November 2024

P&Z shuts down solar farm proposal

A proposal to build Valley County’s first solar farm was denied Thursday by the Valley County Zoning Commission.Commissioners told applicants Kristen and Sean Rogers of McCall that the proposal was not complete and that the little information that was provided would negatively affect neighboring properties.The application proposed to build an array of eight-foot-high solar panels on about 95% of a 15-acre property at 12600 Goode Ln, about six miles south of Donnelly.“The way that I see this is we have an incomplete application.

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Food banks prepare for Thanksgiving as demand rises

As Thanksgiving approaches, food banks across Valley and Adams Counties are working to ensure local families have the supplies they need to put a special holiday meal on the table.This year, the need is even greater than usual due to economic pressures, particularly rising food costs as many families work hard to make ends meet but still find themselves stretched thin.“We’re seeing ever-increasing numbers of families, even more so than during COVID,” said Linda Klind, director of the Heartland Hunger and Resource Center in McCall.Each year, hundreds of families in Valley and Adams counties need help from food banks including the Donnelly Food Pantry, Cascade Food Pantry, New Meadows Food Bank and Heartland.Each organization works to ensure that no one in Valley or Adams counties goes without food.

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Donnelly fourth graders study fire

Donnelly Fire & EMS Captain Nick Landry lit up the table filled with sawdust and wood chips to demonstrate to a group of students how wildland fires can travel quickly.The Donnelly Elementary fourth grade class is currently learning the FireWorks curriculum, a free hands-on interactive program that teaches students the science behind wildland fires, said Melissa Maini, the fourth-grade teacher at Donnelly Elementary.Maini, 58, has taught the program for several before it took a pause during COVID.It is back again this year with a class of 18 students.The curriculum teaches how the local terrain and plants affect wildland fires, said Maini.

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Now You Know: Nov. 21

Students at Donnelly Elementary School have a new after school program aimed at helping bridge the gap till the end of the day when parents get off work.The Ignite Donnelly Aftercare Collaborative (IDAC) officially launched on Nov.

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Ponderosa Park winds down projects for winter

This summer has seen a flurry of activity at Ponderosa Park, with a new pathway, campsite improvements and a beachfront development underway at Kokanee Cove that includes rental cabins and an event center overlooking Payette Lake.Once finished, the $8 million Kokanee Cove project will include a parking lot with 27 parking spaces, an event center and six rental cabins, adding to the 10 cabins available near the park’s visitor center.Construction on the project wrapped up for the season this week with two cabins framed and roofed and foundations poured for two more before the snow fell.The project is scheduled to be finished by fall 2025, said Josh Schwandt, who oversees the project for CM Construction of Boise.The event center, which has a new roof and will see a complete overhaul of the interior, was formerly used as a chapel prior to the state park acquiring the property from the Nazarene Church in the early 2000s.The church had used the property as a summer camp.

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Ramblers honored by Long Pin

Cascade senior Stuart Derrick snared first team honors on both offense and defense as the Long Pin Conference announced postseason awards for football.Two more Ramblers, Cole Olson and Hayden Hull, were also recognized with first team nods following a vote by league coaches.Hull was also selected to the All-Long Pin Second Team for his work on the defensive line, joining teammate Jackson Hansen, who made the list as a tight end.Olson’s first team selection came at running back, and came despite the Rambler senior missing two games to start the year as he recovered from offseason surgery.

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Mountaineers’ James delivers dagger in OT

The McCall Mountaineers thrilled a home crowd over the weekend, pulling out a pair of close victories over the Reno Ice Raiders at the Manchester Ice and Events Centre.It started with a walk off performance Friday night when Mountaineer forward Nate James delivered a dagger – a golden goal – in overtime to end the game, 6-5, and secure the victory.Goaltender Seth Askew, a McCall resident, also turned away 26 shots during the overtime win, including three in extra time.James’ game-winner came on a broken play just inside Reno’s blue line.“Nate jumped off the bench, grabbed the puck, made a great move and then had a very accurate shot picking the top corner,” Mountaineer coach Marty Flichel said.McCall completed the weekend sweep with a 5-4 win Saturday on the shoulders of a three-goal effort from Chase CooneyThe victory sent the Ice Raiders packing back to Reno with a pair of losses.A repeat of last year.No wonder the Reno squad tackled Friday’s opener with vigor.It was a physical game.

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