Idaho

Bedke: Idaho, feds will work well

Published

1 year ago

February 5, 2025

If President Donald Trump is successful in scrapping the U.S. Education Department, Idaho will be ready, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke said Tuesday.

“We’ll do it better, we’ll do it cheaper, we’ll do it more efficiently,” he told about 400 people at the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber luncheon at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.

Trump is preparing an executive order to eliminate the Education Department, according to numerous news reports Tuesday. It would need congressional approval.

Bedke, responding to a question, cited Debbie Critchfield, superintendent of public education in Idaho, as saying the state “is ready to go. We can do this.”

The Education Department’s annual budget includes $15 billion for the education of students with disabilities. Bedke said Idaho would not walk away from its obligation for special needs students.

He said property owners would likely pick up more of the tab for schools if federal funds stop coming for education.

According to Idaho Education News, in the 2024-25 school year, 79% of public school funding was from the state, while 11.8% was from local taxes, and 9.4% was from the federal government. That comes out to $2.9 billion from the state, $450 million from local taxes and $351 million in federal money.

“If they don’t send the money, then that’s going to shift the responsibility back to you, the taxpayer, and we’re going to have the hard questions. What do we spend our money on and how are we going to prioritize?” Bedke said.

The lieutenant governor was filling in for Gov. Brad Little, who was called to Washington, D.C., for a meeting.

Bedke said Idaho is the fastest-growing, least-regulated state in the country, thanks to a string of pragmatic governors like Phil Batt, Dirk Kempthorne, Butch Otter and now, Little. He said “common-sense leadership” has found its way into Idaho policies.

“That foundation laid through decades is the reason the state is doing so well now,” he said.

Bedke said Idaho enjoyed a budget surplus of more than $1 billion for three years straight until it ended the 2024 fiscal year with a budget surplus of more than $50 million.

“We’re doing OK this year, too, not at the billion-dollar level,” he said.

Bedke said that since 2019, lower tax rates meant Idahoans kept $4.6 billion instead of giving it to the government.

“That money is at work in your pockets, not the state of Idaho,” he said.

He said Idaho needs welders, mechanics, electricians and truck drivers.

“Our economy is booming, and the good jobs are shifting to the trades,” Bedke said.

He said the Trump Administration’s new Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk is nothing new in Idaho. He said the state has always been fiscally conservative and was focused on the “toolbelt generation” long “before it became a headline in the Wall Street Journal.”

Bedke said Idaho will work well with the federal government under President Trump.

He said he recently received a call from the White House about being a liaison in the Pacific Northwest with other elected leaders to work with the federal government.

“That kind of blew me away,” he said.

He said communication between the federal and state governments is on the verge of a big change.

“I think Idaho is well positioned to step up into the areas where arguably the federal government should have never been,” he said.

Bedke said it was a breath of fresh air that the federal government reached out.

“I took that as a compliment to what we’ve been doing,” he said. “But that’s how we’ve been doing business in Idaho for all these years. That’s just what we do.”

People listen to Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke on Tuesday at The Resort.

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Idaho

What Idaho AARP Members Are Saying: Highlights from the 2025 Survey

Published

6 hours ago

February 14, 2026

Press Room

What Idaho AARP Members Are Saying: Highlights from the 2025 Survey

AARP regularly surveys members across the country to better understand their experiences and concerns. The 2025 AARP Member Opinion Survey offers an important snapshot of what matters most to members here in Idaho—and the results highlight key challenges around financial security, health, independence, and staying connected

VIEW THE ENTIRE SURVEY HERE

Financial Security and Retirement

Economic concerns remain front and center for Idaho members. Ensuring the future of Social Security is the top economic issue, with many also worried about inflation and the rising cost of everyday necessities like groceries, utilities, and insurance. More than six in ten members are concerned about the security of their retirement plans and having enough money to retire. While many hope to retire around age 70, most expect it may take longer.

Fraud and Online Safety

Fraud continues to affect Idahoans directly. Nearly one in five members report being a victim of fraud or a scam in the past two years, and more than half are concerned about online security and privacy. Members also express concern about keeping up with technology and the growing role of artificial intelligence in daily life.

Health and Independence

Health care costs, Medicare benefits, and staying mentally sharp rank among the most common concerns. While only a small share report recent memory loss, the vast majority say maintaining mental sharpness is extremely important. Physical health and chronic conditions are also top worries for many members.

Housing and Caregiving

Most Idaho AARP members own their homes, yet many are concerned about being able to remain there as they age. Long‑term care affordability is a significant issue, especially as one in five members serves as a family caregiver. Many also worry about their ability to support a loved one in the future.

Staying Connected

While few members report recent isolation or loneliness, many are concerned about staying socially connected as they grow older. Access to technology remains uneven, with nearly three in ten Idaho members lacking high‑speed internet—creating challenges for communication, services, and online safety

Why This Matters

The 2025 survey reinforces what AARP Idaho hears every day: members want to age with financial security, good health, independence, and connection. These insights help guide AARP Idaho’s advocacy, education, and community work—ensuring we stay focused on the issues that matter most to Idahoans as they age.

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Idaho

Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Mega Millions, Pick 3 on Feb. 13, 2026

Published

18 hours ago

February 14, 2026

Press Room

The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on Feb. 13.

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Feb. 13 drawing

34-40-49-59-68, Mega Ball: 01

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 13 drawing

Day: 0-4-8

Night: 0-7-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 13 drawing

Day: 8-2-7-7

Night: 2-2-4-8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Feb. 13 drawing

06-18-21-35-39, Lucky Ball: 12

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Idaho Cash numbers from Feb. 13 drawing

05-06-12-17-39

Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Idaho

Weather balloons soar 100,000 feet to help NWS keep tabs on Idaho’s atmosphere

Published

1 day ago

February 13, 2026

Press Room

Weather balloons soar 100,000 feet to help NWS keep tabs on Idaho’s atmosphere

BOISE, Idaho — The National Weather Service (NWS) has many tools to keep everyone in Idaho informed about the forecast, but one device goes above all the others— literally.

Reaching heights of 100,000 feet above sea level, twice a day, every day, NWS sends weather balloons sky high to help track a number of statistics.

“They track the temperature, the humidity, and they are able to use their GPS circuitry to track wind direction and speed,” said Wasyl Hewko, a hydrometeorological technician who oversees balloon launches. “We want to get data not necessarily horizontally like we do for weather observation, but we want to get the vertical profile of the atmosphere.”

During the winter months, Hewko’s scheduled launches happen daily at 4 a.m. and 4 p.m. MT.

Check out the hydrogen-hauled weather tracker:

This National Weather Service tracker climbs 100,000+ feet

This isn’t a solo effort either. At the same time, across the world, hundreds of balloons are launched from 900 different sites— live tracking and building a visual guide of what the world’s atmosphere and weather patterns look like in real time.

Hewko says the ultimate goal is to build “a three-dimensional profile of the atmosphere [with] all this information worldwide.”

“This is the one time where the world is holding hands, I guess, as far as that goes, you know— everyone is in it to get this information, so we can have accurate forecast models,” added Hewko.

What’s especially fascinating is that as the weather balloon gains altitude, the density of the atmosphere decreases, which allows the balloon to grow to “an incredible size,” explained Hewko.

Ultimately, the balloon pops, but before it does, it can grow to be approximately the size of a two car garage.

If you want to see the balloons take flight, you can go to Sondehub.org to find out exactly where the launches take place on any given day.

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