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Frosting and funding for public schools: Idaho Lottery turns 35

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Frosting and funding for public schools: Idaho Lottery turns 35


MERIDIAN, Idaho — Idaho Lottery says every play benefits Idaho’s schools, students, and property tax payers.

  • July 19, Idaho Lottery celebrated 35 years!
  • New legislation will continue to provide funding for public school buildings.
  • Learn more about Where the Money Goes.

(Broadcast Transcript)
“The lottery has provided millions of dollars in the last several, the last many years,” said Gideon Tolman, the Chief Financial Officer of Idaho Dept. of Education.

Another thing to celebrate, Friday, Idaho Lottery turned 35. Fun events at the Village consisted of games, live music, and plenty of birthday cake.

5 contestants from across the state tried their luck… digging through frosting… to find a prize in a ‘cake-stack.’

Nampa local Evan Crawford found the $10,000 reward in his pile of pastry.

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“What are you planning to do with the money?” asked Meridian Neighborhood Reporter Allie Triepke.

“I am probably going to pay off some bills if I’m being honest,” said Evan Crawford, with his new-found luck, “and [buy] a few more lottery tickets of course.”

So how does the Idaho Lottery benefit students and taxpayers? We asked the state’s Dept. of Education.

“So school’s in the past, up to this point, have used it for kind of their routine maintenance, paying their maintenance team salaries, and doing their repairs on their buildings and a lot of their summer projects that they do between school years. That’s a big portion of what is spending has gone to as far,” said Tolman.

West Ada School District tells me the money has been a “significant help” for the district to maintain buildings.

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Starting this year, new legislation, House Bill 521, combines state money, in part with lottery funding, to fund more public school districts.

“In this legislative package that included that piece where the lottery funding is going to be redirected, there was some additional funding from state sales tax revenues that will go to additional facilities support for schools,” said Tolman.

And good news for taxpayers, as the federal and lottery funding allows districts like West Ada to “hold off” on putting bonds on the ballot.





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Idaho politicians respond to Trump authorizing U.S military force in Iran

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Idaho politicians respond to Trump authorizing U.S military force in Iran


On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched major strikes in Tehran, with President Trump calling for an Iranian regime change.

RELATED | Trump announces ‘major combat operations’ in Iran, reportedly killing hundreds

President Trump authorized the U.S military operation without congressional approval, a decision that Democrats in Congress are arguing is unconstitutional.

RELATED | Trump’s Iran attack raises legal concerns among Democrats in Congress

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Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea says Democrats are “demanding answers and accountability on behalf of the American people, who are being dragged toward another open-ended war they do not support.”

Necochea says her greatest concern lies with American troops, contractors and civilians who she says “did not choose this conflict.”

“Idaho has thousands of active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, and military families who live with the consequences when leaders make reckless choices,” she says.

However, not all lawmakers share Necochea’s sentiments.

Idaho Republican representative Mike Simpson commends President Trump’s “decisive action” in Iran.

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“Iran was given every opportunity to resolve this peacefully through negotiations but chose not to,” Simpson said in a post to Facebook. “I commend President Trump for taking decisive action against a regime responsible for decades of terror. May God protect our men and women in uniform on this vital mission.”





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Town Hall to address future of Medicaid expansion in Idaho – Local News 8

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Town Hall to address future of Medicaid expansion in Idaho – Local News 8


POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Nearly two-thirds of Idaho voters approved Medicaid expansion, but local leaders say that coverage is now at risk.

According to the organizers of a town hall set for Saturday, February 28, proposed changes could severely impact Idaho’s rural hospitals and leave thousands of residents without access to healthcare.

The town hall, titled “Protecting What Works: Medicaid Expansion in Idaho,” will take place at Chubbuck City Hall from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

A panel of representatives from across the healthcare sector — including home health, hospitals, and public and community health — will answer questions about how Medicaid expansion works in Idaho and how potential cuts could affect communities. Organizers say there will also be time for audience questions.

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One of the event organizers told Local News 8 why the discussion is important:

“There have been conversations in the last couple of legislative sessions about either fully repealing Medicaid expansion or making significant cuts to Medicaid,” Shantay Boxham, the organizer, said. “This is an educational forum to ensure voters and community members have the information they need about what the program is, what’s at stake, and how it supports Idaho and Idahoans.”

There are limited seats available for the meeting. To reserve a spot, visit members.pocatello.com.

Local News 8 will continue to follow this story and have updates tomorrow.

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Idaho CBD retailers navigating uncertainty under new hemp rules

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Idaho CBD retailers navigating uncertainty under new hemp rules


Idaho takes pride in being a no-THC zone. Unlike our neighbors on all sides, the Gem State has taken a firm stance not to legalize marijuana for medicinal or recreational use for years. This opposition long extended to the legalization of hemp, a plant relative of marijuana with far lower levels of the intoxicating chemical […]



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