After crunch, Idaho begins mailing ballots + Tribes hit hard by wildfires + Column: Free health screening

By Christina Lords | Editor-in-Chief

Absentee ballots are prepared to be mailed at the Wake County Board of Elections on September 17, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

ELECTION 2026

Ahead of 2026 midterm elections, Idaho officials begin mailing ballots to overseas, absentee voters

By Kyle Pfannenstiel

The finalization of ballots in Idaho follows after a weekslong crunch to change contested language for an abortion legalization ballot initiative and attempts by the Trump administration to implement a federal rule that could’ve made last-minute changes to ballots.

The Columbia Princess Ferry stays on the Gifford side of the Columbia River as the Modrite Fire exhibits extreme fire behavior just south of Inchelium, Washington. Fires in the state hit tribes particularly hard this year. (Photo courtesy of Colville Tribal Broadcasts, News and Information)

ENVIRONMENT

Tribes hit hard by wildfires face health effects, cultural losses

By Nada Hassanien

Tribal leaders across Washington and Oregon told Stateline that this year’s record-breaking wildfires burned timber that they rely on for income, threatened food sources and waterways, and harmed the health of their communities. Power outages left families without food they’ve hunted or gathered and frozen.

Hotter, drier conditions driven by climate change already have made wildfires nationwide more frequent and intense, a trend that is expected to accelerate. Substandard housing and higher rates of acute and chronic underlying health conditions, including respiratory illnesses, make tribal communities more vulnerable during and after the fires.

The Kuna Lions Club is sponsoring health screening for vision, hearing and diabetes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 10 at Kuna’s community center. (Photo by Getty Images)

COMMENTARY

If a diabetes screening is free, get it. An upcoming event in Southwest Idaho can help.

By Chuck Malloy

Terry Reilly’s service doesn’t stop with the screening. It’s also a resource, and a relatively affordable one, writes guest columnist Chuck Malloy.

MORE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL NEWS FROM US

Oregon has one of the nation’s largest funding gaps to meet road maintenance needs | Mia Maldonado
Rural women who got C-sections more likely to be prescribed opioids at home, study finds | Nada Hassanein
Trump rapid third-country removal policy blocked at appeals court | Ariana Figueroa

ICYMI

Shining a light on other Idaho politics reporting

Note: Some links may lead to stories behind a news organization's paywall

Boise State Public Radio: Analysis: 2025 saw a $1.3B dip for public land agency contractors
Coeur d’Alene Press: Kootenai County commissioner proposes billing cities for law enforcement services
Idaho EdNews: Cuts to successful reading program leave schools struggling to find a replacement
Idaho State Journal: ISU advances plans for 370-bed public-private student housing complex on Bartz Field
Valley Lookout: ‘We’re not blind to what’s coming’: Valley Co. wants Australian mining company to offset local impacts

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