A Girl Scout rally wouldn't be complete without the Girl Scout pledge. "On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law."
Cosette is 8-years-old and recently became a Girl Scout. Here's why she joined, "You get to learn new friends, and you get to sell some cookies, and maybe eat some."
These are Naomi Winkler's badges. She's in 6th grade and has been a Girl Scout for four years.
Famous for its potatoes, trout fishing, and blue AstroTurf, Idaho might not have much in common with Hawaii. But here’s one thing: Idaho and Hawaii are the only two states in the country to tax Girl Scout Cookies. Now, some local Scouts are beefing up their sales pitches and learning to lobby.
Mother and daugher Magdalene and Lauren Teears both voted yes on Propositions 1, 2 and 3. "Up until even this morning, I wasn't sure how I was going to vote on those propositions, " Magdalene Teears said. "I went from 'no' on everything to 'no, yes, no' to 'yes, yes, no,' to finally 'yes' on everything. So that's how I ended up voting today."
Steven Burke, a father from Eagle, voted no on Propositions 1, 2 and 3. He said he didn't believe the changes were necessary. "I just feel -- some of the things that have worked for a while are a good way to stay with the path," he said.
Beverlee Brannan, a retiree, voted no on Propositions 1, 2 and 3. "I think the people for it are going to make money off of it," she said. "I think the children and the teachers are out of the issue. That's my problem."
Jennifer Thornfeldt, who went to the polls with her daughter, Stella, was one of many Idahoans to reject the package of education laws known as Students Come First.
Joe Brian, a van driver for Riverside Hotel, said he would vote no on Propositions 1, 2 and 3. "My mom's a teacher, so she got me interested in it," he said. "I think money would be better spent on having efficient computer labs than on everyone having a laptop."
William Steel, Jr., a self-described retired banker-turned-hippie, voted yes on Propositions 1, 2 and 3. "I'm a machinist union fellow from way back," he said, "but I think the union is an inhibitor, any more, to some of the progress we need to make."
Jason Trainor, who works for the Ada County Sheriff's Department, voted no on Propositions 1, 2 and 3. He says he sees the laws as "handcuffing teachers" in ways that he believes aren't fair for teachers or children.
Debra Mulnick, a retired nurse, and Bill Bourland, a vascular surgeon, both voted no on Propositions 1, 2 and 3. "I think there's this trend toward corporatizing education, and I'm thoroughly opposed to that," Bourland said. "I think that's a really destructive trend."
Brad Larrondo, who works in Boise State University's athletic department, voted no on Propositions 1, 2 and 3. “I did feel like some control was being taken away from the classroom and the teachers," he said. "I voted no in order to try to have teachers have a better opportunity to teach kids, and not have it be online.”
Asa Battista, an acupuncturist, voted no on Propositions 1, 2 and 3. "If you have a plan to revamp everything, it should be known before you get elected into office, so people know what they're getting into," Battista said.
The most potent statewide issue on this Election Day is the tug-of-war over Propositions 1, 2 and 3. Today, as we have talked to voters at polling places in the Boise area, we’ve asked how they decided to vote, and why.
The propositions correspond to three education laws that the Legislature approved in 2011. The laws have been contentious ever since. At the most basic level, the laws do three things: limit collective bargaining for teachers, create a merit pay system, and increase the use of technology in schools. ‘Yes’ votes on Propositions 1, 2 and 3 keep the year-old education laws in place. ‘No’ votes repeal the laws.
You can read more about the propositions and the corresponding laws here. For an Idaho voter guide, with links to voter information click here.
In the comments section below, tell us how you voted, and why, on the three referenda.
Vonnie Olsen has called the small Blaine County town of Carey home for nearly 50 years.
There aren’t many places in deep red Idaho where you’re likely to hear the kind of proud introduction Gini Ballou offered up not long after we met.
“I’m Gini Ballou,” she said. “My mother stopped to vote for John F. Kennedy on her way to the hospital to have me. And the greatest gift I ever got for my birthday was the ’08 election, when I was given President Obama on my birthday.”
Dr. Jennifer Petrie, 40, knew she wanted to be a rural, family physician since she was in high school in Lewiston, Idaho. Her office at the Emmett Medical Center is cluttered with photos of her kids, their drawings, and stacks of patient charts.
Emmett, Idaho resident Rebecca Smither (left) talks with Dr. Jennifer Petrie (right). Petrie is a graduate of the WWAMI program and now practices in Emmett.
Five-month-old Olivia Vandermate gets examined by Dr. Petrie during a recent check up. Petrie was Olivia's delivery doctor and has taken care of her since.
Dr. Jennifer Petrie has known since she was a high school student in Lewiston, Idaho, that she wanted to be a rural family physician.
Petrie works at the Emmett Medical Center, less than an hour’s drive north of Boise. She sees patients four days a week in her small, sparse examining room here and also works the emergency room shift a couple times a month at the neighboring hospital.
Dr. Petrie is a generalist. She didn’t want to choose a high-paying specialty. For her, seeing all kinds of people was the most appealing thing about being a doctor. Continue Reading →
Steve Spletstoser, who oversees quality control for Idaho Forest Group's Laclede mill, straightens the lettering on a sign welcoming Japanese buyer Koji Fujiwara.
Freshly cut lumber awaits the dry kilns at an Idaho Forest Group mill.
Before the recession hit, the sawmill in the North Idaho town of Laclede was known for its reliability. It had never seen a shutdown, not in Steve Spletstoser’s nearly 30 years of working there. Then came 2008.
“It was really eye-opening to see,” Spletstoser says. “Your livelihood is hanging in the balance.” Day after day, the mill cut lumber, and day after day it piled up. Very little left the lot. Continue Reading →
Quintin Edwards was laid off from his construction job in 2009. He plans to work in Western States' shop near Coeur d'Alene
Even with thousands of Idahoans out of work, one Boise-based company can’t find enough employees. Western States Equipment needs mechanic techs, jobs that by definition fall into the middle-skills category.
About half of all Idaho jobs fall into this group: jobs like mechanics, welders, police officers, or air traffic controllers. These are jobs where you need more than a high school diploma, but less than a college degree.
According to the National Skills Coalition, not quite half of Idaho’s workers are trained for these jobs. While many Idaho schools are ramping up efforts to train workers, the pipeline isn’t full yet, so one Idaho business has taken training into its own hands. Continue Reading →
On a Friday evening, Council's small downtown bustles, but its main street is marked by vacant shop windows.
In Idaho, the timber and ag industries are heavy hitters. They play big roles in the state’s history and identity. But the recession has dealt them different hands, dividing rural Idaho into winners and losers. StateImpact Idaho takes a look at two industries, two counties, and two economic fates.
Rancher Chris Black and his son, Justin, manage a thousand head of cattle on 135,000 acres in the foothills of southwest Idaho’s Owyhee Mountains. They spend most of their time miles apart – miles from anyone, in fact – working cattle. But this day is a little different. They’re walking to the corral not far from the small solar and propane-fueled house where Chris Black lives on and off from April through November. Continue Reading →
Emmett, Idaho, where farmer Vaughn Jensen raises corn, wheat, alfalfa hay, clover seed and cattle
Stories about mill towns tend to go something like this: generations of families work at the local sawmill. Then, the mill shuts down, taking hundreds of jobs with it. Emmett, Idaho is one of those towns. Boise Cascade closed its mill here in 2001. But that’s not where this story ends. Instead, it picks up with a Montana entrepreneur and millions in stimulus funding.
The silver bullet known as an Airstream trailer has roamed the nation’s highways since the 1930s. It’s as iconic as a Coke bottle. The start of summer brings with it thoughts of exploring and camping. For some people, that means hitching up the Airstream and heading out on the highway.
While voter turnout was low across much of Idaho, more than 40 percent of Rockland voters went to the polls. Eighty percent supported the school levy.
You might not guess it, if you happened to pass through, but tiny Rockland, Idaho, population 318, is a place of distinction. The town has no grocery store. Its gas station is just a couple of unmanned pumps where you pay by credit card. But what this town does have is a school, and local people stand behind it.
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