An almost 500 acre ranch just outside Rathdrum has quietly come to market for $14.9 million, and it is the kind of North Idaho property that does not come around often. The land rolls between open meadow and standing timber, with mountain views in nearly every direction and year-round Rathdrum Creek cutting straight through the middle of it. Power is already run to the site, and the whole ranch is held together as one connected block of close to 500 acres.

It is beautiful ground, but the reason this ranch matters has more to do with what runs under it than what sits on top.

Self-Sufficiency Starts And Ends With Water

Strip self-sufficiency down to its foundation and you arrive at water. You cannot grow your own food, raise your own animals, or live independent of the grid without a secure water supply that nobody can switch off. This ranch has that locked in. Five registered water rights, multiple wells, and a year-round creek running through the property mean the single hardest part of living off your own land is already solved.

If that sounds like a fringe concern, look at who has quietly been making the same bet. Michael Burry, the investor who saw the 2008 housing collapse coming before almost anyone on Wall Street and made a fortune betting against it, has spent the years since putting his money into water, and specifically into the water-rich farmland that controls it. At the end of The Big Short, the film about the 2008 financial crisis, a famous placard states: “Michael Burry is focusing all of his trading on one commodity: Water.” The man who was right when the entire financial world was wrong looked at what comes next and decided water was the prize.

Here is why he is right. You can buy land almost anywhere in this country, but you cannot buy water. Water rights in the West are the one asset nobody is making more of. They are senior, they are finite, and they get fought over in courtrooms for decades. A family can own thousands of acres and still sit completely at the mercy of whoever controls the water upstream. This ranch owns its own, and that is what separates a place you can truly live on from a place you simply hold. That same secured water is what makes the ground genuinely build-ready, because in a county growing this fast nobody raises new homes without water that is already in hand.

Americans Are Voting With Their Feet

None of this is happening in a vacuum. People are moving to North Idaho on purpose, and they are moving fast. Kootenai County is now the third-largest county in the state and one of the fastest-growing corners of the entire country. According to U.S. Census Bureau data and Idaho Department of Labor figures, Kootenai and the state’s two other large counties have added more than 109,000 residents since 2020, with that growth driven overwhelmingly by Americans leaving other states and choosing Idaho instead.

Here is the part that should light a fire under anyone still thinking about it. Idaho now has the second-fastest population growth of any state in the nation, trailing first-place South Carolina by a single tenth of a percentage point. At the current pace, Idaho is on track to take the top spot outright, and the best ground is being claimed right now while the window is still open. The people who wait will be buying from the people who did not.

The Tax Bill Says It All

Here is the number that makes the case by itself. The annual property tax on this $14.9 million listing comes to roughly $1,960. Read that again! Try owning anything close to it in California or Washington and watch what the tax bill does to your family. Idaho rewards ownership instead of punishing it, and that is not luck, it is policy. It is also exactly why the moving trucks keep coming.

Room For A Family, Or A Whole Community

The zoning tells its own story. Rural Residential with a five-acre minimum, spread across seven legal parcels, means this ranch is far more than one rich man’s view lot. It can be carved into a development, with a clear path to new lots in one of the hottest housing markets in the country. It can become a family compound. It can put three generations on the same secure ground. It can be split among like-minded families who want to build something lasting and self-reliant. Or a buyer can simply hold it and wait, because hard ground with senior water rights in the fastest-growing stretch of the Inland Northwest is not a gamble. In a region filling up this quickly, it is one of the safest hard assets a buyer can hold.

A Mindset The Country Forgot

There is a way of living out here that much of the country has forgotten. Take care of your own, grow your own, and store your own. Lean on your land and your family long before you lean on a fragile supply chain or a city that cannot keep its own lights on. A ranch like this is built for exactly that, with water that does not shut off, power already on site, and room to raise animals, grow food, and put down roots that will outlast whatever comes next.

The smart money figured this out years ago, and everyone else is just now catching up. Property like this does not sit forever, and the people buying it are not tourists. They are Americans who decided that freedom was worth relocating for, and they are planting flags on ground they fully intend to keep.

The ranch sits at 7350 W Willadsen Rd in Rathdrum. It came to market in February and is listed through Congress Realty on the Coeur d’Alene MLS. At right around $30,000 an acre, it is priced for the kind of buyer who understands exactly what they are getting: land, water, and a foothold in the part of the country that still works the way America was meant to.

For the full listing and additional details, see the property here,
Serious inquiries can reach the owner, Dr. Lorna Finman, directly at lornalcf@gmail.com.

Idaho parents seeking state help for nonpublic K-12 education costs have a new window to apply, and the practical deadline is not just August 15. The Idaho State Tax Commission says more than $7 million remains in the Parental Choice Tax Credit program, with applications handled in arrival order and the window closing early if the money is awarded before then.

The money is still on the table

The application window reopened May 21 at 8 a.m. Mountain time and is scheduled to run until 11:59 p.m. Mountain time on August 15. The Tax Commission says families apply through their Taxpayer Access Point accounts for either the 2025 tax credit or a 2026 advance payment.

For parents weighing school costs, that timing matters. The program is designed to help cover qualifying education expenses for Idaho K-12 students in nonpublic settings. The state says the maximum award is $5,000 for most qualifying students and $7,500 when disability rules apply.

The reopening also shows how much demand has already moved through the system. State figures list 6,069 applications covering 10,809 students, with $33.4 million awarded in tax credits and $8.84 million in advance payments. Another 2,709 applications came from households at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level, the income group the program puts first in line.

Families need speed and paperwork

The state is not treating the reopened window as an open-ended benefit. Applications are processed as they come in, and awards put lower-income households ahead when their 2024 income falls within the state's 300-percent federal-poverty priority band. If the remaining funds are claimed before August 15, the window can close sooner.

That makes this a timing story for families, not just a tax story. Parents who want the help need to review eligibility, gather records and apply through the state system before the remaining dollars are gone. Local control over a child's education is only useful if families can navigate the deadlines and rules before the money is spoken for.

The Tax Commission says qualifying costs can include nonpublic school tuition, a single K-12 curriculum that covers core subjects, tutoring tied to those core subjects and transportation to and from a nonpublic school. The agency also warns that it does not preapprove every possible expense, which means families should keep careful records instead of assuming every education cost will count.

New guardrails matter for taxpayers

The program is also entering a more serious accountability phase. A new law changed some requirements for advance payments, though the state says it did not change the 2025 parental choice tax credit itself.

For advance payments, an eligible student must be at least 5 and no older than 19 by December 31, 2026. A student with a qualifying disability can be no older than 22 by that date. The rules also restrict program money for any semester when a student is considered enrolled in a public school or publicly funded entity, with limited exceptions for activities that do not award academic credit, public school sports or extracurriculars, and certain Idaho Digital Learning Alliance courses not paid for by the state.

That distinction is important for taxpayers as well as parents. The program sends state-backed support toward family education choices, but it also requires receipts, eligible expenses and repayment when money is spent outside the law. The Tax Commission says advance-payment recipients must keep invoices or receipts and later prove the money went to qualifying 2026 expenses. Money used outside the law can have to be repaid, with penalty and interest possible.

The result is a school-choice program that is no longer theoretical. Idaho families have a second shot at the remaining dollars, and the state now has to show it can move quickly while keeping the rules tight enough to protect public money.

Boise families tempted to treat Memorial Day as the unofficial start of river season are getting a clear answer from local agencies: not yet. In a May 22 notice, Boise Parks and Recreation, Ada County Parks & Waterways and the Boise Fire Department said the 2026 official float season has not opened because high, cold, fast water and unfinished hazard work still make the Barber Park to Ann Morrison Park run unsafe for ordinary summer use.

Why officials are holding the line

The Boise River is not a water park with fixed conditions. It is a working, changing river tied to mountain snowmelt, irrigation demand and water management decisions upstream. That matters for families, first-time floaters and the public safety crews who are expected to respond when a casual afternoon turns into a rescue.

Local agencies say current conditions remain too risky for the official season. The concerns are practical, not symbolic: fast water, cold temperatures, downed limbs, trees and other debris can change the difficulty of a run that many residents know only as a summer tradition. Before the season opens, Boise Fire still has to complete hazard work along the popular novice segment from Barber Park to Ann Morrison Park.

That work is part of the local system that makes the route more predictable. It does not remove every risk, and officials still describe the Boise River as a float-at-your-own-risk activity. But the opening announcement tells residents that flows, weather and hazard checks have reached the point where the route is better suited for the broad public, not just confident river users.

What has to happen before opening day

Float the Boise leaders are watching conditions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation and irrigators. An opening date is expected only after flows stabilize, warm weather becomes consistent and hazard mitigation is finished. Historically, those steps land in mid to late June. Last year, the official season began on June 20.

That timing is a useful reminder for a fast-growing Treasure Valley. The river belongs to the public, but safe access depends on local coordination, clear rules and residents waiting until the basics are ready. A premature rush puts more pressure on families, other river users and first responders. Patience is not glamorous, but it is cheaper than turning a holiday weekend into an avoidable emergency.

Safer ways to cool off this week

City officials are pointing residents toward alternatives while the river remains out of season. The Greenbelt, local parks, splash pads and interactive fountains are open options for families looking for outdoor time. Lucky Peak State Park and the swimming ponds around Esther Simplot Park are also listed as ways to cool off, though the city notes that lifeguards are not posted at designated ponds.

Free loaner life jackets are available near beach stands and through Idaho River Sports on North Whitewater Park Boulevard. Boise outdoor pools are scheduled to open for the season at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 27.

The bottom line is simple enough for parents planning the week: check the official Float the Boise updates before getting in, do not assume a warm afternoon means the river is ready, and treat the first safe float of the year as something local crews announce after the work is done. Idaho has plenty of summer ahead. The smart move is making sure families get to enjoy it without forcing public safety teams into preventable rescues.

Two Treasure Valley men were sentenced Friday in Ada County after pleading guilty to second-degree kidnapping in a case prosecutors described as a staged motorcycle photo meetup that became an hourlong assault in an Eagle subdivision under construction. The case is not just a crime blotter item. It is a reminder for Idaho families that public safety still depends on fast reporting, local police work, prosecutors who can prove facts, and courts willing to impose accountability.

The sentences and the case

District Judge Nancy Baskin sentenced 22-year-old Steen Thomas Lamb of Meridian to a 13-year prison term with three years fixed. Devin Larson, 21, of Eagle, received a seven-year term with two years fixed. Both men also received riders, which keep the court involved through a period of retained jurisdiction and allow later review of how they perform in prison programs.

Local reports from the hearing said the judge balanced that review option with a firm message about the rule of law. Lamb was identified in court coverage as the planner of the kidnapping. The sentencing follows guilty pleas to second-degree kidnapping connected to the Sept. 5, 2025, assault on Jordan Carrillo, who was 18 at the time.

How a social-media meetup turned dangerous

According to prosecutors cited in public reports, Carrillo had arranged through social media to meet someone who would photograph his motorcycle. He arrived at a subdivision under construction in Eagle, where Larson was present. After a photo was taken, prosecutors said Lamb appeared and used a Taser from behind.

Prosecutors said the men bound Carrillo's wrists and legs with zip ties, covered him with a bag, struck him repeatedly and shocked him more than once during an episode that lasted about an hour. They also said the defendants used his phone to send breakup messages to his girlfriend and warned him not to go to law enforcement. Those details matter because they show the case moved from online contact to physical control, threat and silence in one local setting.

Local police work closed the gap

Carrillo reported the incident around 2 a.m. to Star police. Eagle detectives took over after officials determined the reported crime happened in the Eagle Foothills. Public reports say both Eagle and Star receive policing through Ada County Sheriff's Office contracts, and prosecutors later credited Star Police, Eagle Police and the sheriff's office for the investigation.

This is the local-control part of the story. Eagle families do not experience public safety as an abstract budget line. They experience it through dispatchers who answer at 2 a.m., deputies who sort out jurisdiction, detectives who collect evidence and prosecutors who carry the case into court. When those pieces work together, a report that could have been buried by fear becomes a case with names, dates and sentences.

What families can take from it

The practical lesson is not panic. It is vigilance. Young adults meet people through phones every day, including for buying, selling, photos and hobbies. Parents, schools and neighborhoods can treat that reality seriously without turning every meetup into a lecture: choose public places, share the plan with someone trusted, keep transportation independent and call law enforcement quickly when a situation turns wrong.

The case also reinforces why accountable courts matter. Lamb and Larson now face prison terms, with Judge Baskin retaining a review path through the rider process. That structure gives the court tools to punish, monitor and, if earned, evaluate progress without pretending the conduct was minor. For Idaho communities, that is the sober civic balance: mercy can exist, but public order has to come first.

Idaho families should be able to trust ordinary local routines, from a motorcycle photo session to a drive through a growing subdivision. When that trust is abused, the answer is not national shouting or political theater. It is good local police work, clear prosecution and courts that make consequences real.

Idaho's dry year is no longer just a mountain snowpack story. With a statewide drought emergency active in all 44 counties, federal drought data showing about 900,300 Idaho residents living in drought areas, and water managers warning that spring rain did not erase the shortage, the summer test is moving toward farms, fire crews, property owners and families who depend on local water decisions.

Snowpack is already setting summer terms

The number that matters most for many Idaho irrigators is not how green the foothills looked after April storms. It is how much stored mountain water is left to move through rivers, reservoirs, canals and fields during the working part of the year.

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service reported that Idaho's statewide snowpack stood at 58 percent of normal on May 1. The same report, summarized by agricultural coverage in the region, noted that roughly three quarters of Idaho's surface water comes from snowpack. That makes a weak snow year a direct problem for growers, ranchers, city utilities and rural communities, not just a weather statistic.

The federal drought update for the West described Idaho's April 1 snow season as the state's lowest on record. It also said the 2025 to 2026 winter was exceeded for warmth only by 1933 to 1934. Drought.gov's current Idaho page shows the split in the numbers: April brought above-normal precipitation, but January through April remained 1.40 inches below normal statewide.

That is why a wet spring month can help lawns and trails without fixing irrigation math. Boise may be in better shape than harder-hit parts of the state, but the statewide picture still points to a summer of tighter choices.

Water rights are the pressure valve

The Idaho Department of Water Resources declared a statewide drought emergency on April 13 after approval from Gov. Brad Little. The practical effect is narrow but important. Under Idaho law, an approved drought declaration lets the department process temporary water-right changes and exchanges when those changes do not injure existing rights.

That matters because Idaho's water system runs on priority, paperwork and local trust. Farmers and other users need room to solve real shortages, but senior rights still have to mean something. The emergency order does not automatically unlock broad financial aid, and IDWR's drought declaration page says changes made under a drought declaration expire at the end of the year unless the director extends or ends them sooner.

For taxpayers and local governments, that keeps the debate concrete. The question is not whether the state can make it rain. It cannot. The question is whether agencies, counties and water users can move quickly enough to protect crops, domestic supply and public order while respecting Idaho's property-based water system.

Fire danger is not waiting for August

The National Interagency Fire Center's May outlook gives Idaho some breathing room, but not a free pass. Its Northern Rockies forecast calls for normal significant wildland fire potential through June. By July, the outlook points to above-normal potential in lower elevations of the Idaho Panhandle, with more northern Idaho risk showing up in August.

Normal fire potential is still fire potential. Dry fuels, wind, lightning and human mistakes do not wait for a headline. The same national outlook says its purpose is to help fire managers protect life, property, natural resources and firefighter safety while reducing firefighting costs. That is a public safety mission and a taxpayer issue at the same time.

For rural Idaho, the stakes are familiar: grazing land, timber, fences, homes on the edge of open ground, volunteer fire capacity and road access when smoke or closures hit. A dry summer turns those practical details into county-level decisions. Burn restrictions, defensible space, irrigation timing and emergency staffing are not abstract policy fights when a community is one wind shift away from trouble.

The local stakes are practical

The next phase will be measured in reservoir levels, delivery schedules, county fire restrictions, crop stress and household water habits. Families will feel it through outdoor watering rules, smoke days, food costs and the price of keeping public services ready. Growers will feel it through planting decisions, pasture conditions and the risk that a short water year turns into a short income year.

Idaho has handled hard water years before, but this one arrives with a record-low snowpack signal, a statewide emergency order and a fast-approaching fire season. That combination rewards preparation over drama. Local control only works when local institutions have accurate information, move on time and keep faith with the people who do the work.

The simple lesson is also the most Idaho one: water, land and public safety are connected. When the snowpack fails, the consequences do not stay in the mountains.

Boise's latest public safety story is not a new crisis. It is the absence of one.

According to Idaho Statesman reporting republished by Police1, the Boise Police Department has gone nearly 18 months without a police shooting. The last one listed by city records came in November 2024. That pause follows a difficult stretch: six police shootings in 2023, four of them fatal, and six more in 2024, including three fatal cases.

For a fast-growing capital city, that is more than a statistic for City Hall. It is a quality-of-life question for families, business owners, officers and neighborhoods that expect public order without needless tragedy. Boise is adding people, traffic, calls for service and political pressure. The public safety system has to absorb that growth without making every hard moment more dangerous.

Police Chief Chris Dennison has pointed to a practical mix: more scenario-based training, more distance and time on dangerous calls, and more tools short of a firearm. The Police1 account, drawing from Statesman reporting, says the department's less-lethal weapon use rose 57 percent in 2025, from 30 uses the year before to 47, while instances of officers pointing guns fell 18 percent, from 116 to 95. Pepper ball use also climbed from two deployments in 2024 to 18 in 2025.

Those numbers do not prove a single cause. Boise's own Office of Police Accountability has cautioned against reading too much into one year. But the pattern is worth attention because it points toward a public safety approach that is both firm and restrained. Officers still need authority, backup and tools. Residents also have an interest in tactics that create space before a split-second decision becomes permanent.

City records show the department has been building around that idea. Boise Police's 2025 Report to the Community says the city opened the new White Water Station on State Street, purchased a mobile command vehicle and rescue vehicle, added a third Behavioral Health Response Team and published a strategic plan. For 2026, the same report lists six additional detective positions, a shelter and support services liaison, a facilities master plan, more less-lethal resources and additional employee wellness training.

That is the unglamorous side of public safety, which is also the side taxpayers should watch most closely. Better facilities, trained detectives, crisis response capacity and less-lethal options do not make dramatic headlines by themselves. They matter because they give a growing city more ways to solve trouble before it becomes a fatal confrontation.

The accountability piece matters too. Boise's critical incident records explain that serious officer use-of-force cases are investigated by the Ada County Critical Incident Task Force, with an outside agency leading the criminal review and prosecutors determining whether laws were broken. The city's list of 2024 critical incidents includes officer-involved shootings on November 13 and November 10, among others. A February 2026 Office of Police Accountability report on a March 2024 hospital incident shows how detailed those reviews can become after a high-risk call.

The best reading of Boise's 18-month pause is not that the problem is solved. It is that local choices may be buying the city something valuable: time, options and a chance to keep order with fewer irreversible outcomes. Idaho communities are rightly skeptical of slogans from either side of national policing debates. Boise's current lesson is more concrete. Train officers, equip them well, review serious force openly, and measure whether families are safer at the end of it.

If the trend holds, Boise will have done something useful for the rest of Idaho. It will have shown that support for law enforcement and restraint in dangerous moments are not opposites. In a growing city, they may be the same public safety strategy.

Boise is one step closer to turning a long-planned riverfront park into a working public space for families, neighbors and youth sports.

The Harris family, known for its role in the Harris Ranch community, has committed $1.5 million to help move Alta Harris Park forward in east Boise. The project is planned for a 20-acre site near South Eckert Road and the Boise River, in the Barber Valley area near Harris Ranch.

The park has been part of Boise's public plans for years. Now the combination of city funding, impact fees and a major private gift gives the project a clearer path toward construction. It is a practical local example of how public needs can be met when families, neighborhoods and city leaders put real money behind shared amenities.

Alta Harris Park is planned as the seventh park in Boise's Ribbon of Jewels, the city's line of riverside community parks named for prominent local women. The site honors Alta Harris, the Harris family matriarch. For east Boise residents, the project would mean more than a name on a map. It would bring park space closer to growing neighborhoods, giving families a place for regular recreation without having to drive across town.

According to the City of Boise, phase one work at the site is already complete. That phase included frontage improvements along Eckert Road, including a pedestrian signal crossing, curbs, gutters, roadway drainage, trees, sidewalks, utilities, irrigation and entrances into the future park. Those are not flashy pieces of a park, but they are the groundwork that makes the rest possible.

The next stage is expected to begin in summer 2026. Boise's current plan says phase two may include parking, site grading, sidewalks, a Greenbelt path, a nature playground, bocce, restrooms, pavilions and soccer fields. The final list of amenities will depend on the bidding process and available funding.

The Idaho Statesman reported that Boise has set aside $3 million in its fiscal 2026 budget for the initial development phase, including core amenities such as parking, paths, restrooms, landscaping and green-up work. The city also expects to use $4.75 million in impact fees toward the project. A city spokesperson told the Statesman that full build-out is estimated at more than $11 million.

The Harris family's gift does not replace the city's role. It strengthens it. That matters. Growing communities need roads, utilities, parks and places where children can play and teams can practice. Those improvements cost money, and the best version of local growth is one where private legacy, neighborhood development and public planning reinforce each other instead of working at cross purposes.

The park also reflects a broader Boise identity. The Greenbelt and river corridor are not just scenery. They are part of how the city connects neighborhoods, recreation and daily life. Adding another community park along that corridor is a concrete investment in the kind of city people want to live in, raise children in and stay rooted in.

There is still work ahead. The city must complete design, bidding and construction decisions before residents see the full park open. But the latest funding news is a meaningful step. For a project that has waited a long time to become more than undeveloped land, Alta Harris Park now looks closer to becoming a useful, family-centered public space in one of Boise's growing neighborhoods.

BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) Mountain Home maintenance crew is actively mowing the I-84 shoulders, median, and gores, aiming to mitigate wildfire risks along this heavily trafficked route.

Major Mowing Effort Underway

By the end of the project, the crew will have cleared over 400 miles of vegetation along 64 miles of roadway. Historically, the team stops south of Boise, but with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Boise District providing a third tractor, they will extend their efforts up to Gowen Road this year.

Dedicated Team in Action

The four-person team, comprising three operators on mowers and one in a water truck, plans to complete the corridor mowing this week. Their work is crucial in reducing fire fuels along the highway.

Historical Context and Impact

Historical data underscores the importance of these efforts. The late 1900s and early 2000s saw a significant rise in wildfires along the I-84 corridor, often large and challenging to control, marking the area as one of the nation's largest wildfire hotspots.

Strategic Fuel Breaks and Results

In 2013, the BLM Boise District and ITD introduced a comprehensive fuel break strategy along I-84. This included mowing, constructing fuel breaks, and enhancing roadway aprons. These measures, coupled with ongoing fuel reduction efforts, have decreased the average fire size by 95% over the past seven years, even with a 30% increase in traffic flow.

BOISE, Idaho — In a move that underscores Boise State University's commitment to athletic excellence, the school has announced a new contract for Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey, praising his transformative impact since joining the institution in 2021.

A Rising Star in Collegiate Athletics

President Marlene Tromp, in a statement Tuesday, lauded Dickey as an "innovator" who has made an "incredible impact" on Boise State Athletics. While the terms of the new agreement remain undisclosed, the decision to extend Dickey's tenure comes well before his initial five-year contract was set to expire in December 2025.

"Jeramiah Dickey has made an incredible impact on Boise State Athletics, forging relationships within our community from the moment he arrived," President Tromp said. "His heart is in his work, and he is a Bronco through and through."

Fundraising Prowess

Under Dickey's stewardship, Boise State's athletic department has witnessed a remarkable surge in financial support:

- Over $70 million in donations and commitments since 2021

- 14 donations of at least $1 million from 10 different sources

- Three consecutive fiscal years surpassing $20 million in fundraising

The 2024 fiscal year saw $20.8 million raised, following record-setting amounts in 2022 ($24.1 million) and 2023 ($26.1 million).

Infrastructure and Vision

Dickey's influence extends beyond fundraising. He has been instrumental in spearheading facilities upgrades, including:

- Planned renovations to the north end of Albertsons Stadium

- Groundbreaking set for next year

- Completion expected before the 2026 football season

"Jeramiah is leading the way in collegiate athletics as an innovator," President Tromp noted, emphasizing his role in positioning Bronco Athletics for future success.

Looking Ahead

As collegiate athletics navigate a rapidly changing landscape, Boise State's decision to retain Dickey signals a confident stride into the future. With his proven track record and visionary leadership, the university seems poised to build upon its tradition of excellence.

"I am excited for the future and for Jeramiah to continue building on our tradition of excellence," President Tromp concluded, "helping us compete in the dynamic national landscape and positioning Bronco Athletics for What's Next."

In an era where athletic departments face unprecedented challenges and opportunities, Boise State's recommitment to Dickey's leadership may well be viewed as a strategic move to ensure continued growth and competitiveness on the national stage.

BOISE, Idaho — In a heart-wrenching conclusion to a 24-hour search, the body of Matthew Glynn, a 5-year-old boy with autism who went missing during his birthday celebration, was discovered Tuesday in a canal near his Northwest Boise home.

The discovery, made just before noon by members of Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue, brought a somber end to what Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar described as "a large-scale search effort" involving multiple agencies and community members.

"It is heartbreaking to have such a conclusion to this effort when we had hope to find Matthew alive," Chief Winegar said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. The police chief, visibly moved, added that there were no signs of foul play, characterizing the incident as "a tragic accident."

Matthew, who was nonverbal and described as being "drawn to water," was last seen wearing Batman pajamas and no shoes. He disappeared from his home near West State and Alamosa streets after 5 p.m. on Monday, during what should have been a joyous celebration of his fifth birthday.

The search mobilized significant resources from law enforcement and the community. Boise Fire Department personnel walked along the canals playing "Wheels on the Bus," Matthew's favorite song, in hopes of drawing him out. Drones, tracking dogs, and all-terrain vehicles were deployed, while a dive team conducted what Chief Winegar called a "risky operation" in the canals until darkness forced them to stop.

The incident has raised questions about safety measures around canals in residential areas, a common feature in this arid region where irrigation is crucial. Boise Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer expressed condolences to the family, stating, "Sadly, this is not the outcome we were all hoping for."

As the community grapples with this tragedy, it serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities of children with special needs and the importance of vigilance, especially near potentially hazardous areas like canals.

Local authorities have encouraged residents to sign up for Code Red alerts, a system used during the search that reached approximately 69,000 people within a 5-mile radius of Matthew's home.

As Boise mourns the loss of young Matthew Glynn, the incident underscores the unpredictable nature of such tragedies and the profound impact they have on tight-knit communities like this one in Idaho's capital.