Looking Back at Pages from the Past

The following stories are summarized from past issues of the Caribou County Sun over the last fifty plus years.  The Enterprise thanks Mark Steele for permission to use the contents, and the Grace Public Library for access to the archives.

2024

The first issue of the Idaho Enterprise, trying to fill some of the role left by the retirement of Mark Steele at the Caribou County Sun, was published on February 8.  

Long serving and much loved Soda Springs mayor Kirk Lloyd Hansen passed on February 3. 2024.  Hansen was first elected mayor of the city in 1985 to the first of his 7 4-year terms, for a total of 28 years of service.  Over that time, countless changes were seen throughout the city and county, and Hansen provided a consistent and even hand at the rudder of that change.

One of the first pieces reported on involved Dance Classes at the Senior Center on Wednesdays and Fridays.  In the attached image, Sharon Berg, Janeye Perron, Carol Steffensen, and Jan Nielsen are pictured.  It might only be news to me, but it turns out that Carol Steffensen is actually my great aunt!  It was nice run into you at the extended family reunion Aunt Carol!

2020

Peace Officer Standards and Training Division Administrator Brad E. Johnson presented Caribou County Sheriff Robert Kelly Wells the POST Executive Certificate—the highest certificate awarded to peace officers in the state.  Sheriff Wells started his law enforcement career in 1991 and is now approaching 29 years serving his communities.  During his career he has served in and supervised the jail, patrol, investigations, training, SWAT, and held ranks as Sergeant and Chief Deputy.  He was elected Sheriff of Caribou County on Jan 9, 2017.  Sheriff Wells received his initial Idaho POST Basic Peace Officer Certification  in 2013 after serving for over 20 years in Wyoming law enforcement.  He now holds Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Managements Peace Officer certifications.  He has completed over 130 hours of executive training and over 4,100 hours of POST certified training.  Sheriff Wells is a graduate of the FBI National Academy at Quiantico, Virginia and the National Sheriff’s Institute Leadership Academy.  He is a strong believer in “Professionalism Through Training” and has benefitted greatly from his mentors throughout his career and diligently encourages others to seek out training and higher levels of certification.  He began serving at eighteen years old in the Marine Corps.  He has also served on the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force.  Sheriff Wells was liaison to the U.S. Secret Service protective detail for U.S. Presidential, Vice Presidential, and other dignitary visits to the Jackson, Wyoming, area.  

2015

GHS Sophomore Nick Mickelson writes: “’Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards.’  This quote…by Aldous Huxley almost a hundred years ago, applies very well to the lives of Americans today.  With all of the great minds that invented technology, it seems that the more advanced technology becomes, the less advanced the people who use it become.  Since people are so reliant on technology, it is having negative influences on out lives.  Technology uses up so much of our lives and often has no reason or purpose…What drawbacks does technology have on the people who use it?  People seem to have their lives revolving around technology.  They use is for work, entertainment, and communication, but what does all this time spent on technology do to us?  For one it decreases our ability to communicate face to face with people.  With all of our talking, texting, and emailing with technology we hardly ever talk to face to face with some of the people that we communicate with daily.  Also with the advancement of technology comes more and more hob loss because now machines and computers can do our jobs cheaper and more efficiently…People need to get technology back to what it was—something to help rather than control our everyday lives.  People need to take control over technology rather than letting it control us.  If we can do this it will greatly help all of us.

2010

The North Gem Student Body assembled in the auditorium to listen to Mitch Askew of Flagstaff, AZ and former North Gem Alumni and Students Body president, who had driven all night to be here to inform the North Gem Student Body about Haiti and the need there.  Mitch and his wife Jenny have spent part of their last two summers helping out the communities there and knew first hand what Haiti needed before the devastating earthquake hit on Jan. 12 killing at last count about 200,000 people.  The student body, faculty and staff set a goal on Thursday to raise at least $7,000 to build one house in Haiti.  They have Penny War Jars set up for donations to be dropped in.  You can make larger donations by dropping by the school office.  Kari has set up a special account for the funds to be placed in until it is given to Mitch and Jenny to use this summer.  The student  body hopes they will be able to come back next fall and report on what the money was used for.

The Presbyterian women are holding their annual soup luncheon, Thursday.  This is a community event, sponsored by the women, to help the winter doldrums go away for a while, and to give people the opportunity to visit with friends and neighbors over a nice hot bowl of homemade soup.  

Shannon Larene Corbett will be inducted in the Alpha Chi Eta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Salt Lake Community College on April 6.  Corbett, majoring in Pre-Medicine, is the daughter of Craig and Dawn Corbett of Grace.

2000

Two cows and two calves were rescued by members of the Caribou County Sheriff’s Office, Search and Rescue, and individual citizens recently when snowmobilers found them stranded at the head of Bacon Canyon northeast of Soda Springs.  Sheriff Ray Van Vleet said the cattle belonged to a Grace rancher who was out of the area at the time.  Rescuers spent three days getting the cattle out of the high country and down through the Blackfoot Narrows to where they could be hauled out.  One cow was in bad enough shape, the sheriff said, that she had to be hog-toed and put on a car top and pulled out with the snow cat” that the sheriff’s department uses for Search and Rescue.  

Alan Brown taught Mrs. Walters’ second grade students about bees recently.  He showed them safety features and equipment to use when around bees, brought a real beehive, showed them how honey is gathered and made, showed them a video about bees, and brought pictures of the bee cycle.  He even brought some real bees.  He concluded with questions before he gave the children a sample of honey on a fresh muffin.

The City of Soda Springs passed a resolution at its last meeting to encourage Amtrak to restore passenger rail service through Soda Springs.  In signing the resolution, Mayor Kirk Hansen said the local residents have to rely on private auto for transportation needs, with neither rail nor air service.  He noted rail service could be a major influence on the area’s economy because of the closeness to ski resorts in Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons, as well as the national parks at Yellowstone and Grand Teton. 

1995

Along with 43 Idaho public schools, the Grace District Library has been selected to participate in a pilot project which will allow libraries the opportunity to “test drive” the internet.  Public libraries must consider the new information infrastructure and what it will mean to them and the communities they serve.  Information resources and services provided via the internet are similar to those traditionally furnished by libraries.  This project will help public libraries evaluate how they deliver their services and what their role will be in this new information age as more and more information resources are generated and delivered in digital format.  This project was supported by funding through the State of Idaho Educational Technology Initiative (ETI) of 1994, which provided $375,000 to be administered by the Idaho State Library to allow 43 Idaho public libraries access to the scientific research and information available through the internet.  “The funds provide an opportunity for libraries to explore and learn,” State Librarian Charles Bolles said.  “It will allow them to make informed decisions about providing electronic access to information in their communities.”

A measure giving local school districts the statutory ability to impose dress and grooming codes for public school students will be scheduled for public hearing following last week’s passage into print by the Senate Education Committee.  “Anyone who has taught in the public schools for 29 years as I have can tell you that students will act in accordance with how they dress, “ Senator Denton Darrington, R-Declo who sponsored the bill, said.  Darrington is a history teacher at Declo Junior High School.  “We have seen a proliferation of gang activity in Idaho Falls in recent years and I can tell you that having the ability to control the clothing these people wear could be very helpful,” said Idaho Falls School District Superintendent Dr T.C. Maddocks.  “This is an issue of student safety.”

Ginger Kelsey, Grand Guardian of Idaho, Job’s Daughters, made her visit to Bethel 60 on Sunday, Jan.  15.  The members of the bethel, under the leadership of honored Queen Brooke Smith-Hemmert, initiated two new members.  The Grand Guardian and Associate Guardian Lowell Bennett, Boise, met with the adult council during the council during lunch, at which time they discussed ideas for helping the bethel run more smoothly.  After the luncheon, the bethel met with the Grand Guardian, the Grand Bethel Honored Queen, Charity Brown and MIJD Tracy McClure for a Jobie Hour.  This time is for the daughters to talk about their goals and ideas for the order.

The Soda Springs Technology Committee authored a piece on the future of internet technology, which read in part: “Our current information delivery system, though much improved since the days of pioneer school, is facing a shift in learning and knowledge acquisition that will seem to future historians as a move equally, if not greater in importance, than the first voyage of Columbus.  That shift in knowledge acquisition will come by way of the Information Highway, or INTERNET,  The INTERNET is a vast network, or interconnection of computers across the world.  Within the computers are huge databases of information that contain the world’s reservoir of information.  It is possible now to access a university library, search through files of information of information for a specific topic and actually access the information from the book without leaving the console of the computer.  From a remote location, like Soda Springs, a novice computer user can reach into the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., access the files on ancient manuscripts and actually download the Dead Seas Scrolls into their computer.  This can be done at 6:30 a.m., 11:00 p.m., or any time they choose.  The INTERNET breaks the barrier of time, distance, and walls.  The world’s information is no longer stored in monasteries, or palaces, locked from the view of the common man; the data is available to anyone who knows how to access the information and has the technological capability.    

1970

The booster station being used by the Caribou County Community TV Association would be illegal if a bill now pending before the state legislature is passed, members of the association were told during an emergency meeting last week in Grace.  The proposed bill would allow only cable installations, Grace and Bancroft and rural areas, and much of Soda Springs is served by the booster.  Members of the association said it is imperative that everyone using the booster station send in their small yearly dues, to keep the association solvent.  Members of the board are Glen Palmer and Neal Sanders, Grace; Argil Davids, Bancroft; Pat Paterson and Dewey Anderson, Soda Springs.  Carrol Dean Harris of Soda Springs is manager and repairman, and Seth Bailey of Bancroft is secretary-treasurer.

It has been announced that Miss Julie Argyle, daughter of Mr.  and Mrs. Doyle Argyle of Bancroft was chosen North Gem’s 1970 Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow on the basis of her score in the home-making knowledge and aptitude test taken by senior girls on Dec. 2. In addition to receiving a specially designed silver charm from General Mills, sponsor of the annual homemaking education program, Miss Argyle, is now eligible for one of the 102 college scholarships totaling $110,000.  Miss Argyle participates in the Pep Club, Future Homemakers of America, Lariettes, band and girls’ chorus.

The new Soda Springs fire truck was tested last Wednesday.  The new truck carries 1,000 gallons of water, which can be utilized, as compared with 200 on the old truck.  Fire Chief Don Salser said that this 1,000 gallons, immediately available, will put out 80 percent of all calls answered.  In addition, the truck can pump 1,000 gallons a minute, and is capable of pumping 1,800 gallons a minute at 150 pounds pressure from a suitable hydrant.