The Cascade cross country program continues to build from the ground up, hiring a new coach this fall and planning to bring back a race the school hosted for the first time last year.The Ramblers travel to compete in the Nampa City Meet on Saturday.Current varsity runners include Lincoln Huckaby, Will Huckaby, Kyser Ellsworth, Roby Kirby, Hans Mockwitz, Rachel Hegerhorst and Gracie McCammon.Cascade also has the Vallivue Scramble (Sept.
Resources for domestic violence victims and youth trail management programs are among the things funded by $32,000 in grants awarded in 2024 by the Stibnite Foundation.The foundation, which was established in 2019 by Perpetua Resources, awards grants annually to community organizations through a competitive application process.“Every year when we review grant applications, we are blown away by the incredible work taking place in our communities,” said New Meadows resident Julie Good, a spokesperson for the foundation.This year’s grant cycle awarded seven grants to local organizations, including the Horizon’s Lifestyle and Education Team, Rise Up 2 Thrive and the New Meadows Community Farmers Market.The grants will fund training to help teachers better support students with dyslexia, a regional youth summit and improvements to the Yellow Pine Community Hall, among other things.The $32,000 awarded in 2024 brings the foundation’s total to $222,000 awarded since its first grant cycle in 2020.
Forest fires in the West Mountain Complex continued to grow amid hot, dry and windy conditions.Fire conditions across the region have been so hectic that fire managers have had to report approximate numbers for containment on the Boulder and Lava Fires to the southwest of Cascade.“I’ve worked here since 1995, and I have never seen such a complex fire situation as we’ve had these last two months,” said Brant Peterson, the Forest Supervisor on the Boise National Forest at a meeting at the Cascade Fire Station on Tuesday evening.Evacuation orders along West Mountain were expanded Monday and Tuesday, and officials warned that they could change rapidly.To sign up for Valley County’s emergency evacuation alert system CodeRed, visit www.co.valley.id.us/CompleteEmergencyNotificationandAlerting.Cascade and the surrounding area has been broken down into zones, with evacuation orders issued for specific areas.To view a map of specific zones, visit www.co.valley.id.us/departments/EmergencyManagement and select “Valley County Hazards and Risk Map.”On Sunday, conditions aligned to create “extreme fire behavior,” with the Lava Fire growing from about 2,500 acres to almost 47,000 acres, joining with the western perimeter of the Boulder Fire and progressing north along West Mountain.The fire grew yet again on Monday, reaching about 69,000 acres and about 70,000 acres as of Tuesday evening and a combined 78,000 with the Boulder Fire footprint included.It had burned within a quarter mile of homes along West Mountain Road in some areas.“The homes that are in front of these fires are our number one priority,” said Kevin Wright, an administrator with the Boise National Forest.As the fire expanded, firefighters continued work to prevent the blaze from destroying homes along West Mountain Road.Controlled burns were done Tuesday to slow the fire’s progression into Willow Creek and elsewhere along the hillside.Crews also continued to construct fireline with bulldozers and prepare structures in the West Mountain area by removing brush and establishing hose and sprinkler lines.As of Tuesday, approximate numbers were listed for the Boulder Fire as 24% contained at about 8,800 acres.The cost of the Boulder Fire was about $33.9 million as of Tuesday, with about $2.5 million spend on the Lava Fire so far.
The Valley Countywide EMS District will ask voters to approve a $4.21 million permanent levy override in the November general election.The district had previously decided to seek a permanent levy in November, but had not finalized an amount.If approved, the levy would fully fund emergency medical services across Valley County, including one ambulance, 24 hours per day in each fire district in Cascade, Donnelly and McCall, said EMS District Commission Chair Travis Smith.“Our hope is that this levy override passes and gives us the funding needed to fully fund the EMS district and staff an additional fourth ambulance in Valley County,” Smith said.A 2019 outside study of the Valley County EMS system not only recognized the funding shortfall, but also indicated a need for a fourth ambulance by 2025, he said.“The service demand indicated by the study is coming to fruition but we think we can stave off the absolute need for a couple more years, by adding staffing incrementally until a unit can be staffed full time,” Smith said.A two thirds majority plus one vote is required for the vote to pass.The levy would cost about $35.52 per $100,000 in taxable property value per year.The current levy costs $12 per $100,000 in taxable property value per year, raising about $1.2 million each year, an amount that is “inadequate” to handle the current emergency needs in Valley County, Smith said.The EMS levy for fiscal year 2025, which starts Dec.
Cheers of excitement were quickly replaced by the nonstop thwack of pickleball paddles as the Valley County Pickleball Courts were officially opened to the public on Saturday.About 60 people attended the grand opening at the nine-court complex at 76 East Lake Fork Road, celebrating the milestone with cake, coffee and, of course, pickleball.“We’re just getting started, this is just the beginning,” said Valley County Pickleball Club President Denise Sbona.The facility includes nine pickleball courts separated and enclosed by a chain-link fence as well as a parking lot, storage shed and toilet facility.Using the facility is free, but parking fees must be paid to Valley County.
Perpetua Resources’ proposed gold and antimony mine is in the Stibnite Mining District about 40 air miles east of McCall.Perpetua, formerly known as Midas Gold, plans to extract about $6 billion in gold, silver, and antimony from Stibnite, the site of historic mining operations during World War II and as far back as 1899.Approval of the project would trigger a three-year construction phase that Perpetua estimates would cost about $1.26 billion, followed by 12 to 15 years of mining.Gold, silver, and antimony would be extracted from three open pit mines totaling about 473 acres of disturbance within the 1,740-acre project zone, which is about three miles from the Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness.An on-site ore processing facility would remove gold and silver from up to 25,000 tons of rock per day in a contained cyanide circuit, according to Perpetua’s operating plan.Opponents to the mine fear it would pollute the East Fork South Fork Salmon River, which flows through the project site, and cause other environmental damage.The mine is expected to produce 115 million pounds of antimony and 4.2 million ounces of gold, which is expected to account for 94% of the mine’s estimated $6 billion in lifetime revenue.Stibnite would become the only domestic mined source of antimony and would supply an estimated 35% of annual demand for the mineral in the United States during the first six years of the mine, according to Perpetua.Antimony is used in the renewable energy industry and to make flame-proofing materials, paint, glass, defense munitions and ceramics.Exploration of the Stibnite Mining District began with drilling in 2009.
Last week, the Stibnite Gold Project received its Draft Record of Decision after eight years of permitting, marking a huge win for Valley County and our country.
Payette Spangenberg started the varsity mountain bike race by crashing and losing her bike chain, but finished in first place after overtaking the entire field.Cyclists in the McCall Area Composite Mountain Bike Team landed 21 podium places, including five first place finishes at the third race of the Interscholastic Cycling League season.The race was held at Grand Targhee Resort near Alta, Wyoming on Saturday with 717 middle school and high school athletes participating.Spangenberg crashed hard while battling for a slot at the front of the pack coming into the first singletrack section, which was too tight to allow any passing, said Team Director Dean Cromwell.“She immediately got back up, took a minute to put her chain back on, and found herself in last place,” Cromwell said.
Sebastian Carheden made his first goal this season an exceptional one, helping the McCall-Donnelly boys soccer team edge Emmett, 1-0, during a Snake River Valley Conference game played last week on the road.Carheden, a sophomore, beat the Huskies goalkeeper with a finish deep into the second half, giving the Vandals a third one-score victory in five games.M-D also traveled to Nampa on Saturday, but were turned away 3-0 to drop its first game this season.Despite the loss, Vandal coach Forrest Stanley said his squad is improving.