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Black History Month: The lost legacy of Joseph R. Mitchem Jr.

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Black History Month: The lost legacy of Joseph R. Mitchem Jr.


TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —We all stand on the shoulders of giants even if we don’t even know who they are, and that is the case of Joseph R. Mitchem Jr.

“In 1908, the Times News reports that he’s the first young, black male to pass the bar in Idaho,” Local Historian Justin Vipperman said.

Joseph Mitchem was a man of many firsts, not only was he the first African American to pass the bar exam in Idaho, but he was also the first African American to graduate from Dozier High School in Michigan.

In the year 1908, the Idaho Legislature repealed a section of code that forbade African Americans from taking the bar exam in the state. “…The Fact that there were a lot of barriers that appeared to be coming down…The word white has been removed from the legal statement.” Dr. Jim Gentry, Professor Emeritus of History at the College of Southern Idaho said.

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While working at the Hotel Perrine Mr. Mitchem was able to take advantage of systemic barriers that had been coming down around the country and become the first African American to be eligible to practice law in the state, but records of him ever practicing law are near impossible to find.

“I haven’t been able to find any records in Twin Falls County. A lot of that stuff is now gone…If he was practicing, he would have been from 1908 till 1913…And so there’s a very brief period of time during that time.” Mr. Vipperman explained.

It’s possible that Joseph Mitchem wasn’t ever able to practice law thanks to established stereotypes of the time.

“We have to keep in mind in 1908 that the distance from the Civil War was still not great…” Dr. Gentry said.

However, it should be noted that it appears that Joseph Mitchem never wanted to practice law in the state of Idaho.

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“It appears that he was here just because his brother was here and he was staying with them while preparing (for the bar exam),” Dr. Gentry explained.

This story has fallen to the footnotes of History, but what Dr. Gentry finds intriguing about this story is that it was told at all.

“I was surprised that he got any recognition…I think he is reflecting an attempt to try to put the best face forward in terms of this guy’s ability or maybe in terms of the Twin Fall’s ability to appreciate him in spite of his race,” Dr. Gentry said.

Another first for a growing Twin Falls that Justin Vipperman hopes will tell a story you may have never heard before and will remember how complex even your local history can be.

“I think it’s important to kind of explain these stories and bring them back out of obscurity because this is something that this is something that we all should be looking towards as a great accomplishment, maybe not even just an African-American accomplishment, just a great accomplishment for Idaho, that we repeal this statue, that bars people of color from being able to ab attorneys in Idaho.” Mr. Vipperman explained.

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Charges dropped against BYU-Idaho student accused of kidnapping baby at Costco – East Idaho News

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Charges dropped against BYU-Idaho student accused of kidnapping baby at Costco – East Idaho News


Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal describes a new video from Costco over the incident involving an alleged kidnapping prior to Thanksgiving. | Daniel V. Ramirez, EastIdahoNews.com

IDAHO FALLS — Weeks after a BYU-Idaho student was accused of kidnapping a baby from Costco, the Bonneville County Prosecutor announced Thursday afternoon that charges will be dismissed.

During a news conference, Prosecutor Randy Neal showed three videos from inside Costco during the alleged incident on Nov. 24, which led to Michael Raine, 24, being charged with felony second-degree kidnapping.

According to court documents, Raine was looking at books inside the store and a cart with a baby was nearby.

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RELATED | BYU-Idaho student accused of kidnapping 4-week-old baby in Costco

The document states that Raine “looked around” and then grabbed the cart and walked away.

The issue for officials was what occurred once Raine rounded the corner with the cart and the baby.

Neal said the new video shows Raine walking away with the cart, and the baby’s mother finding him almost immediately. The prosecutor explained that when pursuing cases, a prosecutor reviews the evidence and determines whether, beyond a reasonable doubt, the action was a crime.

“For a prosecutor, the analysis is whether there is a rational basis for someone to conclude, beyond a reasonable doubt, that they are to a moral certainty, that this is a crime? I don’t think that we can say that,” Neal said.

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Neal said the surveillance videos from Costco show that Raine had no intention of running away with that cart.

WATCH COSTCO SURVEILLANCE VIDEO HERE:

The other aspect is that Raine didn’t leave the store after the incident, which, according to the documents, indicates the student had purchased items and eaten at the food court.

Looking at the reasons for Raine’s arrest, Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson said at the time, there was only one single video, and based on what was seen, Raine’s actions were found to be suspicious.

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Another factor that influenced Raine’s arrest was his trip to the United States Marine Corps Recruiting station in Boise on Nov. 25.

“The detectives were consulting with the prosecutors and made the proper decision at that time in the interest of public safety, based on probable cause, to make that arrest,” Johnson said. “That just doesn’t end the case. There’s a requirement to keep on going.”

Johnson and Neal discussed how detectives met with the mother of the baby and went over the events in a cognitive interview. Neal said this type of interview is a narrative recount of the events by the victim, without any questions being asked.

“Often, the mind will just start filling in pieces in order to make it make sense to them,” Neal said.

Detectives worked on recreating the incident at Costco with the mother, but Neal said some of the mother’s version of events were inaccurate in terms of the cart placement and other minor details.

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Neal said Natalie Millett was told charges have been dropped.

Victim Impact Statement from Natalie Millett. | Courtesy Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney

In a statement to the media, Millett said the event has caused the emotional pain that words can’t describe and will impact her for life.

“I believe it was miraculous that I ran in the right direction and recovered my baby swiftly, but the outcome could have been so different had I not listened to my intuition and impressions that day,” Millett said.

After being informed that the charges against Raine would be dismissed, Millett stated that she does feel at peace because she has done everything in her power.

One of the major talking points of the conference and in Millett’s statement is the reaction and comments from social media that have attacked her and made egregious remarks about people involved.

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“To sit in your basement and write poison is just really disgusting. It’s just inappropriate,” Neal said.

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Drivers urged to exercise caution amid potential flooding in North Idaho

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Drivers urged to exercise caution amid potential flooding in North Idaho


The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is warning drivers in North Idaho to be vigilant as rising water levels from recent rainfall and runoff may lead to roadway flooding and washouts.

ITD crews are actively monitoring the situation and are prepared to respond as conditions change. Drivers are advised to exercise extra caution, particularly in lowland areas, where conditions can shift rapidly. ITD strongly recommends against driving through standing water, as it can be difficult to gauge its depth or identify hidden hazards. Water intake can also cause significant damage to vehicles. For updates on detours and road closures, drivers are encouraged to visit Idaho 511.



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Notre Dame pulls away from Idaho, wins 80-65 despite missing leading scorer Markus Burton

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Notre Dame pulls away from Idaho, wins 80-65 despite missing leading scorer Markus Burton


SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Jalen Haralson scored 20 points, Carson Towt had 19 points and 15 rebounds and Notre Dame pulled away late to beat Idaho 80-65 despite playing without leading scorer Markus Burton on Wednesday night.

Burton, who leads the Fighting Irish at 18.5 ppg, was to have had surgery Wednesday on his left ankle after suffering an injury in Notre Dame’s previous game, an 87-85 overtime win over TCU. He is expected to be out “for the foreseeable future,” according to the school.

Haralson was 8-of-16 shooting and Towt was 9 of 12 in collecting his third double-double this season. Cole Certa had a trio of 3-pointers and 15 points and Braeden Shrewsberry made four 3s and scored 14. The Irish (8-3) shot 52% and made 9 of 14 from the arc in winning their third straight game and improving to 6-0 at home.

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Biko Johnson made three 3s and scored 19 points and Jackson Rasmussen added 16 points though the pair combined for only eight second-half points for Idaho (6-4). Brody Rowbury added 11 points. The Vandals shot 40% and made 10 of 24 3-pointers.

Tied 33-all at halftime, Notre Dame never trailed in the second half, going up 61-51 with nine minutes to go after Certa scored the first seven points in an 11-2 run. The Vandals got back within four with six minutes left on a Johnson 3-pointer but that was their final field goal. Shrewsberry and Certa hit 3-pointers in a game-ending 12-1 run.

Up next

Idaho is home against Evergreen State on Sunday.

Notre Dame is home against Evansville on Sunday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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