Idaho
Idaho lawmakers introduce new bill to unravel WWAMI physician program
Idaho could unravel itself more slowly from its current physician education partnership under a new bill introduced Wednesday.
The new plan from Rep. Dustin Manwaring (R-Pocatello) would create 30 new seats with University of Utah’s medical school over the next three years.
Beginning in the fall of 2027, Idaho would cut at least 10 guaranteed seats enrolled in the WWAMI program. It currently has 40 guaranteed spots for Idaho residents.
WWAMI is a partnership with the University of Washington School of Medicine and states around the Northwest region.
Students enrolled in WWAMI take their first two years of medical education at the University of Idaho. They then transition to hospitals or clinics across the five partner states for their final two years of education.
Manwaring’s bill would also direct the state board of education to draft a new medical education roadmap.
“So, we may have room to keep some of that WWAMI program and I’m trying to give a path for the [Idaho State Board of Education] to do that,” he said.
Rep. Mark Sauter (R-Sandpoint) was the only lawmaker to vote against the bill’s introduction. He said the bill puts the cart before the horse.
“I have some real questions about really messing with the WWAMI program at all until we get some traction on a future program,” Sauter said.
Manwaring said WWAMI’s leadership has failed to expand Idaho’s guaranteed seats in recent years to address the state’s physician shortage.
Another bill he sponsors would completely sever ties with the WWAMI program, but the House has repeatedly postponed debate on the issue.
Manwaring’s new proposal still needs a public hearing before it can reach the House floor.
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BLACKFOOT — A large contingent of Blackfoot Police officers has cordoned off an area near the Taco Bell on Parkway Drive in Blackfoot.
Police responded around 5 p.m., according to multiple witnesses who contacted EastIdahoNews.com.
EastIdahoNews.com has reached out to Blackfoot Police for details.
We will update this story as we learn more.
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MISSOULA, Mont. — An Idaho Falls angler is back in the Idaho record books after landing a record-setting lake trout at Payette Lake.
Idaho Fish and Game said Dylan Smith caught and released a 43.25-inch lake trout on May 2, setting a new state catch-and-release record for the species. The fish surpassed the previous record of 42 inches.
The catch marks Smith’s second appearance in Idaho’s record books. He previously held the state catch-and-release lake trout record after landing a trophy fish in 2018 before that mark was later broken.
According to Fish and Game, Payette Lake has become one of Idaho’s premier lake trout fisheries thanks to years of management efforts aimed at improving both lake trout and kokanee populations.
Pride Month looks different this June along Boise’s Harrison Boulevard, where a long-standing tradition of hanging Pride flags on lamp posts has been put on hold after a new state law restricted which flags can be flown on government property.
For several years, Pride flags lined lamp posts along Harrison Boulevard in Boise’s North End neighborhood. But Idaho House Bill 561, signed by Gov. Brad Little in March, restricts which flags can be flown on government property, including the City of Boise’s Harrison lamp posts.
In response, a group of neighbors formed Pride North End and launched a distribution effort to help residents show support from their own front yards. The group has been making Pride flags and yard signs available to people who want to display them at home.
“I thought that I would…be a personal example of ‘yes, this is what I do.’ This is what I believe in,” said Edna Schochat, a North End resident.
Pride North End has already distributed more than 900-yard signs and 250 flags. The group’s original donation goal was around $2,000 to order 100 flags and 200 yard signs, but it has exceeded that GoFundMe goal, reaching $10,000 worth of donations.
The group plans to continue holding public flag and sign distributions through the end of the month.
“We cannot just say something without doing something that proves that we mean what we say,” Schochat said.
Pride North End said any leftover funds after materials are distributed will go to local LGBTQ+ nonprofits. A link to the group’s GoFundMe can be found here.
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