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.
NEW MEADOWS — Charges against a New Meadows man accused of murdering his son have been dismissed after he was found to have dementia, Adams County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Boyd said.
Adams County Magistrate Judge John Meienhofer ruled that Steven Walker, 74, is mentally unfit to stand trial on charges that he shot his son May 22 in New Meadows.
Meienhofer ordered Walker to be committed to an undisclosed intensive care hospital that he will not be able to leave.
“This was a tragic situation for all involved, so a creative solution was required, and thankfully we were able to achieve that,” Boyd said.
Walker was facing felony voluntary manslaughter charges, which in Idaho carry a fine of as much as $15,000 and as much as 15 years in prison.
Walker’s mental condition is not expected to improve, but the state could refile charges if it does, Boyd said.
Walker’s dementia diagnosis stems from his first court appearance on May 27, when Meienhofer ordered a 90-day mental competency evaluation.
Walker is accused of firing a single bullet through the chest of Troy Walker, 50, on the evening of May 22 in a home the two shared at 206 Commercial Ave., in New Meadows.
The dispute with his son started over disciplining three children living in the house, ages 9, 8 and 8, who belong to a woman who was also living in the home at the time.
The Star-News does not publish the names of victims or witnesses to crimes unless they provide permission to do so.
The witness said both men had been drinking beer all day when an argument over how to properly discipline the children devolved into a physical confrontation and shouting.
The witness hurried to get the children into a bedroom and turn the volume on the television up so that they would not hear the argument.
That is when she “heard a gunshot followed by a thud” and returned to the living room to find Troy Walker on the ground as Steve Walker unloaded a handgun and told her “sorry,” according to court documents.
The witness and first responders tried to resuscitate Walker, but he was declared dead after he showed no signs of life.
— Drew Dodson, The Star-News (McCall), Thursday
Anderson employees take sausage breaks
GRANGEVILLE — Thursday mornings are really cooking at Anderson Aeromotive.
Amid the industrial noise that day is the sizzle of sausage, and when the 9 a.m. break horn sounds, machine work ceases and the guys pile in around the facility wood stove to feast.
“We’ve been doing this for two or three years,” said owner Ray Anderson.
Every Thursday morning, Anderson throws a variety of sausages across the top of the shop wood stove, turning and monitoring them for about a half hour until the savory smell fills the building. The flattop wood stove was built by employee Andy Schumacher in the mid-1980s when he worked for Dye Machine, according to Anderson, from which half the building is heated.
Anderson said this started with an employee bringing in some elk sausage to cook up and share, and it just went on from there.
“We do this in the colder months, about six months a year or so,” Anderson said.
“Once in a while, one of the guys will donate some sausage for this, usually some kind of wild game,” he continued, but normally Anderson will provide the meat, bought locally at Cash and Carry Foods lately. “Some of it’s local from Sonnen and Western Meats, too. 4-H pigs are pretty popular. It’s kind of a hodgepodge,” he said. “We also have a traveling meat salesman who comes by once a month out of Spokane. We’re probably his best customer.”
Currently, Anderson will cook up on average 19 pounds, providing for these buns and condiments.
“We keep track of the sausage by putting the packages on the floor on how it matches up there,” Anderson said, noting the empty plastic wrappings on the floor match where those different sausages are located atop the wood stove. That’s to keep track of where the mild, medium and spicy kinds are located.
“It’s kinda hillbilly,” Anderson smiled, “but it works.”
Anderson Aeromotive repairs and overhauls radial aircraft engines, specializing in Curtiss-Wright and Pratt & Whitney. It has operated in Grangeville since 2002 and it currently employs 33 people.
— David Rauzi, Idaho County Free Press (Grangeville), Wednesday
Six full-time staff hired; focus on ‘service’
OROFINO — Clearwater Valley Hospital recently received grant funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act Provider Relief Fund, through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
The Provider Relief Funds supports health care providers and facilities in the battle against the COVID-19 outbreak.
“With the funding we are receiving through HHS, we will be able to make several updates to our facilities that will accommodate patient treatment practices to prevent, prepare for or respond to the coronavirus,” CEO Lenne Bonner said. “The remodel will specifically help us provide more isolation space to care for COVID patients in our own communities.”
Chris Steiner, hospital maintenance manager, reports that the renovations will add bathrooms to inpatient rooms so that “four patients will no longer have to share one bathroom. This will obviously help with infection control and provides our patients more privacy as well.”
The current nursery will be turned into a private inpatient room with toilet/sink to add an extra inpatient bed. A second shower will be added so that isolated patients can be kept separate from nonisolation patients.
“This project will leave 12 private rooms with private toilets and sinks and four additional rooms with semiprivate accommodations when needed,” Steiner said. “This remodel will allow for us to care for up to 16 COVID patients at one time. Since this is grant funded, there is obviously some time constraints, putting us on an accelerated timeline.
“The renovations have already begun and will need to be completed by June 30. This is going to take a bit of magic to make it happen, but we are up for the challenge.
“During a pandemic may not be the ideal time for a remodel with employees who are stressed out, many who are out sick and just the overall challenges COVID-19 has presented us with,” Steiner said. “We also have employees who are able to work from home, freeing up some office space to move things into to get them out of the way for our contractors; so in some ways it’s been an advantage. We know that employees are sacrificing a lot right now, and we are grateful for their flexibility and willingness to help us make these badly needed improvements.”
— Clearwater Tribune (Orofino), Wednesday
