Enterprise
Caribou County
The Idaho
Caribou County's Newspaper Since 2024
Caribou County, Idaho
April 9, 2026 | Vol. 3 No. 15
$1.50
NEWS IN BRIEF Bondi ousted
The Easter Bunny made the rounds on Saturday, hopping in on kids at Easter Egg hunts across the valley. The week ended with Easter services after a lovely holiday.
Easter comes to Caribou County
There was certainly no snow for Easter this weekend, which was sunny and bright if a little chilly early on. For a few diehard who are extremely devote to Easter Egg hunting, it was just barely possible to make it to hunts in Grace, Bancroft, and then Soda Springs with a well-executed plan for parking and leaving efficiently. For most people, though, each event was an exercise in anticipation followed by a quick burst of activity and then a more leisurely time for kids to find their friends and adults to eat any candy they had foolishly left behind. For anyone who has an interest in seeing the full panorama of the Caribou County communities, the Grand Tour of events is a good chance to see up close some of the differences in the different people that live otherwise so close to each other! In Grace, the Fairgrounds were once again divided up in sections for kids in different age categories in order to make the hunting more equal. Even had that not been the case, there was an abundance of eggs and other items for the taking, enough to satisfy even the most stalwart of hunters. The Easter bunny was on hand for pictures afterward, and many people pitched in to help clean up.
The event at the Fairgrounds is to some extent the primary County-level hunt, and as such has a large number of regional sponsors, and kids from all around the area. A brief trip up the road found the Bancroft city Easter Egg hunt, sponsored by the North Gem Development Committee, at 10:30 at the church. Despite the smaller venue, egg hunters showed up in force, and the morning was a pleasant one spent with family and friends out in the sunshine. The primary hunt in Soda Springs was the sixth annual Soda Sip Easter Egg Hunt, which took place between Soda Sip and the stake center building on the lawn overlooking Alexander reservoir. As with the other hunts, it was a quick burst of adrenaline followed by some careful gleaning, and then collective candy feasting. In all cases, the hunters were well-behaved and the candy supplies were plentiful! Easter services were held at various locations across the valley throughout Holy Week and on Easter. Easter weekend corresponded with General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Throughout Holy Week, the church sponsored a “Living Christ
Which came first? Candy! (Photo credit Travis Burns--Bancroft)
Easter Walk” at the church building in Niter. As previewed last week, the event is planning to move forward by alternating its location between Grace and Soda Springs in coming years. The Grace Stake and members hosted the event, which was similar to the form that it took last year, but different in ways that made each experience unique. Once again, Easter was a fantastic mix of the sacred and the fun, and a good chance for the community to come together during a special weekend. EASTER On Page 10
School Board 150 holds public forum for superintendent candidates
A public forum was held at Tigert Middle School to give the public a chance to speak with the two candidates for the superintendent position. Superintendent Scott Muir, who was hired originally in 2021, has elected to pursue a superintendency in the Aberdeen School District. Soda Springs School District hosted a question and answer forum to allow the two finalists to meet with members of the community and answer questions about their vision moving forward. The two candidates, L.T. Erickson and Stefanie Shaw, both introduced themselves to the audience that had gathered at Tigert Middle School, and then responded to a series of audience-generated questions from moderator Galen Wilson of the School Board. L.T. Erickson is the director of Federal Programs and School Safety and Security in the San Juan School District in Utah. He oversees district safety and security, and is the exec-
In an extremely busy and consequential week, President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi after roughly 14 months in the position, ending a controversial tenure closely aligned with the stated Trump agenda. Bondi aggressively reshaped the Department of Justice, including removing career officials and pursuing cases against Trump’s political opponents. However, reports indicate Trump grew frustrated with her performance, particularly her failure to secure major prosecutions against rivals and her handling of sensitive issues such as the Jeffrey Epstein files. Despite publicly praising her as a loyal ally, Trump replaced her with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as acting head of the department. Bondi’s tenure drew criticism from both parties, with opponents accusing her of politicizing the Justice Department, while some supporters believed she had not gone far enough in advancing Trump’s priorities. In the last roughly two-week period, several other administration officials were removed or departed. Home Land Security’s Kristi Noem had already been dismissed weeks earlier, marking a first major cabinet-level change. Within the military, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth oversaw the removal or forced departure of senior officers including Randy George, along with David Hodne and William Green. Other changes have included the brief tenure and exit of Katie Zacharia and the departure of Corey Lewandowski from the Department of Homeland Security.
Airman rescued
On April 5, 2026, a U.S. airman was successfully rescued after a dramatic, high-risk mission deep inside Iran during the ongoing conflict. The airman, a weapons systems officer aboard an F-15E fighter jet, had ejected when the aircraft was shot down by Iranian forces. Injured and alone, he survived for roughly 36 hours in mountainous terrain, hiding from search parties and reportedly evading capture while armed with only a handgun. U.S. forces launched a complex rescue involving special operations units, helicopters, and drones, along with intelligence support and deceptive tactics to mislead Iranian forces. The mission included intense combat conditions, with aircraft taking fire and some equipment losses reported. Despite these challenges, the airman was extracted safely and transported for medical treatment. The operation was widely described as one of the most daring U.S. search-and-rescue missions in recent history.
UCLA over South Carolina 79-51
L.T. Erickson
Stefanie Shaw
utive director of the district’s education foundation. He has also served Director of Secondary Programs in the Twin Falls School District, Junior High Principal and Director of Federal Programs and Technology in the Snake River District, Assistant Principal and AD in the American Falls School District, and teacher in Cassia County School District. He holds a doctorate in educational leadership, a master’s in education leadership, and
a bachelor’s in mathematics teacher education. Stefanie Shaw is the Superintendent and Federal Programs director in the Dietrich School District. (Dietrich is in Lincoln County, just east of Shoshone and north of Twin Falls.). In her position she oversees K-12 education, including budget, SUPERINTENDENT On Page 4
IN THIS EDITION Valor Recognized.................................Pg. 2 Legislative Updates..............................Pg. 3 4th Parade Route.................................Pg. 4
Puzzles................................................Pg. 5 Obituary...............................................Pg. 9 Sports................................................Pg. 12
In the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, the UCLA Bruins women's basketball faced the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball in a highly competitive final. South Carolina entered as a dominant, defense-focused team, while UCLA relied on balanced scoring and perimeter play. The game was tightly contested through the first half, with multiple lead changes. In the second half, South Carolina’s physical defense and rebounding created separation, limiting UCLA’s scoring opportunities. Key performances from South Carolina’s starters helped them pull ahead late, ultimately securing the national title. UCLA remained competitive but struggled to overcome turnovers and second-chance points.