Weiser has an overabundance of opossums, city is setting out traps

Wow! The Weiser varsity football team stunned Fruitland last Friday with a 42-0 win in Fruitland to go to the state playoffs! Way to go Weiser! The next game is against Sugar-Salem this coming Saturday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m. at Madison High School in Rexburg, Idaho. Good luck, Wolverines!
 For parents struggling with meeting the educational needs of their students during this pandemic, Governor Little has announced a program called “Strong Students, Strong Families” to help fund equipment, supplies, and other needs during these trying times. Eligible parents can apply for $1,500 per eligible student for a maximum of $3,500 per family to help with eligible expenses. There is $50 million set aside for this program on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are finding it difficult to meet the needs of your student(s), go online to strongfamilies.idaho.gov for more information and to apply.
 On the COVID-19 front, Washington County’s numbers, as well as the state’s and many states across the nation, are increasing. In the last week there have been 42 new cases, or 6.0 new cases per day in Washington County.
 I have been informed by individuals this week saying masks do not help in slowing the spread of the virus. This is in direct conflict with all of the top credible infectious disease control experts.
 Are masks 100 percent effective? No, but when you stop and think about it, neither are filters on your furnace. But you have a furnace filter anyway.
 Why do we teach our children to cough or sneeze into their elbow? To stop most of the germs. The mask catches the majority of the virus that a person exhales. If the other person is also wearing a mask, their mask and distance will likely filter any remaining virus.
 Please continue to wear masks. It is a simple way to slow the virus and protect each other.
 Just a word of warning to pedestrians this time of year, the sun is in just the right position in the morning hours to blind drivers going east on our streets. Be careful in crossing the roads. Do not assume drivers will be able to see you.
 In city business this week, our animal control officer has been having to set out traps for opossums. There seems to be an over-abundance of the little critters this year. In the process, there have also been a number of cats captured. Any cats that are caught, by ordinance, cannot just be turned loose but must be taken to the animal shelter if they are not tagged.
 If you find a cat, contact animal control at (208) 550-7506. This is a reminder to have your cat(s) tagged. In doing so, they can be returned to you if they find themselves curiously tempted to check out a possum trap.
 Due to the governor’s partial roll-back to Stage Three, the youth basketball and men’s basketball programs have been postponed until after the first of the new year. The order restricts indoor activities to less than 50 people while also maintaining proper distancing.
 With teams, coaches, and parents, these activities cannot stay within the order. We will try later when, hopefully, the COVID-19 numbers are lower.
 Here is some good news and bad news on the city’s new RV dump. The good news is the dump is getting a lot of use. We are pleased to see that this new service is meeting a need for the community.
 The bad news is the hoses to wash out the lines have been repeatedly stolen. Hoses have been replaced three times since the service went into operation in late August.
 Since this looks like something that will not resolve itself, we will no longer be providing hoses to wash out lines. RV owners will need to provide their own.
 Well, that’s it for this week. Have a good one and go Wolverines!