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The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is seeking public comment on a draft plan to clean up petroleum contamination at Lakeshore Market, a small store and gas station.

Parents can check out the new center for infants and toddlers during an open house at 5 p.m. Thursday, and the center will open for business next Tuesday.

The revocation of Nampa Classical Academy’s charter this summer displaced about 500 students, many of whom had already lined up other options for this school year.

The College of Idaho has received a $1.3 million National Science Foundation

Nampa police are looking for a man who reportedly drugged a woman at a local bar and sexually assaulted her in the back of her car in July.

BOISE -- A Boise Marine has died in combat in Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense says 22-year-old Lance Cpl. Cody A. Roberts of Boise died Tuesday in Helmand Province, Afghanistan while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. He was supporting combat operations and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Roberts’ family has requested privacy and is not speaking with the media.  They released a statement through Company C, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division (at Gowen Field) and the Idaho National Guard: “Lance Corporal Cody A. Roberts died in combat August 31st defending the nation that he loved.  Cody embodied the true spirit of the Marine Corps, believing entirely in his God, Family, and Country.  The three values he lived for, he ultimately died for.  As an amazing Marine, Husband, and Father he was a true hero.  He made the ultimate sacrifice on the streets of a city in Afghanistan so his son would never have to be afraid for his life or ours.  Cody's memory will forever light up our lives as we wait to be united in heaven with him.  He will be forever loved.  Afghanistan didn't know how lucky it was to have a man like that step foot on their soil.” Idaho Gov. Butch Otter also released a statement: “The First Lady and I want to extend our sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the family and loved ones of Lance Corporal Roberts, who gave the last full measure of devotion in defense of the liberties we all enjoy. He was among those heroes who are putting their lives on the line every day to keep the nightmare of terrorism at arm’s length from the rest of us. His sacrifice should be remembered and his loss mourned by every Idahoan.”

EMMETT -- A police officer has been placed on administrative leave after her gun was fired by a three-year-old in rural Gem County. The shooting happened August 6 when the toddler got ahold of a Detective Sergeant Kim Judy's gun.  With one shot, he hit himself, his younger brother, and his mother.   All three were treated and released, but now, the family says they face something else:  Scrutiny, which the grandmother says is unjust. "It's been an attack towards the officer, my daughter, the police department.  It's just been to everyone involved," the children's grandmother Brandy Myers said.   Myers says her 20-year-old daughter Whisper Rowden has been the talk of Emmett since early August, when her three-year-old son found a gun belonging to her roommate, Detective Sergeant Kim Judy. "There's 15-hundred stories out there in regards to what happened. Nobody knows the truth," Myers said. Police say the boy accidentally fired a shot, hitting himself, his two-year-old brother and his mother.  While Myers says she can't be specific about just what did happen because of ongoing investigations, she says everything that happened was an accident, including Judy leaving her weapon out. "The first question that I had when I got to the hospital when I got the call that morning, when I talked to the chief, was 'how did this happen?'  Kim's way too careful.  Way too careful.  I've been to her home.  I know she's way too careful for this," Myers said. After the incident, Judy went back on active duty for two weeks, carrying a weapon.  Police Chief Steve Nebeker says he decided to put Judy on paid administrative leave this week after consulting other area police chiefs   Nebeker says another county sheriff's office is investigating, looking at a possible violation of the department's firearms storage policy. "Our policy says we have to keep them out of the hands of children and irresponsible adults so it's the officers job and duty to do that," Nebeker said.   Myers says she appreciates the department doing a thorough investigation, but she hopes Judy will end up back at work. "Absolutely I understand everybody's concerned because she's law enforcement, she has that responsibility.  I do get that; however, it's an accident.  Everybody makes mistakes," Myers said. Myers also hopes her family can move out of the local rumor mill. "I'm not downplaying the incident, but it's a mistake, it's an accident, and it's turned into something so much bigger than what it should be," Myers said. There are two investigations going on with this case.  There's the internal investigation to determine Judy's standing with the Police Department.  She could face discipline ranging from nothing to a verbal warning to termination.  Also, the state police are investigating whether anything criminal happened that day.  Nebeker says outside agencies were immediately called after the shooting to avoid any conflict of interest.  

BOISE -- Hot air balloons are back in the Treasure Valley for the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic. They used to be a staple in the days of the River Festival, which ended after 2003. Since then, some enthusiasts have worked to bring the balloons back. The Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic kicked off in Ann Morrison Park Thursday morning. If you look up at the skies over Boise this morning, there's a good chance you saw a lot of balloons flying above. "I just thought it would fun thing to do in the morning before we start school next week. I thought, 'Well, we'll just come down and watch the balloons launch. We haven't seen it in a while," said Colleen Mathias. Around 20 hot air balloons lifted off shortly after 7 a.m. "It's really fun. I like them myself. I've always liked them. When I was a kid I got to go up in one when I was probably seven or eight, and I think he'll really like it. It will be exciting. It's fun to share with him," said Karen Fehringer. While many could only watch, our Scott Evans was lucky enough to be a part of the story. With experienced pilot Laurie Spencer, photographer Troy Colson and Scott were in good hands as they launched skyward in the Idaho Lottery Commission balloon. "I look at these other balloons at different altitudes to see what directions that they're going, to see where kind of I want to go," said Spencer. The wind blew their balloon east, very slowly and surely. "It's very peaceful. It's very serene. You can have a horrible day and you can come up here and fly and it all just goes away," said Spencer. Scott says they had a great hour-long flight, with the balloon reaching an altitude of about 2,700 feet.  It also included a safe landing. If you didn't see the hot air balloons today, don't worry, there are several more flights scheduled. Friday, Saturday and Sunday all have flights that leave shortly after seven in the morning. Then on Saturday night around 6:30 p.m. there will be glowing balloons.  All of the launches will be at Ann Morrison Park. 

BOISE -- In a few short weeks, many Idaho soldiers will be deployed to Iraq. Members of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team are now preparing at a tactical training base located south of Boise. NewsChannel 7 got a behind the scenes look at the training. Fifteen-hundred soldiers from Idaho and 600 from Oregon have been living at that tactical training base since August 21. The training prepares the soldiers for every facet of what they may face overseas. The training is used to sharpen the skills for all of the U.S. Army National Guard members, from base defense, to shooting their weapons and identifying IEDs. The terrain and daily life at the tactical base near Boise is extremely similar to what these soldiers will face once they arrive in Iraq in November. "When they go off of this tactical base they're in their body armor, they're in their Kevlar helmets and their weapons and move out to their training base and it's very much executed like the situations that we'll face in Iraq," said Capt. Noah Siple. For about half of these soldiers, it will be their first time ever deployed overseas. The soldiers we talked to today say that the soldiers who have been deployed mentor the other soldiers who've never been. The 116th will be departing for Camp Shelby in Mississippi later this month, where they will again go through another round of training; they will then be shipped to Kuwait, before making their way to Iraq sometime in November. One of the soldiers who will be deployed for the first time tells us this training has, in a way, helped ease her mind, because she knows what's expected and what she'll be facing. We're told the training is ever-changing and evolving, depending on the current conditions in Iraq. The 116th is expected to be deployed for one year.

BURLEY, Idaho -- A 42-year-old Burley junior high teacher has been arrested on suspicion of pretending to be a 15-year-old boy to engage in online sexual conversations with a 14-year-old student. The Times-News reports that Michael S. Brinkerhoff was arrested last week on felony charges of sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 16 and enticing children over the internet. He is jailed on $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 10. Prosecutors say Brinkerhoff allegedly told the girl that his nephew was moving to Burley and that he wanted to introduce the boy to some area teens via Facebook. Prosecutors say Brinkerhoff posed as the fictitious boy and had graphic and sexual conversations with the girl online. Superintendent Gaylen Smyer says Brinkerhoff, an English and drama teacher, has been suspended with pay.

EMMETT, Idaho -- An Emmett police officer whose gun was involved in an accidental shooting in her home that injured three people has been placed on administrative leave. Police Chief Steve Nebeker says Detective Sgt. Kim Judy was placed on leave Wednesday pending the results of an internal investigation into the Aug. 6 shooting. Nebeker has said the shooting injured Judy's roommate, 20-year-old Whisper Rowden, and two of Rowden's children. Investigators say Rowden's 3-year-old son somehow got a hold of Judy's 9mm service weapon and fired one shot that went through the boy's leg, through the hand of a 2-year-old and into Rowden's arm.

BOISE -- A helicopter carrying two people has made a safe landing in a hayfield near Boise after its engine quit during a flight. Boise's fire department says no one was hurt in the Wednesday afternoon emergency landing at the south end of So. Maple Grove Road. According to firefighters, the pilot said he was about 350 feet in the air when the chopper hit turbulence and the engine shut down. But the pilot was quickly able to get it started and managed to land safely. The Federal Aviation Administration in Boise was responding to the incident.

IDAHO FALLS -- Bonneville County officials say a fishing guide from Victor is missing after a boat flipped over in the Snake River near Swan Valley. Sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Edwards says three people were floating in a drift boat at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday when it hit some willow branches and flipped over, throwing all three into the river. Officials say Robert George and Barbara Roberts of Florida made it out, but 49-year-old Robert Merrill could not be found. Merrill was last seen wearing an orange hooded sweatshirt and a pair of chest waders. Officials searched near the Spring Creek Boat Ramp until 9:20 p.m. Wednesday and resumed the search Thursday morning. The search included boats, jet skis, divers and an Air Idaho helicopter.