Enterprise The Idaho
Oneida County's News Since 1879 Malad City, Idaho
January 16, 2025 |Vol. 145 No. 3
$1.50
NEWS IN BRIEF Idaho Mobilizes Firefight-
ing Teams to Support California’s Wildfire Efforts
Judge Hooste swears in recently elected county officials at the Oneida County Event Center.
State of Oneida County Report
Last week, the Enterprise ran Mayor Hawkins’ report on the State of Malad City. This week, we bring you the reports in a similar vein from county officials. The County Commissioners assigned the departments to draft statements updating residents on notable issues from 2024 and those that are being looked forward to in 2025. There are a number of authors in the parts of this document, and where provided we have left the attribution intact. We thank those who worked on these updates, and express the belief that it is extremely important for local governments to communicate with their citizens. Clerk’s Office As we reflect on the past year, Oneida County finds itself positioned for continued success in 2025. Once again, we received a “clean” audit from Searle, Hart, and Associates, a testament to the diligent efforts of my deputy clerks and the solid foundation laid by those who have served before us. We are fortunate to stand on the shoulders of individuals who have shaped this community with integrity and dedication. In late 2023, we welcomed two new deputy clerks to the office, Mandi Armstrong and Shanci Dorius. Over the past year, they have taken on significant responsibilities, gaining invaluable experience in areas such as financials, recordings, elections, and assisting with commissioner meetings and processes. Their growth has been greatly supported by Natalie Murphy, whose expertise has been instrumental in their development. Together, with the exceptional support of our poll workers, Natalie, Mandi, and Shanci ensured the seamless execution of both the primary and general elections. They are now focused on preparing for the upcoming consolidated elections. As part of this preparation, we held a Logic and Accuracy training session for the public prior to the November 2024 election, providing transparency and insight into our election processes. It was a rewarding experience for all who attended. For the May 2024 election, there were 1,404 total votes cast, including 99 Election Day Registrations (EDRs) and 121 early votes. In November 2024, 2,476 votes were cast, with 308 Election Day Registrations (EDRs) and 457 early votes. In the Courts Division, our deputy clerks—Diane Skidmore, Lacie Montgomery, and Dale Davis—have consistently demonstrated dedication and hard work. Despite the challenges of system upgrades and busy schedules, they have excelled in sharing best practices, improving processes, and adapting to change. A key focus this year has been preparing for the final phase of the courthouse renovation project, which will make the county building fully ADA compliant. The main floor and basement renovations have been completed, and courtroom updates are expected to finish by spring. I am incredibly proud of the diligence, professionalism, and commitment demonstrated by each of my employees. Their unwavering focus on providing high-quality service to the citizens of Oneida County is inspiring, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside them. Thank you for entrusting me with the privilege of serving this community. I look forward to another year of progress and success. Lon Colton County Clerk Emergency Management Services There have been several great strides over the past year in our emergency preparedness efforts. Thanks to the efforts of our local Emergency Manager, Dan Williams and our Area Field Officer, Darin Letzring, we’ve been able to purchase a generator for the Event Center and the accompanying propane tank. It has been installed and ready for an emergency for over 6 months now. We’ve also held a successful Town Hall Meeting that was well attended by the community where each attendee received a printed copy of the Oneida County Family Emergency Preparedness Guide. This and other valuable resources are also available on the County’s website.
County officials after being sworn in by Judge David Hooste. Pictured from L-R are Commissioners Brian Jeppsen, Bill Lewis and Sheriff Doug Williams
Economic Development Working closely with our 4-Casi representative, Molly Beseris along with our SICOG and REDI partners we continue to look for opportunities to assist our county and city along the path of strategic and beneficial economic development. Veterans Services Our Veterans Services Officer, Mr. Bob Stokes, has done a remarkable job in identifying and filling critical healthcare needs for our beloved veterans. We wish to thank all those who have served in this capacity in the past and a special thanks to Bob as he retires from this position. We are currently looking for anyone who would be interested in filling this important position. If you are interested, please contact Brian Jeppsen at bjeppsen@oneidaid.us. TV Translator District We are currently looking for volunteers to serve on this advisory board as this provides a key communication resource for our county. Extension Office 2024 was a successful year for the Oneida County-University of Idaho Extension Office. Many successful programs were held which provided pertinent and updated information to local citizens on a variety of topics. Some of these successful Extension programs included a forage school, equine dentistry class, tree pruning, pressure/water bath canning classes, meal prep for families, and a beef heifer development course this fall. Most of these came at the request of local individuals. If you have any suggestions for things you would like to learn about, please contact our office. Many local producers/land owners were also assisted by our Extension Educator, Sawyer Fonnesbeck, with soil sampling and nutrient testing of stored baled hay to be fed to livestock animals. 4-H The 4-H youth development program in Oneida County is alive and thriving. Over 200 youth participated in over 300 projects this past year. Our county fair was one of the best attended by the community. Big thanks to the fair board and our community for your support of these 4-H youth and their hard work. In May the 4-H, FFA, and Soil and Water Conservation District hosted an elementary school Ag Day that was held at the Event Center. All youth in the Malad Elementary School came to learn about agriculture and local conservation efforts and the event was a great success. The 4-H office was also granted a request by the county commissioners to increase the hours of our 4-H coordinator to a fulltime position. We are excited that this will further advance our mission to provide learning opportunities to the youth of Oneida County. The individuals in our office wish you all a Happy New Year and we look forward to an exciting 2025. Assessor’s Office The Assessor’s Office is physically inspecting in the Daniels, Arbon & St. John area for 2025 and we are still working on digitizing all of our records. It has been a long process, but we are nearing the end of it. We are also working on creating an agriculture form to be put on our website oneidaid. us. I would love for all of our farmers to go online and fill out that form. If you will do that, we will have definite local numbers when we look at our ag land values for 2025. Parks & Recreation has implemented a new software system and we have that up and running. The state is still working on loading everyone’s profiles, but more and more are on there every day. We are hopeful that everything will run smoothly once that is done. Oneida County Weed Department – 2024 Fiscal Year Accomplishments ONEIDA COUNTY On Page 3
INSIDE THE ENTERPRISE Missoula Children’s Theatre................Pg. 2 Hospital’s 100th year!..........................Pg. 4 Puzzles................................................Pg. 6
Looking Back.......................................Pg. 7 Obituaries............................................Pg. 9 Sports........................................... Pg. 11-12
According to a press release from the Idaho Office of Emergency Management, The State of Idaho is mobilizing five task forces to ssist in protecting communities threatened by wildfires burning in Southern California. In response to a request from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, the Idaho Office of Emergency Management and the Idaho Fire Chiefs Association have coordinated efforts to evaluate available resources across the state. As of Wednesday evening, 104 firefighters and 25 fire engines are preparing to deploy Thursday morning to support California’s response efforts. The task forces are set to arrive in Southern California on Friday. IOEM and IFCA will continue monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide additional assistance as needed. The task forces are being mobilized from fire agencies across Idaho, such as the City of Emmett and Kootenai County as well as the Idaho National Laboratory. “Emergencies like these remind us of the critical importance of teamwork and mutual aid,” said IFCA President Kirk Carpenter. “Idaho firefighters are prepared to join the fight in California, standing shoulder to shoulder with our partners to protect communities in harm’s way.” “The Emergency Management Assistance Compact has been invaluable in ensuring that states can rely on each other during crises,” added IOEM Director Brad Richy. “After receiving support during our own wildfire seasons, Idaho is proud to return the favor by providing resources and personnel to help protect California’s communities.”
Hamas expected to release 33 hostages
CNN reported that Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages in the early phase of a ceasefire agreement which is being negotiated in Doha. The news was relayed to international news agencies by two unnamed Israeli officials, and is seen as a positive sign in the course of the Israel-Hamas war which has taken untold lives and destroyed infrastructure, houses, industry, and more. The conflict between the two entities has been underway for 15 months, which is how long dozens of hostages have been held. It is reported that Hamas still holds 94 of the original 251 hostages which were taken. 34 of those are reported to have died, although Israel believes the majority of hostages which will be released are still living. Some contention remains to be resolved around the extent to which Israeli troops will be positioned inside Gaza during any potential draw-down, and what the size of the buffer zone will be.
Wild Card Round in the NFL books
The Houston Texas beat the LA Chargers, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Buffalo Bills beat the Denver Broncos in a trio of games without a lot of drama. On the other hand, the Washington Commanders managed to upset to Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 in the NFC South. The Commanders have the task of facing the top seed Lions next week, however. The Eagles managed to take out the scrappy Packers, sending them home to enjoy another Wisconsin winter. Rams beat the Vikings on Monday.