Work begins on Marsh Creek Road
Construction has begun on Marsh Creek Road (Forest Road 203) west of Stanley and will continue for up to five weeks. There will be temporary delays Monday through Friday throughout the construction period.
Work will take place from the intersection with state Highway 21 and continue for 4.25 miles. It will consist of resetting culverts and placing additional surfacing.
For more information, contact Jeremy Powell at the Salmon-Challis National Forest, 208-756-5100.
Challis BLM begins road restrictions
The BLM Challis Field Office is reminding the public that seasonal road and trail restrictions went into effect Oct. 1 to provide opportunities for a wilderness hunting experience. Motorized vehicles are only allowed on roads and trails designated and signed as open.
Through Dec. 31, the following areas are closed to motorized travel:
- Jerry Peak West Wilderness Study Area.
- Jerry Peak Wilderness Study Area (except North Fork of Sage Creek Road).
- Corral Horse Basin Wilderness Study Area.
- Burnt Creek Wilderness Study Area (except Burnt Creek Road).
- Goldberg Wilderness Study Area.
Borah and Little Boulder wilderness study areas remain open for travel on designated roads and trails. Road Creek, Herd Creek, Burnt Creek and the North Fork of Sage Creek roads are open all year, dependent on weather conditions.
The Challis Field Office stated that it receives several complaints about hunts spoiled by inappropriate OHV use each hunting season and that it hopes increased awareness will curb this problem.
For more information on open roads and seasonal closures, or to obtain a free copy of the Challis BLM Travel Map that depicts legal travel routes, contact the Challis Field Office at 208-879-6200.
ISU to hold meetings in valley
Idaho State University will hold two informational meetings on Tuesday, Oct. 7, in the Wood River Valley to present information on new ISU online master’s and bachelor’s degrees.
ISU College of Business Director of Graduate Studies Heidi Wadsworth and College of Education Professor Karen Scott will present information on ISU’s online Master of Business Administration, Master of Organizational Learning and Performance and bachelor of workplace training and leadership programs.
The duo will hold informational meetings and serve light refreshments at noon at the YMCA in Ketchum and at 6 p.m. at the College of Southern Idaho Blaine County Center in Hailey.
Wadsworth will provide information on ISU’s new online Master of Business Administration program and Scott will present on the online Master of Organizational Learning and Performance and the bachelor’s degree in workplace training and leadership.
All three of the programs are online and are tailored for working professionals. The programs are highly flexible, allowing students to continue in their jobs while pursuing an affordable degree program.
ISU will sponsor a vendor table at the Sun Valley Economic Summit on Wednesday, Oct. 8, where they will provide information and field questions.
For more information, contact Chris Vaage, ISU-Twin Falls program director, at 208-736-2101, 208-933-2301 or vaagchri@isu.edu.
Deer season opens next week
The regular deer season opens Friday, Oct. 10, in most regions of Idaho.
In some areas, a regular deer tag allows hunters to take either mule deer or white-tailed deer. A white-tailed deer tag allows a hunter to take only a white-tail.
Many areas across the state also offer antlerless youth hunt opportunities, but check the 2014 big game rules brochure carefully for the areas where youth hunts are open.
To hunt deer in Idaho during the regular season, you must have a valid 2014 Idaho hunting license and a deer tag.
Fish and Game Conservation officers ask that hunters report any poaching or suspicious activities they encounter or hear about while hunting. Most serious poaching cases are solved only with the help of ordinary Idaho residents, hunters or others who report crimes. If you have information about a wildlife crime, call the Citizens Against Poaching hot-line at 1-800-632-5999, 24 hours a day. Callers may remain anonymous.
Enterovirus D68 confirmed in Idaho
Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), along with other respiratory illnesses, are circulating in Idaho, according to lab results received from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The first results for five submitted samples from hospitalized children in eastern Idaho show one child tested positive for EV-D68, two tested positive for a different virus, and the remaining two were negative. All five children have been discharged from hospital care.
EV-D68 is a respiratory infection that has caused multiple illnesses and hospitalizations nationally, primarily in children with asthma or reactive airway disease. The Idaho Division of Public Health is working with hospitals, healthcare providers and local public health districts to identify elevated levels of respiratory illnesses in Idaho communities. To date, there has been a slight increase in the number of respiratory illnesses in the Idaho Falls and Treasure Valley areas, but no other communities have reported higher-than-normal levels.
Enteroviruses are transmitted through close contact with an infected person or by touching surfaces that are contaminated by the virus and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes. Symptoms of enterovirus illnesses include coughing, sneezing, a low-grade fever, runny nose and body aches. Most people recover without hospitalization.