Including me.”. Special thanks to my friend and product of Idaho … So when you see this state flag (which, by the way, is the only state flag designed by a woman), you better RECOGNIZE! On the eastern edge of the state, the 13-bed Teton Valley Hospital in Driggs produced a mathematical model this week, predicting low and high ranges for coronavirus patients in the county needing hospitalization and ICU beds, and the number of patients who might die. “We’re further behind on the curve right now than Ketchum is, and that’s a good thing,” said Teton Valley Health CEO Keith Gnagey. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Blaine County, ID grew from 21,583 to 21,994, a 1.9% increase and its median household income declined from $58,835 to $51,968, a -11.7% decrease. Other rural communities in Idaho are watching Blaine County, and are planning for a similar situation. Blaine County officials ward off tourists as residents shelter in place. By contrast, Ada County’s numbers translate to 107 cases per 100,000 people. Annex Building 219 South 1st Avenue Hailey, ID 83333 Judicial Building 201 South 2nd Avenue Hailey, ID 83333 The hospital has two intensive care units and one ventilator in the emergency department, but taking care of very sick patients requires a lot of time and attention by specialists. Blaine County’s current numbers translate to 1,979 cases per 100,000 people — and that’s why the county’s infection rate exceeds even New York City’s. Brad Little (R) put one county in Idaho — Blaine, home to Sun Valley — under an isolation order through April 13. More Coverage “We started exhibiting symptoms early on … so that may be why we got those tests first,” Prudek said in a phone interview. The next day, the South Central Public Health District announced the first two confirmed cases in Blaine County. Notice of Public Hearing - Abandonment of Idaho Highway 75 Spur in Blaine County . Bill McLaughlin, the Ketchum Fire Chief who also oversees EMS services for the north half of the valley, said around a quarter of his paramedics are out because they have coronavirus symptoms or have potentially been exposed in the community. Clear 1 Table. Absolutely. The South Central health district includes seven other counties besides Blaine, but only Cassia and Twin Falls counties have confirmed cases — one each. Many families live in Blaine County and residents tend to be liberal. Election Day results brought great success for the Republican Party in Idaho and across the United States, while Blaine County’s liberal base bucked those trends. Russell said being “overly cautious” is the best approach right now. “What happened here in the valley is the same thing that happened elsewhere,” said Brent Russell, an emergency room physician in Ketchum. The Political Climate in Sun Valley, ID is Leaning liberal. Healthcare workers there have already taken a hit from the coronavirus. According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, a Blaine County man over 60 years old and a Twin Falls woman over 80 years old have … “Under normal circumstances, (strangers) don’t get that close to each other.”. Blaine County is located in Idaho with a population of 21,994. Officials in McCall, Cascade and Crouch each issued statements this weekend asking travelers to give them a wide berth. Idaho Smoke Map. Ski areas in California, Colorado and Utah have also seen high numbers of confirmed COVID-19. With spring break approaching and the weather warming up, Irvine knew he needed to get the message out: Help us avoid becoming another Blaine County. Two of the first three people to die due to coronavirus in Idaho were Blaine County … The BestPlaces Liberal/Conservative Index is based on recent voting in national elections, federal campaign contributions by local residents, and consumer personality profiles. Update your Idaho voter registration. “Even though skiing would seem like a low-risk activity since it’s outside, it’s probably an incredibly high-risk activity,” Russell said. Blaine County, Idaho, has reported the highest infection rate of coronavirus in the country. “Skiers sit next to each other on chairlifts, sitting shoulder to shoulder, and then you turn and talk to the person and you’re on a chairlift for 15 minutes. Why so many military veterans and former and current police officers support — and take part in — far-right groups and protests, including the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. By . The Magic Valley is a region in south-central Idaho constituting Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Twin Falls counties. “The majority of people are observing and strongly adhering to it,” he said. BOISE — Gov. Blaine County, Idaho. Read on... Blaine County COVID-19 Resources . Idaho County is a county in the U.S. state of Idaho and the largest by area in the state. “People come here from all over the world,” Russell said. Now, officials and residents suspect the visitors that are usually the area’s lifeblood may have been the conduit that brought the virus to the Wood River Valley in the first place. Brad Little announced Thursday that with the community spread of the coronavirus in Blaine County, officials are reporting 16 new cases of COVID-19, including two in health View the 2020-21 directory of the top 4 private schools in Blaine County, Idaho. And you might want to avoid Lewis County if you can -- at least according to the data. Together we recruit, elect, and support public officials who share our core democratic values. And that, he said, might overload health systems in places like Driggs, McCall and Ketchum, and could mean worse health outcomes, too. But, why is blaine county in Idaho only one blue/democrat in between, 2000 and 2004 elections? “Our officers have been instructed they have the option to take enforcement action with the applicable misdemeanor charge if presented with a blatant violation.”. Sign up for our newsletter and get updates on the coronavirus in Idaho and across the nation. Last week, Gov. Find tuition info, acceptance rates, reviews and more. “We are watching closely how the Blaine County situation unfolds to learn lessons from them and apply it here,” McCall city manager Anette Spickard said in an email. The Ketchum hospital is already feeling the strain of increased patient numbers. Joy Prudek, spokeswoman for the hospital, said health care workers started drive-thru coronavirus screenings March 17, the same day as the Meridian St Luke’s and a day earlier than the Boise location. We also have a gondola where people sit three to a row facing each other. “That’s why we’re building the models now while we can because once we get to that stage, then it really is, who has beds available where and how do we get the right patient into the right bed and get them taken care of,” Gnagey said. I'm still not quite sure what makes these two rural counties along the Nevada border so liberal. Irvine recently wrote a letter pleading people not to travel to McCall. “If we were an isolated, rural hospital, we would be crippled right now, because we have so many people who are out with the illness,” Russell told Boise State Public Radio’s George Prentice. Press alt + / to open this menu. In early March, Russell, the Ketchum physician, visited the same places as many tourists — he went skiing, spent time in the lodge at Sun Valley Resort and ate at local restaurants. Nearly half of Idaho’s 188 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, are in Blaine County. From December to March, roughly 30,000 people from around the world usually land at the Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey and visit restaurants, ski slopes and resorts. Phone: (208) 788-5505 Fax: (208) 788-5501 County Seat: Hailey Blaine County Website "Quite frankly, I don't know why Idaho is falling in line with some of the most liberal governors across the nation," said Rep. Heather Scott, a state lawmaker from Blanchard, in northern Idaho. He's been very sick, so … According to South Central Public Health District Director Melody Bowyer, the patient was a woman in her 50s and only had mild symptoms. Phone: (208) 788-5505 Fax: (208) 788-5501 County Seat: Hailey Blaine County Website “We don’t want panic but we also don’t want people to be blasé about this,” he said. One of Idaho’s top tourist areas is asking visitors to — please — stay out. It was one of the original seven counties of Idaho. This site is an effort by county, state, tribal, and federal agencies to coordinate and aggregate information for Idaho communities affected by wildfire smoke. Together we recruit, elect, and support public officials who share our core democratic values. Idaho health officials are issuing an isolation order for Blaine County – the state’s first mandatory lockdown in an area that has reported the most confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. But strains extend beyond the hospital. But by Wednesday evening, things had already changed for the rest of Idaho. On the paternal side is of German lineage, and on the maternal of Scotch descent. File:Blaine County, Idaho seal.png is being used on this article. #2 Best Places to Live in Blaine County Former Resident : It is I would say one of the best places to live in Idaho except for affordability. For the same reason Blaine County is the only one in Idaho that consistently votes Democratic. The people in this town are some of the most friendly in the state, they have great free bus coverage and all year round sports for such a small place. “We have to treat everybody that has symptoms in the community as a presumed positive,” said McLaughlin, because of confirmed community spread in Blaine County. (One part-time Valley County resident was diagnosed with the illness Sunday, but officials said he had previously been in Blaine County and had not returned to Valley County while infectious.). Working together, we … Most of the rural ski resort counties (Blaine County, Idaho; Teton County, Wyoming; Summit County, Utah) could apply to the OP as well? Though violations are punishable by fine or jail time, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, along with local police departments, said in a social media post that it will start by educating residents. Dr. Brent Russell, an emergency physician at St. Luke’s Wood River who has COVID-19, said things would likely look different if the hospital wasn’t part of a larger network. ‘Not going to be some magical solution’, Gov. Law enforcement agencies in the county say violations of the order could lead to misdemeanor charges. A prominent practitioner at the bar of Hailey, and ex-district attorney of Alturas (now Blaine) county, Idaho, Presley Morris Bruner, was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, September 15, 1850. They’re both dominated economically and demographically by a popular ski resort town (Jackson Hole in Teton’s case, Sun Valley in Blaine’s) which people who otherwise don’t fit the local demographic claim as their legal residence even if they don’t live there year round. Click 'play' to hear the audio version of this story. Its 82 lab-confirmed cases make up nearly half of the state's total. “This is a ghost town, and that’s how it should be,” Bradshaw said. Twin Falls High School is a public secondary school in Twin Falls Idaho one of two traditional high schools operated by the Twin Falls School District Twin Fall The Wood River Valley’s population is barely 22,000 strong, much smaller than Idaho’s main population centers in the Boise area, Coeur d’Alene, Twin Falls, Pocatello and Idaho Falls — in counties that all still trail Blaine County in coronavirus diagnoses. “Especially this time of the year. “Given the unprecedented nature of this event, our agencies are in agreement to take a common-sense approach, consider the context of each situation, and utilize lesser sanctions such as education, warnings, or dispersal of the gatherings if warranted,” officials wrote. Why it is so important to respect and obey ROAD CLOSURE signs! She grew up in Idaho, graduated from Idaho State University and Northwestern University and frequents the trails around Boise as much as she can. ... a liberal think tank. For the same reason Blaine County is the only one in Idaho that consistently votes Democratic. Nicole Blanchard is the Idaho Statesman’s outdoors reporter. She’s friendly, willing to listen and values people who donate their time and talents. Blaine County’s current numbers translate to 1,979 cases per 100,000 people — and that’s why the county’s infection rate exceeds even New York City’s. Dashboard. President Julie Lynn has been involved with the Blaine County Republican Women since 2012. Salt lake county has 292 cases of Covid. Residents are not supposed to leave their homes except to do "essential activities" like going grocery shopping, or to the bank or laundromat. “Are we concerned about not having enough resources? Blaine County officials also tightened the isolation order, ending most construction projects, closing hotels to tourists and banning Blaine County residents from leaving the area. “An influx of people from elsewhere risks overwhelming the limited resources at our hospitals,” Irvine wrote. The Blaine County Assessor’s Office estimates more than half of the county’s residential properties are second homes or rental properties. “When providers request a test, they don’t include the county or much information at all, until we have a positive result and need to investigate known contacts,” Forbing-Orr said in an email. Many of Blaine County’s earliest positive cases were tied to visitors. Two of the first three people to die due to coronavirus in Idaho were Blaine County residents. Blaine County is the successor to the former county of Alturas, which was organized by the Idaho Territorial Legislature in February 1864. Two of Idaho’s first three deaths, reported Thursday, were also Blaine County residents. Each year the Blaine County Assessor’s Office physically reinspects 20% of the parcels in the county. Neighboring Canyon County, Idaho’s second-largest county by population, has 55 cases per 100,000 people. Because we have tourists, we have second homes. Not that it’s a surprise, but the Biden appointments include nods to identity politics from the Left, but also “Deep State” internationalists and at least two nominees with Blaine County Much of this, McLaughlin said, has to do with limited coronavirus testing and how long it takes for test results to come back. 29% of voters identify as liberal, and 29% identify as conservative, giving California a liberal advantage of zero points. Its 82 lab-confirmed cases make up nearly half of the state's total. More are out of work self-isolating because they have symptoms or have potentially been exposed, according to the South Central Public Health District. It is also home to the Sun Valley ski resort, adjacent to Ketchum.. Blaine County was created by the territorial legislature on March 5, 1895, by combining Alturas and Logan counties; it was named for former congressman and … The public schools in Blaine County are highly rated. Listening to a few Hillary Clinton supporters caucus for their candidate amidst such energy, one was reminded of the old Paul Simon tune, "Maybe I Think Too Much." Most likely someone from an urban area or multiple people from urban areas came here and they just set it off.”. Nearly half of Idaho’s 188 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, are in Blaine County. The county seat and largest city Idaho Falls is a city in and the county seat of Bonneville County Idaho United … In addition to fewer residents out and about, Bradshaw said he has “absolutely” noticed a downtick in tourism. If somebody walks past your table and just exhales — they don’t even have to cough — there’s virus coming out,” Russell said. Log In. When the ballots ran out, they voted on stationary lent by the local newspaper. “I’d been out and about just thinking there couldn’t be any chance I was transmitting the virus,” Russell said. ... We encourage posting of your comments and concerns on this blog so we can better serve you. On March 19, Gov. In Blaine County, Idaho, the share of the population testing positive for the coronavirus is greater than in New York City. DemocracyByZipCode aims to keep government accountable to consumers and workers in Idaho and Blaine County, and all across the USA. “In a way Boise and the rest of the state has an opportunity to not be like Blaine County. Russell started noticing a cough, runny nose and shortness of breath about a week before he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 19, the day after a coworker received the same result. Every week there’s people from those places. “Businesses are going to suffer, and so is the revenue stream to the city,” he said. Based on recent voting in national elections, federal campaign contributions by local residents, and all local stories want! Officials ward off tourists as residents shelter in place to Sun Valley three deaths, reported Thursday, were Blaine... Lunch, and this is a dollar higher than Idaho 's average at $.. Touted as a potential link to COVID-19 infections in why is blaine county, idaho so liberal and Mexico higher Idaho. 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