Good morning, Emmett. Here's what happened around town this week.

City & County

Dog Impound Fee Increase on the Table

The Emmett City Council held a public hearing Tuesday on a proposed increase to dog impounding fees. The first-day fee would jump from $20 to $65, with additional days going from $15 to $21. No word yet on whether the council voted to approve the change.

Merrill's Pit: Decision Pushed to May 26

After two packed nights of public testimony on April 6 and 7, Gem County commissioners did not make a decision on the Merrill's Pit gravel project. Nearly 130 people attended the first night, with over 90 returning for night two.

Commissioner Earl DeFur recused himself after having testified on the project as a private citizen before being appointed commissioner in January. Concerns raised included fugitive dust, health impacts, property values, truck traffic near Emmett High School, and road safety on Star Lane. Supporters, including longtime local business owner Travis Webb, pointed to good-paying local jobs and economic trickle-down to area businesses.

Granite Excavation's representatives closed with a rebuttal on noise, traffic, and site restoration plans. Commissioners will deliberate on May 26 at 6:00 PM at the Gem County Annex.

Schools

School Board Sets Budget Hearing, Approves Three-Year Audit Contract

The Emmett School Board met April 13 and took care of several pieces of business. The board unanimously approved a three-year audit contract with Quest CPAs, their current firm. Crystal, the district's financial officer, noted that Quest was roughly a third of the price of the only other firm that responded to inquiries, and the three-year deal locks in pricing.

The board also set the annual budget hearing for June 15 at 4:00 PM, which falls within the statutory deadline.

On the budget itself, the district recently transitioned to new Skyward accounting software, and reporting is still catching up. Some numbers in the monthly reports had glitches — revenue appearing as debits instead of credits, doubling the displayed budget total. The board acknowledged the data is unreliable this month and expects cleaner reports going forward.

Levy Update: What Happens If It Fails

During the superintendent's report, the board previewed what a levy failure could look like: personnel reductions, cuts to supplies and curriculum budgets, reduced athletics and activity funding, and fewer assistant coaching positions. With 78% of the district's budget going to personnel, staffing would be the hardest-hit area. The May 19 vote is just over a month away.

New EHS Leadership for Next Year

Stu Peterson, currently vice principal at Emmett High School, will step into the principal role for 2026-2027. Lisa Hargitt, currently an instructional coach, will serve as vice principal. Both appointments are pending board approval.

Development

Zoning Commission Hearings Held April 6

The Emmett Zoning Commission met as scheduled on April 6 to hear the Wildflowers subdivision, Riverside Church special use permit, and the 35-acre annexation. A new round of hearings is set for May 11 at 6:00 PM at City Hall with three new items: a preliminary plat update for Wildflowers, a special use permit for a True North School office at 861 E. 12th St, and a rezoning request for about 19 acres at 1033 E. 12th St to commercial.

SH-16 Corridor Hits 50% Mark

ITD's latest progress update says the SH-16 extension between I-84 and SH-44 is now 50% complete, still targeting a mid-2027 opening. Separately, the Valnova overpass project at Valnova Drive will have lane shifts and flaggers through December 2026.

Community

Emmett Fire Department Open House Today

The Emmett Fire Department is hosting a push-in ceremony and open house today (Thursday, April 16) at 10:30 AM.

Rotary: New EHS Principal Speaking April 22

The Emmett Rotary Club will host Stu Peterson, the incoming Emmett High School principal, as their speaker on Wednesday, April 22.

Quick Notes

• The next Emmett City Council meeting is Tuesday, April 28 at 5:30 PM at City Hall.
• The Emmett Zoning Commission's next round of hearings is May 11 at 6:00 PM.
• The Merrill's Pit deliberation is May 26 at 6:00 PM at the Gem County Annex.

Sports

Softball: Vallivue Hands Huskies a Tough Loss

Emmett fell to Vallivue 17-3 on April 10 at home. Junior Chloe Scott was one of the bright spots, going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Junior Avery Reynolds also went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a double.

Baseball: Korell Leads Huskies to 10-0 Win Over Caldwell

The best game of the season for the Emmett baseball team came on April 7 when the Huskies shut out Caldwell 10-0. Junior Layden Korell had a huge day, going 3-for-4 with two runs, a stolen base, and an RBI. Senior Gabe Fullerton went 1-for-2 with a double and a career-high two stolen bases.

The momentum was short-lived — Emmett fell to Nampa 10-3 on April 9, with Korell again providing the offense (2-for-4, stolen base, run, RBI). The Huskies also lost to Vallivue 11-3 on April 3, though senior Chris Fowler reached base all three times he was up and stole a base.