Idaho

Demolition of Idaho House Brings Out Many Emotions : CEG

Published

2 years ago

January 10, 2024

Demolition of Idaho House Brings Out Many Emotions : CEG

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Workers walk past the demolition of a home on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho, where four University of Idaho students were killed last year. The owner of the rental home near the university campus donated it to the university earlier this year. It has since been boarded up and blocked off by a security fence. Students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were fatally stabbed there in November 2022.

MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) The house where four University of Idaho students were killed in 2022 was demolished, marking an emotional step for the victims’ families and a close-knit community that was shocked and devastated by the brutal stabbings.

The sounds of construction equipment pierced the early morning air as an excavator started tearing down the front part of the house. The former walls formed a large pile of crushed and smashed wood on the ground as debris was picked up and loaded into a dump truck. A few onlookers joined dozens of members of the news media.

After about three hours, the home was fully demolished and its concrete foundation had been broken up. Multiple dump trucks continued to remove debris from the site.

The owner of the rental home near the university campus in Moscow, Idaho, donated it to the university earlier this year. It has since been boarded up and blocked off by a security fence. Students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were fatally stabbed there in November 2022.

School officials, who in February 2023 announced plans to raze the house, view the demolition as a key step toward healing and finding closure, University Spokesperson Jodi Walker said.

“It’s incredibly powerful and emotional to see it come down,” she said as she watched the demolition. “We’ve turned into that next chapter — whatever that next chapter is — and that definitely is a bit of a relief.”

The fence that had surrounded the property was reinstalled and stayed up for approximately one week, until contractors return to grade and level the site so that it can be planted with grass at some point, Walker said. There are currently no other plans for the site, though the university may revisit that in the future, she said.

Some of the victims’ families have opposed the demolition, calling for the house to be preserved until after the man accused of the slayings has been tried.

The concerns from victims’ families previously prompted the university to push back its timeline for demolition. After initially announcing the plan in February, the school in July said it would pause the process and revisit it in October.

“On the one hand, some people want it taken down,” University President Scott Green wrote in a July memo. “It is a constant reminder of the heinous acts that went on inside it. It also is a place that continues to draw unwanted attention from media, YouTubers and other. On the other hand, it elicits deep emotional responses from those who are working through grief and who fear that its destruction could impact the court case. We hear all these arguments, take them seriously and weigh them against the greater good for our university.”

Prosecutors, who hope to try Kohberger next summer, told university officials in an email that they don’t anticipate needing the house any further, as they were already able to gather measurements necessary for creating illustrative exhibits for a jury. They added that a jury visit to the site wouldn’t be authorized given that the current condition of the house “is so substantially different” than at the time of the killings.

The Latah County prosecuting attorney’s office declined to comment, citing a gag order from an Idaho judge that restricts what lawyers in the case can say to the news media.

Kohberger’s defense team was given access to the home to gather photos, measurements and other documentation. And in October, the FBI gathered at the house to collect data that could be used to create visual aids for jurors at the upcoming trial.

Kernodle, Mogen and Goncalves lived together in the rental home just across the street from campus. Chapin — Kernodle’s boyfriend — was there visiting on the night of the attack. All of them were friends and members of the university’s Greek system. The killings left many of their classmates and residents of Moscow reeling with grief and fear.

Moscow is a rural farming and college town of about 26,000 nestled in the rolling hills of north-central Idaho, about 80 mi. southeast of Spokane, Wash.

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Idaho

Idaho lawmakers, advocates push for CPS reform ahead of legislative season

Published

9 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Idaho lawmakers, advocates push for CPS reform ahead of legislative season

As Idaho lawmakers prepare for a new legislative session, child welfare reform is emerging as a priority for some legislators and advocacy groups.

A local parents’ rights organization and a Canyon County lawmaker say they plan to introduce legislation aimed at changing how Child Protective Services operates in Idaho — legislation they say is designed to better protect children while keeping families together.

Supporters of the proposed bills say one of the key issues they are trying to address is what they call “medical kidnapping.”

In a statement of purpose, supporters define medical kidnapping as “the wrongful removal of a child from a parent when abuse or neglect has not been established.”

WATCH: Legislator and advocate explain reforms to CPS

Idaho lawmakers, advocates push child welfare reforms ahead of legislative session

Republican Representative Lucas Cayler of Caldwell says current Idaho law defines kidnapping, but does not specifically address situations involving medical decisions made by parents.

“Currently, kidnapping is defined in Idaho statute, but medical kidnapping is not,” Cayler said.

RELATED| Idaho legislators request Health & Welfare pause childcare grants ‘pending fraud prevention measures’

Cayler says supporters believe these situations can occur in hospital settings — when parents seek medical care for their child but question a test, refuse a treatment, or request a second opinion.

“Our children are one of our most valuable parts of our society, and a child’s best chances of success and happiness is with their parents,” Cayler said. “We shouldn’t be looking for reasons to separate families over specious claims of abuse or neglect.”

Kristine McCreary says she believes it happened to her.

McCreary says her son was removed from her care without signs of abuse — an experience that led her to found POWER, Parents Objective With Essential Rights. The organization works with families who believe their children were unnecessarily removed by Child Protective Services.

“We’re seeing CPS come out and remove children when they shouldn’t, and not come out when they should,” McCreary said. “We have a serious issue.”

McCreary says POWER is urging lawmakers to take up the issue during this legislative session.

RELATED|Governor Brad Little celebrates a ‘productive 2025 legislative session’

Supporters of the legislation say the concern is not whether child protection is necessary, but whether it is being applied consistently.

“We’re hoping that with our bills, we can correct those issues, to protect families, prevent harm, and create accountability,” McCreary said.

Cayler echoed that sentiment, saying families should be afforded the same legal standards applied in other cases.

“You and I are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and in many cases we’re finding that standard isn’t being applied consistently,” he said.

The Idaho legislative session begins next week. The proposed bills are expected to be introduced in committee before moving through both chambers of the legislature. If approved, they would then head to the governor’s desk for consideration.

(DELETE IF AI WAS NOT USED) This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Idaho

Local school administrator named Idaho’s Superintendent of the Year – East Idaho News

Published

22 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Local school administrator named Idaho’s Superintendent of the Year – East Idaho News

REXBURG — A local school administrator has been named Idaho Superintendent of the Year for 2026, recognizing his work at Madison School District.

According to a news release from the Idaho Association of School Administrators, Randy B. Lords Jr., the superintendent of Madison School District 321, was selected to represent Idaho as a nominee for the National Superintendent of the Year award.

He became superintendent for the district in 2021, where he has focused on improving academics through new programs and fostering the well-being of students and staff.

Lords was chosen, according to the release, due to his work on three main points:

His support for career and technical education programs for students and for the use of an artificial intelligence-literacy program.
His work on fiscal responsibility, with a focus on the district’s future growth and maintenance of its facilities.
His work to improve parent and community involvement with the school district.

The ISAS executive director highlighted in the release Lords’ work to navigate the intricacies of leadership and improve the district’s academics.

“This recognition deeply humbles me, but this award belongs to the incredible faculty, staff and students of Madison School District,” Lords stated in the release. “Our success is a testament to the collaborative spirit of our community. I am honored to serve our families and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure every student has a world of opportunities at their fingertips.”