Single-Vehicle Crash North Of Hailey
Blaine County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash with injuries on State Highway 75 and River Bend Lane, just north of Hailey.
According to a press release from the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 12:16 p.m. on Nov. 11, Melinda Lincoln, 48, of Nampa, was driving a blue 2015 Ford F-150 pickup truck southbound on Hwy. 75 when witnesses say she drifted to the right near the west-side guardrail, overcorrected, crossed the center line, hit the east-side guardrail and ran off the roadway.
Lincoln was transported to St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center by Wood River Fire and Rescue with non-life-threatening injuries. Her vehicle received moderate damage and was towed from the scene. The crash is under investigation but alcohol is not considered to be a factor. Lincoln was wearing a seatbelt.
St. Luke’s Wood River Receives 2018 Press Ganey Guardian Of Excellence Award
A press release from St. Luke’s Wood River announced that they have been named a 2018 Guardian of Excellence Award winner by Press Ganey. The Guardian of Excellence Award recognizes top-performing healthcare organizations that have achieved the 95th percentile or above of performance in-patient experience in the emergency department and in-patient care.
The Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award is a nationally recognized symbol of achievement in healthcare. Presented annually, the award honors clients who consistently sustained performance in the top 5 percent of all Press Ganey clients for each reporting period during the course of one year.
Soldier Mountain Ranch Identified As Potential Site For Camp Rainbow Gold
According to a press release from Camp Rainbow Gold, the organization has announced an agreement to purchase Soldier Mountain Ranch and Resort, conditional to the findings of a 90-day due diligence of the property. The $1.3 million purchase includes approximately 150 acres and 26 buildings, including 21 cabins.
The resort, which is nestled at the base of the 10,000-foot peaks of the Soldier Mountains, is 101 miles from Boise; 89 miles from Twin Falls; and 49 miles from Hailey, making the location well-suited to serve the three valleys that make up much of Camp Rainbow Gold’s base.
Camp Rainbow Gold is a community-supported organization that depends on the ongoing support of Idaho residents. Their Wood River Valley event, “Share Your Heart Ball,” is coming up on Feb. 16, 2019, and tickets are available online now.
For more information about Camp Rainbow Gold or how to support the organization, please visit camprainbowgold.org. For more information about Share Your Heart Ball tickets or sponsorships, please visit shareyourheartball.org.
Ketchum Saves 50 Million Gallons Of Water
A press release from the City of Ketchum announced the completion of the first conversion phase of the antiquated, leaky Ketchum Springs Water System. The city is served by two water lines; the newer municipal system and the failing Ketchum Springs System.
This first phase abandoned 3,000 feet of old, substandard Ketchum Springs Water lines. Once the old system was turned off and water was flowing from the city’s municipal water system, measurements determined approximately 100 gallons of water per minute were being saved. This equates to a reduction of 50 million gallons of water per year and $6,000 in annual energy savings.
There are three phases to the project. Four miles of Ketchum Springs pipes are scheduled to be converted in the next two years.
The Ketchum Springs System has pipes that are more than a half-century old and constructed from steel and wood. The system is not metered, making it impossible to track individual water usage and leakage. It was originally a private water system that the city acquired in the 1980s. The pipelines are very prone to breaks and leaks, which cause water interruptions for customers and considerable costs for repairs. When the entire project is completed, it is estimated Ketchum could reduce water production by 300 million gallons annually. This will reduce power demand costs by $36,000 annually.
Mitchell Contemporary Opens Gallery In Ketchum
Mitchell Contemporary is opening its doors for Gallery Walk, Friday, Nov. 24, at 400 Sun Valley Road, next to Huck & Paddle.
Tim Mitchell is an established purveyor of modern and contemporary art from Aspen, Colo.
Prior to landing in Sun Valley, Mitchell started working in the fine-art business and a gallery in Aspen, which led to staging art and pop art galleries with works by regional artists, emerging artists and well-established, blue-chip artists.
The gallery features works by contemporary fine-art painters and sculptors, including Kristof Kosmowski, Malen Pierson, Boise based D’Arcy Bellamy, Siri Hollander, Diana Carey and Ron Apgar, to name a few.
For the holiday season, Mitchell Contemporary will feature works from
Kosmowski’s “Abstract Series.”
Mitchell Contemporary is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. To make an appointment, contact Tim Mitchell at (970) 404-7206.
Zions Bank Ranked Idaho’s Top Small Business Lender For 17th Consecutive Year
A press release from Zions Bank announced that they were the top provider of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) loans in the Boise District in 2018, marking 17 consecutive years as the state’s top lender. The capital provided through Zions Bank’s loans to Idaho businesses allowed them to grow so that they could hire 201 new employees and maintain 339 positions in 2018, according to SBA data.
Zions Bank approved 83 SBA 7(a) loans in the Boise District, totaling more than $12.5 million and representing 21 percent of the 396 SBA-backed loans approved during fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2018. In North Idaho, Zions Bank also approved eight SBA 7(a) loans in the SBA’s Seattle/Spokane District totaling more than $2.4 million.
Zions Bank continues to be a leader in marketing SBA loans to women—and minority-owned businesses—which accounted for more than 25 percent of the loans approved by Zions Bank in Idaho during fiscal year 2018.
The Chamber Has New Board Members
The Chamber of Hailey & The Wood River Valley has elected several new board members.
New members include Joan Davies, community advocate, and Jeffrey Roth, D.D.S., according to a recent news release from The Chamber. Re-elected for second terms are Tiffany Cross, Cross Valley Cleaning; Jane Drussel, Jane’s Artifacts; and Alex Stoll, Idaho Independent Bank.
Terms are for two years. Board members attend monthly board meetings, assist with a wide variety of events, including BAHs around the Valley and Wake Up gatherings in Hailey. The board also sets policy, approves budgets and helps with sponsorships and fundraising.
Many open positions remain on a variety of committees. Please contact The Chamber office or any board member to learn more about your Chamber of Hailey & The Wood River Valley.
LUNAFEST Discount Ends Nov. 15
Tickets to Girls on the Run of the Wood River Valley’s LUNAFEST film event are available for $10 off until Nov. 15.
Purchase tickets online at girlsontherunwrv.org. LUNAFEST will take place on Dec. 6 at the Argyros Performing Arts Center, in Ketchum, and will include a red-carpet reception and silent auction at 5:30 p.m., with films following at 6:30 p.m.
Red-carpet admission will include a free beverage, appetizers from The Village Market, a souvenir “footnote” gift and entry in the Pamper Me Raffle worth over $700 in items.
The Spot Will Present ‘A Behanding In Spokane’
A press release from The Spot announced the second production of its fourth season, “A Behanding in Spokane,” by Martin McDonagh. This is a limited engagement running Dec. 4-8 with showings at 7:30 p.m. each day as well as a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m., Dec. 8. Tickets are $25 each or $13 for those under 30.
Acclaimed playwright McDonagh is known for his work in film with “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “Seven Psychopaths,” and “In Bruges.”
Spot founding member and creative director of finance Brett Moellenberg presents McDonagh’s first and only play to take place in the United States. Set in Spokane, Wash., the main character of the play, Carmichael, is a grizzled man with only one hand. He has been searching for his missing hand for decades and may have finally tracked it down in a small hotel room in small-town America. This play is for 17+ due to language and adult content.
NAMI-WRV Announces New Board Members & Leadership Positions
A press release from NAMI-WRV announced that, as part of their annual meeting and open house, voting members of the Wood River Valley chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-WRV) have elected an expanded board of directors for 2018-2019. The board also announced the appointment of new board officers for the upcoming year. The newly appointed leadership joins executive director Christina Cernansky, and assumes responsibilities effective immediately.
Members of the board include Jason Barbee, mental health therapist; Daniel Hansen, marketing coordinator, Sun Valley Summer Symphony; Kathleen Hansen, OR Health Unit coordinator, St. Luke’s Wood River; Gary Hoffman, pediatrician; Page Klune, small-business owner; Chris Koch, teacher at Silvercreek High School; Elaine Niedrich, small-business owner; Neil Morrow, attorney (retired); and Alyson Witmer, family therapist and small-business owner.
Daniel Hansen will serve as Board President, Hoffman as Vice-President, Kathleen Hansen as Secretary, and Niedrich as Treasurer.
Eastbound Jerome Rest Area To Close Permanently Nov. 14
A press release from the Idaho Transportation Department announced that the Jerome Rest Area off eastbound Interstate 84 will permanently close on Wednesday, Nov. 14. To provide services to travelers, the Idaho Transportation Department has entered into Interstate Oasis agreements with business facilities at Exit 165, 173 and 182.
With Interstate Oasis partnerships, nearby businesses afford travelers the same conveniences rest areas do—ample parking and use of restroom amenities, free of charge. ITD has installed signage along the interstate directing travelers to Interstate Oasis locations. The Jerome Rest Area will be demolished within the coming months.
The Interstate Oasis program offers a solution for areas within the state where an ITD-maintained rest area is not feasible. The Jerome Rest Area was built in the 1970s when few businesses existed nearby to provide alternatives, but major repairs would be necessary to bring the facility up to current standards because of its age.
Sun Valley Center For The Arts Welcomes New Board Members
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts announced in a press release that it has seven new members on its board of directors. Joining the board in 2018 are Kelly Corroon, Adam Elias, Caroline Hobbs, Andrea Laporte, Barbara Lehman, Linda Nicholson and Russell Notides. In addition, longtime board member Katherine Rixon is succeeding Tim Wolff as board president.
Rixon has worked as a real estate broker in Sun Valley since 2000 and is currently part owner of the Keller Williams Sun Valley/Southern Idaho office.
It’s Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week
The Idaho Transportation Department announced in a press release that the week of Nov 11-17 will be Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week. First responders, who play a critical safety role every day in managing traffic incidents in Idaho, are being recognized throughout the state during Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week, as officially proclaimed by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter.
These responders help fight rising costs by helping to clear roadways faster and protect drivers.
While the cost of traffic incidents has increased by 85 percent in the last four years, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), responders help to reduce those staggering costs—$6 million average societal cost for a fatal crash, and $126,000 on average for an injury crash. Those costs include lost earnings, medical bills, emergency services, property damage, and travel delays, among others.
Traffic incident responders in Idaho have contributed substantially to the prompt treatment of patients, clearance of roadways, and increased mobility of travelers. Rubbernecking or blocked lanes from crashes account for up to a quarter of all congestion.
Idaho Power Campgrounds Still Open, With Lower Rates For Winter
In a press release, Idaho Power announced that their campgrounds remain open, and winter rates are now in effect for campers looking for a late-season getaway.
Winter camping rates are typically half of the summer rates for Idaho Power’s campgrounds in Hells Canyon and at C.J. Strike Reservoir. Camping at Swan Falls and Moonshine Mine (near Richland, Ore.) are free year-round.
Water has been shut off at the Hells Canyon and C.J. Strike campgrounds, so campers should bring their own. Campsites are subject to closure due to winter weather.
Idaho Power offers reduced camping fees to service-disabled veterans and campers over the age of 60. For veterans with any level of service-related disability, overnight camping fees are lowered by 50 percent. Seniors receive $2 off summer rates and $1 off winter rates. Discounts cannot be combined.
Guests can reserve campsites up to nine months in advance either online at idahopower.com/recreation or by calling their toll-free number at 1-844-472-7275.
Healthcare Stakeholders And Advocates Celebrate Passage Of Proposition 2
Close the Gap Idaho announced in a press release that following a resounding victory for Proposition 2, the citizens’ initiative to expand Medicaid, Close the Gap Idaho applauds voters for closing the coverage gap and calls on lawmakers to implement the new law as quickly as possible.
With strong bipartisan support, Proposition 2 passed on Nov. 6 with 60.8 percentage of support statewide. Proposition 2 received more votes than either gubernatorial candidate.
Proposition 2 has broad community and business support from across Idaho. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter endorsed the campaign, joining several Republican lawmakers, including House Health and Welfare Chairman Fred Wood and Senator Fred Martin, who sits on the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Other endorsements included the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, the Idaho Sheriffs’ Association, the Idaho School Boards Association, the Consortium for Idahoans with Disabilities and several large Idaho employers, such as Idaho Forest Group, Intermountain Gas and Clif Bar.
Crash Near Mountain Home Injures Two
According to an Idaho State Police news release, ISP investigated a single-vehicle injury crash on westbound Interstate 84 at milepost 113, east of Mountain Home, Sunday afternoon.
Abdelkarim Ouso, 43, of Boise, was driving westbound in a 2005 Ford F150 pickup truck. Ouso drove off the left shoulder, back onto I-84, and then rolled the vehicle. The Ford came to rest partially in the right lane of travel.
Ouso was transported by ground ambulance to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center is Boise. Ouso’s passenger, Alhadi Ahmed, 33, also of Boise, was transported by air ambulance to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center as well. Both occupants were wearing a seatbelt.
The right lane of travel was blocked for approximately one hour.
Opera Idaho’s Children’s Choruses To Host 25th Anniversary Gala
A press release from Opera Idaho invites you to celebrate Opera Idaho’s Children’s Choruses’ 25th Anniversary with a special benefit concert and dinner. The choruses’ first 25 years as well as the legacy of founding director Linda Berg (1947-2015) will be honored.
The evening will feature performances by the Angelus and Excelsior Choruses, a dinner buffet by Wild Plum Events, and hosted wine. Funds raised will go toward scholarships, endowing the director position and education ventures.
The celebration will be held at the Boise Philharmonic Building at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17. Tickets are $80 per person and include concert, dinner and wine.
