Month: August 2012

Pocatello Fire Chief Mike Irwin said his goodbyes on Wednesday to a flurry of applause and gratitude from his fellow firefighters. The chief is resigning after three and a half years of service in the Gate City to take a job as chief in Springdale, AK. During his afternoon reception in Fire Station No. 1,

A woman was seriously hurt Wednesday in a three-car accident at the intersection of 17th South and 45th West The crash occurred when a 10-wheeler grain truck traveling westbound on 17th failed to yield, hitting a white Grand Am in the intersection. The Grand Am spun into a pickup truck. The driver of the Grand

Chubbuck police want your help to find a Bannock County man. Fred Nichols, 32, has an outstanding warrant for his arrest on a charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. The warrant, which has a $20,000 bond, stems from an incident that occurred in Chubbuck in July. Nichols is white, 5’11”, 162 pounds,

The state of Idaho will pay the former head of the Idaho Transportation Department $750,000 to settle her wrongful termination lawsuit against the agency. Pamela Lowe was the state’s first and only female transportation chief when she was fired by the Transportation Board in 2009, a little more than two years after being appointed to

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead has endorsed “Alternative Four” as the best option under a new Yellowstone National Park Winter Use Plan. Mead said the plan “allows for market driven decisions (and) an opportunity for increased access and operator flexibility.” The alternative is also favored by the National Park Service. In a letter to Yellowstone Superintendent

Teton County, Idaho, officials say they talked by telephone this morning with a 16-year-old girl who has been missing from her Driggs home since July 17.Sheriff’s office spokesperson Valle Wells said Kenia America Stack of Driggs told her she was healthy and well. Wells said the girl called to make it clear she had not

One of Grand Teton National Park’s celebrity grizzlies wandered just outside the park’s southern boundary last week, possibly in search of food due to the drought. The Jackson Hole Daily reported Wednesday that the grizzly sow known as 610 and her three cubs were hazed back to the park with “cracker shells”, a sort of

Below are selected race results from Wyoming’s primary election. Only contested races are listed here. * indicates winner. Lincoln County commissioner Republican * Kent Connelly: 795Bruce M. Davis: 553Jerry L. Greenfield: 788Stanley Thompson Jr.: 609Write-in: 4Democratic No candidates Teton County commissioner Democratic * Melissa Turley: 698* Claire Fuller: 641Republican * Paul Perry: 1,425* Barbara Allen:

Loves Travel Stops is opening a new location in Bonneville County. County records from June show a commercial building permit in the company’s name at 45th West and exit 113, along Interstate 15. The new location for the gas stop and convenience store is valued at $3.5 million. Construction appeared to be under way on

Rocky Mountain Power is offering new incentives for Idaho customers looking to lower their electricity bills. Your home uses energy every day, all day long. It uses energy to keep you warm and cool, provide you with light and hot water, and to run all of your appliances and electronics. “We always encourage the wise

Three significant changes are coming to Dora Erickson Elementary in Idaho Falls this school year. So what can the parents and students expect in the year ahead? It’s about learning the necessities in life that can make you a future leader in society. “Every student is worth more than just a test score,” said Dave

The push by the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry to pass legislation for an all-out personal property tax exemption in Idaho has many cities and counties worried. Losing that tax base will force counties to either put an unfair burden on families or drastically cut services, said Power County Commission Chairwoman Vicki Meadows. If

Many say the fire season is far from over, but the Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center is losing about 20 crew members to the start of the school year. Fire officials aren’t too concerned. They said it’s a common summer job for students, so they plan ahead. But they also said many of the men

Fifteen years after the south Twin Bridge collapsed in Madison County, the tables have turned and now the north bridge is showing signs of trouble. The Army Corps of Engineers is working to stabilize the bridge and they’re asking for the community to help by weighing in on what to do. The river has actually

State Senator and U.S. Congressional candidate Nicole LeFavour is campaigning in eastern Idaho this week, starting with Idaho Falls on Tuesday. LeFavour, the state’s only openly gay legislator, is running for Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District seat against incumbent Mike Simpson. Tuesday night, she got some help from Bonneville County Democrats to knock on the doors

Around the country, and here in eastern Idaho teachers are expected to know more and teach more than ever. One local administrator said his district is tackling the challenge. District 93 superintendent Dr. Chuck Shackett gave a state of the schools address to district wide faculty on Tuesday morning. He said sometimes daunting expectations can

Since the new Portneuf Medical Center opened last year, the old hospital has sat unused and empty, but a possible deal could put the old hospital back to work treating veterans. Locked down and boarded up, the old site of Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello has sat vacant for more than a year. The Portneuf

Halloween may be a ways away, but one local group got a special visit from Dr. Slaughterhouse Tuesday. Dr. Slaughter brought its “coffin” bar-b-que to the Development Workshop in Idaho Falls and served lunch to clients. The workshop helps individuals who have a disability or who are disadvantaged to recognize and achieve economic and social

A group of 130 Idaho inmates were moved from Boise to Colorado on Tuesday morning. The Idaho Department of Correction said the inmates were flown by chartered jetliner and bus to Kit Carson Correctional Center in Burlington, Colo. “We know how hard this is on the inmates’ families but the fact is we’re running out

The Jackson Town Council and Teton County Board of County Commissioners have agreed to send three Special Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) issues to voters in November. The measure would extend the community’s “6th penny” 1 percent sales tax originally approved in 2010. The first $14.5 million proposal would fund the implementation of plans to mitigate

ON Semiconductor will eliminate 250 jobs worldwide, including some in Pocatello, by the end of September, a company spokeswoman said Monday. The jobs being cut are non-manufacturing positions, spokeswoman Anne Spitza said. She could not confirm how many people in the Gate City will lose their jobs. In a statement to Local News 8 and

A Georgia-based steel company is preparing to build a fabrication plant in the Idaho Falls area that will add up to 175 new jobs. Cives Steel Company says it will be its first plant west of the Mississippi. Cives Executive Vice President John Donovan said after nearly three years of scouting out locations in the

After two decades of providing the Eastern Idaho State Fair with its petting zoo, McKee’s Pet, Garden and Feed Center has been replaced. The fair board decided to bring in a national petting zoo called Meet the Animals, and the decision sparked a Facebook fire storm. Local people said they want local businesses represented at

Law enforcement crackdowns on illegal marijuana groves on California’s public lands appear to be pushing some growers into other states, prompting a multi-agency sweep across the West this summer. Federal authorities on Tuesday say they have seen a decrease in the number of marijuana plants seized in California in recent years, even though the state

Idaho troopers have arrested a man after seizing about 35 pounds of marijuana and $4,000. Larry Dale Hill, 58, of Billings, Mont., was arrested on a charge of trafficking marijuana. Idaho State Police said they stopped him on Interstate 86 near American Falls for a traffic violation when they discovered the marijuana. Hill is in

Gardening may be a hobby for many in eastern Idaho, but for some teens, it’s a way of getting a second chance in life. If you drive on Hemmert Avenue in Idaho Falls, you may have noticed a garden. It may look like any other garden, with corn grown as high as an elephant’s eye

The governor plans to tour areas in south-central Idaho where wildfires have burned hundreds of square miles. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s office says he will be traveling Tuesday with Idaho Adjutant General Major General Gary Sayler and Col. Brad Richy, head of the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security. They are expected to leave Boise’s Gowen

Although it’s described as statistically insignificant, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reports the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 5.4 percent in June to 5.6 percent in July. It was the second month in a row that Wyoming’s unemployment rate increased.That translates to 1,728 individuals from June to July. The department’s Research and

We’ve always thought Idahoans are charitable, but a new study from The Chronicle of Philanthropy is proving that theory to the world. Research shows our state ranks in the top-10 when it comes to giving. Researchers were looking specifically at Republican-leaning states versus more Democratic ones. There were a couple of blue states in that

In today’s Main Street Buzz, repairing a guitar is easier to do in eastern Idaho now thanks to Chesbro Music Company. Chesbro has recently teamed up with Fender to become the first authorized repair center in eastern Idaho for Fender, Grestch, Jackson, Guild, and Squire guitars. Chesbro Music Company was founded in 1911 when Horrace

Construction season is winding down, but plenty of projects are still in the process around Idaho Falls. Some are wrapping up very soon, but but other projects haven’t even started yet. “Hopefully, we’ll be finished before Thanksgiving,” said John Heady, a superintendent at the Idaho Construction Company, of the Pancheri Overpass project. Locals have at

Aside from the potential of getting scammed, uninvited sales people can disrupt your daily routine and your peace of mind. Police said the summer months and warm weather attract more door-to-door solicitors and recently, the City of Rexburg has been swamped with traveling sales people. “I’m not saying that all of these people are bad,

Rexburg police are responding to various incidents involving door-to-door solicitors. Officers said two men were stealing food from a pantry Friday at the apartments at 409 Pioneer Village. They were identified as door-to-door salespeople. Also in Monday’s news release, police said a door-to-door solicitor in Rexburg was arrested after police received complaints about Austin Tyrel

Night traffic on part of Interstate 15 northbound will be slowed Monday through Wednesday of this week. Traffic between Blackfoot and Idaho Falls will see “rolling roadblocks,” the Idaho Transportation Department recently announced. Idaho State Police and ITD pilot cars will slow traffic intermittently to 25 miles per hour between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.,

After a final hearing in Pocatello on Monday morning, U.S District Judge Lynn Winmill said he would likely rule by the end of the week on a lawsuit challenging Idaho Falls’ North Loop transmission line. Representatives of the Alliance for Property Rights said the judge indicated he expected the issue would require further clarification by

The name of the victim in Monday morning’s shooting has been released. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said Jerrod Hillman of Madison County, 34, shot Monte Sommer of Parker with a shotgun in the leg. Law enforcement officials were alerted to the 1:30 a.m. shooting after a woman pulled over at the side of U.S.

Crews have found the body of a man who jumped into the Snake River. Gerald Wilkinson, 76, of Idaho Falls, jumped off the Pancheri bridge Thursday morning. A witness said Wilkinson was driving across the bridge and stopped midway, blocking traffic. He then jumped into the river. Various agencies have been searching for the body

Lightning: What You Need to Knowhttp://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/resources/Lightning_What_you_Need_to_Know.pdf Lightning Safety for You and Your Familyhttp://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/lightning/resources/lightning-safety.pdf Lightning Mythshttp://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/myths.htm Safe Shelters and Indoor Safetyhttp://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/indoors.htm 2011 Lightning Fatalitieshttp://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/fatalities11.htm For Kids: Leon the Lightning Lion Coloring Bookhttp://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/resources/Leon_Coloring_Book_2012.pdf For Kids: Leon’s Lightning Safety Gamehttp://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/multimedia/Lightning_Game.swf

An early-morning gunshot resulted in a court date for a Pocatello woman.Pocatello police say Jamie Kowalski appeared to be intoxicated while she was showing off a loaded weapon and fired it inside her apartment at around 4 am Monday. According to police the bullet went through her apartment wall, continued across the hallway and into

Some new numbers from the Idaho Department of Labor put the Gem State in front of the rest of the country. The unemployment stats are so good in fact, they are the lowest in several years for Idaho. “It’s something to take pride in,” said mom Megan Buchanan. Buchanan landed a new job at the

Organizers are calling the tenth annual Riverfest a success, as hundreds of people came out this weekend to celebrate one of the last big events of summer, raising tens of thousands of dollars for the Pocatello Greenway Foundation in the process. Riverfest has been raising funds for the greenway for 10 years, the same amount

A St. Anthony man is being held on charges of disturbing the peace and delaying and obstructing a police officer after a disturbance at the BYU Idaho Kimball administration building in Rexburg on Thursday afternoon. Brigham Young University-Idaho spokesperson Merv Brown said Matthew Scott Mason, 28, became unsettled and created a disturbance in an administration

A St. Anthony man is being held after a disturbance on the BYU Idaho campus in Rexburg this afternoon. Rexburg Police say the man became very angry about some undisclosed issue involving the university and attempted to reach the school’s administrative offices around 3 p.m. Campus Security blocked his access and summoned police for assistance.Soon

A group of Idaho Falls folks was out in force on Sunday, raising money for a new ‘no-kill’ animal shelter. Members of the Helping Animals Rescue Team or HART were washing cars in the Apple Athletic Club parking lot to raise money for the Snake River Animal Shelter’s 5th annual Mutt Strutt. Pets and their

This year, more than 1,200 kids are going back to school with brand new backpacks and supplies they might not have had otherwise. It’s all thanks to the sixth annual Back 2 School Giveaway sponsored by the Gate City Christian Church and 50 local businesses. Each backpack gets a tag and each kid gets a

Thousands of kids spent their Friday and Saturday at the BYU Idaho campus in Rexburg for a very special Latter Day Saint youth conference hosted by the university. The big finale of the weekend was an evening seminar Saturday night by Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Elder David A. Bednar — a once-in-a-lifetime moment for

The Halstead Fire has burned over 83,000 acres, prompted evacuations and is still growing. It’s a story that conjures frightening images of danger and destruction, but even near the center of the fire fight, there lies a story of Halstead that hasn’t been told outside the central mountains. Smoke began to thicken as our crew

Some Bingham County employees say they don’t always feel safe working at the courthouse. County leaders understand, and want to beef up security at the front door. But first, they need to secure funding. It was business as usual at the Bingham County courthouse on Friday afternoon. People came and went as they pleased, as

The unemployment rate on the Fort Hall Reservation has always been notoriously high, Tribal Business Council Chairman Nathan Small said, but on Friday, that number took a hit. The new Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Events Center held its grand opening Friday morning and the word on everyone’s lips was “jobs.” From the Tribal Business Council down

Technology used to track down terrorists in Afghanistan is being used in Idaho. A few years ago a drone known as the Raven was flying over Afghanistan’s mountainous region, seeking out insurgent strongholds. But now it has a different job in the Gem State. It is tracking down invaders taking over the rangelands: noxious weeds.

A new study shows that families may be paying more for childcare services than what they’re paying for rent. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends parents spend no more than 10 percent of their income on childcare, but the study found that most families spend anywhere between 7 to 16 percent. “To

The Halstead Fire is quickly growing as evacuations take effect. Flames have scorched more than 83,000 acres, while the fire moves southeast toward Sunbeam Village and the Yankee Fork area. It had been burning about 77,000 acres Thursday. The Custer County Sheriff’s Office is urging people in those areas to evacuate. The Halstead fire incident

The fire burning near the Blackfoot Reservoir grew by 100 acres, as of about 10:30 a.m. Friday. The Fox Hill Fire started Thursday and is human-caused, the Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center said. Structures are within one mile of the fire and are considered threatened until firefighters stop the blaze from spreading. Four engines, one

The ninth annual Taste of Idaho happened Thursday evening at Snake River Landing in Idaho Falls. More than a dozen local favorites gathered to serve uptheir best dishes. “Il Castillo, and we’ve got Firehouse Grill, The Cellar,” said event coordinator Kerry McCullough, who rattled off some of the local restaurants represented at the festival, before

Water is a huge part of the economy in Idaho, and right now, the State Water Resource Board is asking for public input when it comes to updating the comprehensive water plan. The plan is meant as a guideline to address all general, statewide issues. The current version was approved in 1996 and many say

Thursday was a big night out for local Republicans as they celebrated the party’s 40th annual summer barbeque in Idaho Falls. The public mingled with state legislators and county leaders as well as U.S. Senator Jim Risch and State Superintendent Tom Luna, whom were featured speakers. The very red, white, and blue Tautphaus Park hockey

Big yellow school buses are already on the roads now as some schools start classes this week, and the rest prepare to welcome students next week. Bus safety is on almost every parent’s mind as a new school year starts. If your child rides a school bus, you have to trust drivers will obey the

Idaho state officials want you to be on the lookout for an invasive insect. The Japanese beetle was recently detected in Idaho in Ada and Kootenai counties. It is about half an inch long, and is shiny metallic green with copper-brown wing covers. The insect was introduced in the U.S. in 1916 in plants imported

A motorcyclist waskilled in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday afternoon. The accident occurred shortly before 5 p.m., between Madison Junction and the Gibbons Falls overlook, the park said Thursday morning. The motorcyclist, James Michael Cody, 52, of Wright, Wyo., was declared dead at the scene. A sport utility vehicle traveling southbound crossed the center line

A Fort Hall official confirmed that a number of human bones were uncovered during work on a sewer line in the reservation last month. The Shoshone-Bannock tribes are not releasing more information yet on the number of bones, age, or the gender. A tribal official said, “When we find any kind of funeral areas, it’s

As devastating dry conditions kill crops across the country counties in Idaho have begun declaring drought states of emergency. In east Idaho, Bear Lake, Oneida and Bannock County have all declared drought states of emergency, but despite the dry weather, farmers and ranchers in Idaho may be much better off than those in neighboring states.

As prices on everything go up, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says the average price of ground beef hit a record high in July. Reports in January showed cattle herds down two percent this year. Now that it’s summer, demand is up, meaning the record prices are really no surprise. With a recent spike in

On Wednesday, as many as 1.7 million undocumented immigrants became eligible for a two-year break from prosecution in the United States. The move, known as deferred action, comes with a lot of rules. Deferred action targets immigrants who were brought into the U.S. with no choice – say, with parents – but there are other

School is getting closer and parents are starting to feel the pinch of extra high school fees. Just like how elementary school students buy crayons and glue for the classroom, middle school and high school students shell out money to participate in extra curricular activities and even some elective classes. “It’s expensive nowadays to be

The Southeastern Idaho Public Health District is warning about a possible Hepatitis A exposure at a Pocatello restaurant. Customers who ate at Tom’s Gyro at 150 N. Third Ave. may have been exposed to Hepatitis A between Aug. 2 and 14. The district said an employee there had the disease. At the present time, there

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter issued a state disaster declaration Wednesday as fires raged across Idaho. The move comes after Elmore County, the Idaho Department of Lands and the Great Basin Multi-Agency Command requested the state’s assistance. The declaration provides the means necessary for the IDL to use its agreement with the Idaho National Guard to

A new Resource Management Plan will guide the use of 613,800 acres of federal land managed by the Pocatello Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management. A Record of Decision enacting the plan was published in the federal register Tuesday. The plan replaces two older land use plans that had been in effect since

US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has approved disaster designations for 22 Wyoming counties. Teton County has been named a contiguous disaster county, allowing agricultural operators in all 23 Wyoming counties to be eligible for some form of federal drought assistance. Governor Matt Mead requested the drought declarations in light of worsening conditions across the state.

Nuclear plants in the United Arab Emirates may give Idaho Falls’ economy a boost. Paris, France-based Areva announced Wednesday that it won a major contract to supply enriched uranium with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation. This contract stipulates that Areva will supply enriched uranium for the future nuclear power plants at Barakah, which are under

Timmie Bowie is about to be a junior at Highland High School. She’s signed up for all AP classes, she’s class president, she’s already getting recruited for her skills as point guard on the basketball team and she volunteers her time working with Make-A-Wish, Relay for Life and as a youth sports coach. It might

Firefighters in Idaho Falls and Madison County are praising the help of farmers in getting two field fires under control last night. Idaho Falls Chief Brad Pettingill said a large brush fire scorched 588 acres west of Idaho Falls, igniting at 5:20 p.m. Called the Gun Range Fire, the blaze near the Skyline Gun Club

After three quiet years, West Nile virus has popped back up in Bingham County. Ft. Hall’s mosquito abatement authorities reported a positive-testing batch of mosquitoes trapped on the reservation just days ago. Disease control experts in Bingham County said they’re doing everything they can to keep infected mosquitoes from reaching humans. One pool of 33

Road construction on 49th South in Ammon started on Tuesday and it’s already causing headaches. Drivers are facing “road closed” signs as Intermountain Gas wrapped up an installation phase of a pipeline underground and crews are now reconstructing the road. With two elementary schools on 49th, many are wondering if the project will be finished

The Bureau of Land Management wants public comment on a proposal that would turn a thousand acres in southeast Idaho… into an open pit mine. The proposed Husky North Dry Ridge Mine would be in a rural canyon about 19 miles northeast of Soda Springs. For the next month the BLM is asking for local

An Acro woman contacted our station with concerns about the future of the hospital there. She wanted to remain anonymous, but said a large part of the tight-knit community is deeply concerned ever since notice of a federal Medicaid inquiry into the community hospital appeared in the town’s local newspaper. Our station went to the

A Utah mother is facing kidnapping and custody interference charges in Madison County Court. Heather Anne John is accused of taking her two biological children and a 14-year-old. It’s a custody case like Madison County has never seen before. Prosecutor Sid Brown said Heather Anne John only had supervised visitation rights of her two daughters,

Rumors that a $2 million winning Powerball ticket sold in Salmon for the July 28 draw might be on a river float trip in a dry bag and the winner completely unaware of having the ticket turned out to be at least partially true, according to a news release from the Idaho Lottery. Mike and

The Bannock County Democrats have named Carolyn Meline to take over the race for Idaho House District 29. Meline served as Bannock County commissioner for 17 years and was the state committeewoman for the county political party for 10 years. “Every day is a gift, and I think this is a gift,” said Meline. “And

A group of taxpayers voiced their concerns Monday over the allegations in inappropriate actions by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. We first brought you this story last week, when concerned citizens voiced concerns about the fact that Sheriff Blair Olsen’s wife had been using a county-issued cell phone, paid for with public funds. Olsen has

West Nile has made its way to the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. According to a news release from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, mosquitoes collected in a trap Aug. 7 during a routine surveillance have tested positive for the virus by the reservation’s Mosquito Abatement Program, operated by Vector Disease Control International. “In order to accurately test

An event Saturday will benefit students and teachers in the Idaho Falls area. A Pack the Bus school supply drive will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Walgreens on the corner of 17th and Ammon. The drive will benefit school districts 91 and 93. According to a news release, since funding

Police responded to a call of a man with a gun at the Red Lion Hotel in Pocatello on Monday night. Officers said they responded to the hotel on Pocatello Creek Road after a call from witnesses about a man having a gun in his hotel room. When police arrived, the man was exiting his

It’s common to change your plans because of the weather, but your career path? That’s exactly what happened to one Rexburg man, in this week’s Main Street Buzz. Bob Carlson was a ski instructor at Kelly Canyon, but with a mild winter, he had to look elsewhere to make a living. Bob owns the building

Smoke from wildfires in the central mountain area is affecting peoples’ health miles and miles away in eastern Idaho. Anyone could experience some allergy-like symptoms, but people who have a history of asthma or allergies have probably already realized that things could get bad. Whether you’re coughing, have a stuffy nose, or your contact lenses

Getting kids to go to bed early for school can be a challenge, especially if they’ve been staying up late this summer. So how can parents adjust their kids to an earlier bedtime schedule? School is almost back in session in eastern idaho and that means waking up the kids early to catch the schoolbus.

There’s a new candidate for sheriff in Madison County, and until two weeks ago, he was a detective with that department. Former Madison detective Travis Williams will run for sheriff as a write-in candidate against incumbent Sheriff Roy Klingler. From his Sugar City home Monday, Williams told Local News 8 he is running on a

Our weather is going to be quite warm for the next few days and that means Idaho’s rivers and lakes will see a lot of use from folks wanting to cool off. With the fun on the water comes danger. Just last week, an Idaho Falls man drowned in Gem Lake after falling off his

The low brass section of the Century High School marching band belts out some big time sound — but those beautiful notes can blow away the players’ hearing capacity, too. All it takes is three minutes playing a flute to feel the affects, but ears protected with musicians’ ear plugs can withstand three hours of

It’s the million dollar question: Will Costco come to Idaho Falls or Ammon? Or not at all? There’s still no answer Monday night, but there is news that a handful of other retailers will be setting up shop in the area. A couple of local business blogs were oozing optimism with updates, from David’s Bridal

New U.S. Agriculture Department estimates indicate Wyoming is facing one its worst hay harvests in terms of acreage in nearly 80 years.Hay is Wyoming’s biggest cash crop, and it also is the one suffering the most from a lack of rains earlier in the season.USDA crop yield estimates released late last week project Wyoming’s overall

The decision earlier this year by Boise officials to ban smoking in the city’s bars is earning mixed reviews. Bar owners say the ban has reduced bar traffic and cut deeper than expected into monthly revenue. Meanwhile, The Idaho Statesman reports bars in nearby Garden City, where smoking is still allowed, has increased. City leaders

The U.S. Forest Service says a 20-year-old firefighter was killed when she was struck by a falling tree while working on a wildfire in northern Idaho. The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest says Anne Veseth from Moscow was struck Sunday afternoon when one tree fell and crashed into another tree, causing it to fall, too. This

Police arrested a 19-year-old man after they said he stole clothes, cash and beverages from a neighbor’s house. Police said they responded to a burglary on the 600 block of Melrose on Sunday. They said Mekenzie James Grant of Idaho Falls used a hidden key to gain entry into the home, and that he stole

Three adults were arrested and two children taken to relatives by Pocatello Police after a shooting incident Friday night. Lieutenant Paul Manning said officers were called to 262 Hyde Avenue at 10:03 pm when a fight involving a gunshot was reported. He said police found 33-year-old Alberto Cruz Jr. and 30-year-old Joshua Seth Bartausky fighting

An inmate has apparently committed suicide at the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center. On Sunday at about 4:30 p.m., a correctional officer found Cindy R. Jones, 51, hanging in the shower area, according to a news release. Paramedics were called, but were unable to resuscitate Jones. She was sentenced in 1994 to two to 20 years

On Thursday morning, an Idaho Falls family watched as everything they owned went up in flames. Lindsey Adams, her 5-year-old son Shawn, 3-year-old daughter Alyssa, and her boyfriend Curtis Sermon looked on in disbelief as their Bingham Avenue home was gutted by fire. But on Sunday, the family who lost so much is gaining even

Former legislative candidate and School District 25 Trustee Nate Murphy said, yes, he has dropped out of his race and stepped down from his position, but not for the reason published in an Associated Press article last week. The AP article, which ran on this website, made it seem that the reason Murphy was stepping

The annual Duck Race returned for its 22nd year on the Snake River. It’s an Idaho Falls tradition that’s built the city’s beloved greenbelt from the ground up — the annual Duck Race. This year, there will be 12,000 ducks swimming in the race and all proceeds will go to benefit the expansion of the

The fires threatening homes in Chubbuck and backing up traffic on the interstate Friday were no longer a threat. Fire crews told us the fire started when three transformers blew out in a brush field behind homes on Treehouse Drive, but Idaho Power has not confirmed that, though the utility did say almost 3,000 customers

As the London Olympic games wind down and become a part of history, we’re taking a look back at Olympics past. Specifically, Munich, Germany, in 1972. Athletes from around the world were there to compete, before the unthinkable happened. A Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September captured and killed 11 athletes from the Israeli