Caribou County Caribou County, Idaho
Governor Little delivers State of the State
As the year 2025 kicked into gear this week, Idaho Governor Brad Little gave the governor’s State of the State report on last year’s successes and this year’s upcoming initiatives. Similar to the State of the Union address which will be delivered by President Trump later in the year, the State of the State is primarily a chance for the executive in question to speak positively about their agenda, unveil a few new programs, and highlight the themes and topics which are expected to be important causes for the administration. If there could be said to be topline themes for the speech, which was titled “Keeping Promises,” they could probably be said to include a direct association with the agenda so far laid out by President elect Trump, and a suggestion that Idaho as a state should serve as a model for federal legislative priorities and executive values. In fact, the very first statement in the governor’s speech following his acknowledgement of the other officials in the chamber was “Just two months ago on the eve of a historic presidential election, America teetered between two very different futures for the next four years and beyond. One future guaranteed the status quo—out of control federal spending, a lawless open border, sky high inflation, onerous regulations, and a depressed economy that traps families’ potential. Americans rejected that failed path an instead re-elected a man with a very different vision for America—Donald Trump. President Trump’s vision for America actually looks a lot like Idaho!...safe communities, bustling economic activity, increasing incomes, tax relief, fewer regulations, fiscal responsibility, and common-sense values.” The opening of the speech was not abandoned as it went along; Little referred to his excitement to work with the incoming President on a shared vision throughout the remainder of the speech. He also, though, invoked a spirit of reaching across the aisle. “I want to congratulate all our legislators on their elections and recognize the new members of leadership in both parties. As a former legislator and member of Senate leadership, I understand the challenges and rewards of bringing everyone together. I commit to all my legislative partners that we will work productively together this legislative session.” The remark is perhaps a rejoinder to the criticism of the last legislative session, which was often seen as not having been especially productive. In line with the “Keeping Promises” theme of the speech, Little reiterated the tax cuts that had been given to residents of the state over the past five years, much of them made possible by budgetary surpluses, the nature of which has been the subject of some back and forth between the parties. “I am proposing yet another round of tax relief for hardworking Idaho families--$100 million—on top of the $4.6 billion we have already given back to Idahoans over the past five years,” Little stated, as well as “we stand ready to implement President Trump’s promised tax cuts.” The exact nature of any federal tax cuts is not known at this point, as President-elect Trump will not be sworn in for two more weeks. Tax cuts are certainly an anticipated legislative priority for the incoming Republican government, but
January 9, 2025 | Vol. 2 No. 2
NEWS IN BRIEF Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau resigns
Governor Brad Little, speaking in Southeast Idaho last year. The State of the State was broadcast live from Boise.
again, there are no detailed specifics yet. After discussing the importance of tax cuts, Little shifted to promoting his vision for education in the state. “We promised and delivered unprecedented investments in schools, the American worker, water, roads, fire, outdoor recreation, and other infrastructure without raising taxes…My Keeping Promises plan builds on those investments by adding more support for schools—on top of the 80 percent increase in state funding we championed for education since I took office.” Little then talked about what he termed “education freedom.” “We lead the nation in expanding and supporting public charter schools,” Little said. “Public charter schools are unquestionably popular in our state, serving about 30,000 student, up 30 percent from just five years ago. I support charter schools because they offer families more options for their children’s education while providing taxpayers the accountability and transparency they deserve. We are also one of the few states that enable parents to choose the best school for their children regardless of where they live, and our popular Empowering Parents program offers grants to support students’ education outside of the classroom.” Among specific policy announcements that Little made were $50 million “to further expand education options for Idaho families…for students with unique physical or developmental conditions.” School choice has been a hot button issue in Idaho’s legislature over the past several sessions, and Little was clear to add that STATE OF THE STATE On Page 2
No need to stay indoors for winter Despite the winter temperatures and precipitation—or perhaps because of them—there are plenty of things to do around the area this January. This is by no means a complete list of places to go and things to do, but it’s a start! The City of Soda Springs has built a sledding hill at Hooper Park. According to Shalynn Heneffer at the City Office, “You park in the parking lot and walk a short way up the trail to the south of the parking lot. There are 3 separate spots with berms so multiple people can go at one time without crowding each other. My kids have spent hours on it already. It may not look steep but you get going pretty fast. Fun for all ages!” There are a number of other sledding hills throughout the county, and their availability is likely to change with the weather conditions WINTER On Page 3
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Prime Minister for over a decade, Justin Trudeau announced his intention to resign from the position on Monday, as soon as the ruling Liberal Party of Canada chooses a new party leader. Trudeau, 53, has been under steadily increasing negative pressure over the last year as a number of allies inside his government have resigned, and opinion polls have found that growing numbers of voters are dissatisfied with the direction Trudeau has been leading the county. With an economy linked to and in many ways shared with the United States, the same economic problems that dogged the Biden administration have put the party in a precarious position with voters. The issues of inflationary pressures and a high cost of living that has not been mitigated by increased wages have resulted in a lack of public confidence in the government to right the economic ship and make the situation more responsive to Canadian consumers. The tariffs proposed by US President-elect Trump loom as a potential further economic shock to the Canadian economy. A new party leader will serve as PM until the general election in October of 2025. At present, the Conservative party is outpolling the Liberal party by more than 20%.
Demi Moore wins first acting award
At Sunday’s Golden Globes award show, actress Demi Moore won her first ever major acting award for her performance in “The Substance.” Moore, who is 62, has been acting for over 45 years, beginning her career with a group of actors nicknamed the “brat-pack” at the time. The group includes actors such as Rob Lowe, John Cusack. Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Ally Sheedy, and James Spader, who all became famous in teen comedies of the 1980s. Moore has been vocal about some of the negative pressures she encountered in Hollywood, and said after the win, “I’ll just leave you with one thing that I think this movie is imparting,” Moore said of the film. “In those moments, when we don’t think we’re smart enough, or pretty enough, or skinny enough, or successful enough, or basically just not enough: I had a woman say to me, ‘Just know, you will never be enough, but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.”
Gas prices fell in 2024
The City sledding hill in Soda Springs is at Hooper Park.
IN THIS EDITION Decluttering on the Ranch..........................Pg. 2 Community Notes........................................Pg. 4 Puzzles...........................................................Pg. 5
Looking Back................................................Pg. 7 Leisure Time.................................................Pg. 9 Sports....................................................Pg. 10-12
A year end report from the AAA found that overall gas prices were down an average of 34 cents per gallon in 2024 over 2023. In terms of Idaho specifically, the salient part of the report was that the average gas prices in Idaho—which are sometimes as much as half a dollar higher than the national average!—were more in line with the countrywide fuel rates. 2023 was a notably bad year for consumers on the gas front, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and middle east conflicts causing sustained uncertainty in the fuel producing countries that underwrite the systemic costs to the west. Unlike 2023, which saw fuel prices in the $4.00 plus range for much of the summer, 2024 saw a peak of $3.60 across the state on average.