Idaho
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In the year 1908, the Idaho Legislature repealed a section of code that forbade African Americans from taking the bar exam in the state.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.
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.
“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.
Copyright 2024 KMVT. All rights reserved.
BOISE, Idaho (Idaho Capital Sun) — Day use access fees at all Idaho state parks will be waived for Idaho residents on July 4 as part of a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, Gov. Brad Little announced Friday, as reported by the Idaho Capital Sun.
“As we prepare to mark 250 years of American independence, there is no better way to celebrate than by getting outside with our loved ones and enjoying the freedoms and natural treasures that define our great nation,” Little said Friday. “Idaho’s state parks showcase the very best of our state, and we are proud to welcome families, friends and visitors to explore them free of charge during this special occasion.”
While day use fees for Idaho residents will be waived, normal camping and reservation fees will apply, officials said.
Idaho has 28 state parks, which offer a variety of recreational and outdoor activities including hiking, horseback riding, skiing, bird watching, rock climbing, fishing, boating, swimming, bicycling and more.
State officials with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation are in the process of unveiling improvements and enhancements at several state parks, including Lucky Peak State Park outside of Boise, which recently opened a new dog beach and accessible kayak launch on the Boise River.
Other state parks include Bruneau Dunes State Park and Observatory, Harriman State Park, Bear Lake State Park and City of Rocks National Reserve, which is a national reserve and state park that attracts climbers from all over the world to its dramatic granite rock spires.
Little said the July 4 fee waiver is a part of a larger effort to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence being signed in 1776.
Copyright 2026 KMVT. All rights reserved.
We’re lucky to live in a place as safe as the Treasure Valley. Despite our growth, one of the things that makes our area so special is the way that we look out for one another–for our neighbors! That’s a principle that seems to have held on as Boise has boomed.
Despite low crime rates, there seems to always be one incident or so that makes us scratch our heads.
A recent string of fraud incidents in the Treasure Valley area is one of those.
Nampa Police initially warned the public of this because cases of fraud began to ‘mushroom’. Then, it took an interesting turn–people that HAD their credit cards were being ‘taken to the bank’, so to speak.
In a statement originally released on April 30th by the Nampa Police Department, officials advised the following:
We are not sure how the suspects are gaining access to the victim’s credit cards. There is a growing fraud scheme, “ghost tapping”, that scammers are using to access victims’ credit cards. This is possibly occurring in these instances. “Ghost tapping” uses stolen credit card details in Apple Pay or Google Pay, then remotely relays the tap signal over the internet to a ‘mule’ at a store, allowing them to make high-value purchases that appear completely legitimate. (We’ll share more information on ghost tapping in a later public service announcement that will also suggest ways to protect yourself.) The app used by these criminals obscures the actual credit card number, making it harder for investigators to link a victim to a particular crime. Keep in mind that victims still have their physical credit cards while suspects use the stolen card information to make purchases, which also affects how victims are alerted. So far, local investigators have not been able to identify a common theme among the victims (e.g., a specific bank, a website they visited, a gas pump they used, etc.) in the fraud cases we are investigating.
The investigation spans far and wide.
Authorities say that some suspects are in custody, others are being contacted, and others are still at large.
Now, a week later, the police are back to reaching out to the public–this time, urging people to check their bank accounts.
Nampa Police say that they have caught onto a pattern– there are fraudulent charges at Albertson’s to purchase gift cards, at Costco to purchase Apple products, and at Best Buy, also for Apple products.
Check those bank statements!
Inside The Arrest of 3 Venezuelan Fraudsters
What on earth was happening in Eagle this week?
Gallery Credit: Credit: Mateo, 103.5 KISS FM
It’s Not Hard To See Why This Idaho Police Photoshoot Is Going Viral
The Jerome Police Department is going viral thanks to Twin Falls photographer, Layton Henderson. Once you see the hilarious photos, you’ll see why!
Gallery Credit: Chris Cardenas
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