Criterium Returns + Missing Inmates +Expo Idaho Popular

You and the Boise Daily made it to another Friday. The biggest bicycle race in town is back after a COVID hiatus and needs volunteers and racing kids. Two state inmates are on the lamb after walking off their jobs, and seniors, rejoice, the SATs are not needed any longer in the state. Lastly, see what foods are the most popular online searches for Boise.

Taking a look at the weather today:

• Friday: Partly cloudy throughout the day. Temps: High of 95° and low of 66°.

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Patch Pick: In multiple announcements on Facebook, the 2021 Bailey & Glasser Boise Twilight Criterium returns to action on Saturday, July 10. In addition, sign up for the Kids Ride is open now here. Volunteers are also needed for the big race with over 20,000 spectators anticipated to pack the streets of Boise for the event. (BoiseTwilightCriterium)

Here are the top 5 stories for today:

1. Apparently, two Idaho Department of Correction inmates were not happy with their jobs as they walked away from the job site early Thursday morning near Marsing. KTVB staff report Samuel Juarez Jr. and Dravyn Isenhower were last seen at 8:30 a.m. in the 14,000 block of Sunnyslope Road near Marsing. They were driving a black 1999 Pontiac Sunfire. Clothing that belonged to the men was found on Lowell Road near Highway 55. (KTVB)

2. Spending those hours on pre-tests for the SAT may be a thing of the past, according to an article by Kevin Richert of idahoednews. Universities around the U.S., including Idaho, are no longer requiring the college entrance test. (idahoednews)

3. Ada County residents made one thing very clear — they want the fair to stay where it is. News staff of idahonews report on the survey recently completed asking residents the future of Expo Idaho. An overwhelming 86 percent want the fair right where it is. The Boise Daily will have a story Friday on possible plans and estimates for the 247 acres. (idahonews)

4. The top foods for Boise residents, according to a report by Jen Austin of liteonline, is biscuits and gravy with bacon (breakfast), chicken noodle soup (lunch), and fried rice (dinner). The article looks at Google searches from Boise residents for food and the capital city appears to be ahead of the curve when it comes to eating healthy. (liteonline)

5. With COVID trending down, summer means mosquitos and that translates to West Nile. Jen Austin and kidotalkradio provides the cheery news hundreds of Boise residents could be walking around with the mosquito-borne disease and not even know it. (kidotalkradio)

Boise Fact of the Day: Idaho's 2020 high school seniors followed the downward trend of SAT scores, accounting for the third year in a row of lower results. The 2020 seniors who took the SAT had an average composite score of 984 out of a possible 1,600 points on the test. This is down nine points from the the average score of 2019 seniors.

Boise Community Calendar:

- The Hazardous Waste collection facility at the Ada County Landfill is open from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. each Friday and Saturday throughout the year.

- The COVID-19 Mobile Vaccine Clinic will be available at the Dick Eardley Senior Center, 690 Robbins Road on Friday. All ages welcome and the community is invited to get an initial vaccine from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

- Join us in this Vo-Learn-Teer experience at the Foothills Learning Center Pollinator and Sensory garden. Learn about the pollinator plants, pollinators, and weeds that make themselves at home in the Foothills Learning Center Pollinator Garden. Participants will help with garden maintenance as they learn about the species around them. If possible, bring along a smartphone with the iNaturalist app to collect pollinator observations. The center is located at 3188 Sunset Peak Road and the class starts at 3 p.m.

The return of the Criterium, a great event for Boise, is good news.

- John

About me: The summer is upon us which means high school reunions. Mine is this summer (no, I am not saying as that will tell you how old I am). Do you plan on attending your reunion or is that a time behind you and forgotten?