Latest news with #KootenaiCountyRepublicanCentralCommittee
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Victoria Bauman wins Community Library Network seat
May 21—The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee completed a takeover of the Community Library Network Tuesday when its preferred candidate won a fifth seat on the board of trustees. Victoria Bauman beat Michelle Lippert with 57% of the vote. The seat was open after Trustee Tony Ambrosetti, who was appointed to fill a vacancy late last year, declined to run for a full term. Although Ambrosetti had conservative views aligned with the board majority, he was not officially endorsed by the KCRCC because he wasn't elected. Now, all five members of the board that oversees six libraries in Kootenai County outside of Coeur d'Alene, as well as Pinehurst Library in Shoshone County, were endorsed by the KCRCC's influential "rating and vetting" process. The result is an inverse of voters' recent backlash sweep against KCRCC candidates for the North Idaho College board in November. Library trustees are nonpartisan positions. Terms last six years. Bauman ran in support of the library board's recent actions restricting access to materials it considers "harmful to minors" under Idaho's Children's School and Library Protection Act that passed in 2024. Library staff plan to open a room storing a "mature content collection" for adult access only at the Post Falls Library. Lippert, a former longtime Post Falls school board trustee, was endorsed by the Library Alliance of North Idaho. She ran on concerns about board overreach interfering with parents' rights. James Hanlon's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School levies pass with strong margins in North Idaho
May 21—Voters approved levies for five North Idaho school districts Tuesday, reversing a trend for some districts that have struggled to pass funding measures in recent years. In Kootenai County, the Post Falls School District passed a $6 million levy with 62% in favor , Lakeland Joint School District passed a $7.5 million levy with 67% in support, and Plummer-Worley Joint School District passed a $900,000 levy with 59%. Notably, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee did not make endorsements for or against the levies as it has in the past. The Lakeland levy almost didn't make it onto the ballot until a sick school board member called in to a January meeting to break a tie vote. A $9.52 million levy had failed in November. The Boundary County School District passed a $2.4 million levy with 69% of the vote after another proposal failed in November. A well-organized information campaign and higher turnout helped turn things around, the Bonners Ferry Herald reported. Voters in the West Bonner School District in Priest River passed a slimmed down levy with 54.5% in favor after two years of failed attempts plunged the district into financial trouble. Voters approved the $2.35 million per-year levy for two years after rejecting a one-year $4.6 million levy last May and a $1.13 million levy in November. The district closed the junior high this school year, and private donations funded sports and extracurricular activities amid the budget cuts. West Bonner Superintendent Kim Spacek said the junior high will remain combined with the senior high school, and the levy will cover $614,000 for sports and extracurriculars. "I think most importantly this is a win for the kids and the community," Spacek said. "We faced some criticism in the last few years, but we are listening." Spacek, who was hired last summer, said he organized listening sessions in the community to answer questions and build trust. He said the school district has proposed a home learning network as an alternative option for parents, who would control the curriculum. The district plans to partner with Idaho-based distance teaching company Overture Learning and would provide support as needed with two teachers. "We are going to start slow," Spacek said. "We want to build a quality program." If the levy had not passed, the district would have had to close two of the three elementary schools and cut staff, Spacek said. James Hanlon's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Woman dragged out of Idaho town hall files complaint against sheriff, security
The woman who was dragged out of a Republican town hall in Coeur d'Alene in February intends to sue the county sheriff and the security team behind her removal. Teresa Borrenpohl filed a tort claim, or a legal complaint that puts other parties on notice for a civil lawsuit, in Kootenai County court Monday, according to a news release. Borrenpohl alleges her constitutional rights were violated by the security team and Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris when she was dragged out by her arms for jeering the emcee at the event, the release states. 'Town halls are intended to foster conversation and discourse across the aisle, which is why I am deeply alarmed that private security dragged me out of the public meeting for simply exercising my fundamental right of free speech,' Borrenpohl said in a statement. 'Since this disturbing incident, I have received an outpouring of support from people across the country, for which I am immensely grateful. Along with words of comfort and sympathy, folks have described similar acts of aggression in their own neighborhoods, reinforcing to me the importance of demanding accountability in my own case.' Borrenpohl, who is a former Democratic state legislative candidate, was jeering at the emcee and other people onstage at the Republican town hall hosted by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee at Coeur d'Alene High School on Feb. 22. She was forcibly removed by men in black jackets at the direction of Norris, video from the event shows. The men, who did not identify themselves at the time, were working as private security officers for Lear Asset Management, a California private security company. Coeur d'Alene police officers previously recommended some battery and false imprisonment charges against the five men working for Lear — Paul Trouette, Alexander Trouette, Christofer Berg, Russell Dunne and Jesse Jones — for allegedly grabbing or removing Teresa Borrenpohl and several other attendees, according to police reports. They have since been charged with a majority of those offenses, Coeur d'Alene Chief Deputy Prosecutor Ryan Hunter said last week. Norris is not considered a suspect, according to police reports, despite telling Borrenpohl to leave, grabbing her arms and trying to pull her from her chair and threatening her with pepper spray, video shows. Norris then gestured to the security team, and the men walked over and grabbed Borrenpohl, telling her to cooperate as Norris stood by, appearing to record the incident on a cellphone. As Borrenpohl screamed and asked Norris if the men were his deputies or if anyone knew who the men were, no one responded. Lear also never identified themselves, which led to the company losing its security license with the city. According to the claim, Borrenpohl was fearful of her safety since no one could identify the men dragging her out of the auditorium. At one point, she had to tuck her arms between herself and the floor to be able to breathe as she was being pinned down, the claim states. Video shows her being dragged by her arms as she kicks and screams. Borrenpohl was detained in the lobby for battery, but later released and the charges dropped. Borrenpohl came out of the incident with bruising, scratches and emotional distress caused by 'Sheriff Norris' actions and the actions of the unidentified men,' the claim says. 'Her clothing was damaged, and she was intentionally and willfully manhandled in a manner that harmed her dignity and reputation, causing her personal humiliation. Ms. Borrenpohl was terrified from the time the unidentified men approached her at Sheriff Norris's direction, and each act of Sheriff Norris, the unidentified men, and the others in the crowd encouraging their actions increased her fear.' The claim also names KCRCC chairman Brent Regan and emcee of the event Ed Bejarana. Regan gave statements after the event claiming it was private, when the event was actually public, according to the Coeur d'Alene school district. First Amendment free speech rights are generally more protected during public events as opposed to meetings conducting official government business. The claim asks for $5 million, plus attorney's fees, it says. Lear did not respond for comment. Norris' attorney, Kinzo Mihara, did not address the claim in an email sent Monday. Borrenpohl's attorney, Idaho First Amendment lawyer Wendy Olson, wrote in a statement: 'Today is the first step in the civil legal system for pursuing justice for Teresa and holding Lear Asset Management and Sheriff Norris responsible for the disturbing events that happened at the town hall event … We have put the county on notice that its public officials intentionally obstructed Teresa's constitutional rights and physically assaulted her in the process.'
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Woman Dragged From Republican Town Hall Seeks $5 Million In Damages
When Teresa Borrenpohl was dragged out of an Idaho town hall in February over her aggressive questioning of Republican officials — by dark-clad men who refused to identify themselves — it seemed like a scene ripped from The Handmaid's Tale, replete with a man on stage mocking her: 'She spoke up, and now she doesn't want to suffer the consequences.' The incident sparked national headlines, including coverage in The New York Times. And when Borrenpohl was initially cited with battery for resisting, the case seemed a dark harbinger for the erosion of civil liberties in the new Trump era. In recent days, however, the justice system appears to be righting itself. The Coeur D'Alene city attorney has filed battery and false imprisonment charges stemming from the town hall incident. Separately, Borrenpohl has moved to file a $5 million lawsuit against the sheriff; the men who dragged her from the town hall; and others she blames for her injuries, both constitutional and physical. The First Amendment nightmare unfolded on the afternoon of February 22, at a town hall meeting of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, held at the auditorium of Coeur D'Alene High School in northern Idaho. Borrenpohl, who previously ran for an Idaho state House seat as a Democrat, was a vociferous participant in the meeting, and was not shy about addressing local officials out of turn, including hollering at a moderator who asked the audience to pipe down: 'Is this a town hall or a lecture?' After these interruptions, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris approached Borrenpohl and told her to 'get up or get escorted out.' When she did not move, Borrenpohl was swarmed by men in dark shirts, who seized Borrenpohl by the arms and legs and literally dragged her from the auditorium. As seen on video, these men did not wear uniforms or identify themselves, and they ignored audience members who demanded they produce badges. It emerged later that these men were not in fact Norris' deputies; rather they were affiliated with a private security firm, LEAR Asset Management, which had volunteered its services for the event. (LEAR has since seen the city of Coeur D'Alene revoke its business license, reportedly for posing 'an immediate danger to the safety of the public.') Late last week, the City Attorney's office in Coeur D'Alene charged six men with crimes in relation to the town hall event. Four — Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Chistofer Berge, and Jesse Jones — are facing battery and false imprisonment charges. These four, along with a fifth man, also face charges for violating the duties, and the uniform requirements, of 'security agents.' A sixth man, apparently not involved with LEAR, Michael Keller, was also charged with battery. The treatment of Borrenpohl became national news, but a police report of the incident also identifies three other 'victims' from the town hall. The city attorney's charging announcement does not clarify who allegedly victimized whom. Sheriff Norris is also reportedly under investigation, but neither the Kootenai County Sheriff Department nor the Idaho Attorney General's office, which has oversight of elected sheriffs, responded to Rolling Stone requests for comment. On Monday, Borrenpohl filed a 'tort claim' — initiating civil litigation — against the sheriff, LEAR, Trouette, Dunne, Jones, and several others, seeking 'at least' $5 million in damages. Her complaint reads in part: 'Ms. Borrenpohl was fearful for her safety throughout the time the men assaulted her.' It adds: 'Because the men were unidentified, because Sheriff Norris directed them to physically remove her, and because of the manner in which they dragged her from the auditorium, Ms. Borrenpohl feared that she was being kidnapped.' Wendy Olson, an attorney for Borrenpohl, called the tort claim 'the first step' in 'pursuing justice for Teresa,' and she added: 'We have put the county on notice that its public officials intentionally obstructed Teresa's constitutional rights and physically assaulted her in the process.' More from Rolling Stone Trump and Republicans Are Leading an Open Assault on Free Elections 'Gun to the Head': Harvard Professors Sue Trump Admin Over Review of $9 Billion in Funding St. Lunatics Member Drops Lawsuit Against Nelly Over 'Country Grammar' Credits Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Teresa Borrenpohl files complaint against sheriff, security team that dragged her out of Coeur d'Alene town hall
Apr. 21—The woman who was dragged out of a Republican town hall in Coeur d'Alene in February intends to sue the county sheriff and the security team behind her removal. Teresa Borrenpohl filed a tort claim, or a legal complaint that puts other parties on notice for a civil lawsuit, in Kootenai County court on Monday, according to a news release. Borrenpohl alleges her constitutional rights were violated by the security team and Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris when she was dragged out by her arms for jeering the emcee at the event, the release states. "Town halls are intended to foster conversation and discourse across the aisle, which is why I am deeply alarmed that private security dragged me out of the public meeting for simply exercising my fundamental right of free speech," Borrenpohl said in a statement. "Since this disturbing incident, I have received an outpouring of support from people across the country, for which I am immensely grateful. Along with words of comfort and sympathy, folks have described similar acts of aggression in their own neighborhoods, reinforcing to me the importance of demanding accountability in my own case." Borrenpohl, who is a former Democratic state legislative candidate, was jeering at the emcee and other people onstage at the Republican town hall hosted by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee at Coeur d'Alene High School Feb. 22. She was forcibly removed by men in black jackets at the direction of Norris, video from the event shows. The men, who did not identify themselves at the time, were working as private security officers for Lear Asset Management, a California private security company. Coeur d'Alene police officers previously recommended some battery and false imprisonment charges against the five men working for Lear — Paul Trouette, Alexander Trouette, Christofer Berg, Russell Dunne and Jesse Jones — for allegedly grabbing or removing Teresa Borrenpohl and several other attendees, according to police reports. They have since been charged with a majority of those offenses, Coeur d'Alene Chief Deputy Prosecutor Ryan Hunter said last week. Norris is not considered a suspect, according to police reports, despite telling Borrenpohl to leave, grabbing her arms and trying to pull her from her chair and threatening her with pepper spray, video shows. Norris then gestured to the security team, and the men walked over and grabbed Borrenpohl, telling her to cooperate as Norris stood by, appearing to record the incident on a cell phone. As Borrenpohl screamed and asked Norris if the men were his deputies or if anyone knew who the men were, no one responded. Lear also never identified themselves, which led to the company losing its security license with the city. According to the claim, Borrenpohl was fearful of her safety since no one could identify the men dragging her out of the auditorium. At one point, she had to tuck her arms between herself and the floor to be able to breathe as she was being pinned down, the claim states. Video shows her being dragged by her arms as she kicks and screams. Borrenpohl was detained in the lobby for battery, but later released and the charges dropped. Borrenpohl came out of the incident with bruising, scratches and emotional distress caused by "Sheriff Norris' actions and the actions of the unidentified men," the claim says. "Her clothing was damaged, and she was intentionally and willfully manhandled in a manner that harmed her dignity and reputation, causing her personal humiliation. Ms. Borrenpohl was terrified from the time the unidentified men approached her at Sheriff Norris's direction, and each act of Sheriff Norris, the unidentified men, and the others in the crowd encouraging their actions increased her fear." The claim also names KCRCC chairman Brent Regan and emcee of the event Ed Bejarana. Regan gave statements after the event claiming it was private, when the event was actually public, according to the Coeur d'Alene School district. First Amendment free speech rights are generally more protected during public events as opposed to meetings conducting official government business. The claim asks for $5 million, plus attorney's fees, it says. Lear did not respond for comment. Norris' attorney, Kinzo Mihara, did not address the claim in an email sent Monday. Borrenpohl's attorney, Idaho First Amendment lawyer Wendy Olson, wrote in a statement: "Today is the first step in the civil legal system for pursuing justice for Teresa and holding Lear Asset Management and Sheriff Norris responsible for the disturbing events that happened at the town hall event ... We have put the county on notice that its public officials intentionally obstructed Teresa's constitutional rights and physically assaulted her in the process."
