Looking Back at Pages from the Past
The following stories are summarized from past issues of the Caribou County Sun over the last fifty plus years. The Enterprise thanks Mark Steele for permission to use the contents, and the Grace Public Library for access to the archives.
2020
The employees at the Itafos Conda facility are continuing their commitment to the communities of Southeast Idaho with a donation of more than $24,000 to the United Way. “When you have a lot of caring people who pout their hearts into something, this it the result, a larger donation that will help our neighbors in need,” said Jason Harris, who lef this year’s donation campaign. “I grew up here and so did most of our employees. We can’t stand to see people in out community struggling, so we did something about it.” The phosphate and fertilizer mine in Caribou County had nearly all of its 500-plus emplyees and contractors participating in various events and activities to raise the money, including raffles, an ice cream social, a silent auction, a dunk tank, pledge cards, and even purchasing the opportunity to pie face their boss.
Samanta Martinez-Villarreal of Grace and law student at George Mason University, has helped reunite families though her work in immifration cases with a Virginia-based nonprofit legal aid organization, according to an article in the Idaho Press. After completing internships in legal ethics and federal employment law at GMU, Martinez-Villarreal decided to rry out immigration law this year. In her work with Legal Aid Justice Center, she helped a man get out of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center neat Virginia, the story said. She said the process of becoming a U.S. citizen is complicated but very interesting to her.
Grace City Superintendent Wayne Bredehoft presented a setting permit for Todd Lloyd for a storage container. It was placed at the site sometime during the summer before the city put a moratorium on storage containers, so the permit was to bring the storage container into compliance.
2015
Mark your calendar and plan to attend the Soda Springs Winter Carnival happening on Saturday, January 17. This year’s events are family-friendly and sure to please. The events include the Clear Springs Foods Fishing Debry, the Snowmobile Fun Run, the “Cabin Fever Reliever” 3-D Archery Shot, and the free matinee movie at the Idan-ha Theatre. No fishing license is required for the derby, which costs $1 per fish. You may not use hooks bigger than #2. The Fun Run is sponsored by the Caribou Mud Racers, Inc. and will be held at the Trail Canyon Warming Hut. The Archery Shoor is sponsored by the Caribou Field Archers. The matinee wil run three different times. The Winter Carnival is dedicated to the memory of Dave Mason this year. He chaired the Soda Springs Winter Carnival since its inception 25 years ago. He was a true visionary, a philanthropist, and he believed in his community. Dave created this event to raise money for those suffering from Muscular Dystrophy.
The local Post Offices encourages their patrons to keep their mailboxes clear for carriers, especially during the snow and ice that is descending upon the region. “Snow and ice on sidewalks, front porches and around rural mailboxes present a serious safety challenge for our letter carriers, who make an average of 600 deliveries a day,” said Postmaster Dan Corral. “Letter carriers have hurt their knees or backs, or even suffered broken bones from falls on slippery surfaces.” Postal customers who receive door mail delivery should ensure that their sidewalks, steps, and access ways are kept safely clear of snow and ice. Customers receiving streetside mailbox or centralized cluster neighborhood mailbox delivery should also pay attention to having a safe and clear path to the mailbox.
2009
Retired K-9 Cobra, a former Soda Springs Police Department canine owned by Paul Gritton, is 14-years-old now and enjoying retirement. She is a Belgian malinois, imported from Holland and trained by Makor K-9 in California, the same company that the SSPD recently purchased their new canine from. Cobra saw duty at the Salmon PD, as well as Dillon, MT Police Dept., before serving with Gritton at the SSPD for five years, with the highlight of her career resulting in a $160,000 seizure of drug money here. Although nearly totally blind, hard of hearing and showing much gray hair, Cobra is still alert and getting around in retirement well.
Jasen White is home on leave from the service. His mother Terri met him in Salt Lake City on Saturday. He has been stationed in Goose Creek, South Carolina and taking classes there. He has finished his courses and waiting for a reassignment.
Roger Empey and son Shawn accompanied by his mother, Verda Empey, attended a 90th birthday open house in Pocatello, Saturday for Verda’s sister, DaNoma Lish. DaNoma was born December 19, 1919, the second of eight children of Alvin and Medline Vearl Skinner Monroe, and raised on a farm in Eight Mile.
2005
Citing a number of recent avalanche events, Caribou Targhee National Forest officials are urging winter recreation visitors to get current avlanache forecasts before traveling into the backcountry area. Increased snow packs and high winds have increased the potential for avalanche danger on slopes where wind has deposited snow. “These wind-loaded slopes may be attractive to skiers and snowmobilers because of the added snow base, but are ripe for avalanches. Unstable winds and cornices create slabs of snow that could slide loose at any time,” officials said. Visitors planning a trip to the mountainous backcountry should contact the nearest avalanche hazard and forecast office or visit www.avalanche .org for the latest conditions prior to leaving. [The site is still active, and updated regularly. There has been a lot of avalanche activity just south of Caribou County in the last few days, as well as to the east.
U.S. Bank established a “Tsunami Relief Fund” for people who want to contribute to relief efforts in the aftermath of the devastating and deadly disaster in South Asia. “With this being one of the world’s largest natural disasters involving human tragedies, US Bank is making the process of giving easier for those who wish to help help.
1999
The Soda Springs Nordic Ski Association will be offering a cross country skiing opportunity under the lights of the city park on Wednesday evenings this winter. Experienced cross country skiers will be available at the park to informally offer tips and coaching to less experienced skiers. The park’s lights will be turned on and trail grooming will begin at 6 p.m. A total of about 1 km of the ski trail will be set aside for both classes and skate skiing.
The Greater Soda Springs Community Development Committee has announced its 1999 Christmas Light Awards. Winners in the Soda Springs area are Wood Canyon—Jackie Bolton. Pioneer/Finlayson—Mark Snooks. Cedar View/Valley View—Reggie Scheierman. Bailey Creek—Don Wassmuth. Northside—Greg Eisenbarth. Southside—Max Lewis. Commercial—Linz Style Station.
Two cow elk were killed illegally over the weekend north of Henry along Highway 34. IDFG Conservation Officer Larry Hlavaty said it appeared they had been shot from the road. One had been gutted and dragged part way across a CRP field and then left. The second one was shot in the hindquarters and left to die.
1995
Caribou County Commissioners decided at their Monday meeting that they could no longer be responsible for damage to mailboxes in the county caused by the snow hitting them. They said they will still take responsibility if snow equipment runs or backs over the mailboxes and will replace them. They felt snow hitting the mailboxes in the normal operation of snow removal should not be paid by the county. The new policy is similar to the state policy. Claim had been submitted to the county for previous damage and were up for review by the commissioners at their meeting.
Les Hottel and Tracy Lindsay, representing the employees of Rhone-Poulenc Basic Chemicals Co. at the Wooley Valley Mine, presented a check for $1000 to Susan Abrams of SECIAA to help make Christmas brighter for area families in need. The company normally uses the money for gifts for employee spouses, but the approximately 50 employees decided to donate the funds to SECIAA in the spirit of Christmas.
A conditional use permit for Doug Clegg was granted for an elderly care facility in a residential zone on Fourth South. Parking requirements, landscaping, sidewalks, curb and gutter, were the conditions placed on the facility by the planning board.
Nu-West Industries, Inc. has announced that Cecil Andrus, former governor of Idaho and former Secretary of the Interior, has been elected to the board of directors of the company. Nu-West, headquartered in Soda Springs, is a mining and manufacturing company which markets both dry and liquid phosphate fertilizer products. Andrus commented, “As the various segments of the North American agricultural community continue to expand and propser, I see a greater demand for the products of Nu-West in the future. I am familiar with the company’s people and its business operations and I look forward to assisting an already strong management team in positioning the company to capitalize on that future growth and on the changes that lie ahead.”
A new city council president was elected for the Grace City Council. The previous year’s president, Joan Farnworth, conducted the meeting in the absence of Kelly Holt. Councilwoman Joyce /Bennett was elected as the new council president.
Dr. H. Kenton Reavis, a noted authority on student behavior from the Salt Lake City area, announced that he would be speaking in Soda Springs. Reavis is the author of several books, including the “Tough Kid Book,” and the “Tough Kids Tool Box.” He will be presenting a workshop to teachers from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to help them learn how to deal with “Tough Kids.” Reavis generally uses the phrase to refer to behavioral problems with students, and his presentation will suggest a number of strategies for parents, educators, and others to mitigate and deal with those problems.
Caribou County officials were given their oath of office last week, with District Judge Dan Harding swearing the employees in. Coroner Duayne Sims, Assesor Preston Phelps, Teasurer Diane Meads, Commissioner Carol Davids, Clerk Edie Izatt, and Commissioner Max Rogby were at the ceremony.
1969
Four break-ins in four different firms Wednesday night of Thursday morning last week netted a lot of work for the thieves, a few dollars in cash and a great deal of damage to the roof of Eastman Drug, and a ruined safe in the
same place.
As reconstructed by Chief of Police Blynn Wilcox of Soda Springs, the thieves first broke into the county shops at Grace and took some gauges and hoses from welding tanks, also a cutting torch. They then proceeded to Soda Springs where they broke into Ace Chevrolet body shop and took a tank of oxygen and a tank of acetylene. Evidence indicated that the thieves (apparently more than one) dragged or carried the tanks taken from Ace back through the Drive-In Theatre, through the cemetery, and then abandoned them on geyser hill. They next broke into Croney’s Body Shop at the rear of Sanders Furniture, and Chief Wilcox stated they apparently used this location as a lookout point only, as nothing appeared to be missing from Croney’s. They went up on the roof of Eastman Drug, cut a square out of the roof, over the soda fountain area, and lowered themselves inside the store by a rope. Wilcox stated that it was his opinion that the thieves were after narcotics, as they then proceeded to pry open the door of the sage and get access to the lower half. Frank Chistensen, owner of the store, said the safe was unlocked, and by merely pulling, it could be opened without trouble. However, the narcotics are kept in the upper portion of the safe in a special compartment of a new resistant metal, and the thieves were unsuccessful in their efforts to open it. They then took about $30 in change from the two cash registers in the store, and left, not taking any merchandise. Several leads are being followed. It appears that the tools used to pry open the safe had been purchased from Wayne’s Trustworthy several days previous. They were left in the Eastman Drug store and identified by Wayne Pool, owner of Wayne’s Trustworthy.
Grace High News—Everyone is excited and happy about the beautiful trophy that Grace received. The team and coaches left Friday at noon and that evening played Twin Falls. Grace won over Twin Falls, which gave them the chance to play Declo for the championship. Grace was victorious over Declo by a score of 82-59. This championship adds one more trophy to the case. Congratulations to Coach Moffitt and the team.
