Idaho
'50 Years of Ears' at North Idaho State Fair
Just about all the fair food classics can be found at the North Idaho State Fair — but there’s only one spot to get a truly original elephant ear.
Started by Leo Lee and two of his friends in 1974, this year marked The Original Elephant Ear’s 50th consecutive year at the fair — a family tradition that is now four generations strong and boasts the title of the longest-running booth at the fair.
“I’ve helped out at the fair for as long as I can remember,” said Blair Davis, Lee’s grandson. He was heading operations at the booth on Saturday. While the family recipe for elephant ear dough has remained unchanged, Davis can recall many changes that have taken place at the fair over the years.
“The fair’s gotten a lot bigger, for one thing,” Davis said. “We used to be in a trailer outside until we got moved into the food court. We’ve had 30, 40-minute lines over the years after rodeos.”
The Original Elephant Ear has been family-owned and operated since Lee first introduced them to the North Idaho State Fair 50 years ago. Even the youngest members of the family help out by taking orders before eventually graduating to rolling out the dough or frying it up once they get a little older.
“It’s just really fun every year,” said Jaylee Davis, Blair’s daughter. “Sometimes cousins come in to help that we don’t see for a while. It’s hard work and gets busy, but it’s really all worth it.”
Blair mentioned another change that’s come to the fair in recent years — other booths have also begun selling elephant ears. “For a while, we were the only ones. We’re still the original,” he said, laughing. When tasting one, it’s easy to see why they’ve stood the test of time.
The fair concludes today.
Thatcher Lybbert mans the fryer in The Original Elephant Ears booth. Nathan Mayne shows off the finished product: a hot and fresh elephant ear dusted with cinnamon sugar.
BLACKFOOT — A large contingent of Blackfoot Police officers has cordoned off an area near the Taco Bell on Parkway Drive in Blackfoot.
Police responded around 5 p.m., according to multiple witnesses who contacted EastIdahoNews.com.
EastIdahoNews.com has reached out to Blackfoot Police for details.
We will update this story as we learn more.
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MISSOULA, Mont. — An Idaho Falls angler is back in the Idaho record books after landing a record-setting lake trout at Payette Lake.
Idaho Fish and Game said Dylan Smith caught and released a 43.25-inch lake trout on May 2, setting a new state catch-and-release record for the species. The fish surpassed the previous record of 42 inches.
The catch marks Smith’s second appearance in Idaho’s record books. He previously held the state catch-and-release lake trout record after landing a trophy fish in 2018 before that mark was later broken.
According to Fish and Game, Payette Lake has become one of Idaho’s premier lake trout fisheries thanks to years of management efforts aimed at improving both lake trout and kokanee populations.
Pride Month looks different this June along Boise’s Harrison Boulevard, where a long-standing tradition of hanging Pride flags on lamp posts has been put on hold after a new state law restricted which flags can be flown on government property.
For several years, Pride flags lined lamp posts along Harrison Boulevard in Boise’s North End neighborhood. But Idaho House Bill 561, signed by Gov. Brad Little in March, restricts which flags can be flown on government property, including the City of Boise’s Harrison lamp posts.
In response, a group of neighbors formed Pride North End and launched a distribution effort to help residents show support from their own front yards. The group has been making Pride flags and yard signs available to people who want to display them at home.
“I thought that I would…be a personal example of ‘yes, this is what I do.’ This is what I believe in,” said Edna Schochat, a North End resident.
Pride North End has already distributed more than 900-yard signs and 250 flags. The group’s original donation goal was around $2,000 to order 100 flags and 200 yard signs, but it has exceeded that GoFundMe goal, reaching $10,000 worth of donations.
The group plans to continue holding public flag and sign distributions through the end of the month.
“We cannot just say something without doing something that proves that we mean what we say,” Schochat said.
Pride North End said any leftover funds after materials are distributed will go to local LGBTQ+ nonprofits. A link to the group’s GoFundMe can be found here.
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