Other News

The 38-year-old man accused of sending ricin-laced letters to a federal judge and the Spokane post office had an active social media presence. But his online profiles contain no hints at a grudge toward the federal government. This was also not his first run-in with the law.

Derrick Martinez had been with Blick’s Phosphate Conversion for a year and a half. Blick’s, which is based in Kansas, subcontracts with Idaho’s J. R. Simplot Company in Pocatello to help make a phosphate-based fertilizer. While Martinez was working in his company’s mobile production trailer at the Simplot site last weekend, something went wrong.

The Boy Scouts of America voted Thursday to lift its ban on gay scouts. It left in place its ban on scout leaders who are gay. But in the Boy Scout’s Western Region a majority of councils recommended not changing either policy.

A man who was working for a subcontractor at a Simplot fertilizer plant near Pocatello has died at a Utah hospital after being exposed to ammonia last weekend.

Wednesday FBI officials in Spokane arrested a man for connection with mailing a poisonous letter to a government building.

37-year-old Matthew Ryan Buquet pleaded not guilty in his first federal court appearance Wednesday in Spokane. FBI Public Affairs Specialist Ayn Dietrich says Buquet faces a grand jury indictment for mailing a threatening communication.

After years of running the grueling half marathon at Robie Creek, Bart Davis had an idea. Instead of just running the 13.1 miles up and down the steep Aldape Peak summit, why not turn around and do it all over again?

Davis’ company, Rivertown Racing, came up with its own brand new race: the Double Robie on September 28. The race will be a full marathon – beginning and ending at Fort Boise. Runners will climb 3,800 feet over 26.2 miles.

An Uzbek national facing terrorism-related charges in Idaho will remain jailed pending his trial after waiving his right to a detention hearing.

Lawyers for Fazliddin Kurbanov on Tuesday waived a hearing where a U.S. District Court judge was to have considered whether he should stay in Ada County jail in Boise until his July 2 trial.

Kurbanov is a refugee from Uzbekistan in Central Asia who arrived in Boise in 2009. He was arrested last Thursday.

A man working at the Simplot fertilizer plant west of Pocatello was hospitalized in critical condition after apparently being exposed to ammonia over the weekend.

The Power County Sheriff's Office says 23-year-old Derrick E. Martinez of Garden City, Kansas, was found unconscious in a Blick's Phosphate Conversion mobile testing trailer on Simplot property Saturday afternoon.

He was taken to the hospital in Pocatello and then flown to a hospital in Salt Lake City, where he was listed in critical condition on Monday.

Boise State Public Radio's news team took home 18 local and regional journalism awards this weekend.

At the annual Idaho Press Club awards banquet, we received nine 1st place honors, three 2nd place, and two 3rd place. Here are our winning entries: