The McCall Star-News

07/12/2025

🍻 McCall Mountain Brewfest Ticket Giveaway! 🍻

Thanks to our sponsor, McCall Payette Lakes Rotary Club, we're giving FOUR lucky winners each:
🎟️ 2 Tickets to McCall Mountain Brewfest
🍺 2 Official Brewfest Beer Glasses

You can enter once per day through July 27 at contests.cherryroad.com/event/7e266513f915867d.

07/10/2025

What is the mobile phone app Watch Duty, and why is it on 7,520 phones in Valley County?

The Star-News interviewed a representative of the company to look into how it works and how much readers should trust the information it provides.

The wildfire mapping and alert app is free to download on smartphones and computers.

It provides updates on active wildfires including acreage, containment, wind speed and direction, evacuation orders, fire perimeters, the number of firefighters deployed on each fire and other information. A paid version of the application also provides live flight tracking for water tankers, helicopters and other fire-related aircraft.

People have increasingly turned to the mobile phone application Watch Duty to read timely updates on wildfires that often outpace official sources like the Forest Service and state agencies.

07/10/2025

🍻 McCall Mountain Brewfest Ticket Giveaway! 🍻
Don't miss your shot at the ultimate brewfest experience! 🎉

We're giving FOUR lucky winners each:
🎟️ 2 Tickets to McCall Mountain Brewfest
🍺 2 Official Brewfest Beer Glasses

Enter once per day through July 27 to boost your chances of winning!
👉 https://contests.cherryroad.com/event/7e266513f915867d

07/09/2025

Opinions clashed on Monday at a public hearing on a proposal for an updated impact area for the City of McCall before Valley County commissioners.

No vote was taken at the meeting and commissioners did not deliberate following roughly two hours of testimony from 40 people. Most wanted the city and county to work together on a map they could both agree on, but some were happy to leave the impact area entirely.

The hearing was tabled to 2 p.m. on Monday, July 23 at the Valley County Courthouse in Cascade.

Read about what residents had to say and what a decision could mean:

https://www.mccallstarnews.com/mccall-impact-area-hearing-public-wants-more-collaboration-less-drastic-changes/

07/06/2025

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

We hope you had a fun and safe weekend. Share your favorite photos with us for a chance to have them featured in the newspaper!

07/04/2025

Looking for Fourth of July events in McCall, Donnelly, Cascade or New Meadows?

Read our guide on what happens where and when!

https://www.mccallstarnews.com/fourth-of-july-events-guide/

07/03/2025

TNT Fireworks stands in McCall are rented and staffed by local athletes from the McCall Youth Hockey Association and the McCall Figure Skating Club. Both nonprofits use these stands as fundraisers to support their clubs and pay for time on the ice.

McCall resident Pam Leymaster, 57, has worked the fireworks stand on N. 3rd St. for more than six years, and views it as the best money-making opportunity for the skate club, which usually makes about $10,000 over the week.

“This is our biggest opportunity to make a good amount of money,” Leymaster said.

Read the full story here:

Fireworks stands stuffed full of multicolored boxes advertising the loudest, brightest and biggest fireworks with names like Eternal Eruption, The Encore, Delirium and Pyro Pack have opened ahead of the Fourth of July.

06/27/2025

LIVE NOW--At Legacy Park, the 25th Idaho Army National Guard band is playing a free concert..

06/27/2025

The Board of County Commissioners is inviting the public to share their opinions in a public survey for the county fairgrounds new master plan initiative.

The master plan is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, and the survey will be open throughout the project. The survey can be found at https://bit.ly/ValleyCountyFairgroundsMP.

Read the details here:
https://www.mccallstarnews.com/valley-county-launches-survey-for-fairgrounds-master-plan/

06/26/2025

VANDALS TACKLE NIKE NATIONALS--A handful of McCall-Donnelly track and field athletes tested their mettle on an even bigger stage June 17-19, representing the Vandals at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon.
Ben Walker, Seth Weller and Gracie Knox – all district champions during the M-D school spring season – each competed in individual events and stood their ground at the well-regarded meet, which attracts top talent all over the Northwest and beyond.
They were not alone, joined by Vandal teammates Katie Esplin, Addison Defoort and Anna Skidmore as well as incoming freshman Esti Summerfield to form a contingent of M-D athletes competing on and around the oval at storied Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.
Photos by Selig Spahn/For The Star-News

06/26/2025

The Star-News, Athletes of the Year 2024-25 announced today--chosen via a tally of online votes. All Athlete of the Week winners over the course of the school year were entered into one last contest.
Selected Seth Weller and Emma Ormsby, both of McCall-Donnelly High School.
See full articles in the Sports section of the June 26 issue of The Star-News and online at www.mccallstarnews.com.

06/24/2025

Repair work on five bridges begins today on U.S. 95 north of New Meadows. Construction will take place only during the day and is expected to last about one week for each bridge.

Read the details here:
https://www.mccallstarnews.com/bridge-repairs-start-on-us-95/