Archive - 2012
December 25th
Angela Mack is on a quest.
Being diagnosed a year ago with severe primary pulmonary arterial hypertension has given her the drive and motivation to tell the world about the disease that has severely altered her life as a young single mother.
Mack moved to Idaho 6 years ago to start life over after a divorce in another state.
Six months before graduating from Blackfoot High School in May 2012, Cheyenne Oleson joined the Idaho National Guard.
“I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself,” she said.
Oleson is an E2, private second class, and is an unit supply specialist.
Her job is to keep track of all inventory and all supplies—incoming and outgoing. She has a bead on everything from fruit to nuts, or more accurately, everything from socks to tanks and a whole lot more in between.
Julian Andriesen is a foreign exchange student from Germany. He celebrated his 17th birthday on Sunday, Dec. 23.
He hales from Wuppertal in the western part of Germany. He has one sister, Celina, who is 15. His parents are Andre and Elke.
The Advent season begins on Dec. 1.
"In our family, my mom makes our Advent calendar," Julian said. "Since there are four in my family, we each make six small presents for the calendar so we have a small present for each day of the Advent season.
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Sven Poensgen, a foreign exchange student from Germany, loves the color green
“Almost everyone at Blackfoot High School knew him the first week he was here because he always wears green jeans,” said his host mom, Marcy Curr. “It’s a good thing he attends a high school whose color is green."
Curr is the debate coach at BHS.
Sven's hometown is Ratingen-Lintor, Germany, which is northeast of Duesseldorf in western Germany.
His mother and stepfather are Birgit and Knut. His father and stepmother are Dirk and Elena. His grandmother is Helga and his aunt is Kerstin.
Lois Larson, age 95, is taking a “leave of absence” from her volunteer work at the Bingham Memorial Hospital Gift Shop. She has worked there for 17 years.
 “It’s nice to work in the gift shop,” Larson said. “You get to visit with people. They tell you about their visit in the hospital.”
 “I’m still available when needed,” she added.
Her decision to take a leave of absence is because of a bad knee.
Larson lives in Firth. Family members drive her to Blackfoot for her shift.
“I’m thankful for what I’ve got; I’m thankful for my family and that I can take care of myself,” she said.
December 24th
#7 Former principal sent to prison
By LESLIE MIELKE
lmielke@cableone.net
BLACKFOOT — Christopher Charles Cox, 39, the former principal at the Snake River Junior High School, was sentenced in August for one count of sexual abuse of a child under 16 years of age.
He was originally charged with three counts of sex abuse but Bingham County Prosecutor Scott Andrew said his office dropped two of the charges in exchange for Cox’ guilty plea.
Seventh District Judge Gregory Moeller sentenced Cox to not less than three and not more than 18 years in the Idaho Department of Correction.
December 23rd
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Little girls and baby dolls go together at Christmas.
This Christmas students in the fashion design class at Firth High School decided to combine learning to sew and doing a service project.  The activity had a two-fold purpose. The students learned to sew to fulfill a need and children received a “Santa Baby” this season.
Three ladies purchased 16 dolls for this project. The students made a blanket, pajamas and a dress with bloomers for each doll.
Bingham County commissioners recently gave two cherished paintings by Shoshone-Bannock artist Willie Preacher depicting native life from bygone days to the Fort Hall Business Council and Shoshone-Bannock Justice Center at a gathering last week.
The oil paintings titled "Traveling to Fish for Salmon" and "Winter Camp" were completed by Preacher in the 1970s and had been hanging on the wall of the old Bingham County Courthouse for about 20 years.
December 22nd
It was a win for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Thursday when Federal Court Judge Lynn Winmill sided with the tribes in a long standing dispute between the tribes, Power County resident David Evans and the contractors who built his home.
Winmill dismissed a complaint filed by Evans and his building contractors, requiring them to go through Tribal Court first. The suit was instigated by Ken Esteppe and retired FMC plant manager Paul Yochum and was paid for with Power County taxpayer dollars.
Spudnik and its employees gave the Bingham Crisis Center $6,962 on Friday. Spudnik employees also gave 2,635 pounds of food to the Crisis Center. There was enough food donated to fill the beds of two pickup trucks.
Included in the foodstuffs were flour, baby formula and canned goods.
"Wow! I'm overwhelmed," said Dixie Chapman, Bingham Crisis Center director. "Those funds will help so many people.
