Idaho cataloged an even 500 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 statewide today, according to the state Department of Health and Welfare, leaving the total at 9,928. That's another new record single-day increase. Of those, 3,066 people have recovered and 101 people have died.
The Sun Valley City Council approved Mayor Peter Hendricks’ public health order mandating the use of face coverings in places where social distancing is not possible, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
With the start of the school year just over a month away, the Blaine County School District has yet to decide whether learning will take place at home, in the classroom or through a combination of both.
The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office has declined a request from the Ketchum City Council to meet with it and the public during an open meeting to discuss policing tactics and enforcement measures.
Though crime rates dropped for several weeks this year due to COVID-19 self-isolation orders, last year’s numbers continued to rise in Blaine County lifted by a drastic rise in DUI arrests out of Sun Valley and Bellevue, according to a report from the Idaho State Police released this month.
Ketchum is facing a lawsuit after a business owner on Fourth Street delivered notice following the closure of the road to vehicles between Walnut and Leadville avenues, claiming that the mayor and city council failed to notice area businesses when it took action to ban cars on the two blocks…
The Friedman Memorial Airport Authority board approved a settlement agreement with Atlantic Aviation on Wednesday evening, directing the fixed-base operator to wire the authority $215,585 in past-due fees.
In a long-awaited decision, the Blaine County commissioners this week determined that a road west of Bellevue is a public right of way.
Rising reports of encounters with bears and mountain lions along trails in the Wood River Valley have prompted the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to remind hikers and bikers that no matter the season, big game species are always nearby—and can be unpredictable.
Since it arrived in Blaine County in March, the COVID-19 pandemic has infected all areas of day-to-day life. As we bask in the warmth of summer, it can be easy for some—especially those without children—to forget what a powerful impact the coronavirus had on schools and students.
Construction is underway for Ketchum’s bond-funded fire station, which will be located on Saddle Road, north of the Ketchum YMCA. The building is scheduled to be finished by September 2021.
The Blaine County School District board of trustees voted Tuesday to contract with a Milwaukee-based communications firm for the upcoming school year.
On Wednesday night, the Sun Valley Museum of Art hosted the first of two open-air screenings of the concert film “Carole King Tapestry: Live at Hyde Park” on the big screen outside the Sun Valley Pavilion. Moviegoers brought their own picnic blankets and camp chairs and, with the help of som…
An additional 459 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 saw the statewide total rise to 9,428 on Tuesday, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Of those, 3,022 people have recovered. One hundred people have now died with the virus in Idaho.
Citing an “incredible surge” in confirmed COVID-19 cases, Gov. Brad Little announced Thursday that Idaho will remain in Stage 4 of its coronavirus rebound plan for at least two more weeks.
Not all Ketchum and Hailey residents are thrilled about the cities’ new mask mandates, as evidenced by letters directed to council members.
As a national conversation continues to focus on potential changes to law enforcement, local community leaders are exploring the intersection between policing and mental illness.
The National Integrated Drought Information System is reporting severe drought conditions across a wide swath of Blaine County and parts of Custer and Camas counties, indicating likely crop and pasture loss for farmers and ranchers.
The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office has outlined its enforcement strategy for two mask mandates, one for unincorporated Blaine County and another for the city of Ketchum, which is policed by a division of the Sheriff’s Office.
Idaho added 430 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 to its tally today. That brings the total to 8,969. Four more people have died with the virus, raising that count to 98.
Despite new restrictions brought on by COVID-19, the Fourth of July carried on with familiar sights: fireworks, cook-outs, parades and a noticeable uptick in tourist traffic.
A week after the Hailey City Council voted to make face coverings mandatory in public, city officials are reporting a generally high level of compliance—mixed with some confusion.
Prompted by a payment from the Sagebrush Habitat Conservation Fund and a desire to protect wild bighorns, Lava Lake Land and Livestock has permanently ended sheep grazing on about 88,000 acres of national forest land north and east of Ketchum.
The city of Stanley saw a bustling Fourth of July weekend, local officials say, despite the rising number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Idaho and surrounding states.
As other cities close in on draft budgets, Ketchum’s city council has yet to start on its fiscal 2021 plan—a fact that Councilwoman Amanda Breen brought up during Monday night’s meeting. Last year’s budget talks began with a workshop in May.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is advising pet owners to take precautions after a mountain lion was observed near the Ketchum dog park over the Fourth of July weekend.
The Hailey Farmers Market will hold its grand opening on July 9 at Roberta McKercher Park. The market will be held every Thursday from 2-6 p.m. through Sept. 24.
Hailey residents are now required to wear masks in public, the City Council ruled Tuesday night, with other cities in the Wood River Valley expected to consider similar measures in the coming week.
Significant budget cuts will be key to staying afloat next year, city staff and council members agreed Tuesday during an examination of Hailey’s draft budget for fiscal 2021.
Home sales are up in the Wood River Valley as city dwellers looking to relocate to a more sparsely populated place flock to the Sun Valley area, local real estate agents say.
The impacts of a 6.5-magnitude earthquake that struck northwest of Stanley on March 31, and its aftershocks, are still being uncovered in the Sawtooth Mountains north of Ketchum. For geologists, though, the near-daily tremors offer a rare chance to measure seismic activity in the area—and, h…
In December, developer Jack Bariteau provided proof of the $80 million in financing he needed to continue a hotel project slated to be built at the southern entrance to Ketchum. Since then, little to no progress has been made on the River Street project, currently known as the Harriman Hotel…
During the early morning hours last week, residents of Hailey’s River Street could hear bleating and the muffled sound of hooves as hundreds of sheep passed through town. They were flanked by lanky white guard dogs and kept moving in a tight band three city blocks long by swifter, smaller sh…
It’s now illegal for Idahoans to drive while holding a cellphone, a ban that is already in place in Blaine County and most of its cities.
A Sun Valley man has been sentenced to drug court, community service and three years of probation following a guilty plea to possession of heroin.
Hailey resident Sergio Diaz-Rodriguez was sentenced to three years of supervised probation on May 11 for witness intimidation; three days later, he was taken back into custody by the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office for violating probation by allegedly possessing methamphetamine during a routi…
A Ketchum man was sentenced to 30 days in jail, with one day credited, and two years of probation following reduction of a felony charge to a misdemeanor for an altercation that occurred last summer.
Blaine County will receive about $154,000 more in federal payments in lieu of taxes (PILT) this year than it did last year.
A rabid bat was caught in Twin Falls County this week, according to the South Central Public Health District. Now the district is urging residents to take precautions if they see a bat active during the day or see any unusual behavior from bats.
Drivers can expect extra Idaho State Police patrolling statewide this weekend, looking for impaired drivers. Beginning on Wednesday, ISP increased its patrol on state highways and roads and will continue the heightened patrol through July 7 in an effort to keep drunk drivers off the road.
The Blaine County commissioners on Tuesday passed a resolution to encourage the use of face coverings, opting not to pursue a more aggressive ordinance that would have legally required people to wear masks in public.
A federal judge has denied a request by the owner of the Sawtooth Mountain Ranch to stop the U.S. Forest Service from building a trail to connect Stanley with Redfish Lake across ranch property.
The Senior Connection will reopen its dining room on July 6, with strict reopening protocols in place.
An inmate at the Idaho State Correctional Center has tested positive for COVID-19, Gov. Brad Little announced last week. Though the Blaine County jail houses Department of Correction inmates, the announcement will not affect procedures there, Sheriff Steve Harkins said.
The local Hemingway chapter of Trout Unlimited led a major rescue operation on Friday, June 26, moving more than a hundred fish from a dried up pond just off Pero Road in Bellevue. Drought conditions have left fish stranded all over the south county. Since mid-June, Trout Unlimited has rescu…
The Hailey City Council agreed on last week to create three main “pop-up” dining areas downtown, giving residents more space to distance themselves for take-out dining this summer and fall during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. Forest Service has created an online trail maintenance status map for the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.
The Wood River Valley was shaken last Wednesday night at 11:21 p.m. by one of the strongest aftershocks of a March 31 earthquake that occurred northwest of Stanley.
The city of Sun Valley has opted to not extend the paved Trail Creek Pathway an additional 700 feet, connecting it to Boundary Campground, due to red tape and additional costs that would be incurred to excavate and add a rock retaining wall.
The Hailey City Council voted Monday evening to approve the Sawtooth Brewery’s Fourth of July Freedom Celebration at Hop Porter Park, scheduled from noon to 6 p.m.
A Hailey man faces a felony DUI charge and two misdemeanors of driving without privileges and of possessing an open container of alcohol following a traffic stop last Tuesday night.
Beginning Wednesday, July 1, it will be illegal for Idahoans to drive while holding a cellphone, a ban that is already in effect in Blaine County and most of its cities.
The Big Wood River in Ketchum hit its lowest-ever recorded flows between June 8 and June 21 of this month, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. Previous low-flow records for that time period were set in 1966 and 2013.
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