🌱 Weekend Holiday Events + Teacher's Arrest + New Charter School

Hello, friends. It's Saturday in Boise and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening locally, including news on:

• The person assigned to oversee and investigate complaints against local police has been fired.
• A bit of clarification of having marijuana in your home constitutes child endangerment.
• The state approves two new charter schools while a third withdraws the application.

But first, today's weather:

Rain and snow showers. High: 42 Low: 36.

🏡 Want to stand out as the go-to real estate agent in Boise? We're now offering an exclusive sponsorship opportunity for agents interested in attracting local clients and standing apart from the competition. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top stories in Boise today:

1. This is the time for holiday events and CBS2 news staff carry a story of celebrations for the weekend all involving the holiday. (Idaho News)
2. Jesus Jara, the now former director of Boise’s Office of Police Accountability, is out of a job after a 5-1 vote by the Boise City Council. BoiseDev senior reporter Margaret Carmel writes Mayor Lauren McLean and other city leaders posed questions to Jara about his review of 8,000 random videos from on-body cameras worn by Boise Police officers. In response to his termination, Jara issued a statement through his attorney stating he is “dismayed” by the vote and called it a “bold and blatant act of retaliation in violation of Idaho’s Whistleblower laws.” (boisedev)
3. The possession of more than three ounces of marijuana in your home in Boise is considered a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. KIDO-AM's Marco looks at if having marijuana in the house could also be charged as child abuse. In reality, the issue is not the marijuana, but the accessibility of the item, much the same as accessibility to a firearm, knives or even cleaning solutions. (kidotalkradio)
4. Eagle will have a new charter school. IdahoEdNews reporter Darren Svan writes the Idaho Public Charter School Commission gave the green light to Idaho Novus Classical Academy. A sports academy, M2 Sports Academy Charter School, withdrew its petition. (idahoednews)
5. A Kuna Middle School teacher has been arrested and charged with two felonies related to sexual crimes against children. KIVI-TV's Jake Garcia reports 51-year-old Cory R. Gaylor of Nampa was arrested on Thursday and charged with one count of lewd conduct and one count of enticing a child through the use of the internet. (kivitv)

From our sponsor:

Today’s Boise Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99 percent of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Boise newsletter possible.

Today in Boise:

• Everyone is invited to have Breakfast with Santa at Zoo Boise Saturday morning. (8:30 AM)
• Join others who are planning the next blockbuster at the Filmmaker Meetup at JUMP. (10:00 AM)
• Grab the whole and head to the Boise Public Library for Family Storytime Saturday morning. (10:30 AM)
• BSU women's basketball takes on Saint Mary's Saturday afternoon. (2:00 PM)
• Ballet Idaho presents the holiday classic, "The Nutcracker" Saturday. (2:00 PM)
• Boise Ice World presents Jingle Blades Ice Show Saturday afternoon. (3:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Boise State University: "Happy birthday to our wonderful mascot and friend, Buster Bronco!" (Boise State University via Instagram)
• Boise Fire Department: "For this week's #firefighterfriday we introduce you to Senior Firefighter Ryan Berkheiser. He is currently assigned to Engine 5, A-Shift. SFF Ryan has been serving the people of Boise and our department for 20 years." (Boise Fire Department via Facebook)
• Visit Boise: "It's that time of year — @bogusbasin is officially open daily and night operations begin today! New to Boise or Bogus? Check out our guide to all things Bogus at the link in our bio! @b_parrish_ #bogusbasin #freshlocalfun..." (Visit Boise via Instagram)
• Boise Weekly: "Submissions now open. boiseweekly.com" (Boise Weekly via Instagram)
• Boise Bicycle Project: "We want to give a huge thank you to the women's mtn. biking group Crank Queens Boise for keeping the shop open late last night to build kids bikes for our big giveaway next week. They got eight more bikes ready to go out the door!" (Boise Bicycle Project via Facebook)
• Radio Boise: "UPDATE: we are currently off air due to a power outage at the transmitter site. Our team is working to resolve the issue, and we are hoping to get back on the airwaves as soon as possible." (Radio Boise via Instagram)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (December 13)
• Add your event

Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with your next update!

— John Braese

About me: Welcome to the Boise edition of patch.com. I am the community editor in this exciting endeavor for the Boise area. I was born and grew up in Boise, attending Bishop Kelly High School before graduating from Borah High School more than a few years ago. I have seen Boise grow substantially in the last few years, but still maintain my hometown appeal. I want to hear about what is important to you and the stories you wish to see on patch.com. Feel free to reach out to me via email at john.braese@patch.com or drop me a phone call or text at 208 954-9585.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Boise Daily? Contact me at john.braese@patch.com