1+ day, 2+ hour ago (987+ words) IRVINE, Calif. " The Idaho Vandals women's basketball team clinched its fifth win in a row, defeating the Colgate Raiders 82-53 on Friday at the UC Irvine Tournament at Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. Hope Hassmann led the team with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. Debora dos Santos had a season-high 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor and corralled nine boards. Ana Beatriz Alves Passos da Silva collected a career-high eight rebounds. Idaho outrebounded Colgate 50-36. The Vandals (6-1) shot 45.1% from the field while Colgate (4-2) shot just 30.2%. Idaho pulled away in the third quarter with a 21-8 run for a 63-39 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Vandals scored 80 points for the fifth time in seven games this season. Hassmann 6-10 5-6 17, Pinheiro 3-9 2-2 9, Barbosa 2-6 1-1 6, Gardner 2-7 0-0 4, Uriarte 1-3 0-0 3, Dos Santos 6-6 3-4 15, Beatriz Passos Alves da Silva 4-7 1-3 9, Henley 2-4 0-0 6, McMorris 2-9 0-0 4, Brans 2-7 0-0 4, Ekh…...

3+ day, 14+ hour ago (183+ words) The group behind a proposed ballot initiative to end Idaho's strict abortion ban says it's well on its way to qualifying for the ballot. Idahoans United for Women and Families announced last week that the group has collected more than 50,000 signatures so far " out of the nearly 71,000 signatures needed. The ballot initiative, a power outlined in Idaho's constitution, allows voters to propose their own policies that carry the power of law " if approved by a majority vote. The group hopes to qualify the initiative, which would end Idaho's near-total abortion ban and add protections for reproductive rights, for the November 2026 election. "Crossing the 50,000 signature threshold is both a celebration and a clear signal that Idahoans want their voices heard," Idahoans United for Women and Families' Executive Director Melanie Folwell said in a statement. "Every signature is a reminder that these…...

5+ day, 2+ hour ago (1038+ words) A new report issued this month by a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization shows the Idaho Legislature reduced state revenue by a combined $4 billion through a series of five income tax cuts passed since 2021. The new report also shows that wealthy Idahoans in the top 1% of earners " those with an annual income of $738,300 and above " benefited the most from the income tax cuts. The report, "2025 Update: Idaho's String of Income Tax Cuts Continues to Jeopardize Investments in Public Services," was published by the Boise-based Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy. "Beyond that, those are also dollars that we don't have available to use to respond to in times during a recession," Knighten said. The report was issued just as the state of Idaho is grappling with 3% budget holdbacks, revenue shortfalls and a projected state budget deficit of $58.3 million for the current fiscal year…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (892+ words) The end of the season for the Idaho Vandal football team has arrived. The Vandals (4-7, 2-5 Big Sky) will gear up for their last contest of the year against the Idaho State Bengals (5-6, 4-3) at 1 p.m. today at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome. The Big Sky Conference clash will be broadcast on SWX and ESPN+. The winner of the game will walk away with the Potato State Trophy, a gargantuan wooden potato carved out of Douglas fir, weighing in at 18.6 pounds. Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. said that the team is excited to move forward and to finish out their season strong. Idaho will be celebrating senior day today, commemorating the careers of 13 student-athletes. The senior day ceremony will begin before kickoff and celebrate the careers of Jahman McNeil, Donovan Parham, Zakhari Spears, Xander Echols, LJ Harm, Dylan Fischer, Nate Thomas, Deuce Blenman, Sam Brown,…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (149+ words) MOSCOW " Indivisible Moscow is hosting a forum about public education from 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday in Moscow's 1912 Center. The discussion will focus on the state of public education at the national, ... Forum on Idaho's public ed this weekend in Moscow MOSCOW " Indivisible Moscow is hosting a forum about public education from 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday in Moscow's 1912 Center. The discussion will focus on the state of public education at the national, state, and local levels and what citizens can do to support schools. Guest speakers will represent public school teachers, charter schools and administrators. They will speak about the effect private school vouchers will have on public education in Idaho, and answer the public's questions The event will also serve as a food drive. Dayton man killed in two-vehicle crash near Washtucna Rep. Brandon Mitchell running for reelection...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (632+ words) While the state continues navigating budget holdbacks and revenue shortfalls, the balance of Idaho's wildfire suppression fund is expected to drop to $15 million after closing the books on the 2025 wildfire season, state officials said Tuesday. Idaho's expenses for the 2025 wildfire season netted about $40.6 million, Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller said during Tuesday's meeting of the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners, which is frequently referred to as simply the Land Board. Miller told the Land Board that Idaho incurred about $59.3 million in expenses as of Nov. 3, but the state expects to recoup about $18.6 million through reimbursement agreements and partnerships " resulting in a net total of about $40.6 million. Miller estimated that leaves the state's wildfire suppression fund with a balance of about $15 million heading into the 2026 wildfire season. That amount of money is likely not enough to pay wildfire…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (645+ words) The Idaho Vandals are in the first year of a rebuild, maybe a reconstruction or a renovation. No matter which term you choose, the reality is that ex-Vandal and current New Mexico coach Jason Eck left last year. Eck revitalized the program into a contender each of his three years, and frankly, he took some of the Vandals" top talent with him. This is Thomas Ford Jr."s first year at the helm of the program. I mentioned last week that he is building a brand new culture. That is not something that happens overnight " it will take time. It is incredibly easy to see one down year and say, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" However, if you view this year as a complete failure, you are surely mistaken. Ford"s multi-year plan is to build the…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (1088+ words) This article is part of an InvestigateWest series called "Guarded by Predators," exposing rape and abuse by Idaho's prison guards and the system that shields them. The entire series can be found at investigatewest.org/guarded-by-predators. Calls for reform are mounting after revelations of widespread sexual abuse inside Idaho women's prisons as state officials, lawmakers and advocates demand accountability from the Department of Correction. In a letter to Gov. Brad Little, the Southwest Idaho Chapter of the National Organization for Women condemned the state's "shameful" failure to protect incarcerated women from sexual abuse and harassment by prison staff. Prompted by InvestigateWest's reporting published last month, the group urged Little to order an independent investigation into complaints uncovered by reporters. The letter urges Little and Correction Director Bree Derrick to "immediately ensure the safety of the women in its custody" and…...

1+ mon, 14+ hour ago (752+ words) Can an aspiring trust buster and economic populist running as an independent unseat a three-term Idaho Republican and win a seat in the U.S. Senate? Long as the odds may be, Todd Achilles of Boise thinks dissatisfaction with what he calls a rigged economy and rigged two-party system can propel him to victory. "The core issue that I hear again and again from folks on the right, the left or in the middle, is it's the rigged economy, and it's just not working," he said during a visit to the Lewiston Tribune Wednesday. "Idahoans can't afford to live in Idaho. We need to not only break up the monopolies, but we need to restore livable wages. By my estimate, about 60% of Idahoans don't earn a livable wage." What's more, Achilles thinks if he and other unaffiliated Senate hopefuls win, they can…...

1+ mon, 4+ day ago (744+ words) Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part two, with part one having appeared in Saturday's Tribune. GRANGEVILLE " Idaho farmers are producing more food with fewer people than ever, but a tough math problem " flat to falling crop prices against higher costs " is tightening on the state's crop producers, speakers told a "Growing Our Understanding" forum Oct. 15, at the Super 8 in Grangeville. Hosted by the North Central Idaho Democratic Coalition, the panel featured Idaho Wheat Commission executive director Britany Marchant, University of Idaho agricultural economist and extension educator Colby Field, and retired Lewis County extension educator and Weippe-area farmer Ken Hart. Field said today's cost-price picture is grim across most crop budgets. Hart traced how local agriculture has changed since he began farming in 1979: widespread adoption of direct-seed/no-till systems,…...