...AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM MST
FRIDAY...
* WHAT...An extended period of stagnant air, with light winds
and little vertical mixing.
* WHERE...Portions of southwest and west central Idaho and
northeast and southeast Oregon.
* WHEN...Until 1 PM MST Friday.
* IMPACTS...Periods of air stagnation can lead to the buildup of
pollutants near the surface.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
An Air Stagnation Advisory concerns itself with meteorological
conditions only. For more information on air pollution in Idaho,
visit website www.deq.idaho.gov. For Oregon, visit website
www.oregon.gov/deq.
If possible, reduce or eliminate activities that contribute to
air pollution, such as outdoor burning, and the use of
residential wood burning devices. Reduce vehicle trips and
vehicle idling as much as possible.
&&
Editor's note: The Idaho Press is rolling out content this week for our 2022 Cavalcade edition, where we look into area and regional cold cases. Pick up a copy of this year's Cavalcade in Sunday's edition of the Idaho Press.
The day-to-day operation at the Idaho State Police’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse changes “drastically,” depending on what types of cases come in, said Clearinghouse Manager Tanea Parmenter.
Every day, there are 30 to 40 new missing persons in the state, though many are located within a day or two, Parmenter said. Parmenter assists law enforcement and helps notify the public, including by providing resources, contacts and training.
“Especially if it's a case of a juvenile, the quicker we can return them home the better,” Parmenter said.
Parmenter, who is the sole employee at the clearinghouse, said the active caseload averages between 180 to 188 cases per day. Of those cases, about 164 to 166 are considered long-terms cases, which are defined as someone missing for 30 days or longer.
“If it’s a juvenile that’s 13, that’s possible ran away or lured away or missing outside home, the longer they're gone, the higher circumstances that they have to be involved with human trafficking,” Parmenter said. “They have a higher risk of being harmed because they’re not able to take care of themselves.”
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Other groups appear to also be at risk: Though Idaho’s average missing persons rate is approximately 10.59 per 100,000 people, the average rate for Indigenous people is 18.99 per 100,000. That’s according to a 2021 report on Idaho’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons by two Boise State professors.
Of that group, around 63% of Idaho’s missing Indigenous persons have been missing for more than one year.
Just nine other states have missing persons rates per 100,000 above 10, according to data from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Of those, several are in the West, including Washington, New Mexico, Montana, Oregon, Arizona, Hawaii and Alaska.
Alaska is by far the outlier, with over 160 cases per 100,000 people.
As soon as someone realizes their loved one is unaccounted for, they should contact local law enforcement, according to the clearinghouse.
If a child is missing, the United States Department of Justice said loved ones should call local law enforcement first. Then, they should call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The number is 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678).
Carolyn Komatsoulis covers Boise, Meridian and Ada County. Contact her at 208-465-8107 and follow her on Twitter @CKomatsoulis.
