The Top 10: both global and local implications

The coronavirus continued to loom larger; an Idaho lawmaker had a big, bold and controversial proposal; and the scorching summer heat broke records and kicked off an early fire season.

Those were some of the biggest stories in 2021, and they have implications beyond the Tribune’s readership area in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington.

But this year’s top story — as determined by a polling of Tribune staff members — was the hyper-local issue of Lewiston changing to a strong mayor form of government.

With 2021 entering its final week today, here is a rundown of the top 10 stories this year.

No. 1: Lewiston voters opt to change form of government

A solid majority of Lewiston residents voted to change their form of government in November’s general election, moving the city from its long-standing city manager-city council form of government to the strong mayor form more common among Idaho cities.

Lewiston Sen. Dan Johnson will become the city’s first strong mayor in nearly five decades on Jan. 10. He will be joined by an almost entirely new slate of city councilors, with only Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Schroeder returning from the current council.

Opportunities Unlimited President and CEO Hannah Liedkie, SEL engineering support specialist Kassee Forsmann, former Lewiston City Councilor and Mayor Jim Kleeburg, retired teacher Rick Tousley and landscaper Luke Blount will join Schroeder on the new council, where Johnson will only vote to break ties under the new form.

Johnson initially said he would juggle his city and state duties, but later changed course and selected Leland farmer Robert Blair as a full-time substitute when the City Council set Jan. 10 for the swearing-in of newly elected city officials. That is the first day of the legislative session and a week earlier than he expected, leading Johnson to change his mind.

Ironically, one of the biggest proponents of the switch to a strong mayor form of government, City Councilor John Bradbury, will leave the council after just two years of a four-year term because he didn’t run for City Council on the strong mayor side of the ballot. The other councilors who won’t return are John Pernsteiner, Bob Blakey (who made an unsuccessful bid for mayor), Mayor Mike Collins, Cari Miller and Kevin Kelly.

No. 2: Coronavirus threat continues to linger

After the coronavirus dominated headlines in 2020, the pandemic appeared to be nearing its end during the first half of 2021.

Vaccines against COVID-19 came to the region in December 2020, and became more readily available in the months that followed. During the late spring and early summer, the number of new cases and deaths plummeted, and the remaining restrictions that had been put in place by state and local governments were revoked.

But the delta variant of COVID-19 spread into the area in midsummer, and case numbers shot up. The variant proved to be more infectious and more deadly. The delta surge led to the two largest death totals in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington, with 60 deaths reported in September and 61 reported in October.

During that time, hospitals in Idaho were allowed to activate crisis standards of care, meaning scarce resources such as ICU beds could be allotted to the patients most likely to survive. Other patients could be treated with less effective methods or, in dire cases, given pain relief and other palliative care. St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston operated under crises standards for about a month, from mid-September to mid-October.

The vaccination rate among all Americans as of last week was 61.7 percent while the rate in Washington is 62.8 percent and Idaho’s rate is 50 percent. In the eight-county region of north central Idaho and southeastern Washington, the rate is 40.7 percent.

New cases and deaths in the region have been declining over the last two months. That trend could potentially be reversed by the omicron variant, which has been spreading around the world and country but has yet to be officially identified in this region.

No. 3: Simpson’s proposal brings new attention to salmon vs. dams issue

Rep. Mike Simpson’s dam breaching concept, unveiled in February, unleashed a cascade of Snake River salmon and steelhead news in 2021.

The Republican representing Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District believes the four lower Snake River dams in eastern Washington must be breached in order to save Snake River salmon and steelhead protected by the Endangered Species Act. Simpson proposed breaching the dams and investing in affected communities and industries, at a projected price of $33.5 billion. His idea was trashed by river users and fellow Republicans and was largely dismissed by powerful Democrats in Oregon and Washington.

But the Nez Perce Tribe put its weight behind the proposal. The tribe hosted an Orca and Salmon Summit in Shelton, Wash., in July and organized resolutions of support from the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and the National Congress of American Indians. Fisheries officials from the tribe revealed an analysis showing several groups of wild spring chinook and steelhead at serious risk of extinction.

Gov. Jay Inslee and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, both of Washington, reversed their initial hesitation to dam removal and, without endorsing Simpson’s concept, said in October they would spend the next several months seeking ways to replace the services provided by the dams and announce their intentions by July 31 of next year.

At the same time, the federal government, Nez Perce Tribe, Oregon and conservation and fishing groups announced a pause in their 20-year litigation. In lieu of court proceedings, the litigants said they would try to “ forge enduring solutions” to the salmon and dams issue. That process is also slated to wrap up July 31.

No. 4: Heat wave sets records, ignites fire season

The summer of 2021 was hot, dry and, in many places, on fire.

Lewiston hit 102 degrees on the second day of June. It stayed hot for much of the summer that set or tied several records. The high temperature of 115 degrees on June 29 set a daily record and was the third-hottest day ever recorded in Lewiston. It happened in the midst of an 11-day stretch that saw temperatures reach or exceed 100 degrees. That run fell one day short of setting a new record and tied a record first set in 1897 and matched in 1938 and 1967. Temperatures reached or exceeded 100 degrees 24 times.

The three-month period of June, July and August recorded an average mean temperature of 78 degrees, making it Lewiston’s hottest summer on record.

The summer was also bone dry. The National Weather Service recorded just .67 inches of rain last summer, the sixth driest on record but just a scant wetter than the driest, which came in 2017, when there was just .65 inches of rain.

That record-breaking heat and drought conditions made the region’s forests and grasslands especially receptive to fire and bedeviled farmers and ranchers who saw poor yields for crops like wheat, hay and grass.

A string of lightning storms in early July started dozens of wildfires, some of which burned into October. They included what would become the Snake River complex on Craig Mountain south of Lewiston, the Lick Creek Fire southwest of Asotin and the Dixie-Jumbo.

Firefight resources and budgets were taxed regional and nationally. Agencies like the U.S. Forest Service had to pick and choose where to allocate scarce firefighters and equipment and some public lands were closed as a precaution. But the second week of August saw a string of storms, cooler temperatures and elevated humidity that tempered conditions just at the time firefighters were bracing for an onslaught. The welcome weather didn’t end the fire season but lessened some of its impact.

Farmers saw one of the worst harvests in four decades and the high temperatures combined with scarce rainfall led to poor grass conditions for ranchers.

No. 5: Von Ehlinger charged with rape; Giddings censured

Standards of conduct for elected officials were a major topic of conversation in 2021, after Lewiston state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger was accused of raping a 19-year-old House intern.

Von Ehlinger, who was 38 at the time, acknowledged having sex with the woman, but said the relationship was consensual.

Nevertheless, the House Ethics Committee felt his pursuit of a young intern — as well as other women he encountered in his role as a legislator — reflected poorly on the House.

“The facts here are incontrovertible,” said Boise Rep. John McCrostie, one of two Democrats on the five-member committee. “(Von Ehlinger) engaged in a sexual relationship with a student intern. The criminal court can determine if rape occurred, but I have no doubt the relationship was inappropriate.”

The ethics committee unanimously recommended that von Ehlinger be censured and suspended without pay for the remainder of his first term in office. He resigned a few hours later.

The action ended an otherwise promising career for the former Army airborne infantry soldier and combat veteran, who was appointed to office in June 2020.

“I maintain my innocence of any wrong-doing of which I have been accused in this matter, let alone any violation of any law, rule or policy of the state of Idaho or of this body,” von Ehlinger said in his resignation letter.

Following a lengthy police investigation, he was charged with two felony counts of rape and sexual penetration with a foreign object. He pleaded not guilty. The case goes to trial in April.

That wasn’t the end of the fallout for Rep. Priscilla Giddings, though.

Shortly after the rape allegation became public, Giddings, R-White Bird, posted a link on her web page to a Redoubt News story that named the 19-year-old intern.

She was widely condemned for the move. More than a third of House members — including 16 Republicans and eight Democrats — filed two ethics complaints against her, saying her decision brought discredit to the House.

In a defiant statement to the House Ethics Committee, Giddings rejected the notion that the intern could even be called a victim. She said the complaints were nothing more than a political smear job orchestrated by House Speaker Scott Bedke, her rival in next year’s lieutenant governor race.

“I deny all allegations made against me,” she said. “These accusations are unfounded, partisan attacks.”

The ethics committee disagreed. Noting that her testimony to the committee was “evasive, combative and not forthright,” it unanimously recommended that Giddings be censured for conduct unbecoming a member of the House.

The House voted 49-19 in November to accept the censure recommendation. It also stripped Giddings of one of her committee assignments.

She remained unapologetic, saying she “would not have done anything differently.” Two days later she crowed about the vote in a fundraising letter, saying she was “proud to be censored (sic) by big government.”

No. 6: Football coaches fired by WSU for not taking vaccination

In a story that made headlines around the country and beyond, Washington State University fired its football coach and four of his assistants Oct. 18 for failing to comply with a state vaccination mandate.

Nick Rolovich had set the stage for a possible showdown when he announced July 21 he planned to avoid being vaccinated against the coronavirus. A month later, Gov. Jay Inslee expanded a mandate to include all educators, including college coaches, and set a deadline of Oct. 18 for full vaccination.

Rolovich repeatedly said he would comply with the edict but didn’t specify how — whether by getting the shot or seeking a medical or religious exemption. Eventually, it became clear that he’d applied for a religious waiver based on Catholic beliefs.

Rolovich’a fate wasn’t sealed until WSU announced on the evening of Oct. 18 that he’d been fired, for cause and irrespective of any exemption, because his highly public job made it impossible for him to perform his duties unvaccinated.

Two days later, Rolovich said through an attorney he was planning legal action, calling the school’s action an “attack on his Catholic faith.” He’d had three years remaining on a contract that paid him $3.2 million a year.

Rolovich was replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Jake Dickert, who later had the interim tagged removed after leading the Cougars to an Apple Cup victory and berth in the Sun Bowl.

Also see Sports Stories of the Year, Page 1B.

No. 7: Region sees multiple murder cases

Spasms of violence rocked several communities in the area, with killings stretching from Kamiah to Grangeville to Lewiston. Two of the cases had multiple victims.

The homicides began only eight days into the year when police allege that Clyde K. Ewing, 42 at the time, and his then-16-year-old son, Demetri X. Ewing, shot Samuel R. Johns, 31, in his Lewiston living room, killing him. Both Ewings are facing first-degree murder charges, and Demetri Ewing is being charged as an adult. Their cases have been joined and a trial is set for February.

Not even a month after the Johns killing, James R. Brashear, 68, of Winchester, allegedly went to the Lewiston Rosauers supermarket to confront his former son-in-law, 40-year-old John A. Mast, of South Dakota, over allegations by Mast’s ex-wife that he sexually abused their children. Mast had never been charged, however, and a judge had recently agreed that the parents should share custody.

According to police, Brashear brought his Glock 9 mm handgun to the supermarket and allegedly shot Mast multiple times. He is charged with first-degree murder, and a trial is set for March.

In July, Ronald Port, 71, shot and killed Maden McAnear, 31, and Chip Brooks, 57, at the Sundown Motel in Kamiah. Port killed himself after killing McAnear and Brooks, according to police. All three were living at the motel at the time of the incident.

And on the night of Sept. 30, 56-year-old Richard Ross allegedly murdered 76-year-old Edwina “Eddy” Devin and her 57-year-old son, Michael Devin. Eddy Devin’s family found her body in her home on Cove Road near Grangeville on Sept. 30. The next morning, Lewiston first responders found Michael Devin’s remains inside a burning 2007 GMC pickup truck at approximately 3:20 a.m. on Nez Perce Drive east of Juniper Drive in Lewiston.

Both were asphyxiated, according to police. Ross is facing two counts of first-degree murder. A trial date has not been set. He is also the leading suspect in the strangulation deaths of Bruce and Lynn Peeples at their Grangeville home in 1994. Ross has not been charged in that case, but the investigation has been reopened.

No. 8: Pullman, Lewiston airports land new flights

Boise and Denver became destinations commercial passengers could reach on nonstop flights from the region this year, with airlines having been enticed to provide the services thanks in part to hundreds of thousands of dollars in incentives.

Direct flights between Boise and Pullman debuted in August operated by Horizon Air as Alaska Airlines, the same company that already flew nonstop between Pullman and Seattle.

As part of an agreement between the airline and the University of Idaho, the UI will guarantee payments of as much as $500,000 a year for three years if the flights do not make at least a 10 percent profit. The Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport is waiving its landing fees for Boise flights and has pledged at least $25,000 toward advertising the new route.

In early October, United Airlines began flying between Lewiston and Denver, joining the airport’s Salt Lake City flights on Delta.

United is receiving $4 million over three years from Nez Perce County, which paid the first $1.75 million installment with a portion of its $7.8 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act. The money is passing through the Visit Lewis Clark Valley tourism bureau to avoid the kind of multi-year contracts prohibited by state law.

No. 9: Longest legislative session in Idaho history finally ends

A legislative session that was average in almost every way still made it into the record books this year, taking the trophy as the longest session in Idaho state history.

At 311 days, the 2021 session was nearly 200 days longer than the previous record of 118 days, set in 2003.

Even excluding a 17-day break in March and April following a COVID-19 outbreak — plus an unprecedented six-month break over the summer and fall — the session dragged on for 108 days, making it the third-longest of all time.

Republicans came into the year determined to rein in the governor’s emergency powers, saying the Legislature should be actively involved in determining how the state responds to long-running disasters.

They introduced dozens of bills early on in the session, seeking to terminate Gov. Brad Little’s emergency declarations, prohibit state or local mask mandates and limit the authority of local public health boards.

“This is a reaction to the citizens’ outrage at having their rights limited — their right to congregate, their right to travel, to make a living,” said Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, during a Feb. 16 debate on one of the measures. “This isn’t putting limits on the governor’s emergency powers. It simply assures that the Legislature and the people within the state have a say in how that emergency is managed. … All we’re asking is that the people have a place in the process.”

Many of the bills, though, were rushed and fatally flawed. Only a handful were ultimately signed into law.

Lawmakers also approved a constitutional amendment giving the Legislature the authority to call itself back into special session — a power currently reserved to the governor. That proposal will go to voters in the 2022 general election.

When they finally took their eyes off the COVID-19 ball, lawmakers managed to pass the largest tax-relief package in state history. It included a one-time tax rebate worth $220 million, plus another $163 million in ongoing income tax reductions.

Republicans also took another run at restricting the citizens initiative process.

Despite widespread public opposition, they approved legislation requiring initiative backers to collect signatures from 6 percent of registered voters in all 35 legislative districts.

The Idaho Supreme Court, however, blocked the law from taking effect, saying the restrictions were so onerous they would strip away the people’s fundamental right to propose laws through the initiative process.

No. 10: Labor shortage, supply chain issues have effect locally, as well as nationally

A national worker shortage continues to be a challenge facing almost all industries in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington.

The problem is rooted in demographics and is likely to persist. As baby boomers and Gen Xers retire, there aren’t enough younger people to fill the positions they’re leaving.

Employers are using a variety of strategies to recruit workers, such as hiring bonuses, flexible work schedules and the opportunity to work from home.

Clearwater Economic Development Association and Valley Vision have created the Inland Northwest Workforce Council to take on the issue.

It is looking for solutions in four areas — career and technical education awareness in schools; employer needs; needs of educational institutions that train employees and entrepreneurship; and support for home-grown companies.

Businesses including Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman and Lewiston and Idaho Forest Group are participating in the council, which meets at least monthly.

Consumers in the region also found all sorts of goods either in short supply or out of stock at retail outlets. The shortages were caused by problems in the supply chain, which are the result of the labor shortage and coronavirus restriction.

Lewiston Tribune staff members contributed to this report. The Tribune newsroom may be contact at city@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2262.

Top stories of 2021

1 — Lewiston voters opt for strong mayor form of government

2 — Coronavirus threat continues to linger

3 — Simpson’s proposal brings new attention to salmon vs. dams issue

4 — Heat wave sets records, ignites fire season

5 — Von Ehlinger charged with rape; Giddings censured

6 — Football coaches fired by WSU for not taking vaccination

7 — Region sees multiple murder cases

8 — Pullman, Lewiston airports land new flights

9 — Longest legislative session in Idaho history finally ends

10 — Labor shortage, supply chain issues have effect locally