Idaho
The types of solar viewing telescopes at the College of Southern Idaho
TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —There are a few times in your life that people will encourage you to look at the sun. Well, starting Wednesday, May 29 that’s exactly what the Centennial Observatory will be doing as they break out the solar viewing telescopes. Now, you may be wondering what makes a solar telescope different from a standard telescope. The College of Southern Idaho has three types of solar telescopes that are available to them. The first type is a model called a “folded refractor” it has the unique feature of being the only telescope that you don’t look directly through.
“Your normal telescope you’d think of having as having a lens in the front, a lens on the back. This one has both of those, but in between it has mirrors that allow it to kind of fold up,” Observatory Coordinator at the Centennial Observatory Chris Anderson said. Without the traditional lens to look through the image is instead projected onto a piece of paper set within the telescope and this makes it better for larger groups. “There was a company back East that made these specifically for classrooms and they’ve continued to make them ever since,” Mr. Anderson explained.
The second model they have available to them is a traditional telescope, but adjusted with a specialized filter that is added onto it making it possible to view both the sun and the stars when needed. “We have a white light solar filter in it right now and a white light filter just dims the sun way, way down and lets you see what’s going on, on the surface,” Mr. Anderson explained. As of right now, the sun has been fairly active, but the peak of our current solar cycle is expected to hit within the next year or two and a half years.
The third model that they have at their disposal is also the most advanced, it’s called a “Hydrogen Alpha Telescope”, and it blocks out all color except for a specific shade of red that is emitted from the sun called the “Chromosphere”.
“If you’re used to thinking about what you see during a total solar eclipse. So, this little red thing’s poking out from around the edge of the sun. That’s the chromosphere,” Mr. Anderson explained. When looking through the telescope you see a black dot with a grainy, almost oatmeal-like texture that is the sun, and it’s all thanks to the specialized filters that are built into the telescope itself, but that’s not the only cool thing about it. “It is a computer-controlled telescope. It does track the sun automatically, so I don’t have to work about it keeping up,” Mr. Anderson said.
Now, while the sun is extremely active you may want to get in on sun spots, Chris Anderson implores everyone to come down and visit rather than trying to see the sun on your own.
“If you don’t have the proper equipment, don’t try to look to look at the sun with a telescope. That’s an incredibly dangerous thing to do. What a lot of people don’t realize is that it’s not just about whether you’re feeling discomfort. There are ways to filter the sun down in a way that you don’t feel any discomfort, but you’re still doing damage,” Mr. Anderson said.
Even with powerful welder’s glass unless it is a number 14 glass or dark you can still permanently damage your eyes. It is simply safer to not take the risk, rather visit Centennial Observatory on one of the many solar viewing days that will be open to the public. The sun viewing days are every Wednesday following Memorial Day until Labor Day from 1:30 to 3:30 P.M.
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SOUTH BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Correction is taking a closer look at sexual safety inside its prisons at the request of Governor Brad Little, following allegations from a former inmate who says she endured years of sexual abuse by correctional officers.
Andrea Weiskircher, who spent 20 years incarcerated in Idaho, told Idaho News 6 that abuse became so common she no longer recognized how wrong it was.
“I came to prison when I was 19. I’m 43 now. So I’ve done 20 years… There’s a lot of things that go on in the prison that shouldn’t happen,” Weiskircher said.
WATCH: How one woman’s claims pushed IDOC to re-examine its policies on sexual misconduct
Former Idaho inmate says staff sexual abuse was ignored as IDOC reviews safety policies
Weiskircher wrote multiple letters to Idaho News 6 detailing her allegations, prompting renewed attention on how sexual misconduct reports are handled behind bars. This week, she returned to the prison complex for the first time since her release to attend an IDOC Board of Correction meeting on sexual safety.
“I think that I got exposed to a lot of very disturbing sexual activity inside the prison and it became like a normal mindset for me because I’d been there for so long,” she said.
In 2024, Weiskircher filed Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) reports, submitting what she describes as evidence. She said her case was marked “unfounded,” but after months of speaking out, IDOC has agreed to re-examine it.
During the board meeting – where phones and cameras were not allowed – IDOC officials outlined the department’s reporting system, which includes hotline numbers, intake screenings and mandatory PREA evaluations.
Weiskircher said the policies are not the issue. “They talked about their policy again that they don’t enforce,” she said, adding that retaliation and fear often prevent people from reporting abuse.
Department officials also acknowledged a gap in Idaho law. The current statute defining “sexual contact” only includes intercourse or genital contact – excluding other unwanted intimate acts such as groping or kissing. IDOC Direct Bree Derrick noted in the meeting, “I would think there are people who are already interested in taking this issue up and kind of closing the gap that exists there.”
According to data presented during the meeting, IDOC recorded 188 sexual-misconduct allegations in 2023 – 101 classified as sexual harassment and 87 as sexual abuse. IDOC says only 13 staff-on-resident allegations were reported, and none were substantiated.
Weiskircher said what she heard in the meeting didn’t reflect her experience. “It made me angry. They talked about their policy again that they don’t enforce… the data they just showed the board of directors was false,” she said. She believes her reports, and others she witnessed, were not captured in the numbers presented.
For her, returning to IDOC was about ensuring that future reports are taken seriously. “I’m not going to stop until it gets fixed,” she said.
IDOC says it is working with lawmakers to expand the state’s definition of sexual contact and will continue internal reviews along with required federal PREA audits.
Idaho
Local trio want you to have a ‘Parents Night Out,’ and they’ll watch your kids – East Idaho News
Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BUZZ
IDAHO FALLS
Trio launching new drop-in daycare service in Idaho Falls
IDAHO FALLS – The owners of a new business want to babysit your kids while you have a night out with your significant other.
Parents Night Out Co. opens this Friday and provides drop-in childcare for parents wanting a date night on Friday and Saturday. The same service is available for weddings, corporate events or other occasions.
Owners Patrick and Nicole Marks run it out of their home at 2649 Newman Drive in Idaho Falls. They, along with their business partner, Mely Rodriguez, are hosting an open house and grand opening on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there, and raffle prizes will be available.
In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, the Marks say there’s a lot of interest in this service throughout the community, and they’re excited to serve families.
“We’ve been working with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to get background checks and CPR, first aid and (AED) certified,” Nicole says.
“We don’t have an official state license, as of right now,” Patrick adds, explaining that they’re currently exempt from it because there isn’t a category that fits the type of service they offer.
The Marks say they’ve been approved to move forward while the department figures out the licensing situation.
“We have everything we need to (become licensed) once we figure out what category we fall under,” says Patrick.
The Marks are the parents of four kids 8 and under. For them, finding a babysitter is always a challenge. If they find one, they say it’s always expensive.
Nicole and Rodriguez, who is also a mom, used to work together. It was Rodriguez who first pitched her the idea of a daycare service for weddings and events.
Rodriguez and the Marks joined forces, and Parents Night Out was born.
“We want it to be homey. We want kids to come and feel safe and have fun,” says Nicole.
Parents Night Out is a side hustle for the trio.
Nicole has a day job as a forklift and machine operator at the Idaho National Lab. Patrick drives a cement mixer for Central Valley Concrete Cutting & Coring, and Rodriguez works at Kenworth Sales.
They’re excited to begin operation and want to see the business grow. Eventually, they’d like to have their own building from which to operate the daycare service.
They’re inviting the community to come and meet them at the open house on Saturday.
“One of the reasons we’re having the open house is so people can see the house and meet us, ask questions and have an open dialogue,” Rodriguez says.
Drop-in daycare services are available every Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight. The cost is $5 an hour per child and another $3 an hour for every additional child in the same household. Event and wedding childcare can be arranged by appointment.
To learn more, visit the website or Facebook page. You can also call (208) 810-1340.
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Are you struggling with Idaho housing costs? China plays a role in driving prices up. Twin Falls County Republican Party Chairman Tom Wangeman says you can draw a direct line. He recently read a story in a European publication about how China is involved in money laundering. The Chinese sell a lot of chemicals used in the production of illegal drugs. The money they receive is then converted into dollars, which is then invested in coastal real estate in the United States.
It’s a Twisting Road to Idaho
Coastal prices are then inflated, sellers take the money from the investors, and then come to places like Idaho, and drive up the cost of housing here, because it appears to them a bargain.
While there’s a smorgasbord of causes for the runaway cost of housing, this is one that our government has some direct control over. Which is why the Trump Administration is attacking drug boats. You may not stop all of them, but if you deter some shipments, it could be a deterrent, and cut business, and cut the benefit for China. The approach would be easier than confronting China in an all-out war! Don’t expect overnight results. We still need more homes. There’s a shortage. The law of supply and demand would follow in lessening costs, which have eased somewhat nationally.
Local Leaders have Options
Trump’s housing secretary was on my radio show a few months ago, and he explained we still need to cut red tape, including at the state and local levels. He shared that same message later that day with some of our local politicians. They told me, and they said he was very direct. I like that approach.
Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in Idaho
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