Month: July 2013

The Idaho International Choral Festival will officially be underway Wednesday with the opening ceremony. There will also be a number of performances throughout the week at various locations around Pocatello. For a full list of those performance dates and times, clickhere. This year, seven international choirs will be participating in the event. They are: The

Librarians in eastern Idaho want to help you understand President Barack Obama’s health care reform known as the Affordable Care Act. The Idaho Library Association and Blue Cross of Idaho are partnering to hold training for librarians. The Blackfoot Public Library said they’re acting as a distribution center for people. They will have printed materials

Idaho Power has awarded a grant to help the economy in the Pocatello area grow. Now it’s up to the Bannock Development Corporation to figure out how they want to spend the money According to the BDC, applying for the grant was easy. Idaho Power contacted numerous development agencies around the state, and all that

Federal spending cuts, stemming from the March sequestration, are now starting to affect military families. Mandated furloughs are now a reality for members of the National Guard and it’s hitting close to home. 860 full-time Idaho National Guard soldiers will start their ordered furloughs this week; including 6 army guardsmen in Idaho Falls and 13

With the Ross Park skate park drawing closer toward exceeding its life expectancy, the Pocatello City Parks and Recreation department has big plans drawn-up for what will happen to the facility after it is boarded-up. The city’s Parks and Recreation director Jerry Sepich explained how the skate park will not be completely lost. Instead, the

A community is sounding off, one month since the Teton County Schools superintendent announced he would be doing away with the high school’s Redskin mascot. Monday night, superintendent Monte Woolstenhulme opened the school board meeting for public comment. People were given an hour and 20 minutes to make their remarks. They went on for three

Bonneville County is dealing with stolen mail. Over the weekend, the sheriff’s office had a few reports of mail with bill payments being stolen out of mailboxes. Deputies are warning you to either keep your mailbox flags down, or hand deliver your bills paid by check to an official post office mail drop box. Just

A 22-year old died from carbon monoxide poisoning on a boat with his friends at Bear Lake recently. Many people hear about carbon monoxide poisonings when grills are brought indoors or cars are started in a closed garage. Outdoors, many rule out the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning, but it can happen in open waters

Local special-needs children and their families got a gift Monday when adaptable bikes were awarded to four families at Snake River Landing in Idaho Falls. The Bike for Kids event is now in its fifth year. It was started by the parents of a young boy named Issac with spina bifida. His parents received an

A Rexburg man was arrested after he pointed a gun at his landlord’s family members, police said Tuesday. Rexburg police said the incident, which occurred July 4 after 8 p.m., happened when the father and brother of the landlord of Christopher Armstrong, 26, arrived at his apartment on South Fourth West to fix a plumbing

Two crashes occurred between Fort Hall and Blackfoot on Interstate 15 on Monday afternoon. Around 3:17 p.m., Heather Tripp, 29, of Blackfoot, was driving a 2000 Ford Focus north in the left lane. A vehicle in the right lane moved into the left lane and forced Tripp off the road into the median, where her

The Idaho Falls City Council discussed an important issue Monday afternoon that could attract more business to town. The purpose of the meeting was to talk about a proposed development outside city limits requesting sewer service from the city. Another purpose of the meeting was to see if council members wanted to change their current

As Americans learn more about government surveillance programs, the Better Business Bureau said it gives computer hackers a good opportunity to strike. Imagine you’re surfing the Web and you receive a message, claiming to be from the FBI. The message accuses you of committing a crime (usually illegal downloads or looking at child pornography). It

The Idaho International Summerfest is kicking off with a party at 7:15 Monday night in Rexburg at Madison Junior High. Monday morning dancers from Israel, China, Guatemala and Colombia are practicing their moves for a joint performance tonight. Although the dancers speak different languages today’s flash mob was taught without a hitch. “The music is

A rogue peahen who has been causing quite a flap around Idaho Falls in recent weeks is behind bars. The bird was relaxing at the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter on Monday night. About two weeks ago, we reported on the peahen after many of our viewers saw her roaming around the city and named her

The Fourth of July holiday week is over, and it was an eventful one, thanks to two Great Neighbors. For two decades, Phil Meador and Frank VanderSloot have shared their patriotism by putting on respective fireworks shows in Pocatello and Idaho Falls. It is amazing that two of the biggest shows in the West occur

Idaho State Police are investigating a crash on U.S. Highway 20 at the County Line Road exit. A dump truck went over the guardrail and down the side of the overpass embankment Monday afternoon. At least two other vehicles were involved. The driver of the dump truck and three other people were taken to Eastern

An angry man with a shotgun threatened neighbors lighting fireworks late at night, police said. Officers were called to the 800 block of Singletree in Idaho Falls just before midnight Friday. They said Dennis D. Lords, 52, got upset about his neighbors lighting fireworks in front of their home and threatened them with a shotgun.

While many were enjoying Fourth of July celebrations, the day started off as a scary one for our TV family here at Local News 8 & Eyewitness News. Early in the morning, Stephanie Hale-Lopez was driving herself and fellow reporter Christina Jensen from Idaho Falls to Driggs to cover the Teton Valley Balloon Rally when

A Jackson Hole home valued at $32.5 million will be auctioned off Friday, July 12. The Grand Teton Estate has over 23,000 square feet of living space, and sits on 10 acres of land. Broker Pamela Renner, Sotheby’s International Realty, said the seven-bedroom home is the nicest estate she’s seen in her 26 years of

Idaho Falls hadn’t won back to back games all season. That all changed Sunday when the Chukars beat Grand Junction 8-4. Behind a strong pitching effort from Luke Farrell Idaho Falls poured on the runs early scoring three in the first inning. The Chukars will now hit the road to take on Helena on Tuesday.

A Pocatello man got quite a surprise Saturday morning when he showed up to the Christ Love Vineyard expecting to be interviewed regarding a fundraiser he had begun to pay for a handicap-accessible van for himself. Instead, he got a new car, paid for by donations. I feel honored to introduce you to the man

After Thursday ‘s tragic drowning, the family of 27-year-old Lloyd Westbrook II, is seeking donations to help with funeral costs. Just before the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration on the banks of the Snake River, Westbrook swam out into the river. Police think he was swimming to Keefer’s Island, but drowned in the unforgiving current. The Westbrook

Hot temperatures in the summer can be dangerous, but being out in the water poses even more of a threat. Every year, search and rescue groups around Idaho respond to hundreds of water-related calls. The heat is making a return to Bonneville County and it’s boosting attendance at rivers, lakes and reservoirs, where folks go

Idaho Falls righted the ship Saturday night. After committing 14 errors in two games, the Chukars finally put together a solid effort, beating Grand Junction 8-4 Saturday. Idaho Falls is 6 games back of Grand Junction in the Pioneer League South Division with the series finale on Sunday, first pitch at 4:00 PM.

Two people are lucky to be OK after crashing their camper on the side of Interstate 15. It happened just after 7 p.m. Saturday. The two were headed north when their SUV veered off the road by mile post 131, south of Roberts. The camper they were towing flipped and broke apart. Both travelers told

With the Blackfoot Pride Days events in Blackfoot around Jensen’s Grove, you may have seen a man on the roof of Tommy Vaughn’s Grill. So, who is he and what is he doing? He’s eight-year Idaho State Police Trooper Horacio Caldera. He says out of all the organizations he could help out, the Special Olympics

Bonneville County Sheriff Paul Wilde made the decision to move forward with Melaleuca’s Freedom Celebration fireworks on Thursday night. Wilde told Local News 8’s Caleb James, he suggested organizers move forward with the fireworks display to aid search and rescue crews in their objective: to recover the body of missing swimmer, later identified as 27-year-old

Around 4pm the National Weather Service in Pocatello and the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma issued Severe Thunderstorm Watches for Eastern Idaho, Western Wyoming, Northeast Nevada and Northern Utah. The watch will last until 11pm. Primary threats include… several damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible several large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 392 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 11 PM MDT THISEVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREASIN IDAHO THIS WATCH INCLUDES 12 COUNTIESIN EAST CENTRAL IDAHOBUTTEIN SOUTHEAST IDAHOBANNOCK BEAR LAKE BINGHAMBONNEVILLE CARIBOU FRANKLINJEFFERSON MADISON ONEIDAPOWER TETONTHIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF…AMERICAN FALLS…ARCO…BLACKFOOT…DAYTON…DOWNEY…DRIGGS…FORT HALL…GEORGETOWN…IDAHO FALLS…LAVA HOT SPRINGS…MALAD CITY…MONTPELIER…PALISADES…PARIS…POCATELLO…PRESTON…REXBURG…RIGBY…ROCKLAND…SHELLEY…SODA SPRINGS…VICTOR AND WAYAN.

An Idaho Falls family is mourning the loss of a family member who drowned in the Snake River on the July 4th holiday. The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office said 27-year old Lloyd Westbrook II tried to swim to Keefer’s Island – a small land mass surrounded by swift currents. The Westbrook family told Local News

Here’s what’s for Independence Day around eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. If you know of an event that is not listed, please let us know at newsdesk@localnews8.com, and we’ll add it to the list. If you are viewing this on a desktop or laptop computer, you may have to follow the “next” link below to

The body of a man who apparently tried to swim to Keefer’s Island before the fireworks show Thursday night has been recovered. Officers said Lloyd N. Westbrook II, age 27, attempted to swim to the island at about 9:30 p.m. from the Shilo Inn area. Westbrook’s body was located at about 1:10 a.m. Friday. Dive

A 42-year-old Idaho Falls woman was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center Thursday night with possible internal injuries. Idaho Falls Police said Rebecca Read was struck by a 1995 Ford Ranger pickup while walking in the 1000 block of Elmore Avenue at 11:42 p.m. Thursday. A 16 year old male juvenile was arrested for

A nearly five month investigation led to the arrest of Leroy Simpson, 29, on charges of aggravated battery in Idaho Falls Tuesday. Idaho Falls Police began an investigation February 23 after a two year old boy was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center with multiple bruises to his face and torso. Investigators learned Simpson

Idaho Falls Police have charged Cory R. Caldwell, 43, with rape after an emergency call in the 600 block of Park Avenue. Caldwell was booked into the Bonneville County jail. Police said they received a 9-1-1 call from a woman asking for help at 2:04 a.m. Thursday. They found Caldwell holding the 47-year-old woman down

Idaho Falls had the lead heading into the 6th inning, but that’s when everything went wrong. Grand Junction scored one in the 6th and nine in the 7th on their way to a 12-2 victory over the Chukars. Idaho Falls committed 3 errors in the 7th inning alone dooming the Chukars in the end.

Folks staked out spots to watch the fireworks and took in Liberty Fest Thursday afternoon in Idaho Falls. Garrett Slezak, BYU-Idaho student, came down to get a spot with his family. “Staking out a spot where we can all be together, you definitely have to come down here early,” he said. Slezak says the fireworks

The Central Idaho Interagency Fire Center reports a small wild fire was reported at around 2:30 p.m. near Mackay. Fire information officer Amy Baumer said the “Mine Hill” fire was estimated at 20 to 30 acres in size at around 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The fire is burning in sage and grass. A Salmon-Challis National Forest

The family of Colorado Sen. Mark Udall says searchers looking for his brother in western Wyoming’s Wind River Range have found his body. James “Randy” Udall had left June 20 for a weeklong solo backpacking trip and was due back a week ago. Sen. Mark Udall’s office released a statement from the family Wednesday night

The parent company of a polysilicon manufacturing plant in eastern Idaho has filed for bankruptcy in Pocatello federal court. The Idaho State Journal reports (http://bit.ly/14TPYB5 ) Hoku Corp. made the Chapter 7 filing Tuesday. It put the company’s debt at nearly $1 billion. Hoku Corp. is the parent company of Hoku Materials, which built the

Brigham Young University Idaho will graduate a total of 1,893 students during spring commencement Tuesday, July 23 in Rexburg. The university will award 685 associate degrees and 1,085 bachelors degrees during ceremonies at the BYU Idaho Center. According to the university, 1,089 students are female and 49 percent have served as missionaries for the Church

A Dubois man is being held in the Clark County jail on $20 thousand bond on charges of felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Clark County Sheriff Bart May said Luis Sanchez, 21, was charged in connection with the accidental shooting of a 17 year old minor at Larson Farms in Beaver Creek early

Pet-lovers know how hard the 4th of July is for animals, and the fireworks can be a little much. The Pocatello Animal Shelter says this is the busiest time of year for them. Dogs may want to run away from the loud noises of the fireworks. They’re scared and if they’re alone, they even go

In the Local News 8 video clip above, Caleb James explains most parade route “stake-outs” are on city “right-of-way” property. Technically, anyone can move a stake-out and re-claim it as their own.

As the temperatures continue to rise, many children are flocking to local pools to beat the heat; but how close are they swimming to sex offenders? The Idaho Falls Aquatic Center is a hub for kids looking to play in the water; but there are more than 100 registered sex offenders living within a one-mile

Idaho Falls’ Independence Day festivities begin Thursday morning, and the Idaho Falls Police Department is prepping for a busy day. Joelyn Hansen, community projects coordinator, said the IFPD staff increases dramatically, with some officers working 12-hour shifts. “We also have a number of volunteers from our citizens watch patrol who really play an intricate part

Every 30 minutes, a crime against a person happens in Idaho, according to a new report released by the Idaho State Police. The report details different types of crime that happened in jurisdictions throughout the state in 2012. According to the report, Idaho is the fifth-safest state in the country, behind Virginia, Vermont, Utah and

Firefighters expected to control a small, ten acre fire on the Fort Hall Reservation by around 6 p.m. Wednesday. The “Little Indian” fire was started by lightning Tuesday night, but received some rain and was only smoldering through the day Wednesday. One Bureau of Land Management fire engine and one engine from the Fort Hall

Pocatello Police are looking for suspects driving a black vehicle who were seen removing mail from mail boxes in the Highland area. According to police, the suspects are taking the mail, opening it and getting checks that were written to pay bills. They then “wash” the checks, using chemicals to remove the ink, and fill

Revised estimates put the size of the “Beaver Pass” range fire near Moore at 31 acres. According to the Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center, firefighters expect to contain the fire at 8 p.m. Wednesday. No structures were threatened. The fire was believed to have been started by a lightning strike at around 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Pay raises for jury duty in Idaho could be up to local commissioners. A new state law allows them the option to increase the daily pay of jurors. Jurors earn $5 for a half-day and $10 for a full day. Now counties may pay $25 for a half-day and up to $50 for a whole

A traffic crash happened every 24.6 minutes in Idaho in 2012, according to a new study by the Idaho Transportation Department. Despite the gem state’s efforts to reduce distracted driving and aggressive driving, both caused a significant number of accidents in 2012. With the increasing number of cars on the roads, vehicle accidents have unfortunately

Custer County Road and Bridge equipment operators are working to reopen the Garden Creek Road west of Challis. Sheriff Stuart Lumpkin said a micro-burst thunderstorm dropped heavy rain at around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday that initiated a half mile mud slide on the road. No one was injured, but the slide did move through at least

Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center crews contained the 1,048 acre “2 1/2 Mile” fire Tuesday night. Firefighters will be mopping up hot spots within the area Wednesday. The fire was located northeast of Pocatello along the southern boundary of the Fort Hall Reservation and about one mile east of Fort Hall. It burned sage and

A Las Vegas man is being held in the Teton County Jail in Jackson on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm and one count of assault which resulted in serious bodily injury. Vincent Hagey, 32, appeared before U.S. Magistrate James Lubing in Moose, Wyoming Monday for arraignment on

An accidental shooting injured a 17-year-old boy Tuesday afternoon. Clark County Sheriff’s office said the boy was removing the .22 caliber rifle from the back seat of a vehicle when the rifle went off. It happened at the Beaver Creek Farm in Clark County at about 4:10 p.m. The boy was flown to Eastern Idaho

Purple Heart recipient Wade Pierce says it can be tough to be a veteran, especially when you are dealing with the physical and emotional scars of war. “I got hit by an IED (improvised explosive device),” Pierce said. “That was our job — counter-IED sweep team. Our job was to look for roadside bombs in

Heat waves are not anything new for farmers, but the high temperatures still call plenty of attention to farm fields. Marc Thiel has been farming since 1992. His fields include barley, alfalfa, wheat and potatoes. He said heat waves are as stressful as they are hot. “You just irrigate across, shut everything off, and transport

The nation is mourning the loss of 19 hot shot firefighters, who died battling the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona. Almost 450 firefighters are still working to get the 8,400-acre fire under control. Michael Wright, a former smoke jumper who lives in Idaho Falls, knows first-hand what it’s like to be on the front lines

Some of the greatest neighbors in Eastern Idaho are those who volunteer to work with our young people. Hundreds of them were gathered together in one place this past week at a boy scout encampment in Bingham county with over ten-thousand boys scouts and their leaders. “I think they’re pretty cool to spend their time

One year ago Monday, texting and driving became illegal in Idaho. Has the ban made our roads any safer? Idaho State Police troopers say answering that question can be complicated, and that issuing citations for texting can be tricky. In 2009, trooper Peter Sibus was lucky to walk away from a crash with nothing but

Energy costs continue to rise in many parts of Eastern Idaho. The increase has more people turning to solar power. Upfront costs to install solar panels range from $8,000 to $10,000. The government offers a 30% tax credit, which is one of the reasons more people are turning to solar to run their homes and

A Sunday morning fire put one man in critical condition and destroyed three apartments. Seven families from the Sand Creek Apartment’s A-building are calling a hotel home for now. One family helped tenants of the building get out safely. Adela Garza, 16, saw the fire first and called 911. She then pulled the fire alarm,

Sugar Salem Schools Superintendent Alan Dunn has accepted a $454,783.20 check under the Idaho Technology Pilot Program during a ceremony in Boise Monday. The high school will use the funding to develop technology to provide teachers, students, and parents with equal access to academic opportunities. Using a one-to-one laptop initiative with HP 4440s notebook computers

A brush fire is burning southeast of Fort Hall. A representative at the Eastern Idaho Interagency Center said the fire is in the hills east of 2 1/2 mile road. The fire has burned approximately 175 acres in heavy juniper trees as of 1 p.m. Monday. The fire was reported just before 8 p.m. Sunday

An Idaho Falls apartment complex went up in flames Sunday morning, leaving one man in critical condition and several out of a home. Firefighters were called to the A-building at the Sand Creek Apartments on Ashment Avenue at 11:30 a.m. One man was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where he is in critical

Bannock County officials have confirmed two fires started around 9:00 p.m Saturday in the Black Rock Canyon area. Bannock County Dispatch confirmed the fires started from lightning strikes.So far no structures have been threatened. The Pocatello Valley Fire Department says the two fires burned a total of between 200-300 acres. Fire crews from Bannock County

Idaho Falls ended its latest losing streak Sunday by beating the Ogden Raptors 6-5. Dominique Taylor is the hero getting the game winning hit in the 9th inning. Despite the win, Idaho Falls stays in last place in the Pioneer League South Division, trailing first place Grand Junction by five games.

Game 2,710 for Mark Chesna was one to remember. The Idaho Falls Chukars won in walk-off fashion over the Ogden Raptors. For the man who has seen countless sporting events, Sunday was his first game in Idaho Falls. Given the nickname “America’s Greatest Fan” Chesna marked off another stadium from his long list of places