The Courier

News from the Heart of Idaho

Camas • Lincoln • Gooding

NCMC Supports Children's Museum

On Friday, January 27th, Dr. Joanne Holliman, J’Dee Adams (CEO), along with staff at the North Canyon Pediatrics clinic in Jerome gathered together to present a $50,000 donation to the Children’s Museum of the Magic Valley.

When North Canyon opened its Jerome clinic in 2020, the Children's Museum was a big supporter of bringing those services to the area. Friday's donation not only gives back to the communities served by North Canyon but helps support a great children's organization.

Over the last two decades, there has been a steady decline in the amount of time children spend playing outside - today's children play outside half as much as their parents did. Playtime after school and during the summer has been replaced by electronic devices that provide little or no physical stimulation. The result is young people who have no connection to the real world as well as suffering from physical and emotional health problems.

In 2005, Richard Louv wrote Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder which outlined the research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children... and adults. The book helped start a national dialogue among educators, health professionals, and parents to change how we think about the way children interact with the world.

To bring these ideas to the Magic Valley, five women met in March of 2018 to discuss how to build a Children’s Museum for the Magic Valley. Later that year they formed a 501(c)(3) organization and began the process of fundraising for a building in downtown Twin Falls.

In the meantime, the organization started a mobile museum in 2019 to bring STEM programs to area schools. A year later, they added art to the outreach and launched Family STEAM Nights. These programs offer playground blocks, supersized art, music making, magnetic walls & tables, and lots more ways for your children to learn the power of play.

The planned 14,000 square foot building to be located in downtown Twin Falls on the corner of 3rd Street South and Idaho Street South will include: Dream Ship Climbing Structure, Kid City Wing, Snake River Water Wing, Agriculture Wing, Kids Teaching Kitchen, Art Studio & Maker Space, Gather & Perform Area, and Dedicated Toddler Area. An outdoor Connect with Nature Garden

For more information about the Children’s Museum of the Magic Valley, goto CMMC.org

February 1, 2023 Vol 47 Num 5

Idaho Big Game Season Proposals

Idaho Fish & Game will be setting new big game seasons for deer, elk, pronghorn, black bear, wolf and mountain lion, and gathering public input on proposals beginning on February 8th.

Hunters can easily check out the proposals on the big game season setting webpage. Proposals are expected to be posted midweek during the first week of February, and the comment period will run through February 22 at idfg.idaho. gov/comment.

Big game seasons will be finalized by the Fish & Game Commission during its March 16 meeting in Boise. The application period for big game controlled hunts runs May 1 - June 5. The public comment process will also include meetings and open houses hosted at Fish and Game’s regional offices at the time and dates listed below.

SOUTHWEST REGION

Feb. 13 - Mountain Home 6 to 8 p.m.

American Legion Hall, 325 S. 3rd St

MAGIC VALLEY REGION

Feb. 9 – Burley 6 to 8 p.m.

Best Western Inn, 800 N Overland Ave

Feb. 13 – Mountain Home 6 to 8 p.m.

Elk’s Lodge, 325 S 3rd West

Feb. 16 – Hailey 6 to 8 p.m.

Community Campus, 1050 Fox Acres Rd

Feb. 21 – Jerome 6 to 8 p.m.

IDFG Regional Office, 324 South 417 East

UPPER SNAKE REGION

Feb. 7 - Arco, Location: TBD, 6 p.m.

Feb. 8 - Idaho Falls High School, 601 S. Holmes, 6 p.m.

Feb. 9 — Rexburg, Madison Middle School Library, 6 p.m.

SALMON REGION

Feb. 9 - Challis Community Event Center

411 Clinic Rd., 4-7 p.m.

Feb. 10 - Salmon, IDFG Regional Office

99 Hwy. 93 North, 4-7 p.m.

Notices of Upcoming Events & Meetings Tree Sale

Camas Conservation District will be having their tree sale this spring. Please contact Megan Tews at 208-789-0653; camasscd@ yahoo.com or on our website http://www.camasscd.com to order your trees. first come, first serve, while supplies last.

Camas Conservation Needs You

Camas Conservation District Board has 2 supervisor positions open. If you or someone you know enjoys conservation, is a resident of Camas County, and would like to join please get ahold of Megan Tews at 208-789-0653 or camasscd@yahoo.com

Join the City of Fairfield For an afternoon of Skating Fun!!

Saturday, February 4, 2022, at the Fairfield City Park Ice Rink - 12 to 3 p.m.

Hot Cocoa, Chili, Hot Dogs and Cookies

The City of Fairfield has several pairs of skates available to lend for the day or season. Do you have skates you no longer use? We welcome your donation! Please drop off all donated skates at City Hall. We will add them to our lending program.

Get Help with Your Grief

A new session of Grief Share, a support group for those grieving the loss of a loved one, will began on Tuesday, January 31st. This group meets at the Gooding United Methodist Church (805 Main Street in Gooding) from 10 a.m. until noon each Tuesday. This is a change of day from Thursday to Tuesday.

Light snacks and beverages are provided. Sorry no child care at this time. Please feel free to join us anytime as each week is self-contained - so if you miss a time, you can pick it up next session. For more questions, please contact Patty at 208-539-4378.

Bunco is Back

The Community Church in Fairfield is starting up Lady's Night Bunco starting Monday, February 13th. The fun starts at 6 p.m. so bring a friend (or two) and enjoy!

Grants, Scholarships Available in South Central Idaho from ICF

The Idaho Community Foundation has grants of up to $25,000 available for nonprofits, schools and other qualified organizations that serve south central Idaho. Scholarships for local students are also available.

ICF President and CEO Steve Burns urged nonprofits, school districts, libraries and other community-based organizations to apply for grants.

Idaho Future Fund – Provides grants for preschool scholarships, charter schools, public schools, public school libraries and supplemental educational programs in Idaho. Grants typically range from $10,000 to $20,000 and are intended to support gaps in educational programs (preschool through 12th grade) that gravely affect the quality of education students receive in Idaho. The grant cycle is open for all counties in Idaho.

Deadline to apply is March 1. For more information, including eligibility and application: https://www.idahocf.org/grants-scholarships/grants, click Statewide.

South Central Idaho Scholarships – ICF has 13 scholarships specifically for students from throughout south central Idaho, and nearly 20 others that are open to students from across the state. For more information and deadlines: https://www.idahocf.org/grants-scholarships

Free

Offers Tips For Filing 2022 Income Taxes from the Idaho Tax Commission

"Tips for Filing 2022 Income Taxes" webinars run in January, February, and March. Attend a session on January 31, February 23, or March 23. All sessions are from 1-4 p.m. Classes cover tax credits and deductions, what income is taxable and what isn't, what slows down a refund, and how to avoid common errors. It also includes how to find free tax preparation help, who can e-file for free, how to choose the right tax preparer, and much more.

To sign up for a session or for more information, visit tax.idaho.gov/register.