Coronavirus: Annual Emmett Cherry Festival canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions
There will not be an Emmett Cherry Festival in 2020.
The festival recently announced the 86th annual event will not take place “due to the impact of the COVID-19 Stage 4 restrictions,” according to the festival’s website. The free family festival was scheduled to take place from June 17-20.
In Stage 4 of Idaho Rebounds, the government’s plan to reopen Idaho amid the coronavirus pandemic, gatherings of more than 50 people can occur, as long as physical distancing and precautionary measures are taken.
The rough time frame of when Stage 4 would take place is June 13-26, when the cherry festival was scheduled to take place. However, the decision to move forward into new stages is up to the state government, and dates could change.
Since the 1930s, the Emmett Cherry Festival has taken place every June. The festival attracts over 50,000 people, according to its website.
Events with the festival normally include dozens of vendors, a parade, a carnival and free entertainment during the days and nights.
Tamarack to reopen with summer lift rides, mountain biking and more
Tamarack Resort announced Wednesday that it will begin to resume some of its summer activities in stages after ending its ski season early due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Donnelly-area resort was one of several local ski areas to shutter in mid-March shortly after Idaho confirmed its first cases of COVID-19.
According to a news release, Tamarack will resume scenic ski lift rides on the Tamarack Express on May 21, just ahead of Memorial Day weekend. The following day, it will open its Waterfront Cabana boat rentals, which include motorized pontoon and wake boats, as well as kayaks and standup paddleboards.
Depending on snowmelt, Tamarack aims to open lift-served mountain biking on May 28 and zipline tours by June 6. Finally, the resort plans to resume guided whitewater rafting trips in mid-June.
“We appreciate the leadership of the governor, the Valley County Commissioners, and our front-line first responders who have worked tirelessly to keep us safe during this pandemic,” said Scott Turlington, Tamarack president, in the news release. “Our team has worked hard to reimagine every aspect of the Tamarack experience to ensure the health, safety, and comfort of everyone who will come and play at Tamarack’s mountain playground this summer.”
Officials said resort employees have received workplace training on proper COVID-19 procedures and will be temperature-checked daily. The resort has also installed plexiglass dividers in some locations, as well as hand sanitizer dispensers and social distancing markers. Complimentary masks will be available to guests who do not bring their own.
Flyovers set for Friday to honor health care workers, first responders
Starting at 10 a.m. Friday, pilots from the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing and Mountain Home Air Force Base’s 366th Fighter Wing will perform a joint flyover in 11 Idaho communities to honor medical providers, first responders and essential workers throughout the state.
Pilots flying two F-15E Strike Eagles and two 124th Fighter Wing A-10 Thunderbolts will fly over health care facilities in the Treasure Valley and in Eastern Idaho.
“The service members, civilians and families of the Idaho military community appreciate the sacrifices made by all essential workers throughout the state of Idaho,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Garshak, Idaho adjutant general, in a news release Wednesday.
The Idaho Air Guard released an estimated flight itinerary for the flyovers:
- West Valley Medical Center, Caldwell, 10 a.m.
- Nampa’s Saltzer Health, 10:01 a.m.
- Saint Alphonsus Medical Center Nampa, 10:02 a.m.
- St. Luke’s Meridian Medical Center, 10:03 a.m.
- Saint Alphonsus, Boise, 10:04 a.m.
- St. Luke’s, downtown Boise, 10:05 a.m.
- Boise VA Medical Center, 10:06 a.m.
- St. Luke’s Elmore Medical Center, Mountain Home, 10:13 a.m.
- Hailey’s St. Luke’s Clinic, 10:29 a.m.
- Ketchum’s St. Luke’s Clinic, 10:31 a.m.
- Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Idaho Falls, 10:55 a.m.
- Mountain View Hospital, Idaho Falls, 10:55 a.m.
- Portneuf Medical Center, Pocatello, 11:04 a.m.
- Cassia Regional Hospital, Burley, 11:17 a.m.
- St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center, Twin Falls, 11:23 a.m.
Residents are asked to watch the flyovers from home or work and refrain from traveling to the locations to observe them in groups.
Dozens of new cases reported Tuesday in Idaho
Idaho saw 33 new reported cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, the largest single-day rise in over two weeks.
The state’s seven health districts reported cases in nine counties, including Ada, Twin Falls, Power and Bingham. Most notably, five new cases were reported in Washington County, a place that had only one reported case at the beginning of this week.
As of Tuesday night, Idaho had 2,107 reported cases of the coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
As of Tuesday, coronavirus cases have been reported in 33 of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 701, Adams 3, Bannock 9, Bingham 6, Blaine 496, Bonner 4, Bonneville 17, Camas 1, Canyon 254, Caribou 1, Cassia 15, Custer 2, Elmore 30, Fremont 2, Gem 12, Gooding 17, Idaho 3, Jefferson 4, Jerome 67, Kootenai 64, Latah 5, Lemhi 1, Lincoln 27, Madison 12, Minidoka 9, Nez Perce 70, Owyhee 8, Payette 14, Power 3, Teton 10, Twin Falls 231, Valley 2 and Washington 7.
Community spread has been found in 13 Idaho counties: Ada, Bannock, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Lemhi, Owyhee, Madison, Payette, Teton and Twin Falls.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 9:42 AM.
