This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, a link to a CBS News piece about a young Montana CH-47 helicopter pilot. (See the Montana section.)
Idaho
Idaho death by suicide rate lower than 2018 despite COVID-19
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Gas prices slipping across Idaho
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Passenger goes missing after rollover crash in eastern Idaho
Montana
Mail-ballot security in MT: Verification, tracking, secrecy, counting
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Montana broker sentenced to prison for multimillion-dollar fraud scheme
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19-year-old Montana helicopter pilot joins the fight against wildfires in California. This CBS news story, which was aired nationally, began:
“A 19-year-old helicopter pilot has joined the fight to help extinguish the wildfires that have burned 3 million acres in California. Ashli Blaine is just a teenager, but she flies one of the largest helicopter — the 40,000-pound CH-47 Chinook.
“You could say it’s the family trade,” Blaine told CBS News. “My dad’s been fighting fires for close to 30 years now. As soon as I got into flying I knew that was going to be one of my end goals was to get into firefighting.”
Flying as her dad’s co-pilot, Ashli makes sure the water they’re carrying hits its target.
“You have to be able to lean out the window basically and look at a water bucket underneath you and guide it where you want to go,” she said.
“Sometimes we can be flying in very adverse conditions,” Blaine said. “Thick smoke or just lots of other aircraft working with us that we have to be cognizant of.”
Note: The photo of Ashli Blaine at the top of this column is courtesy of CBS News.
Eastern Oregon
Bend Police Recover Two Stolen Vehicle
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Tech Sgt. Phil Chaperon of The Dalles, Oregon: Celebrating his 100th year. Here is a quote:
“The 100th birthday of Tech Sgt. Phil Chaperon, a three-year resident of the Oregon Veterans Home The Dalles, was celebrated Wednesday, Sept. 9, with a parade, fly-over and a host of family and guests.
Due to strict COVID-19 guidelines in place at the Veterans Home, Chaperon viewed the events through the windows of a bus, attended by a caregiver. Speaking at the event was The Dalles Mayor Rich Mays, as well and Councilor Rod Runyon, who also represented the Patriot Guard riders attending for the parade. Local law enforcement officers, including the Wasco County Sheriff’s mounted posse, were also well represented.
In addition to remarks made by Mayor Mays, a number of letters were read, thanking Chaperon for his service, including one signed by President Donald Trump.”
Eastern Washington
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1-year-old child killed as family tries to flee Cold Springs Fire, parents severely burned
Wyoming
Green River wind storm damage likely in millions. A pericope:
“Hurricane-force winds that struck a Wyoming city likely caused millions of dollars in damage and could take up to six months to clean up.
Winds topping 80 mph blasted Green River and other areas of southwestern Wyoming on Sept. 7 and 8.
The wind and a snowstorm damaged hundreds of trees and left over 6,000 residents without power, city spokesman Steve Core said.
Damages still being assessed are likely in the millions, Core added.”
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Wyoming Lawmakers Eye End to Tax Break for New Wind Projects
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Moving out to the Redoubt: Stag Arms has completed their move to Cheyenne, Wyoming. (They were formerly located in New Britain, Connecticut.)
Send Your News Tips
Please send your American Redoubt region news tips and event announcements to JWR. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.
I watched that about the teen pilot and she is awesome. Talent like that is highly sought after especially these days when we can’t fill jobs with anything but unqualified and unmotivated.
Yeah, normally if the news is on, I’m waiting for a weather report, but this story caught my ear.
A pretty neat story. Something tells me she’s going to get recruited by somebody before she finishes her freshman year.
She’s a good candidate for the program at West Point. I can just see her showing up for flight school at Fort Rucker and saying: “Can we just skip to the Check Ride?”
Your comment made my day … the Red hat special … I hope she goes all the way to space … thank you for the belly laugh.
There were a lot of “Teen Pilots” in the Nam … not all came home, some are here but not yet home. Today we send mothers with babies into combat, lot’s of them flying and doing a wonderful job. I have to wonder what will become of those mothers who never came home, and those who are home but haven’t yet come back.
This young lady is a great role model for all, she’s living my dream … but then what do I now? I’m just an old fart.
Lt. Mike, I appreciate your reminder of the teenage chopper pilots fifty years, and more, ago.
There were a lot of “Teen Pilots” in the Nam … not all came home, some are here but not yet home.
Indeed, some not yet home.
Carry on
As well as many other “teenagers” who were there.
It´s an american luxury, that they fight their wars far from home since the ACW.
A luxury most if other societies didn´t´ve.
Remember Lady Agnes and her sisters, look into besieged citie´s Carthage, Jerusalem, Rome, Paris or Samarkand and in more modern times the bombardment of Coventry and Leipzig.
The same goes for campaigns of armies, woman didn´t wear a uniform but they were none the less part of war, participients of war and they´d children often enough babies
How different would it be if the father didn´t come home yet ?
Congrats to the teen pilot, she is doing what she loves and at a young age.