February 2024

Cascade cheer take long road to state

The Cascade cheer team took a long, long road on its way to competing at the Idaho High School Dance and Cheer Championships, held at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa on Saturday.The Ramblers competed in the All Girls Show division, which included Show, Pom and Sideline events, and placed 10th out of the 17 teams from 2A schools that participated.Cascade coach Dorothy Stillwell described the experience as “amazing” for her cheerleaders.“Last year was our first year competing,” Stillwell said.

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Davis Ave. rebuild delayed

The second phase of a rebuild of Davis Avenue in McCall will not begin until at least 2025, the McCall City Council decided last week.The council unanimously voted during its regular meeting last Thursday to reject a $5 million bid to rebuild the roadway this summer from Reedy Lane to Lick Creek Road.The project would rebuild the roadway with new pavement, bicycle lanes, and stormwater drainage swales while also replacing water lines beneath the roadway, according to plans.Work could also include building a separated pedestrian pathway between Fairway Drive and Lick Creek Road if funding allows.The city received one bid for the work from Blue Sky Construction of Meridian, whose bid was about 25% over a $4 million estimate provided by engineering consultants hired by the city.The city plans to re-bid the project in the fall in hopes of receiving a lower price to complete the work in 2025, McCall Public Works Director Nathan Stewart said.“Money saved on this project means money that can go into other roads and other street projects in the next couple years,” Stewart said.Overall, the Davis Avenue rebuild is expected to cost a total of about $6.6 million, including $2.6 million in work completed last year, the first year of a planned two-year rebuild.The first year of work saw the roadway rebuilt with new pavement and bicycle lanes from Thompson Avenue to Reedy Lane.The work also replaced water lines beneath the roadway and added stormwater drainage swales along each side of the road.A $1.9 million grant from the Idaho Transportation Department is expected to fund about half of the next phase of work, which is currently projected to cost $4 million.

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Low snow, no problem

Angela Staup knelt in the rain and molded flower petals around the exterior of a snow sculpture she carved for this year’s McCall Winter Carnival Snow Sculpture Contest.Staup, who grew up in McCall, has seen a lot of ice sculptures throughout the years and wants to keep the tradition alive this year, despite warm weather and a lack of snow.“This year, despite the weather, I figured we could do something fun for the community and try to make the winter carnival still a little magical and a community-oriented event,” said Staup, 36.The theme for this year’s winter carnival, which begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday, is “Color Outside the Lines.” The theme is aimed at honoring creativity and the commitment to excellence of local educators.Staup’s sculpture “Goddess Garden” is an homage to her mother who was a school teacher in McCall for 40 years.This year she wants her sculpture, which is set in front of Razzle Dazzle at 503 Pine St., to be happy and bright for people passing by.

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New pharmacy opens in Cascade

Sherri Schruder was able to pick up her prescriptions in Cascade last week for the first time since the Watkins Pharmacy burned down over two years ago.Schruder, 67, lives in Cascade and has been driving to McCall to pick up prescriptions once a month, a trip that she is happy to avoid now that Medicap Pharmacy has opened a new location at 220 S.

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Valley EMS to seek $4.1 million in May

The Valley County EMS District will seek a permanent levy override for up to $4.1 million in the May primary election.If approved, it would fund staffing for four ambulances, 24 hours per day in fire districts serving Cascade, Donnelly and McCall, as well as surrounding areas in the county.Commissioners must still approve the final ballot language for the measure to go before voters on May 21.

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Short-term rental owners sue McCall

A group of McCall short-term rental owners is suing the City of McCall over regulations that limit short-term rental occupancy based on the number of bedrooms.A complaint filed last week in Fourth Judicial District Court asks a judge to throw out the rules and allow all 364 short-term rentals permitted before the rules were adopted to continue operating.The complaint says the rules hold short-term rentals to different standards than other homes without justification by data or studies.“There was no evidence short-term rentals are inherently less safe than long-term rentals or owner-occupied residences,” the complaint said.

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