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Idaho view: LaBeau repairs the damage Moon inflicts

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Idaho view: LaBeau repairs the damage Moon inflicts


Idaho Affiliation of Commerce and Trade President Alex LaBeau was proper when he castigated GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon’s demagogic marketing campaign in opposition to the weekend Delight Pageant at Boise.

He was spot on in regards to the ethics.

Moon, who whipped up opposition to the pageant’s drag present for youths, didn’t have the “ethical compass” to problem anyone about something — not after she defended convicted rapist and former state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, LaBeau stated.

“For Dorothy to come back out and have any form of say on this — clearly that is coming from a lady who blamed a rape sufferer and stated it’s OK for legislators to sleep with a teenage intern,” LaBeau instructed the Idaho Capital Solar.

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LaBeau was additionally right in regards to the particulars. Earlier than that portion of the occasion was canceled, it featured youngsters appearing with their mother and father’ permission and for whom discovering a venue for self-expression in a culturally conservative state is not at all straightforward and even secure.

Individuals are additionally studying…

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“I wish to see all people take a deep breath, maybe for Dorothy to go over and have a dialog with the Delight folks and speak about what the occasion is to scale back the hate,” LaBeau stated. “That’s the very factor that each one Idaho corporations and all of our members wish to do is be a welcoming state. However to sit down there and fan the flames in the way in which that she is shouldn’t be acceptable, and I problem her to go have that dialog.”

LaBeau’s forthrightness stands in distinction to a handful of corporations that pulled their assist for the occasion. However in relation to the way forward for Idaho’s commerce and trade — together with those self same companies — LaBeau is aware of what he’s speaking about. Moon’s message shouldn’t be the form of picture Idaho needs or wants.

For the sake of argument, say you’re contemplating a profession change which may deliver you to Idaho.

Earlier than you make a transfer, you Google:

Idaho and variety — You readily will discover an Idaho Freedom Basis declare that range on the state’s school campuses is creating “unprecedented stress for ideological conformity” and its profitable efforts within the Legislature to withdraw monetary assist from these applications.

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Idaho and college high quality — It doesn’t take lengthy to seek out the Gem State ranked alongside the underside tier. Or to find out about makes an attempt by right-wing lawmakers to airbrush American historical past — and prosecute librarians for protecting the fallacious books on the cabinets.

Idaho and abortion — Amongst your findings might be information accounts of makes an attempt to criminalize not simply elective however therapeutic abortions wanted to save lots of a pregnant girl’s life.

Idaho and the LGBTQ neighborhood — You’ll be taught discrimination on the idea of sexual orientation and gender identification is authorized all through a lot of the state. “LGBT folks within the state of Idaho face some authorized challenges not skilled by non-LGBT folks,” says one web site.

Idaho and white supremacy — If the historical past lesson in regards to the Aryan Nations’ northern Idaho actions within the Nineteen Eighties doesn’t seize your consideration, information accounts a few resurgence amongst these teams who hope to rework Idaho into an “ethnic enclave” little doubt will.

Now, for those who’re a feminine engineer of childbearing years, are you going to take a job on the Idaho Nationwide Laboratory close to Idaho Falls or settle for a place in one other state the place your reproductive rights are safe?

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When you’re Black or Hispanic, which might be extra engaging — working at a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Idaho or someplace not related to the Aryan Nations or the Proud Boys?

When you’re a well being care supplier with youngsters at residence, are you going to take an opportunity on Idaho’s chronically underfunded faculties or discover a job in a state that reveals a higher dedication to educating your children?

And for those who’re a member of the LGBTQ neighborhood, are you going to assist function an agricultural processing plant in a state that doesn’t safeguard your civil rights — or are you going to maneuver on?

There isn’t numerous center floor.

You may’t function a nuclear facility remotely from California.

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You may’t make semiconductors remotely from Connecticut.

You may’t run an agricultural processing plant remotely from New York.

This runs each methods. Idaho should draw expertise from exterior its borders. And in a state that exports its merchandise nationally and internationally, it wants people who find themselves conversant with that broader neighborhood.

Alex LaBeau is aware of that. He’s attempting to assist.

And Dorothy Moon is making it worse. — M.T.

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Idaho

Idaho Crash Kills 6, Injures 10

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Idaho Crash Kills 6, Injures 10


Six people were killed Saturday in Idaho in a two-car accident that included a large passenger van, authorities said. Ten others were injured in the crash on US Highway 20 in Idaho Falls and taken to hospitals, Idaho State Police said in a statement. An eastbound pickup crossed the centerline about 5:30am and hit a westbound passenger van, the AP reports.

The van’s driver and five passengers died of their injuries at the scene. Nine other passengers in the van and the pickup’s driver were hospitalized, according to police. Police have not released other details of the accident, including where the 15 people in the van were from or where they were headed. Idaho State Police, which is handling the investigation, did not immediately return phone messages or emails Saturday to the AP.

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(More Idaho stories.)





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Almost Home: North Idaho families face barriers to permanent housing

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Almost Home: North Idaho families face barriers to permanent housing



COEUR d’ALENE — Like many people, Heather Bischof moved here and got a job. But she soon found she wasn’t making enough money.

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“I was very unaware of the wages, $3 and something cents an hour,” Bischof said. “I’m like, ‘How, especially in dead season, am I supposed to make enough tips plus paycheck to afford my rent?’”

Bischof and her roommate fell behind on rent and soon found an eviction notice on their door. For Bischof, homelessness was about to become a reality.

In Idaho, 1,611 homeless individuals were counted in early 2023, but Katherine Hoyer with Panhandle Health District said that number can be deceiving. 

It follows the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of homelessness: having a “primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation.”

Advocates say that doesn’t match the reality many people face. Families may not qualify as homeless even though their situation is precarious.

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“When you have a child, you will do anything it takes not to be in that situation,” said Lisa Donaldson, a case manager for Family Promise of North Idaho. “Maybe you’re in your car and your kids are at your mom’s, or you’re getting a hotel any time that you can, or you’re staying with a friend and then another friend.”

Chris Green, director of the Heritage Health Street Medicine Community Outreach Program, knows this from seeing many North Idahoans go through it. 

He said that most people who lose their housing for the first time don’t initially think of themselves as homeless because they don’t identify with the stereotypical image of a person on a street corner, clutching a sign and asking for money. But as time goes on, mindsets shift.

“When the streets are cold and the people in your town are cold and turn a blind eye, you start to identify as a homeless person,” he said.

When someone becomes homeless, Green said, it’s critical to connect that person with resources and services as early as possible.

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“If someone is, within 90 days, able to get housed and get back on their feet, they rarely become homeless again,” he said.

But the longer someone spends without housing, the harder it is to return to normal life. About one-third of people who are homeless for six months will become chronically homeless, Green said. Only about 10% of people who are homeless for longer than a year will go on to gain permanent housing.

It’s difficult to track the exact number of people who need housing but don’t meet the HUD definition of homeless, but their numbers appear to be increasing.

Nathan Whatcott is the homeless liaison for Kellogg School District. He said he noticed an alarming increase in the number of families staying in campers and RVs.

“Our current store of housing is not great. There’s just not a lot out there,” Whatcott said.

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And what is available is getting more expensive.

“The rents are so high here, including the first and last month’s rent,” said Barbara Miller, founder of the Silver Valley Community Resource Center. 

Fortunately, people and organizations are stepping up to help.

That’s how Bischof managed to stay housed.

“I was to the point where every single day I was shaking because I was so stressed out and my stomach just felt like it was empty and in knots,” Bischof said. “I tried looking into any resources I could.”

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Her supervisor at a local brew pub contacted CDAIDE, a nonprofit that helps hospitality workers in crisis. They helped her with two months of rent and fixed her car.

“CDAIDE has been a blessing,” Bischof said. “Even though it couldn’t cover everything, I didn’t expect anything. I was so thankful. I was in shock for quite some time.”

Family Promise also aims to help families avoid homelessness in the first place, whether by rental assistance when funding is available or by other means.

“We can help them come up with ideas of how not to come into the shelter and avoid that trauma for their children but still be able to work with them and help them while they’re staying somewhere else,” Donaldson said.

Family Promise partners with 18 local churches to provide homeless families with a safe place to stay and receive services while they find permanent housing. During the day, parents and children can spend time at a shelter. At night, churches open their doors to the families.

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The organization also provides supportive services, including classes on parenting, financial literacy, being a good tenant and more. Even when a family “graduates” by entering permanent housing, services remain available to them.

“We can walk with a family for as long as it takes them, usually up to a year, to walk on their own,” Donaldson said.

Even school districts can help. Whatcott said the district can sometimes use federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act funds to get propane so families can cook and stay warm, but it can’t assist with rent.

But not everyone who needs assistance will ask for it.

When people need help, Green said, shame can stop them.

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“Be brave,” he said. “Wade into the discomfort. Ask for help often and everywhere. Realize that there are people who care and people who want to help and don’t let a bad experience turn you away from asking for help.”

Green invites anyone facing homelessness to visit the Heritage Health Street Medicine Community Outreach Center at 109 E. Harrison Ave. in Coeur d’Alene.

He said that perhaps the biggest misconception he encounters about Kootenai County’s homeless population is that it’s made up of “outsiders.”

“Over 95 out of 100 are from North Idaho,” he said. “The vast majority of people we serve are born and raised here. They have nowhere else to go.”

Last week, the sun beat down on Bischof’s front porch as her son, Austin, 7, and daughter, Ellie, played in the water during the heat of a summerlike May evening.

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Bischof paused as Ellie came up the porch step with a purple pansy in her hand, asking if her mom to please put it in her hair. Ellie, who would turn 5 the next day, held still and grinned as her mom smoothed her flyaway strands, tucked the flower behind her ear and kissed her on the top of her head.

The downtown Coeur d’Alene home is well-lit. Down the hallway past the bedrooms and the laundry room, a door opens to a small fenced backyard where grape vines grow along the fences and a patch of rhubarb is already exploding with life on the other side of the wood.

“This feels so good,” Bischof said. “We’re really lucky to get in here. I love it so much.”

She stood on the back porch of the home, which she rents with a new love interest, Sean. Their rent is $2,000 a month. It takes up a lot of their income, so they budget carefully.

Bischof looked around the backyard, sharing how this was the first time she hadn’t felt the impending doom of having to find another place to live. 

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“This feels like home,” she said. “I’ve never felt like I could settle down and call something home. I know I’m not going to have to struggle and scramble to find a place to live for us in a month from now or two months from now.”

    Ellie, 5, Austin, 7, and Heather Bischof share a family moment in their new rental home May 9. “There’s a lot of times I’m standing here physically looking around in shock that I’m still actually here,” Bischof said, “this is actually mine and I did this and got this far.”
 
 
    Heather Bischof is still in disbelief that through trauma, homelessness, her daughter’s medical condition and more, she and her family have a happy home in Coeur d’Alene. She is seen on her back porch May 9.
 
 
    Heather Bischof places a flower behind her daughter Ellie’s ear May 9 as they enjoy the sunshine on the front porch.

  

    In the 2023 point in time survey of homelessness coordinated by Idaho Housing and Finance Association (except Ada County), 58% of homeless individuals are 18-54 years old, 25% are under the age of 18 and 17% are 55 or older. The same survey found that 15% were homeless due to issues related to substance abuse, 13% were fleeing domestic violence, 12% had become homeless due to issues related to serious mental illness and six percent are veterans.
 
 
    In a point in time survey coordinated by the Idaho Housing and Finance Association across the state (excluding Ada County), 1,611 homeless individuals were counted January 25, 2023. This number is approaching the numbers noted in 2020. (The survey did include a note that the pandemic limited the scope of the survey in 2021 and 2022.)
 
 
    Shelli Niemi and Denise Bausch work on kits for seniors and homelessness hygiene kits at Kellogg Public Library through a program offered through the AmeriCorps 9/11 grant.
 
 



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Idaho Fish and Game celebrates their 125th anniversary with the community

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Idaho Fish and Game celebrates their 125th anniversary with the community


TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —Idaho Fish and Game celebrated their 125th anniversary at Twin Falls City Park from 3 to 6 pm.

People from all over the Magic Valley came to celebrate with Fish and Game.

Idaho Fish and Game was established in 1899, and has grown to be an agency that strives to be a leader in science-based management of Idaho’s fish and wildlife resources.

The park was filled with activities for families to enjoy with kids. There were booths from different wildlife groups that were teaching the community about different animals to how to protect yourself with bear spray.

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Terry Thompson, of Idaho Fish and Game, talked about what it mean to be operating for 125 years, “It’s a pretty big deal to say you have been an agency in existence for 125 years. And the way we look at it we’re just getting started, we’re always striving to improve on our science but this the way we can talk to folks and let them know what we know about fish and wildlife but we also want to hear from them too.”

This celebration provided an opportunity to thank hunter, anglers, trappers, conservation and all the Idahoans for what they do for wildlife conservation in the state.



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