Idaho
Idaho officials react to shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally. What they said. – East Idaho News
BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Idaho officials offered their support and reactions after a shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday in Pennsylvania. The New York Times and other news outlets have reported that a gunman and one attendee at the Butler rally were dead, and dramatic photos from the event showed Trump surrounded by suit-clad Secret Service agents, his fist in the air and blood on his ear. A spokesman said Trump was safe, The Times reported.
“America needs our candidates to be able to campaign safely,” Gov. Brad Little wrote on the social media platform X. “This is a sad day. Prayers for President Trump and praise for our Secret Service.”
In a follow-up tweet, Little wrote that he was praying for Trump, Trump’s family and “our nation.”
Praying for President Trump, his family, and our nation. pic.twitter.com/log1jOYPob
— Brad Little (@GovernorLittle) July 13, 2024
Others echoed the concern about political violence.
U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson said on X that resorting to violence is never acceptable. “Words should always supersede our actions,” Simpson said.
His Republican colleague U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo called the act “un-American.”
The other members of the Idaho congressional delegation also addressed the situation, with Rep. Russ Fulcher saying “Justice will come” on social media and Sen. Jim Risch calling what happened “horrific.”
Idaho Falls City Council member John Radford wrote on Facebook, “Political violence is never the answer! I hope President Trump is fine and recovers quickly.”
Meridian City Council Member Luke Cavener agreed on X that political violence of any kind was unacceptable. “The perpetrators need to be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent,” Cavener wrote. “No mercy, no leniency.”
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador said in an emailed statement that “we cannot let our country be torn apart by political violence.”
“We owe it to those who have sacrificed so much for our nation, to preserve our freedoms for the next generation and generations to come,” Labrador said. “We must rededicate ourselves to civility even in the midst of passionate disagreement.“
Ada County Republican Commissioners Rod Beck and Ryan Davidson sent a joint statement, saying, “We encourage everyone to take this moment to reflect on the state of our nation and consider how we can work together to peacefully address and mend the issues within our system.”
And Star Mayor Trevor Chadwick wrote on X that the behavior was “inexcusable.”
“No one should ever be threatened or their life put on the line in any circumstances for serving in politics in our country,” Chadwick wrote. “We are better than this. It should not matter what political world you live in everyone should come together in prayer.”
America needs our candidates to be able to campaign safely. This is a sad day. Prayers for President Trump and praise for our Secret Service.
— Brad Little (@GovernorLittle) July 13, 2024
Resorting to violence is never acceptable, and words should always supersede our actions.
President Trump deserves our admiration and respect. His family and our nation demand our prayers in this time of need.
— Congressman Mike Simpson (@CongMikeSimpson) July 13, 2024
An apparent assassination attempt against a former President and current candidate for the President of the United States is beyond enraging and wholly un-American. I am praying for Donald Trump and hope he will recover expeditiously.
— Senator Mike Crapo (@MikeCrapo) July 13, 2024
The apparent attempt on President Trump’s life in Pennsylvania is absolutely horrific. Vicki and I are praying for President Trump and all those injured in today’s despicable incident.
— Jim Risch (@SenatorRisch) July 13, 2024
Tonight, join me in saying a prayer for President Trump and all those impacted and injured. Justice will come.
— Russ Fulcher (@RussFulcher) July 13, 2024
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POCATELLO – Learn physics and have some fun at the same time at a community event this weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday, Idaho State University’s Department of Physics will hold its annual Water Rocket Festival at Tydeman Park — North 8th Avenue and East Young Street. The first 100 kids who arrive get to build and launch their own bottle rockets.
“The hope is to sneak some science into the summer,” said Steve Shropshire, the physics professor helping to organize it.
It’s free to the public and held in conjunction with the Kiwanis Club of Pocatello’s Bing Hong Pancake Breakfast fundraiser.
A competition will be held both days. The kid who builds the rocket that goes the furthest will be awarded with their own water-rocket launcher.
Shropshire, who’s been running events like this for nearly 40 years, started the Water Rocket Festival around 16 years ago. As a new member of the Kiwanis club, Shropshire noticed that the fundraiser only took up half of the park.
“I kind of piggybacked onto them, saying, ‘hey, you know, you’re not using this whole field over here. We could sneak some science into this,’ and I think it works well,” Shropshire said.
A student will greet each individual or group, and spend about 15 minutes explaining the physics behind building a rocket.
The kids will build their rockets, with some guidance and tips from students. All basic materials are provided.
Students will help fill the rocket with water and bring it to the launch pad, where Shropshire handles the countdown and launch. Once it’s finished, they can do it all over again.
“The kids are welcome to redesign, rebuild and launch again and again and again, or just keep launching until the thing falls apart,” Shropshire said.
The initial appeal of the event can be summed up by a short statement from Shropshire.
“Rockets are really cool. It certainly captivates the kids’ interest,” Shropshire said.
But beyond that, Shropshire says learning basic principles of physics and then applying them could spark a long-term or lifelong interest.
“The best way to learn is by doing. You understand the principles the best if you actually end up applying them, and seeing them in operation,” Shropshire said.
And Shropshire said the event goes even better when adults get involved.
“I would encourage parents and grandparents to get actively involved in helping their kids build the rockets because that’s kind of a bonding experience … ad I think the kids put better rockets together if they’ve got some parents to help them out,” Shropshire said.
But regardless of whether it sparks a child’s interest in physics or rocket-building, Shropshire said it’s still a worthwhile activity.
“There’s lots of fun, rewarding things that folks can do that are related to science and engineering, and having some awareness of that as the kids go through their schooling is a good thing,” Shropshire said.
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The city of Boise is facing a potential lawsuit brought by the parents of a girl injured by shattered glass at this year’s Idaho Potato Drop held on New Years Eve.
The Idaho Statesman obtained a copy of the tort claim filed earlier this month, which is a precursor to a possible civil lawsuit.
Richard and Daryl Ratto filed the tort claim against the city and multiple other entities, according to the newspaper, after a shard of glass slashed their daughter’s face at the late-night celebration, which required surgery.
As Boise State Public Radio previously reported, police reports from that night said they couldn’t definitively conclude that concussive blasts from fireworks shattered windows on the AT&T building and the Idaho Capitol, which fell on spectators.
The Rattos are demanding $10 million from multiple public entities, saying they’ve known for years that Potato Drop organizers have diverted from plans submitted to city officials to obtain permits for the event.
Body cam footage from that night shows Dylan Cline, the event’s CEO, high fiving his pyrotechnics contractor and saying, “F— yeah…” after being told of the broken windows by police.
City officials have 90 days to respond to the tort claim before the Rattos could file a lawsuit.
Copyright 2026 Boise State Public Radio
Meridian, Idaho (CBS2) — High Desert Harley-Davidson is hosting its 16th annual Idaho Patriot Thunder Ride on Sunday, June 28th. It’s a summer tradition that brings hundreds of riders together to raise money for Idaho’s military families while also tipping a helmet to America’s upcoming 250th birthday.
“Idaho Patriot Thunder ride is a big ride for us every year. We’ve been doing it now for 16 years — first year was back in 2010 when we started this whole ride,” said Mark Dukes, General Manager of High Desert Harley-Davidson.
Registration begins at 7am on Sunday at High Desert Harley Davidson, kickstands are set to go up at 10 a.m., with hundreds of riders escorted by law enforcement down to Carl Miller Park in Mountain Home. After the ride, riders will head back to the dealership, where the event continues with food trucks, live bands, a bike wash and raffles, including a Harley-Davidson bike giveaway.
Organizers say the fundraising is straightforward: Every dollar raised goes directly to two military nonprofits, with donations split evenly between Operation Warm Heart and the Idaho Guard and Reserve Family Support Fund.
“100% of the proceeds go to Idaho Guard and Reserve Family Support Fund and Operation Warm Heart, and we’ve been doing this for years,” Dukes said.
Dukes said the money helps cover needs that can pop up unexpectedly for service members and their loved ones.
“If somebody were to get injured or get hurt for deployment, if they need food or shelter, airline tickets, toys for their families — it’s all about taking care of military people that take care of us so well,” he said.
This year also comes with extra flair: High Desert Harley-Davidson built two custom bikes — one Indian and one Harley-Davidson — both honoring America’s 250th anniversary. Dukes said the bikes will feature Idaho Patriot Thunder badging, 250th anniversary details and American flags, and they’ll be ridden at the front of the pack before being put up for sale after the ride.
“We have one Indian motorcycle and one Harley-Davidson. They’re gonna have Idaho Patriot Thunder badging, 250th anniversary, American flags — they’re gonna be custom done. Both Bruce and myself are gonna ride those bikes in the front, and when we get back from the Patriot Thunder ride, we’re gonna put those up for sale,” Dukes said.
Over the past 16 years, the event has raised up to $75,000 each year. Registration is open now through High Desert Harley-Davidson’s website, with organizers encouraging community members to get involved whether they ride or not.
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