Learn about substance abuse
The Blaine County Community Drug Coalition and St. Luke’s Center for Community Health have scheduled a special public presentation for Saturday on “the role substance abuse plays on adolescent behavior and brain development.”
The event is free. It will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Community Campus on Fox Acres Road in Hailey.
Presenters will be Susan Tapert, a neuroscientist and professor of psychiatry at University of California, San Diego, and Jermaine Galloway, a longtime Idaho law enforcement officer who specializes in education and training to deter drug and alcohol abuse.
Presentation topics include “the science of adolescent brain development,” “short- and long-term effects of substance abuse” and “identifying popular cultural trends that promote substance use.”
A coffee reception will start at 9 a.m., followed by presentations in the Community Campus auditorium from 9:30-11:15 a.m. Q&A with a panel of experts will be held from 11:15 a.m. to noon.
The program was scheduled to be presented today, Dec. 7, to 8th- to 12th-graders at Wood River High School and for middle school and high school students at the Community School in Sun Valley.
For more information, contact interim coalition Executive Director Jay Hedrick at 720-1471.
School board calls another retreat
The Blaine County School District board of trustees will hold its Winter Board Retreat today beginning at 1 p.m. at the Sun Valley Inn. Although it is not intended as a public meeting, the school board cannot legally prevent the public from attending.
However, the rules change at 5:30 p.m., when, according to the meeting notice, the school board will convene into executive session, a proceeding from which the public can be legally excluded. The purpose of the executive session is not made clear in the meeting notice.
Hearing delayed for man accused of killing monkey
BOISE (AP)—A 22-year-old Idaho man accused of killing a monkey in the Boise zoo has won more time to prepare to defend himself against felony burglary and grand theft charges.
Michael J. Watkins’ attorney told a 4th District Court magistrate judge Wednesday she hadn’t had adequate opportunity to review about 130 pages of documents stemming from the Nov. 17 break-in at Zoo Boise.
Consequently, Judge Theresa Gardunia pushed back Watkins’ preliminary hearing until Jan. 17.
That was over objections from prosecutors, who said they had lined up law enforcement officers and zoo officials to testify on Wednesday about what happened the night the patas monkey was killed.
Prosecutors say Watkins, who appeared in court in jailhouse stripes, tried to steal the animal but bludgeoned it to death after it fought back.
School board to continue Dual Immersion dialogue
The Blaine County School District board of trustees will continue discussions into options for the district two-language Dual Immersion program at its next regular monthly meeting set for Tuesday, Dec. 11.
The meeting will start at 6 p.m. and will be held at the district office at 118 W. Bullion St. in Hailey.
The Dual Immersion Program has been reviewed for about the past two years in order to streamline the program for future sustainability. The topic is listed as “discussion” only for the board meeting and not as an action item.
In other business, the board will hear an “information-only” presentation on a “Wood River Middle School/Hailey Elementary School Capacity/Expansion Program Review.” Presenters include Hailey elementary Principal Tom Bailey, middle school Principal Fritz Peters and district Business Manager Mike Chatterton.
District Assistant Superintendent John Blackman is scheduled to give an update on the Idaho State Board of Education teacher “pay-for-performance” program.
A complete meeting agenda is available at the district website, www.blaineschools.org.
Bellevue decoration contest starts
The third annual Light Up Bellevue Main Street holiday lighting contest is under way. Bellevue residents and businesses are invited to deck out their buildings in as festive a style as they can.
The winner of the contest will receive $250 as well as an engraved trophy, bragging rights for one year and a one-year membership in the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce. The winner will be announced at the ninth annual Bellevue Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration on Saturday, Dec. 15, from 3:30-7 p.m. on the corner of Main and Cedar streets
Children will have an opportunity at the ceremony to have photographs taken with Santa, take a holiday hayride and listen to local Christmas carolers while roasting marshmallows around the fire.
Diabetes lecture set for Dec. 13
A lecture titled “Children and Diabetes” will be held Thursday, Dec. 13, from 12:15-1:15 p.m. at St. Luke’s Wood River south of Ketchum.
Type 1 diabetes, often referred to as juvenile diabetes, is not the only pediatric diabetes concern. Pediatrician Dr. Bart Adrian, registered nurse Nancy Dettori, a diabetes educator, and registered dietician Becky McCarver, will use their combined expertise to explain the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and how this disease affects children. Learn about pediatric diabetes prevention, onset, symptoms, complications and management.
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.
Local residents place in national bridge tournament
Seventeen Wood River Valley bridge players placed in various events at the recent North American Bridge Championships in San Francisco.
They are Chuck Abramo, Judith Baer, Kay Brill, Jerry and Deanne Drake, Linda Edwards, Sandra Flattery, Peter Gray, Lynn and Bruce Kaplan, Kirsten and Ned Lumpkin, Jo Murray, Marilyn Nesbit, Louise Noyes Wilson, Robert Probasco and Ted Witt.
For information about local duplicate bridge games and bridge lessons, call 720-1501 or go to www.sunvalleybrige.com or www.woodriverbridge.com. A series of lessons for beginning players will start in January.
