Burley woman murdered - News Journal

More documents

Recommendations

Info

2 Weekly News Journal Thursday, January 12, 2012 journal It’s news to me! Comments, Complaints, or Questions? P.O. Box 327 221 W. Main Street Burley, ID 83318 Phone: 208.678.6643 Fax: 208.678.6375 E-mail: news@ minicassia.com Editor & Publisher Jay Lenkersdorfer jay@minicassia.com Reporters Lisa Dayley lisa@minicassia.com Contributors Dave Hanks Terri McAffee Stacey Hughey Brittany Bowden Kimberly Reynolds Page Layout & Design Alex Harper Michal Munoz news@minicassia.com Copy Editor Kresta George Marketing Representatives Paul Lyons paul@minicassia.com Jalynn Despain jalynn@minicassia.com Graphic Design Michal Munoz production@minicassia.com Offi ce Manager Cheryl Lenkersdorfer production@minicassia.com Jeri Bosley Sports sports@minicassia.com Want to Subscribe? Get your local news delivered to your home every week. 52 Weeks for $ 52. 00 26 Weeks for $ 32. 50 13 Weeks for $ 19. 50 E-mail: circulation@ minicassia.com Phone: 208.678.6643 In person: 221 W. Main St., Burley ID 83318 The Weekly News Journal (USPS 025-177) is published weekly at 221 W. Main St., Burley, Idaho 83318-1616 by Sierra Marketing, Inc. Subscription price is $52 per year. Periodicals postage paid Burley, Idaho 83318. Postmaster, please send change of address form to: Weekly News Journal, P.O. Box 327, Burley, Idaho 83318-0327. © 2012 Sierra Marketing, Inc. Volume No. 4 Edition No. 15 Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. High: 43° Low: 19° Rescue High: 48° Low: 23° » Continued from page 1 High: 47° Low: 21° High: 35° Low: 20° High: 41° Low: 23° High: 40° Low: 24° High: 43° Low: 24° High: 41° Low: 25° Sunny Sunny Partly Cloudy Mostly Sunny Partly Cloudy Snow Rain Snow ter to a desert airstrip where Life Flight transported them to a Twin Falls hospital. Medical offi cials treated and released them later that day. Halverson urged anyone going out to the desert to always take survival gear in case something like this happens. He also encouraged desert travelers to wear bright colored clothing to contrast from the desert’s darks browns, grays and greens. Staying with the vehicle is recommended as it provides shelter and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE GHOST PROTOCOL Tom Cruise in an Action/thriller Nightly: 7:20 & 9:50 PG-13 Matinees Saturday 2:00pm & 4:30pm Nightly: 7:25 & 9:40 PG WAR HORSE A true story war drama Nightly: 7:10 & 9:45 Matinees Saturday 2:00pm & 4:35pm PG-13 WE BOUGHT A ZOO ADVENTURES OF TINTIN A family adventure based on a true story A family adventure Nightly: 7:10 & 9:10 Matinees Saturday 2:00pm & 4:15pm protection. It also stands out in the desert and is easily spotted from the sky. “You need to consider going out there in the fi rst place. A person walking in the desert is a lot harder to look for than is a vehicle,” he said. Also always take a cell phone. “Be prepared. If you need to spend the night out there, take some communication equipment and call for help. Let people know where you’re going,” he said. Williams’ cell phone defi nitely helped rescue the family. Matinees Saturday 2:00pm & 4:00pm “Nobody would have known where to search without some sort of communication from him. It would have been a lot harder without it. It’s a rough desert,” Halverson said. The Williams family won’t be charged for the rescue as that’s what the sheriff’s offi ce is there for. Yet, it did cost a pretty penny to locate the lost family. “I don’t have the fi nal bill. When you’re talking four agencies and all the manpower, that’s a lot of money,” he said. The Williams family was lucky in that it wasn’t snowing. BEAUTY & THE BEAST 3D Disney’s animated classic now in 3-D for the 1st time A family fantasy adventure Nightly: 7:15 & 9:00 G Matinees Saturday 2:00pm & 3:45pm Burley Theatre - All seats $2 REAL STEEL An Action/Sci-fi/Adventure SHOWS Friday thru Tuesday each week Nightly 7:20 & 9:30 PG PG-13 Fri. “We had temperatures in the 40s, so it wasn’t freezing,” Halverson said. Halverson was thankful for everyone who helped with the rescue. “It worked out well. I’m grateful people showed up and were willing to help,” he said. While it had a happy ending, Halverson said such cases are hard on law enforcement. “It may be exciting press, but it’s very stressful for us and a lot of work,” Halverson said. County to write off $351,821 Renova tax By Lisa Dayley Weekly News Journal RUPERT – Minidoka County and its various taxing districts are out $351,821 worth of back taxes owed by the failed Renova Ethanol Plant. The county commissioners agreed to write the sum off and wrote to the county’s various taxing districts on Wednesday telling them that it planned to cancel the tax bill. Renova owed the county a total of $111,472.84 while the City of Heyburn expected $122,803.88. Renova also owed the Minidoka County School District $56,243.36 and the Highway District another $28,868.86. It owed Heyburn Cemetery $3,026.92 while the County Fire District expected $23,102.54 and MMH was owed $5,966. The commissioners met with their accountants Garald Price and Todd Merrigan and Minidoka County Treasurer Laura Twiss to discuss the situation on Monday. Renova plant owners declared bankruptcy about two years ago after hiring contractors throughout the region to do millions of dollars worth of work on the fl edging plant. Creditors purchased the plant to later sell it in hopes of getting some money back on their investment. The plant was sold, but creditors only received a small portion of what they were owed. Renova owed an estimated $6 million to various companies. Renova creditors received permission from the commissioners to accept back taxes from Renova in January 2011. That money was never received. Commission Chairman Bob Moore said the whole situation with Renova had proven very disappointing. “There was no oversight on that bankruptcy. We don’t have any way to go against that, and that to me is criminal. It really was, and they did it. There’s no way we can go back. The local merchants lost their initial investment plus what they put in in good faith. How can that be?” he asked. Renova trustees failed to follow a bankruptcy court order, Price said. “This should have been paid before paying some attorneys they hired. They said it would be paid on a specifi c date. Technically the trustees are in contempt,” he said. “The trustee who made the error should have some insurance on it to take care of it. The way I see it is, I don’t think we’re going to see a dime out of it, but I hope we do,” Commissioner Kent McClellan said. The commission agreed to write off $50,000 of what was owed to the county. A portion of the $111,472 was written off last Photo by Lisa Dayley - News Journal Minidoka County accountants Garald Price and Todd Merrigan and county treasurer Laura Twiss met with county commissioners on Monday to discuss writing off $50,000 owed in back property taxes by the now defunct Renova Ethanol Plant. year, but it wasn’t clear what that amount was. The commissioners also asked their attorney Lance Stevenson and his staff to continue looking into the matter. “If we get it, we get it. It’s highly unlikely there is money. Even if they found out they were criminally negligent, there is no money,” Moore said. While the money has been written off, the county could still accept the back taxes should Renova come up with the funds. “By all the information that we have now, if we write it off, we can come up with a way to apply a payment. I don’t think that’s even a major concern,” Twiss said. Should the county receive the funds, the money will be split among the taxing districts. “If we get any money, it will be apportioned,” Twiss said. At Heyburn, City Clerk Deb Hopkins said that offi cials knew they wouldn’t receive the money. “It won’t hurt us because we weren’t expecting it. We knew they were in the process of bankruptcy, and that our chances of getting the property tax were going to be very slim,” she said. MMH offi cial Joel Rogers said that the hospital doesn’t heavily rely on tax dollars. “Tax dollars are a very small percentage of our income. Out of $30 million in revenue, I believe our tax proceeds are around $165,000 annually. If it comes in, we’re certainly happy to receive it,” he said, and added, “We have found that we’re not wise in putting all our eggs in the government basket as far as reimbursement goes.” At the Minidoka County School District, fi nancial offi - cer Michelle DeLuna said that the write off was news to her While the $56,243 would come in handy, the school district will proceed without it. “If I’m short on cash to pay a bond, I’ll just certify more money on the taxpayers. They’ll have to pay more money in taxes to cover what Renova didn’t pay. It’s the taxpayer who gets hurt,” she said. The write-off was also news to Minidoka County Fire Protection District secretary Jan Bywater. “We get our money from tax collections. If they don’t get it, we don’t get it. I’m not worried. It’s not going to put us under, but it’s too bad Renova will get away with it,” she said. The Highway District and Heyburn Cemetery offi cials were unavailable for comment. As for the massive write off, the commissioners felt that an injustice had been done. “This is really a bad deal,” McClellan said. Century Stadium 5 All Stadium Seating Two All Digital Auditoriums with 3-D Text Movies to 647-0303 Call 678-7142 for show information www.CenturyCinema5.com Showtimes for Jan 13 - Jan 19
Commissioners: Yes to ‘lower’ natural gas rates By Jay Lenkersdorfer Weekly News Journal BURLEY - The Cassia County Commissioners approved an Intermountain Gas Company request to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to lower natural gas rates in Idaho. The PUC is required to regulate the rates that gas and electrical companies can charge in the state of Idaho. While the reduction in rates is welcomed, it wasn’t expected. Waterway » Continued from page 1 tions from Coast to Coast Carports, The City of Burley and from a local concrete company. Winn credited Lex Kunau for having the foresight to keep excellent records going back We Clean Quilts Simon’s Cleaners Behind Subway Mon-Fri 8am to 6pm 2203 Overland Ave. - Burley 878-7888 File Photo Commissioners were told that natural gas rates will go from .453 per therm to .418. The reduction is a result of a more favorable natural gas market nationally. Conversely, when future natural gas trends change, the PUC will undoubtedly be asked by Intermountain Gas to consider an increase in rates. Until such time, residents can expect a slight decrease in natural gas rates in the near future. File Photo many decades that chronicle which projects were funded and who the participants were. There are currently three dock projects under consideration in the county. Weekly News Journal Thursday, January 12, 2012 3 New faces sworn in By Lisa Dayley Weekly News Journal RUPERT – A machine will now keep track of ballots thanks to a grant allowing Minidoka County to purchase 11 M100 Precinct Counters. Traditional voting booths will still be used, but instead of punching a ballot, voters will fi ll in an oval marking their vote for a particular candidate. They’ll place the ballot in a specialized envelope that is handed to workers who will run the ballot through the counter. The machine tabulates the vote and adds it to previous ballots. The counter also checks for any “over voting” or “under voting”. “Instead of taking them to the central location to count, it’s Full Service Oil Change - We Service all Makes & Models Bonanza’s Automotive Service RUPERT – A packed house fi lled the Rupert City Council chambers Tuesday night as new Mayor Mike Brown and new councilman Craig Swensen were sworn in, as was returning Councilman Carlos Roundy. The council also bid farewell to outgoing Mayor Paul Fries. “Four years ago I took offi ce here as mayor and there wasn’t near this number of people. That only means a lot more are glad to see me go,” he joked. Shortly after, he swore Mayor Elect Mike Brown into offi ce. Brown in turn swore in Roundy and Swensen. “It’s a mighty big chair that I’m sitting in,” Brown quipped as he took offi ce. Fries thanked the council and city workers for all their help during his one four-year term as mayor. “I especially appreciate all these people. They’ve done a great job,” he said. Fries also thanked his wife, Connie. “You know in the political career she’s been a great support. I remember this one incident when we were getting ready to go out for the evening. They called me from the police station. We had a guy who had intruded into a house and caused a bunch of trouble. By the time I got back home, it was 36 hours later. I told her ‘sorry,’ and she said ‘we’re going to be late,’” he recalled. Fries served as a Rupert police offi cer and later as the Minidoka County Sheriff for many years. His fi rst attempt at running for mayor proved successful in 2007. City employees thanked Fries for his work and presented him with a bench made by sculptor George Maas. “I don’t know what to say, but that’s great. My wife is eyeballing it. She can see where she’s going to put that,” he said. The City also thanked long time city clerk Carma Maxey who recently retired. In her place the city appointed Bayley Fuller to serve as the new city clerk. It also nominated Jim Bowers to serve as council president. County purchases ballot counters By Lisa Dayley Weekly News Journal counted right there at the precinct as they vote. The reason for doing that is that it does give the voter a chance. If they’re under voted, they can go and revote that. If they’ve over voted they can go in and fi x that. The machine will tell us. It gives voters a second chance,” Minidoka County Clerk Patty Temple said. From there the ballots will be returned to a central location where offi cials will tally the votes from all the precincts and declare a winner. Manufacturers of the M100 Precinct Counters plan to teach Temple and her staff how to use the counters on Thursday, Feb. 9, at the courthouse. From there county workers will teach precinct workers how to use the machines. Temple announced the upcom- Weekdays: 8 am - 5 pm • Saturday: 8 am - 1 pm • Closed Sunday Photo by Lisa Dayley - News Journal New Mayor Mike Brown swore in returning City Councilman Carlos Roundy during the city’s council meeting Tuesday night. Roundy has served on the council for several years. Photo by Lisa Dayley - News Journal New Mayor Mike Brown swore new Councilman Craig Swensen into office Tuesday night during city council. Swensen ran as a right in candidate against former Mayor Audrey Neiwerth. Photo by Lisa Dayley - News Journal Outgoing Mayor Paul Fries swore Mayor-Elect Mike Brown into office Tuesday night. Brown ran unopposed during the election. He has served for several years as a city councilman. ing ballot training during the Minidoka County Commissioners meeting held on Monday. She also asked commissioners permission to eliminate the Heyburn 1 precinct for Minidoka County residents living in Burley. About 100 people living in Minidoka County qualify to vote for Burley issues. “Instead of going to Heyburn to vote for the City of Burley on a Burley issues, they’ll go to Emerson. We’ll have all the people of Burley at the same precinct,” she said. During a recent Burley Public Library levy vote, the law required that the county set up two precincts and only three people voted. “That will save some money and help us with this,” Temple said. Full Service Oil change $ 19 95 (Regularly $34 $34.95) 95) Includes: Oil change, replace up to 5 quarts of oil. New oil filter, 40 point service checklist, lubricate chassis as required. Top off all fluids levels, and clean windshield. Plus tax & disposal fees. Must present coupon. Diesels, Synthetics and Special Oils are higher priced. Expires 1/31/12
Page 1: Thursday, January 12, 2012 Volume
Page 5 and 6: Saturday December 3, 2011 ichard an
Page 7 and 8: By Jay Lenkersdorfer Weekly News Jo
Page 9 and 10: Weekly News Journal Thursday, Janu
Page 11 and 12: Minidoka 12-30-11 13:36 Fire - A pe
Page 13 and 14: 14 Weekly News Journal Thursday,
Page 23: 24 Weekly News Journal Thursday,

Burley woman murdered - News Journal

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?