The Courier
News 4th of July in the Forest
Press Release If you plan to visit national forest areas during the Independence Day holiday (July 4th) weekend, “Know before you go,” suggests Sawtooth National Forest Acting Supervisor Monte Williams. Fireworks are Prohibited on all national forests yearround. Even if it’s “green,” please practice good sense by using caution with fire and smoking at all times, in all places. Drown, stir and check your campfire for heat with your bare
Camas County Historical Society
Museum
OPEN this Friday July 4th ~ 11 to 4
hand. ALL fires must be DEAD OUT before leaving the site. Responsible Motorized Use. Please stay on designated routes and obtain the appropriate travel maps before you go. On the Sawtooth National Forest visitors should carry the FREE Motorized Vehicle Use Maps, available at Forest Service Offices throughout South Central Idaho. No mud bogging is allowed anywhere on National Forest System lands. Idaho traffic laws apply to all motor vehicles including off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and motorcycles of all types. Be Careful with Fire. While the Forest looks green, fire danger is an important concern. Fires can start very quickly and burn in vegetation that may seem green but is drying out at
an alarming rate. There are no fire restrictions at this time. Please when leaving your campsite for the day or when leaving for home, “make sure your campfire is cold to the touch”. Recreation Information. Due to late snowpack, construction or flood damage, some recreation sites may not be open during the 4th of July holiday weekend. If you have a concern about your favorite site, call the Sawtooth National Forest at 208-737-3200 for information. Camping. Camp sites are open with full services. For good measure be prepared to carry out your trash and bring additional water. Designated campsites have a daily limit so make sure you know how long you can stay in a designated area. continued on page 7.....
4th of July at West Magic ATV Parade at 2 p.m. (Best Decorated ATV wins) BBQ at 5 p.m. Hamburgers/Hot Dogs $10 adults, $8 under 8 years After the BBQ there will be an Auction/Raffle
Saturday July 5th at 12 p.m. - ATV ride
July 2
,2014
Volume 38 ~ Number 27 News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
CourierNews.webs.com
Minimum Wage Just behind Tennessee, Idaho has one of the highest percentages of people earning at or below the federal minimum wage in the United States. Idaho Democrats are making a big deal about this fact as they campaign for this year’s general election. According to U.S. Senate Candidate Nels Mitchell, “the minimum wage should be a living wage. This is a matter of fundamental fairness and economic justice.” He, and others running for state and federal offices, want to see the federal minimum wage keep pace with the cost of living by increasing it from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour. While most Republicans support the minimum wage law, they believe increasing the minimum wage would be damaging to small business, and that it is unnecessary because most people already make more than minimum wage. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2013 58.8 percent of U.S. workers (16 and older) were paid at hourly rates. Of those working for hourly wages, 4.3% were earning at or below minimum wage. As a comparison, in 1979 13.4% of hourly workers were at or below the minimum wage which was $2.30. Half of all people making minimum wage or less are under 25 years of age. They are generally single (never married) and working a part-time service job. About 20 percent of employed teenagers (ages 16 to 19) who work by the hour earn the minimum wage or less, compared with about 3 percent of workers age 25 and older. continued on page 6.....