St. Luke's Adds New Helicopter
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Thursday • September 8, 2011 www.magicvalley.com • 75¢ Local Sportsmen Count Down to Game Time • O1 Wood River Boys Soccer Continues Surge by Beating Bruins 4-0 • S1 Political Boundaries Under Fire Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa asked the Idaho Supreme Court Wednesday to put the states redistricting commission back to work. The 6-member panel tasked with drawing new legisla- tive boundaries that will determine political clout until 2020 missed its 90-day deadline. A summary of Wednesdays events: Lawmakers Open to Shaking Wednesday’s actions Why the actions Whats next • The • Idaho Secretary of were needed • The courts ruling is need- State Ben Ysursa filed states redistricting ed before further ac- Up Redistricting System a petition asking the commission failed to tion can be taken, al- Idaho Supreme Court pass a plan for re- though boundaries Lawmakers irked BY BEN BOTKIN day deadline to approve a plan. to force the commis- drawn legislative and must be in place well by this year’s [email protected] “If everybody holds their ground, it sion back to work on congressional dis- before the May 2012 redistricting is a system that is set up to fail,”House a plan for new bound- trict boundaries for primary election. The The states way of redrawing political Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Mid- aries. Separately, the Idaho within 90 days commission could re- gridlock could put boundaries could well face scrutiny — vale, said in an interview with the three Republican as required by state turn to work after a an overhaul of the and perhaps even bills for changes — Times-News.“… It did actually fail.” commissioners have law. Without a new ruling, though its un- states district- when state lawmakers gather for the By its nature, the commissions filed a petition asking plan, Ysursa is stuck certain when. drawing system in next legislative session in January. makeup requires its members to cross for legal clarification with an outdated, un- So far,legislators are gathering plen- party lines to form a consensus, which about the require- constitutional plan front of voters ty of ammunition to justify changing has yet to happen in this round of redis- ments that caused with unequal popula- Read the full story after next year’s the system following the commissions tricting. gridlock on the panel. tions in districts. on Main 2. legislative session. failure to meet its legally-required 90- Please see SYSTEM, M2 Three More Declare for T.F. Council With filing deadline looming, only one seat for the Twin Falls City Council is contested so far. BY NICK COLTRAIN [email protected] The field for the Twin Falls City Council elections widened to seven on Wednesday, but only one of the four seats is being officially contested. Local businesswoman Suzanne Hawkins will face off against two al- ready-involved candidates: city Plan- ning and Zoning Commission Chair- man Wayne Bohrn and former Mayor Chris Talkington. The three are seek- ing departing Councilman Will ASHLEY SMITH • TIMES-NEWS Kezeles seat. Air St. Lukes pilot Bernie Moen fuels the new Bell 429 helicopter that will respond to medical emergencies from St. Lukes Magic Valley Talkington last ran for council in Medical Center in Twin Falls. The air ambulance can cruise at 170 mph and fly more than 400 miles before it needs to be refueled. 2009, when he lost a four-way race that ended with Councilman Greg Lanting’s re-election.Talkington and Bohrn also sought appointment to a seat vacated by Lee Heider after he was elected to the state senate. The St. Luke’s Adds New Helicopter Please see COUNCIL, M2 The Twin Falls hospitals new air ambulance will get to hospital in the country to pur- based Idaho Helicopters Inc., and from medical emergencies across the Magic Valley chase this type of Bell helicopter. which operates and maintains the quicker, smoother, hospital officials say. The aircraft has been specifically aircraft. designed to assist emergency re- The hospital will use the BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI its fleet. One of the new aircraft is sponses, said Michael McGrane, $6 million chopper to replace pre- [email protected] based out of St. Lukes Magic Val- director of Air St. Lukes. viously used Bell 430s. The older ley Medical Center in Twin Falls “We are investing in the safety models will be sold once St. With new technology comes the and will cover a 130-mile radius. margin,”McGrane said. “We can Lukes ground crews are trained Bariger Talkington Bohrn hope of saving more lives. The helicopter will make frequent do things today that we never on the new helicopter. Air St. Lukes, operated under stops to the Wood River Valley could 20 years ago.” The helicopter can cruise at up St. Lukes Health System, is and Salt Lake City. St. Lukes doesnt own the heli- to 175 miles per hour, McGrane adding two Bell 429 helicopters to St. Lukes is only the second copter but contracts with Boise- Please see HELICOPTER, M2 IF YOU DO ONE THING TODAY . A look back: Reminisce on 9/11 at the opening night of “The Guys,” 7:30 p.m. at CSI Fine Arts Theater in Twin Falls. Tickets are $10; Portion of pro- ceeds goes to firefighter charities. Schools Chief Seeks $61M Share of Idaho Surplus 420-3979 or [email protected] BOISE (AP) • Education would get “With the economic forecast governor,such as teacher merit pay. growth and other changes signed THE FORECAST about a third of the projected we’re seeing, I believe this is a re- The shifting of money from into law as part of his Students $180 million budget surplus Idaho sponsible budget proposal,’’Luna funding for salaries to pay for class- Come First plan, which will also High is expected to carry into the next told The Associated Press. “But I room technology and teacher pay- phase in laptops for teachers and 87° Low fiscal year under a spending plan also recognize that it’s based on for-performance was among the students and limits union bargain- 54° Partly cloudy. public schools chief Tom Luna what we know today and if any- most debated parts of Lunas “Stu- ing rights. Details on page S4. submitted Wednesday to the gov- thing’s consistent in this economy, dents Come First’’plan,which was The $1.27 billion spending plan ernors office. it’s change.’’ signed into law earlier this year. for public schools in the 2013 fiscal THE INDEX He wants at least $61.7 million of Under Lunas budget request, “Fortunately,the economy is go- year represents a 5.1 percent increase Bridge C7 Obituaries O4 the surplus to go toward public ed- more than $20 million of that extra ing to help us carry out Students in state general funds compared to Comics C12 Opinion M4 ucation in the 2012-2013 school money would be used to replace Come First,’’Luna said. the $1.21 billion appropriation state Markets N4 Sudoku C11 year, according to the preliminary funding that would be taken from Lunas proposed increased lawmakers set aside for the current Crossword C10 budget request Luna will give to the salaries to pay for new education budget for next year includes about fiscal year,according to the state De- Dear Abby C9 governors office in September. changes backed by Luna and the $10.5 million to pay for student partment of Education. Jumble C8 LEARN HOW TO SAVE THOUSANDS GREAT FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO MAKE A GREAT BUY ON A HOME GEM STATE REALTY, INC. • 208-734-0400 1411 FALLS AVE. EAST SUITE 1000A Main 2 • Thursday, September 8, 2011 Secretary of States Office Files Suit Over Gridlocked Redistricting Work BY BEN BOTKIN [email protected] More Online Idaho Secretary of State VISIT Magicvalley.com Ben Ysursa has asked the to read court documents Idaho Supreme Court to put the states redistricting commission back to work Republican members of the on a plan for new legislative commission,”Troupis said, and congressional districts. adding that the Republicans Ysursas legal action is believe that they can reach a necessary because, under plan in three days after get- state law, the commission ting guidance from the must approve a plan within court. 90 days of convening. The Ysursas filing, made at bipartisan six-member 8 a.m. Wednesday with the commission adjourned on court, asks the justices to ASHLEY SMITH • TIMES-NEWS Tuesday after failing to give the commissioners di- Kelly Crouch, 10, walks through more than 2,000 flags Wednesday evening at the Crossroads Point Healing Fields agree on a plan to redraw rection or clarification on 9/11 memorial flag display. Crouch was 12 days old on the day of the 9/11 attacks, the victims of which the Jerome the states two congres- the hierarchy of what they memorial will pay tribute to through Sept. 19. sional districts and 35 leg- should legally consider,said islative districts. Tim Hurst, chief deputy of That’s not the only filing, the secretary of states of- either. Separately, the three fice. Republican commissioners For example, commis- 9/11 Flag Display Opens in Jerome — Lou Esposito, Evan Fra- sioners have disagreed sure and Lorna Finman — about whether the consti- BY JULIE WOOTTON lighted to allow for visitors. filed a petition Wednesday tutional requirement to [email protected] If You Go In the past, Crossroads with the states supreme keep counties whole carries Point has also organized 9/11 court for judicial review. more weight than a state Thousands of flags will be on What: “Healing Fields” 9/11 victims memorial at Cross- remembrance ceremonies.