I attended the salmon recovery conference in Salmon on July 31. Rep. Dorothy Moon's introduction to the meeting said nothing about wanting to help or any ideas on how the state could help with salmon recovery. Instead she used the meeting to focus on her personal agenda on how miners are bei…
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Vaccines protect us all from myriad harmful and potentially deadly diseases. They have safe and effective ingredients, have nearly eradicated more than a dozen illnesses and save lives every day. Don’t believe the misinformation about vaccines. They’re a huge public health benefit, and the D…
I work for the Sawtooth Interpretive and Historical Society at the Stanley Museum. Visitors always ask the same questions. Perhaps the most common question is “do we have to pay to get in?” I answer “there is no admission fee; however, donations are appreciated.” This policy of free admissio…
Let’s take a moment to thank the Nez Perce for the legal actions taken against Midas Gold. This action indicates that there is problem with the stibnite mine and miners of old.
At an April conference, Congressman Mike Simpson publicly committed to restoring Idaho salmon and Gov. Brad Little announced a salmon working group. Little promised a new approach, saying, “I’m in favor of breaching the status quo.”
Among outdoor enthusiasts, the Pacific Northwest is known for its iconic salmon and steelhead that once thrived in the waters of the Columbia River Basin. At the turn of the 19th century approximately 10 to 16 million wild salmon and steelhead would return to the streams, rivers and tributar…
On Saturday, June 29, a motorcycle incident near milepost 265 on U.S. Highway 93 in Lemhi County turned many families' lives upside down. That incident will have lasting negative effects on everyone involved but I am writing this letter not to dwell on the negative but rather to acknowledge …
The Forest Service has been inviting people to help create a vision for how the Salmon-Challis National Forest should be managed as part of the forest plan revision we began in early 2017. We are grateful that many people have taken the time to listen and share ideas, science, and even frust…
Because of a lack of interest from participants within the Challis area, except for the loyal sponsorship from many local businesses, merchants and donors, the 36th annual Round Valley Horse on July 20 at the North Custer Rodeo grounds will be the final annual show.
The Idaho Department of Lands will hold a public meeting in Challis at the Community Event Center at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 13, to discuss changes in how mining companies pay for cleanup at Idaho mines. Based on a change in state law, Idaho is changing the way companies put up funds to cover …
The Challis High School student council sends out a belated thank you to everyone who donated to the Christmas book program.
Maybe Rudy Giuliani is right, “truth is not the truth” or maybe it’s Will Rogers’, “things aren’t the way they used to be and never were.”
The online issue of the Challis Messenger, October 18, 2018, reproduced a story from “75 Years Ago” in its “Good old days ...” section. On October 19, 1943, Mrs. Pearl Adams Grubb had received a War Department telegram stating that her son, USAAF Staff Sergeant Frank A. Grubb, born April 28,…
The Central Idaho Public Lands Collaborative met on March 12 in Challis and presented the group’s vision for the forest, known as desired future conditions. Several members of the USFS plan revision team were in attendance along with Forest Supervisor Chuck Mark.
Challis High School rodeo club members worked had to sell tickets and gather auction items for their recent fundraiser.
I am writing to voice my opinion regarding the current wilderness evaluation of large sections of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. I feel that the vast majority of the areas being evaluated do not satisfy several of the definitions of a wilderness. By definition, a proposed wilderness are…
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee was set up to promote better communication and coordination among federal and state management agencies concerning grizzly bear recovery. There were four major objectives identified: engage top-level decision makers in a coordinated approach to recover …
You won’t find the About Folks We Know column in today’s paper. We are temporarily taking a hiatus from publishing the column while we evaluate its role.
One hundred years ago the final conclusive battles of World War I were being fought in Europe. They were some of the bloodiest military engagements in history. At that same time, almost exactly 100 years ago, Joseph D. Nowacki, a young soldier from Mackay, was killed in one of those battles …
As parents of children at the Stanley elementary and junior high school we wanted to respond to the article in The Challis Messenger on Oct. 3 titled, “Challis schools, students get passing grades." First, we would like to express our gratitude for the Stanley School teachers as well as the …
On Nov. 6 Idahoans can vote on Prop 2, the Medicaid expansion initiative. Idaho is one of only 16 states that have not expanded the Medicaid program which has left 62,000 Idahoans, mostly working folks, with no ability to get health care. They have been caught for five years in “the Medicaid…
I am writing in response to the article with the heading "Group questions proposed BLM parking lot" on the front page of the Sept. 20 edition of The Challis Messenger.
As we are looking ahead to the election for Custer County commissioner it would be catastrophic to change county leadership at this point, while we are involved in a national forest planning process that will impact our community for probably at least 20 years into our future.
This note is to the low-life (-lives) who stole three of my adult turkeys from the Mountain Springs Canyon ranch about a month ago.
The political divisiveness in Washington, D.C., may make advancing sensible legislation seem nearly impossible. But, legislation ending fire borrowing was pushed over the finish line by a group of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and both Houses of Congress. I have been proud to be a p…
A quote from our nation’s first president, George Washington, about the central role of agricultural production is inscribed on the exterior of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s main building in Washington, D.C.
The 2018 Idaho legislative session is over, and from my perspective as a member of the State Board of Education, it was a good, productive session for public education in Idaho — from kindergarten through college.
There’s still time. To ensure an accurate representation of the agriculture industry in this country, the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service has extended the 2017 Census of Agriculture response deadline through spring, and the Rural Coalition/C…
Having the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency oversee the use and disposal of fluids used in oil and gas production in Idaho, rather than the state, is the right move for the environment and the industry.
As a parting gift before the new year, the Idaho Board of Education released a painfully grim picture of teacher recruitment and retention in its ironically named “Teacher Pipeline Report.”
In 1992, the Idaho House of Representatives passed House Bill 756, creating the Idaho Housing Trust Fund. At the time, a responsible Legislature realized that creating pathways to safe and decent housing for hardworking Idahoans and low-income households was in the best interests of all Idah…
Jordan Chesler is a rural middle school counselor in New Plymouth, Idaho. She commutes 90 miles round-trip every school day from Nampa, straining an already limited budget with an additional $160 of gas expenses every month.
President Bill Clinton’s greatest regret reportedly was his failure to respond to the Rwandan genocide. He estimated that U.S. intervention could have saved 300,000 lives.
A typical family of four will get a $2,059 tax cut. Lower-middle and middle income families can save time and money on tax preparation due to the near doubling of the standard deduction and other simplifications. According to more than 100 economists, “economic growth will accelerate” under …
When it comes to forest management, controversies about forest fires, litigation, clearcuts and agency gridlock often dominate the headlines. But behind the scenes, Idahoans are writing several success stories that don’t often make the news.
America is in the midst of a full-blown crisis brought on by a groundswell of sexual harassment claims and a social media fervor surrounding #MeToo.
If you attend an Idaho college or university, it’s more likely than not you won’t graduate. Meanwhile, state officials are pushing to achieve the goal of by 2020 at least 60 percent of young Idaho adults receive a college degree or certificate. This is akin to filling an apartment complex wh…
Kudos to East Idaho Credit Union for leading the way – oh so brightly – and beginning what we hope becomes a new Challis tradition.
The forest has prepared a draft assessment that examines existing conditions of resources, uses and influences on the Salmon-Challis National Forest. This forest-wide assessment of 15 ecological, social and economic topics is part of the initial phase of forest plan revision. A draft prelimi…
This column is part of a series designed to carry on a discussion with Idahoans about the comprehensive tax reform efforts underway. This guest column, as well as the other tax reform-related op-eds in this series and links to cited reports and proposals, can be viewed on my official website…
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria have caused total and unprecedented devastation in parts of Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the rest of the Caribbean.
Thank you, Challis-Mackay River Cats, for an amazing season! Yes, our season came to an end today on the losing end of the consolation championship game, but we won on so many levels this season that I cannot be more proud of each and every one of you players and coaches! So without getting …
“If I find a twenty dollar bill on the sidewalk, it feels good, but I’m not going to count on it to pay the bills.” (Tom Selleck)
When you send comments to the feds about their rules and proposals, you don’t generally put those comments in blank verse.
“A desire presupposes the possibility of action to achieve it; action presupposes a goal which is worth achieving.” (Ayn Rand)
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, October 4, 2016, a fire tore through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Challis Field Office destroying the building, leaving layers upon layers of charred debris. During those morning hours, 26 amazing volunteers from the Challis Volunteer Fire Depart…
With another school year starting, it is important to reflect on the many great things happening in Idaho public schools. This spring, two Idaho high school students were named Presidential Scholars, one of the highest academic honors in the country. New data shows the state’s graduation rat…
