview
Last week, Soda Springs School District #150 Superintendent Scott Muir hosted an informational meeting about the school bond issue, which will be on November’s ballot. The twenty-year bond, which is listed at a cost of $55,165,000 in the ballot question, will primarily be used for the construction of a new high school, as well as additional infrastructure and expansion at Thirkill Elementary. The School District has set up a website with schematics of the proposed school building, information about the bond’s purpose and details, a calculator for residents to estimate the bond’s effect on them personally, and the complete ballot question. The website is sodaschoolsbond.org. The primary stated reason for the bond is the condition of the high school with regard to safety, efficiency, and compliance issues. The current high school has been noted as being at the end of its projected life during several inspections of the facility. Issues such as “excessive structural deficiencies, including cracked foundations… HVAC system [which] does not meet current building codes for circulation… lack of technology infrastructure…var-
ious ADA compliance issues…outdated security measures” were noted in the engineering report. The engineers involved in the report, Plan 1 Architects and Engineering Systems Solutions, stated in 2014 that “it is our opinion that the existing structure has an additional 10 to 15 years of service-life. The big concern is future seismic events, which cannot be predicted. The structure has resisted moderate sized earthquakes in the past, but has not experienced a large magnitude earthquake that the area is capable of producing. It is our opinion that the high school would suffer extensive damage with high possibility of collapse in a large seismic event.” Less catastrophic but equally negative conclusions were reached about the HVAC system and other aspects of the current high school. The school has been noted as being a potential safety issue for years. Beyond earthquake survivability and functional air conditioning, the new design also includes a new auditorium designed with higher capacity seating, a redesigned parking lot, testing and science laboratories, improved ADA compliance, updated security measures, and
upgraded technology infrastructure. Many schools built during the last century were designed well before networking, communication, and modern media devices existed, leading to a hodgepodged collection of wiring setups and overlapping systems that are not very efficient. This is equally true of building security, the needs of which have changed dramatically over the last several decades. The proposed new school will be designed to accommodate approximately 350 students, and would be built on the same property as the current school, just to the south. Should the bond pass, construction on the new high school is expected to begin in 2025. Due to the different footprints of the buildings, classes will be able to stay in session in the current school building until the new one is finished at its anticipated 2027 fall completion date. The existing gym would remain and be incorporated into the new building design. The Thirkill component of the project will include “the construction of new classrooms and a gymnasium, SCHOOL BOND On Page 3
Cultivating A Community Jody Reeves
In the fall of each year as the temperatures drop and the leaves on the hills begin to show their bright colors the Grace community has their annual potato harvest. With the advancement of agriculture technology for many rural areas the days of large community harvests are a thing of the past. That is not the case for the citizens of Grace and its surrounding area. Not only do several adults go to work driving trucks and tractors for the farmers but the local school district takes a two week break to allow students to get jobs for those farms. This two week break which typically occurs in the later part of September has a unique effect on the student athletes from Grace Jr. and Sr. high schools. Several of the athletes will get jobs working in the potatoes. Those jobs can consist of work days that can be anywhere from ten to fourteen hours long. This creates a problem for coaches to be able to get practices in during the middle of the fall sports seasons. The solution to that problem comes in 6 a.m. practices. Coach Kimball from the football team spoke on the change in practice times saying, “It gets you out of your routine. We are used to school, practice then all of the sudden you are out of that routine.” Many of the student athletes have two hours of practice before they work a twelve
The sun begins to rise on Monday mornings practice. By this time the Grizzlies had been at practice for over an hour.
hour shift giving them just enough time to clean off the potato dirt and go to bed before starting the whole process over again. Case Williams who plays football said, “At 8 o’clock you get done with practice then you go straight to work and you work until 8 o’clock or maybe 5 o’clock if you have a game that day.” Case went on to talk about the change in practice times from his perspective, “I think that for practice in the morning you’re less mentally tired but you're more physically tired. Verses a normal school day where you’re more mentally tired but ready physically for practice.” Kallie Stoddard who runs cross country noted, “It's a completely different climate and you have less time because everyone has to be to work. So we do our aerobic workouts instead of our long runs.” Volleyball
player Paisley Barthlome added, “I feel like it's just harder to have a meaningful practice.” Several of the coaches are aware of the challenges that face their teams during the harvest break. Sarah Jensen, coach for the Jr. high volleyball team commented, “We try to switch things up to make practice a little more fun during potato harvest.” At the same time Coach Jensen has seen the kids rise to the challenges they face during the early mornings. “They work harder because when they are tired they have to dig inside and find something else.” Head football coach James Newby echoed that sentiment and said, “It makes them more tough. Their mental toughness is definitely up there.” CULTIVATING On Page 10
IN THIS EDITION Meals on Wheels van donated..................Pg. 2 New Surgery Robot.....................................Pg. 3 Tom Phelps turns 100!................................Pg. 5
Puzzles..........................................................Pg. 5 Obituaries......................................................Pg. 9 Sports....................................................Pg. 10-12
Jade “Dawson” Grover, 17, is being remembered for his kindness, love and smile. Dawson drowned after his Chevy Malibu went into a canal on the Jefferson/Bonneville County line. According to deputies Dawson was attempting to turn east when he failed to yield to a truck pulling a boat. The truck hit the car, pushing it into the canal. Dawson’s 12-yearold brother was also in the vehicle. According to the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, deputies trained in water rescue were able to remove the kids from the car. They were then rushed to Eastern Idaho Medical Center, where Dawson passed away. A GoFundMe that was set up by a family friend says, “Dawson, a beloved son, brother, friend and a true follower of Christ, has completed his mortal mission here on earth and was called home to his Heavenly Father to receive his angel wings…Dawson is full of kindness, love, friendship, and the brightest smile”. Dawson attended Thunder Ridge High School and played football last year. He also played tennis, basketball, and surfed. The money from GoFundMe is being used to help Dawson’s family pay for funeral expenses. Over $25,000 has been raised to help his family during this difficult time.
Chad Daybell’s former home has been demolished Chad Daybell’s home and other buildings on the property were demolished on Friday. A local nonprofit organization, SJ Healing Crossroads, bought the property with plans to immediately remove the house and buildings. According to East Idaho News, companies volunteered their time and equipment including, Taylor Excavation, Tupper Excavating, Depatco, Anderson Earthworks, Double JJ DirtWorks, Tupco, POCONO Coast West, and Chad Ball Construction. They started tearing the outbuildings down around 7:30 a.m. and by 10:30 a.m. they started tearing the house down. Everything was completed by 4:00 p.m. A tree that was located near where Joshua “JJ” Vallow’s body was buried was also removed. Truckloads of debris were taken to the landfill as neighbors and others gathered to watch the demolition. Rexburg Police Lt. Ray Hermosillo told East Idaho News, “I’m just out here seeing it through to the end…It is a different feeling today than it was June 9 and 10 for sure. It feels a lot more peaceful than it did that day”. SJ Healing Crossroads has not said what the plans are for the future of the property but they are hoping to make it a “positive place where such a tragedy occurred”.
8 bulls break out of rodeo in Massachusetts
Officials in southern Massachusetts are searching for a runaway bull after a herd jumped a fence at a rodeo. In a statement North Attleboro Fire Chief Christopher Coleman said , “Community members should exercise extreme caution and not approach the bull if found. If found, community members should call 9-1-1”. A video captured by an onlooker shows when the eight bulls jumped the fence at Emerald Square Mall in North Attleboro. Seven of the bulls have been caught but officials are still searching for the eighth as of Monday.