Idaho
Idaho lawmakers introduce bill to phase out state funding for Hispanic Affairs commission
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho lawmakers have introduced legislation that would phase out state funding for the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs while keeping the commission in place.
The proposal, introduced by Rep. Jeff Ehlers, would gradually eliminate general fund support for the commission by July 1, 2028. The commission would continue to operate but would need to rely on private funding.
Rep. Ehlers told the House Revenue and Taxation Committee on Thursday that the proposal came from recommendations by Idaho’s DOGE Task Force, which reviewed government programs and spending.
READ MORE | Idaho DOGE Task Force recommends defunding Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs
The bill would also eliminate the commission from a list of organizations eligible for a state income tax charitable contribution credit.
Rep. Steve Berch questioned why the legislation would remove both state funding and the tax credit option, saying it could make it more difficult for the commission to raise money.
“I hate to use this word, but I’m really offended by this specific effort to make it that much more difficult for private citizens to be able to contribute to the Hispanic commission,” Rep. Berch said in committee. “I don’t think this can be justified from a financial point of view, and quite frankly, I don’t think it can be justified from a moral point of view.”
In response, Rep. Jason Monks said that it would be more “offensive” to not allow further discussion of the bill before a final decision is made.
The proposal comes after an earlier attempt this session to eliminate the commission entirely. In January, Rep. Heather Scott presented a draft bill that would have removed all references to the commission from Idaho law and dissolved it by July 1, but that measure failed to advance out of committee.
The committee ultimately voted on Thursday to introduce the legislation, allowing it to be printed and advanced for further debate.
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Idaho
3 Colorado motorcyclists killed in Idaho crash; Colorado driver arrested
DENVER (KDVR) — Three Colorado motorcyclists died on Tuesday in northern Idaho after a pickup truck driver, also from Colorado, hit all three while trying to pass another vehicle, according to the Idaho State Police.
The crash happened at about 4 p.m. Tuesday outside the town of Kooskia on U.S. 12, police said. The pickup truck driver, identified as a 60-year-old Colorado Springs woman, was headed west on the highway when she crossed the double yellow line in a no-passing zone while trying to pass another vehicle.
She then collided head-on with the three motorcycles that were headed east on the highway.
The three motorcyclists died at the scene. The Idaho County Coroner identified the motorcyclists as: Ethan Powers, 35, of Timnath, Jeremy Coleman, 45 of Berthoud, and Nathan McCormick, 26, of Loveland.
The Colorado Fraternal Order of Police later identified Coleman and Powers as a sergeant and deputy with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office and McCormick as Coleman’s son-in-law.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, coworkers, and the members of FOP Lodge 4 as they face the difficult days ahead,” the union said. “The law enforcement profession is built on service, sacrifice, and commitment to others. Sgt. Coleman and Deputy Powers dedicated their lives to protecting their community, and their impact will continue to be felt by those who had the privilege of serving alongside them.”
The truck driver was taken to a hospital for medical evaluation before being released then arrested. She was booked into the Idaho County Jail on probable cause for three counts of vehicular manslaughter, police said.
Idaho
ISP: Three motorcyclists killed in Idaho County crash
The following is a press release from the Idaho State Police:
The Idaho State Police (ISP) is investigating a three-fatality crash that occurred at approximately 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, on U.S. Highway 12 near milepost 113 east of Kooskia.
The preliminary investigation indicates a 2019 Ford F-150 was traveling westbound on U.S. Highway 12 when the driver attempted to pass another vehicle in a marked no-passing zone. The pickup crossed the double yellow centerline and collided with three motorcycles traveling eastbound.
The three motorcyclists sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene.
The 60-year-old female driver of the Ford, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation. Following her release, she was arrested and booked into the Idaho County Jail on probable cause for three counts of vehicular manslaughter.
The Idaho County Coroner’s Office will identify the deceased and determine the cause and manner of death.
U.S. Highway 12 was closed for approximately six and one-half hours while emergency responders assisted at the scene and investigators processed evidence.
ISP was assisted by the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho County Coroner’s Office, the Idaho Transportation Department, and local fire and EMS personnel.
The crash remains under investigation.
Idaho
‘One Night in Idaho: The College Murders’ Is Getting a Second Season on Prime Video
Amazon’s Prime Video has renewed One Night in Idaho: The College Murders for a second season.
The three new episodes will deliver “first-time, exclusive access to the police and lead investigators who bore the weight of a nation’s obsession and — until now — were unable to tell their story due to a gag order on the case,” the streamer says.
One Night in Idaho: The College Murders comes from director Matthew Galkin (Murder in the Bayou) and showrunner Katie A. King; Liz Garbus’ Story Syndicate produces. They all pivoted when Bryan Kohberger pled guilty to the gruesome crimes.
In 2022, Kohberger brutally stabbed and killed Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle in their Moscow, Idaho rental home. The case spawned a pair of documentary projects, released eight days apart. Compare and contrast Prime Video’s One Night in Idaho: The College Murders and Peacock’s The Idaho Student Murders here.
Season two of One Night in Idaho “follows the law enforcement officers who lived the investigation from the inside, who until now were unable to tell their story. With exclusive access to local detectives and first responders, key members of the Moscow Police Department and the Idaho State Police, and intimate archival material — including bodycam footage, police interviews, and forensic evidence — the series unfolds as both a harrowing police procedural and a deeply personal hero’s journey for the lead investigators,” the synopsis reads. “Viewers are pulled deep into the case through the raw, emotional, first-person perspectives of Lead Detectives Brett Payne and Darren Gilbertson, Police Chief James Fry, and the many men and women who worked alongside them. The season will also check back in with those closest to the case — including friends and family — in the wake of Bryan Kohberger’s shocking plea, offering a fuller picture of where things stand today,” per the description.
The new episodes are executive produced by Galkin, Garbus, King, Dan Cogan, Jon Bardin, Joshua Levine, Tommy Coriale, James Patterson, Bill Robinson and Patrick Santa. Garbus (I’ll Be Gone in the Dark) directed the first season.
One Night in Idaho: The College Murders is produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Paramount Television Studios, Story Syndicate, James Patterson Entertainment and Fairhaven.
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