Enterprise The Idaho
Caribou County
Caribou County's Newspaper Since 2024
Caribou County, Idaho
December 25, 2025 | Vol. 2 No. 52
$1.50
NEWS IN BRIEF Woman charged with hiding razor blades in loaves of bread at Walmart
Merry Christmas, Caribou County!
It’s finally here—by the time this gets to you, it should be Christmas Eve. It’s amazing how no matter your age, there’s something about the anticipation of Christmas day that affects everyone in a similar way. Whether it’s the presents, the family togetherness, the message of the season, or just the inescapable sense that everyone is gathered to celebrate something profound and worthy of quiet reflection and public joy, Christmas is one of the best times of the year. All of us here at the Enterprise wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, and a wonderful holiday of any other sort that you may be celebrating as the year draws to a close. Like you, we are all excited to have a little extra time to be with our families over the holiday weeks coming up. We hope that you find the included information and entertainment helpful as you hopefully take a nice, relaxing holiday break yourself. Included, find Jody Reeves’ excellent coverage of local sports, an amazing donation to the Soda Springs Fire Department from Ireland Bank, a great story from the Caribou Historical Society, the un-
veiling of the Senior Center cookbook, and more. The coming year undoubtedly has a lot of surprises in store. No one believes that the weather is going to stay as relatively dry or warm as it has been, so whatever form it takes for its revenge should be something to behold. In Grace, Bancroft, and Soda Springs, new mayors and council members are the order of the day. The first meetings in January should see the swearing in of some new faces across the valley. How those new officials might affect city priorities also remains to be seen. The Highway 30 project through Soda Springs will likely come with its own share of headaches and unexpected issues, as will some of the other large infrastructure projects at the state and county level. The potential campground at the marina area of Alexander reservoir is one such project. It also remains to be seen how the Event Center will work as a county asset, and a public space. Impact zones, public ordinances, school policies, and all the rest will continue to be issues going forward. But for at least one day, if not the whole week, it’s okay to not worry
about any of that. As much as possible, we hope that you are able to take the day and spend it with your loved ones, relishing the pure goodness of being together and sharing memories and moments. From Bryan Scott, Brandon Hall, Hope Green, Stacey LaMont, Sherrie Wise, Dotty Evanson, Jody Reeves, Allison Eliason, and Jean Thomas— Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you!
Ireland Bank donates $18,000 to Soda Springs FD Each year at the company Christmas party, Ireland Bank employees choose a specific organization to donate funds to. The organizations are from all around Ireland Bank’s area of operation, and this year the beneficiary is the Soda Springs Fire Department. In presenting the case for making the SSFD the recipient of the funds, Soda Springs branch bank officials stated the following: “Soda Springs Fire Department is a group of 16 or so men from our community that give of their time to take classes, train on a regular basis, and show up when our community needs them the most. These men do what needs to be done no matter when the whistle blows. (Soda still has a whistle and it is awesome). The Soda Fire Crew is devoted to their community. They are asked to do many
things besides fight fire because our town knows how devoted they are. They do foam in the park and watermelon on the 4th of July, go to the fireworks just in case they are needed, and bring our local high school kids in and out of town with all the special treatment when they are doing great things. They educate the schools on fire safety and help our Police and EMS. Their current turnouts are near the end of their life expectancy per NFPA and need to be replaced. The cost for 1 set can exceed $2000.00.” Incredibly, bank employees raised a total of $18,000 by way of direct donation to the SSFD, and a match from the bank. The amount represents the most that has ever been donated by Ireland Bank through the program. The funds are much needed, and
will help the department update some of the equipment that is past its suggested expiry date. As was noted by many individuals throughout the day, the fire department seems to constantly be in the business of helping out all throughout the community. It is a rare time when a problem occurs somewhere in the city that the FD doesn’t get involved. Chief Dan Squires and his crew have been amazing to watch as active and essential parts of the community. Squires explained what the fund will be used for. “Turnouts have to be replaced per NFPA [National Fire Protection Association] every ten years, and we’re on year eleven,” Squires said. “Twelve on some IRELAND BANK On Page 2
Bruce Lowry from Ireland Bank joins members of the Soda Springs branch and the SS Fire Dept for the presentation of a check raised by employees and matched by Ireland Bank.
IN THIS EDITION Caribou Historical Society.....................Pg. 3 Senior Center Cookbook......................Pg. 4 Puzzles.................................................Pg. 5
Looking Back.......................................Pg. 7 Kid Scoop............................................Pg. 9 Sports...........................................Pg. 10-12
A woman has been charged after authorities say she hid razor blades inside loaves of bread at a Walmart store, prompting safety concerns and a swift police investigation. According to investigators, the incident came to light when customers discovered damaged packaging and alerted store employees. No serious injuries were reported, but officials say the act posed a significant risk to public safety. Law enforcement reviewed surveillance footage and worked with Walmart staff to identify a suspect. The woman was later arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including tampering with consumer products. Police have not disclosed a motive but emphasized that the case is being treated seriously due to the potential for harm.
80 mph winds, wicked weather sweeps across Eastern Idaho
Powerful winds and rapidly changing conditions battered Eastern Idaho as a strong storm system swept through the region, bringing gusts reaching up to 80 miles per hour. The wicked weather knocked down trees, damaged power lines, and caused scattered outages across several communities. Drivers faced hazardous travel conditions as blowing dust and debris reduced visibility on highways, while high-profile vehicles were especially vulnerable to sudden gusts. Emergency crews responded to reports of fallen branches, overturned trailers, and minor structural damage. Local officials urged residents to secure loose outdoor items and avoid unnecessary travel during peak wind periods. The storm also delivered brief bursts of rain and snow in higher elevations, adding to the challenging conditions. Meteorologists said the intense winds were driven by a strong pressure gradient moving across the state. Calmer weather is expected to return after the system moves east, allowing crews to begin cleanup efforts.
North Carolina crash of business jet connected to retired NASCAR driver
Multiple fatalities have been reported following the crash of a business jet in North Carolina that authorities say is connected to a retired NASCAR driver. The aircraft went down shortly after takeoff, according to emergency officials, prompting a large response from fire crews, law enforcement, and aviation investigators. The number of victims has not been officially confirmed, and officials have not yet released the identities of those on board. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash, examining weather conditions, flight data, and possible mechanical issues. Local officials said there was no threat to the public on the ground. The incident has drawn national attention due to the aircraft’s reported connection to the former racing figure.
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Idaho Enterprise|Caribou County
Mayor-elect Paul Gritton spoke with Ireland’s Bruce Lowry and the SSFD.
Ireland bank
continued from front page
of them. They are between 2 and 3 thousand dollars per set, and we have 16 sets. So this is going to towards turnouts, with some money that we have saved and some from the city.” Having certified and updated equipment is essential to the department’s ability to do its job in a way that keep everyone safe. “It’s just firefighter safety. Even if that coat just hangs there for ten years, it still has to be replaced. As it hangs there, the thermal layer that protects the firefighter breaks down. So the pants and the coats will all be replaced,” Squires said. Without the donation, the suits would still have to be replaced, but that would either come from city funds, or be delayed further. “We would have just had to wait longer. The Fire Department is all tax funded, so there’s only so much to go around between the library, the parks, and the police,” Squires said. “It would have prolonged us purchasing the turnouts, which we can now do much, much sooner. If somebody were to get injured in a fire, for instance, it would turn into an issue that the turnouts were outdated, and things could get ugly. Plus, the new turnouts are lighter— technology has come a long way.” The turnouts weigh about fifteen pounds. “And they’re hot,” Squires explained. “It’s just like putting on your winter clothes and going
into a sauna. They’re heavy, they don’t breathe. They’re waterproof, so your perspiration doesn’t go out. They’re fairly miserable, to be honest with you.” Ireland Bank branch manager Ronda Lutz and regional manager Jennifer Squires were joined by Bruce Lowry, Chief Executive Officer, for the presentation of the check. Lowry explained the process that had led to the donation. “Every year for probably the last ten years in connection with our holiday party we do a little fundraiser for a charity. It’s kept getting bigger and bigger every year. I think the first time we did it we raised about fifteen dollars or so. That was awesome, but it’s got to the point now where we ask our branches to submit recommendations of someone in their local area we could make a donation to for a charitable cause. We’ve done senior centers in the past. We’ve donated to a park or two along the way. Homeless shelter, food pantries, things like that.” Ireland Bank is modeled on a community-oriented model of customer relations, so the bank is often involved on a very hands-on level with the communities it operates in. “So, I think most of you know we’re kind of scattered all across southeast Idaho in the smaller communities,” Lowry continued. “We had six submissions this year for the charity, and we put a committee together—I’m not a part of that decision—and Soda Springs Fire De-
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Many of the turnouts are on their last...legs.
partment was chosen as the charity, primarily because you guys are in need of some equipment.” “And then what we do is a silent auction,” Lowry said. “The branches all chip in some baskets. We have a lot of talented people who came up with some great craft stuff. Then everybody bids on things. This particular year really touched my heart, and it shows how our employees feel about guys like you that are volunteers and first responders. When we got done with the auction, we had a little over $4,000 we had raised. The bank matched that, so we had $8,000. The submission that Ronda put in was pretty specific about what you guys needed and how much that would cost. And so at that point we were short by a fair amount. And so, we just made an appeal for everyone to make a little pledge. We went from that $8,000 to the check we’re going to present today, which is $18,000.” The amount is a record for the bank for this event. “We’re pretty proud of that,” Lowry said. “But boy, our folks just stepped up and the bank always matches, so it was fun to see all that happen. It just goes to show that we like to do volunteerism at the bank, and the hearts of volunteers are kind of kindred spirits, so we’re grateful for you guys and we’re happy to do this, and try to help. Thanks for all you do! You guys have a dangerous job, but you’re always there. It’s not just being there when someone has an emergency, but you guys also provide an improved quality of life with all you do. We talked about the fourth of July, stuff at the park, there’s so much you do. So thank
you so much.” Chief Dan Squires was at the party where the silent auction happened. “I thought my wife had fallen and hit her head—she was bidding on so much stuff,” he said. “I knew it was going to a good cause,” Jennifer laughed. “I thought maybe we should go to a car auction,” Dan laughed back. “I knew she was in a good mood, but I didn’t know about this!” Mayor-elect Paul Gritton also attended the check presentation. “Let me say on behalf of the City,” Gritton began. “The significance of your donation is greatly appreciated. We have a fire department that is staffed by some of the best. I’m very proud of the fire department, and your contribution, this money, is going to help keep these guys safe as they protect the community. For that, I very much appreciate what you’re doing here, and for being a very valued member of our community. Thank you, and thank you Ronda for submitting the Fire Department to the committee. It’s tremendous—I was shocked.” Like all fire departments, the SSFD can always use all the support it can get. As representatives of the city, businesses, and even the public noted, the Fire Department plays a huge role in protecting the safety and security of the town. Like the SSFD, Ireland Bank is also a great supporter of its home towns. As Jennifer Squires said, “The bank thinks it’s important to serve the communities that serve them, and this is why it’s important for us to give back to the community through this tradition we’ve started.”
Winds cause havoc throughout SE Idaho
Ronda Lutz (Left) and Dan Squires (Right) speak with Ireland Bank’s Bruce Lowry (center).
While snow has not been much of a factor this winter, wind has once again caused a number of problems in towns throughout the area. Last week, the National Weather Service implemented a string of weather warnings throughout the middle of the week, including a High Wind Watch that ultimately was proven out with gusts officially exceeding 60 miles an hour, and winds closer to 80 miles an hour reported in Aberdeen and other parts of SE Idaho. Needless to say, there was a significant amount of disruption and damage as a result of the storm. Wednesday was the peak event, with the highest winds happening between noon and 4:00 p.m. If you traveled the freeway during or within a day of that time, you were treated to the unusual sight of semis
tipped over along the sides of the freeway, as well as a number of other high profile vehicles that were unable to withstand the wind. School was let out in North Gem as a result of the conditions, and a downed tree caused a power outage that affected Thirkill elementary in Soda Springs. The same power outage lasted throughout the evening for many residents of the city. Trees were toppled, trampolines took flight, yard materials were scattered—even for an Idaho winter storm it was a bit excessive. Looking forward through the week, precipitation is definitely in the forecast, but temperatures are such that it looks to be a wet Christmas, rather than a white one. Still, a minor shift of a few degrees early Thursday is still a possibility.
Winds reached more than 50 miles an hour in Soda Springs, and no tree stayed straight all day. C Y
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Idaho Enterprise|Caribou County
(Left) Denise Horsley, Patricia Hoopes, Randy Hoopes, and Bill Horsley found what they needed at the Historical society. (Above) The City Directory contained proof positive that Patricia’s mother lived in Soda Springs.
Historical Society comes to the rescue! Former Soda Springs residents Randy and Patricia Hoopes were traveling through town from Arizona to Afton to visit relatives, and stopped in town hoping to find documentation to verify that Patricia’s mother was a resident in 1962. The documentation was necessary as a part of filing a Downwinder claim for illness caused by exposure to radiation during the 1950s and early 60s. The search had started earlier with a social media request for any information that might prove that her mother indeed lived here at the time. Bill Horsley, of the Caribou County Historical Society, saw the posting. “What Patricia put on Facebook was something like, ‘does anyone have an old phone book from 1961 to 1962,” Horsley said. I responded that I’m pretty sure we have a City Directory with the same information. That was courtesy of Deanna Hendricks [Lundin].” Bill thought that there may be something at the Historical Society headquarters on Hooper Ave that could hold the needed information, and it turned out he was right. Among the collected historical records on site was one “Gobble Agency’s Montpelier with Georgetown and Paris Bear Lake County and Soda Springs with Bancroft and Grace Caribou Idaho City Directory”. How’s that for a mouthful? The amazing thing is that the volume in possession of the Historical Society is the 1961/1962 edition, which is exactly the one they needed. The directory is not quite a phone book, rather it is a list of households and census information about the residents. Bill was able to find himself and his family, listed out by age, occupation, and other details. “We have a book that just happened to be a city directory from the right time,” Horsley said. “Here’s what’s crazy to me—in 1962, if we look up Horsley, we see my parents, and here’s me, William D, second grade. Douglas Milton, five years old, and my little sister Kibbie too. Can you believe they would put all that in there?” The book lists the age, marital status, occupation, and grade level of those listed. For Patricia, that’s exactly what she needed to confirm that her mother did indeed live in the area during the timeframe in question. “It has everyone that lived here,” Bill said. “Patricia’s mother happened to be a waitress. Right here— ” he said, pointing to the page in the volume, “her mother is listed as a waitress at the Idaho Café.” While it’s likely the courthouse records also contain the necessary information somewhere, a good old fashioned analog document search is a comfortable means of finding information for many people who need it. It’s also the case that there is some local information that simply never made it into any official record. Local antiquarians and genealogists have learned that to be true over time, and resources like the Caribou County Historical Society can be immensely valuable for tracking down information about certain aspects of a city’s history. And in the case of Patricia’s parents, while they had moved to Soda Springs in 1959, they had not built their house until 1963, making the most salient records just past the cutoff for the application. “Thank heaven for Bill that he had this or we wouldn’t have the inforC Y
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mation I need,” Patricia said. She had first heard of the Downwinders program from someone who had looked into it. “My friend in Pocatello called me and said, ‘Patty, what did your mom die of?’ I told her ‘colon cancer’ and she asked if I had heard of the Downwinders program. She said ‘What you’ve got to do is prove that your loved one lived in Idaho from 1951 to 1962. Idaho just became eligible in July. Anyone that lived in Idaho during those periods is eligible for that compensation, if they had certain cancers.” The book had come to the museum through its own circuitous route. “What happened was that the woman who donated this was a neighbor,” Horsley said. “When Greta [Lundin] passed away, Tom and Deanna called us over to look at the stuff in her basement, and told us to take what we could use.” Among the items were kitchen gadgets, radios, coffee pots, and many documents, including the City Directory. “It’s come in handy more than a few times!” Horsley said. Patricia was delighted to find what she needed to keep the process going, and encourages others to look into the program themselves if they have a relative who lived in Idaho from 1951-1962 and died of one of the listed cancers. “It’s easy to do, but there is a lot of leg work,” she said. “I’m just glad that Bill had that book that someone donated—how wonderful is that?” According to the Department of Justice, “The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), 42 U.S.C. § 2210 note, is a federal law that provides partial restitution to individuals who developed certain serious illnesses following exposure to radiation from the U.S. nuclear weapons program, or their survivors. RECA assigned responsibility to the Attorney General to establish procedures and make determinations regarding whether claims satisfy statutory eligibility criteria. This unique statute was designed as a non-adversarial alternative to litigation. RECA does not require claimants to prove causation. Rather, claimants qualify for compensation by establishing a diagnosis of a compensable disease after working or residing in a designated location
for a specific period.” It was the latter condition that Patricia was hoping to verify. Soda Springs is a qualifying area, but the residency requirements are the years 1951-1962. As the DOJ further explains: “The Downwinder must have been physically present in an affected area for one of the following durations: In the State of New Mexico for 1 year between September 24, 1944, and November 6, 1962; In any affected area for 1 year between January 21, 1951, and November 6, 1962; or In any affected area for the entire period from June 30, 1962, to July 31, 1962. The affected areas under RECA’s downwind provisions include the states of Idaho, New Mexico, and Utah, as well as selected counties in
Arizona and Nevada. In addition to proving residency during the time period, the claimant must also “show that they were diagnosed with a specified compensable disease. The specified compensable diseases are leukemia (other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia), multiple myeloma, lymphomas (other than Hodgkin’s disease), and primary cancers of the: thyroid, male or female breast, esophagus, stomach, pharynx, small intestine, pancreas, bile ducts, gall bladder, salivary gland, urinary bladder, brain, colon, ovary, liver (except if cirrhosis or Hepatitis B is indicated, or lung.” Information about the program and the application can be found at https://www.justice.gov/civil/reca.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR It was a joy to be part of the free community Thanksgiving dinner that was offered at the Senior Citizen Center last month. We were able to feed around 100 people between takeout, delivery, and walkins. It was great to welcome so many wonderful people to enjoy that meal with us. A special thanks goes out to our many sponsors, including Bayer, Quick Stop, Lallatin Food Town, Del Monte Meats, Caribou Jacks, Rindlisbaker Farms, Franz, Butterburrs, Yost Farms, Corey and Brenda Kunz, and the City of Soda Springs. We were blessed with a multitude of volunteers
including Monica Rosen, Bob & Camille Monk, Stephanie Rindlisbaker, LaRue Workman, ShaLayne Bartschi, Starla Kingsford, Tanna Christiansen, Patsy Tarbet, Becky Christensen, RaNae Foster, Jim Workman, Jimmy Workman, Lonnie McCulloch, Meghan Campbell, Charlene McCulloch, Tallan McCulloch, Chad & Paulette Ericsson, Heather Lott, Russ Martin, Denese and Kurt Bunderson, Chris Alonzo, Spence Seipert, Adam Hepworth and Darby and Jacob Rosenberg. With full gratitude, Jim McCulloch
NOW HIRING
SODA SPRINGS JT. SCHOOL DISTRICT #150 Soda Springs School District Employment Notice 2025–2026
Now Accepting Applications 2025–2026 School Year The following positions are available: • Substitutes • Special Education Paraprofessionals (Full-Time & Part-Time) HOW TO APPLY • Pick up an application at the Soda Springs School District Office, 250 E 2nd S, Soda Springs, ID 83276 • Call (208) 547-3371 for more information Download an application at sodaschools.org
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Itafos Conda wishes you & your family a merry and bright holiday season!
Contact Information Dawn Peterson Phone: (208) 547-3371 Fax: (208) 547-4878 C Y
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Idaho Enterprise|Caribou County
Senior Center Cookbook for sale now
A project in the making over the course of the year, the Caribou County cookbook is now for sale at the Caribou County Senior Center. Most of the recipes in the book were collected from familiar names from around the valley, and the book also contains a lot of useful cooking tips
and serving ideas, as well as nutritional information. The recipes have been collected over the last year by ShaLayne Bartschi, Melissa McDowell, Fiona Benson, and others at the Senior Center. You will recognize some of the
Spinach Artichoke Dip Ingredients 1 (8oz) Cream Cheese ¼ C mayonnaise ¼ C parmesan cheese ¼ C romano cheese 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced ½ tsp basil (dried) ¼ tsp garlic salt and pepper to taste 1 (6.5 pz) jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped ½ C frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained ¼ C shredded mozzarella cheese Directions Preheat over to 350. Lightly grease a small baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romance cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned. Serves 12. Melissa McDowell.
Layered Crab Salad Ingredients 1 head lettuce, chopped 6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped 1 cup frozen peas, thawed 1 pkg imitation crab 2 cups mayonnaise 2 tbsp sugar 2 cups shredded cheese Bacon bits Directions Mix together mayonnaise and sugar. Layer lettuce, eggs, celery, peas, and crab. Cover with mayonnaise mixture to seal. Add cheese and sprinkle with bacon bits. LaRae Harris
Mexican Street Corn (Traditional) Ingredients 4-6 ears of corn Salt Mayonnaise Chili powder Grated parmesan cheese Lime juice (in spray bottle) Directions In a large pot of salted water, boil ears of corn. When done, drain water. Spray corn cobs with lime juice, slather with mayonnaise and roll in grated parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with chili powder and serve. Craig Boswell
Simple Cinammon Rolls Ingredients 3 ½ C warm water 6 tbsp yeast 1 cup vegetable oil ¾ cup sugar 1 tbsp salt 3 eggs beaten 10 ½ C flour
dishes as those that are made at the Senior Center on Wednesdays and Fridays. You will also notice the names of many of the employees and guests of the Senior Center, who contributed to the volume. Other recipes come from historically entertaining cookbooks, such as the Grays
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Lake Relief Society + True 66. The volume is available for sale at the senior center for $15 a copy. Here is a sampling of the recipes included in the book, with a recipe or two from each category. Stop by the Senior Center during their normal hours and get yourself a copy!
Ramaki Ingredients 2 cans whole water chestnuts (drained) 1 lb bacon, cut in half 1 ½ cups ketchup ½ cup brown sugar ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper ½ tsp dried mustard (can use wet) 1 tsp worchestershire sauce ¼ cup pineapple Directions Wrap chestnuts in bacon, (soak toothpicks in water) secure bacon with toothpicks, dip bacon and chestnuts in sauce, coat thoroughly and place on foil lined cookie sheet. Bake 350 for 45 minutes. Michele Robbins
Baked Spaghetti Ingredients 1 ½ C chopped onion ¾ C chopped mushroom 1 medium green pepper, chopped 3 (15.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes 8 oz chopped olives 2 ½ lb hamburger (cooked and drained) 1 T oregano 8 oz cheddar cheese (shredded) 1 lb spaghetti (cooked) 2 (12.5 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup ½ C water 8 oz parmesan cheese Directions In a skillet, brown and then drain hamburger. Add in onions and green peppers, saute until tender. Add in chopped mushrooms, tomatoes, olives and oregano. Add in cream of mushroom soup and water. Heat through. Layer ½ sauce mixture on bottom of a sprayed baking pan. Then ½ cooked spaghetti layer and then ½ parmesan cheese and shredded cheddar. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Caribou County Senior Center.
Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients 2 or 3 bone-in chicken breasts 8 cups water 3 tbsp chicken soup base or chicken bouillon 2-3 carrots peeled and diced 1 stalk of celery diced 2 tbsp diced onion 4-5 cups uncooked noodles of your choice 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 cup sour cream Salt and pepper to taste Directions Cook chicken in broth till tender, about 45 minutes. Remove chicken and take odd skin and bones. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Bring broth back to boiling and add carrots, celery, onion, and noodles. Simmer until cooked. When vegetables and noodles are done, add chicken back into pot along with cream soup and sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix and cook on medlow until warmed through. Enjoy! Annette Elsmore
Directions Mix warm water, yeast, vegetable oil, ¾ C sugar and let stand for 15 minutes. Then add salt, eggs, and flour. Roll out, cover with butter, cinnamon, and sugar. Roll up and cut into slices. Put on greased pans. Let rest 10 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Heidi Rigby
Assistant Director Fiona Benson modeling the cookbook stand--on sale now!
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SENIOR CITIZENS’ CORNER January 2026 Nutrition Article
Happy New Year’s friends! With a new year, we often set New Year’s Resolutions and goals. Popular Resolutions include losing weight, drinking more water, and eating healthier. Here are a few tips to help you reach some nutritional goals: Drinking more water • Aim for at least 8 cups of water per day • Water bottles with labels can help reach intake goals • Setting timers/alarms for reminders to drink up Consuming Less Salt • Rinse any frozen and canned foods, salt is often used as a preservative. Thoroughly rinse under running water a couple of times will help to reduce sodium content
• Keep the salt shaker off the table! We often salt our food before tasting it. • Look for sodium substitutes i.e. Seasoning, citrus, herbs (fresh or dry)
Eating less saturated fat and more unsaturated fat to encourage heart health • Saturated fats solidify at room temperature: butter, lard, animal fat • Unsaturated fats remain liquid at room temperature: Oils, avocados, etc. Seasonal foods in January? • Citrus fruits- oranges, limes, grapefruit, etc. • Garlic, green beans, broccoli, and sweet potatoes
Caribou County Senior Citizens' Menu Every meal served with Juice/Milk/Coffee *Birthday Cake and Ice Cream is served in-house only!
January 1 - Closed 2- Closed 7- Pork Roast w/ Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Peaches, Dilly Bread, Lemon Bars 9- Chicken & Stuffing Casserole, Broccoli, Pineapple w/ Cottage Cheese, Oatmeal Bread, Texas Sheet Cake 14- Meatloaf & Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, Pears, Sourdough Bread, Pineapple Upside Down Cake
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December 25, 2025
16-Ham & Bean Soup, Green Salad, Bread Sticks, Oranges, Birthday Cake & Ice Cream 21- Shepard’s Pie, Green Beans, Apricots, Cherry Drop Cake 23- Lemon Chicken w/Rice, Cooked Carrots, Apples, Dilly Bread, Choc. Chip Cookie 28- Chicken Salad Sandwich, Potato Soup, Pineapple, Apple Crisp 30- Beef Enchilada, Green Salad, Mandarins, Green Rice, Smore Cookies
January 2026
Protein Packed Chili Ingredients
1 pound of ground beef drained 1 can small red beans, rinsed and drained 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 can crushed tomato 1 can (16 oz) tomato juice 1 cup water 1 tbsp ground chili powder 1 tsp garlic powder (or fresh) Salt and pepper to taste Possible garnish: Corn chips, shredded cheese, onion, sour cream, etc.
Directions
Brown ground beef, and drain. Return to a large pot and add in the rest of the ingredients. Bring to low simmer for 10-15 minutes. Turn off, let cool for 5 minutes, and top with desired garnishes.
Nutrition Counseling Free MNT (Medical Nutrition Therapy) services available in person, or via telephone with our registered dietitian Vanessa (habla Espanol), services also available in Spanish. Ask your center staff for details today! • Please reach out to our site for help with the following: o New Medical Diagnosis i.e. cancer, diabetes, difficultyswallowing, weight loss, altered taste, fatigue, etc. o Food resources- Food banks, pantries, programs, etc. o Menu planning and recipe ideas o Budgeting
BRAIN TEASERS
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Idaho Enterprise|Caribou County
EVENT CALENDARS SODA SPRINGS CARIBOU COUNTY
LUNCH MENUS
SODA SPRINGS LUNCH MENU
GRACE
Lunches served with Fruit, Veggies & Milk
Sunday, December 28th LDS Services
Friday, December 26th CHRISTMAS BREAK Caribou County Senior Dinner IDAN-HA Movie
NORTH GEM LUNCH MENU Milk and Choice of Bar Each Day
Monday, December 29th Preschool Story Hour @ Library 10:30am
Saturday, December 27th CHRISTMAS BREAK
BANCROFT
Sunday, December 28th CHRISTMAS BREAK Presbyterian Services Caribou Bible Church Services Catholic Mass (8:30am) Open Arms Church Services LDS Services Hope Lutheran Church
December 25, 2025
GRACE LUNCH MENU Lunches served with Milk
No School Christmas Break!
Sunday, December 28th LDS Services
School resumes January 5, 2026
Monday, December 29th CHRISTMAS BREAK Catholic Daily Mass (9am) Tuesday, December 30th CHRISTMAS BREAK Wednesday, December 31st CHRISTMAS BREAK Caribou County Senior Dinner IDAN-HA Movie Thursday, January 1st CHRISTMAS BREAK Catholic Daily Mass (6:30pm) IDAN-HA Movie
ON THIS DAY
337 Earliest possible date that Christmas was celebrated on December 25
352 First definite date Christmas was celebrated on December 25 1223 St. Francis of Assisi assembles first Nativity scene (Greccio, Italy) 1656 Dutch astronomer and mathematician Christiaan Huygens creates the first pendulum clock 1818 First known Christmas carol, “Silent Night, Holy Night” (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht), is sung in Austria 1831 Louisiana & Arkansas are first states to observe Christmas as a holiday
1939 Montgomery Ward introduces Rudolph the 9th red-nosed reindeer 1949 First television adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” debuts in American syndication; low budget 30-minute production stars Taylor Holmes and is narrated by Vincent Price 1983 First live telecast of Christmas Parade at the EPCOT Center, Disney World Florida
NEWS OF RECORD
BIRTHDAYS
Charlotte Grace Brown, Dec. 1 Scott Davis, Dec. 1 Andy Robinson, Dec. 2 Ruth Sparks, Dec. 2 Melissa McDowell, Dec. 6 Shannon Gentry, Dec. 6 Lynn Rasmussen, Dec. 6 Larry Perron, Dec. 6 Kathy Neal, Dec. 8 Mark Fugate, Dec. 8 Sharon Sweet, Dec. 6 Rorie Bartschi, Dec. 9 ShaLayne Bartschi, Dec. 9 Pattie Stringham, Dec. 9 Sandy Fugate, Dec. 10 Craig Shuler, Dec. 11 Allyne Crossley, Dec. 12 Vivien Mendenhall, Dec. 12
1914 Legendary “Christmas Truce” takes place on the battlefield of WWl between British and German troops. Instead of fighting, soldiers exchange gifts and play football
Scott Bevins, Dec. 13 Terry Johnson, Dec. 15 Jerry Jeppsen, Dec. 17 Gloria Evans, Dec. 20 Michael Pabst Jr., Dec. 20 Kathie Keller, Dec. 21 Linda J Anderson Dec. 24 Marian Lester, Dec. 24 Meri Hovanski, Dec. 26 Elaine Swope, Dec. 28 Darlene Meads, Jan. 1 If you would like to add yourself, your kids, loved one, friend or family member to our weekly birthday list, contact Sherrie at 208-766-4773 or email sherrie.w@idahoenterprise.com
CARIBOU COUNTY SHERIFF Macie Sue Anderson, Mantua, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50 Whitney Blatter, Chubbuck, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50 Makenzie Molly Christensen, Hickory, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50 Mason Paul Critchlow, Georgetown, fail to use safety restraint, $10.00 Brandon Allen Doyle, Lava Hot Springs, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50 Wayne Jesse Gallup, Mountain Home, speeding, $33.50, cost $56.50 Brady Dallas Gardner, Franklin, fail to register vehicle annually, $10.50. costs $56.50 Charles Hunter McQuivey, Downey, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50 Makai J Monson, Springville, speeding, $33.50, costs $56.50 Joe W Porath, Montpelier, fail to
register vehicle annually, $10.50, costs $56.50 IDAHO STATE POLICE Kamille Johnston, Blackfoot, speeding (16 mph or over), $98.50, costs $56.50 MAGISTRATE COURT Salvador Gutierrez Morales, Freedom, violation of protection order, $40.00, costs $197.50 – Agency: CCSO Jonathan Walker, Soda Springs, driving under the influence - excessive, $1,000.00, $900.00 suspended, costs $202.50, 365 days jail, 314 days suspended, 51 days credit time served, 365 days drivers license suspended, 24 months probation; injury to child, $300.00, $200.00 suspended, costs $157.50, 180 days jail, 129 days suspended, 51 days credit time served, 24 months probation – Agency: SSPD
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• AUTO • HOME • LIFE
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December 25, 2025
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Idaho Enterprise|Caribou County
LOOKING BACK AT PAGES FROM THE PAST
The following stories are summarized from past issues of the Caribou County Sun over the last fifty plus years. The Enterprise thanks Mark Steele for permission to use the contents, and the Grace Public Library for access to the archives.
2020 The Wildlife Collision Salvage Rule allows individuals to keep road-killed wildlife species classified as upland birds, upland game animals, big game, furbearers, and predators that may be lawfully hunted or trapped. Unprotected nongame wildlife are also legal for salvage. Protected nongame wildlife, threatened or endangered species, migratory bords (including waterfowl that are federally protected), and other wildlife species not lawfully hunted or trapped may not be recovered, possessed, or salvaged. Since the rule started, thousands of deer, elk, moose, and other species that would have otherwise been wasted have been salvaged for meat, taxidermy, and other uses. 2010 John Lau counted 32 elk at his farm on the east side of Soda Springs on Christmas Eve, as they decided to lay down and wait for darkness. During the night they went into the area where the sheep had been fed and cleaned the hay up. During their stay they broke several high tensile electric fence wires and were gone by daylight on Christmas morning. A capacity crowd attended the “Dancing with the Stars” benefit held last week at the Gem Valley Performing Arts Center in Grace. Group #2 was chosen by judges as the mirror ball trophy winners. They were Pat and Jared Sorensen, Brett and Angie Smith, Laura and Travis Winkler, and Tonya and Grant Simmons. The benefit was organized by Andrea Holyoak to assist four families in need, due to high medical bills. The spirit of giving was truly manifest as the total dollar amount donated exceeded $9,000. Edie Bush was the lucky winner of a quilt donated to the Caribou Senior Citizen Center. The project raised over $500 and was headed up by Doris Irving, with Sharon Averett quilting, and Marthel Fowler and Mary Christensen selling tickets. 2000 With Christmas holidays comes an increased chance for home fires, and this year Soda Springs Fire Chief Norm Bjorkman is encouraging residents to be especially safe. He said never to leave home with a candle burning or your Christmas tree lights on. Christmas tree lights left on. Another area of concern is walking on extension of light cords, which may cause the protective coating to wear through and short out. The fire chief noted many people place the cords under carpets or rugs during the holidays to keep the cord covered and people from tripping, but this fear may create a great deal more danger. Watering the Christmas tree is also a routine that needs to be followed during the holidays to keep the bows and needles moist and more fire free. Bjorkman said he and the firemen from SSPD wish everyone a merry Christmas and with a little extra effort they can have a safe holiday. Restoration of the Enders Hotel building by the Soda Springs Idaho Historical Museum, Inc. has experienced some changes since demolition and start of construction in July. The building was totally stripped from the basement up. New water and sewer hookups to the city have been completed. General Contractor Mick DeWall and subcontractors are presently working on installation of two new gas-fired steam boilers that will provide steam to the restored steam heaters being reinstalled throughout the building as the primary heat source. Carpentry and sheetrock work is nearly complete in the basement area. The exterior of the building is being restored to its original construction with the removal of the hotel and café signs, along with the apartment entries that were added sometimes after initial construction. New windows have been installed throughout the upper two levels with C Y
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Daphney Medina and Lindsey Fox are part owners of Bailey’s Market in Niter.
present construction restoring the original front plate glass windows and doors. Masonry contractors have been replacing and resetting brick and cinderbrick on the front and sides of the third floor that have deteriorated from time and the elements. Progress on the project is on schedule due to the excellent cooperation of the general contractor, and his subcontractors, as well as the city of Soda Springs in getting problems solves and moving along smoothly, project manager Brent Maughan said. The ultimate result of this project, in honor of the 1954 graduating class of Soda Springs High School, will be a 30 unit bed and breakfast with a historical museum on the upper floors and a unique historical gift shop, restaurant and banquet room, with an approximate 200 seating capacity. The hotel lobby will be restored to its original condition. Several of the units on the main level are ADA accessible to accommodate folks with disabilities. The restaurant will be the last portion of the building to be restored with minimal interruption to service. Many artifacts have already been donated to date, and the museum is continually interested in anu items of historic or antique nature. Information on donations to the museum and construction progress may be obtained by contacting Mr. Maughan, or the city council. Thirkill Thunderbirds School Report—Kindergarten: In our class we cooked green rice krispy treats and made them into wreaths for our families. We drew pictures of our families and talked about them all week. We tried to think of things families could do together. “Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock.” That’s what we are talking about in our class. We are learning to read the numbers on the clock and the letter “P” and the number “9”. 2nd grade: We have been working on blends. We did second grade rotations and practiced blends, did games with blends, and did bingo with blends. We like the story “Keep the Lights Burning” and Abbie and a lighthouse. Abbie had to keep the lights burning so no one would crash into the rocks. We have had tests in math. We did geoboards and made congruent designs. We did Christmas plates and presents for our moms and dads. We’ve been getting ready for Christmas. We’ve been making letters to Santa. We’re learning the cursive alphabet. We’ve been learning about Christmas in other counties. 3rd grade: We have been doing some Christmas art projects. We have made reindeer, poinsettias, a Santa mystery picture, a Santa tree, and a Christmas mobile. We have been working on cursive and accelerated math. We have been doing science rotations. This is where we go to other 3rd grade classrooms and learn about mining. We do a lot of math in class. We read books and test on them. We are making a present for our moms and dads. We do a lot of fun art projects. We have been making presents for our parents. We made a card to go with them. We wrote Christmas stories and made Santa pictures. We have a tree in our classroom that has lots of presents underneath it. Some of us helped decorate the Christmas tree. We are excited for Christmas. We can barely wait for Santa Claus to come. Our class hopes we have been food so we can get presents. Once I was naughty and got bubble gum coal, but it tasted good.
While some things will change, Bailey's will still be the locally owned place it has been for over fifty years.
Reporters: Tyler Fetzer, Amber McLaughlin, Amber Stoor, Tiffany Harrison, Cathryn Smith, Kathrine Langedyke. Grace Mayor Kelly holt was sworn in as a new member of the Caribou Memorial Hospital and Living Center’s five-person board of directors at the Dec. 18 meeting by County Commissioner Lloyd Rasmussen. Holt will complete the term of Val Isle who was transferred to Boise. Holt is the hydro production manager for Utah Power and Light. He has lived in the Grace area with his family for the past 27 years. Also sworn in at the meeting for a three year term was Jon Goode, CPA, of Soda Springs, who has been serving on the hospital board for the past year. CNA graduates: Yvonne Settles, Krista Skinner. Amy Dimick, Jason South, and Jason Taylor. Hospital R.Ph and Living Center administrator Dell Maughan took part in the graduation. All of the recent graduates passed the exam given by ISU. The big issue for the upcoming legislative session, according Senate Pro Tem Robert Geddes, R-Soda Springs, will be the surplus—projected as high as $300 million by some. With that kind of money, there won’t be any lacking for ways to spend it. Sen. Geddes said there is a surplus of $100 million to date. “The rest is in projections to the end of June. I can see signed of a little weaker economy and we need to be cautious.” Geddes said he was hearing talk about tax reductions in the personal income tax. Last year, the legislature approved .1 percent reduction with a sunset to take that reduction off the books after a year. The senator feels that reduction may be made permanent. Another tax cut being discussed is reducing corporate tax from 8.2 percent, which is a little higher than the rest of the western states, to just below 8 percent in order to attract businesses. “People and corporations want to locate in Idaho. We have good work forces, beautiful scenery, all the amenities, but the tax rate puts us out quickly on the screening process,” Geddes said. Tom Westre reported that “This time of year, Christmas evokes family gatherings, a warm fireplace, and for many of us, too much to eat. This year will bring us all these things and more. If you are willing to leave the warmth of your fireplace for the chill of December, you can watch some great celestial shows in the December skies. If the skies are clear, most of North America will get to see a partial solar eclipse on Christmas morning. The eclipse begins along the West Coast, where the sun rises in eclipse. From Caribou County we will see about 40 percent of the sun covered by the moon. Mid-eclipse should be around 9:45 a.m. on Dec. 25. Watching the eclipse can be dangerous, because the sun’s brightness is only partially reduced by the moon’s presence. One of the best filters is a #14 arc welder’s glass. Avoid sunglasses, smokes glass, exposed black and white or color film. Although all of these items limit the amount of visible light, they do little to stop infrared radiation and are a sure way to permanently damage the eyes. 1970 Growth, improvement, and greater usage describe the 1970 telephone
statistics of Mountain Bell in Soda Springs. Soda Springs now has 2,162 telephones which is a gain of 132 over year end 1969, according to telephone manager K.E. Pollard. The local telephone office has added lines and equipment to bolster its facilities for present and future needs, Pollard said. Specials this week at Lallatin Food Town include: Pot Roast 49 cents a pound. Morrell’s Pride Bacon 59 cents a pound. Lay’s Potato Chips 59 cents. Cream Cheese 39 cents. Cucumbers 2 for 19 cents. Quart size Soda 8 for $1. Deveined shrimp 69 cents can. Roundup of News from Bancroft: George Hulse, stationed with the U.S. Army in Colorado Springs, CO, arrived home Wednesday to spend Christmas with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Grant Hulse. Mr. and Mrs. Ted Barnes and daughter Kristi went to Malad Christmas Day and spent it with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Illum. They returned home that evening. Mr. and Mrs. Darrell McLain spent Christmas Eve and Day in Soda Springs with their daughter and family, Mr. and Mrs. Don Hamp. Mr. and Mrs. Blaine Priestly and three children, Katie Jensen, Mr. and Mrs. Burt Barfuss and son, Danny, had Christmas dinner and spent the day with Mr. and Mrs. Leland Barfuss. Mr. and Mrs. Leland Mickelson, Marva, Ireta, and Terrie and Maggi O’Brien, Mr. and Mrs. Joel Simons and children spent Christmas Eve at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Banks and children, where they had a family hour.
IDAN-HA THEATRE -INDOOR-
Thursday, December 25 Friday, December 26 Saturday, December 27
The SpongeBob Movie Search for SquarePants (PG) SpongeBob journeys to the ocean’s depths to face the Flying Dutchman’s ghost, encountering challenges and uncovering marine mysteries
Thursday, Friday & Saturday 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Saturday Matinee 2:00 p.m. (All seats $5) Wednesday, December 24 CLOSED - CHRISTMAS EVE Thursday, December 25 ONE SHOW ONLY 6:00 p.m. Friday, December 26 Saturday, December 27 Wednesday, December 31 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
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Idaho Enterprise|Caribou County
COMMUNITY NOTES
NOTICES NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ZONING MAP AMENDMENT
NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Directors of then last Chance Canal Company, Grace, Caribou County, Idaho, have levied an assessment of $15.00 per share upon the outstanding stock of said company, said assessment being due and payable on the 1st day of April. 2026 Notice is further given that said assessment must be paid before the water master can deliver any irrigation water for the 2026 irrigation season. Dated the 3rd day of November 2025. LAST CHANCE CANAL COMPANY Jodi Mathews, Secretary P.O. BOX 93 Grace, Idaho 83241
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the City of Grace Planning & Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., at the Grace City Hall, 108 E. Center, Grace, ID., to consider zoning up-dates as requested by the City of Grace City Council, within the city limits. 2025-01: Present Land Use: C (commercial) Zone. Proposed Land Use Zone: R-1 (multifamily residential) Zone: The legal description of land being considered: SEC 1, COUNTY PROPERTY IN CITY LIMITS, BLK 16 CITIZENS ADDITION, MAIN ST - 1ST E. – 3RD 4TH N., in the City of Grace, ID 83241
#1190-12-18-25-25-01-01-26T2
2025-02: Present Land Use: R-1 (single-family residential) Zone. Proposed Land Use: R-2 (multi-family residential) Zone. The legal description of land being considered: SEC 12, COUNTY PROPERTY IN CITY LIMITS. ONE MILE ROAD – 10TH S. - SOUTH HIGHWAY 34 - 4TH W. , in the City of Grace, ID 83241
SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE No. 311 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CIIY O F B A N C R O F T, I D A H O , AMENDING TITLE 5, CHAPTER 3B AS IT RELATES TO LIVESTOCK, REPEALING SECTION 5-3B-4 AS IT R E L AT E S TO E X I S T I N G USES, AMENDING 5-3B-1 BY ADDING BEES TO THE DEFINITION, D E F I N I N G P O U LT R Y AS TO NOT INCLUDE CHICKENS,PROVIDING F O R P E N A LT I E S , A N D P R O V I D I N G F O R PUBLICATION BY SUMMARY, DISPENSING WITH READING ON THREE(3)SEPARATE DAYS, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
2025-03: Present Land Use: R-1 (single-family residential) Zone. Proposed Land Use: R-2 (multi-family residential) Zone. The legal description of land being considered: SEC 12, COUNTY PROPERTY IN CITY LIMITS, TURNER SUBDIVISION, BLK 1, 9TH S.- 10THS 1ST W. – 2nd W., in the City of Grace, ID 83241. 2025-05: Present Land Use: C (commercial) Zone. Proposed Land Use: R-1 (single-family residential) Zone. The legal description of the land being considered: BLK 37, CITIZENS ADDITION, WEST CENTER ST., 2nd W – 3rd W – 1st S – Center St in the City of Grace, ID. 83241
This ordinance was passed by the City Council and approved by the Mayor on 12/8/2025 and becomes effective upon publication. The full text of this ordinance is available at Bancroft City Hall, 95 S. Main Street, Bancroft, Idaho.
The requests are on file with the Planning & Zoning Commission Department for the City of Grace, ID. where they may be inspected during regular business hours. The file will contain materials relevant to the request; the contents may change prior to the date of the hearing.
/s/ Debbie Swensen City Clerk #1189-12-18-25-25-T2
All persons desiring to be heard should appear at this hearing. Written comments may be sent to the City of Grace, Planning & Zoning Commission, P. O. Box 288, Grace, ID. 832410288. Written comments must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. Thursday, January 8, 2026. Written comments received after this date will not be entered into the record.
DEADLINE to submit items for CARIBOU COUNTY IS FRIDAY AT 4:00 P.M.
If you require special accommodation, please contact the Planning & Zoning Commission at (208) 425-3533 prior to the hearing. City of Grace Planning & Zoning Commission Sherry McCurdy, Chairman #1188-12-18-25-25-T2
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service A Candlelight service will be held at the Presbyterian church on December 24 at 7 p.m. The program will feature a short service of scripture readings and carols. Heavenly harp music, provided by Heidi Walker, will be played prior to the service. There will also be special music during the service. The service is open to everyone, and should be a meditative way to usher in Christmas. Grumpy Guy’s open downtown If you’ve been patiently waiting, wait no more! (Be keep being patient—that’s generally a good personality trait…). Grumpy’s Guys announced that they are now open at their new site on 130 S Main Street, from 11a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Welcome to the new dedicated pizzeria downtown, and a perfect companion to a movie at the Idan-ha Theatre. Dates for Open Mic We reported in last week’s paper that the City Recreation Department is set to host regular Open Mic nights at the Enders Hotel starting on January 8. The planned schedule is for open mic nights to be held every 2nd and 4th Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The event will be free, and an excellent place to practice music performance, storytelling, poetry, and any other talents artist would like. Because it is a free event sponsored by the city, participants need to be mindful of the audience and keep their material suitable to the environment. Come perform, listen, or just enjoy the arts in
Water management and soilborne diseases will be central themes of University of Idaho’s 58th annual Idaho Potato Conference, scheduled for Jan. 21-22 at Idaho State University in Pocatello. The conference — held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 21 and 8 a.m. to noon Jan. 22 in ISU’s Pond Student Union Building — features a trade show with more than 70 booths, presentations on potato research and updates from leaders with the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC), Potatoes USA and the National Potato Council. The cost of registering is $40 per person prior to midnight on Jan. 14 and then increases to $50, with onsite registration available. The event includes a potato bar lunch on Jan. 21, fried snacks provided by potato processors throughout the conference’s duration and a hospitality room sponsored by the IPC. “It’s a great meeting for the potato industry to get together with researchers and Extension specialists,” said James Woodhall, an associate professor and Extension specialist of plant pathology who chairs the conference organizing committee. Conference presentations will feature more hours of content than ever before, showcasing the research of two new faculty members who specialize in water — Emily Bedwell, an associate professor and Extension irrigation specialist, and Meetpal Kukal, an assistant professor of hydrologic science and water management. The agenda also includes a “Water on the Line” panel discussion. Soilborne diseases are an area of increasing concern within the potato industry, and the first day of the conference will include a mini-symposium on the topic, with about 250 minutes of content. The mini-symposium will cover the biology and control of soilborne diseases, disease management, the impact of variety selection on a fungal disease called verticillium wilt and causal agents of the dis-
The Idaho Enterprise - Caribou County Edition is published weekly at 76 South Main Street, Ste. 207, Soda Springs, Idaho. Postmaster, please mail address corrections to: The Idaho Enterprise, P.O. Box 331, Soda Springs, Idaho 83276. Entered as “periodicals” at the Soda Springs, Idaho Post Office. Subscription rates are strictly in advance -- $55.00 per year delivered in Caribou County, and $67.00 per year delivered outside of Caribou County within the United States. The Idaho Enterprise reserves the right to refuse publication of any or all materials. Brandon Hall
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Caribou County on Thursday nights. Avalanche Awareness Classroom Presentation While the snow is still largely limited to the mountains at present, it would be a disservice to the awful potential of an Idaho winter to assume that will remain the case. As the white stuff begins to fall, the State of Idaho Parks and Recreation Snowmobile Program and Grittons are offering a Free Avalanche Awareness class at Tigert Middle School on January 9 at 6 p.m. The following day, Saturday Jan 10, a Companion Rescue Clinic will start at 9 am at the 8 Mile Canyon Rd turnout. Avalanche dangers are increased by large temperature variation during the formation of snow and ice layers, so the class should be even more relevant than usual this year, and even if you know the basics it never hurts to be reminded. Grace Clinic Foundation poured A groundbreaking was held earlier in the year for the Caribou Medical Center Grace clinic. In advance of the same impending weather situations referenced above, the foundation for the Clinic building was recently poured, bringing the completion of the project that much closer. An exact date for a planned opening has not been announced, but as the new year gets underway, weather will be the primary determining factor with regard to its completion. The clinic will allow for patients in Grace to receive a number of services without leaving Grace, and should be a great addition to the community health care scene.
U of I to host 58th annual Idaho Potato Conference in Pocatello
The Idaho Enterprise - Caribou County Edition P.O. Box 331 Soda Springs, Idaho 83276 (U.S.P.S. -- 090-560) ISSN: 2997-1004
Editor
December 25, 2025
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ease complex known as early die in potatoes. A panel discussion will target powdery scab and potato mop-top virus, two diseases with no known reliably effective management tools listed as the top research priorities by IPC and the Northwest Potato Research Consortium. A separate panel discussion will evaluate biological control products for potato disease management. Mike Thornton, an emeritus professor of plant sciences, is scheduled to present about potato agronomy. Sessions covering wireworms, aphids, soil types, potato varieties, nutrient management, drought management and soilborne diseases will be offered in Spanish. In addition to presentations by Extension researchers, the agenda includes several external speakers. Ben Ingalls, with Industrial Ventilation in Nampa, will speak about how potato storage practices may be impacted by the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, which gives new authority to the Environmental Protection Agency to address hydrofluorocarbons. Invited guest speakers include entomologist Russell Groves from University of Wisconsin, who will speak about aphids, Washington State University potato specialist Mark Pavek, who will speak about potato varieties and agronomy, and Oregon State University Extension soil fertility specialist Amber Moore, who will speak about how soil conditions affect potato yield, quality and fertility. An advisory committee comprising industry representatives helps organizers plan content. “This year we’ll have more panel discussions, more opportunities for engagement and new topics we haven’t had before,” said Assistant Professor Kasia Duellman, an Extension seed potato pathologist who serves on the conference planning committee. For more information, visit uidaho.edu/extension/events/potato-conference.
CARIBOU COUNTY OBITUARY SUBMISSION INFO The cost for a standard obituary:
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Enterprise The Idaho
Caribou County's Newspaper Since 2024
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Idaho Enterprise|Caribou County
December 25, 2025
Soda Springs City Council held in lamplight Last Wednesday, high winds across southeastern Idaho created any number of headaches. In the city of Soda Springs, one of the effects was a power outage that involved a good deal of the south side of town, including the city hall facilities. While much of the business was deferred until such time as the power was restored (which took a number of hours for complete restoration of power to the city), a few scheduled agenda items needed to be checked off, so the city council met around its customary table…by lamplight to complete the business of the city. Similar accommodations were made at other meetings throughout the valley as well, it was informally reported during the meeting. Luckily, preparation and resourcefulness worked to make things possible. In order to expedite the proceedings, a motion was made to defer the less critical agenda items, including an executive session, department head reports, trail sand discussion, issuing various permits, the second citizens input section, and so on. The annual audit of city finances was discussed, and it was noted that the audit, which is required by law, for 2024 cost $18K+. Intermountain Gas Franchise Agreement Ordinance 721, granting a 10 year
Luckily, there were no emergency items, and Soda Springs City Council was able to hold a short, dark meeting.
extension with IMG the contract for the construction and maintain a gas distribution system, was approved. Councilmember Rod Worthington, who is also the principal of Thirkill Elementary, stated, “I was just so grateful when I came out the back doors of Thirkill—we had a tree fall on our playground area, and there were the guys there with their equipment. I just want to thank the city guys.” Worthington went on the praise the professionalism and professionalism of the city crew, as well as Officer Mumford, who is currently serving as the district’s Resource Officer, and the other officers who responded to the school during the power outage. Because the outage happened after 2:00, students were kept at the school as the outage was worked on. Officers escorted students through the hallway with flashlights, and gen-
erally kept nerves clam throughout the afternoon. It was noted that the first meeting in January will be the transition meeting from current mayor Austin Robinson to mayor-elect Paul Gritton, and current city councilmember Worthington and councilwoman-elect Paige Byram. Councilman Ryan Carpenter stated “Since I won’t be here for the first meeting in Jan, just wanted to say to the mayor and councilman Worthington that it’s been an honor and a privilege to serve with them.” Carpenter was joined by other members of the city staff and elected officials in the sentiment. It was reported that the Caribou Medical Center is planning a remodel of the bottom level where labor and delivery services are currently housed. Because it was not an action item, a discussion
© 2026 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 42, No. 6
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of the remodels will be discussed at a later time. It was reported that resident should be getting a flier from the Idaho Transportation Department in the mail soon. A public input meeting is scheduled for January 5, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the middle school to discuss the upcoming Highway 30 project. The project will involve the improvement of the highway from the east to west city limits, and result in new curb and gutter, as well as road surface. Because the road is a state road, the meeting will be hosted by the state entities who will be undertaking the construction, of which the city will be in an advisory capacity. Residents who live or operate businesses along the corridor are especially encouraged to attend the meeting to hear more about the specific calendar for construction, utility issues, parking arrangements, and other aspects of the project. There were a number of businesses who experienced significant consequences as a result of the Main Street Construction project of the prior year, and it is hoped that those who might be similarly affected by this project come into it forewarned. An O-Reilly’s location is planned for the area west of the new Maverik. It was an odd evening in a dark city hall lit by small LED lights and one or two headlamps, but the work must go on in any case!
One person is the hare and the other is the tortoise. Race against a family member to reach the finish line first.
Here’s a Greek fable by a man named Aesop about a race between a tortoise and a hare. It may surprise you who wins!
The hare ran so fast some of the words flew out of the story. Can you find where each word belongs?
T
here once was a hare who always bragged that he was the _______ animal in the forest. “Not even the wind is as fast as me!” the hare would boast. The tortoise got ________ of such bragging. “We all have heard you talk and talk about how fast you are, but we have never seen you ______. I’ll race you,” said tortoise.
GO!
The hare zipped off the starting line in a blur, leaving the tortoise in a puff of dust. The tortoise coughed, __________ her eyes, and took the first of her slow, steady steps. The hare was soon way ahead, far down the road. The tortoise could hardly see the hare in the distance, but she wasn’t worried.
wake up. The tortoise didn’t stop. She just kept walking her slow and steady pace. When the tortoise was nearly to the finish line, the hare woke up. Yawning and rubbing his eyes, he was shocked to see the tortoise nearing the __________ line.
As the hare rounded the bend in the road, he laughed and thought, “This is too _______! I’m going to rest. That tortoise is so slow that I’ll get up in time and still beat her to the finish line!” The hare __________ to his feet and ran as fast as he could to try catching up to her to ______ the race.
The hare laughed and laughed. “There’s no way you can beat me! I am the fastest and you are the ____________!”
T
he hare and the tortoise agreed to race the next __________. They would race to a big tree down the road and around a bend. Many other animals came out to _________.
About Aesop
Aesop was a storyteller. He lived about 2,500 years ago in ancient Greece. His favorite story to tell was a fable. A fable is a very short story with a moral, or a lesson to teach. Aesop’s fable The Fox and the Grapes tells about a fox who tries and tries to reach grapes on a high branch. Embarassed by being unable to jump high enough to reach them, the fox walks off angrily, saying loudly that the grapes are sour and not worth the effort anyway.
The hare laid down on the warm, soft grass and fell asleep! Later, when the tortoise walked right by the ____________ hare, he didn’t
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How many hares can you find in two minutes? Have a friend try. Who found the most?
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ut by then it was much too late. The slow little tortoise ________ the finish line first. All of the forest animals cheered loudly for her!
Use the code to discover the moral of Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare.
There’s Lots of Hares in There!
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TORTOISE BRAGGED FASTEST LAUGHED SLOWEST ASLEEP BOAST AESOP MORAL FABLE HARE BEND BEAT RACE WINS
Look at a photo in the newspaper. Can you make the pose of the person in the photo? How long can you hold the pose? Standards Link: Value physical activity for enjoyment and health.
Find the words by looking up, down, backwards, forwards, sideways and diagonally.
A D E G G A R B E D S S O P H B E A T E
With hundreds of topics, every Kid Scoop® printable activity pack features six-to-seven pages of highinterest extra learning activities for home and school! Get your free sample today at:
P L F S L A R O M H F O A E C A R T P G
A W S A B T L E E U B E T E O E E S W A L S E I A L N W I L
E T S E S R E D N M
O E T A T R A L S S
Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.
Tortoise or Hare Are you more like a tortoise or a hare? Why?
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Idaho Enterprise|Caribou County
Sports
Soda Springs JT Cutler works on his opponent from the top position during last weeks dual with West Side
December 25, 2025
Lady Cardinals Brooklyn Dodge had a tough back and for battle with her opponent from West Side.
Cardinal Wrestlers Travel To Twin Falls By Jody Reeves Last weekend the Cardinals boys and girls wrestling teams traveled to Twin Falls to take part in the Wiley Dobbs Invitational tournament. This was a fairly large tournament with some strong competition. The Cardinals men’s team had wrestlers compete both at the varsity and jv levels with five varsity wrestlers and seven jv. The Soda Springs wrestlers came away with mixed results but all earned valuable experience and got to see some wrestlers that they may not normally see. Likewise the Lady Cardinals had six girls compete and although none of them were able to place most of them did pick up some wins while gaining some experience along the way. Beginning with the Lady Cardinals, Mattysen Hopkins (110 lbs) went two and out in her bracket losing both matches to girls from 6A
Owyhee. Mialexys Gonzales (135 lbs) suffered a similar fate as she too lost her first two matches to girls from larger schools. Kaylin Richard (125 lbs) was able to win her first match over a Mountain Home wrestler before dropping the next two and getting eliminated. The final three Lady Cardinals all earned multiple wins and just missed out on placing in the tournament. Addika Oliver (115 lbs) lost her first match then attempted to battle back by winning her next two only to finally get eliminated in her fourth match. Laryah Dilworth (130 lbs) was able to stay on the championship side of the bracket after her first match but lost in the quarterfinals sending her to the consolation bracket where she won her first match but then was eliminated in her second match. Finally Brooklyn Dodge (140 lbs) followed the same path as Laryah. Brooklyn won her first match then
lost the quarterfinal match sending her to the consolation bracket where she would win her first but lose her second match. Competing in the boys jv tournament both Christian Manhard (285 lbs) and Braeden Brannam (285 lbs) suffered consecutive losses and were eliminated. Beau Jensen (120 lbs), Simon Krupp (126 lbs) and Jace Garbett (138 lbs) all would finish with 3-2 records in the tournament just missing out on placing. The final jv wrestler was Carson Cook (215 lbs). Cook did very well in the tournament winning his first four matches and advancing to the championship bout. Cook ultimately lost the title match in the second round to finish in second place overall. In the varsity tournament Ryker Hemmert (132 lbs) and Troy Krupp (165 lbs) both lost their first two matches and were eliminated from contention. Kellen Garbett
(132 lbs) was able to win his opening match before losing his second match sending him to the consolation bracket. There Garbett would win three straight matches before finally being eliminated in the fifth round in a close bout against a Jerome wrestler. JT Cutler (126 lbs) got off to a good start winning three straight and making it to the semi finals. In that semifinal match Cutler lost to a Fruitland wrestler but JT bounced back winning his next two matches and claiming third place overall. Last but not least Elijah Dilworth (190 lbs) did what he does best and dominated his competition. Dilworth won all of his matches one by fall and the other three by technical fall, keeping his undefeated season record intact and claiming first place. The Cardinals will next compete on Monday at home in the Cardinal Christmas Clash.
Cardinals Fail To Sustain Big First Quarter BY JODY REEVES
The Soda Springs boys basketball team had just one game on the schedule last week, a match up with the West Jefferson Panthers. This was the fourth meeting between the two teams in the last three years. In the three previous meetings the home team has come out ahead. As luck would have it, this year’s match up was at West Jefferson. This year’s Cardinals team full of promise had hoped to end the losing streak in Terrington and early on it looked as though they would. In the first quarter of play the Cardinals looked as good as they ever have. They played fast with great ball movement and accurate shooting. The Cardinals looked like they were going to run away with the game after they put up twenty first quarter points and opened up a nine point
lead. Unfortunately the Cardinals would not be able to maintain that pace through any other quarter of the game. As the second quarter got underway the Panthers decided to come at the Cardinals with an increased level of physicality. This strategy favored the Panthers and they began to cut into the Cardinal lead. Another result of the ratcheted up play was several Cardinals began picking up fouls. West Jefferson was able to get within three points of the Cardinals but five late points pushed the lead back to eight going into the halftime break. The lead continued to dwindle in the third quarter as the Cardinals struggled to score while continuing to rack up fouls. With the momentum now completely in their favor the Panthers outscored the Cardinals by seven points in the third and the Soda Springs lead now stood at just a sin-
gle point. The Panthers were able to earn their first lead of the game three minutes into the fourth quarter. The Cardinals shooting struggles continued and so did their foul troubles. Of the five starters three would end with four fouls each with one fouling out. Those same starters that had put up twenty first quarter points were only able to account for nine second half points with only two of those points coming in the fourth. In the end the Cardinals were unable to keep up their first quarter success and for the third year in a row they fell to the Panthers on the road. The Cardinals and their fans would not be unjustified in questioning the way the game was called but at the same time Soda Springs did have their opportunities to score. The Cardinals missed several open shots that included three pointers and layups. They also went
flat at the foul line. After shooting over seventy percent in the first quarter from the line they only managed to shoot just over forty percent in the second half. Despite the tough loss this game will not define the Cardinals season. They had a chance to get back into the win column on Monday night in a home game against Bear Lake that had not yet taken place at the time of the writing of this article. I suspect that they were successful in winning that game but we will have a full rundown of how it turned out in next week’s edition. Cardinals 20 Panthers 11
9 10
9 16
6 44 13 50
L. Mellor 3, G. Hansen 5, P. Ozburn 3, K. McWilliams 17, C. Thompson 12, K. Harrison 1, M. Browning 2, L. Martinsen 3
Grizzlies Wrestle In Wyoming BY JODY REEVES
The Grace boys and girls wrestling teams made their annual trip to Kemmerer Wyoming over the weekend to attend the Joe Aimone Invitational Tournament. The Grizzlies were not large in numbers at this tournament but those that did make the trip saw some success especially on the girls side. The Grizzly men had just five wrestlers participate with the majority of them limited in experience. Considering that fact the boys represented well with one wrestler standing out above the rest. Gabe Wiegman (126 lbs) was unable to secure a win in the tournament but
did put up a good fight in a couple of matches. Talyn Boyd (174 lbs) saw some of his first action of the season and as he did so picked up a win over a Rich County wrestler and finished in seventh place. Christian Barrera (215 lbs) finished in fourth place picking up wins over Lyman and the host school Kemmerer while adding eleven team points for Grace. Jackson Juncker (165 lbs) did very well placing third overall while collecting four wins over two Bear Lake wrestlers, a Mt. View wrestler and a Wind River wrestler. Finally senior standout Carter Kimball (138lbs) continued his redemption tour by dominating his bracket winning five straight
Soda Springs Joint School District #150 250 E 2nd S Soda Springs, ID 83276 Phone: (208) 547-3371 Fax: (208) 547-4878 SSHS: (208)547-4308 Tigert: (208) 547-4922 Thirkill: (208) 547-4426 C Y
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matches and claiming the top spot in the tournament. The Lady Grizzlies also had just five wrestlers in attendance with all five placing in the top three in their respective brackets. The Ball sisters continue to wrestle well this season with both girls finishing in third place in this tournament. Hayden Ball (115 lbs) picked up four wins with victories over girls from Kemmerer, Bear Lake, Saratoga and Big Piney. Holland Ball (135 lbs) also earned four wins with all four coming by way of pinning her opponents. Holland picked up wins over Wind River, Bear Lake, Mt. View, and Saratoga. Skyla Cloud (155 lbs) won five of her six matches and
Grace School District #148 605 South 4th West PO Box 347 Grace, ID 83241 Phone/Black Canyon: (208) 425-3984 Grace HS (208) 425-3809 Fax: (208) 425-3809
finished in second place. Skyla also won all her matches by pinning her opponents that included wrestlers from Weber, Bear Lake, Big Piney, and Lyman. The final two Lady Grizzly wrestlers were able to go undefeated and claim the top spot in their bracket. Bella Eddins (125 lbs) grabbed three wins by pin and one by medical forfeit on her way to taking the top spot and earning eighteen team points for Grace. Adeline Clark (100 lbs) had to win five matches to earn her first place finish which she did with four pins and a win by disqualification. Adeline earned a whopping twenty six team points for Grace who as a team finished fifth out of fifteen teams.
North Gem School District #149 360 South Main St. Bancroft, Idaho 83217 Ph. (208) 648-7848 Fax. (208) 648-7895
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Jayden Parker slips past the screen set by teammate Ellie Wood.
Rosie Harris splits the defense as she drives down the lane.
Lady Cardinals Fly Past West Side BY JODY REEVES
Last week the Lady Cardinals squared off with the Lady Pirates in a classic fifth district showdown inside the Birds Nest in Soda Springs. The game was physical and entertaining from beginning to end. Very early on in the game one of the Lady Cardinals leading scorers Anna Davis would leave with an injury following a hard collision under the basket. This put added pressure on the other Lady Cardinal players to step up to fill the scoring void left by Davis’s absence. As it would turn out, scoring points would not have as big of an impact on the game as the Lady Cardinals high pressure defense would. Soda Springs relentless full court pressure has become their calling card as of late and has proven to be effective. In the first quarter of play the Lady Cardinals put up a modest ten points but the impressive feat was holding the Lady Pirates completely scoreless
in that same span. In the second period of play the Lady Cardinals faced some struggles. Soda Springs had a difficult time finding clean looks at shots and when they did get open shots the ball wasn’t falling for them. The Lady Pirates were also able to combat the press a little better. This resulted in West Side outscoring the Lady Pirates in the second period of play cutting into the Lady Cardinals ten point lead. At the halftime break Soda Springs now led by just six points. In the third period of play the Lady Pirates continued to battle back into the game keeping the pressure on. It was during this stretch that Soda Springs senior Courtnee Gronning, as she had done many times this season, took the game into her own hands. Gronning put up eleven points by herself, outscoring the entire West Side team in the quarter by a single point. The Lady Cardinals now led by nine points going into the fourth quarter and they would not look back.
Another senior Rosie Harris stepped up adding six points for Soda Springs as the Lady Cardinals pulled away for the victory. Though it is still early in conference play the win over the Lady Pirates gives the Lady Cardinals a 3-0 record in the district which currently puts them in first place. However still on the schedule is the top ranked team in the state Malad as well as rematches with West Side and Wendell that will be tough games. Before the Lady Cardinals get back into district play they will play a pair of tough non conference teams. They will have two short road trips to Marsh Valley and Grace before returning home to face Malad on January 9th. In addition to beating West Side last week the Lady Cardinals also traveled to American Falls and Ririe. Due to a very busy schedule last week I failed to get any stats or info on those games other than the final scores. Both games were rematches of games that Soda Springs played
regularly thus far this season. After the hard fought loss in Malad the Grizzlies traveled to the Flaming Gorge Classic in Green River Wyoming over the weekend. The Grizzlies started the weekend taking on Riverton Wyoming. The Grizzlies struggled in this game against the larger school with superior talent. If you just took the first and last quarters of the game the Grizzlies would have only lost by four points to a very good Wolverine team. Unfortunately in the middle portion of the game the Grizzlies were blown out by thirty-three points. In this game there was just no debate on who the better team was and the Grizzlies should not be ashamed of losing to a great team. Next up for the Grizzlies was Worland Wyoming. The Warriors presented the Grizzlies with their best chance at grabbing a win on this trip. Bodee Smith helped the Grizzlies get started in this one with a pair of threes and eight total points in the first quarter. After one Grace led the Warriors by three. Then in the second quarter Yost exploded for eleven points as the Grizzlies outpaced the Warriors to take a nine point lead into the locker room. The Warriors did their best to hang with the Grizzlies in the third but the Grizzlies still managed to push the lead to eleven going into the fourth quarter. The
Warriors hit two threes as they tried to make a run at the Grizzlies and for the first time Worland did outscore Grace in a single quarter. However the one point fourth quarter advantage was nowhere nearly enough and Grace finally earned their second win of the season. In their final game of the weekend Grace faced Mt. View Wyoming. The Grizzlies got off to another good start in this game putting up a respectable sixteen points in the first quarter to the Buffalos eleven. In the second quarter two things happened that turned the game around. First off the Buffalos hit five three point shots. The second issue the Grizzlies had was their inconsistency from the foul line. Grace went zero for four in the quarter and as a result the Grizzly lead evaporated and they went to the halftime break now trailing by seven. In the third quarter the Grizzlies continued to struggle to score adding just seven points to their total. The Grace defense did prevent any further outside shooting but sent the Buffalos to the charity stripe for eleven shots of which they connected on eight. In the final quarter of the game Grace did outshoot Mt. View from the floor but once again the Grizzlies struggled from the foul line while the Buffalos feasted. In the final quarter Grace was just two for five from the line while Mt. View went eight for ten. In
the end the Grizzlies lost by nine. Though the Grizzlies current record is not anything to brag about historically Grace teams get stronger as the season progresses. Even with several tough teams still on their schedule and facing many potential losses the Grizzlies are not out of the state playoff conversation yet. They are making progress and ultimately will just have to beat out Butte County to win their district.
quarter the Cowboys leading scorer Craig Yost put up five individual points but unfortunately the rest of the team would only add one other basket to the team total. Meanwhile the Patriots sharp shooters hit three three point shots, three foul shots and a pair of layups on their way to a commanding first quarter lead. The Cowboys had a much more productive second quarter with four different players scoring while adding thirteen points to the team total. Even with the increased scoring the Patriots still managed to outperform the Cowboys and extended their lead by seven
more points going into the halftime break. In the third quarter the scoring struggles returned for the Cowboys as they were only able to add eight more points to the scoreboard. Despite their best efforts the Cowboys were not able to cut into the Patriots sizable lead. In the fourth and final quarter Yost did his best to put the team on his back scoring nearly half of his game high twenty points but it would not be enough to overcome the Patriots offensive production. The Cowboys lost this conference match up but have plenty of league games left in the season to still earn a good
seed in the tournament. The Cowboys will have a long Christmas break before picking things back up on January 8th. They will continue a tough road stretch traveling to Mackay on the eighth then to Taylors Crossing on the tenth followed by Challis on the thirteenth. All three of those games will be challenging but the Cowboys have plenty of time to prepare during their break.
Grizzlies Battle Through Busy Week BY JODY REEVES
Of all the local teams the Grace boys basketball team had the busiest week last week. The Grizzlies played in four games in a five day stretch. In those four games the Grizzlies would only pick up one win but did face some solid teams with some respectable results. The Grizzlies week started in Malad on Tuesday night. The Dragons are off to a hot start this season so the Grizzlies knew they were in for a tough game even before the tipoff. Despite scoring the first three points of the game the Grizzlies got down early in this game. Once they were down by around ten points Grace struggled to ever overcome that deficit. Though I did not receive any stats for this game my observation of the game saw several Grizzly players find themselves in foul trouble. The foul trouble along with not enough scoring by some of the key players for Grace prevented the Grizzlies from ever getting over the hump in this game. Grace was able to get it to a one or two possession game a couple of different times in the second half but ultimately lost the game by ten points. A bright spot for Grace in the game was 6’5” senior post Parker Yost. It was clear to any casual observer that Yost led the scoring for Grace, something that he has done
Cowboys Fall To Patriots
BY JODY REEVES
In their lone game of last week the Cowboys traveled to American Heritage to face the Patriots. Playing in such a large conference the Cowboys face very few non conference opponents making nearly every game crucial for district seeding at the end of the season. American Heritage is one of those conference opponents meaning this game was a big one for the Cowboys. North Gem would need a full team effort to get the win over a good shooting Patriot team. In the first C Y
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earlier this season. In both cases the end result was the same as the first meeting with Soda Springs beating American Falls but losing to Ririe. Though the results were the same, the Lady Cardinals were able to increase their margin of victory over American Falls as well as decrease the margin of loss to Ririe. I said it last week and I will say it again the Lady Cardinals are a different team the past two weeks and what they lack in size they make up for in speed and tenacity. Cardinals 10 Pirates 0
4 8
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C. Gronning 19, R. Harris 7, M. Kempe 1, J. Tingey 2, E. Wood 2, D. Frandsen 4 Cardinals Beavers
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Cardinals Bulldogs
31 45
Grizzlies Dragons
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UK UK 56 UK UK 66
K. Kimball 2, K. Edwards 4, G. Draper 4, C. Mecham 8, B. Smith 7, C. Smith 5, P. Yost 26 Grizzlies 13 Wolverines 16
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5 20
8 28 9 65
(No individual stats available) Grizzlies Warriors
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21 13
13 11
16 64 17 52
K. Kimball 6, K. Edwards 1, G. Draper 6, C. Mecham 10, B. Smith 13, C. Smith 7, P. Yost 21 Grizzlies Buffalos
16 11
8 20
7 10
13 44 12 53
K. Kimball 2, C. Barthlome 3, G.Draper 2, C. Mecham 2, B. Smith 13, C. Smith 5, P. Yost 17
Cowboys 7 Patriots 16
13 20
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12 40 16 65
W. Wakley 5, J. Perry 9, P. Hill 6, C. Yost 20 C Y
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Idaho Enterprise|Caribou County
Sophomore post Callie Yost battles for the tip at the start of last week’s game against the Vikings.
Junior guard Presleigh Steadman pushes the ball up the floor while looking for a quick score.
Lady Grizzlies Breeze By Valley BY JODY REEVES
After a pair of tough losses on a long road trip two weeks ago the Lady Grizzlies basketball team got back to their winning ways when they hosted the Lady Vikings from Valley last Thursday night. It was the final day of classes for Grace High School before going on Christmas break as well as the final game for the girls before the new year. In that last game before the break the Lady Grizzlies gifted their fans a dominating home performance. The heavily favored Lady Grizzlies
showcased their experience and higher skill set right from the start. In the first quarter alone Grace put up twenty one points coming from six different girls. On defense the Lady Grizzlies only allowed two made baskets in the first quarter taking a commanding lead. Grace continued their dominance through the second quarter of play adding sixteen points to the scoreboard two of which came from a Valley player accidentally tipping a rebound into Grace’s basket. The solid defense also continued as the Lady Grizzlies did not allow a single made field goal. However they
December 25, 2025
did send the Lady Vikings to the foul line for eight attempts where they made five of those shots. The Lady Grizzlies really could have poured it on in this one but in a show of good sportsmanship Grace began to back off and allow plenty of playing time to the back ups and jv players. Even in pulling back some the Lady Grizzlies lead continued to expand. By games end nine of the twelve dressed players had notched baskets. This may not have been the most entertaining game of the season but it gave the Lady Grizzlies a solid win going into a long break. Grace
will do their best during the break between games to stay sharp as they have a tough January schedule ahead of them. Grace will start the new year with Aberdeen at home on the third and they face a much improved Lady Cardinals team at home on January 7th before taking on a tough Rich County team on the ninth. Grizzlies Vikings
21 4
16 5
11 4
8 56 7 20
K. Stoddard 11, C. Smith 6, A. King 4, K. Mansfield 2, P. Steadman 12, C. Yost 13, A. Cooper 2, P. Hatch 2, M. Straatman 2
Two Thrilling Wins For The Lady Cowboys BY JODY REEVES
The North Gem Lady Cowboys faced a pair of conference opponents last week and came away with a pair of exciting wins. The Lady Cowboys first took on the Lady Royals from Grace Lutheran at home on Tuesday. This was the second meeting of the teams this season. In their first battle at Grace Lutheran the Lady Royals came away with a hard fought victory winning by six points. In Tuesday’s game it was once again a very competitive game especially in the early going. The Lady Cowboys were not only battling their opponents in this game but also had girls recovering from illness as well as a couple of girls sitting out with injuries. Even with those odds stacked against them the Lady Cowboys went to work in this game and showed a real gutty performance. In the early going the Lady Royals took the lead but the game stayed very close for the most
part. After just one quarter of play Grace Lutheran held a three point lead over the Lady Cowboys. In the second period of play the two teams matched each other’s offensive output and entered the half with Grace Lutheran still holding a slim three point lead. It was in the third quarter that the Lady Cowboys were able to turn things around by applying some good ball pressure and creating turnovers. North Gem seized on the momentum shift and outscored the Lady Royals by eight points in the quarter. Now in control of the game the Lady Cowboys poured it on in the fourth and final quarter. North Gem ended up pulling away from the Lady Royals avenging their early season loss on the road. This was an impressive win for the Lady Cowboys with a total team effort having eight different girls contribute to the final score. After the exciting win over a solid Grace Lutheran team North Gem hit the road to take on the Lady Patriots from American Heritage. This
Dally Frandsen makes a good move on the Royals post on her way to two points. C Y
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game started off very slow for both teams. In the first quarter the Lady Cowboys only managed to score four points and the Lady Patriots only made a pair of foul shots. After a less than impressive first quarter the Lady Cowboys began to hit their stride in the second. The Lady Cowboys were able to add thirteen points in the second frame of the game. Defensively the Lady Cowboys were able to stop the Lady Patriots from hitting a single field goal. Unfortunately North Gem did begin to earn several fouls with their aggressive defensive play. The Lady Cowboys sent American Heritage to the foul line for eighteen shots in the first half. Luckily the Lady Patriots only made nine of those shots giving North Gem a comfortable halftime lead. In the second half the fouls really started to add up for both teams. Between the two squads a total of forty-eight foul shots would be taken in just the second half alone. The Lady Cowboys were able to hit more
of their shots and come away with another conference win. Going into a long Christmas break North Gem is now holding a 4-2 record. When they return back to action the Lady Cowboys will enter their toughest four game stretch of the season. In those four games they will travel to Challis, then host Ledore and Rockland before hitting the road again to Sho Ban. Cowboys Royals
5 8
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G. Christensen 8, M. Rindlisbaker 4, S. Daniels 3, O. Rindlisbaker 8, I. Hatch 4, D. Frandsen 7, K. Olenslager 8, C. Hatch 4 Cowboys Patriots
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G. Christensen 2, M. Rindlisbaker 2, O. Rindlisbaker 1, I. Hatch 1, M. O’Brien 3, S. Thompson 5, D. Frandsen 2, M. Barnes 8, K. Olenslager 3, C. Hatch 11
Indyana Hatch gathers the ball as she turns to face the basket.
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