41 / 24 First-place battle See Food 1 Kimberly, Filer tangle for Punching up classic SCIC’s top spot. See Sports 1 refreshment Rain and snow. Business 4 SNAP, CRACKLE ... POT >>> Marijuana policy group advocates boycott of Kellogg after Phelps dropped , BUSINESS 1 WEDNESDAY 75 CENTS February 11, 2009 MagicValley.com $3 trillion! Senate, Fed, Treasury attack financial crisis By David Espo funds into the fight against If any more emphasis were nomic stimulus bill cleared Associated Press writer frozen credit markets and ris- needed, Wall Street investors the way for talks with the ing joblessness. sent stocks plunging, object- House on a final compro- WASHINGTON — On a sin- “It’s gone deep. It’s gotten ing that new rescue details mise. In a display of urgency, gle day filled with staggering worse,’’ President Barack from the government were White House chief of staff sums, the Obama adminis- Obama said of the recession too sparse despite the huge Rahm Emanuel traveled to tration, Federal Reserve and at a campaign-style appear- numbers. The Dow Jones the Capitol in mid-afternoon Senate attacked the deepen- ance in Ft. Myers, Fla., where industrials dropped 382 for meetings with Democratic ing economic crisis Tuesday unemployment has reached points. leaders as well as moderate with actions that could throw double digits. “The situation The president spoke short- senators whose views — and as much as $3 trillion more in we face could not be more ly after Senate passage of an votes — will be key to any government and private serious.’’ $838 billion emergency eco- compromise. Separately, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner AP photo • Geithner pledges forceful attack on banking crisis. MORE INSIDE • TARP II, The Sequel: What’s in Obama’s plan? outlined plans for spending Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada talks to reporters on Capitol See Business 1 Hill in Washington, Tuesday, after the Senate passed the stimulus bill. • Bernanke vows more transparency in credit crisis. See ECONOMY, Main 2 Governor unveils road funding bills trouble Proposals would raise nearly $47 million in first year By Jared S. Hopkins TimesNews writer MORE INSIDE BOISE — Gov. C.L. See Main 2 “Butch” Otter unveiled Tuesday his plan to raise See a breakdown of Otter’s nearly $47 million in new proposed fee increases road funding for next year, and almost $175 million hopes his legislation will after five years, by increas- begin closing the gap on the ing the state fuel tax and estimated $240 million registration fees on cars and shortfall in fixing the state’s trucks, and shifting revenue deteriorating roads and structures. The Republican governor See ROADS, Main 2 ASHLEY SMITH/Times-News Julie Bench of the Twin Falls County Department of Motor Vehicles helps ASHLEY SMITH/Times-News a customer Tuesday with a registration change. Under Gov. C.L. ‘Butch’ Jennifer Davis, a senior dispatcher with SIRCOMM, fields a question from a colleague Tuesday afternoon at the Jerome facility. Otter’s proposal, registration fees will increase to help make up the state’s $240 million shortfall in fixing deteriorating roads and bridges. SIRCOMM works to patch aging system Gooding School District By Nate Poppino The extent of the damage TimesNews writer Magicvalley.com wasn’t immediately obvious because the pre-amps only WATCH: A video interview with SIRCOMM Director voters weigh in on levies JEROME — Perhaps it was have vague low- and high- John Shearman. only a matter of time. power warning lights, said By Ben Botkin increase the levy from The Southern Idaho Shearman, who became TimesNews writer $125,000 to $250,000 annu- Regional Communications revealed a much larger — and ly degrading, causing gaps in director in September. That’s ally to provide money for Center’s transmitting equip- more costly — problem. SIRCOMM’s wide coverage left him scrambling to fix the Gooding School District projects like foundation and ment is about 15 years old. Transmitters at the dis- area. Worse, he said, replace- problem as quickly as possi- officials were still tallying drainage system repairs at And officials at the dispatch patch center’s many towers ment parts haven’t been ble, and the agencies he pro- the results of two levy pro- schools. center found out just what rely on a pre-amplifier to made since 2000, forcing the vides services for left sharing posals at 10:15 p.m. The two-year, supple- age can do to electronics last boost the signal across four center to reduce the number space on four primary dis- Tuesday. mental levy was for month, when reports of com- Magic Valley counties, of dispatch channels it pro- patch channels. Earlier in the day, voters $325,000 annually to pro- munications problems in Director John Shearman said. vides to conserve the pre- had cast ballots on two vide money for the district western Twin Falls County But those pre-amps are slow- cious pre-amps. See SIRCOMM, Main 2 levies: a supplemental two- to keep programs in place year levy and a 10-year for students like remedia- renewal of its plant facilities tion, art and music, drama levy. The final results were and field trips. The school unavailable for this story. district had asked voters to Economy leads Twin Falls to table The district had proposed pass the levies to preserve the two levies to the public what already exists for stu- Delaying the diamond proposed Cowboy Field renovation as a way to provide funding dents. for building improvements Both levies combined, if By Nate Poppino grants and donations with $70,000 in decorative fence around the area, and existing school pro- passed, would raise proper- TimesNews writer city funds has been postponed again among other improvements. It was grams at a time when state ty taxes $138 annually for after Twin Falls City Council members originally slated for this budget year’s funding cuts and declining every $100,000 of assessed After talking about it for years, a and city staff decided not to gamble on round of capital projects, Community enrollment are leading to value. group of baseball enthusiasts and the this year’s budget turning around. Development Director Mitch Humble anticipated budget short- To get the latest results of city of Twin Falls’ Parks and Recreation The proposal, as presented to the told the council. But it was submitted falls of more than $1 million the votes, visit Commission thought last summer that council on Monday evening, would too late, leading to the proposal’s cur- in Gooding. Magicvalley.com. they’d finally found a way to renovate replace the existing concession stand rent form and Monday night’s request. Both measures were Cowboy Field in Harmon Park. and score booth, add a press box, swap The project’s backers had hoped to voted on separately. Ben Botkin may be Then the economy got in the way. out the asphalt around the field for The plant facilities levy reached at 208-735-3238 or Now, a solution that would combine concrete and paver bricks and build a See DIAMOND, Main 2 renewal proposal was to [email protected]. Comics ............Business 3 Dear Abby ..............Food 7 Obituaries............Main 67 AILEY POT INITIATIVE STRUCK DOWN Commodities ....Business 2 Horoscope ..............Food 7 Opinion ..................Main 8 H Crossword ............Food 10 Movies ................Main 10 Sudoku ..................Food 5 Judge: Act pre-empts state law > Main 10 Main 2 Wednesday, February 11, 2009 TN Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho MORNINGMORNING BRIEFINGBRIEFING TODAY’S HAPPENINGS Pat’s Picks ... Pat Marcantonio ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DeMary Memorial Library Board, 4:30 p.m., 417 Seventh St., Rupert, 436-3874. Three things to do today Film screening of “Big Night,” 6 p.m., The Twin Falls Public Library Board, 5 p.m., library Community Library, 415 Spruce Ave. N., Ketchum, board room, 201 Fourth Ave. E., 733-2964. • You can check out new 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Sun Library, 415 Spruce Ave. N., no cost, 726-3493. Declo City Council, 7:30 p.m., City Hall, 8 N. Clark artwork, including sculp- Valley Village. You’ll find Ketchum, as part of the food Special Concert EMIKO, 9 p.m. doors open, The St., 654-2124. tures by Yvonne Jacques, at music, the official U.S. Forest flicks festival. It’s free. Boiler Room, Sun Valley Village, $10 cover charge, Heyburn City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall, 941 18th the Magic Valley Arts Service old-time string band, 208-622-2148. St., 679-8158. Council’s Gallery at 132 Main ice skating exhibitions, a Have your own pick you Murtaugh City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall, 104 S. Ave. S., Twin Falls. Admission movie, pin trading and a want to share? Something BOOK SIGNING Fourth St., 432-6682. is free. torchlight parade. It’s all free. that is unique to the area and • • Book signing, for Mike Ramsdell, author of “A Murtaugh School Board, 7 p.m., high school Enjoy the spectacle at the Or end the evening with that may take people by sur- Train to Potevka,” 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Costco, 731 library, 500 Boyd St. W., 432-5451. Special Olympics World a terrific film, “Big Night,” at prise? E-mail me at Pole Line Road, Twin Falls, 208-736-1550. Paul City Council, 7:30 p.m., city office, 152 S. Winter Games Festival from 6 p.m. at The Community [email protected]. 600 W., 438-4101. Richfield School Board, 7:30 p.m., high school, CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS 555 N. Tiger Drive, 487-2755. Burley Kiwanis Club, noon, Morey’s Steakhouse, 219 E. Third St.