Coronavirus: Coeur d’Alene casino to open in May, Boise State to hold online graduation
The Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council will begin reopening the reservation, starting with a limited opening of the casino in Worley on Monday.
The tribal council created a local task force that outlined what the phased opening of the reservation would look like, according to a news release from the tribe. The task force is made up of tribal leaders and medical professionals, among others.
“We made the difficult decision to enact an early stay-home order and shut down the casino, which is an essential tribal operation that keeps many of our other vital programs running,” Ernie Stensgar, chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, said in a news release. “Our swift and deliberate actions worked to keep our community safe. The curve has flattened in our region.”
Coronavirus cases have not been reported within the Coeur d’Alene Reservation or Benewah County. Just north of there, in Kootenai County, where the tribe’s casino is located, 59 cases of COVID-19 had been reported as of Thursday.
The casino closed on March 20, five days before Gov. Brad Little announced his statewide stay-home order.
On Monday, the casino will have a limited opening before it will fully reopen to the public on Friday, May 1. The casino will have enhanced safety measures, such as “physical distancing, aggressive cleaning and sanitation guidelines, and mandatory face covering protocols” for all guests and employees, according to the news release.
Those who go to the casino will notice limited seating at restaurants, certain gaming machines powered off to space out players, and required face masks or covering for everyone on casino property, among other changes.
For information on the casino’s health and safety protocols, visit cdacasino.com/covid19.
Fundraiser started for The Arc in Boise
The Boise branch of The Arc, an organization that serves hundreds of Idahoans with intellectual or developmental disabilities, is seeking donations.
The organization, which has two assisted living facilities for up to 17 people, has been threatened due to the coronavirus pandemic and is looking to the community for support.
Most programs through The Arc are funded through Medicaid and Idaho Vocational Rehabilitation, but that does not cover everything. The organization also runs a call center and clothing donation program with Savers Thrift Stores, but the pandemic has closed the donation center.
“Without this additional revenue we will not be able to continue to exist,” the organization said on a GoFundMe page.
For information, go to thearcinc.org.
Boise State to hold virtual graduation ceremony; state universities to delay graduations
For the first time, all Boise State University graduates won’t walk across a stage, but rather be at home for commencement.
The university announced it will hold a virtual graduation ceremony honoring spring 2020 graduates at 10 a.m. Mountain time on Saturday, May 9. The ceremony will be available for all online, and can be streamed at boisestate.edu/commencement or at facebook.com/BoiseState University.
Boise State has over 2,700 students who are eligible for 3,200 degrees, according to a news release from the university.
“Your class is resilient and special — you will leave a lasting legacy at Boise State University, and I can’t wait to honor you and your achievements,” said Boise State President Marlene Tromp to soon-to-be graduates in a news release. “I hope you will join us on May 9 and celebrate together with your classmates!”
Those graduating this semester are encouraged to upload photos and videos at boisestate.edu/commencement and post to social media with the hashtag #BoiseStateGrad for a chance to be seen during the virtual graduation.
Boise State is also planning an in-person graduation ceremony in December for any spring 2020 graduates who want to participate, the news release said.
The University of Idaho announced earlier this week that it will hold a summer graduation ceremony in lieu of a spring ceremony, according to the university’s website. The ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 1 in Moscow, and will take the place of the university’s spring graduation events at its campuses across Idaho, which were canceled. U of I graduates can also participate in graduation ceremonies in December and in May 2021.
Idaho State University is allowing recent graduates to attend in-person graduation ceremonies this December or in May 2021 in Pocatello and Boise.
March passenger numbers fall at Boise Airport
The number of passengers who went through the Boise Airport in March dropped nearly 50% year-over-year.
In March 2019, officials reported 333,953 passengers traveling through the airport. In March 2020, as fears over the new coronavirus spread and many travelers opted not to fly, only 168,911 people traveled through the airport.
That number mirrors national rates of airplane travel, which have plummeted, according to data from the Transportation Security Administration.
Testing numbers jump, cases stay low
Just under 1,000 coronavirus tests were reported for Idaho residents Thursday, a significant increase in tests performed for the state.
Of those tests, only 33 came back positive for the coronavirus. Of those 33 new cases, 11 were found to be from Nez Perce County, as well as seven new cases from Canyon County and six from Ada County, among others.
Cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in 32 of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 606, Adams 3, Bannock 5, Bingham 3, Blaine 478, Bonner 4, Bonneville 16, Camas 1, Canyon 212, Caribou 1, Cassia 12, Custer 2, Elmore 26, Fremont 2, Gem 10, Gooding 8, Idaho 3, Jefferson 4, Jerome 36, Kootenai 59, Latah 4, Lincoln 21, Madison 5, Minidoka 7, Nez Perce 46, Owyhee 6, Payette 10, Power 2, Teton 7, Twin Falls 124, Valley 2 and Washington 1.
Idaho has community transmission in 14 counties: Ada, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Madison, Payette, Teton and Twin Falls.
Ada County working to resolve ballot problems for primary election
Some voters in Ada County report getting two ballots for the May 19 primary, while others are still waiting on their first one.
Chelsea Carattini, spokeswoman for the Ada County elections office, said there were two reasons for that.
If you live in District 16 (which includes Garden City) or District 17 (which covers most of the Boise Bench), your ballot was initially sent out with errors for legislative races. The second ballot you receive should have corrected the error, and you should use that one to vote.
Haven’t received a ballot at all? That’s because Ada County is receiving what Carattini called in a news release “an unprecedented volume of ballot requests” for the election, which will be conducted entirely by mail. Voters are encouraged to wait until May 1 before contacting the elections office to ask about ballot status.
Adam and Eve adult stores open for curbside pickup
Adam and Eve stores in Idaho, which sell novelty products, lingerie and other adult items, are open for curbside pickup, district manager Kraig McGee said on Friday. There are six locations in Idaho, including in Boise and Nampa.
McGee said customers may call ahead with a request, order online or go into the store to look at merchandise and point to any product they want to purchase.
The decision to open was made when Little modified his extension of the stay-home order for businesses so that they could open and provide curbside pickup.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 9:10 AM.
