Cops look for drunk drivers
Police will be out in force for the next few weeks looking for drunk drivers.
The Idaho Transportation Department announced that extra patrols will be on Idaho roads from Aug. 24 through Sept. 7 as part of a nationwide Labor Day mobilization targeting impaired drivers.
The legal limit for drivers over 21 in Idaho is .08 blood-alcohol content. People under 21 are considered intoxicated at .02. According to ITD, driving skills start to deteriorate at .05.
ITD reported that 41 percent of Idaho traffic fatalities last year "were the result of an impaired driving crash."
Kiwanis collecting school supplies
The Kiwanis Club of Hailey is once again collecting various school supplies for elementary-aged children who can't afford them.
The Kiwanis are especially trying to collect crayons, markers, pencils, pens and notebooks.
Donations can be made in "bus" collection boxes at Mountain West Bank in both Hailey and Ketchum; Splash and Dash in Bellevue; The Eye Clinics in Hailey and Ketchum; Albertsons, Atkinsons', King's, Radio Shack and the new Jane's in Hailey; and at the Blaine County Senior Center.
Big Head Todd to play Elkhorn
The final concert for the Elkhorn Concert Series will take place on Thursday, Sept. 3, in Elkhorn Springs. The show is a benefit for the Hunger Coalition and participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable items for its fall food drive. Suggested items to donate are peanut butter, tuna, canned chicken or dried beans.
Tickets are $35, $30 for seniors and Sun Valley Elkhorn Association members, and $25 for students. Tickets are available online at elkhornconcerts.com, Atkinsons' Markets or the Market at Elkhorn Springs. For details, call (503) 265-2270.
Sun Valley snags spot on top 20 list
For the third consecutive year, Sun Valley Resort has been selected for FamilySkiHub.com's Top 20 Family Ski Resorts.
Paul Johnson, editor of FamilySkiHub.com, said the list recognizes those resorts that promise a complete and memorable family skiing experience for families of all skiing abilities.
"These ski resorts are a cut above from a family perspective," Johnson said. "It takes extra effort, planning and organization to create an environment that maximizes the family ski experience." Several criteria were used in the selection: quality of kids programs, variety of lodging, options for non-skiers and variety of ski terrain.
Smart Moves party set for tonight
Mountain Rides' ninth annual Smart Moves Community Challenge will celebrate participants who tracked their trips by bus, bike, walking or carpool throughout the summer. The end-of-season party will be part of the Back Alley Party at the Wicked Spud in Hailey tonight, Aug. 26, from 5:30-8 p.m. The party will include live music by Four Stroke Bus. Proceeds from the evening will benefit Mountain Rides.
Smart Moves participants will receive prizes as well as free food and drinks.
For details, call 788-7433.
Pilot identified in glider fatality
The Idaho Transportation Department has identified the victim of a glider fatality last week in central Idaho as Thierry Thys, a 78-year-old experienced pilot from Oakland, Calif.
Thys was found with the wreckage of the aircraft Friday morning about six miles north of Copper Basin near Mackay. ITD described the aircraft as a 1998 Stemme S10-VT, a high-performance glider with an engine-driven propeller that folds into the nose once gliding altitude is achieved.
Thys was reported missing Wednesday, Aug. 19, after he failed to return from a gliding excursion. The aircraft was discovered Thursday evening in a Civil Air Patrol search. The Idaho Air National Guard provided a helicopter to transport a Custer County Search and Rescue team to the remote site in the White Knob Mountains.
ITD reported that Thys held a record for glider plane flights.
Hailey resolves to keep rodeo
The Hailey City Council passed a resolution stating that despite planned renovation of the Hailey Rodeo Grounds, the city has never considered discontinuing the Days of the Old West Rodeo, which takes place over Fourth of July weekend.
"This has never been in question," said Councilman Fritz Haemmerle. "Hailey's position has always been to protect the Hailey Rodeo Grounds and the rodeo."
