Idaho

Sessions have started at the expert whitewater wave on the Boise River

Published

2 years ago

June 2, 2024

Sessions have started at the expert whitewater wave on the Boise River

BOISE, Idaho — Surfers and kayakers have been able to shred the expert whitewater wave for about two weeks now. Idaho is a landlocked state, but that doesn’t stop people from surfing on the Boise River.

“I lived in Hawaii for a while so I got to surf waves there, it’s not like going and surfing in the ocean,” said Garrett Kerr, one of around a dozen surfers at the wave. “This is very fast, you can definitely get some good carves and bottom turns.”

The wave has been open for two weeks now, but wave technicians from the Boise Parks and Recreation Department need to monitor the conditions during a session. The Boise river is flowing around 1,500 cubic feet per second.

“This is hands down our favorite flow, it is about double what we can run it at at the low end later in the summer,” said Paul Primus, a wave tech with parks and rec. “The performance is unbelievable and we have seen some seriously good surfing out here, it has been really exciting and a lot more people are coming out so we have added evening sessions.”

There were a pair of kayakers out there during the Sunday session

Sessions run from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday and on Tuesday and Saturday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. People can stay up to date using the Rainout Line App.

Boise Parks and Recreation has a wave tech for every session because if conditions change it can make the hydraulic behind the large green wave dangerous.

Looking up at the wave with the hydraulic right behind it

“If we get a big flow change in the river like 100 or 200 cfs, that can actually crash the green wave itself and become extremely retentive to a high hazard point we wouldn’t like to see,” said Primus. “However, if we have it as this setting currently with stable flows and we can monitor the pools, it’s an unbelievably good wave with a low hazard situation with all of us here to help each other at this very high intensity wave.”

Phase two of the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation Whitewater Park opened in 2019. It includes three features and it is a park within a park at Esther Simplot Park. However, the expert wave has never been dialed in, leading to a lawsuit between the designer and the city.

The City of Boise hired the firm that built phase one to come in and try to open the expert wave all the time. However, they weren’t able to do the work last winter because of all the snow in January and water releasing earlier then normal because all the reservoirs were full. The plans include continuing work next winter.

Phase two also acts as a diversion dam for the Farmer’s Union Canal to make sure they get their allotment of water. That is actually the number one priority for the feature, it is also used for flood mitigation and for recreation.

People often stop to watch the action during a session

Surfers and kayakers can expect long lines at both phase one and phase two this summer. Garrett Kerr told us there is an unwritten rule of etiquette to keep the lines moving as river surfing has become very popular in Boise.

“You get up and you are cruising for a little bit and then you got to try to do some moves, some turns and maybe some tricks,” said Kerr. “That way your turn ends and the next guy can go.”

Surfers should not use leashes at the expert whitewater wave, everyone there had wetsuits as the Boise River is still really cold and for surfers wanting to work up to the expert wave, phase one is an excellent spot to practice.

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Idaho

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

Published

11 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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