Supreme Court Throws Back Shooting Range Case

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Supreme Court has overturned a state judge's decision that declared the 2008 Outdoor Sport Shooting Act is unconstitutional in a case dealing with the expansion of a north Idaho shooting range. Thursday's ruling sends back to district court a lawsuit between The Idaho Department of Fish and Game and critics of expansion plans at the Farragut Shooting Range. The World War II-era range was shuttered in 2007 after 1st District Court Judge John Mitchell agreed with nearby residents that bullets were striking homes. The judge later decided to keep the range closed after the agency made safety improvements. But agency officials appealed, arguing the improvements met standards set by Mitchell. The agency also challenged his ruling that the Outdoor Sport Shooting Act and its noise standards are unconstitutional.