Enterprise The Idaho
Oneida County's News Since 1879 Malad City, Idaho
December 19, 2024 |Vol. 144 No. 51
$1.50
NEWS IN BRIEF
Drone mystery deepens
Superintendent Jon Abrams, with board members Chalae Teeples, Brent Evanson, and Shane Howard in the new building entrance.
A view of the new and brightly lit library.
New Elementary opens doors to public
There’s no going back now, as the contents of the “old” Malad Elementary School are being moved right next door to the “new” Malad Elementary School. Ever since the interior has been completed, the process of moving decades worth of material over from its former home to its new one has been underway. During the day, students, faculty, and staff have taken to transporting carts, bags, and boxes full. Slowly but surely, things are being put in place. On Monday, the doors were opened to the public, so that people could take a look at the new school. The event, which took place during a sustained snowfall, brought in many families whose kids were concerned about making sure they knew where their new classrooms were. As they ran the halls, they excitedly pointed out to their parents where various features
such as the library, the gym, and the computer lab were. The other main contingent of visitors were those who themselves had gone to the old school, and wanted to see what the new building offered. Right now, of course, the building is as new as it will ever be, and being relatively empty it has that unlimited potential that a new space possesses. Over time it will simply become “the school” (although it’s a safe bet it will be called the “new school” for the next fifty years), and take on a more familiar air. At present, though, it is an exciting new facility. The improvements over the old school have been recounted in previous articles on the school, but suffice it to say, it is a building in line with modern usage needs. The classrooms are equipped with smart boards, monitors, internet connectivity, modular
designs for maximizing space, sink and restroom accommodations in many of the rooms, large windows, and many other design improvements. Safety has also been significantly increased, with a single daytime point of entry model making it much easier for staff to regulate who is in the school during the day. The front office provides a clear view of the entrance, and will allow access to be granted securely. The gym is another marvel of the new building, with a brand new court just begging to be played on. The gym will function as a partial auditorium, with a stage to the west side set up for performances. The wings of the stage contain storage and classrooms for the music department as well. The Library will be a central hub for OPEN HOUSE On Page 4
Enterprise Christmas Party comes to town
The annual Christmas party sponsored by the Idaho Enterprise and many Oneida County businesses and organizations filled the Event Center once again, and distributed hundreds of toys to those who did the work to complete their coloring pages. In addition to winning a variety of prizes with the local businesses the pages were returned to the Enterprise office and all participants were also entered into a massive drawing for toys. Every one who submitted an entry was entered onto the “Nice” list, and ended up with at least one item to take home. Out of all the entries, the grand prizes were randomly awarded to a handful of lucky kids, and included TVs, bikes, Squishmallows, scooters, and a Nintendo Switch provided by the Dude Ranch. The toys for the event were all purchased locally from Just for Fun Toy Shop located in downtown Malad on Main Street. “This year, we were able to get everything here in town, which was awesome,” Enterprise publisher Bryan Scott told the assembled group of kids and their parents. “If you haven’t been down there, it’s a great store.” Their parents probably made a note of the point, and the explanation for how the event would work. The kids just as probably didn’t, as they were more intent on slowly and insistently moving forward toward the prize tables, provoking a regular “scoot back!” every few minutes. And who could blame them? The randomized list of names was read off ten at a time, and ten kids headed to the age
Santa and Mrs. Claus made an appearance to meet with the many kids who had urgent requests for them.
appropriate tables to select their prize before the next round started. Incidentally, the age ranges on toy product packaging are often somewhat mysterious. In the preparation, some intense discussions were held over the difference between a 4+ toy and a 5-7 toy, with no final resolution to the vexed issue. Luckily, kids were allowed to make special pleadCHRISTMAS PARTY On Page 2
The Idaho Enterprise office will be closed December 23rd, 24th and 25th. We will re-open December 26. There will not be a paper Christmas week.
We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!
INSIDE THE ENTERPRISE Music in the Valley...............................Pg. 3 D.C. Tree.............................................Pg. 4 Puzzles................................................Pg. 6
Looking Back.......................................Pg. 7 Obituaries............................................Pg. 9 Sports........................................... Pg. 11-12
The appearance of large numbers of apparent drones over many American cities over the last week has spurred calls for military intervention, among other responses. So far, the effect of the large number of sightings has been mostly to raise the anxiety and concern levels of citizens, and provide fuel for the increasing online conspiracy theories that have followed in their wake. The drones have variously been alleged to be extraterrestrial scouting parties, international spies, coordinated groups headed by teenagers, and every other imaginable permutation. The sightings have resulted in at least one airport in New York suspending operations. Wright-Patterson Air Base has come under restrictions in similar circumstances. The drones have so far been sighted in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio. Drone operators have been arrested for making illegal flights in Massachusetts and California. The craft are presumed by indicators derived from their behavior and movement to be drones. They have been noted to move in coordinated groups, and remain in the air for up to six hours. Calls to shoot the drones out of the air have been stymied by the lack of clear laws dealing with drone interaction, and the fact that doing so would present an unacceptable risk to people on the ground. The arrests made in conjunction with unlicensed drone operators seem to indicate that there may just be a spike in overall drone use.
South Korean turmoil
South Korea remains in a state of high activity and political unrest after the opposition party in control of the South Korean parliament voted to impeach conservative president Yoon Suk Yeol for issuing a declaration of martial law last week. The martial law declaration would have been used to ensure the passage of the budget bill, which had been held up in the parliament. The decree has not been issued in over forty years, and is only supposed to be issued during declared war. The order was withdrawn within six hours of issuance, and has since led to a breakdown between the branches of government that looks to result in an impeachment drive against the president for his actions, which are seen as authoritarian by the opposition and a majority of the public in response surveys.
Notice to Readers!
We at the Enterprise love bringing you the news and local information, and we have no plans to change that commitment. We are letting you know ahead of time that we will be taking the week of Christmas itself off, however, so that we can spend needed time with our families, and traveling to visit relatives. The issue of the paper that otherwise would be out on December 26 is the one you will NOT see in your mailbox. We will resume out publication schedule as usual the following week, and anything that happened in the meantime will be covered in that issue. A Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday from all of us here at the Enterprise: Bryan, Brandon, Sherrie, Shelly, Allison, Jody, and everyone else who lends a hand during the year!