The rodeo, the billionaire, and the airport
Issue #1: everything happening in Teton Valley this week, in 5 minutes.
Good morning, Teton Valley.
Welcome to the very first Driggs Digest. Here’s the deal: twice a week, we read everything (the paper, the city agendas, the Facebook groups, the chairlift gossip) so you don’t have to, and send you the five minutes that matter. Free forever. Forward it to a neighbor.
Big first week to launch. Let’s ride.
⛰️ FIRST TRACKS
The rodeo is HERE. The inaugural Ridgeview Pro Rodeo hits the Teton County Fairgrounds tonight and tomorrow (June 12-13). It’s a PRCA and WPRA-sanctioned event with a reported $250,000 purse, which means real national-circuit cowboys, not a local exhibition. Saturday night adds a country concert under the Tetons. Get there early; parking will be a scene.
Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport is closed. The city shut down the airport on the morning of June 6 after discovering a problem with a section of the runway's asphalt. We’re watching for a reopening timeline.
Free pancakes on Saturday. Fall River Electric’s annual Energy Expo runs Saturday, June 13, at Teton High School, with a free breakfast from 8 to 10 am and bucket truck rides for the kids.
Some drought relief. That late-May stretch of rain, thunder, and hail did real work: the south end of the valley has improved out of the Extreme Drought category.
🏔️ THE HIGH LINE
A billionaire just bought the Driggs 160
The 160-acre parcel of state land northeast of the valley known as the “Driggs 160” has a new owner. Idaho auctioned the property last Friday, and billionaire Thomas Tull bought it for $5 million. The land folds into his Teton County, Idaho, estate, which now spans more than 8,000 acres.
The wrinkle: the Beard family, fifth-generation ranchers, have grazed that parcel for more than 30 years. Nick Beard actually supported the sale, on the logic that Tull is likely to keep the land undeveloped, and Tull’s spokesperson says he intends to offer the Beards a new grazing lease.
What it means for you: the valley’s biggest story, in miniature. Land that used to change hands between ranchers now changes hands at auction for millions, and the best-case outcome for open space is a billionaire who wants the view to stay empty. Expect more of this, not less.
🏡 THE LAND REPORT
P&Z watch: Driggs Planning & Zoning met on Wednesday with two applications open for public comment. We’ll recap the outcomes in Tuesday’s issue.
On the docket: the city has been moving on big structural stuff lately: a proposed zone map covering 23 parcels near Fremont Ave and South Fifth, a new Transportation Master Plan, a Workforce Housing Incentive Program for the Land Development Code, and Phase VI of the Shoshoni Plains development. If you care about what this valley looks like in ten years, these hearings are where it gets decided.
Talk to the mayor: Mayor August Christensen hosts the first “Community Conversations” event on Tuesday, June 16, at 10 am. Show up, ask the thing you’ve been posting about on Facebook.
Want your brokerage’s name in this section? Reply “partner.”
🥾 TRAIL MIX
Your weekend, sorted.
Friday 6/12: Ridgeview Pro Rodeo, night one. Teton County Fairgrounds. Doors well before 7; don’t roll in at 6:59 thinking you’re slick.
Saturday 6/13: Fall River Electric Energy Expo, Teton High School, free breakfast 8-10 am. Then Ridgeview Pro Rodeo night two, plus the country concert after.
Mark your calendar: Music on Main is back June 18. Season 21 of the valley’s beloved free Thursday concert series kicks off next week at Victor City Park and runs through August 13 (skipping the July 4 week). Gates at 5, openers at 5:45, headliners at 7, $5 suggested donation. This year’s lineup includes indie legends Built to Spill. We’ll preview the opener in Tuesday’s issue.
Also: Downtown Sounds returns to Driggs Plaza this summer, free shows from 6 to 8 pm in the heart of downtown.
Got an event? Reply to this email, and we’ll get it in.
❤️ NEIGHBORS
A house fire off Bates Road west of Driggs damaged a home Tuesday night, and two pets are still missing. If you’re in the area, keep an eye out. If there’s a fund or supply drive organized for the family, reply, and we’ll share it with the whole valley on Tuesday.
🌄 ONE MORE RUN
This is where your photo goes. The Digest ends every issue with one great reader shot of the valley: alpenglow on the Grand, a moose in your yard, your kid’s first cast on the Teton River. Reply with your best one, and we’ll run it with credit.
That’s the issue. If you learned one thing, forward this to a neighbor and tell them to subscribe at driggsdigest.com. If you own a business and want to reach every inbox in the valley, reply “partner” and let’s talk.
See you Tuesday.
Your Neighbor in the Valley