Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part one, with part two set to appear in Sunday’s Tribune.
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KAMIAH — Parental input is being sought on plans for students to return safely to school this fall.
At Monday’s Kamiah Joint School District 304 board meeting, Ben Merrill, the new superintendent, discussed his efforts toward reopening facilities for the 2020-21 year.
Merrill has convened a committee of 23 people, including parents, students, teachers, administrative staff and health professionals, to work on the Return to Learn Plan to bring kids back to school beginning Aug. 31. The plan will follow the framework established by the Idaho State Board of Education for the safe reopening of schools. The group is meeting multiple times this week and next with the intention of having a draft plan to the board to review by the end of July.
Board Chairman Rikki Simler asked that a special board meeting be held at the beginning of August to review the plan. The Public Health – Idaho North Central District also needs to approve the plan.
The school website, www.Kamiah.org, includes a community survey to help the committee to better understand parents’ concerns. The committee has reviewed the answers in completed surveys, and as stated during the meeting, it is taking their comments seriously and they hope to hear from all parents.
Simler commented that some households do not have internet access and may not have seen the online survey.
Those who want a survey can contact the district office at (208) 935-2991. Parents can fill it out and return the hard copy, or call the office with their responses.
Questions on the survey (some with multiple-choice selections) will include the following: On whether parents are comfortable sending their children back to school in the fall? If so, what safety measures they would want in place? Preferred alternative learning scenarios? School-aged children in the home and the available internet connectivity?
— Norma Staaf, The Clearwater Progress (Kamiah), Thursday
Valley County sees first COVID-19 death; case number stands at 73
MCCALL — A McCall man has been identified as the first Valley County resident to die from COVID-19.
Elford M. Houseman Jr., 85, of McCall, died July 15 at St. Luke’s Boise hospital because of complications of COVID-19 infection, Valley County Coroner Scott Carver said.
“No information is available where he may have contracted the virus, but he was transferred from St. Luke’s McCall to Boise after confirmation of infection, where he remained hospitalized until his death,” Carver said.
Houseman’s death comes as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Valley County reached 73 on Wednesday, up from 61 cases a week ago.
St. Luke’s McCall reported 59 positive cases from testing done at the hospital, while Cascade Medical Center reported 14 positive cases.
Nearly all of the positive cases have been recorded since summer tourism traffic started in mid-June.
Central District Health reported 37 positive cases were confirmed to be Valley County residents as of Tuesday.
Some of those who tested positive at the two hospitals but did not declare Valley County their primary residence could still be in Valley County under quarantine. Adams County had 15 confirmed cases among residents as of Tuesday, according to Southwest District Health.
— Tom Grote, The Star-News (McCall), Thursday
