47 / 28 Finding friendship through hardship Light rain. SEE FAMILY LIFE 1 Business 8 VANDALS LEAVE IT LATE >>> Idaho moves to 5-1 with late rally to beat San Jose, SPORTS 1 Valley Business SUNDAY Review October 11, 2009 Find out where we’ve been and what’s next. $1.50 INSIDE TODAY’S MagicValley.com TIMES-NEWS Sympathy,not blame, filled Aragon trial By Andrea Jackson Times-News writer Analysis At the Lincoln County Courthouse in Shoshone, their mother’s house on the prosecutor seemed Christmas Day. alone in pointing a finger at That sympathy for Robert Aragon last week. Aragon seemed to linger Aragon’s handful of sup- throughout among wit- porters in the courtroom nesses and members of the didn’t blame him for the audience in a trial that hypothermia death of his captured national atten- daughter, 11-year-old Sage tion. Aragon, and neither did the Prosecutor E. Scott Paul, jury. however, argued that Witnesses told jurors Aragon was willfully indif- Photos by ASHLEY SMITH/Times-News that Aragon isn’t a rocket ferent to his kids’ safety, scientist, but he loves his because he let them walk children and just made a through snowy weather, mistake when he sent his children on a fatal walk to See ARAGON, Main 2 FUNDING Zip line proposed JEROME COUNTY TURNS TO VOTERS ON NOV. 3 TO REPLACE ITS AGING, OVERCROWDED JAIL for Twin Falls By Ben Botkin the proposal, the zip line Times-News writer would be bidirectional and turn 180 degrees to return An enterprise billed as to its launch site adjacent to By John Plestina the “world’s first powered Canyon Crest Dining and Times-News writer zip line,” with controllable Event Center, offering a 1.3 speeds of up to 90 mph,has mile round-trip ride. been proposed for the Twin The company needs an JEROME — Concerns for safety beds for its prisonersJUSTICE in 30 years. erated by renting jail beds would Falls side of the Snake River amendment for the zip line and civil liability with the aging The lease payment and operating fund lease payments and operating canyon. to be an allowable land use Jerome County Jail have left county costs put the proposed jail’s com- expenses for at least five to seven Magic Valley Flight and is appearing before the officials scrambling for financing to bined total annual cost closer to $3.9 years. Simulation, a Twin Falls city’s planning and zoning build a new facility. million. But April Lee, general man- limited liability company, commission at its meeting A ballot question on Nov.3 will ask ager of Rocky Mountain Immediate needs wants to bring a zip line to at 6 p.m. Tuesday in voters to approve a lease-purchase Corrections, which is the paid con- the canyon rim that would plan to build a $13.5 million Jerome sultant for county officials, told the Jerome County Sheriff Doug be 3,558 feet long. Under See ZIP LINE, Main 2 County Justice Facility, which would Times-News the cost to the county McFall and Lt. Robert Haas, the jail’s include a 165-bed jail, offices and a would be about the same as the cur- administrator, say a new jail is need- training facility for the sheriff’s rent yearly jail budget of $1 million, ed because the county’s 35-year-old department. with other costs offset by revenue lockup is too small to house the aver- Idaho law mandates the funding from renting jail beds to other coun- age number of county inmates. question go on the ballot. A two- ties. Considerations for the overcrowded, thirds supermajority approval is County Commission Chairman 34-inmate jail have resulted in early required for passage. Charlie Howell said a “yes” vote release for some prisoners, others The county’s total lease payments would authorize the county to lease not going to jail and the county rent- over 30 years would be just under the jail from outside investors ing jail beds in other counties at an $30 million, based on an established through the 30-year lease-to-pur- average annual cost of $200,000, annual payment cap of $985,000. chase agreement. But the ballot McFall said. The cost of shipping Then there are the operating costs, measure will not give the county inmates elsewhere exceeded projected at $2.9 million annually for authority to increase its tax levy. $220,000 in 2007. the larger facility. The county’s goal Howell said the existing sheriff’s Courtesy photo is to meet a projected need of 165 jail budget and additional revenue gen- See JAIL, Main 7 A zip line ride, similar to this one seen at Devil’s Corral on the north side of the Snake River Canyon in 2007, is proposed for an area of the canyon near Canyon Crest Dining and Event Center in Twin Falls. Next apocalypse? Mayan year 2012 stirs doomsayers By Mark Stevenson him. Next month Associated Press writer Hollywood’s “2012’’ opens in cinemas, featuring MEXICO CITY — earthquakes, meteor Apolinario Chile Pixtun is showers and a tsunami tired of being bombarded dumping an aircraft carrier with frantic questions on the White House. about the Mayan calendar At Cornell University, supposedly “running out’’ Ann Martin, who runs the on Dec. 21, 2012. After all, “Curious? Ask an it’s not the end of the Astronomer’’ Web site, world. says people are scared. Or is it? “It’s too bad that we’re Definitely not, the getting e-mails from Above: Jerome County Sheriff’s Lt. Robert Haas opens a door manually last week in the county’s 34-inmate jail, which it hopes to replace with a Mayan Indian elder insists. fourth-graders who are new 165-bed lockup. A number of the current jail’s doors were originally automated, but the system no longer works, forcing jail personnel to “I came back from England saying that they’re too open every door manually. last year and, man, they young to die,’’Martin said. had me fed up with this “We had a mother of two At top: Three inmates share a cell meant for two last week. Overcrowding is a challenge for the jail, as county prisoners outnumber the available stuff.’’ beds at the facility. The county has sent inmates to other facilities in southern Idaho at a cost of $50 per day to deal with its lack of space. It can only get worse for See 2012, Main 2 Crossword ......Classifieds 8 Kids Only ........Family Life 6 Obituaries........Business 6-7 Dear Abby........Classifieds 3 Jumble ............Classifieds 5 Sudoku ............Classifieds 6 CHINA BECOMING FINANCIAL LEADER AMID Horoscope ......Classifieds 3 Movies ..................Opinion 7 Your Business ....Business 2 GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS > Business 1 MORNINGMORNINGMain 2 Sunday, October 11, 2009 BRIEFINGBRIEF- MC Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho Pat’s Picks Aragon Three things to do today Continued from Main 1 and then left the area with- Pat Marcantonio out making sure they were OK. • You don’t have to go to signs. The roads are paved But not even Sage’s Yellowstone to see geysers. to West Magic Resort, mother was demanding a Visit the Soda Springs where you can get hot guilty verdict for that. Geyser that shoots water drinks and food. JoLeta Jenks, one of 100 feet in the air. The • The holidays are here Paul’s witnesses, felt help- town is also on the Oregon and so are arts and crafts less when her kids were Trail for you history buffs. shows. Crafts in the missing on Christmas, she • Check out the magic at Country will be held from testified. Magic Reservoir, where the 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Before word of a verdict fishing is good, along with Twin Falls County swept through the court- the view of the mountains Fairgrounds in Filer. house, though, Jenks said to the north. (My husband Admission is free. that Aragon is punished by brought back delicious his own loss. rainbows.) It’s north of E-mail your own picks to And when the verdict Shoshone and you’ll see the [email protected]. was read, she sat in the courtroom beside Aragon’s supporters, including his adult daughter, Lorraine, TODAY’S HAPPENINGS who testified for the defense. MEAGAN THOMPSON/Times-News CHURCH EVENTS Bear Aragon, Sage’s now Robert Aragon, center, leaves the Lincoln County Courthouse Friday with friends and family after a jury “CHANGE: God’s plan for taking us to the next place,” speaker, comedi- 13-year-old brother, was acquitted him of counts of involuntary manslaughter and injury to a child. an/theologian Daren Lindley presents a three-day message series hosted separated from his sister by Life Church of the Magic Valley, 10:30 am. and 6 p.m., 425 East Nez during their trek and was Aragon has taken Bear to an alternate for most of the after the trial. Perce (25 East 100 South),Jerome, 208-234-5876 or later found in a public rest- counseling sessions since trial and requested In the end, Aragon dis- LIFECHURCHMV.COM . room suffering from Sage’s death, according to anonymity. played a quiet sense of hypothermia. His sister’s Aragon’s older daughter The juror said that relief after being acquitted dead body was found under Lorraine. everybody has made a mis- — a different picture from CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS snow a short distance away. Aragon’s housemate and take, before driving off his court appearance last Hagerman Pioneer Association annual meeting, Bell family to share family But even he didn’t blame his boss also supported him from the courthouse Friday December, when he banged history, noon, with potluck dinner at 1 p.m., Hagerman Valley Grange Hall, his father for Sage’s death.