Idaho
11-year-old from Idaho competing for $20K, national spotlight – East Idaho News
GARDEN CITY – A Boise-area girl is competing in the 2026 Junior Ranger Competition, and she needs your vote to advance.
Eleven-year-old Cali Lindsay of Garden City is currently in the top 10 in her age group. The first place contestant in each group will advance to the semi-finals, which will wrap on July 17.
The final round concludes on July 24. The winner will be awarded $20,000 and be featured on the cover of Ranger Rick Magazine. They’ll also win a trip with Jeff Corwin.
Cali’s mom, Emily Edginton, tells EastIdahoNews.com how the competition works.
“You’re allowed one free vote every 24 hours. People can also pay (to vote),” Edginton says. “The contestants have challenges every week to learn about animals and share what they’ve learned. People vote for the answer they like best. If you have enough votes, you move to the next round.”
Cali needs to secure enough votes by Thursday in order to advance to the next round.
The competition is a fundraiser for the National Wildlife Federation, the largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization in the United States.
Edginton says they recently moved to Idaho from San Bernardino, California. Her daughter acquired a love of wildlife living in Lytle Creek, a community near the San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino National Forest.
“She’s already like a junior ranger. We picked up trash (in the forest) for fun,” Edginton says. “We try to keep it clean because we get a lot of visitors up there in the summertime and they trash the place. It affects the animals.”
Edginton says they moved to Idaho in February to be closer to family.
She’s grateful her daughter can be part of what she feels is a great cause, and hopes to see her advance, and even win the tournament.
“It’s a good cause, plus it’s a learning experience,” says Edginton.
To vote for Cali or learn more, click here.
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SALMON — State officials are celebrating the grand opening of Idaho’s newest state park.
Twin Peaks Ranch State Park at 199 Twin Peaks Ranch Road between Challis and Salmon, opened in May. The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation recently acquired the 670-acre site from a private landowner and hosted a ribbon-cutting and open house on Saturday.
The park offers a variety of amenities, including 25 full-service cabins, a lodge and a restaurant. It also has a disc golf course, a rodeo arena and an equestrian center.
“We’ll be able to stage horseback tours out of that area,” Ryan Buffington, the department’s East Region manager who serves as the park’s spokesman,” told EastIdahoNews.com in May. “We’re working with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to designate an off-highway vehicle trailhead as well.”
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Two campgrounds are in development on the property for future use — one accommodating off-highway vehicles and the other catering to people on horseback.
Community members, local leaders and visitors across the state attended Saturday’s open house. Muzzie Braun from Challis-based band Braun Brothers Reunion was there, as was Salmon Back Country Horsemen Association. Multiple food vendors were there as well, including Water’s Edge Food Truck, and Taco Wagon Food Truck.
In a June 18 news release, Idaho Parks and Recreation Director Susan Buxton said she’s excited to celebrate the opening of Idaho’s 30th state park, and the 28th one under the department’s management.
“Opening Twin Peaks Ranch State Park marks a historic milestone for Idaho Parks and Recreation,” Buxton said. “This park serves as a gateway to endless outdoor recreation opportunities while creating a premier destination for visitors seeking adventure, relaxation and unforgettable experiences.”
Twin Peaks Ranch is the first newly acquired standalone state park in nearly 30 years. Thousand Springs in Gooding County, which is a natural discharge point for the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, wasn’t recognized as an official state park until 2005. The designation merged four natural landmarks — Malad Gorge, Niagara Springs, Billingsley Creek and Ritter Island — into one unified site.
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Heyburn State Park, created in 1908, is Idaho’s oldest state park, according to the University of Idaho. The donation of the Harriman family’s 11,000-acre ranch to the State of Idaho in 1963 — what is now Harriman State Park — led to the creation of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.
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Buffington says the Moore family sold the Twin Peaks Ranch property to the State of Idaho in October. They bought it in 2018. It began operating as a guest ranch in the 1990s, but had been a dude ranch for 40 years before that.
While there is evidence of early settlements on the property in the 1890s, Buffington says its definitive history begins in the 1950s. E. DuPont bought it, built five cabins and ran it as a dude ranch. It was sold to another private holding in the 1970s, and more amenities were added.
Buffington says multiple Moore family members were involved in the ranch when they bought it eight years ago. Many of them backed out over time, and managing it became “too challenging.” That’s what led the family to list it for sale.
The State of Idaho saw the listing and bought it from them. Buffington says they were thrilled with the idea of it becoming public property that everyone could enjoy.
“Twin Peaks Ranch State Park represents a significant investment in Idaho’s public lands and local communities. The project reflects IDPR’s mission to improve quality of life through outdoor recreation and resource stewardship while expanding public access to some of Idaho’s most scenic and unspoiled landscapes,” the news release says. “The park is expected to deliver lasting benefits to recreation, conservation, tourism, and community well-being for generations to come.”
Department officials say Twin Peaks Ranch State Park is ideal for corporate retreats, weddings, family reunions and other events. To make a reservation or learn more, call 208-894-2290 or visit the website.
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IDAHO FALLS (IdahoEdNews.org) — High school students in east Idaho are earning college credit with national recognition.
The College of Eastern Idaho’s Early College Program has achieved accreditation from the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. The alliance is the nation’s only accrediting organization for programs that let high school students earn college credit.
The accreditation helps ensure the credits reflect traditional college courses for students. CEI partners with local school districts to ensure the program meets nationally recognized standards for the curriculum and student support.
The program served about 2,800 students in the 2025-26 school year. CEI was one of 10 institutions to receive initial accreditation in that time frame.
The program has grown about 20% annually over the past three years. The increase comes in part from additional partnerships with local schools and a higher demand for dual-enrollment courses.
CEI completed a comprehensive self-study and peer-review process, meeting all of the NACEP’s national standards.
The NACEP review team highlighted CEI’s strong instructional support and student advising department.
“We are proud to recognize programs that invest in this rigorous process and demonstrate their dedication to high standards in concurrent enrollment,” NACEP Director of Accreditation Andrea Roma said in a press release.
NACEP accreditation is valid for five years.
Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on June 26, 2026.
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What began as a handful of calls from Treasure Valley residents has grown into a rat problem that is exposing gaps in Idaho law and leaving homeowners to handle infestations largely on their own for at least another year.
Rats have been reported in the Treasure Valley since 2022, when Eagle residents started spotting Norway rats and roof rats in yards, under decks and near canals. Residents have also shared videos showing the rodents in their neighborhoods.
As the reports mounted, it became clear that no agency in Idaho is legally responsible for dealing with rats. The issue traces back to an 1868 legal doctrine known as Dillon’s Rule, which limits Idaho cities and counties to powers specifically granted by the state. Because rats are not mentioned in state law, local governments have no authority to act and no funding to do so.
During this legislative session, state lawmakers tried to change that. Senate Bill 1271 would have directed the Idaho Department of Agriculture to map infestations and coordinate a response across the Treasure Valley. The bill passed the Senate but later died in the House, with opponents arguing it was a local problem, not a state one.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says rats can spread diseases such as Plague and Salmonella through droppings, urine and bites.
With the Legislature out of session until next year, Sen. Nichols and Rep. John Gannon are pushing for action without waiting for a change in state law. This week, they sent a letter to local officials across the Treasure Valley urging cities, counties, irrigation districts and parks agencies to each designate a point person to help coordinate a response now.
The letter describes the situation as a public health, safety and property concern and warns that a coordinated effort now would be far less costly than a crisis later.
In the meantime, residents are being urged to seal vents, secure trash and call an exterminator if they see signs of rats. Nichols has said she fears that when lawmakers return next January, the problem will be harder and more expensive to solve.
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