News

ITD starts name a snowplow contest

Eighth graders across the state will have the opportunity to name a snowplow operated by the Idaho Transportation Department.The statewide competition is only open to eighth grade classrooms in an effort to promote snowplow safety to students who will soon attend driver’s education programs, ITD officials said.The contest was organized by ITD and the Idaho Department of Education.“This contest is such a fun way to engage students with a safety message that’s essential to our young drivers, especially as the weather cools and winter approaches,” said Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield.Each classroom will be allowed to submit one appropriate name under 15 characters to the contest before the Oct.

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P&Z likes Dawson Trails subdivision

A proposal to build 28 single family homes and townhomes along Wooley Avenue was recommended for approval last week by the McCall Area Planning and Zoning Commission.The proposal by HTW McCall, a company registered to Shane Mace of Eagle, would develop two parcels totaling 3.7 acres along Wooley and Davis avenues between Spruce Street and Louisa Avenue.The subdivision, known as Dawson Trails, would build 12 single family homes with two-car garages and 16 three-story townhomes with two-car garages, according to plans.“It fits into this area very well,” P&Z commissioner Dana Paugh said of the proposal.The design of the subdivision was granted final approval by the P&Z, but other applications associated with the development are still subject to a public hearing before the McCall City Council, which has not yet been scheduled.Short-term rentals will not be allowed in the single family homes, but would be allowed in the townhomes.One of the single family homes would be deed restricted for use only by people who live and work in McCall under the city’s local housing program.The subdivision would include several public pathways, including a gravel pathway between Louisa Avenue and Davis Avenue that would connect to an existing public pathway west of Louisa Avenue.An existing dirt and gravel pathway along Dawson Avenue would also be widened and paved to city standards for a public pathway, under the plans.The subdivision would also include a residential walking path, a public dog park, and about 1.3 acres of open space.A traffic study found that the subdivision would not significantly change existing traffic on Dawson Avenue and other nearby roads and intersections.Nobody spoke in opposition to the proposed subdivision during a public hearing at Tuesday’s meeting.

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$80M fiber project still on, but needs permits

A 198-mile fiber project that could increase internet speeds available in Valley County still needs permitting approval before construction can begin, the developer told The Star-News.The $80 million project, proposed by the Idaho Regional Optical Network and the Intermountain Infrastructure Group, would run fiber lines from high-speed internet networks in the Treasure Valley through Cascade, Donnelly, McCall and New Meadows.The fiber lines would update copper lines that transfer data significantly slower and hamper internet speeds in the region.The project would establish a direct fiber internet connection into Valley County, solving what local officials have long viewed as a major hurdle to high-speed internet in the area.The project was awarded $20 million from the Idaho Broadband Fund in 2023, but work has not yet started due to construction permitting, IRON CEO Andy Binder said.Binder declined further comment, but said he was “optimistic” that he would have more to share in the months ahead.The Intermountain Infrastructure Group plans to fund the remaining $60 million the project is expected to cost.The companies plan to make the 288 fiber strands installed through the region available for local governments, internet providers and other entities to lease.The fiber is generally expected to be buried along U.S.

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Private funds sought for regional fiber network

A collaborative of local governments will seek private funding to build a regional public high-speed internet network, the McCall City Council was told earlier this month.The group, known as the West Central Mountains Fiber Network, is seeking approval from each of its members to submit a letter of inquiry for private financing to fund the network.“We are basically reaching out to see what a project like that would look like,” said McCall Information Systems Director Chris Curtin, who represents the city in the collaborative.Any proposal would not be binding and would be subject to review and approval by members of the group, which includes Valley County and the cities of Cascade, Donnelly, McCall and New Meadows.Curtin estimated it could cost up to $30 million to build a network of miles of underground fiber internet lines, an expense the group cannot independently fund.Federal grant funding is available for broadband projects, but usually requires a match that could be difficult for local governments to raise, Curtin said.“We would need to come up with about $6 million to $8 million,” he said.The letter of inquiry is addressed to Jeff Christensen, president of EntryPoint Networks, a Salt Lake City consulting firm hired by the collaborative to help develop a regional public fiber network.EntryPoint is expected to reply with a proposal for funding a network of fiber lines linking homes and businesses from Cascade to New Meadows to high-speed internet service.McCall, Cascade and Valley County have approved submitting the letter, while Donnelly and New Meadows are expected to consider the topic soon.Building a public fiber network to serve the region would improve internet speeds, broaden access, increase reliability and lower monthly service costs, according to the collaborative.Once built, existing internet service providers, like Ziply Fiber and Sparklight, would be able to offer their service packages to customers using the group’s public network.That would increase competition between providers and lower monthly service costs, according to the group.Participation in the regional network is expected to be on a voluntary, opt-in basis for local residents and businesses.

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