There is nothing more essential to our health and way of life – or Idaho’s future – than clean, plentiful water. The availability of water has transformed much of our state from a desert into an abundant agricultural landscape that supports tens of thousands of Idahoans and their livelihoods. Across Idaho, water is the building block for careers and prosperity. [read more]

Idaho’s next Subgroup eligible for COVID-19 vaccine will start Monday, Feb. 1, and includes adults 65 years of age and older. Enrolled vaccine providers across Central District Health (CDH) and Southwest District Health’s (SWDH) combined 10 counties are beginning to accept appointments given Governor Little’s announcement, today, announcing movement to Subgroup 2.2 of the state’s prioritization plan. [read more]

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) have provided options to reduce the isolation period for people without symptoms (asymptomatic) who are close contacts of those who have tested positive for COVID-19. [read more]

The deadline for Idahoans to apply for short-term rent or utility assistance through the Housing Preservation Program is 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 11. To apply, renters are encouraged to go to www.idahohousing.com/covid-19 or call 1-855-452-0801. [read more]

A: This is not true. There is a false rumor circulating that hospitals are misrepresenting COVID patient data to increase federal reimbursements for patient care. It is true that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act increased reimbursements to hospitals for Medicare patients with COVID-19 due to the high cost of COVID-19 patient care. [read more]

Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little signed an executive order today mobilizing the Idaho National Guard to help the pandemic response in new ways, and he signed a new statewide public health order rolling Idaho back into a modified Stage 2 of the Idaho Rebounds plan. [read more]

The Mountain Home Public Library is closed until Monday, Nov. 16 due to the potential exposure of a library staff member to COVID-19. During this time, the facility will undergo a thorough cleaning and quarantine period. No further information is available at this time. [read more]

The City of Mountain Home’s “Light the Forest” Christmas display is moving to a more prominent location this year. The holiday display has been a long-time fixture at Carl Miller Park but will relocate to Railroad Park this year, giving Main Street drivers and shoppers an opportunity to catch the Christmas spirit. [read more]

The City of Mountain Home wants to make local service members, veterans, and family members aware of an Idaho law that can remove some of the uncertainty some licensed professionals may feel when they move to a new state. The 2019 law, called the Occupational Licensing Reform Act, mandates that all Idaho licensing authorities have procedures in place to issue “licensure by endorsement” to any service member, honorably discharged veteran, or the spouses or either, who possesses a current, valid professional license in another state. [read more]

“One more day.” Dave Conley, an American Legion Rider and member of Lloyd E. Hutcheson Post 113 in Meridian, Idaho, hears those three words a lot when speaking with families who have lost a veteran to suicide. The conversations always center on a wish for more time to help their loved one through the feelings of hopelessness and despair. “That became my mission in life, to give them that one more day,” Conley says. [read more]