The Courier
NEWS Moose Relocated to Fairfield
by Terry Thompson, IDFG
On Saturday, June 18, 2022 the Twin Falls County Sheriff reported that they received multiple reports of two moose in close proximity to Highway 30 west of Twin Falls. Fish and Game officers were unable to locate the moose until Sunday evening, June 19, when a decision was made to relocate the moose in the interest of public safety. Collisions with large animals, like moose, can lead to injuries or death to occupants of vehicles and cause significant property damage to vehicles, while causing significant injuries or death to wildlife. Early Monday morning, June 20, Fish and Game staff were able to locate the two yearling bull moose bedded together in a farm field just south of Highway 30. Biologists were able to successfully dart and anesthetize both moose. The moose were then safely relocated to an area north of Fairfield, near Couch Summit. Wildlife biologists with the Magic Valley Region speculate... continued on page 4...
Sealcoating Begins Around the Area
As weather permits, the Idaho Transportation Department will begin sealcoating multiple portions of roadway throughout the region to preserve the pavement. “Throughout the next month, we will sealcoat approximately 82 miles of highway,” said ITD Engineering Manager Travis Hitchcock. “The sealcoat will both protect the surface of the roadway and provide better traction for drivers.” Work will occur on five highways in the South-central Idaho region: • State Highway 24 (milepost 32 - 68) • State Highway 25 (milepost 5 - 18) • State Highway 46 (milepost 111 – 130) • State Highway 50 (milepost 5 - 8) • U.S. Highway 26 (milepost 139 - 150) While work is underway, roadways will be reduced to a single lane. Both lanes will be open to traffic outside of working hours. Motorists should anticipate short delays and watch for the presence of flaggers and pilot cars during the day. Sealcoating is a surface treatment that takes place during the summer months and involves applying a layer of oil and rock chips to the roadway. The process requires hot temperatures and dry weather for chips to properly adhere to the oil. Chips placed during sealcoats have the potential to cause windshield damage so drivers are cautioned to slow down and pay attention to reduced speeds and no-passing zones throughout the work area. Work is expected to be complete by the end of July.
News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
June 29, 2022
Vol 46 Num 26
Abortion Returns to State Legislatures
This last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its long awaited ruling on Dobbs (Mississippi) v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (AKA the overturn of Roe v. Wade). Despite the political rhetoric filling social media and the airwaves, the ruling did NOT take away the "constitutional right to abortion." Roe v. Wade (1973) was never based on a "right to abortion", rather it was based on a right of personal privacy. Roe v. Wade stated that the government may not regulate abortion decisions in the first trimester (12 weeks) of pregnancy because that was a private decision between the pregnant woman and her attending physician. However, the court stated that the "right to abortion was not absolute," and governments could regulate abortions in the second and third trimesters (later modified by Casey). The Supreme Court did not overtly consider the question of "if or when" a unborn human might attain human status under the law. Scientific knowledge of prenatal life was limited at the time, and the question of "when does life begin" was largely ignored. Since then science has changed everything. A fetal heartbeat can be detected by 6 weeks and is recognizable as a baby at 8 weeks. The fetus can also detect pain and respond to it at 10–12 weeks. Because of this, the court was asked to consider - among other things - whether abortion is an inhumane procedure. According to Mississippi's Gestational Age Act, which banned abortions after 15 weeks, "Abortion for nontherapeutic or elective reasons is a barbaric practice, dangerous for the maternal patient, and demeaning to the medical profession." The argument for continuing the "right to abortion" was based on the precedent set by Roe v. Wade which according to U.S. Solicitor General, Elizabeth Barchas Prelogar, created a fundamental right to abortion. It was this argument that the court ultimately rejected in its ruling. "The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely (the right to privacy conferred by the Fourteenth Amendment)." Justice Alito Dobbs v. Jackson is now reversed and remanded back to the people and their representatives. This means the abortion fight is far from over - it will just be taking place in the individual states who will have the ability to regulate this medical procedure without the restrictions of Roe v. Wade.