The Idaho Oneida County's News Since 1879 Malad City, Idaho
April 30, 2026 | Vol. 146 No. 18
$1.50
NEWS IN BRIEF Thwarted attack at WHCA Dinner
Candidates for the upcoming primary election spoke to voters at the Event Center last week.
Candidates speak at Voter Forum Last week, The Farm Bureau hosted a “Meet the Candidates” night for Oneida County primary voters at the Event Center in Malad. Those running for election in the upcoming primary were given a chance to introduce themselves to the voters that will decide on how they spend their time over the next few years, as well as discuss some of the issues that are important to the people of Oneida County. Brody Weeks and the local Farm Bureau collected questions during the weeks leading up to the event, and grouped them into a series of shared themes. There was a lot of information discussed at the forum, and no way to fit it all into this edition of the paper, especially given the extremely busy week that it was. To that end, this article will serve to overview the candidates and positions up for election, and we will focus on aspects of the main topics the candidates were asked about over the next two weeks leading up to the election. The topics that dominated the questions on voter’s minds basically fell into three categories: water, development/growth, and support for law enforcement. The evening was opened with the colors presented by Troop 1776 and an invocation, and then the introduction of the candidates. County officials who are on the ballot but running unopposed briefly spoke to the audience, and thanked voters for their continued support. Kathleen Atkinson (Assessor), Leigh Love (Treasurer), Lon Colton (County Clerk), and Brad Horsley (County Coroner) are all on the ballot for the primary without opponents. Because there are no candidates from any other parties in the election, the primary is essentially the balance of the election in their cases. The opposite is true for the remain-
ing candidates, as the primaries represent the point at which their candidacies will be decided, practically speaking. Whoever wins the primary on May 19, in other words, will be on the ballot in November as the sole candidate for their positions. While there is always a very small chance of some other outcome (a candidate withdrawal after the primary, for instance), May 19 is the red letter day for those who sat on the panel last week. A Voters Guide to the candidates for contested offices is included in this paper once again, and the intention is to run it in the next editions as well. For one thing, last week’s version listed Mike Asay alongside information about Randy Willie, and it’s important to me to correct that error. For another thing, it’s never a bad thing to read or hear the information about who is running as much as possible. Given that primary elections generally see lower turnout than general elections, as well as the relatively small voter base in Oneida County, every vote stands a very good chance of being a difference maker. There are parallel elections underway, with three candidates running for both precinct committeeman positions as well as county commission seats. Bob Crowther, Bill Drury, and Randy Willie are running for both positions simultaneously, and were asked whether they would maintain both positions. It was clarified that there was nothing preventing that in the bylaws of either the Republican Central Committee or the County governance, and the candidates expressed the belief that the duties were not overlapping and it would be possible to perform both offices without much trouble. The forum then moved on to overall introductions, which you can find the basics elements of in the voters guide. The two positions at stake in this
election are those that will replace current Oneida County Board of County Commissioner Chairman Bill Lewis, and County Commissioner Ken Eliason, who have both decided not to run for another term. The two primary winners will join current Commissioner Brian Jeppsen on the Board when they are sworn in at the beginning of 2027. In the District 1 spot, Mike Asay, Bob Crowther, Bill Drury, and Drew Pettis are on the ballot. The candidates all stressed during the discussion that they are friendly with one another, and will work together for the good of the community regardless of who should win the primary. There was a lot of agreement throughout the discussion about the importance of protecting citizen rights and making sound choices regarding growth and regulation. The differences that were expressed often had to do with specific areas of focus or ideas about particular aspects of development or planning and zoning regulation. We will start with Development next week as the focused topic of exploration for the candidate responses. In District 2, Kirk Nielsen and Randy Willie are on the ballot. The way that the forum was set up, the candidates all addressed the questions as a group, rather than by district, so the responses were essentially on a level field throughout. As stated, next week, we will dive into what Oneida County candidates had to say about development, and then the remaining issues the following week. Each of the candidates noted that they were happy to talk to voters who had any questions for them about their positions and candidacies, and we will provide preferred contact information for them once we have a full set of those contacts.
Save the Date - DYW May 2
Saturday, May 2, is finally showtime for the annual DYW night. The event, which was formerly held at the old elementary auditorium, will be held for the second year in a row at the Performing Arts Center in Marsh Valley. The venue is a perfect place for Oneida County’s amazing DYW participants to introduce themselves, present their talents, and find out who will be named the 2027 Distinguished Young Woman. Tickets are available from any of the participants, at the door, or through Venmo to @MALAD-DYW. The competition will start at 7:00 p.m. at the Marsh Valley Performing Arts Center next to Marsh Valley High School between Arimo and McCammon. This year’s participants are (in random participant order): Abbie Cox, Kaycee Venable, Paityn Ward, Emree Hanks, Kelty Thomas, and Delanie Walton. The participants will present their Fitness routines, and individual talents to this year’s judges. They
Delanie Walton, Emree Hanks, Kelty Thomas, Abbie Cox, Kaycee Venable, and Paityn Ward are this year's DYW candidates.
will also answer a series of questions which have been prepared ahead of time. The judges will award scholarships to the participants based on their
performance in a number of categories, and an overall DYW for 2027 will be named. That winner will attend the national competition.
INSIDE THE ENTERPRISE School Board.......................................Pg. 2 Hall of Fame........................................Pg. 4 Puzzles................................................Pg. 6
Looking Back.......................................Pg. 7 Dance Competition..............................Pg. 9 Sports..........................................Pgs. 11-12
The annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. was the site of an attempted security breach. The event was attended by President Donald Trump, senior government officials, journalists, and other public figures. According to authorities, a 31-year-old suspect from California approached a security checkpoint near the ballroom while armed with multiple weapons, including a shotgun and handgun. Officials have identified the alleged perpetrator as Cole Thomas Allen. He reportedly forced his way past initial screening and discharged his weapon before being subdued by law enforcement. At least one federal agent was struck by gunfire but was protected by body armor and is expected to recover. No fatalities were reported. The suspect was taken into custody at the scene and later hospitalized for minor injuries. President Trump and other attendees were evacuated as a precaution, and the event was ultimately canceled. Investigators are examining the suspect’s motives, though the full details remain under investigation. The incident has prompted renewed discussion about political violence and security at high-profile public events in the United States. Allen was charged with a number of crimes on Monday.
Missing man’s body discovered near Willow Flat
Authorities in Preston, Idaho reported that a 40-year-old man from Utah who had been missing was found deceased in a mountainous area near Willow Flat. According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the man was reported missing on Saturday by his family after he allegedly made comments indicating possible self-harm. Later that day, the family located his vehicle in Franklin County, prompting a search effort involving deputies and search and rescue teams. The search continued until Saturday evening and resumed Sunday morning. The man’s body was discovered around midday on Sunday. Officials stated that no foul play is suspected. The man’s identity has not been publicly released, and his body was transferred to the county coroner later that day.
“Geofencing” before Supreme Court
A case before the U.S. Supreme Court examines the use of “geofence warrants” and access to location data from Google in a 2019 bank robbery investigation in Virginia. Police initially could not identify a suspect but later obtained aggregated cellphone location data showing devices near the crime scene. This led to an arrest and conviction after evidence and a confession were obtained, and Okello Chatrie was sentenced to over 11 years in prison. The appeal argues that geofence warrants violate Fourth Amendment protections, relying in part on the precedent set in Carpenter v. United States (2018), which required warrants for certain cellphone location records. The government contends users voluntarily share location data with tech companies. Lower courts upheld the warrant, but the case highlights broader debates over privacy, digital surveillance, and law enforcement access to large-scale location databases. Legal experts note the outcome could affect how courts treat digital data from phones and other connected devices.