ICYMI 2024
In Case You Missed It: Some of our best stories of the year

The BoiseDev team is off for the holiday break. (We’ll keep an eye out for any major breaking stories.) While our team enjoys some downtime, we bring you a few stories you might have missed this year. A note that some stories may have new updates since the original date of publication. Have something we should know? Email us.

Idaho’s most expensive currently active residential real estate listing is located in Parma.

The $22.5-million listing on Highway 95 in Parma spans more than 450 acres and includes a massive home, or, as it’s described, “owner’s lodge,” that totals roughly 9,000 square feet.

“Parma Lodge and Stables is among the Northwest’s premier equestrian, sporting, and lifestyle properties,” the real estate listing boasts. “The ranch is conveniently located 45 minutes west of Idaho’s capital city of Boise and 20 minutes from Treasure Valley Executive Airport in Caldwell.”

The property, more commonly known as Tree Top Ranches, is owned by Larry and Marianne Williams.

The couple is known locally for founding the Idaho Timber Corporation, which owns timberlands across the US. They also are behind significant charitable giving, including donating Marianne Williams Park in Boise, giving funds to Boise State Athletics, and more. Larry Williams was also involved in the Big City Coffee case against Boise State and has pledged to stop giving funds to the school over his view of the political leaning of the school’s curriculum. The couple has given significant funds to conservative lawmakers, ponied up dollars for a failed 2018 effort to legalize a form of gambling known as historical horse racing, and recently poured funds into a political action committee aiming to steer legislation related to fentanyl.

Bit of Kentucky in Idaho

Idaho Statesman columnist Brian Murphy reported in 2012 that The Williams sold their share in Idaho Timber in 2005, and used a portion of the proceeds for the ranch operation. They bought it from NFL Hall of Fame player Jerry Kramer in 2000.

“We determined we wanted to start a horse farm around ’99-2000,” Williams told the Statesman in 2012. “We looked at thoroughbreds, and we looked at quarter horses. We came back (to Kentucky) and just fell in love with the place. We couldn’t do it here so we decided we would try to do it in Idaho on a much smaller scale.”

The property, which includes an 18-stall horse barn, was used to raise horses for competitive racing – including the Kentucky Derby, the Statesman reported. The sales flier mentions four separate times that the property is “home to one of the most successful thoroughbred breeding operations” in the western part of the United States.

The ranch is bordered on one side by the Boise River, which the sales website says is lined with cottonwood trees and “abundant wildlife.” Much of the land is used for horse pasture with sprinkler irrigation as well as cropland with flood irrigation used for growing corn.

The home includes eight bedrooms and eight bathrooms and was built in 2001. There’s a separate four-bedroom manager’s residence, a training/breaking pin, several equipment storage buildings and a large shop building. It sits on a set of lakes on the property.

Larry Williams told the Statesman in 2012 that the whole property was modeled on Kentucky horse farms, and had his team visit Kentucky to draw inspiration.

“It wasn’t a grandiose plan. That wasn’t the way it started. We kept building a building and then another building. It got out of control,” Williams said. “It’s a baby. The ones in Kentucky are much bigger.”

The property is offered for sale by Trent Jones of Hall and Hall.

BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Potato Bowl, which was held at Albertsons Stadium on Monday, took a moment to celebrate two local heroes — Nampa Officer Cody Huss and his K9 Riddick. They were both honored with the SERVPRO First Responder Award.

Officer Huss was presented the award in honor of his and his late dog’s work for the community — Huss’ dog K9 Riddick died in a police pursuit in Septmeber.

Nampa Police K-9 ‘Riddick’ killed in rollover crash, two suspects in custody.

“Officer Cody Huss and his K-9 partner, Riddick, demonstrated extraordinary dedication to their community, working tirelessly to ensure safety and security,” the announcer said at the Idaho Potato Bowl. “K-9 Riddick, a steadfast and loyal partner, made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty…”

After substantial losses in the 2024 election, Democrats are searching for new leadership across the country.

Republicans took back the White House and Senate, along with retaining control of the House.

Party officials, including Idaho’s state Democratic Party Chair, Lauren Necochea, will vote for the new head of the Democratic National Committee early next year.

The race has several candidates across the political spectrum, including former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Ken Martin, who heads Minnesota’s version of the Democratic Party and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ken Wikler.

Where the next chairperson lands ideologically, Necochea said, isn’t as important as being able to unify the different coalitions making up the party.

“To come together across our minor policy disagreements we might hold to advance the agenda of electing more Democrats so that we can implement more of these policies that lift up working families,” she said.

Progressive members of the party have long criticized moderates for compromising their liberal values on issues like healthcare and support for large corporations.

Necochea said she’s not hearing a steady drumbeat of party officials trying to upend the status quo.

“[Republicans are] coming after Social Security. They’re coming after Medicare. They’re coming after our health care,” she said.

“So I just hear from my colleagues across the nation that we want to get back to work and roll up our sleeves and be ready to make a big comeback in the midterms.”

Experience managing large and complex organizations is a must. But another important necessity is having a communication plan to reach voters who actively tune out news and vote Republican, even if liberal policies would benefit them more.

“It’s both a challenge to deliver education and information to people who are kind of trying to avoid it, but it’s also an opportunity because it means that a lot of people who came out and voted for Republicans didn’t know what they were voting for,” Necochea said.

Increasing face-to-face communication is vital and something she said Idaho Democrats have already been doing, though the party lost three legislative seats this year.

“If you only try a door a few times during an election cycle and you don’t catch them when they’re home, then you never get to have that conversation,” she said.

Another item on her wishlist is for the next DNC chair to continue supporting a 50-state strategy – meaning the national party invests in local candidates across the country to help break up GOP supermajorities.

All major offices in Idaho are held by Republicans and the GOP holds 86% of all legislative seats here.

Necochea will join other party officials at the DNC’s winter meeting on Feb. 1 outside of Washington, D.C.

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