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Idaho troopers bound for border

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Idaho troopers bound for border



Gov. Brad Little said Friday he is following up on a promise he made during his State of the State and Budget Address to send two more teams of Idaho State Police troopers to the Texas-Mexico border.

The troopers will be deployed in their new mission in the coming weeks.

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“President Biden’s disastrous open border policies have left Idahoans and Americans vulnerable,” Little said.

Little said, to help curb human trafficking and stop drugs and criminals from flowing into the U.S., the Idaho Works plan calls for sending Idaho State Police troopers to train and act as a force multiplier “at our lawless southern border, as we did with fentanyl twice before.”

“There is a direct tie between the loose southern border and the flood of deadly illegal drugs like fentanyl coming into Idaho communities,” he said.

Little said the troopers will learn the best tactics to respond to those who smuggle and abuse vulnerable people.

“They will come back to Idaho with better knowledge to stop these perpetrators in our state and, as they did before, our troopers will debrief and train their law enforcement colleagues around the state when they return,” Little said.

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District 3 Rep. Jordan Redman said he supported Little’s move.

“I think what’s happening at the southern border is horrific,” he wrote in an email to The Press. “Both the human and drug trafficking that is happening is harming so many people and our country. Anything we can do as a state to help, should be done.”

Redman said he is working on legislation at the state level that can help with this issue.

“I appreciate the governor taking this step, although I’m sad that our federal government has forced us to do so,” he wrote.

Little also issued a proclamation Friday naming January “Idaho Stands With Texas in Securing the Nation’s Border Month.”

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this week declared Texas will defend itself in the face of the crisis at the southern border, as illegal immigration continues to increase. Many Republican governors, including Little, came to his defense.

Little has taken other steps to help secure the border, including sending two teams of Idaho State Police troopers to the border of Texas last year.

And in May 2023, Little traveled to Texas to attend a border security briefing alongside nine other governors to receive an overview of Operation Lone Star. This included an explanation of the tools and strategies that the state of Texas has found effective to deter and repel illegal immigration along the border with Mexico.

Texas is embroiled in a fight with the federal government over the control of the U.S.-Mexico border.

On Monday, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 in favor of the federal government’s power to remove the razor wire that was installed along stretches of the Texas border at Abbott’s direction.

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According to news reports, Abbott announced plans to defy the Biden administration and U.S. Supreme Court by ordering the installation of even more razor wire to deter migration.

“The federal government has broken the compact between the United States and the states,” he said in a prepared statement. “The executive branch of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce those laws and has even violated them.”

“The result is that he has smashed records for illegal immigration,” Abbott said.



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Charges dropped against BYU-Idaho student accused of kidnapping baby at Costco – East Idaho News

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Charges dropped against BYU-Idaho student accused of kidnapping baby at Costco – East Idaho News


Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal describes a new video from Costco over the incident involving an alleged kidnapping prior to Thanksgiving. | Daniel V. Ramirez, EastIdahoNews.com

IDAHO FALLS — Weeks after a BYU-Idaho student was accused of kidnapping a baby from Costco, the Bonneville County Prosecutor announced Thursday afternoon that charges will be dismissed.

During a news conference, Prosecutor Randy Neal showed three videos from inside Costco during the alleged incident on Nov. 24, which led to Michael Raine, 24, being charged with felony second-degree kidnapping.

According to court documents, Raine was looking at books inside the store and a cart with a baby was nearby.

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RELATED | BYU-Idaho student accused of kidnapping 4-week-old baby in Costco

The document states that Raine “looked around” and then grabbed the cart and walked away.

The issue for officials was what occurred once Raine rounded the corner with the cart and the baby.

Neal said the new video shows Raine walking away with the cart, and the baby’s mother finding him almost immediately. The prosecutor explained that when pursuing cases, a prosecutor reviews the evidence and determines whether, beyond a reasonable doubt, the action was a crime.

“For a prosecutor, the analysis is whether there is a rational basis for someone to conclude, beyond a reasonable doubt, that they are to a moral certainty, that this is a crime? I don’t think that we can say that,” Neal said.

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Neal said the surveillance videos from Costco show that Raine had no intention of running away with that cart.

WATCH COSTCO SURVEILLANCE VIDEO HERE:

The other aspect is that Raine didn’t leave the store after the incident, which, according to the documents, indicates the student had purchased items and eaten at the food court.

Looking at the reasons for Raine’s arrest, Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson said at the time, there was only one single video, and based on what was seen, Raine’s actions were found to be suspicious.

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Another factor that influenced Raine’s arrest was his trip to the United States Marine Corps Recruiting station in Boise on Nov. 25.

“The detectives were consulting with the prosecutors and made the proper decision at that time in the interest of public safety, based on probable cause, to make that arrest,” Johnson said. “That just doesn’t end the case. There’s a requirement to keep on going.”

Johnson and Neal discussed how detectives met with the mother of the baby and went over the events in a cognitive interview. Neal said this type of interview is a narrative recount of the events by the victim, without any questions being asked.

“Often, the mind will just start filling in pieces in order to make it make sense to them,” Neal said.

Detectives worked on recreating the incident at Costco with the mother, but Neal said some of the mother’s version of events were inaccurate in terms of the cart placement and other minor details.

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Neal said Natalie Millett was told charges have been dropped.

Victim Impact Statement from Natalie Millett. | Courtesy Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney

In a statement to the media, Millett said the event has caused the emotional pain that words can’t describe and will impact her for life.

“I believe it was miraculous that I ran in the right direction and recovered my baby swiftly, but the outcome could have been so different had I not listened to my intuition and impressions that day,” Millett said.

After being informed that the charges against Raine would be dismissed, Millett stated that she does feel at peace because she has done everything in her power.

One of the major talking points of the conference and in Millett’s statement is the reaction and comments from social media that have attacked her and made egregious remarks about people involved.

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“To sit in your basement and write poison is just really disgusting. It’s just inappropriate,” Neal said.

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Drivers urged to exercise caution amid potential flooding in North Idaho

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Drivers urged to exercise caution amid potential flooding in North Idaho


The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is warning drivers in North Idaho to be vigilant as rising water levels from recent rainfall and runoff may lead to roadway flooding and washouts.

ITD crews are actively monitoring the situation and are prepared to respond as conditions change. Drivers are advised to exercise extra caution, particularly in lowland areas, where conditions can shift rapidly. ITD strongly recommends against driving through standing water, as it can be difficult to gauge its depth or identify hidden hazards. Water intake can also cause significant damage to vehicles. For updates on detours and road closures, drivers are encouraged to visit Idaho 511.



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Notre Dame pulls away from Idaho, wins 80-65 despite missing leading scorer Markus Burton

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Notre Dame pulls away from Idaho, wins 80-65 despite missing leading scorer Markus Burton


SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Jalen Haralson scored 20 points, Carson Towt had 19 points and 15 rebounds and Notre Dame pulled away late to beat Idaho 80-65 despite playing without leading scorer Markus Burton on Wednesday night.

Burton, who leads the Fighting Irish at 18.5 ppg, was to have had surgery Wednesday on his left ankle after suffering an injury in Notre Dame’s previous game, an 87-85 overtime win over TCU. He is expected to be out “for the foreseeable future,” according to the school.

Haralson was 8-of-16 shooting and Towt was 9 of 12 in collecting his third double-double this season. Cole Certa had a trio of 3-pointers and 15 points and Braeden Shrewsberry made four 3s and scored 14. The Irish (8-3) shot 52% and made 9 of 14 from the arc in winning their third straight game and improving to 6-0 at home.

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Biko Johnson made three 3s and scored 19 points and Jackson Rasmussen added 16 points though the pair combined for only eight second-half points for Idaho (6-4). Brody Rowbury added 11 points. The Vandals shot 40% and made 10 of 24 3-pointers.

Tied 33-all at halftime, Notre Dame never trailed in the second half, going up 61-51 with nine minutes to go after Certa scored the first seven points in an 11-2 run. The Vandals got back within four with six minutes left on a Johnson 3-pointer but that was their final field goal. Shrewsberry and Certa hit 3-pointers in a game-ending 12-1 run.

Up next

Idaho is home against Evergreen State on Sunday.

Notre Dame is home against Evansville on Sunday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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