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Idaho creates execution preparation room

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Idaho creates execution preparation room


The state of Idaho has renovated the F Block unit at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution south of Boise to create a new execution preparation room, the Idaho Department of Correction announced Tuesday.

The move to create a new execution preparation room and update the Idaho Department of Correction procedures and protocols for executions occurred after the department was unable to carry out the scheduled execution of convicted murderer Thomas Creech on Feb. 28, Idaho Department of Correction officials said.

On Feb. 28, Idaho Department of Correction Director Josh Tewalt halted Creech’s execution after the medical team was unable to establish an IV line to administer the lethal injection chemicals to Creech, the Sun previously reported.

The cost for this phase of F Block renovations was $313,915, which included F Block imaging, design and engineering for total F Block renovations and phase one construction, Idaho Department of Correction public information officer Sanda Kuzeta-Cerimagic said. Those costs do not include additional funding that would be needed to create a secure facility in F Block to carry out an execution by firing squad, which the Idaho Legislature added as an alternative form of execution in 2023. Total costs for phase two of construction to accommodate executions by both lethal injection and firing squad are an estimated $952,589.

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The new execution preparation room at Idaho Maximum Security Institution allows the medical team to have an alternative method to establish a central line to administer lethal injection chemicals when the team cannot establish a peripheral IV access – like what happened to Creech – Idaho Department of Correction officials said.

“Central lines are commonly used in medical situations for the administration of IV fluids or medications when it is difficult to establish or maintain peripheral venous access,” the Idaho Department of Correction said in a press release issued Tuesday.

“Our previous protocols proved effective at protecting the integrity of the process and ensuring adherence with 8th amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment,” Tewalt said in a written statement. “These changes enhance the state’s ability to carry out an execution by lethal injection by ensuring we have the infrastructure in place to establish IV access,” Tewalt added.



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Idaho AG warns Idaho renters about growing scam targetting home seekers

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Idaho AG warns Idaho renters about growing scam targetting home seekers


Photo: Margaret Carmel/BoiseDev. The Idaho Attorney General’s Office is warning renters to be on the lookout for a scam that’s becoming more common in fast-growing housing markets like Idaho. Attorney General Raúl Labrador issued a warning Tuesday about scammers creating fake rental listings to take advantage of Idaho’s fast-growing housing market and renters moving in […]



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Bond revoked for indicted Idaho mother

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Bond revoked for indicted Idaho mother


PAYETTE — A Payette mom’s bond was revoked Tuesday after she was charged with suffocating her twin children earlier this month and is believed to pose a danger to the life of her newborn child.

The case, which has drawn national headlines, concerns Andrea Renee Shaw, a 23-year-old Payette mother who in May 2025 said her 18-month-old fraternal twins died the same day, after receiving routine childhood vaccinations. In January, Shaw joined as a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed by Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with several other plaintiffs claiming vaccine injury or death.

Kennedy, who now serves as secretary of Health and Human Services, is no longer part of the group after taking on the cabinet position, as was reported by the Associated Press.

In Idaho, the twins’ deaths prompted a 14-month investigation by the Payette County Sheriff’s Department. On June 29, the investigation yielded a grand jury indictment of Shaw on two counts of first-degree murder by suffocation. If convicted, Shaw can be punished by up to life in prison or the death penalty, and the court would have the ability to order the penalties be served consecutively, or back to back.

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Tuesday’s arraignment at the Payette County Courthouse was primarily attended by Shaw’s relatives and members of the media. Payette County Judge Kiley Stuchlik, who serves Idaho’s Third Judicial District, presided.

A key consideration for Stuchlik on Tuesday was a request from Joseph Filicetti, the legal counsel for Shaw, to have her bond reduced from $2 million to $100,000. Filicetti said this would allow for Shaw to care for a newborn girl, who, according to court documents, was born by caesarean section on June 25, four days prior to Shaw’s grand jury indictment.

State prosecutors objected to the motion for bond reduction, noting at hand was a potential death penalty case and asserting, unlike her husband, Shaw’s story repeatedly changed during questioning. Prosecuting Attorney Mike Duke said releasing Shaw would ultimately put the newborn’s safety at risk.

“That child is the most at risk. We do not think she should be allowed to be anywhere near any children, let alone her own children,” Duke said.

Stuchlik decided to revoke bond entirely, stating Shaw posed a “risk of safety” to the newborn child that was not known to Stuchlik or prosecutors when the $2 million bond was initially set.

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Also for consideration Tuesday was a request to have grand jury transcripts of witness testimony provided to prosecutors and defense counsel to prepare their respective cases.



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Idaho is home to the nation's first DarkSky Reserve. Now it's home to the nations first DarkSky Certified Resort

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Idaho is home to the nation's first DarkSky Reserve. Now it's home to the nations first DarkSky Certified Resort


Photo: Courtesy Sun Valley Resort Idaho is already home to the nation’s first DarkSky Reserve. Now, Sun Valley Resort is adding another first. The resort has become the first in the United States to earn DarkSky Certified Resort status through DarkSky International’s Approved Lodging Program, recognizing the resort’s efforts to reduce light pollution and protect […]



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