A GRAND SHOW on Search for Meaning the SQUARE — and a Voice
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49 / 31 REBUILDING Minico grad starts wrestling club at ISU Plus, find out about other Magic Valley high school athletes competing in winter sports in college. Showers. THE BENGALS See Sports 1 Business 8 TEENS TALK > Recession is on their minds too, FAMILY LIFE 1 ROADS BILL > Making truckers pay more, OPINION 1 SUNDAY March 22, 2009 $1.50 MagicValley.com ID Dems A GRAND SHOW ON search for meaning THE SQUARE — and a voice By Jared S. Hopkins Times-News writer BOISE — The econom- ic downturn that’s swept Idaho has forced unprecedented cuts to the state budget, a spike in unemployment and busi- ness closures. Has it also swallowed Idaho’s Democrats? The 25 Democrats in the Legislature — less than one-quarter of both chambers — began the 2009 session with one less member than a year ago, and have been forced to elect new leaders and cope with the absence of influential legislators — all while trying to main- tain their role as the loyal opposition in tough times. Many Republicans say Democratic protests this year ebb and flow — loud- er when cuts to education See DEMS, Main 3 ABOVE: Earl Corless walks past stained glass windows that are original DEA, state Rupert’s rom a 65-year heyday as a theater to to the Wilson Building its decline during the latter part of and Theatre that was mum on the century — the Historic Wilson built in 1920. The building Wilson Theatre F Building and Theatre has always was once the social gath- Twin Falls stood at Rupert’s heart. ering place for Rupert, The triangular-shaped flatiron building that and Corless hopes the housed the theater was built in 1920 by Daniel current restoration effort prescription sprucing up with Ward Wilson at a fully-equipped cost of will bring people back to $75,000, said Renaissance Arts Center Inc. the building that sits on fraud case Executive Director Chris Jackson. the northwest corner of community support Now with an estimated $3.2 million renova- the Rupert Square. By Andrea Jackson tion about 75 percent complete, the center is Times-News writer ready to host an open house within two to three Story by Laurie Welch Photos by Meagan Thompson months of celebrating the completion of the A prescription fraud Times-News first two phases of renovation, Jackson said. investigation involving a FAR LEFT: A giant histori- former Twin Falls detec- The first phase encompassed the restoration tive may have been under of the exterior of the building. The second cal puzzle: A portion of a way for nearly three years phase includes renovating the lobby, building a decorative piece that before the U.S. Drug grand brass and glass staircase, a convention adorned the Wilson Enforcement Agency and center upstairs large enough to accommodate a Theatre will have ele- the Idaho Board of crowd of 300 and four storefronts that will be ments of stucco that Pharmacy told city police rented out to help pay for the theater’s operat- have been recast to about potential criminal resemble the original. misconduct by one of ing costs, Jackson said. their own. Jackson said historically theaters are only 60 ‘The major thing, as far Curtis Gambrel, a Twin percent financially self-sustaining. The center as I’m concerned, that we Falls Police detective of 24 hopes the convention center and storefronts want here is a venue for years, resigned almost the entire community,’ two years ago from the S EE WILSON, MAIN 6 says Earl Corless, a force, but is named in four member of the board of of 16 charges of prescrip- directors for the tion fraud and conspiracy to commit prescription Magicvalley.com Renaissance Arts Center fraud levied late last year in Rupert also known as VIEW: A video and photo against local nurse practi- gallery of the restoration process the Wilson Theatre. tioner Jan Sund in Twin at the Wilson Building and Falls 5th District Court. Theatre in Rupert. While still working for the police department, he allegedly got medically unnecessary prescrip- LEFT: The renovation of tions for Oxycodone and the Wilson Theatre started Hydrocodone from Sund with the facade and then split the drugs with her, according to court includes interior work on records. the lobby, community The day Gambrel pub- room and theater. The licly announced he was building was originally a leaving the department — vaudeville house — a genre April 2, 2007 — also of variety entertainment marks the end of Sund’s performed on the stage alleged conspiracy with him to commit prescrip- that was popular in the tion fraud, according to U.S. from 1880 through court records. Twin Falls the 1930s. The theater police say they didn’t ABOVE: A section of the original stucco work has recently been uncovered after years of being also housed theatre know about Gambrel’s hidden under alternative decor in the Wilson Theatre in Rupert. The restoration of the theater groups, silent movies and alleged involvement until itself is under way, which is the last step before the old building — erected in 1920 — is restored to eventually ‘talking movies’ FRAUD its original state. ‘It’s been quite a long, hard ordeal, or lots of work anyway,’says Earl Corless. according to Earl Corless. See , Main 2 Crossword ......Classifieds 6 Kids Only ........Family Life 6 Obituaries........Business 6-7 Dear Abby........Classifieds 3 Jumble ............Classifieds 4 Sudoku ............Classifieds 5 AIRLINES RETIRING MORE AND MORE PLANES Horoscope ......Classifieds 3 Movies ..................Opinion 2 Your Business ....Business 2 Aircraft ‘boneyards’ fill up > Business 1 MORNINGMORNINGMain 2 Sunday, March 22, 2009 BRIEFINGBRIEF- TN Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho Pat’s Picks Three things to do today P HOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY Pat Marcantonio • If the weather remains at Sun Valley Village. Doors sunny, get in your car and open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets take a drive to some of the are $12. unknown gems of the • The Snake River region. In Castleford, there’s Challenge Tournament Jean’s Park, with its play- takes place at the Twin Falls ground and ball fields. If you Rifle and Pistol Club. There drive on a bit farther, there is will be .22-caliber matches the famous Balanced Rock for kids 14 and up and and its interesting forma- adults. Call 733-5234 or e- tions, as well as the beauti- mail [email protected] ful Balanced Rock Park. for more information. Take food and a camera. • If you haven’t seen it, Have your own pick you there’s “Forever Plaid” at want to share? E-mail me at 7:30 p.m. in the Boiler Room [email protected]. Photo courtesy of the Twin Falls Public Library ASHLEY SMITH/Times-News TODAY’S HAPPENINGS The Twin Falls County Courthouse was finished in 1911, and at the time was the tallest building in the area. It was also one of the first buildings to have an elevator. Courtrooms were located on the third floor, and at one time the building housed the library for about a year. The building ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT was designed by C. Harvey Smith, who also was the architect for many other buildings in the area. In 1978, the courthouse was added to the Forever Plaid, 6:30 p.m. doors open and 7:30 p.m., Boiler Room, Sun National Register of Historic Places. At right, a current view of a conference room on the third floor of the Twin Falls County Courthouse. Valley Village, $12, 622-2135. EXHIBITS New works by Dutch artist Sjer Jacobs, oil paintings and bronze Fraud sculpture, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Gallery DeNovo, 320 First Ave. N., Suite Continued from Main 1 101, Ketchum, free admission, gallerydenovo.com or 726-8180. of Pharmacy and the DEA June 2008, after the DEA received numerous com- and the Idaho Board of plaints about Sund dating SPORTS Pharmacy gave them a back to 2002. “The com- Snake River Challenge Tournament, .22 matches for classes: J3 - report. plaints ranged from allega- ages 14 and under; J2 - ages 15-17; J1 - ages 18-20; Adults - ages 21 The Idaho Board of tions that she was splitting and older; NRA-approved matches include five events hosted by Twin Pharmacy got a tip about prescriptions with her Falls Rifle and Pistol Club, 733-5234 or [email protected]. Sund much earlier than that patients to practicing as a from Gambrel’s wife in nurse practitioner while To have an event listed, please submit the name of the event, a brief 2005. She wrote a letter to impaired,” court records description, time, place, cost and contact number to Suzanne the board “stating Sund was show. Browne by e-mail at [email protected]; by fax, 734-5538; or over-prescribing pain med- Sund surrendered her by mail, Times-News, P.O.Box 548, Twin Falls, ID 83303-0548. ication for her husband, controlled substance regis- Deadline is noon, four days in advance of the event. Curtis Gambrel.” The letter tration by October 2007, also said Sund was “abusing according to meeting min- her prescribing rights” and utes from the Idaho State “receiving kickbacks from Board of Pharmacy. Almost patients,”according to court a year later, in November, Crash shears power records. the AG’s office was given the Twin Falls Police say they Sund case by Twin Falls would have liked to have County Prosecutor Grant pole, snarls traffic in T.F. heard sooner about Loebs, AG Spokesman Bob Gambrel. Cooper confirmed. Times-News crime, though police are still “We would have preferred City police finished their investigating, he said.