The Courier
News Western Heritage In Gooding
Gooding Pro Rodeo begins tomorrow night at 8 p.m. with Family Night and continues on Friday and Saturday. Be sure to get your tickets early - they’re going fast. For those of you who make it in, be sure to check out the artwork that circles the Andy James Arena. Designed several years ago by local artist and fairground manager, Don Gill, the artwork is a celebration our western heritage and history. During the last several weeks, Mr. Gill and several helpers gave the western leather belt artwork, fresh paint in preparation for this year’s rodeo. If you don’t make it into the arena, you can still enjoy the bronze sculpture erected last year in memory of Leo Rice. Last week, in preparation for tonight’s Gooding County Fair Parade (7 p.m.) the Main Street Group sponsored a clean-up project along Main Street, while city crews
gave fresh paint to the crosswalks in the downtown area. The clean-up team of fifteen people pulled weeds, picked up garbage, and helped make downtown Gooding a place to be proud of.
NRCS Funding Available to Farmers August 18, 2015 - Farmers in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer region can apply for special Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service to carry out water conservation practices. The sign-up period runs through September 25, 2015. The Idaho Water Resource Board’s (Board) Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Stabilization RCPP project will receive NRCS funding in the amount of $1.1 million. The Board’s Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Stabilization RCPP projects will help farmers employ several specific strategies to stabilize and recover groundwater levels. The Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer is an essen-
tial resource for agriculture in southeastern Idaho. “I’m very excited for the opportunity to work collaboratively with the Idaho Water Resources Board on their RCPP Project,” said Curtis Elke, State Conservationist. “The collaborative effort shows that we can work together as strong partners to address natural resource issues here in Idaho.” The Board identified four ways farmers can contribute to sustaining the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer: 1) removal of endguns and irrigated corners on pivot irrigated fields, 2) variable rate irrigation (VRI) pivot enhancements, 3) flood irrigation enhancements, and 4) continued on page 9.....
August 19
,2015
Volume 39 ~ Number 33 News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
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More Money for Schools
Idaho’s public school system and a number of other State institutions will receive increased payouts from Idaho endowment funds in fiscal year 2017. The State Board of Land Commissioners (Land Board) unanimously approved today an 11.8percent increase in total FY17 distributions compared to FY16, bringing FY17 distributions for all endowment beneficiaries to $63,158,400, most of which supports Idaho’s public school system. Record earnings over the last two fiscal years from the Idaho Department of Lands’ active management of more than 2.4 million acres of State endowment trust lands, along with healthy 12.0% returns for the last five fiscal years on $1.8 billion of invested land revenue managed by the Endowment Fund Investment Board (EFIB), contributed to the increases. Public schools will see a 12.1-percent increase continued on page 7.....