Police and sheriffs’ departments from across the state are joining the Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) in a Labor Day Impaired Driving Mobilization. Expect to see more officers on the road now through September 2 to stop impaired drivers before they hurt themselves or someone else.
Labor Day also marks the end of the 100 Deadliest Days on Idaho Roads. It’s the time when Idaho sees a rise in impaired, distracted and aggressive driving that leads to more injuries and deaths on our roads.
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At the start of the summer there were a lot of deadly crashes. The number of fatalities was trending above the previous year, however the rate of deadly crashes slowed after the Fourth of July. Currently 70* people have been killed on Idaho roads this summer, that’s less than last summer at this time, when the total was 79. This year-to-date 145* people have been killed in traffic crashes, compared to 151 at this time in 2023. In 2023 there were 275 total traffic deaths, the deadliest year in over a decade.
“Every crash is a tragedy, and in the case of impaired driving crashes, they are always preventable,” explained Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton, “We partner with police to stop drunk drivers from hurting people, but everyone can have a positive impact by getting a sober ride home instead of driving impaired.”
ONTARIO, Oregon — A fire in a lot near W. Idaho Ave and South Oregon Street in Ontario has visibly damaged sheds and power lines.
Idaho News 6 arrived at the scene Sunday morning at around 12 p.m., finding nearby sheds across a fence line scorched, but standing. Power lines appeared to be damaged in the blaze.
No fire, police, or EMS were still on scene, and there were no surrounding road closures.
Idaho News 6 has reached out to officials and is awaiting additional information.
ADRIAN, Oregon — The Friends of the Owyhee organized a clean-up in Malheur County in Oregon, and volunteers came out to pick up trash and get rid of abandoned campers.
“We had two abandoned RV’S and a camper that were abandoned out on public lands,” said Tim Davis, who runs the Friends of the Owyhee. “They were sitting there for upwards of a year, and it is really clear that it is hard to get rid of these.”
WATCH| Check out the video to see volunteers demolish a camper—
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Volunteers camp out for the Succor Creek Clean-Up in the Owyhees
Davis worked with the local sheriff’s office and the BLM to remove the campers, but he found it difficult because there was no place to take these recreational vehicles. The Gambler 500, an off-road group, brought out some people to demolish a camper with an excavator.
“That is awesome to see the turnout with the army of volunteers we have today,” said Brian Arndt of the Gambler 500 group. “We are going to be able to get the camper all in the dumpster, get it cleaned down to the frame, and then everything that can be recycled will be recycled.”
Volunteers camped out on Succor Creek Road on Friday night so they could get an early start on Saturday. Many volunteers will camp out again on Saturday night and finish the clean-up on Sunday.
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“Malheur is the 12th largest county in the United States, and it’s 74 percent public land,” said Davis. “We have very few resources with the BLM; they are understaffed, they have one rec planner right now, so us, as public land owners, should be able to step up and keep this place clean.”
Lela Blizzard works as the lone recreational planner for the Vail District of the BLM, who says most sites have signs that say pack it in and pack it out. She says the BLM really needs the cooperation of the public because of how large it is, and she was happy to see how many volunteers showed up.
“I just want to tell them thank you because I know they are taking time out of their weekend to come out here to help us make sure the land continues to look nice for everyone who comes out to enjoy it,” said Blizzard.
Griz Ward is one of the volunteers, and he enjoyed camping out, but he also would like to see people pick up after themselves. When it comes to outdoor recreation, it is so important to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.
“If you come out here and play in the area, be respectful,” said Ward. “Pack it in and pack it out, leave no trace and do the right thing, or frankly, stay home.”
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The Succor Creek Clean-Up also received a lot of support from the Treasure Valley, as they got donations from the Ontario Sanitation Service with the dumpsters, Tates Rents with the excavator, and United with porta-potties for the campsite.
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