61 / 44 Falling mortage rates could boost GETGET ININ ONON THETHE TRENDTREND market activity Beaded watchbands are hot accessory 1 Business Rain possible. >>> ENTERTAINMENT 1 Business 6 TAKING THEIR TALENTS >>> Magic Valley athletes look forward to college play, SPORTS 1 FRIDAY 75 CENTS May 28, 2010 TIMES-NEWS Magicvalley.com Lingering Worse than doses Thousands of H1N1 Exxon Valdez vaccines remain in Magic Valley Gulf of Mexico By Nick Coltrain leak becomes Times-News writer Last fall’s potentially deadly H1N1 flu ended up having more in common worst spill in U.S. with the seasonal, 24-hour version of the virus: It was here, and then it was gone. By Greg Bluestein and Ben Nuckols The result is thousands of surplus Associated Press writers vaccines in the Magic Valley and mil- lions in the United States. The South ROBERT, La. (AP) — As BP labored for a second day Central Public Health District alone Thursday to choke off the leak at the bottom of the Gulf has 13,680 spare doses, with 930 set to of Mexico, dire new government estimates showed the expire by the end of June and the rest disaster has easily eclipsed the Exxon Valdez as the losing their potency in 2011, Director biggest oil spill in U.S. history. Rene Le- The company announced late in the day that it had Blanc said. suspended shooting heavy drilling mud into the blown- MORE ONLINE That’s down out well 5,000 feet underwater around midnight WATCH an inter- from about Wednesday so it could bring in more materials. view with South 29,000 vac- Thursday evening, BP PLC said it had resumed the Central Public cines for pumping procedure known as a top kill. Officials said it Health District Director H1N1, com- could be late Friday or the weekend before the company Rene LeBlanc. monly knows if it has cut off the oil that has been flowing for MAGICVALLEY.COM known as five weeks. swine flu, As the world waited, President Obama announced that the district received. major new restrictions on drilling projects, and the head “The problem is the public feels the of the federal agency that regulates the industry resigned need for it is over,” he said Thursday. under pressure, becoming the highest-ranking political “It’s still good to go out and get it.” casualty of the crisis so far. Without public interest, the health BP insisted the top kill was progressing as planned, district and other health clinics that though the company acknowledged drilling mud was received the vaccines through the fed- escaping from the broken pipe along with the leaking eral government will let the vaccines crude. fall below 100-percent potency before Photos by MEAGAN THOMPSON/Times-News “The fact that we had a bunch of mud going up the disposing of them. Federal regulations A vial of H1N1 vaccine is held by South Central Public Health District employee Amy Lierman. riser isn’t ideal but it’s not necessarily indicative of a prevent them from disposing of the The vial is one of nearly 13,000 surplus doses in storage at the district. In the fall, some of problem,’’said spokesman Tom Mueller. vaccines before their expiration date, the doses will be available for distribution, although a new combination H1N1 and seasonal Early Thursday, officials said the process was going LeBlanc said. The government spent flu vaccine is planned. ‘We will keep some on hand just in case someone just wants H1N1 and well, but later in the day they announced pumping had $1.6 billion on the vaccines and the not seasonal,’says Lierman. been suspended 16 hours earlier. local clinics received them as a grant. The top kill is the latest in a string of attempts to stop The health district hasn’t hosted any H1N1 vaccine clinics since January, Boxes of H1N1 vac- See OIL, Main 3 LeBlanc said. He estimated that the cine are stored in a district was able to vaccinate about 20 refrigerator at the percent of south-central Idaho before South Central the population felt the risk had passed. Public Health Outcome uncertain He attributed part of the resulting District’s Twin Falls surplus to misinformation about a office. A surplus of preservative in the vaccine being for federal teacher aid linked to autism in children. The vaccines in Idaho is Federal Drug Administration rejected a being stored until link between the preservative and people want them. $23B bill aimed at saving teaching jobs autism in 2004. By Ben Botkin See H1N1, Main 2 Times-News writer When the Legislature cut state funding in 2009 for the state’s public education budget, federal stimulus fund- G RADUATE PROFILE ing helped diminish the effects on Idaho’s schools. That year, federal stimulus funding brought $145.7 million to schools Positive outlook keeps Canyon Ridge grad going after the 2009 session MORE ONLINE ended. But for the coming By Blair Koch fiscal year, a federal READ Capitol Times-News correspondent MARY bailout to offset state cuts Confidential, the Times- isn’t a prospect anyone’s News’ political blog. Canyon Ridge senior and WALTON counting on. MAGICVALLEY.COM class valedictorian Mary School: Canyon Ridge High One hope that some are Walton has experienced her School holding out for is a proposed $23 billion payout aimed at share of hardship, but a pos- Age: 18 saving teachers’ jobs across the nation. The proposal fal- itive outlook on the future After high school: Walton tered Thursday in the U.S. House when a committee keeps her going strong. plans to attend the College of meeting was cancelled.It isn’t expected to make headway Walton is one of about 135 Southern Idaho for two years until after the Memorial Day recess, if at all. students to graduate from before transferring to a four- By then, ink will be drying on Idaho teacher contracts Canyon Ridge — the first year school; she will study filled with reductions in pay, fewer school days and other graduating class from the biology and plans to pursue a cuts to help blunt the impact of a 7.5 percent, $128.5 mil- Twin Falls school, which career working with animals. lion funding reduction. opened this school year. BLAIR KOCH/For the Times-News Still, advocates say action by Congress would help Canyon Ridge High School senior class valedictorian Mary Walton Graduation: Walton and about “My challenges really 135 of her classmates will save educator jobs and preserve vital education pro- started out when my dad studies for the final exam for her Human Structure and Function graduate at 7 tonight at the grams across the nation. Idaho’s share is estimated at died,” said Walton, 18. class on Tuesday, outside the Twin Falls school’s main entrance. Canyon Ridge High School $117 million, nearly the full amount of the budget Walton is one of about 135 students to graduate tonight from Canyon gymnasium. See JOBS, Main 2 See GRAD, Main 2 Ridge High School. Six arrested in connection with Twin Falls liquor store burglary By Eric Larsen Pontiac lodged in a state Thursday press release from Times-News writer BREAKING NEWS liquor store. the city. The adults are being You read this story Kristopher McKean, 20, held in the Twin Falls Apparently, they couldn’t first on Kristan McKean, 19, Brina County Jail, according to the wait until their 21st birth- MAGICVALLEY.COM Krohn, 19, and Megan city release. days. Marovich, 18, along with two According to court Twin Falls police have drinking age of 21 — in con- unidentified minors, were records, Kristopher McKean arrested four adults and two nection with the May 20 arrested in connection with Kristopher Kristan minors — all under the legal burglary that left a running the theft, according to a See BURGLARY, Main 2 Marovich Krohn McKean McKean Comics....................Sports 6 Crossword ......Classifieds 8 Obituaries ..........Business 5 Commodities ......Business 2 Dear Abby........Classifieds 9 Opinion ..................Main 6-7 END OF ‘DON’TASK, DON’T TELL’ Community ........Business 4 Movies ......Entertainment 2 Sudoku ............Classifieds 9 House votes to overturn military policy > Main 8 MORNINGMORNINGMain 2 Friday, May 28, 2010 BRIEFINGBRIEF- TN Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho Pat’s Picks TODAY’S HAPPENINGS Three things to do today LIBRARY Pat Marcantonio Family story time, 10 a.m., Jerome Public Library, 100 First Ave. E., 324-5427. FIND MORE ONLINE • Our pal Marty McFly is count, go to stonebystoneen- Story time, for children ages two to five, 10 Check out our online calendar where you back. Of course you’ve seen terprises.com. a.m., Rupert DeMary Memorial Library, 471 “Back to the Future,”but • Or listen to the music of Seventh St., 436-3874. can submit events and search by category you haven’t seen it at Twin U2 at a new show of the Children’s story time, preschoolers and their for specific events and dates. Falls City Park. The 9:30 same name at the Faulkner parents invited for stories and songs, 10:30 www.magicvalley.com/app/calendar/events/ p.m. show is free and starts Planetarium at Herrett a.m., Kiva Room, Twin Falls Public Library, in front of the band shell. Center for Arts and Science 201 Fourth Ave. E., 733-2964, ext. 109. • Take a “Fright Night in Twin Falls. The show Tour of Old Towne Twin starts at 8:15 p.m. Tickets To have an event listed, please submit the For detailed coverage of today’s arts Falls” at 8 p.m. starting at are $2.50 to $4.50. How can name of the event, a brief description, time, Pandora’s restaurant, 516 you pass up Bono? place, cost and contact number to Mirela and entertainment all around south-central Idaho, Hansen St.