The Courier
News
Canal Bridge Replacement On Highway 46
Work to replace the second of two small bridges along Idaho 46 has started and will impact traffic through the remainder of winter and early spring. Crews will be replacing the bridge over the W-9 canal
about a mile south of Interstate 84. Both bridges are expected to be complete by early May. Crews will begin demolishing the first half of the bridge before installation of the pre-cast concrete bridge.
The second half of the bridge will be demolished and constructed beginning in late February. Final paving of the roadway is expected to begin in April. For the duration of the project, traffic will be reduced to one lane and temporary traffic signals will be posted. A 35-mph speed limit and 11-foot-six-inch width restriction is in effect. The Cedar Draw canal bridge replacement (about five miles south of Wendell) is about halfway complete. Both bridges were built in 1939. More than 3,000 vehicles per day travel over each crossing.
Legislative News - Week One
Senator Michelle Stennett I am back at my desk in Boise for the 2016 legislative session where I will be reporting weekly on issues that impact the day-to-day lives of Idahoans, with a special emphasis on the residents of District 26. As always, our first week began with Governor Otter’s State of the State Address which focused heavily on boosting the education funding so drastically cut during the economic downturn.
The governor’s budget proposal calls for a 9% increase in higher education funding and a 7.9% ($116.6 million) increase in K-12 funding. In an effort to fully implement the 20 recommendations established by the governor’s Task Force for Improving Education, he proposed the following allocations: • Nearly $39 million for year two of the 5-year career ladder plan for addressing teacher compensation
• $1.8 million to add noninstructional staff (nurses, counselors, etc.) to the career ladder • $5 million for professional development and teacher training with a focus on mentoring new teachers • $5 million for college/career counseling for students • $30 million in discretionary funding This boost to discretionary (or operational) funds continued on page 7.....
January 20
,2016
Volume 40 ~ Number 3 News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
CourierNews.webs.com Now on FaceBook facebook.com/pages/The-Courier-News
Centennial Cinema
A Year Long Film Festival Imagine being one hundred years old! A hundred year birthday is certainly a milestone to celebrate. The National Park Service turns 100 years old in 2016 and the over 400 parks across the country are having a year-long exciting celebration! As part of the celebration, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument and Minidoka National Historic Site are holding a monthly film festival, Centennial Cinema, to showcase their incredible stories. Movies will be shown in the Hagerman Fossil Beds NM Visitor Center auditorium in downtown Hagerman starting on January 22nd. Hagerman Fossil Beds NM films through the year will highlight four major themes: Fossil Features, Starry Stories, Trail Tales, and Geologic Gems. From January to June, the Minidoka cinema, “Home Run Hits,” will feature baseball films in anticipation of the rebuilding of a baseball/ continued on page 9.....