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

City & County

A Contested Race for Gem County Commissioner

Three Republicans are running for the District 1 seat on the Gem County Commission in the May 19 primary: Paul Anderson, Scott Johnson, and Chris Oesterreich. With no Democratic challenger, whoever wins the primary effectively wins the seat.

Each candidate is positioning himself as a fiscally conservative voice for the people, with differences on growth, transparency, and how the county should engage with state and federal partners. Voters can find candidate questionnaires on Ballotpedia and watch for any community forums in the next two and a half weeks.

This race is on the same ballot as the school levy, so a single trip to the polls covers both decisions.

Schools

Levy Vote Now Less Than Three Weeks Away

The May 19 supplemental levy vote is now 19 days out. Here's what we haven't fully laid out yet — exactly what the $2.3 million per year would fund:

• $1 million for maintenance projects
• $700,000 for custodial services
• $300,000 for a new K-5 behavioral support program
• $225,000 for nursing — bringing the district from 2.5 nurses to 3 full-time
• $75,000 for supplemental materials, including a move away from Chromebooks toward more hands-on instruction

While the ballot will list the cost as $72.03 per $100,000 of assessed property value, the district expects roughly $1.9 million in HB-292 reimbursements. Once that's factored in, the actual cost to taxpayers comes down to about $10.48 per $100,000.

The district will know results by May 20. The budget is due to the newspaper by May 25.

Development

No new permits, ribbon cuttings, or development announcements this week.

Community

Jet Boat World Championship Comes to Emmett May 8-10

This is a big one. For the first time in 32 years, jet boat racing is returning to the Payette River — and Emmett is the opening leg of the 2026 World Championship.

Friday, May 8 — Time trials at Black Canyon Reservoir from 9 AM to 3 PM. Opening ceremony at the Roadhouse at the Mill from 5 PM to 8 PM, with a Show and Shine of all the boats.

Saturday, May 9 — Four full race legs between Black Canyon Reservoir and Horseshoe Bend, starting at 9 AM. After the racing, drivers and navigators will be at a meet and greet in Emmett (location TBD).

Sunday, May 10 — Two more legs in the morning before the race moves on to the Salmon River the following week.

The course runs 25 miles. Race teams come from around the world. Expect crowds — and a lot of business at every restaurant and gas station in town that weekend.

Garden Care Workshop in May

The Gem County Recreation District is hosting a Garden Care Workshop on Saturday, May 16 from 9-11 AM. Free, all ages welcome. Details on the GCRD events page.

Quick Notes

• Emmett School District board meets Monday, May 11 at 6:00 PM at the Butte View Complex.
• Zoning Commission hearings: Monday, May 11 at 6:00 PM at City Hall.
• Election Day: Tuesday, May 19. Polls open 8 AM to 8 PM. Two items on the ballot — Gem County Commissioner District 1 primary and the school district supplemental levy.

Sports

Softball: Mixed Week, One More Game to Go

The Huskies went 1-2 last week, dropping the conference tournament opener to Bishop Kelly 18-2 on the road, then bouncing back with a 6-5 home win over Caldwell in eight innings — a true grit-it-out kind of win. They closed Tuesday with a 13-6 loss at Vallivue.

Emmett sits at 6-12 overall and 5-9 in conference. One regular season game remains, against Skyview on Saturday in the conference tournament. Win or lose, the season featured real bright spots — particularly the production from Reynolds, Scheibe, and Haskins covered in last week's issue.

Baseball: Picking Up Steam at the Right Time

After a brutal stretch, the Emmett baseball team finally found a rhythm. The Huskies shut out Caldwell 10-0 on the road on April 23 (their second 10-0 win over Caldwell this season) and followed it up with a 9-5 road win at Nampa on Saturday.

The week wasn't all good — a 10-0 loss at Bishop Kelly on April 27 and a 9-2 conference tournament loss to Vallivue on Wednesday closed out the regular season. But two wins in a week is the kind of finish that builds something for next year.

Final regular season records: 4-21 overall, 2-10 in conference. The season is complete for baseball.