Idaho
Panel discusses fentanyl use in North Idaho
COEUR d’ALENE — A panel of medical professionals addressed community concerns about the rise of fentanyl use in North Idaho on Thursday.
About 50 people attended to listen to a discussion of “The Escalating Threat of Fentanyl in North Idaho” at North Idaho College, which was put on by the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber, NIC and Kootenai Health.
While the law enforcement side of the battle against fentanyl was discussed during a similar panel in May, Thursday’s panel focused on the impact of fentanyl being seen in North Idaho’s schools and by local medical specialists.
Debbie Critchfield, the superintendent of public instruction in Idaho, described how fentanyl is “the No. 1 issue” many schools in rural Idaho are facing — but many parents still argue that fentanyl isn’t prevalent in the area.
“We have to have our parents, our community on board,” said Critchfield. Currently, Critchfield’s office is conducting a survey in communities across the state to better assess what is needed to combat fentanyl in Idaho schools.
An agreement has also been reached with Idaho State Police to hold informational events in school districts and communities that request them.
“We can’t expect student behavior to change unless we change the behavior of the adults,” said Critchfield. So far, three Idaho school districts have requested such events.
The medical professional panelists described observing a similar “crisis level” situation in their practices.
Dr. Ben Milam, an addiction medicine doctor with Kootenai Health, described how “100% of patients” that he sees are struggling with fentanyl.
“Fentanyl is basically the only thing available on the street,” said Milam. “Drugs are not what they used to be. They’re much more dangerous.”
Milam also pointed out that there is no specific demographic with higher rates of fentanyl addiction.
“Fentanyl is indiscriminate of age, sex, gender, social class … it’s everywhere,” Milam said.
The panelists also highlighted the importance of Narcan, an over-the-counter drug that can reverse an overdose by blocking opioid receptors in the body. Dr. Kate Aguirre, a family medicine provider at Marimn Health, emphasized that administering Narcan to an unconscious person could save their life.
“If they’re not using, it’s not going to hurt them. If they are using, it could save their life,” Aguirre said.
Multiple Narcan vending machines can be found throughout Kootenai County — there is also one located in Shoshone County.
Dave Atkins, the chief behavioral health officer for Heritage Health, said “people, place, and purpose” are key protective factors for those fighting addiction.
“We’re social creatures — we need connection,” Atkins said.
Some community members also shared their stories of losing loved ones to fentanyl use.
“It’s real, and no one is exempt from it,” one woman said.
BOISE, Idaho (Idaho Capital Sun) — Day use access fees at all Idaho state parks will be waived for Idaho residents on July 4 as part of a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, Gov. Brad Little announced Friday, as reported by the Idaho Capital Sun.
“As we prepare to mark 250 years of American independence, there is no better way to celebrate than by getting outside with our loved ones and enjoying the freedoms and natural treasures that define our great nation,” Little said Friday. “Idaho’s state parks showcase the very best of our state, and we are proud to welcome families, friends and visitors to explore them free of charge during this special occasion.”
While day use fees for Idaho residents will be waived, normal camping and reservation fees will apply, officials said.
Idaho has 28 state parks, which offer a variety of recreational and outdoor activities including hiking, horseback riding, skiing, bird watching, rock climbing, fishing, boating, swimming, bicycling and more.
State officials with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation are in the process of unveiling improvements and enhancements at several state parks, including Lucky Peak State Park outside of Boise, which recently opened a new dog beach and accessible kayak launch on the Boise River.
Other state parks include Bruneau Dunes State Park and Observatory, Harriman State Park, Bear Lake State Park and City of Rocks National Reserve, which is a national reserve and state park that attracts climbers from all over the world to its dramatic granite rock spires.
Little said the July 4 fee waiver is a part of a larger effort to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence being signed in 1776.
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We’re lucky to live in a place as safe as the Treasure Valley. Despite our growth, one of the things that makes our area so special is the way that we look out for one another–for our neighbors! That’s a principle that seems to have held on as Boise has boomed.
Despite low crime rates, there seems to always be one incident or so that makes us scratch our heads.
A recent string of fraud incidents in the Treasure Valley area is one of those.
Nampa Police initially warned the public of this because cases of fraud began to ‘mushroom’. Then, it took an interesting turn–people that HAD their credit cards were being ‘taken to the bank’, so to speak.
In a statement originally released on April 30th by the Nampa Police Department, officials advised the following:
We are not sure how the suspects are gaining access to the victim’s credit cards. There is a growing fraud scheme, “ghost tapping”, that scammers are using to access victims’ credit cards. This is possibly occurring in these instances. “Ghost tapping” uses stolen credit card details in Apple Pay or Google Pay, then remotely relays the tap signal over the internet to a ‘mule’ at a store, allowing them to make high-value purchases that appear completely legitimate. (We’ll share more information on ghost tapping in a later public service announcement that will also suggest ways to protect yourself.) The app used by these criminals obscures the actual credit card number, making it harder for investigators to link a victim to a particular crime. Keep in mind that victims still have their physical credit cards while suspects use the stolen card information to make purchases, which also affects how victims are alerted. So far, local investigators have not been able to identify a common theme among the victims (e.g., a specific bank, a website they visited, a gas pump they used, etc.) in the fraud cases we are investigating.
The investigation spans far and wide.
Authorities say that some suspects are in custody, others are being contacted, and others are still at large.
Now, a week later, the police are back to reaching out to the public–this time, urging people to check their bank accounts.
Nampa Police say that they have caught onto a pattern– there are fraudulent charges at Albertson’s to purchase gift cards, at Costco to purchase Apple products, and at Best Buy, also for Apple products.
Check those bank statements!
Inside The Arrest of 3 Venezuelan Fraudsters
What on earth was happening in Eagle this week?
Gallery Credit: Credit: Mateo, 103.5 KISS FM
It’s Not Hard To See Why This Idaho Police Photoshoot Is Going Viral
The Jerome Police Department is going viral thanks to Twin Falls photographer, Layton Henderson. Once you see the hilarious photos, you’ll see why!
Gallery Credit: Chris Cardenas
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