Boise, Twin Falls to receive Afghanistan refugees
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 4 months AGO
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | September 16, 2021 1:00 AM
The cities of Boise and Twin Falls are the only two in Idaho selected to receive refugees from Afghanistan.
The administration of President Joe Biden on Wednesday began notifying governors and state refugee coordinators across the country about how many Afghan evacuees from among the first group of nearly 37,000 arrivals are slated to be resettled in their states.
“As of September 10th, Idaho has not been instructed as to the number of and when refugees are expected to arrive,” according to a factsheet on Afghanistan from Gov. Brad Little’s office.
Little urged President Biden to uphold “stringent vetting standards.”
“Governor Little has also directed the Idaho State Police to work directly with local refugee coordinators in Boise and Twin Falls to ensure all incoming refugees are vetted through the state’s criminal database,” according to the factsheet.
Marissa Morrison Hyer, Little's press secretary, said Wednesday the governor's office has been in communication with the Department of Homeland Security on this matter, but has not heard directly from the White House.
The factsheet also said the continuation of refugee resettlement in Idaho “should not detract from the bigger immigration crisis facing our country — the open border within Mexico.
“We must continue to focus our efforts on encouraging the President and Congress to act and protect our country by ending illegal immigration from Mexico.”
MORE LOCAL-NEWS STORIES
ARTICLES BY BILL BULEY
Coeur d'Alene Historic Preservation Commission chair: 'An unfortunate incident'
Fire department trains on older home targeted for demolition before review hearing takes place
The City Council in November adopted a new section in the Historic Preservation Code creating a demolition review process for historic residential and commercial structures built before 1960.
Coeur d'Alene fire department damages historic home before preservation committee review
Older home inadvertently used for fire department training before Historic Preservation Commission review
“Unfortunately, the property owner granted permission to the Fire Department to conduct their training activities prior to the review and even though the demolition permit had not been issued,” a fire department press release said. “The Fire Department was not aware of the demolition review meeting scheduled for the subject property.”
Police eye designs for new building
Captain says operations have been maintained since last year's fire
The new police building will have a sprinkler system, which its predecessor did not because when it was acquired in 2016, it wasn't required that it have a sprinkler system as it was predominately used for storage.