Caribou County Caribou County, Idaho
October 3, 2024 | Vol. 1 No. 35
$1.50
NEWS IN BRIEF Kris Kristofferson dead at 88
The weather was perfect for a fall time gathering in the city park in downtown Soda Springs. Fall Festival was moved to the park due to construction.
Fall Festival cements the season in Caribou There’s no way to deny it any longer…fall is officially here to stay. Despite some warm daytime highs over the last couple weeks, the nightly lows are impossible to ignore, and the many of the area’s leaves are already starting their turn to the colorful. This year’s Fall Festival event at downtown City Park in Soda Springs celebrated the changing of the season with a mixture of activities, games, vendors, and company. Chelsey Davids, City employee and one of the organizers of the event, explained that due to the construction project on Main street, the event was relocated to the city park. In some ways, though, the change may have been fortuitous. “I don’t think we would have been able to fit all of the vendors on Main Street,” she said. Along with retail vendors of art, jewelry, clothing, accessories, health and beauty products, bird houses, and many other items, the total of more than 40 booths included the Citizens for Soda Springs School District Bond group, the Center for Hope South, EF Student Travelers of Caribou County, a Fun Run motorcycle ride to raise funds for school lunches, and much more. “It’s a perfect day,” Davids said. “The weather has been amazing, and things have gone great!” Bouncy slides were set up for the kids, supervised by students raising money for prom, and at the other end of the spectrum, a beer garden set up was hosted by Stockman’s at the end of the food truck line. Hope Hansen, in addition to her job as the Library Di-
Chief Scott Shaw and Mayor Austin Robinson chat during the Fall Festival on Saturday.
rector Hope Hansen was on hand to collect donations for “Cuddle Bear” books and teddy bears for the Caribou Medical Center in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which many local schools and organizations have been recognizing throughout September. The books and bears will be delivered to the hospital sometime during October. Local historian and Caribou Historical Society member Bill Horsley was on site selling a variety of handFALL FESTIVAL On Page 2
Randy’L Teton to visit Soda Springs Library October 7 Randy’L Teton is someone you’ve seen before, even if you didn’t know it. Teton is undoubtedly most famous as the model used by the U.S. Mint as the basis for the Sacajawea Gold Dollar, which was first issued in the year 2000 to commemorate the Corps of Discovery led by Lewis and Clark, and guided by Shoshone girl Sacajawea. The coin also celebrates the importance of Native American history as a component of the history of the country as whole. She is the youngest and only living coin model on official U.S. currency. Teton was studying Art History and Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico in Santa Fe when she was approached by sculptor Glenna Goodacre to serve as a model for the coin design, as no portrait from the time exists. Goodacre selected Teton, whose mother was an employee at the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum. During the rollout of the coin at the turn of the millennium, Teton toured the country promoting it and the cause of Native American education. She remarked that “the image doesn’t represent me, it represents all Native American women. All women have the dignity of the Golden Dollar’s image.” Teton is enrolled with Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, and has recently written a children’s graphic novel titled “It’s Her Story: Sacajawea,” which recounts the young guide’s journey from a tribal perspective. The book is illustrated by Aly McKnight, also enrolled in the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe. The book is part of the “It’s Her Story” series, which presents the biographies of many women who have left an indelible mark on history. Teton has stated that this is a project she has long been interested in, and hopes to one day get the book into all the classrooms in Idaho. One of the major reasons she believes the book is necessary is that while the overall story of Lewis and Clark’s journey is fairly well-known on some level by students in American schools, Sacajawea’s own story, and the story of the Shoshone tribes, is only vaguely sketched out for most. She will be sharing some of the stories she has gathered
Photo by Shuttergirl Photography, Micha Wixom
from elders and other sources, including her time at the Fort Hall Tribal Museum over the years. The book was officially released on September 21, and is widely available on retail sites such as Amazon, and will of course be on hand at the library. The book can be ordered on randylteton.com as well, which directly supports the author. Teton will be speaking at the library from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, October 7, and then answering questions from the audience afterward. Teton will be signing books and posters, and refreshments will be provided by Caribou Medical Center. “This is going to be a really great event,” Library Director Hope Hansen said at the most recent City Council meeting. “We’re really lucky to have this in town, and I can’t wait!”
IN THIS EDITION Thirkill Runners.............................................Pg. 4 Puzzles..........................................................Pg. 5 Looking Back................................................Pg. 7
Obituaries......................................................Pg. 9 Soda Springs City Council........................ Pg. 10 Sports.................................................... Pg. 11-12
Kris Kristofferson, a country music superstar and Hollywood actor, has died. Kristofferson died at his home in Maui, Hawaii on Saturday according to family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland. Kristofferson was a singer, but many of his songs were performed by others including “For the Good Times” and “Me and Bobby McGee”. He starred opposite Ellen Burstyn in the 1974 film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, starred opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 “A Star is Born”, and Wesley Snipes in “Blade”. Kristofferson alongside Willie Nelson, John Prine, and Tom T. Hall represented a new era of country singers. Nelson said in a 2009 award ceremony for Kristofferson, “There’s no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson… Everything he writes is a standard and we’re all just going to have to live with that.” According to East Idaho News, he was a Golden Gloves boxer and football player in college. He received a masters degree in English from Merton College at the University of Oxford in England. He later turned down teaching at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He instead chose to pursue songwriting in Nashville. Some of Kristofferson’s hit songs include “Why Me,” “Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do),” “Watch Closely Now,” “Desperados Waiting for a Train,” “A Song I’d Like to Sing” and “Jesus Was a Capricorn.” In 1973 he married fellow songwriter Rita Coolidge; they later divorced in 1980. He retired from performing and recording in 2021.
Thousands told to stay home after chemical plant fire
Thousands of people were told to stay home with their windows closed after a fire at a Georgia industrial plant caused a chemical reaction and released potentially harmful chlorine in the air. Businesses and residents were told to evacuate in nearby areas around the BioLab plant. A shelter-in-place advisory is ongoing for over 90,000 people in surrounding Rockdale County. The plume from the chemical reaction could be seen for miles. Officials advised to close windows and turn air conditioners off. According to CNN, air quality surveys “revealed the harmful irritant chlorine” coming from the facility. Exposure to chlorine can cause burning eyes, nose and mouth. It can also cause nausea, coughing, choking, vomiting, headaches, and dizziness. Nearby counties have also reported the smell of bleach or chemicals in the air. The fire started on the roof around 5:00 a.m.. Firefighters were able to contain the fire but it reignited hours later, Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett said. The fire was extinguished around 4:00 p.m. but the roof later collapsed.
Former ISU football coach pleads guilty to murder
DaVonte’ Neal was the assistant coach for the Bengals when he was indicted and arrested in 2022 for the 2017 shooting death of Bryan Burns. Neal pled guilty to second-degree murder after he was initially charged for first-degree murder according to Maricopa County Court records. He will be sentenced on October 4th, 2024. According to previous Statesman reporting, Neal was also charged with drive-by shooting and discharge of a weapon at a structure.