The Courier
NEWS
News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
December 23, 2020
Vol 44 Num 52
Christmas Gift for Lincoln County Youth Center Health Insurance Deadline Extended
4-Bros Dairy, Inc of Shoshone sent a check for $10000 to Lincoln County to support the youth center. Richfield’s United Methodist Church donated $5000 to the Center. The two checks will go a long way to get the proposed center up and running. “These two donations allow us to pay the rent for the year and start making some needed repairs to the building,” said Lincoln County Commissioner Rebecca Wood who sits on the Youth Center Board of Directors. “It gives us some much needed breathing room so we can focus on writing the grants and raising the $250,000 needed to purchase the building as well as finding the money for curriculum and supplies to open the center.” Wood said a local non-profit, Lincoln County Legacy Project, has been working in cooperation with Lincoln County Commissioners since August to acquire the building and establish the youth center. They’ve raised just over $9000 from small fundraisers and community donations. “The community support has been great, especially during these difficult times,” Wood said. “It’s something we could do,” said Tena Amy, a member of the Methodist Church community in Richfield. “We really believe in what they’re trying to do in the Youth Center. It’s something that’s really needed in this county.” 4-Bros Dairy is based north of Shoshone. Company President Clem Fitzgerald said its board of directors was happy to support the Youth Center. “It’s really needed here,” he said. “There’s not much for kids to do and we were really impressed with the plans to include ag education in their program. We are always happy to support the youth in the county and the Youth Center is a great way to do it.” Fitzgerald’s wife, Karma, is on the board of the directors for the Youth Center. Wood said the board is actively pursuing grant funding and corporate donations to purchase the building. “We’ve also applied for grants to purchase the computers and tablets needed for our homework center,” Wood said. She said they’re also working with a local Internet provider to get WiFi for the Youth Center. In addition, Wood said Pioneer Federal Credit Union donated a huge load of office furniture to the Youth Center. “We’ve seen tremendous support,” Wood said. “ Shoshone Family Medical Center donated a phone system. The local Zumba instructor donates a portion of her classroom fees to the center. This has been my dream for a long time and it’s exciting to see it start to come true.” Wood said the Youth Center Board is also pursuing the purchase of a van or bus to help transport kids from each of the three Lincoln County communities to the Youth Center which is located in Richfield. “These donations are a huge help,” Wood said. “We have a long way to go but these will help tremendously. We’ve been so overwhelmed with the generosity of this community. This will be an amazing gift to the children in this county.” Wood said the board hopes to have a daycare or pre-school up and running in the first quarter of the coming year and if all goes well will offer summer programming in the summer of 2021. The full after school program should be available in the following August.
For the first time ever, the Your Health Idaho Board of Directors has voted to extend the Open Enrolment deadline. Idahoans now have until December 31, 2020, to sign up for health insurance coverage that begins January 1, 2021. Your Health Idaho saw the largest single-day enrollment since 2018 on December 15th the original deadline date. This increased activity coupled with ongoing impacts from the coronavirus pandemic spurred Your Health Idaho to extend the deadline. “An unprecedented year calls for unprecedented measures,” said Your Health Idaho Chairman of the Board, Stephen Weeg. “Given the challenges faced by Idahoans in 2020 and the renewed need for comprehensive health insurance, we hope that by extending the deadline a few more weeks, every Idahoan will have access to the coverage they need for the coming year.” The deadline for Idahoans to apply for the monthly health insurance tax credit has also been extended to Dec. 31. The tax credit, which acts like an instant discount to reduce monthly premium payments, is based on income, household size, and other factors. In 2020, more than 80 percent of Your Health Idaho customers received a tax credit, and one in three paid nothing for their coverage each month. “One of our guiding principles at Your Health Idaho is ‘Do the Right Thing’ which may seem simple in theory, but often doing what’s right can be a complicated process,” said Your Health Idaho Executive Director, Pat Kelly. “We believe strongly that extending the deadline and giving Idahoans every opportunity to enroll is absolutely the right thing to do in 2020.” Your Health Idaho has extended hours to keep up with increased demand. The Customer Support Center will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (MT) through December, with some exception for holidays. Detailed business hours and contact options can be found online at YourHealthIdaho.org. “I urge every interested Idahoan to explore their options and not wait until the last minute to sign up,” said Kelly. “This really is the last opportunity to get covered for 2021, and I would hate for anyone to miss out on the peace of mind that comes with having health insurance.” Idahoans who want health insurance coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2021, must enroll by Thursday, Dec. 31, and make their first premium payment as soon as possible.