Idaho Mountain Express

The governing board of the Blaine County Ambulance District has developed an approximately $4.9 million working budget for the 2027 fiscal year that boosts ambulance service in the county but leaves open a plan for establishing service at the mid-valley Greenhorn Fire Station.

The city of Bellevue received a $3 million grant on June 10 to rebuild Pine Street. The Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC) grant is federally-funded but administered through the state of Idaho. The grant cannot be used until 2031, when funding for design work would be made available, setting back the construction start date to sometime in 2032. The city's grant allocation was delayed due to the Pine Street project being ranked lower than projects submitted by other cities.

Five required medical care Thursday afternoon after a two-car T-bone crash near Tomcat Hill on U.S. Highway 26 close to the border of Blaine and Butte counties. According to Blaine County Fire and Rescue Media Relations Director Lenny Joseph, three patients were taken to a hospital via ground ambulance, while two patients were transported to the Carey Airport and taken to advanced care via Life Flight Network helicopters.

The South Central Public Health District is advising Blaine County residents and visitors to exercise caution in areas inhabited by bats, after a bat caught in the county tested positive for rabies this week.

The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation-organized community celebration honoring local Olympic and Paralympic athletes from the 2026 Winter Olympics is set for today, Friday, from 5:15-8 p.m., beginning at Champions Meadow in Sun Valley before a parade to Ketchum Town Square.

The flows are dropping fast, and new water is opening everyday. This should allow anglers to spread out more easily and provide relief to the highly-pressured rivers and access points. The trout are adjusting to the dropping flows and rising water temperatures by seeking more oxygenated holds. Big bugs may get a look; however, downsizing your fly is the best way to fool seasoned trout. Additionally, with each passing day, the Trico hatch on Silver Creek and other local rivers will build momentum.

The Wood River Land Trust is hosting three interactive workshops next week to present population growth projections and water flow data relating to the Big Wood River. The workshops will be attended by research partners from the University of Arizona and provide insights into public policies and laws that affect water use and availability along the river. The workshops will take place in Ketchum, Hailey and Bellevue.

The Ketchum City Council and the Ketchum Urban Renewal Agency have agreed to provide over $350,000 to ARCH Community Housing Trust in exchange for the city being first in line to refer a person on its housing waitlist to a unit under development in ARCH's project at 140 N. Leadville Ave. The Ketchum City Council during its July 9 meeting unanimously approved an agreement to pay ARCH $123,500 from the city's housing in-lieu fund.

Robert Lengkeek, 44, of Boise, was arrested on Monday, July 6, after allegedly pointing a gun at a Ketchum resident outside the person’s home. Lengkeek has been charged with felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor controlled substance possession and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia use or possession with intent to use.

Blaine County elected officials and staff this week continued to work through the complex process of setting the county’s annual budget. After reviewing budget requests from several county departments and outside agencies, the three-member Board of County Commissioners was scheduled Thursday to discuss a funding plan for the county coroner and the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office. The ongoing discussions are part of setting a spending plan for the 2027 fiscal year, which will start Oct. 1.