Enterprise The Idaho
Oneida County's News Since 1879 Malad City, Idaho
June 13, 2024 |Vol. 144 No. 23
$1.50
NEWS IN BRIEF
Security Council adopts cease fire resolution
The most recent large fire in Oneida County occurred near the summit in 2022, and threatened a number of residences and structures.
Time to think about Wildfires
As summer begins in earnest, the topic of emergency preparedness is on minds of many in administrative and public safety roles throughout the state and country. While last year’s weather was relatively mild as fair as averages go, and somewhat calm as far as fire seasons go, those factors actually work together to put this year on everyone’s radar for potential danger. Recently, the national and state weather services have issued forecasts for the area which predict hot, dry summer conditions over the course of much of the summer. As a result of fewer burned acres and more precipitation last year, the on-ground supply of vegetation is higher than usual. Combined with expected high temperatures and winds, the conditions are ripe for large, quickly spreading fires across the state and region. The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) met last week in Oneida County to discuss the outlook for the upcoming fire season, as well as other issues related to emergency preparedness. Members of the city council, county commission, emergency response teams, Southeastern Idaho Public Health District, Idaho Power, the Radio Amateur Club of Oneida
Neighbors, and others were in attendance. Commissioner Brian Jeppsen opened the meeting by raising the potential for forming a local CERT program. CERT stands for “Community Emergency Response Team,” and is a national readiness program whereby members receive training to care for themselves and their families before moving outward into the community to provide emergency response. The more people that are enrolled and trained in the program, the greater the effectiveness of the efforts, as securing individual families reduces the overall needs for the response system. “These teams step in from the moment a disaster happens, until the EMS shows up, then they pass information on to them when they get there,” Jeppsen stated. Office of Emergency Management Area Filed Officer Darren Letzring noted that many of the potential grants for Oneida county are for CERT-related activities. Letzring reported that snow had been dealt with effectively this winter, which was good. Oct 10 was announced at the tentative date for a multi-state earthquake exercise, involving Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho.
Matt Stucki from Idaho Power discusses fire prevention strategies at last week's emergency planning meeting.
He also reported on the potentially available assistance grants for wildfire mediation and response, covering initial fire response costs. In order to apply for the grant, assessors and others will need to help explain the value of the homes that are potentially at risk, how much the roads and other infrastructure are worth, and what the county and city’s preparatory steps toward fire mitigation are. Matt Stucki, regional customer relations manager for Idaho Power, spoke to the LEPC as part of its mission to talk to everyone in their service area about Public Safety Shut Off possibilities. Idaho Power Service itself has around 630,000 customers, from Salmon to Oregon to Arbon Valley. Arbon represents the southwestern edge of the company’s service area, and includes a number of Oneida County residents. The residents were being informed that Idaho Power was rolling out a Public Safety Power Shutoff contingency plan in the case of anticipated weather events. That might aggravate wildfires. Following last year’s wildfires in Hawaii, which were determined to have been at least partly caused by downed power lines resulting from high winds, many U.S. utility companies are employing an abundance of caution to prevent such incidents in the contiguous United States. “We’re just seeing more fires,” Stucki stated. “From our perspective, we want to make sure we are keeping our communities safe, and we’re really trying to make sure our lines don’t start a fire.” The core mitigation activities that Idaho Power plans to pursue include increased inspections, enhanced vegetation management, distribution hardening—a new fuse which doesn’t create an arc when it blows, things like lightning arresters, etc.—transmission hardening, segmentation of the transmission lines, SCADA controls, and situational WILDFIRES On Page3
Plan to attend the Welsh Festival June 28-30. Inside this edition you will find the Welcome to Malad/Welsh Festival booklet with detailed schedule information.
INSIDE THE ENTERPRISE Welsh Festival.....................................Pg. 2 Guest Editorial: Cleats!........................Pg. 3 Puzzles................................................Pg. 6
Looking Back.......................................Pg. 7 Father's Day........................................Pg. 9 Sports................................................Pg. 12
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution proposed by the United States for a permanent ceasefire and release of the hostages in Gaza. The motion was adopted with 14 votes in favor and one abstention by Russia. The United States ambassador to the United Nations is urging Hamas to accept the latest ceasefire proposal and hostage deal after the UN Security Council voted overwhelmingly on Monday to support it. The American representative, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Israel has agreed to the deal and "the fighting could stop today if Hamas would do the same.” The US ambassador outlined the framework of the deal that is divided into three phases and initially includes a ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners. Ultimately the deal would also implement a permanent end to hostilities and full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the effective distribution of aid as well as a major multiyear reconstruction in the strip. Thomas-Greenfield said the US will guarantee Israel follows through with its obligations while Egypt and Qatar will do the same with Hamas. The ambassador also said the deal "rejects any geographical changes" in Gaza and reiterates the commitment to a two-state solution.
Teton Pass closed after massive mudslide in Talbot Canyon
After the “catastrophic failure” of Wyoming Highway 22 on one of the West’s most highly used mountain passes, officials are providing guidance for navigating around the Teton Pass in the upcoming months. A mudslide at the top of Talbot Canyon at milepost 15 caused a section of the Teton Pass to cave completely Friday morning. Crews are determining the extent of the damage and working on a repair plan. The pass had been closed just one day before due to a large crack in the road caused by a landslide near a separate milepost, 12.8. People in Teton County, Wyoming expect the economic impact of the pass damage to be substantial. Jackson itself is still accessible, it will just take a bit longer. The closure only impacts driving between Jackson, Wyoming, and Teton County, Idaho. If traveling from the west, drive through Swan Valley and Snake River Canyon and enter Jackson from Hoback, Wyoming. From Idaho Falls, this takes about 2 hours. From Island Park, a route through the national parks takes about 2 hours and 55 minutes.
Costco customer assured hot dog price won’t change
Costco’s new chief financial officer reassured customers that the price of the $1.50 hot dog combo will not change anytime soon, new Costco CFO Gary Millerchip said on an earnings call with analysts Thursday. With Costco’s leadership change — and other longtime deals ending at other companies as a result of inflation some had speculated about the future of Costco’s $1.50 hot dog, which has remained the same since 1985. If Costco’s hot dog deal kept pace with inflation, it would be three times as expensive today — nearly $4.50. But Costco’s $1.50 combo is a strategic decision, known as a loss-leader: The company is willing to lose money selling the hot dogs at that price as long as it helps Costco draw in and retain customers.