Self-Driving Cars: a Boon for People with Disabilities in Rural Areas?

By Eric Tegethoff, Northern Rockies News Service

BOISE, Idaho - Idaho and the rest of the country are preparing for self-driving cars to hit the roadways, and new research says the technology could help people with disabilities.

The report explored the ways autonomous cars could improve the lives of people with disabilities, including through employment opportunities and health care. Nearly 6 million such people have difficulties finding transportation, and Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, said this population needs to be part of the discussion.

"What we're trying to say to these companies is, like, 'Hey, the technology is there, and you're going to continue to refine it and develop it, and make it better,' " he said. " 'As you do that, consider people with disabilities - because they can really not only benefit, but society can benefit.' They are the largest, untapped resource that we have in our country."

Ruderman said as many as 70 percent of people with disabilities in the United States are unemployed. Self-driving cars aren't yet a reality for consumers, although many car manufacturers and technology companies are investing in them.

A bill was introduced in the Idaho Senate in 2015 for regulating autonomous vehicles, but it failed.

The study said autonomous cars could not only improve opportunities for accessibility to work but save on health-care costs, too. It found more than 11 million medical appointments are missed every year for lack of adequate transportation, which amounts to about $19 billion in wasted health-care costs.

Kristina Kopic, who contributed to the study, said people who live in rural areas could benefit most.

"We think that, especially in rural areas that don't already have access to public transportation," she said, "self-driving technologies would be a boon, because you would really be allowing people curb-to-curb transportation."

Kopic said even paratransit, a product of the American Disabilities Act, can be exclusionary because it doesn't allow families to travel together when some don't have a disability, so, self-driving cars could become an inclusive form of transportation.

The study, commissioned by the Ruderman Family Foundation and Securing America's Future Energy, is online at issuu.com.

Record high April melt decreases snowpacks across Idaho

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has just released the fifth water supply outlook report for the 2016 water year. What a difference a month makes. Near normal snowpack covered the majority of Idaho, and the NRCS monitoring region, at the beginning of April.

The beginning of May, however, tells a much different story. Snow across much of the state has melted at a record high rate during April.

Reservoirs and lakes remain in good shape across Idaho and are capturing this year’s snowmelt runoff to store and put to use as we enter the dry summer months.

April precipitation across the state covered the extremes: from well-below to well-above average depending on location. Most areas received below average monthly precipitation.

The lowest precipitation amounts occurred in the Snake River headwaters above Jackson Lake, while Idaho’s southern border from the Owyhee to the Raft basin received from 112% to 150% of normal.

“Precipitation amounts received since the start of the water year on Oct. 1, 2015 remains encouraging with the whole state reporting 92% of average or better,” said Ron Abramovich, water supply specialist with NRCS. “However, those areas with deficits are worth watching and may not improve much as we move into our dry summer months.”

Streamflow forecasts reflect the early melt, early runoff and dry April by shifting forecasts down a notch and are now 70 to 90% of average across most of the state. The exceptions are the high desert streams south of the Snake River from the Bruneau to Oakley Reservoir inflow which are forecast at 100 to 125% of average.

“One of the key variables to watch now is nighttime air temperatures,” said Abramovich. “If they dip below freezing which will slow down melting of the pack. But, if daytime temperatures approach near record highs, there is still enough snow to generate additional streamflow increases across much of the state.”

Rural Idaho since the recession

It’s been six years since Idaho began to recover from the 2007-09 recession, according to the University of Idaho’s Idaho at a Glance newsletter. Some facets of Idaho’s demographics and economics have changed significantly, while others have barely budged.

The National Bureau of Economic Research defines a recession as a period of time during which the national gross domestic product (adjusted for inflation) decreases for two consecutive quarters.

The latest economic recession, which lasted 18 months (from December 2007 to June 2009) was the longest recession since the 1930s.

About one-third of Idahoans live in rural counties (compared to 14% nationwide), yet rural counties comprise 32 of Idaho’s 44 counties.

In this article, “rural” refers to the 32 of Idaho’s 44 counties that the U.S. Office of Management and Budget classifies as nonmetropolitan. Rural counties have no urbanized area with at least 50,000 people; nor are they linked to such an area through commuting patterns.

The 12 counties considered urban make up Idaho’s metropolitan areas: Boise-Nampa-Caldwell (five counties), Idaho Falls (three counties), Pocatello (two counties), Coeur d’Alene (one county), and Lewiston (one county).

Urban counties are defined as have an urbanized area with at least 50,000 people, or are linked to such an area in a neighboring county through commuting patterns, according to the UI newsletter.

Demographic changes

Since the recession ended, population growth in rural Idaho has stagnated, growing less than 1 percent, from 544,000 to 548,000, an increase of just 4,000 people.

Urban Idaho, on the other hand, has seen its population grow by 6%, with Ada, Canyon, and Kootenai counties leading the way at 8.5%, 7.5%, and 6.4%, respectively. In 2010 urban Idaho’s population was 1,023,000. In 2014 it was 1,086,000, an increase of more than 63,000 people.

Almost 40% of rural Idahoans live in counties that lost population between 2010 and 2014, compared with just 2% of urban Idahoans. Rural counties with the biggest losses include: Clark (-12%), Camas (-7%), and Custer (-5%).

Rural counties with the biggest gains include Twin Falls (5%), and Cassia and Latah (both 3%).

Idaho’s Hispanic population is altering the landscape as well. Between 2010-13, rural Idaho’s Hispanic population grew by 6%, compared to a 1% decline in the population of Idaho’s rural, non-Hispanic population.

Agriculture plays a significant role in rural counties where Hispanics make up a large share of the population. These counties include Clark (42% Hispanic), Jerome (34% Hispanic), Minidoka (33%), Power (31%), and Gooding (29%).

Both rural and urban Idaho counties have lost jobs during the recession, and remain at below pre-recession levels. Since job growth finally returned in 2010, rural areas have experienced a 2.6% increase, and urban jobs have increased 4.8%.

Rural Idaho has experienced an out-net migration since 2010 (more people leaving than coming in), while urban Idaho experienced net in-migration that contributed to overall population growth.

Idaho’s growth after the recession was due, in part, to positive natural change: more births than deaths. Both urban and rural Idaho experienced positive natural change rates of 3% between 2010 and 2014. In rural Idaho, this increase was enough to make up for losses due to out-migration.

Five rural counties still had more deaths than births, which reflects decades of young people moving away, and older people aging in place. These counties are: Clearwater, Shoshone, Lemhi, Washington, and Idaho.

Economic changes

Though Idaho’s job market in both rural and urban areas has seen gains of late, they remain below pre-recession levels. By 2013 the jobs in rural counties were 4% lower than pre-recession levels. In urban counties they were 3% lower. Rural counties with significant job losses since the recession include: Lemhi (7% loss), and Bonner, Elmore, and Clearwater (each with a loss of 4%).

Rural Idaho’s unemployment rates are inching down, but remain high. In 2010, a year after the average annual unemployment rate peaked in urban Idaho, rural Idaho’s unemployment rate peaked at 9.1%.

Rates since then have declined, but average annual unemployment rates in both rural and urban Idaho remain higher than pre-recession levels. Rural unemployment rates ranged from 3.3% in Madison County to 10% in both Adams and Shoshone counties.

Wages are higher in Idaho’s urban counties, but rural Idaho’s are beginning to catch up since the beginning of the recession. At the start of the recession, the average wage per job in rural Idaho was $6,939 less than in urban Idaho. By 2013, that gap had narrowed to $5,431. Unlike urban wages, rural Idaho’s wages increased during the recession, and have surpassed pre-recession levels.

The gap between urban and rural Idaho incomes has also decreased. Prior to the recession the per capita income in urban Idaho was more than $4,000 higher than in rural Idaho. This gap narrowed during and after the recession, to just $515. Urban Idaho’s income has stalled since the recession, while rural income has surpassed pre-recession levels.

Even so, poverty rates remain high, particularly in rural Idaho. After the recession, poverty rates in America in general were the highest they’d been since the mid-1980s. Poverty rates in both urban and rural Idaho peaked in 2011. Rates continue to be higher in rural Idaho than in urban Idaho, and both remain higher than pre-recession poverty rates.

In 2013, Madison County had the highest poverty rate of all Idaho counties (29%), followed by Shoshone (19%). Eight other rural counties each had a poverty rate of 18%: Boundary, Clark, Clearwater, Latah, Lemhi, Payette, Power, and Washington.

Rainy and warm February affects Idaho snowpack

Rain and warm temperatures affected Idaho’s mountain snowpack measured by Natural Resources Conservation Service snow surveyors at the end of February. Precipitation for the month was about 50-90% of average for most of Idaho; the water year to date precipitation is 70 to 105% of average.

“This year the jet stream pattern has taken abundant moisture and arctic cold to the central and eastern United States. In Idaho, we’ve seen a larger percent of the moisture falling as rain rather than snow,” said Ron Abramovich, NRCS Water Supply Specialist. “A ‘Snow Drought’ is the best term to explain this year’s unique weather pattern.”

Across southern Idaho, snowpacks increase from west to east ranging from only 28% of average in the Owyhee Basin to 115% in several Snake River headwater drainages in Wyoming. Snowpacks also increase going north to the Salmon Basin, which is 90% of average, but drop to half of normal in the Panhandle Region. 

Idaho’s snowpacks varied more at the end of February than they did at the beginning Abramovich said. Pockets of good snow can be found across the state depending on elevation, slope aspect, February temperatures, whether the snowpack was able to absorb February’s rain, and proximity to the jet stream path on the east side of the continental divide. 

Across Idaho 80% of reservoirs are at or above average storage for this time of year. Southern Idaho reservoirs that are below normal storage are in the basins where irrigation shortages are likely to occur this summer. For information on specific reservoirs, refer to the March Water Supply Outlook Report. 

For the second month in a row, streamflow forecasts decreased from the previous month’s forecast ranging from a few to 30 percentage points. The lowest forecasts are 25-35% of average in the Owyhee drainages, and 40-65% in the parts of the Bear Basin, Salmon Falls Creek, Bruneau River, and Spokane Basin’s tributaries. Water shortages are likely in southwest and south central Idaho. Water users can monitor daily changes and trends in the volume forecasts online on the Idaho’s Snow Survey home page: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/id/snow/; look for the Daily Water Supply Forecasts under the Streamflow Forecasts link. 

NRCS hydrologists analyzed data from Idaho’s snow survey courses and Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) sites for February and noted some interesting facts:

Eight SNOTEL sites are melted out, (normally no sites are melted out by March 1)

30 snow courses did not have any snow to measure on March 1 

25 SNOTEL sites ended the month with less snow water than at the start of February (These sites were primarily low to mid elevation along Idaho’s western border)

For a complete look at Idaho’s whitewater season, see the March 4, PowerPoint presentation given at the Idaho Whitewater Association water forecast meeting posted under: Water Supply Presentations by Year on http://www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/

U.S. gas price to drop below $3.00 per gallon for first time since 2010; but sorry, not you, Idaho

Idaho average price is down 32 cents in past 30 days, but nowhere near $3.00

BOISE - (October 31, 2014) – The national average price of gas today will drop below $3.00 per gallon for the first time since Dec. 22, 2010, ending the longest streak above that price, according to AAA. But Idahoans hoping to get on the bandwagon may have to wait awhile.

Despite a 32-cent drop in Idaho’s average price in the past thirty days, Idaho’s $3.28 average mark is well above the national mark of $3.003. Idaho’s average price today for regular unleaded gasoline is seventh highest in the U.S.

“Consumers are experiencing ‘sticker delight’ as gas prices unexpectedly drop below $3.00 in much of the country,” said Bob Darbelnet, CEO of AAA. “Lower gas prices are a boon to the economy just in time for holiday travel and shopping.”

The national average price of gas has remained more expensive than $3.00 per gallon for 1,409 consecutive days. During that 46-month period, gas prices averaged $3.52 per gallon and reached as high as $3.98 per gallon on May 5, 2011.

The last time Idaho recorded an average price of $3.00 was February 8, 2011. Idaho’s average price today of $3.28 compares to $3.51 a year ago.

More than 60 percent of all U.S. stations are selling gas for less than $3.00 per gallon today. Consumers can find at least one station selling gas for less than $3.00 per gallon in nearly every state.

AAA anticipates gasoline prices may continue to drop in the near term, but it is possible that prices in many areas will begin to stabilize soon. “Unless there are unexpected developments, gasoline should remain relatively inexpensive this winter due to lower demand and typical seasonal trends,” said AAA Idaho spokesman Dave Carlson.

“As we’ve said previously, Idaho is slow to react to market factors, in part because there is no readily available competition due to the region’s limited market access,” Carlson said. “But prices should continue to drop in coming weeks.”

Lower crude oil prices, lower driving demand and the switchover by refineries to winter grade gasoline that is less expensive to produce are behind current lower prices.

Intermediate crude oil has dropped more than $20 per barrel since late June due to strong production and concerns about the global economy, particularly in Europe and Asia.

There are also reports that some OPEC nations, such as Saudi Arabia, would be willing to let prices fall to maintain a competitive market share.

Idaho communities show a range of prices today. Average prices: Boise, $3.31; Coeur d’Alene, $2.92; Pocatello, $3.18.

The New Old Time Chautauqua seeks local musicians

The New Old Time Chautauqua (NOTC) is a group of volunteers comprising of performers, musicians and educators who have since 1981, been touring the Northwest from Alaska to Northern California and Oregon to Montana. The group will be here in Orofino a little later this summer, July 31 – Aug. 3. Typically the group makes a three-day visit to each community they tour

The first day of their arrival, a huge potluck dinner is shared to enable everyone to meet, greet, eat, and share a few laughs.

The second day of their tour is comprised of community service. The band, performers and educators will visit State Hospital North, the prison, and the Teweepuu Center on Highway 12 outside of Orofino.

On the last day of their visit, a parade leads onlookers to the workshops. The family style Vaudeville Show will be held at the high school as a grand finale.

In Idaho, they have performed at Salmon, Boise, Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene over the past 30 years. This year NOTC plans to make a special trip to Orofino as their final stop; the reason being, that their eldest member, folk singer, Faith Petric passed away on Oct. 24, 2013, at the age of 98.

To honor her and the land she came from, the final show of this year’s tour will take place in Orofino.

Faith was raised as the daughter of the Methodist Circuit Rider, Stephen Merrill Craig. Her grandfather was Thomas Curry Craig, a Chaplain who came to Idaho following the Civil War.

As a young girl, Faith attended the Chautauqua which came to Orofino almost one hundred years ago. The show must have made a huge impression on her because Faith eventually joined the organization in 1982. “She was the best ice breaker ever and literally knew over a thousand songs by heart, many of them she learned in Orofino.” said Paul Magid, coordinator of this year’s New Old Time Chautauqua.

There are many photos of her taken by her mother that will be featured at the Clearwater Historical Museum beginning in mid June.

The exact location of the Craig homestead was ambiguous for quite some. After many questions and a great deal of searching, the coordinator of the group discovered through the Clearwater County Assessor’s Office that the old Craig cabin homestead was located on the North Fork of the Clearwater River, near Grandad Bridge. A few close family members and members of the NOTC group were hoping to disperse her ashes near the Craig homestead while they were here.

The Chautauqua group is very proud of their marching band and is inviting all local musicians to perform with them in the parade.

The group will even send the music ahead of time so you can start warming up now. Those interested may contact Mrs. Kathleen Tetwiler (the music director at OJSHS) via email at tetwilerk@jsd171.org. to receive sheet music written specifically for their instrument or to receive music with the lyrics of the song to accompany the choir.
 

Another area of the Chautauqua in which the public is invited to participate is the workshops, which will be held after the parade on day three (Aug. 2).

The workshops are an eclectic mix of song swaps, quilting workshops, juggling classes, knot tying, local cartography, etc. Chautauqua encourages members of the community to share whatever workshops they would like to lead as well.

For questions, workshop ideas or more information, contact Paul Magid at pauldmagid @gmail.com.

Medicaid Expansion

By Idaho State Senator Sheryl Nuxoll

Medicaid Expansion is the second part of Obamacare that will stifle and destroy our country with its cost, regulations, and “government is the answer” attitude. Expansion would remove citizens from the labor force with inability to move out of entitlement.

A free clinic in Caldwell for healthcare was started by a Bible study group looking to give something to their community. The clinic operates one night a week, serving people who have no insurance and do not qualify for Medicaid—people served by the county indigent program. It saved county taxpayers $500,000 on a 2.5 million county indigent budget. It is so successful that the program is adding another night per week. What a great way to expand healthcare so people have a way to stay in the work force.

To help the poor, we need to help the whole person—material, spiritual, and emotional. The government cannot do that. Why? Because law requires government to treat everyone as the same and equal. But we are not all the same since we each have different needs. People in government, even though working hard, can’t give the personal attention needed for all the different needs for the whole person. These needs are best met outside of government, through churches, non-profits, and families. Our duty is to limit the power of the federal government.

Concern for the poor doesn’t require faith in big government. It requires faith in the fullness of the Christian message, just as the parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us. It demands personal attention from us. The free-enterprise system provides this opportunity for us. This is the power of people working together. Freedom is power.

Our present unrivaled health care system came into being through the Christian Churches and private charity who established all of the hospitals, clinics, and healthcare work. Christendom invented the hospital under the umbrella of Christian mercy. The solution of first resort for health care for the poor ought to be private, local charity, where needs are best met locally. Depriving citizens of private means by over taxation is not compassion. How can they give personal attention to the poor at the level closest to the person? Paying taxes limits the resources for individual and local involvement.

Forcing us to pay taxes to support charity may “feel good” to us, but where is the local personal involvement? If we are going to genuinely assist suffering humanity, then our feelings must be disciplined according to reason and common sense. Other private organizations, individuals, charities have a major responsibility to provide the necessary care before the state gets involved.

Trapping people into dependency is not compassion. St. Paul warned against a church not to provide a daily distribution of food to young, able-bodied widows lest they become idlers gossips and busybodies. In place of generous souls animated by love of neighbor, we set up a soulless bureaucracy run by distant bureaucrats and funded by politicians seeking out constituents by promising benefits. Free enterprise allows us to use resources to care for ourselves and others. It allows us to use our gifts to help others needs.

Why do we find resistance to free enterprise? Yes, there is greed, but greed is found in government as well as free enterprise. In fact, government is worse because there is little or no competition to control that greed. The greatest opportunity for greed is government cronyism, which knows how to exploit lists and lists of regulations.

As humans, we have the right to basic care, love, attention, including medical care, but not the right to every single desirable product and service available by demanding the limitless efforts of others without remuneration nor do we have the right to assume that the government is the primary means of fulfilling that right. Some solutions are:

Expand Health Savings Accounts which give the consumer the price sensitivity and flexibility in health care decisions.

Set up a defined contribution method as opposed to defined benefit in Medicare and Medicaid so recipients have a choice how to use it.

Let the consumer pay the provider instead of providers competing for the business of bureaucracies.

Deregulate codes that bind providers to rules rather than common sense and compassion for the patient.

Bill West celebrates 90th birthday at Warhawk Air Musem

Friday, the thirteenth was a great day for Bill West as he was born on that day in 1923. Officially named Raymond William West, his family has always called him Bill.

On Saturday, July 13, Bill’s family joined him to celebrate his 90th birthday. His children gave him a party, and pulled together his military memorabilia for the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa. Lou Bauman, volunteer extraordinaire, created a wonderful display showing Bill’s 25-year Naval aviation career in which he served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Joining Bill for the dedication of the museum case were 22 members of his family from CA, IA, MN, NV, OR, TX and WA.

Bill moved from Lenore to Meridian in August 2012. Local family members are James and Barbara-Lee Jordan of Lenore, and Terri Webley of Orofino.

 

Pictured (l to r) are: back row, Lisa (West) Sisson (niece) , Bill West (son), Catherine West (niece), Ashley Barry(great grand-daughter), Shandra Anderson, Erica West (granddaughter), Wil Anderson (grandson), Raymond W. (Bill) West, Kaye Hughes (sister), James Jordan, Roger Hughes (nephew), Mary Lee Coleman (cousin), Gary Coleman, Karen Di Lalla (sister), Tony Di Lalla, Russell Hughes (nephew); seated, Audrey West and Barbara-Lee Jordan (daughter). In attendance but not pictured were Beverly West-Anderson (daughter), Harold Anderson, and Terri Webley (daughter). 

 

Bill West’s military memorabilia at the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa.

Pierce Winter Festival Photos

Here are some photos of the always entertaining Pierce Winter Festival, held last weekend. All photos were submitted by Colleen Nelson.

Cassi Aderhold enjoying the Kid's Crafts

Jim Hall, Vicki Ludwig with their love seat entry

Justin Karst on Longhorn Steer Racer, Josh Radke catching a ride down the hill

Christopher Jenkins riding an examination table

Mary Jo Medley, Linda Turrill, Val Armachardy, The All Girls Ice Man Relay

Team

Linda Applington (in background) driving tractor with riders Brian, Kori and Anna Ross from Lewiston

Ethan Gilliam from one of the two Orofino teams jumping in Orofino Creek during the Ice Man Relay

Colton Jared, Dustin Hodges, Jake Jared and Greg Gerot (Studio 205 team - second year winners)

John Bergen, Greg Gerot walking their entry over the finish line

Josh Radke with S&S Foods’ Shopping Cart entry

Linda Smith and Randy McKinnon with Linda's Toilet Seat Racer

Lonnie Cowger with his son, Kelly

Harv Nelson signing "Passports to Pierce" for Joy Hall, her daughter Serina, and grandchildren Sasha and Dakota. Three of them won the drawing.

Shiloh Sharrard performing

Pete and Ben Lawrence, Sarah Nelson at Bald Mountain Ski Hill Sledding Party

Greg and Diane Gerot of Studio 205 with one of their winning team members, Dustin Hodges

Austin Flemming, Todd Billups, Jason Young, Randy McKinnon, Charlie Billups, Rob Harrell, Timber Inn's Ice Man Team

Todd Billups, reigning Bar Stool Champion won both trophies for the regular class and the Open class, pictured with Charlene and Joe Douglas from Black Dog Tackle

Rocky and Karen Smith from Lewiston