FHBC members Glenn Fisher (second left) Darrell Dixey (third from left) and Devon Boyer (third from right) pictured with Southern Ute tribal leaders. (Submitted photo)
Tribes decide not to pursue Wheatgrass Ridge Wind project
Submitted by RANDY’L TETON
Tribal Public Affairs
FORT HALL — A Council-to-Council meeting between the Fort Hall Business Council and the Southern Ute Tribal Council was conducted April 4, 2012 at the Leonard Burch Building in Ignacio, Colorado regarding the partnership that was formed for the Wheatgrass Ridge Wind Project.
Tribal leaders and staff that participated include Councilman Darrell Dixey, Councilman Devon Boyer, and Vice Chairman Glenn Fisher along with Travis Stone, Energy Development Specialist and Executive Director Angelo Gonzales. Shoshone-Bannock Renewable Energy Development Company (SBRED) and the Southern Ute Alternative Energy, LLC formed a partnership to pursue development of a potential wind project by forming a company called Wheatgrass Ridge Wind, LLC (managed by both owners).
The development work was performed to get a better understanding of the viability and feasibility of a wind project on the reservation. Part of that development work was an ongoing and ever changing risk analysis. The risk analysis was composed of various factors that would indicate the flaws or risks in the completion of a wind project. There was a couple of risk factors that could not be mitigated properly and Wheatgrass Ridge Wind, LLC felt that stopping the project now would be the most appropriate course of action.
The development activities that the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes were involved in, through their partnership interest in Wheatgrass Ridge Wind, were an example of evaluating the feasibility and viability of projects on the reservation. The development work allowed the Tribes to evaluate the project from many perspectives, environmentally, financially, culturally, and also gain the feedback from the community. The project may not have been successfully constructed but the process to better understand the viability before just jumping in blindly was a success. The project site was a great site to support wind power on a technical level but a wind project needs to have all the right factors in line to be a successful project. Wheatgrass is winding down all development activities right now and is trying to close out all the loose ends on this project.
Energy Development Specialist, Travis Stone said, “The development activities were a great opportunity to better understand the viability of the proposed project as well as learn more about the resources on the Fort Hall Reservation. Although the project did not go through, tribal staff learned a lot through this experience."
Idaho Primary Election scheduled Tuesday, May 15
By EMILY HONE
Contributing writer
FORT HALL – Tuesday, May 15 is primary election day in Idaho, when registered voters go to the polls to pick candidates at the county, state and national levels to run in the November general election.
Voters on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation will be voting for candidates in three separate counties – Bingham, Bannock and Power.
All of those who live in Bingham County, north of Ross Fork Creek, will vote at the Fort Hall Elementary School. Voters not wanting to make the trip to Fort Hall will have until Friday, May 11 at 5 p.m. to vote an absentee ballot by coming to the Bingham County Courthouse clerk’s office in Blackfoot. Reservation residents living in Bannock County will vote at the Tyhee Elementary School. Those living in Power County are divided into four precincts, but most live in precincts five and six, an elections clerk said. Those in five will vote at Arbon Elementary School and those in six at the Pocatello Airport. Anyone with doubts as to where they vote can contact the Power County Elections Clerk at 226-7611.
Bingham County Elections Clerk Marlene Jensen said that in the Primary Election all voters must declare their political preference by requesting a Democratic or Republican ballot and may only vote for candidates of that party.
There are no Democratic, Libertarian or Independent candidates running for county office in Bingham, so whichever Republican gets the most votes in the May 15 election has been elected to that post, even though they must still run in the General Election.
At the county level, incumbent Bingham County Sheriff Dave Johnson is seeking his third term and facing a challenge for the Republican nomination from Craig Rowland, a chief deputy under former sheriff C. Dayle Holm. Rowland is currently employed as emergency management director and parks and recreation director for the county.
J. Scott Andrew, who has been Bingham County Prosecuting Attorney since 2001 and is running for a fourth term, is being challenged for the Republican nomination by Cleve Colson, a deputy in the Bannock County Prosecutor’s office.
Six Republican candidates are vying for the chance to replace retiring Bingham County Commissioner Cleone Jolley of Shelley in Commission District 1.
They are retired farmer Mark R. Bair, and farmer Matthew B. Thompson, both of Firth, retired construction contractor Merrill Blake, Steve Cederberg , Grant L. Thorson, and Barry F. Johnson, all of Shelley.
In commission District 3, incumbent A. Ladd Carter of Springfield, a rancher, is being challenged by Steven L. Kauer of Moreland, a construction contractor, and Kirk Ogden of Riverside, a county road and bridge employee. County commission terms are alternately two or four years. Carter was first appointed to the seat to complete the unexpired four-year term of the late Errol Covington. He was elected to a two-year term and is running for a four-year term.
At the state level, four candidates are vying in the primary for the Republican nomination to run for Idaho Legislative District 31 House Seat A being vacated by Rep. Dennis Lake of Moreland, who announced his retirement this year. They are Neil A. Anderson and R. David Moore of Blackfoot; Mike Duff of Moreland and Robert B. Butler of Shelley.
Anderson is a financial advisor, Moore is Blackfoot police chief, Duff is a farmer and sheep rancher, and Butler is a civil engineer who was employed by the county several years ago.
The one who gets the most votes in the primary will face off against Democrat Barbara Ann Clark of Shelley in the November election.
Jim Mariott of Blackfoot is seeking his third term for the District 31 Seat B in the Idaho House and faces a challenge from Thomas resident Julie VanOrden for the Republican nomination. The winner of that race will run against Democratic challenger Jeannie M. James of Blackfoot in November.
District 31 Republican State Senator R. Steven Bair is unopposed in the primary for a 4th term, but will be challenged in the General Election this fall by Cherie Harding Clawson of Blackfoot, daughter of former U.S. Representative the late Ralph Harding, who is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
In Bannock County three Republicans are vying for the nomination to run for the First District County Commission seat. They are incumbent Karl E. Anderson, Robert Ballard and Ernest R. Moser. The winner will be challenged in the General Election by Democrat Elmer T. Martinez, a former state legislator.
In the Third Commission District, Maria Vik is the sole candidate for the Democratic nomination. She will face off against Republican incumbent Howard Manwaring in the November General Election.
Bannock County Prosecutor Mark Heideman is retiring, and attorneys Vic A. Pearson and Kent Reynolds are vying for the Republican nomination to run for his seat against Democrat Stephen F. Herzog in the general election. Incumbent Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen is unopposed in the primary and there is no, Republican candidate.
Reservation residents in Bannock and Power counties are in State Legislative District 28 and so will have a choice among the same candidates.
In Bannock County, Kevin England, John Hart and Kelley Packer are vying for the Republican nomination to run for Position B in the Idaho House of Representatives, and the winner will face Democrat Kamren Koompin in the General election. Republican Kent Andrus is unopposed for the nomination to run for Idaho House A seat, and Democrat Sam McKee is unopposed for the Democratic nomination Jim Guthrie is giving up his House seat to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Denton Darrington and is being challenged for the Republican nomination by W. Rusty Barlow of Pocatello. The winner will run in the general election against Dave Finkelnburg of Pocatello.
In Power County, Democrat Ronald J. Funk is unopposed for the First District County Commission seat. Republican incumbent Delane Anderson is unopposed for the Third District Commission seat and both will run opposed in the General Election. Incumbent Sheriff Jim Jefferies is unopposed for the Democratic nomination but faces a challenge in the general election from Republican Fredrick C. Harms who is also unopposed in the primary. Incumbent prosecutor F. Randall Kline is unopposed in the primary for the Democratic nomination, but will have competition in the general election by Republican Ryan Petersen.
At the national level, incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho Falls is being challenged for the Republican nomination by M.C. “Chick” Heilison, also of Idaho falls to run in the for the Second Congressional District seat. The winner will run in the General Election against Nicole LeFavour of Boise or Jack Wayne Chappell of Buhl, who are vying for the Democratic nomination. A section for voting for judges also will be on the ballot. The election is for Idaho Supreme Court Justice Dan Elsmann and Cot of Appeals Judges David Gratton and John M. Melanson. All are running unopposed and need a check mark beside their names to be reaffirmed.
