Emergency crews stay busy over holiday weekend
Shoshone County Sheriff's Office K9 Cpl. Dustin photographs seized evidence from Saturday's recovery of a stolen vehicle, originally stolen from Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg.
Photo courtesy of SHOSHONE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
Another busy Memorial Day Weekend in Shoshone County is in the books and, as of Monday afternoon, it appears that everyone came out of it A-OK.
In the past, this time of the year has been known for alcohol and/or recreational related fatalities, but the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office is happy to report that no such incidents occurred over this last weekend.
"There was a lot that happened this weekend, but as of right now (Monday afternoon), no deaths have occurred," SCSO Cpt. Jeff Lee said.
Statistics back up the Captain's point that emergency crews were certainly busy.
On the law enforcement side of things, personnel from agencies including SCSO, the Pinehurst Police Department, the Kellogg Police Department, Idaho State Police, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Bureau of Land Management, and even the U.S. Border Patrol were responsible for conducting around 100 separate traffic stops in Shoshone County — many coming from the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River.
One notable incident included the recovery of a stolen vehicle from Silver Mountain in Kellogg following a pursuit (and foot chase) that ended in the Eagle Creek area Saturday night. SCSO personnel also issued 16 minor in possession (MIP) citations during one incident after breaking up a juvenile party on the North Fork.
In addition to those incidents, Cpt. Lee mentioned multiple non-fatal crashes (including a motorcycle vs. bicycle collision) and at least one DUI arrest occurring.
SCSO bookings reports indicate that four individuals were booked into the Shoshone County Jail between May 28 through May 30.
On the fire/medical side of things, Crews from Shoshone County Fire Districts 1 and 2 responded to a combined total of 23 calls from Friday to Sunday (FD No. 1-5, FD No. 2- 18). Firefighters Logan Robideaux with SCFD No. 2 and Noah Guinard with SCFD No. 1 report no major incidents or injuries coming from those calls.
"Everything (was) normal medical calls with everything from lift assists and blood sugar issues to dehydration," Robideaux said.
If Monday passes with no reported fatalities (zero as of 2:30 p.m. press time), this will be the second year in a row that none have been reported. From 2016 to 2019 (possibly going back further), a preventable death (involving motorized vehicles, alcohol, and/or the Coeur d'Alene River) had been recorded within Shoshone County on Memorial Day Weekend.
SCSO has estimated previously that since Shoshone County is such a popular recreation destination, the population of the county grows by 5,000-plus people during this holiday weekend.