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Oneida County's News Since 1879 Malad City, Idaho
January 11, 2024 |Vol. 144 No. 2
County’s First Baby born on Jan 2!
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NEWS IN BRIEF Winter Storms blanket half the country
Cedar Hill celebrated her first birthday on the day Lainey McClellan was born
Lainey Jo McCellan
2024 started similarly to 2023 in at least two ways— Oneida County’s first baby of the year was a girl, and was born on January 2. Lainey Jo McClellan was born to parents Jeremy and Kelli McClellan of Malad, taking over for Cedar Hill, born to Aubrie and Chris Hill. According to her parents, Cedar has grown a lot over the year, and is doing well. Lainey has a whole year to look forward to, and her parents are excited about seeing her fit into their family.
Lainey Jo McClellan
Lainey Jo was born early, at 35 weeks, just in time for the new year. Despite her early appearance, her family reports that she is healthy and doing well, and should be home from the NICU very soon. Her father Jeremy reports, “Our nurses and doctors have been amazing and very supportive. It’s hard not getting to have Lainey with us at home already like we were lucky enough to do with our older 3 when each of them were born but we do expect within the next couple days as she gets a little stronger and consistent with eating that she can come home.” While the wait has been hard, Lainey has had a chance to meet the family and show herself off. “They have all been very excited, Emmett in particular is excited to get
her home and is a very protective big brother. Strat, thinks she’s ‘the cutest baby in the world’ and Laikyn just gives the biggest smiles seeing pictures of her baby sister,” her family reported. Lainey is working with the NICU to improve her eating, but Jeremy reports that she has been making big steps, and should be ready to come home any time now. She has been meeting her milestones on track, and surprising the nurses and doctors with her toughness. The family reports that having such an early New Year’s baby was definitely not part of the plan. “We were enjoying a laid back New Year’s Day all at home from work when Kelli felt her water break and heard a splash. We quickly gathered bags with necessities knowing we needed to get to Logan. (Grandmother) Marla came over to be with our older kids and we headed to the hospital,” Jeremy stated. The family acknowledges that having an early baby and becoming a family of six earlier than expected has been a bit overwhelming, but the anxiety has been reduced by a “great support system of family and friends helping us,” and the family is excited for the future. Dad Jeremy grew up in Malad, and works at Nucor in sales. Mother Kelli grew up in Tremonton and works as a nurse at the Nell J. Redfield Memorial Hospital. They love spending time outdoors with their kids at the family FIRST BABY 2024 On Page 10
Governor Little delivers State of State Address On Monday, Idaho governor Brad Little delivered his annual “State of the State” address before the Idaho legislature, in which he highlighted budget priorities for his administration that include education, infrastructure, tax relief, water management, workforce training, and transportation. Little’s speech marks the beginning of the legislative session, which will undoubtedly begin negotiating the governor’s announced priorities and plans. The biggest item presented by the governor includes a plan to fund Idaho’s education system at a level of 2 billion dollars over the next ten years. The funds would be used to “ensure all districts have the resources necessary to address unmet capital construction needs and improve student achievement.” Little stated that “We’ve all seen the pictures and videos of some Idaho schools that are neglected — crumbling, leaking, falling apart. In one school I visited, raw sewage is seeping into a space under the cafeteria. Folks, we can do better.” Most of Idaho’s schools use
levies to create funding for school construction. Because the levies are usually tied to property taxes, a situation where wealthier school districts are more likely to pass levies and improve infrastructure has led to a disparity in facilities across the state. Little presented this budgetary outlay as a longterm property tax reduction, reducing the need for levies and therefor increases in taxes that would support them. Precisely how the funding would work was not detailed in the speech. The new elementary school in Malad was funded without a tax-increase levy, due to the equalization bond that was available at the time, as well as an increased store of district funds as a result of the way student enrollments were counted to include IHLA. Governor Little also discussed various aspects of what he termed the “Idaho Works” program, which would invest in water and transportation infrastructure funding. This represents an ongoing push, as the legislature has already approved over
a billion dollars toward water security and management since taking office. The funds include improvements to drinking water and waste water systems, such as Malad’s new wastewater treatment facility. The “Idaho Works” program also includes the remaining bridges in need of repair throughout the state, many of which are considered dangerous by the transportation department. The governor’s speech also highlighted funds for mental health services and advisors, a statewide suicide prevention initiative aimed at students, and infrastructure for universities to expand their offerings to account for the LAUNCH program, announced last year. LAUNCH provides $8,000 for qualifying students to pursue post-secondary education and training in high-demand fields. Inside this edition, the Mayor of Malad City, Joan Hawkins, and the department heads throughout the county have released their own “state of” reports.
INSIDE THE ENTERPRISE Predictions for 2024.............................Pg.2 Looking Back......................................................Pg.8 Obituaries..............................................Pg.3 State of the City........................................................Pg.9 State of the County...............................Pg.4 Sports................................................................Pg.11-12
Malad is in the middle of a series of storms that will continue to bring snowfall to the valley for the next week at least, but the east coast is facing a much larger weather event that has put over 40 million people under severe storm threats along the east coast and the central plains. Over half of the country is under strong wind alerts as well, with the potential for tornadoes in the southeast. Several tornadoes have already been reported, including a large one in the Florida panhandle that has resulted in “significant damage”. Flooding is also a concern in the Gulf Coast where heavy rainfall has already saturated the ground.
Primary season begins next week
As the political season moves on, the first in the country caucuses and primaries are nearly upon us. Next Tuesday, Iowa will hold its caucuses, the first in the country. New Hampshire’s primary will take place the following week, and South Carolina the week after. Recent polls in the three locations show former president Donald Trump still in a commanding position, with secure double digit leads over second place candidates. However, the same polls show some movement in the race toward Nikki Haley, who is currently holding the second spot in most polls. Haley has averaged a 12 point gain across polls, though a significant gap still separates her from the front-runner.
Arrest warrant issued for eagle harvesting
An arrest warrant was issued by a federal judge for one of two men accused of killing and selling protected bird species on Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation since 2015. Simon Paul, 42, of St. Ignatius, Montana and Travis Branson of Cusick, Washington, have been charged with 13 counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles, and one count of conspiracy to violate wildlife laws. An arrest warrant for Paul was issued after he failed to appear at his initial court date. Branson pled not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Cold temps lead to lower gas prices
As widespread cold weather reduces the demands on fuel for travel, gas prices have seen a notable decease across the country. While often among the higher prices in the country, Idaho is following suit. The current state average is $3.12/ gallon, with parts of southeast Idaho hovering closer to $2.79/gallon and expected to continue declining for the next few weeks.
Holt arena looking at possible name change
ICCU (Idaho Central Credit Union) is in discussions with Idaho State University about a potential change to the arena’s name to the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena. The move would bring in a large amount of money to be used for arena improvements, salaries, and other items, including the elimination of at least one “money game” in which the university typically plays against a much more highly ranked school, sometimes resulting in injuries and affecting the team’s overall record. Milton “Dubby” Holt, former athletic director during the construction of the dome, is the namesake of the current arena, and the university has pledged to figure out a way to continue to honor his memory if the change is made.