Caribou County Caribou County, Idaho
January 2, 2025 | Vol. 2 No. 1
$1.50
NEWS IN BRIEF At least 179 die in South Korean crash
Fireworks over Kelly Park illuminated one of the many Independence Day celebrations in the county.
2024 makes way for the New Year! 2024 was a big year for Caribou County in a lot of ways—from state championship games and amazing seasons in sports, to a new event center and clinic in Grace, an uncertain future for Enders, a seemingly endless election season, a visit from a classic train, and much more. It was also, of course, a big year for us at the Enterprise. February 8 will mark the year anniversary of our time in Caribou, and it has been a fantastic learning experience, full of many amazing people and organizations that we’ve had the chance to meet, work with, and cover. We won’t be able to present a full and thorough recounting of all the events that have taken place over the last year and keep up with unfolding and current news, but we will devote pages to highlighting some of the stories that grabbed us over the year. Jody Reeves’ Year in Review of Sports highlights in Caribou County is also included in this edition, and covers some of the many things that have happened this year with local athletes. A massive thank you to everyone who has subscribed to the paper or shared it with friends and neighbors over our first year. We plan to keep growing and expanding what we are able to bring to the residents of Caribou county, and hope to be a welcomed presence in your mailboxes and newsstands ver the years to come. Happy New Year!
Elections
While for the country as a whole the election sucked up most of the oxygen, Caribou County had an easier time of it. With the exception of some contested primaries and a school bond issue in Soda Springs, the election itself went off smoothly and mostly played to expectations. In terms of local races, incumbent candidates for the positions won the primaries which had challengers, including County Commission Chair Mark Mathews and Sheriff Adam Mabey. The local incumbents were elected in the fall contest without facing opposition. In the state races, incumbents also carried the day, with local candidate Joseph Messerly representing the only sustained challenge to state representative Kevin Andrus, who ultimately carried the majority.
Enders continues to be an unresolved issue in Soda Springs.
The bond issue for a new high school in Soda Springs was less of a foregone conclusion, although the final percentage was almost twenty points off what was needed to pass. Voters cited the pricetag and the adequacy of the existing school as primary reasons for their votes. The school board and administration made the case that the school itself is already straining at its expected useful life, and has a number of structural issues that represent continual expenses and potential safety concerns. The bond also included an addition to Thirkill Elementary, which would have allowed the fifth grade to be returned from Tigert, where it is currently housed due to space issues. Superintendent Scott Muir has promised to run the bond again with whatever changes it takes in order to secure funding for a new building, which he and the board believe is of utmost importance to current and future students in the Soda Springs School District. The issue of the bond also revived discussion of the potential for a joint or consolidated school district that would include Grace and North Gem, allowing the currently separate entities to pool their resources. That discussion has been hot and cold for decades, and it remains to be seen whether it will gain any steam moving forward as a result of the failed bond.
Enders
Speaking of long simmering issues, the saga of the Enders Hotel building dominated most of the year as well. Ever since the building was gifted to the city by the Maughan family, the city has been faced with the problem of how to best serve the intentions of the family and the needs of the city. Various businesses have occupied it over that time, most recently Terah Jones who operated it as a hotel, gift shop, and conference/event center. As a result of the narrow operating margin of the arrangement and a lease rate increase expected at the beginning of the new contract, Jones decided to discontinue leasing the building. During her tenure, the building was improved and saw a number of quality upgrades, which potentially makes it a more attractive prospect moving forward. The city has been discussing the next steps for the last several months, and at present has largely settled on the options of either selling the building outright, leasing the building to another party, or leasing parts of the building and moving city offices into the main floor of the building. Each of these options brings with it its own set of issues. Selling the building would turn the stewardship of an acknowledged historical landmark and icon of the city over to a party outside the city’s control, it might, however, offset the accumulated costs of the building and create funds to update other city facilities such as the police station. Under the right circumstances, it might also provide a match or a downpayment for a potential multi-purpose facility that could serve as an event center as well as city offices. Leasing the building would create a recurring issue of lease contracts being subject to renewal, which might lead to unpredictability in the tenancy of the building. If, for instance, a lessee was not found to re-occupy the building for extended periods of time the maintenance and upkeep YEAR IN REVIEW On Page 2
IN THIS EDITION City Council Reports....................................Pg. 4 Puzzles..........................................................Pg. 5 Looking Back.................................................Pg. 7
Obituaries......................................................Pg. 9 NFR Highlights........................................... Pg. 10 Sports Year in Review........................ Pg. 11-12
On Sunday, a passenger jet crash-landed at an airport in South Korea, ultimately catching on fire as it slid down the runway. Two people were reported to have survived the crash, with 179 dying in the crash and conflagration. This is the largest air disaster in the country of South Korea since a Korean Air Boeing 747 crashed in Guam, killing 228. Footage of the crash indicates that the immediate cause of the crash was the failure of the landing gears to deploy as the plane attempted a landing. The cause of the failure itself is unknown. There has been some speculation on the part of some Korean officials that a bird strike was responsible for the incident, though aviation officials have cautioned that it is far too early to make such a claim. The 747 and Korean Airlines both have strong safety records. The Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board of South Korea will be investigating the crash, with assistance from international groups including the US NTSB.
Former President Carter dies at 100
James Earl Carter—Jimmy Carter—the 39th president of the United States passed away on Sunday at 100 years of age, making him the longest lived president by a good margin. Carter was elected in the election of 1976, defeating incumbent Gerald Ford and then losing to challenger Ronald Reagan in 1980. Carter achieved a number of successes on both the foreign and domestic fronts, with expansions of the national park service, consumer protections, and civil service reform. Relevant to recent development, Carter was responsible for the Camp David Agreement of 1978 creating a tense peace between Egypt and Isael, the SALT II nuclear arms limitation treaty with the Soviet Union, and ratifying the Panama Canal treaty. Also relevant to today’s environment, Carter’s loss in 1980 is often seen as a result of high inflation, high fuel prices, and general distrust of governmental agencies. Carter will likely be remembered for his continued involvement in national life after his presidency, most famously as the iconic head of Habitat for Humanity. The “new oldest living president” is now Joe Biden, at 82, followed by 78 year old Donald Trump, who is just a bit older than Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Barack Obama is 63.
Two Oregonians die in search for Bigfoot
The AP is reporting that two men from Oregon were found dead in a Washington forest after going missing on a hunt for Sasquatch. The two men, 59 and 37 years old, were believed to have died from exposure, according to Skamania County Sheriffs. The weather has been cold and wet, and the two men were reportedly not well outfitted for an extended outdoor trek. Drones, volunteers, and canines assisted the search team from Search and Rescue in locating the men. Apparently, they had headed out into Gifford Pinchot National Forest north of Portland on Christmas Eve on a Bigfoot hunting trip and family contacted authorities when they had not returned as planned.