Education · Moscow, ID
The Moscow School District is asking voters to approve a seven-year facility levy providing $9.37 million per year for projects totaling an estimated $64 million, requiring 60% of the vote on Nov. 3. Key projects include converting the Moscow Middle School building on D Street into a high school with career technical education spaces, renovating the old Russell Elementary building on Adams Street for district offices and Paradise Creek Regional High School students, and replacing Lena Whitmore Elementary's HVAC system. The levy would cost taxpayers approximately $280 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value annually. Superintendent Shawn Tiegs said Thursday that the current high school, dating to the 1930s, lacks adequate facilities including athletic fields.
Local Politics · Latah County
Incumbent Republican Julie Fry and Democratic challenger Shannon May are competing for the Latah County auditor seat in the Nov. 3 general election. Fry, seeking a second term, said she plans to continue budget-cutting efforts after the end of American Rescue Plan Act funding, add early voting at the UI Student Union Building, revamp poll worker training, and digitize county records. May, a former educator who worked as a poll worker judge and deputy clerk for the county, said she wants to cross-train staff, address reported ballot errors, improve poll worker training, and enhance the county website with election information. May also stated that Fry has been unresponsive to residents' concerns and has brought partisan politics into budget discussions.
Local Politics · Latah County
Incumbent BJ Swanson, a Democrat from Troy, seeks her third term as Latah County Treasurer against Republican Peggy Gottschalk in the Nov. 3 general election. Swanson advocates for a local option sales tax to fund a new county jail and highlights replacing outdated tax software with an online payment system. She credits Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and Home Depot establishing locations in Moscow for lowering property taxes over the past five years. Gottschalk, a University of Idaho accounting graduate with more than 40 years in the industry, emphasizes minimizing bureaucratic hurdles and running the office efficiently to reduce taxpayer burden.
Community brief · Moscow, ID
The University of Idaho College of Science will host its free Vandal Science Day on Monday, Nov. 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Moscow campus. The event is open to all ages, with a focus on high school students, families and school groups, offering more than 25 hands-on activities and demonstrations. Activities include topics such as fossils, biology, environmental science, mathematics and medical sciences, along with natural history…
