r e i r u o C s a m a C the
2 1 0 2 , 1 February
N E WS
36 Volume 5 Number News from the Heart of Idaho: Camas, Lincoln, and Gooding County
orth
Last weekend, District 25 legislators held several townhall meetings around the area to answer questions and to hear concerns from their constituents. As always, education was a significant topic of discussion. The other big issue was healthcare. -------------
The Cost of Staying Healthy The United States has the best hospitals and doctors in the world, but the cost of that system is causing problems for everyone. On the national level, there is a growing and overwhelming opposition to what is being called “Obamacare.” One of the reasons states are opposed to this national program is because existing federal healthcare programs and/or regulations already contribute greatly to skyrocketing healthcare costs. In Idaho there is a big need for general practitioner doctors, but in some communities, federally funded clinics make it all but impossible for those types of physicians to make a living. The result is that young doctors gravitate towards specialized medicine which costs more (education wise) but pays better wages. Specialists are great for specific problems, but too often these types of doctors ignore other problems an individual might have, forcing that individual to go to another specialist. It is not uncommon for people to see three or more doctors to solve a problem, and that costs money. Regulations for healthcare providers are a good thing (to keep people continued on page 9.....
ast
est
outh
Tournament Time for Girls Basketball Girls basketball tournaments began on Monday of this week with the Gooding Senator Ladies defeating the Wendell Trojans 51 to 24. The District IV, Class 2A Tournament will continue tonight in Gooding at 6:30 p.m. The first game will be Wendell vs. Declo, followed by Gooding vs. Valley. The Shoshone Indian Girls fell to Raft River (30 to 31) in their first game of the 1AD1 Tournament on Monday, moving them into the elimination bracket. They play Hansen tonight at 7 p.m. in Shoshone. The 1AD2 Tournament will kick off on Friday in Murtaugh with the JV teams and the final placement game for the varsity teams between the 8th and 9th placed schools. The first varsity tournament game will be on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Dietrich Blue Devil Girls are overwhelming favorites going into this tournament with a perfect season, assuming they don’t loose to the Camas Mushers (ranked number three in the conference) tonight at 6 p.m. in Fairfield.
BLM seeks Nominations to Resource Advisory Council The Bureau of Land Management in Idaho announced today that it is seeking public nominations for five open positions on its Twin Falls District Resource Advisory Council (RAC), which advises the BLM on public land issues. The BLM will consider the nominations until March 12, 2012. The BLM’s RACs, composed of citizens chosen for their expertise in natural resource issues, help the Bureau carry out its stewardship of 245 million acres of public lands. The Bureau, which manages more land than any other Federal agency, has 29 RACs across the West, where most BLM-managed land is located. Each RAC consists of 10 to 15 members with an interest in public land management, includ-
ing such individuals as conservationists, ranchers, outdoor recreationists, state and local government officials, Tribal officials, and academics. The diverse membership of each RAC is aimed at achieving a balanced outlook that the BLM needs for its mission, which is to manage the public lands for multiple uses. ”I value the advice given to the BLM by these citizen-based Resource Advisory Committees,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey. “The people who live, work, and recreate near or on BLM-managed lands deserve a formal voice on public land issues, and their input will enhance our agency’s ability to manage the public lands for multiple uses while conserving recontinued on page 11.....