Idaho
Idaho Falls veteran fears losing home, asks for compassion – Local News 8
IDAHO FALLS (KIFI) – An elderly veteran in danger of losing his house is asking for compassion as Memorial Day approaches.
There’s an idyllic neighborhood called Gem Lake Harbor on the south side of Idaho Falls. It has waterfront views, plenty of birds, and Bob Reinisch.
Reinisch spent seven years in the U.S. Navy as an officer aboard a nuclear submarine. He moved to the Gem State after working in a naval yard for 30 years. Now he’s a bugler.
“We provide full military honors for veterans’ funerals,” he said. “I even did two today.”
Reinisch is heavily involved in Idaho’s veteran community, founding non-profits and leading others. He’s lived in Gem Lake Harbor for over 23 years.
“Wouldn’t give it up for the world,” he asserted. “But I may have to.”
When Reinisch purchased his lot and built his house, he was told his homeowner’s association wouldn’t start up until the neighborhood’s second phase of construction began. That happened last year.
“Right off the bat, we get an [annual] homeowner’s fee of $500,” Reinisch said.
Reinisch provided Local News 8 with the minutes from his latest HOA meeting, dated May 18th. The HOA approved a special assessment of $3,000. The fee is due July 1st.
“I’ve lived close to poverty level most of my adult life,” he said. “Fifty years. And we can’t afford that kind of assessment.”
“During that meeting, I got so upset that I started having chest pains,” he continued.
Those chest pains were so severe that Reinisch was about to call an ambulance when they finally subsided. But in a sense, he was lucky.
“One of the homeowners that sat next to me – he went home and died,” Reinisch said.
“I made a proposal to ‘em to exempt veterans over 70 years of age,” he continued.
However, the HOA’s lawyer, Mark Fuller, claimed that clashes with its covenant.
“The CCRs do not allow for any assessment exemptions for homes owned by older members or veterans,” Fuller said in an email Reinisch provided to Local News 8. “Special treatment would be unfair to younger members, those physically prohibited from military service such as non-citizens, etc.”
“But he’s a lawyer – what do you expect?” Reinisch said with a laugh.
“What he failed to include is that there are provisions within the covenants to do it anyhow,” he continued. “It’s called an ‘amendment to the covenants’ – which requires a two-thirds majority vote, but it can be done.”
Local News 8 asked Reinisch how he felt about the current situation.
“Heartbroken,” he admitted.
“I’ve done over 2,000 veterans’ funerals, and it’s a true blessing for me,” he continued. “I’d have to give that up and move to somewhere else.”
“I love this house!” Reinisch added. “I want to stay here. I’m 80 years old. I want to die here.”
Local News 8 reached out to the homeowner’s association for comment, but did not receive a reply.
Idaho
Idaho Falls Bruins and Malad Dragons take home first place in Pocatello Wood Bat Classic – Local News 8
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – This week Halliwell Park hosted the 2024 Pocatello Wood Bat Classic.
Over the course of four days, four teams qualified on Saturday for the tournament championship in both the gold and silver bracket.
In the gold bracket, the Idaho Falls Bruins took home the championship by defeating their cross-town foe the Idaho Falls Knights 10-3.
In the silver bracket, the Malad Dragons were dominant with eight runs in the third inning to win the silver championship over Rock Springs (WY) 8-3.
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Idaho
Idaho Granted Injunction in Nation’s First Title IX Lawsuit to Protect Women’s Opportunities in Education
BOISE – A federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana has sided with Attorney General Raúl Labrador and the attorneys general from Louisiana, Montana, and Mississippi, issuing a preliminary injunction against the new Title IX rules pushed by President Biden’s Department of Education. The new rules misinterpret Title IX’s ban on sex discrimination and would now require schools to allow students access to bathrooms and locker rooms inconsistent with their sex. The new rules were scheduled to take effect August 1st.
This preliminary injunction applies to the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Idaho and prevents the new rules from going into effect pending further review by the district court.
“I am grateful for this first-in-the-nation injunction on the Title IX rules, and that Idaho girls and women will be protected,” said Attorney General Labrador. “The new definition of discrimination that includes gender identity would have a profound impact on the advancements Title IX has made for girls and women in our society. With a single act, the Biden Administration threatened decades of progress and opportunities for females and jeopardized their rights to safety and access within our education system. This is a tremendous victory, and we are confident we will continue to prevail in court.”
Judge Terry Doughty issued the injunction Thursday, siding with plaintiff states, agreeing that the rules are unlawful. In his ruling, Judge Doughty confirmed that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in showing the rules violate Title IX, the First Amendment, and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
These illegal new rules would apply burdensome requirements on nearly every school, college, and university in Idaho and across the nation. This would have deprived women and girls of the equal educational opportunities they struggled for decades to secure, and cost states billions of dollars to implement. The new rules would also violate First Amendment rights for students and teachers and could prompt Idaho school districts to lose Title IX funding, and likely face numerous lawsuits.
Idaho
Moon reelected Idaho GOP Chair, party now opposes funding higher education
COEUR d’ALENE — Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon was reelected to a second two-year term Saturday in Coeur d’Alene, during the final day of the Idaho GOP’s convention.
“We are not the fringe, folks,” Moon told a crowd of more than 800 people in the Schuler Performing Arts Center on the North Idaho College campus, to thunderous applause.
Moon received 376 votes from delegates who came from across Idaho, defeating former legislator and Coeur d’Alene resident Mary Souza, who captured 228 votes.
In a speech to delegates, Moon described herself as “the real deal,” as well as a hard worker and a person who follows through on her promises.
“We have not moved from where we’ve always stood,” she said. “Some people have. I’m an old horse and I cannot be taught new tricks. I know where I stand, and I think all of you know where you stand. We have been fighting so hard.”
After the election results were announced, Moon called for unity among Idaho Republicans, particularly in “the fight on ranked-choice voting.”
“We want to keep Idaho red, and I know we will,” she said. “We’re going to save our state, and we’re going to make this a great place to raise our kids.”
Party unity was a common refrain throughout the convention and formed the platform for Souza’s campaign for party chair. She urged Idaho Republicans to focus on their similarities, rather than their differences.
“We have an opportunity now to pull together,” she told delegates in a speech. “We can accept each other for who we are and what we believe.”
In a break with the practice of past conventions, reporters were not permitted to observe any of the committee meetings and were not allowed inside the general session at North Idaho College until Saturday afternoon, shortly before the nominations for party leadership positions.
Delegates approved a change to the Idaho Republican Party platform that may significantly impact how Republican legislators approach funding for higher education in Idaho.
“We strongly support professional technical and continuing education programs that provide career readiness and college preparation, but we do not support using taxpayer funding for programs beyond high school,” the party platform now reads in part.
NIC Trustee Todd Banducci, who attended the convention as a delegate, stood in support of the change. He declined to answer questions about his vote.
Mike Waggoner, a college trustee who attended the convention as a guest, did not indicate whether he supports the platform change.
“I don’t know exactly how that’s going to affect us,” Waggoner said. “Beyond that, I don’t have a comment.”
NIC’s operating budget for fiscal year 2024 included a $14.9 million allocation from the state general fund, $17.8 million in property tax revenue and $200,000 in state liquor tax allocation. Those revenue sources made up about 61% of NIC’s $53 million budget.
Coeur d’Alene City Councilman and alternate delegate Dan Gookin didn’t mince words on what he believes the platform change means for Idaho’s higher education institutions, including North Idaho College.
“They just voted to gut higher education,” he said.
Now that opposition for higher education funding is part of the Idaho GOP’s platform, Gookin said, Republican elected officials who vote in favor of such funding risk being punished by county Republican central committees.
The party rules empower central committees to censure Republicans for “substantive violations of party platform,” as well as remove party support and forbid the use of Republican Party identifiers for five years.
Delegates also voted to expand the party’s “Right to Life” article to include assisted suicide, euthanasia and embryo destruction.
“We oppose all actions which intentionally end an innocent human life, including abortion, the destruction of human embryos, euthanasia and assisted suicide,” the platform now reads in part.
The party also added to the platform a call for “excuse-only absentee ballots.”
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