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

Southeastern Idaho Public Health has confirmed a case of Covid-19 in Caribou County.  This brings the total to eight cases (five in Bannock County, two in Bingham County, and one in Caribou County) in southeast Idaho as of Saturday, April 4.  The patient is a female in her 50s from Caribou County.  The case appears to be travel related.  She is home recovering.  Epidemiologists at SIPH are working to investigate possible contacts.  All household members of the confirmed cases have been asked to self-isolate at home for a prescribed period of time.  If other people are found to have been exposed, health officials will provide guidance to these individuals and they will be asked to self-monitor for the development of the symptoms.  SIPH will continue to monitor the situation closely and is working with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, city and county leaders, schools, emergency management, healthcare providers, and our community at large to help prevent the spread of this virus.

In order to keep Idahoans safe amid a growing global health pandemic and protect their right to vote, Idahoans will vote in the May primary exclusively from home using absentee ballots.  If you want to vote in the election, you will need to request your ballot online or contact your local county clerk.  Given the growing number of COVID cases in Idaho, it was deemed not safe for voters, elections workers, or the larger community to hold in-person voting for the May primary.  Having Idahoans request an absentee ballot and vote at home will protect the health of residents of the state, slow the spread of Coronavirus, allow the election to move forward as scheduled and ensure that everyone can still exercise their right to vote, the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office said.

The Idaho State Tax Commission alerted Idahoans to be on the lookout for scams related to the economic stimulus payments from the Trump administration in response to the quarantine.  Scammers reportedly are targeting taxpayers and tax professionals by phishing for banking information and Social Security numbers in the guise of helping taxpayers get their stimulus payments. 

District Judge Mitchell Brown explained the recent Supreme Court order to scale back the court calendar due to the epidemic.  The courtroom will be used for emergencies only, such as protection orders and guardianships.  Only essential people will be present in the courtroom during proceedings, which are parties and witnesses to the case, along with courtroom personnel. Video conferencing will be utilized to avoid transporting and having inmates together in a holding cell.  Judge Brown said he expects a tremendous backlog once the order is lifted.  The Probation Department will not be performing drug testing at this time.  They will also be monitoring the front door of the courthouse to limit authorized access only.  The Road and Bridge Department will only be meeting outside when necessary, and will no longer carpool in county vehicles.  Commissioner Mathews said employees who believe they may have been exposed or are experiencing symptoms of the virus need to stay home.  Passports will not be processed in the Clerk’s Office at this time.  The commissioners approved the county order to restrict entering into the courthouse until further notice.  Patrons can do business online or over the phone if possible.  The Probation Department has the authority to refuse access into the courthouse under the order.  The governor’s directive of 10 or fewer people in the same room will be followed and ravel only when necessary.  Sheriff Kelly Wells said ITD has allowed a 90-day extension for driver’s license renewal.

The Caribou County Food Bank will continue to be open during its usual hours, Wednesday 1 to 3 pm.  Due to the pandemic, the procedure for receiving food bank supplies has changed.  The SEICAA office will not be used and patrons should call ahead and bring their list of needed items to the large garage door at the west end of the building.  “We are striving to keep the food bank accessible to people in need during this worrisome time, and know that it will be different for patrons, not being able to shop as usual.  We hope this will be an acceptable procedure for the health and safety of all.  We hope to help everyone receive what they need, within the means of the food bank.  Anyone who is ill of finds it impossible to get to the food bank should call.  The kind people of Caribou County have been dropping off extra donations.  Please do not leave any donations without contacting someone first, as we hate to see your generosity go to waste.”

A couple of dozen cars full od educators, staff, and friends were lined up on Friday at Kelly Park Road to “keep their distance” and drive by to sing and wish a happy birthday to   Carolyne Stewart, who lives along the road and is a senior at SSHS.  The small town effort was greatly appreciated.  The singing of Happy Birthday has been a tradition to her and was continued again, proper distancing notwithstanding.

2010

Cohen Croney, Bancroft route carrier received special recognition from Bancroft Postmaster Leola Casperson on Wednesday, March 24.  Cohen received a special pin and a letter from William Scouten, Postmaster of Postal Operations, for having accumulated 2,500 hours of sick leave.  Cohen has been a rural route carrier for 27 ½ years and has never used a sick day in all his years of service.  He also travels a route of 54 miles per day, and has driven over 750,000 miles without an accident,  His postmaster reports that he is a great employee and very easy to work with. 

Peyton Rindlisbaker, son of Blair and Stephanie Rindlisbaker, won the Bancroft Pinewood Derby on Wednesday at the Bancroft LDS Church.  Dalton Guthrie, son of Alfred and Jennifer Guthrie, also of Bancroft, won the Wolf Division, Dawson Barfuss, son of Danny and Malissa Barfuss, won the Bear division, and Peyton Rindlisbaker won the Webelos Division.  These three winners then races against each other and Peyton came out on top.  A nest of rubber boa snakes was found Sunday at a lava reef, in spite of nearby snow and near freezing temperatures.  Rubber boas can be one to nearly three feet long and their dark brown scales look like rubber—or a large nightcrawler.  They have short, blunt tails and small heads.  They inhabit the northwest as far down as Utah and can be found at high elevations.  They are very docile, move mostly at night, and fed on nesting mammals like shrews and mice, as well as young birds and reptile eggs.

2000

Peggy Strupp, Bryson, and Britta attended graduation exercises March 11 at the Guide Dog campus in Boring, Oregon, where Bryson was able to lead his recently trained dog, Zed, across the stage and present him to his new owner.  The threesome drove to Boise Friday afternoon after school, where they spent the night and flew the next morning to Portland. By rental car they drove to the Guide Dog campus, located about 30 miles away in Boring where they stayed overnight.  Bryson was responsible for Zed’s care and training from the age of eight weeks, until he was a year old.  They sent him to Boring last September for more specialized training and testing with professional trainers before being assigned to a blind owner.

Angela Norris and son Corbin will be leaving Friday, after visiting since February 18 in Soda Springs in the home of her in-laws, David and Carol Norris, while her husband James has been on field duty in California with the US Armed Services.  This is the first time visit for the Norrises with their first grandchild, born in October in Kansas.  Angela and her baby will fly to Missouri to spend the last couple of weeks with her parents before returning to Fort Riley in Kansas where James will join them in April.

Dean Tampke was sworn in Monday by Soda Springs City clerk Tausha Vorwaller as a new city police officer.  Chief Blynn Wilcox is retiring April 1.  The new officer has just completed his Idaho certification and training to be a peace officer.  He and his family will be moving to the community from Anchorage, Alaska.  

1990

Milt Gambles of Caribou County Economic Development spoke to the Soda Springs City Council about some of the activities underway to encourage expansion and bring new industry into the area.  He noted that Phoenix Aviation is looking at doing molding work in Bancroft and using the Soda Springs Airport as a manufacturing location for the production of their new ultralight aircraft kits.  Another company is drilling for lime in the Ten Mile Pass area.  If a good enough deposit is located, it may be trucked out to the Ivins area for rail shipping.  Nu-West Industries has some possible activity that may center around their materials form the manufacturing of fertilizer. 

Gambles also discussed a Rotary project to fly 50 flags along the state highway in Soda Springs and Main Street.  They would be 30 by 60 inches and attached to the street light poles at a purchase cost of about $50.  Brackets would also have to be made to hang them from and the city agreed to make them at a savings of over $50 a piece.  Mayor Kirk Hansen, a Rotarian, said the money raised from projects by that groups is being put back into the community and they gelt the money raised from a recent game they sold would be used for the flag project.   

When making your summer plans, be sure to remember three Saturdays for the upcoming Resource, Conservation, and Development tours of the County being co-sponsored by the State Centennial Committee.   A sister-county grant has been approved to finance these tours, in conjunction with Bear Lake County, and is being planned by the R C and D Committee, Sam Reed, Glenn Turner, and Bob Clark of the Caribou County Soil Conservation Office, and R C and D Committee, Commissioners Alton Hatch and Max Rigby, County Historical Chair Elaine Johnson and County Centennial Chair Janet Tolman.  Everyone interested in joining these tours will be welcome to take all three and each should prove to be most interesting.  They are free to the public.  People are encouraged to take the Bear Lake County tours when they are announced.  Likewise, their residents are encouraged to join with the Caribou County residents in local tours.  The actual places of interest being planned in the county to be visited will be announced later.  The theme is “A Day in the Life of Idaho.”  

1970

Easter Specials at Fowler’s IGA:

Eggs—2 Dozen for 83 cents.

Weiners—2 pounds for 98 cents.

Pie A la Mode—10 cents.

Jello—9 packs for 1 dollar.

Ham—65 cents/pound.

Ice cream—1/2 gallon for 69 cents.

The first prize winner in the North Gem High School Science Fair was Eddy Carpenter with his project “How a Car Runs.”  He will take his demonstration and project to the State Science Fair at Caldwell in April.  He is the son of E.W. Carpenter of Bancroft.  Other winners were Kathie Schenk, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Parley Schenk who placed second with her demonstration on “How Your Eyes Work.”  Julie Argyle, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Doyle Argyle who did a project on malnutrition in mice, an Patricia Twitchell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Angus Twitchell, who presented a demonstration on food protein and nutrition.  The Science Fair was a success with almost every student in North Gem High School participating and a large crowd visiting the displays.

DeWayne Hamblin, heavy equipment operator in the Material Handling department, was selected Monsanto’s Safety-Man-of-the-Month for April.  DeWayne has not experienced a reportable injury during the 16 years he has been working for Monsanto.  He presently operates the plant’s huge 180-D slag shovel.  DeWayne states that “You can’t take care of Safety by yourself.  You have to look out for the other fellow as well as yourself.  Working together safely is what makes Safety work.”  Working together has certainly paid off in the Material Handling Department.  This department consists of 36 hourly and three salaried personnel.  Their only disabling injury occurred December 4, 1954.  At the present time they have completed 482 days and 107,599 man hours without an injury of any kind.