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Idaho legislators threaten lawsuit to stop University of Phoenix purchase – Idaho Capital Sun

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Idaho legislators threaten lawsuit to stop University of Phoenix purchase – Idaho Capital Sun


Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on February 15, 2024

In a resolution unveiled Thursday, lawmakers are threatening a lawsuit opposing the University of Idaho’s proposed University of Phoenix purchase.

The bipartisan resolution, in the works for weeks, comes as the U of I and Phoenix hope to close the controversial $685 million deal. It also sets up a high-stakes political showdown — pitting lawmakers against Gov. Brad Little and the State Board of Education, who support the Phoenix purchase.

One of the bill’s two co-sponsors did not pass judgment on the merits of the Phoenix purchase — but he decried the State Board’s series of closed-door meetings that left lawmakers in the dark.

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“Process matters to me,” said Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, during a brief hearing unveiling the motion. “We were not dealt into this process at all.”

“This seems to me like this was a purchase by ambush,” said Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise, who is co-sponsoring the bill.

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The House State Affairs Committee voted unanimously to introduce the resolution. That sets the stage for a full public hearing in committee.

The resolution Thursday urges the State Board to “reconsider” its May 18 vote endorsing the purchase, and reconsider any affiliation linking the U of I and Phoenix “unless and until the Legislature enacts a law authorizing such actions.”

The threat of a lawsuit comes at the end of the three-page resolution. House Speaker Mike Moyle and Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder would be assigned to work on the Legislature’s behalf, with authority that includes “the initiation of appropriate legal action.”

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The U of I has said Phoenix’s national operations would provide millions of dollars of new annual revenues, and the U of I has also touted the chance to leverage Phoenix’s online education platforms. The U of I has minimized the risks of the purchase, saying any losses would be limited to about $10 million a year. The U of I has acknowledged, but also has downplayed, the pitfalls of acquiring a for-profit partner with a checkered history.

U of I officials began to quietly pursue a Phoenix purchase more than a year ago. But lawmakers — and most Idahoans — knew nothing about the proposal until May 17, when the State Board scheduled its first and only public meeting to discuss the idea.

Since then, some lawmakers have openly questioned the merits of the purchase, while complaining that they were cut out of the process. The budget-writing Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee held an unusual oversight hearing in June, grilling U of I and State Board leaders about the proposal.

This is a developing story. Check back later Thursday for an analysis piece on the issue.

Here’s a timeline and history of the proposal. 

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Idaho leaders mourn the sudden passing of Senator Lindsey Graham

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Idaho leaders mourn the sudden passing of Senator Lindsey Graham


U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo and U.S. Sen. Jim Risch issued statements mourning the sudden passing of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, remembering him as a friend, colleague and influential conservative lawmaker.

“For most of my public service in Congress, I had the privilege of calling Lindsey Graham not only a colleague in both the House and Senate, but a loyal and generous friend,” Crapo said. “He was a formidable public servant who held the line on issues important to him and South Carolinians with unwavering courage.”

Crapo highlighted Graham’s military service and foreign policy work, saying, “As an Air Force veteran and foreign policy hawk, he traveled the world demonstrating America’s strength and resolve. To our nation’s allies, he was a friend. To our adversaries, he was unflinching.”

Crapo also pointed to Graham’s work in the Senate, including his leadership on budget issues and his role on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Lindsey was a staunch conservative, and he shepherded the Senate Budget Committee through the critical steps of the budget reconciliation process,” Crapo said. “His work put more money in Americans’ pockets and kept our homeland safe. On the Senate Judiciary Committee, he safeguarded the federal judiciary and conducted much-needed oversight.”

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“Senator Graham enriched the lives of those of us who knew him,” Crapo said. “He will be deeply missed, and I offer my sincere condolences to his family, staff and other loved ones during this difficult time.”

Risch and his wife, Vicki, also expressed condolences, calling Graham “a dear friend and colleague whose warmth, humor, and unwavering dedication to public service will be deeply missed.”

“He loved America deeply and devoted his life to serving our nation and fighting for what he believed was in its best interest,” Risch said. “We extend our deepest condolences and are praying for his family during this difficult time.”



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Idaho’s Most Unusual Listing: A Pair of Medieval Castles Complete With a Dungeon and Drawbridge

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Idaho’s Most Unusual Listing: A Pair of Medieval Castles Complete With a Dungeon and Drawbridge


Idaho is not a place that’s often associated with Medieval castles, but a pair have just hit the market for $6.25 million. 

The imposing stone structures have towers, turrets, ramparts, arrow-slit windows and even a drawbridge, and might just be the most authentic-looking castles this side of the Atlantic. 

“Who expects to see a castle like this in Idaho?” said listing agent Brenda Burk of Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty, who brought the property to the market last week. They are, she said, “extremely unusual.”

MORE: Late PBS Anchor Jim Lehrer’s Historic Washington, D.C., Home Lists for $5 Million

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Schweitzer Castle and Château de Melusine, as they’re known, stand within Schweitzer Mountain Resort in the Selkirk Mountains and overlook the nearby mountain resort town of Sandpoint. They take in panoramic views of Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho’s largest lake. 

The pair of ski-in/ski-out homes each have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and three stories, Burk explained. They are “so authentic,” she said. “Every single stone was handlaid.”

Schweitzer Castle, she said, wasn’t built for “functionality,” but has been modernized and adapted and now has everything a 21st-century residence requires, along with a dungeon, which for some buyers may also be a requisite. 

MORE: Arizona’s Most Expensive House—With an Indoor Go-Kart Track and Shooting Range—Sells for a Record $40.2 Million

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The chateau, meanwhile, has a hot tub room with mountain views, as well as a garage.  

The property is being sold furnished, and will come complete with the hand-carved statues, armor, mounted swords, stained-glass windows and a host of antiques dating to the 15th and 16th centuries.

The owner, an antique collector who couldn’t be reached for comment, “is always looking for that hidden jewel and he found that here,” Burk said. 

The next custodian is likely to stem from a varied pool of buyers, Burk said, that would include “the trophy-home buyer, someone who can say ‘I own a castle.’” 

The property could also appeal to someone looking for a vacation home, or a multi-generational estate, and beyond that “there’s the dreamers,” she said. “We definitely try to market to people who like Medieval history or maybe do Renaissance fairs.”

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The seller “really wants it to go to someone with the same passion.”



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Idaho Falls fire causes damage to homes and multiple vehicles

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Idaho Falls fire causes damage to homes and multiple vehicles


IDAHO FALLS – A fire in Idaho Falls Saturday afternoon caused $10,000 in damage to a small home. Idaho Falls Fire Department spokeswoman Hayli Egbert tells EastIdahoNews.com it started 1:30 p.m. on West Broadway Street and Trolley Way. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it involved multiple vehicles, outbuildings, fences, trees […]



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