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BEAR CUB KILLED
Killing of orphaned Idaho black bear cub raises questions
(Information from: Idaho Mountain Express, http://www.mtexpress.com)
KETCHUM, Idaho (AP) — Questions are being raised after an Idaho Department of Fish and Game officer killed an orphaned black bear cub in Hailey last week rather than send it to a rehabilitation facility.
Terry Thompson of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game tells the Idaho Mountain Express that the agency generally doesn't consider big game animals for rehabilitation.
Thompson says the agency killed the cub rather than send it to a rehabilitation facility because success isn't guaranteed, and Idaho already has a healthy black bear population.
Sally Maughan of Idaho Black Bear Rehab says that facility has had plenty of success raising bear cubs without habituating them to humans and releasing them into the wild.
Off 225 cubs, 212 were released into the wild. Only four were euthanized due to human-bear conflicts.
She says the public cares about what happens to orphaned and injured cubs.
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WOMAN KILLED-SENTENCE
Woman gets 30 years for role in Social Security killing
(Information from: Lewiston Tribune, http://www.lmtribune.com)
LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — A Washington woman has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for her role in the killing of a woman whose body was found in Idaho.
The Lewiston Tribune reports that 31-year-old Amanda Jones of Spokane received the sentence Friday in 2nd District Court and must serve at least 15 years.
Jones pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the summer 2018 killing of Sarah Warden of Clarkston, Washington. Her body was found at Mud Springs Pond near Winchester in Idaho.
Police say three people took part in killing Warden to get her $800 Social Security check.
Gabriel Mattingly pleaded guilty to concealing the murder and received a sentence of five to 15 years.
Twenty-five-year-old Cole Marcell of Kamiah is charged with first-degree murder. His trial is pending.
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POLICE SHOOTING-FATAL
Police: 1 dead in officer-involved shooting in eastern Idaho
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Authorities in eastern Idaho say a man is dead following an officer-involved shooting.
The Idaho Falls Police Department says the shooting occurred at about 11 p.m. Friday in Idaho Falls near an intersection.
The agency says no officers were injured. Police also say no other individuals were involved and there's no ongoing threat to the public.
Police have released few details, and it's not clear what led to the shooting, how many officers were involved, or whether the man possessed or fired a weapon.
The Southeast Idaho Critical Incident Team comprised of the Idaho State Police and other law enforcement agencies is investigating.
COSMIC CRISP
Move over, Honeycrisp: New apple to debut at grocery stores
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — They call it the Cosmic Crisp. It's not a video game, a superhero or the title of a Grateful Dead song.
It's a new variety of apple, coming to a grocery store near you on Dec. 1
Cosmic Crisp is the first apple ever bred in the state of Washington, which grows the majority of the United States' apples.
Growers have already planted 12 million Cosmic Crisp apple trees, a sign of confidence in the new variety that was developed by Washington State University.
The apple is called Cosmic Crisp because of the bright yellowish dots on its skin, which look like distant stars.
POLICE CHASE-SHOOTING
Idaho police identify man killed in police chase, shooting
WENDELL, Idaho (AP) — Idaho authorities have identified a man fatally shot by police after a high-speed chase.
Police identified the suspect Thursday as 28-year-old David Bamber Jr. of Pleasanton, Calif.
The Twin Falls Police Department says Bamber was wanted for burglary and firearm possession charges by California authorities and was a suspect in two kidnappings in Nevada.
Authorities say the chase began Tuesday when an Ada County deputy attempted a traffic stop on Interstate 84 before officers from multiple county and state agencies found and pursued the vehicle 30 minutes later.
Authorities say during the pursuit Bamber stole a pickup truck at gunpoint and continued to evade law enforcement traveling south from Bliss.
Authorities say pursuing officers open fired ending the chase at a dairy near Wendell.
An investigation is underway.
SMALLER SCHOOLS-TEACHER PAY
Pay disparity hampers teacher retention in small districts
(Information from: Post Register, http://www.postregister.com)
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Some smaller Idaho school districts are struggling to retain teachers who are tempted by the bigger paychecks and increased resources offered by larger districts.
The Post Register reports records from the State Department of Education shows that 184 teachers have changed school districts in Idaho since the 2014 school year. Many, like teacher Gregory Egan, switched from a smaller district to a larger one.
Egan left the Clark County Junior/Senior High school in Dubois to join the Bonneville Joint School District in Idaho Falls. He says he was drawn by better pay, improved housing options and the opportunity for more school resources and activities.
Last year, the average base salary for a teacher in Idaho Falls was roughly $46,700. Base salary averages in the Clark County, Madison, Ririe, Sugar-Salem and West Jefferson school districts were all at least $4,000 lower.
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