Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Briefs

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District to discuss language program

The Blaine County School District board of trustees has scheduled a special meeting for Thursday, Jan. 26, to discuss the district's "K-12 World Languages Program."

According to the meeting agenda, the discussion will focus on the district's Strategic Plan Goal No. 3, which states that "our students are prepared for a multicultural and multilingual world."

Also listed on the agenda is a discussion about "process for parent and/or community involvement in textbook adoption."

The meeting is open to the public. It is scheduled to begin at noon at the district office at 118 W. Bullion St. in Hailey.

Learn about knee injuries

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tony Buoncristiani will speak about knee injuries on Thursday, Jan. 26, from 12:15-1:15 p.m. at St. Luke's Wood River Baldy Conference Rooms. Buoncristiani will review knee anatomy and discuss injuries, focusing on prevention. A portion of his talk will be dedicated to pediatric knee injuries, which have recently been increasing.

All Brown Bag lectures are free and no pre-registration is required. Call St. Luke's Center for Community Health for information on this or other educational programs: 727-8733.

Robotics teams qualify for regionals

Two Wood River High School VEX Robotics Competition teams qualified for an upcoming regional meet at a competition held at Mountain Crest High School in Hyrum, Utah, on Saturday, Jan. 14.

Kevin Lupton, robotics teams' advisor and an instructor at the high school's Architectural and Mechanical Design Academy, reported Monday that both teams fared well in the competition, which involved 29 teams from Utah and Idaho. One team was seeded third and the other fifth after preliminary rounds.

The third-seeded team went on to finish second overall and won the competition's excellence award.

Lupton said both teams placed high enough to win spots in the regional competition scheduled for Feb. 25 at Utah State University.

VEX Robotics Competition involves student design and construction of robots that are tested in competition to see how well they complete such tasks as moving, climbing, throwing or lifting.

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Idaho vehicle fatalities drop

Idaho leads the nation with a 31 percent reduction in traffic fatalities over the past two years, the Idaho State Police and the Idaho Transportation Department announced.

While fewer people died in traffic crashes in Idaho in 2011 than in any year since 1956, the state's safety leaders said any loss of life is unacceptable.

Preliminary data indicate that in 2011, 168 people died on Idaho's roads, 41 fewer than in 2010 and 58 fewer than in 2009.

"Idaho drivers are ... avoiding risky behaviors such as speeding and driving after drinking," said ITD Highway Safety Manager Brent Jennings.

He also credited the efforts of law enforcement, transportation and emergency response professionals, engineering improvements to highways and vehicles, and education campaigns.

Fatalities attributed to driving while intoxicated and speeding both declined from 2010.

In 2011, 70 people who died in traffic crashes were not wearing seatbelts. Safety experts estimate that about half of those people might have survived if they had been.

"Our goal is to sustain this downward trend in 2012, as we move toward zero deaths on Idaho's highways" Jennings said.

F&G plans wildlife summit

Idaho Fish and Game will convene a "wildlife summit" for Aug. 24, 25 and 26 to discuss the agency's legal mandates, budget limitations and core mission of stewardship of wildlife to provide opportunities for hunting, fishing and trapping.

The conference will be at the Riverside Hotel in Boise.

Other details, including an agenda, are being worked out. Fish and Game officials have been talking to a variety of groups about the summit, including hunter, angler and conservation groups. The physical size of the facility will limit the number of people who can attend, but Fish and Game reports that it is working on ways to reach those who are interested, such as online connections and video conferencing.

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