Drew Dodson - Valley Lookout Editor
Drew Dodson is editor and reporter for Valley Lookout. Drew lives in Donnelly and has covered the City of McCall, Perpetua Resources, regional growth, and other local beats since 2018. Drew’s hobbies include backcountry skiing, picking huckleberries, home improvement, beer league hockey, and all things Ernest Hemingway. You can reach him at [email protected]
Valley Lookout's original journalism is supported by readers like you.
215 Stories from this reporter
Environment
Australian mining company expands Horse Heaven project as Trump agrees to $8.5B critical minerals deal
Exploration of a new gold and antimony mine in eastern Valley County will be expanded following favorable results from sampling work completed this fall.
Resolution...
Education
Nov. 4 Election: McCall-Donnelly to ask voters for $950K
A two-year property tax levy sought by the McCall-Donnelly School District would make up for federal funding the district recently lost, according to district...
Donnelly
McCall-Donnelly approves new trustee ‘elects’
Election Day is still more than two weeks out, but the McCall-Donnelly School District approved the election of two new trustees earlier this week.
On...
Growth
No deal: Sewer district rejects Pine Creek Ranch annexation request
The future of a 600-plus home subdivision proposed in McCall is murky after the developer’s request for sewer service was denied Wednesday by the...
Elections
Nov. 4 Election: New Meadows Mayor Candidate Q&A
Incumbent New Meadows Mayor Julie Good will be challenged by write-in candidate Richard Yelton in the Nov. 4 election.
Good, 61, is seeking her second...
Cascade
Cascade wants concrete plant proposal studied, to re-open public hearing
A viewshed study and noise analysis must be completed before a decision can be made on a proposal to build a concrete plant near...
Elections
Nov. 4 Election: McCall City Council Candidate Q&A
Five candidates will compete for three seats on the McCall City Council in the Nov. 4 election.
Incumbent Mayor Bob Giles and council members Julie...
County
‘This could haunt us’: McCall underwhelmed by Valley Co.’s proposal for new water quality rules, growth maps
New water quality protections and future growth maps proposed by Valley County are not enough to overcome the loss of the McCall Impact Area,...
McCall
McCall ‘open to trying’ four-day work week as employee benefit
A plan to test a four-day work week for City of McCall employees was aired on Thursday night to the McCall City Council.
City Manager...
County
‘We’re with each other’: Valley Co. leaders want more ‘buy in’ on regional growth plan
A process to develop a plan for regional growth management in Valley County needs to include more local leaders and state agencies, a group...
County
Valley Co. swallows $750K cost overrun for rural bridge linked to years-long boil order
A boil water order that has been in place in Yellow Pine since 2020 now has an end in sight following action taken this...
Cascade
‘The river is a huge draw’: Cascade weighing concrete plant proposal near North Fork
A plan to build a concrete plant near the North Fork Payette River in Cascade could be approved next week by the Cascade City...
County
Wilks Brothers to offer backcountry roads near Cascade to Valley County
A dozen roadways would be named and formally added to the county’s road network under a proposal pending before the Valley County Board of...
McCall
‘We have to build our foundation first’: McCall eyes local-minded tourism plan
The needs of local residents should come first in a long-term plan for guiding the growth of McCall’s tourism economy, according to the McCall...
Donnelly
You Asked: What is that random crosswalk on Roseberry Road near Donnelly?
A crosswalk was recently painted across a busy Donnelly roadway despite a lack of any apparent pedestrian routes nearby.
The crosswalk spans West Roseberry Road...
Environment
Fire managers declare containment on Rock Fire
A wildfire that ignited near Tamarack Resort in August was officially contained on Tuesday, according to the Boise National Forest.
Fire managers declared 100% containment...
Environment
Advisory group: Payette Lake boat wash station ‘doable’ for next year
A boat wash station for Payette Lake should be established by next boating season, according to the Payette Lake Watershed Advisory Group.
The group, which...
New Meadows
‘They’re so proud’: Community skatepark opens in memory of slain New Meadows couple
Hundreds of people attended the grand opening of a new skatepark on Saturday in New Meadows, but it was who was not there that...
McCall
‘We don’t really have the best framework:’ McCall to adopt local traffic study rules for developers
Standard guidelines that determine what street improvements developers must pay for to accommodate new subdivisions were aired this week to the McCall City Council.
The...
County
Valley County’s public fiber network effort ‘dormant’ as key connection cuts barriers to high-speed internet
Work that could resolve one of the biggest barriers to high-speed internet access in Valley County began this summer, but it is unclear how...
Growth
McCall likes downtown subdivision, but seeks bigger local housing commitment
A McCall tax renewal recently approved by voters could help the city leverage more local housing units out of a 42-townhome subdivision it approved...
Tamarack
Tamarack eyes Memorial Day Weekend debut for ‘elusive’ Lake Cascade marina
Lake Cascade's first commercial marina with seasonal boat slips and on-water fueling service is expected to open for the 2026 boating season.
Last week...
County
Valley County OKs new Warm Lake Rd. substation for Stibnite mine
Four permits associated with Perpetua Resources’ Stibnite mine were approved earlier this month by Valley County.
The approvals allow Idaho Power to build three new...
Environment
Perpetua breaks ground on Stibnite mine
Work to build a gold and antimony mine in eastern Valley County is officially underway.
Perpetua Resources received final approval this week to begin construction...
Growth
Sewer district doubts annexation benefits touted by Pine Creek Ranch developer
Extending sewer service to a large subdivision proposed in southeastern McCall would reduce the need for existing McCall residents to fund millions in upgrades...
Economy
New software to save McCall, residents on processing fees
Paying monthly water bills to the City of McCall will soon cost about a dollar less per transaction.
Last week the McCall City Council approved...
County
‘We will listen to the opposing view’: Valley Co. likes settlement offer in Donnelly subdivision lawsuit
A lawsuit against Valley County over its approval of a subdivision near Donnelly would be dropped under an agreement approved last week by the...
Growth
Valley County OKs smaller McCall Impact Area, eyes ‘transition’ plan
A plan to overhaul the boundaries and administration of a growth planning area around the City of McCall was adopted last week by Valley...
