$500 reward offered in dog killing
A group of concerned citizens has offered a reward of $500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed a dog on the bike path near Hailey Monday night, Hailey Police Chief Jeff Gunter said Thursday.
Hailey resident Ken Martin was walking his five-year old chocolate lab Hanna at about 11 p.m. on the bike path near Fifth and Silver streets in Hailey. Martin believes the car, which had its headlights extinguished, was some kind of SUV going about 40 m.p.h.
Gunter asked that anyone with information about the incident to call the Hailey Police Department at 788-3531.
Brush fire in Bellevue extinguished
A small brush fire that flared up Wednesday afternoon along the west side of Highway 75 south of Bellevue damaged a small guest house and threatened to spread before it was extinguished.
Bart Lassman, Wood River Fire & Rescue chief, said four Wood River Valley fire agencies responded at 1:47 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a five-acre wildfire threatening a house.
The house sustained damage to the siding, a broken window, heat damage and interior smoke damage, Lassman said. No one was injured by the blaze and no possessions were lost, the chief said. The source of the fire was a burn barrel on the property, Lassman said. The fire was fully extinguished by 6 p.m.
Crews from the Wood River Fire & Rescue, Hailey, Bellevue and Ketchum Rural fire departments responded.
Fish salvage allowed on lower Big Wood
Because of anticipated low-water conditions on a portion of the Big Wood River, officials with the Magic Valley Regional office of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game have authorized anglers to begin salvaging fish.
The Magic Reservoir Dam will be closed Sept. 5, ending planned releases from the reservoir southwest of Bellevue.
Fish and Game officials are opening the Big Wood River downstream from the Richfield Canal diversion, the Richfield Canal downstream to the Gooding County line, and on the Richfield and Lincoln canal systems for fish salvage.
Licensed anglers will be allowed to take the fish on these stretches of water by any method, except with firearms, explosives, chemicals or electric current. The fish salvage will be effective from Sept. 5 through Dec. 1.
County override would raise $835,000
County officials will ask county voters to raise $835,000 to fund consolidated emergency dispatching services beginning in 2010. The money would come from a permanent override to the county's existing property tax levy rate. The override question will be on the ballot Nov. 4.
The county agreed in August to a request by the city of Hailey for the levy override. If approved by the necessary two-thirds of voters, it would begin paying for dispatcher salaries in 2010.
For Blaine County homeowners, the override would mean an extra charge of $6.71 per $100,000 of assessed property value on their annual property taxes.
Trunk show to help Indian orphans
The Riverbend Coffee House in Bellevue will host a trunk show of hand-embroidered and hand-tailored raw silk shawls, coats and jackets from Kashmir, India, all day beginning at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. The profits will help fund a documentary to be made by frequent visitor Anna Fisher on the plight of homeless orphans who live on trains and in stations in India. She said she will use all proceeds from the film to help start a network of schools and health clinics at train stations for the orphans.
The jazz and folk band, Mighty Shims, will entertain from 6-7 p.m. There will also be mimosas, and brunch will be served.
For more information call Fisher at 720-3380.
Contribute to political video
People with strong opinions about current events and politics are in demand.
Volunteers are sought to sit for brief interviews for production of a film in Ketchum. Topics may include the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, global warming, economic challenges, social values and, particularly, presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain.
Ketchum filmmaker David Butterfield is directing the project.
"I'm taking a look at the national and international scene through a local lens," Butterfield said. "It's simple though complex, serious and funny, homemade but garnished with archetypal symbols and puns."
The film began production in early July and is set on Main Street.
The film, to be named "The Wind at Irving's," named for the hotdog stand, will be released in early 2009.
To volunteer, e-mail diamondsun@cox.net.
Learn art of dried arrangements
Forever Flowers, a class on creating dried floral arrangements using found objects in nature, will be held from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden. Stephanie McCord, of Little Utopia Designs, will lead the class.
Workshop participants will harvest plant material in the garden's Perennial Garden. McCord will then show the class how to arrange the flowers to create exquisite dried arrangements. She will also teach a wreath-making class at the garden in October. September workshop participants interested in this second class may also cut plant material to dry for the later workshop.
For more information and to pre-register call 726-9358.
