LDS Building Will Be Next to New High School Accused of by Ben Botkin Having Sex Times-News Writer
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47 / 24 ON TO THE SEMIS Jerome girls roll in first-round Fair & sunny. win, Sports 1 Business 6 JOBLESSNESS JUMPS IN JANUARY >>> Employers slash most jobs in 35 years, BUSINESS 1 FRIDAY 75 CENTS February 20, 2009 MagicValley.com Bliss High Church gets seminary site teacher LDS building will be next to new high school accused of By Ben Botkin having sex Times-News writer The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will have a semi- with student nary for students of Canyon Ridge High School. By Andrea Jackson The church intends to begin Times-News writer construction this spring and to open the building when Canyon A Bliss High School teacher Ridge takes students in the fall, allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old said Mark Holmstead, president of student, including once at a shop in the church’s Twin Falls West Stake. the school, according to Gooding “As local leaders, we’re planning County court records. on the seminary to be completed Anna M. Bettencourt, 39, of so local LDS kids can attend,” Wendell, is charged with two counts Holmstead said. “That was why of felony sexual battery of a minor. that property was acquired.” Police interviewed and arrested Holmstead anticipates that Bettencourt Tuesday, and she was about 90 of Canyon Ridge’s rough- arraigned Wednesday in Gooding ly 900 students students will take County 5th District Court. religious instruction courses at the She was suspended with pay this seminary during release time peri- week from her social studies teach- ods. ing post, pending The building will be west of the the resolution of the new school at the southeast cor- case against her, ner of Park View Drive and Cheney said Bliss School Drive, which is still under con- District Clerk struction. Michelle Elliot. The land in the past was owned ASHLEY SMITH/Times-News Bettencourt and by the Twin Falls School District, Ethan Hunt, center, a senior at Twin Falls High School, talks with his seminary teacher, Rob Wallace, Thursday while Tabitha Wicker the male student but was transferred to the church allegedly had inter- through a series of transactions looks on at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints seminary in Twin Falls High School. course twice Bettencourt that also involved the city of Twin between Aug. 15 Falls. part of North College Road or agreement and the City Council and Sept. 30 — once on the floor of In September 2007, the 1.37- other street improvements for looked at it and approved it.” the school’s agriculture shop on a acre property, valued at about Washington Street North and Last September, the city pur- Sunday, and again in the boy’s pick- $103,000, was transferred to the Cheney Drive near the new chased the LDS Softball Complex up truck after they met up at the city along with a couple unrelated school. located south of Highland Park, school, according to court records parcels. The city also waived a require- trading the land near the new filed Wednesday. According to court The district also agreed to con- ment that the district pay a share high school and paying the church records, both the boy and the struct the east half of the street, of the cost of a traffic signal at the about $259,000, Humble said. teacher admitted they had sex twice. curb, gutter and sidewalk along intersection of North College Road The future seminary property The boy “told some people about Park View Drive adjacent to the and Washington Street North. was deeded to church in it, and it became very difficult for her land, at the cost of $77,250. The total value of all the waivers November. Humble said his under- (Bettencourt) to teach,” court The district’s other properties was $443,854, compared with standing is the city didn’t need to that the city received were two $437,750 that the school district go through a public bidding See TEACHER, Main 2 acres along Hankins Road, valued gave the city in land and improve- process because the deal involved at $120,000, and 11 acres on the ments. a trade for other property. south end of the city valued at In exchange, the city waived all “We traded value for value,” said BREAKING NEWS $137,500, according to a written building permit fees for Canyon Mitch Humble, community devel- Ben Botkin may be reached at agreement approved by the school Ridge and did not require the dis- opment director for Twin Falls. 208-735-3238 or bbotkin@magic- MAGICVALLEY.COM board and city council. trict to pay for reconstruction of “The school board looked at this valley.com. You saw this story first online. Investigator: Plane that crashed in Elmore Co. likely broke up in air ond aircraft said the pilot appear to be a factor in the Wings and tail who crashed reported he crash late Sunday that killed was cold because the door Craig Jewett, 41, of was not fully latched, and Centerville, Utah. apparently tore was considering landing in Jewett had recently Mountain Home to close it. bought the plane from a off Comanche NTSB investigator Tom southwestern Idaho man NATE POPPINO/Times-News Little said the wings and tail and was flying it back to Workers add to a liquid-waste lagoon at the Dry Creek Dairy on Thursday, as seen from 3000 North Road. BOISE (AP) — A small appear to have broken off Utah. plane that crashed earlier the 1965 Piper Aircraft PA-24 He and another pilot, this week in southern Idaho Comanche in the air. Warren Kenner, flew to apparently broke up in “It happens if a plane is Idaho on Sunday in Kenner’s Twin Falls County examines flight, an investigator with overstressed,” Little said single-engine Cherokee to the National Transportation Thursday, declining to elab- pick up Jewett’s plane. Safety Board says. orate. Another pilot flying a sec- Little said weather did not See PLANE, Main 2 waste lagoon at Murtaugh dairy By Nate Poppino But adjustments the size of of the Snake River, said the Times-News writer Dry Creek’s — as much as 50 work isn’t a new lagoon so acres of new lagoon in an much as a safety precaution. Day of Remembrance commemorates MURTAUGH — Twin Falls area slated for composting The dairy was a little County officials say they are — have to go through the behind in emptying its hold- investigating a dairy south- permitting process. ing ponds before winter set unjust Japanese detentions in WWII west of Murtaugh for its The county received a in, he said. About four feet of attempt to deal with excess complaint on Feb. 9 and has snowfall in late December By Jesse Washington cussed in Minami’s house- Minami’s discovery led to a animal waste. since asked Bettencourt for coincided with the facility’s Associated Press writer hold. She learned about it in greater understanding of her Dry Creek Dairy, owned more information about digester breaking down, the 1980s through the culture — and herself. Many by Luis Bettencourt, appears what he’s doing, as well as leading to full holding Kristine Minami was in National Day of hope the Day of to be expanding its liquid- notified the Idaho State ponds and runoff issues. To college before she learned Remembrance, which was Remembrance will also lead waste lagoon beyond what’s Department of Agriculture. avoid any more problems, that her father, grandmother observed around the country to greater understanding that allowed in its special-use Several construction vehi- he said, workers are adding and uncle had been essen- Thursday. Americans come in all types permit, Planning and cles could be seen pushing to a banked area to control tially jailed by the U.S. gov- There was no ceremony, of packages. Zoning Administrator Rick dirt around north of the it. ernment for the crime of however, at the site of the “It got me more interested Dunn said Thursday. dairy’s main buildings on Brasil emphasized that being Japanese. Minidoka Relocation Center in my history and my roots,’’ Confined-animal feeding Thursday. But Joe Brasil, the dairy will be more care- The detention of 120,000 in Jerome County, where said Minami, who grew up in operations are allowed to who oversees cows and ful this fall. Japanese-Americans during more than 10,000 Japanese- repair or modify existing waste management for World War II was not dis- Americans were interned. See CAMPS, Main 2 lagoons as needed, he said. Bettencourt’s facilities south See DAIRY, Main 2 Comics ........Classifieds 12 Crossword ....Classifieds 2 Obituaries ........Business 5 FTERNOON WITH A DANCING QUEEN Commodities ....Business 2 Dear Abby......Classifieds 4 Opinion ..................Main 6 A Community ......Business 3 Movies ....Entertainment 2 Sudoku ..........Classifieds 6 Instructor shares passion > Entertainment 1 Main 2 Friday, February 20, 2009 TN Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho MORNINGMORNING BRIEFINGBRIEFING TODAY’S HAPPENINGS Pat’s Picks ... Pat Marcantonio ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT tions: Blaine County Campus gym, CSI gym, “Clarence Darrow,” based on Irving Stone’s Gooding ISDB gym, Jerome Rec Center, Rupert Three things to do today Civic gym and Shoshone High School (old “Clarence Darrow for the Defense” presented • by The Community School, 7 p.m., nexStage gym); and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at CSI The Community School Cassia Community Concerts American Veterans Theatre, 120 S. Main St., Ketchum, tickets: Burley Outreach Center gym, no cost, 732- presents “Clarence Darrow,” season at 7:30 p.m. at the Auxiliary’s public dance at 8 $20 for adults and $5 for youth, proceeds to 6475.