The Courier

News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding NEWS

March

1, 2023 Vol 47 Num 9

Battle at District Basketball

Last week, Gooding High School hosted the 1AD2 District Championship games. On Tuesday, the Richfield Tigers beat the Dietrich Blue Devils 82 to 76 in overtime, sending them up against #1 Camas Mushers for the Championship.

Wednesday evening, fans from both schools gather to cheer their teams to victory. Half time had the Mushers up by one point - 24 to 23. The second half ended in a tie - 37-37 - sending the game into overtime. The final score gave the Tigers the win 44 to 41.

With one loss against each other, tournament rule require the two teams to play an additional game to determine the District Champion.

On Saturday, fans once again traveled to Gooding High School where the Richfield Tigers owned the court. The Tigers took home the District Trophy with at 57 to 36 victory over the Mushers, advancing them to the State tournament. On Thursday, March 2nd, Richfield will face off against Clark Fork at 7:00 p.m. at Caldwell High School. The championship game will be held Saturday morning at the Ford Idaho Center.

How's Your Internet?

Link Up Idaho Wants to Know!

Is your internet slow, unreliable or spotty? Link Up Idaho wants to know about it. The Link Up Idaho initiative encourages Idahoans to submit information about their internet to provide insight into broadband availability across the state. Idaho residents can submit information about their internet by March 15.

Link Up Idaho, led by the Idaho Broadband Advisory Board (IBAB) and Idaho Department of Commerce, in coordination with the Idaho Office of Information Technology Services, aims to gather information about connectivity challenges in Idaho communities, to improve the state's map of Idaho broadband coverage.

Federal funds are available to all states, including Idaho, via the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. As part of this program, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has created a map representing locations with unserved and underserved broadband coverage across the United States.

By submitting information on your internet coverage, you provide the State with insight into the status of broadband coverage in your community. This ensures that the FCC map has not missed any locations so that funds can be administered appropriately.

Delegation Requests Extension For Comments on Lava Ridge

Press Release

Due to the size and scope of the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project and the accompanying draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), as well as continued stakeholder concerns, Idaho’s Congressional Delegation sent a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting a 30-day extension of the comment period for the DEIS.

“In January, the BLM released the Lava Ridge DEIS for a 60-day public comment period, which runs to March 21, 2023. Because of the size and scope of the Lava Ridge project, Volume I of the DEIS exceeds 500 pages,” the delegation wrote. “The DEIS also includes multiple volumes and appendixes, along with visual models, that cover dozens of technical topics. Because of the complexity of the DEIS, the public needs additional time to review the DEIS and prepare substantive comments.”

The letter requests an extension of the public comment period by 30 days, for a total of 90 days, and additional printed copies of the DEIS for public review.

In February, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, Representative Mike Simpson, Governor Brad Little and Lieutenant Governor Scott Bedke jointly communicated deep concerns to Idaho’s head of the BLM about the proposed project.

Idaho F&G Trout Stocking

Many of Idaho’s lakes and ponds are soon going to be bolstered with Idaho Fish & Game stocking roughly 70,000 catchable-sized rainbow trout this March. Wondering if the stocking trucks are going to be backing up to your favorite fishing hole? Here is a list of Magic Valley locations: continued on page 2... cont. page 4...

Blair Trail Fishing Pond – 2,000 rainbow trout. First stocking event for 2023! Located on Little Canyon Creek, this remote desert water is surrounded by sagebrush solitude. Cedar Creek Reservoir (Roseworth Reservoir) – 2,000 rainbow trout. If you are looking to get out of town for the day, this reservoir is a remote trout fishery in the high desert. It has great shoreline access as well as high-water and low-water boat ramps. Freedom Park Pond – 1,000 rainbow trout. Located in Burley, this trout pond was built with...