Risch Seeks To Enrich Hunting And Wildlife Conservation
U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) reintroduced the so-called Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act, bipartisan legislation to promote hunting traditions and ensure the continued successful funding of wildlife conservation through the purchase of hunting and recreational shooting equipment.
“Hunting and shooting sports are woven into the fabric of Idaho’s history with generations of sportsmen and women passing down hunting traditions from father to son, mother to daughter. This is a legacy we must uphold and protect,” said Risch. “This legislation will make important updates to the Pittman-Robertson Fund to ensure future generations can carry on this treasured pastime of hunting and recreational shooting while conserving wildlife for outdoorsmen and women to enjoy and experience.”
“With a decline in hunting license purchases across the country, it is critically important to provide flexibility for state agencies to use Pittman-Robertson funds for the recruitment, retention, and reactivation of hunters and recreational shooters,” said Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation President Jeff Crane. “This bipartisan legislation will help ensure America’s sportsmen and women continue to serve as a crucial source of funding for the vast majority of state wildlife conservation efforts that benefit the American public as a whole.”
“Updating the Pittman-Robertson Fund to more closely align with the needs and expectations of today’s public would allow flexibility for state fish and wildlife agencies that presently does not exist. Without raising user fees, the flexibility in how the money can be utilized for the recruitment of sportsmen and women will provide conservation funding in the future,” said Ed Carter, president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and executive director of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. “This bill, if passed, will help ensure that funding for wildlife conservation will keep pace with the demands of our citizens and our communities, while still continuing to meet our traditional wildlife conservation objectives.”
Global Innovation Leaders To Attend Sun Valley Forum
The public is being invited to tour vehicles and to experience a virtual-reality art auction aimed at fighting poverty and plastic pollution when the Sun Valley Institute kicks off its fifth annual forum at the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, July 23.
The program runs through Thursday, July 25, and includes a closing dinner at Galena Lodge followed by “Adventure Day” on Friday, July 26. Tickets are available online until Monday, July 22, and in person at The Argyros, July 23–26.
This year’s forum theme is “The Future We Want: Transforming Leadership, Accelerating Innovation, Unlocking Imagination.” The premier event of the Sun Valley Institute, the Sun Valley Forum gathers approximately 250 national and international leaders and innovators from investment, policy, business, nonprofits, sports,entertainment and academia, with a goal of building greater resilience. Rapid environmental change and the highly dependent nature of the global economy have made resilience an imperative for government leaders, businesses, and communities. Resilience includes foresight, strength, adaptability, and innovation.
Idaho Dems Write To President Tromp
Idaho’s Democratic leaders welcomed Boise State University President Marlene Tromp to her new post with a 700-word letter, strongly focused on the need to support inclusion and diversity programs at the school. It was a direct response to a letter penned by the legislators’ Republican counterparts saying those same programs are contrary to “the Idaho way” and should be defunded.
“Multicultural events including the Pow Wow, Rainbow Graduation, Black Graduation, and Project Dream celebrate diversity and drive academic success. Graduate fellowships for marginalized populations reward hard-working community members while recognizing the need to close socioeconomic disparities,” the Dems said in their letter.
“This drive to create a diversified and inclusive culture becomes divisive and exclusionary because it separates and segregates students,” wrote Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls. “These initiatives by nature highlight differences and suggest that certain groups are treated unequally now—and that BSU should redress these grievances.”
President Tromp was named as the seventh BSU president by the Idaho State Board of Education in April of this year. She is the first female to serve in the position.
Bike-Versus-Jeep Accident Sends Cyclist To The Hospital
On Saturday, July 13, at approximately 6:30 p.m., deputies from the Ketchum Police Division of the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a bicycle-versus-vehicle collision near Fifth Street and Main Street in Ketchum.
William T. Whittenberg, age 25, of Ketchum, was riding a road bike westbound on Fifth Street between Leadville Avenue and Main Street. The crash scene investigation indicated that as Whittenberg traveled downhill, he collided with the rear of a white 2003 Jeep Liberty driven by Patricia A. Duetting, age 73, of Sun Valley. Duetting was also traveling westbound on Fifth Street, approaching the intersection at Main Street. Whittenberg attempted to swerve around the left of the Jeep and proceed through the green light but hit the back of the vehicle. Based upon the investigation, it was determined that it was likely that the cyclist failed to yield and was following too closely. No citations have been issued.
Whittenberg was transported by ground ambulance to St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center and then sent by air ambulance to Boise for his injuries. Whittenberg was not wearing a bicycle helmet. Duetting and her passenger were not injured in the collision. The Jeep received minor damages and was driven from the scene.
Traffic was closed on Fifth Street between Leadville Avenue and Main Street while first responders attended to the scene.
Man Found Dead In Sun Valley Condos
Emergency personnel responded to an unsettling scene within the Sun Valley condos along Village of Condos Drive late Sunday night where a 35-year-old male was found already deceased. First responders described a living space littered with empty alcohol containers, and police confirmed there was no foul play.
“When there’s an unattended death, our detectives investigate whether there appears to be foul play. They did not see any indication of that, so it goes to the coroner now to determine cause of death,” expalined Sun Valley Police Chief Michael Crawford.
Blaine County Coroner Russ Mikel said medical records of the victim are still being gathered and reviewed to determine cause of death.
“What it looks like is natural causes, but we haven’t made the final determination yet,” Mikel said.
Another Injury Crash On I-84
On July 10, 2019, at 9:21 p.m., Idaho State Police investigated an injury crash on eastbound Interstate 84 at milepost 147, west of Gooding.
Ronnie Wood, 39, of Nampa, was driving eastbound on Interstate 84 in a 2012 Ford F-150 pickup truck. Wood fell asleep and struck the rear of a 1998 Dodge pickup pulling a U-Haul trailer, driven by Kay Unger, 56, of Florence, Ore. The U-haul trailer became separated from the Dodge pickup. The Dodge pickup came to rest in the median and the U-haul and Ford pickup came to rest on the right shoulder.
Unger and her passenger, Logan Unger, 29, of Florence, were transported by ground ambulance to North Canyon Medical Center in Gooding. Kay Unger was wearing a seatbelt and Logan Unger was not wearing a seatbelt.
Idaho State Police was assisted by Gooding County Emergency Medical Services, Gooding County Sheriff’s Office, and Wendell Fire Department Station 92.