Idaho Board of Ed seeks more input on anti-DEI resolution
Some Idaho State Board of Education members worry proposed policies to combat diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives could go too far.
Draft rules currently under consideration require Idaho’s public colleges and universities to be politically neutral in their official capacity and to support free speech.
One resolution would forbid institutions from having central offices, policies, procedures or initiatives dedicated to DEI.
“They’re really about trying to set the expectation that we’re holistically looking at students as a whole body and how we move those students towards successful outcomes,” the board’s executive director, Josh Whitworth, said.
Some board members, including Kurt Liebich, said they didn’t want the policy to be written so broadly that it would effectively ban efforts to help certain students, such as veterans, Native Americans or first-generation students.
“We want every student to be successful,” Liebich said. “But we have to recognize that every student comes to our campuses from a different starting point.”
Whitworth said board staff will begin meeting with top college administrators to discuss the draft rules. They will be brought back to the board for approval in the near future.
Bird flu continues spread in Washington
Health officials are continuing to monitor for the spread of bird flu in Washington state.
The state had its first human infections this year, and there are now more than a dozen confirmed or suspected cases.
Most people contracted the illness after close contact with infected poultry.
The Centers for Disease Control considers the current public health risk of bird flu to be low. But Peter Rabinowitz, the director of the University of Washington’s Center for One Health Research, said that can always change.
"And then there is always the possibility that new alterations in the genome of the virus could lead to person to person transmission and that is the point where you really become concerned for the general population," he told KUOW public radio.
Rabinowitz said this current strain of bird flu is unprecedented in its ability to infect different kinds of mammals.
He said the challenge is preventing contact between infected wild birds and other animals and people.
Record number of drivers expected for upcoming holiday weekend
A record number of Americans are expected to hit the road this week. That's according to a survey by online fuel savings company Gas Buddy. They expect double the number of Thanksgiving travelers from last year.
"We’ll be out in full force ready to respond to weather incidents, whatever may occur," Ryan Overton, a Washington Department of Transportation spokesperson, said.
Road construction will be paused over the Holiday weekend but WSDOT is warning that congestion and delays can be expected on I-90 and Highway 2.
Overton said drivers need to pack patience, leave early and be prepared.
"Carry chains, fill up on gas before heading out, pack food, water, snacks, and a phone charger in your car," he told SPR News.
"You never know what you’re going to run into over our passes. Things can happen around the Spokane area too or if you’re headed east into Idaho," Overton said. "It just makes for a more pleasant drive if you’re not in a rush to get somewhere."
So far, forecasters have said this week’s weather in the Washington Cascades looks mild but cold.
While Wednesday traffic will be very heavy, peak traffic is expected Sunday afternoon.
Holiday drivers in Washington and neighbor states can stay ahead of road and weather conditions by using WSDOT websites, apps and social media.
Federal money aimed at forest conservation in NE Washington and Idaho
Nearly $32 million in federal funds will help conserve working forest land in the Inland Northwest.
The money will help secure a conservation easement in the Stimson Timberlands, the collective name for nearly 88,000 of acres of privately-owned forest land scattered across Northeast Washington and north Idaho. The conservation easement is an agreement prohibiting residential and industrial development on the land while keeping it open for recreation, wildlife habitats and commercial timber work.
The U.S. Forest Service calls the forest properties “ecologically and economically significant.” The funding is part of a larger Forest Service-state partnership to preserve similar lands in 17 states through the Forest Legacy Program.
“This funding will be put to great use on key forest conservation projects in Washington state and across the country and provide a boost to local communities who rely on our forests for clean water, jobs, and recreation opportunities,” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said in a statement.
The Forest Legacy Project was created in 1990. The current tranche of money for the Stimson Timberlands came from the Inflation Reduction Act.
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Reporting was contributed by James Dawson, Deb Wang, Owen Henderson, Tom Lee and Brandon Hollingsworth.