Bickering Mynah Birds are a common sight in Hawaii. And they are considered a nuisance. In fact, Hawaiians call them piha ‘ekelo (full of voice) and manu ‘aipilau (trash-eating bird). Ornithologist E. L. Caum described them this way: “The mynah is a perky, self-confident, pugnacious, and noisy bird, in many of its actions and antics […]
Five days ago, a Boise junior high teacher and basketball coach was charged with the rape and sexual battery of a minor child. Eric McDermott first groomed his victim in class and then over a social media “dating site,” where he asked the boy to send sexually explicit photos. Sadly, McDermott’s conduct has become all […]
It seems regardless of how much opposition exists to the federal government agenda, it still just marches on. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) introduced S.884 – Improving Digital Identity Act of 2023, in March of this year, “To establish a Government-wide approach to improving digital identity.” Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wy) is her partner in crime. This […]
Recently, the City of Boise announced that it would spend nearly $2 million to continue using a hotel as a homeless shelter. Never mind that local shelters, like Boise Rescue Ministries, said they had the capacity and resources to assist with certain homeless demographic groups, including women and women with children. Boise Mayor Lauren McLean’s […]
County Commissioners hold more authority than they realize. Our Republic was built on a foundation of strength at a local level, where citizens can be engaged with those they elect to represent them. From that, citizens also have the responsibility for holding those elected officials to account for their actions. As already known, the federal […]
Op-Ed by an anonymous Mental Health Professional practicing in Idaho. Below is a letter written to some conservative legislators during this last session. It was written and given anonymously with the “ask” to read it into the record either during a committee hearing or during floor debate on House Bill 71. To our knowledge, that […]
Even if I were fully vaccinated, I would admire the unvaccinated for withstanding the greatest pressure I have ever seen, even from partners, parents, children, friends, colleagues, and doctors. People who were capable of such personal courage and critical ability are undoubtedly the best of humanity. They are everywhere, in all ages, levels of education, […]
The 2024 Republican Presidential Primary is shaping up to be one of the most consequential primaries of the last forty years. Selecting the delegates who will decide the next Republican nominee can seem a complicated and arcane process. Across the country, state Republican parties use different procedures to select delegates to send to the Republican […]
Senate bill 1159 was signed by Governor Little on March 30, 2023. This bill appropriates $100 million to expand broadband access and infrastructure throughout rural Idaho that will provide internet access for Idaho citizens. With Senate Bill 1129 it brings the total to $225 million for broadband infrastructure. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Everyone will be able to get on […]
“Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man” is a saying attributed to St. Ignatius of Loyola. “Give me four years to teach the children, and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted” is credited to Vladimir Lenin. Lenin followed up with another quote that stated, […]
In July of 2022, the Republican Party gathered in Twin Falls for our summer convention to elect new leadership of the party. The grassroots came together and overwhelmingly voted for change from the top down, setting a mandate that the party return to conservative principles. When I took the gavel, I made a commitment to […]
Common terms, like conservative and liberal, with traditional meanings may not mean the same things today. Still, there are definitions of conservative even the liberals have to accept because they are unchanging. Just as some want to abandon the term conservative, many Christians wanted to stop using the term “born again” that was popularized by […]