Legal-Courts
Did County Legal Dept. Act In Bad Faith?
The Ada County Prosecutor’s office needs a reminder about their ultimate boss. It is the people of Ada County, not the Commishes. When the Idaho Statesman was sent a LETTER denying access to public information on the grounds the information was a “personnel matter” exempt from disclosure, that office acted in bad faith in our […]
Private Eye, Former Boise Ombudsman Investigator To Probe Ada Commish-Dynamis Deal
Verna R. Kessler, a former investigator for the Boise Office of Ombudsman, has been assigned to the investigation of the Ada Commishes and Dynamis Energy. The “hot potato” investigation has been passed off from the Ada Sheriff, Ada Prosecutor, Attorney General, Bannock Sheriff, Boise Police, and now a private investigator. Perhaps the sixth time will […]
Dynamis Hot Potato Investigation Flipped (or mashed) Yet Again
The “Hot Potato” investigation of the Ada County-Dynamis trash to energy deal has been tossed once again thanks to the withdrawal of Boise PD from the case. Sadly, it was only after the GUARDIAN informed readers of the BPD involvement that Mayor Dave Bieter called them off the case. Several potential witnesses contacted the GUARDIAN, […]
Private Probation Firm Ordered To Assist Ada Sheriff Transition
Citing a refrusal to cooperate with the Ada County Sheriff’s office, Fourth District Administrative Judge Mike Wetherell has issued an order to the private for profit “Ada County Misdemeanor Probation Services, Inc” firm to meet with the sheriff no later than September 3 to insure the orderly transfer of services to the Sheriff. In his […]
Dynamis “Hot Potato” Probe Lands At Boise PD
The “hot potato” investigation of the Ada Commishes and Dynamis which no one wants to handle has finally landed in the lap of the Boise Police. The inquiry was begun when a CITIZENS GROUP wrote letters to the County, State, and Federal prosecutors demanding action The GUARDIAN started getting tips during the past week saying […]
Lowe Got 3/4 Million Settlement
Betsy Russell of the SPOKESMAN reports former Idaho transportation director Pam Lowe ened up with $.75 million when she settled her suit with the state. Details of the detail were filed in U.S. District Court. A payment of $34,594.38 was recently paid from the Department of Administration to the law office of Holland & Hart […]
Ada Over Extends Its Power To Power Power
The DAILY PAPER‘s Cynthia Sewell has once again done a great job digging through the trash at Ada County, this time to come up with details surrounding the pending $30 million tort claim filed last month. As the GUARDIAN reported on July 25, there just isn’t enough garbage to go around after county commishes cut […]
Dynamis Circles Wagons, Conservation League Opposes Waste-to-Energy Project
The GUARDIAN has been skeptical from the beginning about the so-called trash to energy plant proposed at the town dump. Now it looks like just about everyone is against the project. Conservatives and libertarians oppose the financing, the neighborhood greenies question the environmental issues and now the Idaho Conservation League is on record against issuing […]
Lowdown On Lowe Settlement
Still no official word on the amount of the settlement between former Idaho Transportation chief Pam Lowe and the state. She sued for unlawful dismissal and gender discrimination, but agreed to settle out of court. In response to a GUARDIAN (and other) record request, the State Controller’s office tells us: 1.) Currently, our system does […]
Yet Another Unintended Political Consequence?
One of the GUARDIAN’s political junkie readers has come up with an interesting twist on the recent appointment of a Boise County prosecutor to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Dem Ron Twilegar, the itinerant lawyer who runs wherever he can find a vacancy. Twilegar is running as a Democrat for Ada County […]
Proposed Brew Pub In State-Owned Building Illegal As Planned
Looks like the Oregon based brew pub set to go into a state-owned Boise commercial building has been cut off, at least temporarily. BOISE WEEKLY‘s Andrew Crisp has a good explanation. The short version is existing state laws preclude brewers from owning retail outlets that import beer from other states and also selling retail. The […]
90% Of Priest Lake Cottage Leases Held By Non-Residents, 90% of Payette Sites Are Held By Idahoans
We got this note recently from a North Idaho reader following the Idaho Supreme Court decision which calls for open bidding on state owned cottage sites around North Idaho’s Priest Lake and Payette Lake near McCall. The Statesman and other media have reported frequently and rather sympathetically about lease rates being raised to a level closer […]
Claim On A Rotten Deal Filed Against Ada
A tort claim of $30 million–legal action required prior to filing a suit against local government–has been filed against Ada County by the energy firm currently generating electricity at the landfill by capturing methane gas created from rotting garbage. Through a couple of subsidiaries, Fortistar Methane Group has a contract to operate the gas-to-energy facility […]
State Denies Request, Keeps Settlement Secret
The State of Idaho has refused to honor a request from the Boise GUARDIAN for the settlement agreement between former Transportation Director Pam Lowe and the State of Idaho. Lowe was terminated and filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court. The case was settled out of court and both sides have declined to reveal how […]
ITD Covers Up Expenditure Of Public Funds In Secret Deal
The State of Idaho has spent public money in a secret settlement deal over the firing of former Transportation Director Pam Lowe. The GUARDIAN is less concerned about the settlement than with the secrecy surrounding the agreement. When public money is expended, government has an obligation to disclose the recipient and the amount spent. Anything […]
Bike Group Forces Garden City Election
The Committee for an Open Greenbelt (COG) filed petitions today containing more than 130 signatures from Garden City residents on two initiative petitions seeking to overturn the Bike Ban. According to the group, once the signatures are validated the City Council must call for a special election. The election will apparently allow the residents of […]
Drug Firms Swallow Bitter Pill Over Pricing
Idaho”s Attorney General continues his winning ways against drug companies with his latest settlement claiming overcharges through false price statements. It may be time for some of the drug firms to take a pain pill. Prescription drug manufacturers Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Watson Pharma, Inc., agreed to pay $1,700,000 in a legal settlement resolving Idaho’s […]
AG Explains Ethical Conflict In Ada Probe
The office of Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden told the GUARDIAN Wednesday the “potential appearance of a conflict” prompted the staff to decline to investigate the Ada Commishes (see previous post). One of the major complaints was centered around possible violation of Idaho’s open meeting law. Deputy Idaho Attorney General Brian Kane is the lawyer […]
Ada Commishes To Be Investigated
In a press release issued at 3 p.m. today, Ada County Commishes reveal they expect to be subject of an investigation by Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Hiedeman regarding the controversial Dynamis trash-energy project. Here is the entire text of the release: “This week, Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Hiedeman is expected to announce he […]
More On Supreme’s Cottage Lease Decision
A long history of protecting old Idaho families and ranchers from having to make competitive bids for state leases has been threatened by the recent Supreme Court decision over cottage leases on state land. The Idaho Land Board–comprised of statewide elected officers–administers state land through the Idaho Dept. of Lands as well as the endowment […]
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