Despite layoff, reporter follows Idaho military twins’ story to Iraq and back

By James Hagengruber

Along with photographer Brian Plonka, I began writing about the lives of twins Matthew and Robert Shipp in March of 2006. The Shipps, of Hauser Lake, Idaho, were seniors in high school and desperately wanted to join the U.S. Marines. They wanted to fight for their country. Brian and I desperately wanted to find a way to tackle the story of our generation: the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

By following the stories of two … [Read more...]

Idaho media join together to push for open courts

By Betsy Russell News media organizations from across the state joined together this spring in an unprecedented effort to stand up for open court proceedings in one of the state’s most horrific criminal cases ever. Joseph Duncan already has admitted murdering three members of a North Idaho family in a bloody attack at the family’s home east of Coeur d’Alene, in order to kidnap and molest the family’s two youngest children. Only one little girl, then 8 years old, survived the ordeal; … [Read more...]

By Shea Andersen

New York Times photographer Paul Hosefros was the go to photographer for the Times when the president was making news, in a career that spanned several presidential administrations. He also was one of the first photographers on the scene of the 9/11 destruction in New York City in 2001.

Now he lives in Boise, and Press Club members and guests were treated to a special showing in May of Hosefros’ photo exhibit, “When The President Comes To Town,” an exhibit that also was displayed at the College of … [Read more...]

By Kevin Richert

Forty-one attorneys general — including Idaho's own Lawrence Wasden — support a federal shield law for journalists.

And now they’ve written a letter to key senators, urging them to get moving on a shield law.

As the A.G's point out, shield laws that allow reporters to protect the anonymity of unnamed sources "advance a public policy favoring the free flow of information to the public." Idaho and 48 other states already have shield laws, but A.G. 's make a strong argument on the need for a federal … [Read more...]

Member profile: Kai Eiselein

By John Miller

Some of Kai Eiselein’s fondest early memories include walking with his great-grandfather in little Boulder, Mont., to check in at the family newspaper, the Monitor. Other mornings, a grandfather who worked at the Missoulian would wake him to get the paper as it rolled off the presses.

His great-grandfathers A.H. and A.W. Eiselein started publishing newspapers in Montana in the early 1900s. The Roundup Record-Tribune, published by A.W. in the tiny town north of Billings, is … [Read more...]

WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

BOISE WEEKLY

Rachael Daigle has taken over as editor of the Boise Weekly. Daigle has been with the paper on and off for five years, serving as staff writer and entertainment editor among other posts. Daigle is a Boise State graduate, who has spent the better part of a decade in Boise between stints traveling the world extensively.

As part of the newsroom reshuffling, Deanna Darr is taking on the position of features editor. Darr has worked as the paper's news editor for the last year after working at … [Read more...]

By Betsy Russell

As envisioned two years ago by the Idaho Supreme Court’s “E-Records Committee,” at least some court records from every Idaho county court system are now available online. This significant step forward in access to public information is occurring through the Idaho Supreme Court Data Repository, which is now up on the Idaho State Judiciary Web site, and as of May 27, includes case information from all 44 Idaho counties.

Not everything is there yet – it’s not as complete a system as, say, the federal court’s … [Read more...]