Twin Falls

Twin Falls Idaho Temple

The Twin Falls Idaho Temple became the fourth temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Idaho when it was dedicated in August 2008, making it the second temple dedicated in Idaho that year.

Gordon B. Hinckley announced the construction of a temple for the Magic Valley in his opening remarks of General Conference held October 2, 2004, to serve the thousands of members who live in southern Idaho between the Boise and Idaho Falls temples.

Rumors of the temple started several weeks before Conference when the Church's negotiations to purchase the Candleridge Golf Course came to light. The financially unprofitable course had already announced its intention to close on December 31, 2004, yet over 300 residents near the golf course produced a petition protesting the loss of the golf course to the temple, upset that their investments into homes next to a golf course would become investments into homes bordering a busy church. In response, the Church distributed printed materials, stating its intentions to work with neighbors in regard to traffic and parking when the time came to present plans to the city. Many other residents, both members and nonmembers alike, heartily welcomed the news, excited at the prospect of a fourth temple for Idaho.

The Twin Falls Planning and Zoning Commission approved the necessary permits for the building of the temple on November 8, 2005. The commission approved a special-use permit for a temple and meetinghouse and also approved a variance for the temple to exceed the city's 35-foot maximum height limit. The commission's approval allowed the Church to move to the next stages of planning and to address parking concerns expressed by Commission members, who worried that the 300-space parking lot may be insufficient.

Plans for the temple, inspired by nearby Shoshone Falls, were unveiled on Thursday, October 6, 2005, at a press conference held in the former Candleridge Golf Course clubhouse. The stunning model on display showcased the white two-story temple, which was capped with a gold-leafed angel Moroni atop a spire rising 159 feet in the air on May 30, 2007 — making it the highest point in the area. Also sharing the 9.1-acre (37,000 m2) complex will be a new one-story stake center, over 300 parking spaces, and charming tree-lined boulevards and gardens. The Church, which went to great lengths to minimize the worries of neighbors, contracted with developer Ken Edmunds to subdivide the balance of the 36 acre plot to complement the existing neighborhood.

Ground was broken for the temple on Saturday, April 15, 2006 — the day before Easter Sunday. Presiding at the ceremony was Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Presidency of the Seventy. Stake presidents and their families comprised most of the audience at the invitation-only event. When completed, the temple will serve approximately 50,000 area Church members.

The Twin Falls Temple held an open house and conducted tours from July 11th 2008 until August 15 2008, excluding Sundays. The church reported that visitors during the open house totaled nearly 160,000 approximately 60% of whom were members of the church. The temple was dedicated on August 24th 2008 in 4 sessions. A cultural Celebration took place at the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds the evening preceding the dedication. Ordinance work began he Monday following the dedication. Retired Burley dairy farmer and former member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, D. Rex Gerratt, is the first President.

A cornerstone session and four dedicatory sessions took place on Sunday August 24, 2008. LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson presided at the dedication and was assisted by other General Authorities of the Church, including President Henry B. Eyring, and Elders Quentin L. Cook and Claudio R. M. Costa of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Presidency of the Seventy respectively. Due to overwhelming interest and limited seating in the temple, the final session was broadcast to various church buildings throughout Idaho.

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Twin Falls Idaho (film)

Twin Falls Idaho is a 1999 independent film directed by Michael Polish, who co-wrote and co-stars in the film with his identical twin brother, Mark Polish.

The film portrays the lives of shy conjoined twins Blake and Francis Falls, who take residence in a rundown hotel to hopefully reunite with their estranged birth mother; secluding themselves from the outside world. They find their gateway to the outside world through an eccentric young prostitute named Penny. They agree to attend a Halloween party with Penny and pretend to be wearing a "Siamese Twins" costume. The rest of the movie involves the brothers dealing with Francis's health problems, the changing relationship between the brothers, and Blake's budding relationship with Penny. Ultimately Francis's health deteriorates too far and the twins have to be separated. Francis is too sick to survive and dies, but Blake survives and must begin a life apart from his twin. Penny visits him and the two start a relationship.

The film was a minor critical and financial success. It has received a 74% "Fresh" rating from critics polled by Rottentomatoes.com and won awards at the Athens International Film Festival and the Deauville Film Festival. Its limited American theatrical run earned approximately double its $500,000 budget. It has since been released to DVD.

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Twin Falls County, Idaho

Twin Falls County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 64,284 (2006 estimate: 71,575) . The county seat is Twin Falls.

When Idaho became a state in 1890, the Twin Falls County area was a part of Cassia County. It was very sparsely populated and had no significant settlements. However, that situation changed after Twin Falls city was founded in 1904 and Milner Dam was completed in 1905. Most of the county's other towns were established during this period as well. In response to local government needs for these new communities, which were as much as 80 miles (133 km) away from Cassia County's seat at Albion, Twin Falls County was created by the Idaho Legislature on February 21, 1907. Twin Falls city was established as the county seat.

The county is named for a waterfall on the Snake River of the same name. The Snake River forms much of the county's northern boundary.

Twin Falls County is part of the Twin Falls, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,928 square miles (4,995 km²), of which, 1,925 square miles (4,986 km²) of it is land and 3 square miles (9 km²) of it (0.18%) is water.

As of the census of 2000, there were 64,284 people, 23,853 households, and 16,959 families residing in the county. The population density was 33 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 25,595 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.47% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.71% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 3.77% from other races, and 2.02% from two or more races. 9.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.9% were of German, 17.7% English, 10.9% American and 7.3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 23,853 households out of which 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.00% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the county the population was spread out with 27.90% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,506, and the median income for a family was $39,886. Males had a median income of $30,058 versus $20,825 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,678. About 9.10% of families and 12.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.00% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over.

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Twin Falls High School

Twin Falls High School is a high school in Twin Falls, Idaho, United States. It is the main high school operated by the Twin Falls School District.

Twin Falls High School was founded in 1907. Citizens passed a bond in 1909 to construct the high school building and a supplemental bond in 1911 to complete construction. Formal dedication of the original high school school, located on Shoshone Street next to the Twin Falls County Courthouse, occurred in February 1912.

The current Twin Falls High School on Filer Avenue opened in September 1954. The original high school building became Twin Falls Junior High School and subsequently re-named O'Leary Jr. High School in the 1960s after its long-time teacher and principal, Vera C. O'Leary. O'Leary Junior High relocated to a new building on Elizabeth Boulevard in 1979. The original building was condemned and torn down in the early 1980s.

Twin Falls High School's yearbook is the Bruin. The Bruin News is the school's student newspaper and received the Idaho Journalism Advisers Association Best in Show for large high school award in 2002, 2005, and 2006.

It is also the home of a notable drum corps which has existed for several years.

Twin Falls High School is classified as a 5A school (enrollment over 1,280 students) by the Idaho High School Activities Association. It currently competes in the High Country Conference against Highland, Idaho Falls, Madison and Skyline High Schools, all in Eastern Idaho.

It is unclear what impact, if any, the opening of Canyon Ridge High School in western Twin Falls in 2009 will have on Twin Falls High School's athletic classification and conference assignment. However, it has been speculated that the expected decrease in enrollment at Twin Falls High School caused by Canyon Ridge's opening would reclassify the school as 4A and place it in a conference of other Magic Valley-based high schools including Canyon Ridge, Jerome, Burley, Wood River and Minico.

The Bruin has been Twin Falls High School's mascot since the 1920s. The Coyote was the school's mascot prior to that. The Twin Falls Bruins won the 5A state football championship in 2004, and the 5A state boys' basketball championship in 2006. In 2007 the Twin Falls High School Water Polo Team won the state championship, also in 2007 the Twin Falls Bruins boys also won the state bowling championship. Bruin boys cross country took the 5A championship in 2007. Boy's and girl's golf has won many state titles, as well. The Bruin track team won many championships in the 1970's and continue to be a state power house. The last state team track championship was in 1997.

As the only regular public high school in a city of over 40,000 residents, Twin Falls High School is one of largest in Idaho. As such it has faced overcrowding problems in recent years. As of 2008 a new public high school, Canyon Ridge High School, is under construction in western Twin Falls. After over a century of hegemony in the city, Twin Falls High School's final year as the only regular public high school in Twin Falls will be 2008-09.

The 2008-09 school year also represents the final year Twin Falls High School will not include 9th grade. Beginning in 2009-10, both Twin Falls and Canyon Ridge will include grades 9 through 12. Twin Falls High School is expected to retain jurisdiction over the eastern half of the city.

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