Category — Boise, Idaho

CALDWELL — A Caldwell man who admitted sexually abusing and beating his three adopted children has been given a life sentence for his crimes. Judge Bradley Ford ordered 35-year-old Kekoa Gaunavinaka to serve at least 25  years in prison for the crime of lewd conduct with a minor.   Gaunavinaka was also sentenced to 10 years for two counts of injury to a child.  The sentences will be served …

NAMPA — A survivor of the earthquake in Haiti has returned to Nampa. You first met NNU grad Katie Zook when we interviewed her from her hospital bed in Miami. Zook was in Haiti on a two-year mission with the Free Methodist Church when the earthquake hit, and the building she was in collapsed. We caught up with Zook again on her first trip back to Nampa. We were there when Katie was reunited …

BOISE — The principal at Mountain Home Junior High School is on paid administrative leave pending an investigation by the school district. According to James Gilbert, the district’s assistant superintendent, the vice principal has been made the principal of the school while the investigation into Bill McCarrel is going on. According to Gilbert, what McCarrell did, did not involve students and …

CALDWELL — Vallivue High School in Caldwell was put in lockdown for nearly three hours today after the school received a bomb threat. Principal Richard Brulotte says a student found the threat written on a stall in the boy’s bathroom and notified school officials. The school alerted police and the bomb squad was called out.  Police, along with bomb-sniffing dogs, and school personnel combed the …

BOISE — The state plans to open another charter school in Nampa, despite objections from one of Idaho’s largest school districts. There are four charter schools operating in the community, with one more set to open this fall and another approved to begin classes in 2011. That’s more than any other city in the state and Nampa School District officials say the rapid growth has exacerbated their …

BOISE — Hammer Flat, a place where developers once proposed building a planned community, will instead remain a haven for wild animals in Boise’s eastern foothills.   In a special meeting Tuesday, the Boise City Council voted unanimously to buy more than 700 acres of land above the Black Cliffs near Lucky Peak. The main driving force behind the city wanting to preserve this land was to make it …

BOISE — The city of Boise will hold a celebration event on Saturday, March 13 in honor of Olympic silver medalist Jeret “Speedy” Peterson. Peterson won the silver medal in the men’s freestyle aerials skiing at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games last month after landing his famous “hurricane” on the final jump. The celebration event kicks off at 9 a.m. and will feature a ”Champion’s Run …

NAMPA — A suspected drunk driver is in police custody after Nampa Police say he caused a two-car accident at Midland Boulevard and Orchard Avenue Monday afternoon. Officers received a call about a man driving erratically, but were unable to locate the man until after the accident. When police arrived at the crash scene they found a maroon SUV and a silver passenger car badly damaged.  None of …

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – One of two U.S. Baptist missionaries still held on kidnapping charges in Haiti was released Monday, but the group’s leader remained in custody. Charisa Coulter was taken from her jail cell to the airport by U.S. Embassy staff more than a month after she and nine other Americans were arrested for trying to take 33 children out of Haiti after the earthquake. Coulter …

BOISE – We are learning much more about the former Boise Police officer accused of lewd conduct with children. Stephen Young, 58, appeared before an Ada County judge this afternoon. Young worked for the Boise Police Department for more than 30 years and as a school resource officer for 10 years. We learned today in court Monday that the investigation against him dates back 30 years. Young …

BOISE — The city of Boise will hold a celebration event on Saturday, March 13 in honor of Olympic silver medalist Jeret “Speedy” Peterson. Peterson won the silver medal in the men’s freestyle aerials skiing at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games last month after landing his famous “hurricane” on the final jump. The celebration event kicks off at 9 a.m. and will feature a ”Championship Run” from …

BOISE — Idaho Department of Transportation officials say Idaho Highway 21 between Grandjean Junction and Banner Summit in central Idaho is open again. An 12-mile stretch known as “avalanche alley” was closed earlier today because of avalanche danger. The department’s lead avalanche forecaster Bill Nicholson says the weak snowpack combined with high temperatures in the region have created a …

GOODING — Gooding residents will vote Tuesday on a $5 million bond levy that supporters say would help repair aging school facilities in the region. Superintendent Heather Williams says the district needs to replace a high school heating and air conditioning system is 40 years old and build a new cafeteria. The Times-News reports the money would also go toward new carpeting, roof repairs and …

BOISE – Some local painters took advantage of Sunday’s beautiful weather to paint the scenery and they found plenty of inspiration in Capitol Park. “To try and capture an early spring day with some color,” said Shannan Sutch. “That’s what I’m working on. It’s been too cold for too long, so it’s nice to get out.” Sutch and fellow painter Rick Friesen set up side-by-side in the park to capture the …

BOISE - Sunday marked the end of a long-time downtown Boise store. Macy’s Department Store closed for good early Sunday evening. It was in January when the company first announced the decision. A spokesman said the corporate office was streamlining by shedding stores that weren’t performing well. Since that announcement, prices were slashed and daily sales were held to get rid of inventory …

POCATELLO, Idaho — Idaho Fish and Game officials say they hope to use DNA evidence to determine whether a wolf kill actually took place in the hunting zone in which it was reported. Fish and Game Conservation Officer Lauren Wendt says there is no evidence anything illegal occurred, but that the reported kill is suspicious because there have never been any wolf sightings near where the hunter …

EAGLE –Volunteers gathered in the foothills above Eagle Saturday to plant thousands of seedlings in the popular recreational area. Last August, a wildfire destroyed all the plants in the area. Experts said if they aren’t proactive about putting new plants in the ground, it would take years for the area to grow back. Several Scout troops throughout the area made up part of the 150 volunteers who …

BOISE — Over the last few years the Idaho Humane Society has played a larger role in horse and livestock rescues. To help offset those costs, they held their 3rd Annual Consignment Sale Saturday. For the last week, volunteers accepted items on consignment for today’s sale. Horse tack, riding equipment, clothing and more animal-related items were on sale. Proceeds will go to benefit the Idaho …

NAMPA, Idaho – The city of Nampa plans to install larger,more reflective stop signs at an accident-prone traffic stop in the southwestern Idaho community. In the past six years, police say there has been 26 accidents and more than 30 injuries where the Middleton Road and Smith Avenue streets cross paths and a person was hospitalized earlier this week after a crash at the intersection. Nampa …

BOISE – A three vehicle accident on eastbound 1-84 blocking traffic in both lanes for approximately two hours Saturday. A vehicle attempting to merge onto the freeway from Orchard did not check oncoming traffic. As a result, the driver of a vehicle that would have been hit managed to stop on the freeway to avoid an accident. A second vehicle was also able to stop, but a semi was not able to …

NAMPA — The state of Idaho has never shut down a charter school before. But it is coming close to doing so against Nampa Classical Academy — a school that has been reprimanded before by the state. Nampa Classical Academy is involved in a lawsuit over the use of the Bible in the classroom.  The charter school is suing state officials for barring the Bible. But this latest incident isn’t over …

BOISE — Beginning Friday night, three popular bars in downtown Boise will no longer allow smoking. China Blue, Main Street Bistro and Dirty Little Roddy’s are all making the change.    Owner Ted Challenger says he made the decision based on health concerns.    He says too many of his empoloyees were getting sick from second-hand smoke. According to SmokeFree Idaho, secondhand smoke kills 220 …

BOISE — Two Boise men were arrested on drug charges Wednesday after police followed up on a complaint from a neighbor about loud parties at the residence. Thomas J. Williams, 21,  has been charged with possession of marijuana  and frequenting a place where drugs are used.  John R. Riddle, 22, is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and frequenting a place where drugs are used. Their …

BOISE – Two schools in southeast Boise were put on lockdown for about an hour this afternoon after police received a report of a man with a gun. Les Bois Junior High and Trail Elementary went into lockdown at 2′20 p.m.  All of the children were kept safe inside the schools. About 730 students attend Les Bois and were scheduled to be released from school at 2′30 p.m., however Boise School …

WILDER — There is pink water in Wilder, but the town’s mayor says not to worry, it is safe to drink. Mayor John Bechtel says it’s very easy for there to be a slight glitch in the system when it comes to the disinfectants, and that is what happened this time. “It’s a very delicate mixture of two chemicals and if anyone of them gets a little out of balance it causes the coloration.  Now, there is …

BOISE — The state has taken a first step toward shuttering a public charter school that is suing Idaho officials in federal court for barring the Bible and other religious texts from the classroom. Nampa Classical Academy board member Erik Makrush says the Idaho Public Charter School Commission voted Thursday to begin the lengthy process of revoking its charter because the school failed to …

PARMA – Firefighters were able to quickly put out a fire today at the Court Motel in Parma. A woman who lives in one of the apartments there says she woke up and saw flames above her head. She was able to crawl out, wake a neighbor and then call 911. Firefighters put out the fire in less than 10 minutes. They believe the cause may be electrical, but are still investigating.

BOISE — It was a less than typical day for students at Borah High School. A mercury spill caused officials to evacuate one of their buildings this afternoon.  Fire officials say a pea-size drop of mercury spilled from a piece of jewelry worn by a student onto a desk.  Several students played with the droplet before it splattered on the floor. Haz Mat crews tested 15 students, and each were …

BOISE — Legislative budget writers voted to redirect more than $500,000 from a Boise high school for young mothers to instead be divvied up between 115 school districts. The 46-year-old Marian Pritchett High School’s funding was shifted Wednesday when the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee cut Idaho’s total public education budget by 7.5 percent, to $1.58 billion. Deborah Hedden-Nicely, the …

BOISE — From an overweight mother to a beauty pageant contestant — one Nampa woman’s story has inspired a nationally known doctor to ask for her help. Dr. Oz found Jill Knapp’s story online. Now he has her helping others shed pounds with a few less calories, a little more exercise, and a whole lot of motivation. There’s no junk food snacking for Jill Knapp. Her lunch on Wednesday — baked …