Month: August 2013

Head Coach Mike Kramer and the Bengals prepare to put 2012 behind them on Monday. Sweeping changes in the off-season gives ISU hope to turn the corner in 2013

Sunday was the last day of the 26th annual Targhee Bluegrass Festival in Alta, Wyo. Garret Owens came from North Carolina to take in the festival. “I haven’t been able to wipe this smile off my face that’s for sure,” said Owens. He said this experience might have him back next summer for more. “It

A fire was burning in the Lava area late Friday afternoon. The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office said crews are responding to a fire on BLM land off Frandsen Road northwest of town. People are being asked to avoid Old Oregon Trail Road to minimize traffic in the area. An Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center spokesman

A fire near Lava Hot Springs has burned an estimated 132 acres as of Sunday evening. The fire is burning northwest of town on BLM land off of Frandsen Road. It started Friday afternoon when a lightning storm moved through the area. They have a helicopter, 4 engines and a 20-man crew fighting the fire.

The 50th anniversary of the Shoshone-Bannock Festival comes to a close today. Event organizers said the weekend-long celebration brought-in more people than ever before.

At it’s annual Alumni Game, the Varsity Bengals topped the Alumni 2-1.

Idaho Falls got all the runs they needed in the 2nd inning on their way to a 12-3 win. Starting pitcher Patrick Conroy won his 5th start of the season pitching 6 perfect innings.

Question 20: Highland Rams have one of the best High School football prospects in the country on it’s offensive line. But the hole they have to fill, is still hugely important.

Thousands packed the green belt in Idaho Falls this afternoon for this years great snake river green belt duck race. The annual event draws people from all across eastern Idaho to help raise money for the green belt’s up keep and expansions. More than 17,000 quackers were dropped in the river at 4 this afternoon

San Diego County Sheriff’s officials say the man suspected of abducting 16-year-old Hannah Anderson has been killed in Idaho and the teen has been found safe. San Diego Sheriff William D. Gore said Hannah’s father was “elated” his daughter was found alive. Federal and local law enforcement spent Saturday combing through Idaho’s rugged Frank Church

Chubbuck held its annual Chubbuck Days celebrations Saturday. Scary face paint, down the clown, putt putt with some major obstacles and real huckleberry smoothies were just some of the attractions at Chubbuck Days. These things and more were at the Chubbuck Days celebrations. Many people from Chubbuck and the surrounding communities came together to have

The Idaho Falls City Council decided Thursday to approve a master signage program. The city wants to add more signs to help both locals and tourists find their way to popular spots. They also want to make over current signs to add a little consistency. City Council member Kenneth Taylor said,”What we have now is

In a long meeting that lasted until midnight Thursday, the council decided to pass a $185 million budget. It’s the same budget as last year and will cover costs from Oct. 1, 2013 through September 2014. Tax dollars are also staying the same, except for one exception. “An individual’s taxes could go up or down

Intermountain Gas Company wants to increase its rates by 4.15 percent beginning Oct. 1. In its annual Purchased Gas Cost Adjustment application, the company is asking the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to approve the $10.3 million rate hike.The company said it needs the increase to cover the wholesale cost it pays for the natural gas

If you pick up the September issue of Consumer Reports on stands now, you will see a special surgery issue. Inside you’ll find the rankings of hospitals across the state, three of them in eastern Idaho. Consumer Reports lists Portneuf Medical Center in the top three in the state for surgery outcomes. That means surgeries

The Idaho Falls City Council now says all five fire stations will again operate fully staffed. The decision was made in a work session Thursday morning. On July 11, the council moved to temporarily close Fire Station No. 5 when staffing was low, which had been prompted by overtime costs. Council President Ida Hardcastle said

The man police said caused a crash at Eighth and Center in Pocatello on Thursday night rescued another driver before he was arrested on an aggravated DUI charge. Police said 33-year-old Emery Rudolph Beckles Jr. was driving a white Cadillac Escalade on Center Street around 10:45 p.m. when it crashed into the passenger side of

For students hoping to work in the nuclear engineering field, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission is giving Idaho State University College of Technology’s Energy Systems Technology and Education Center a $150,000 grant going toward scholarships. The ESTEC program said the grant is aimed at helping more students afford to attend the program. ESTEC director Lawrence

Local cyclists are preparing for a 100 mile bike race this weekend. Some will be skipping the normal food stops in favor of something a little different. They are being sponsored by a local farmer who is looking to fuel both the cyclists and the potato industry. Potatoes are one of Idaho’s top exports, but

The Idaho National Laboratory is modernizing control rooms for nuclear power plants. The current systems are nearing the end of their 40-year life span, so as new ones are installed, digital is the choice. Researchers at the INL ran through an emergency test scenario Thursday using the Human System Simulation Laboratory. 15 touch screen panels

The annual Snake River Roaring Youth Jam kicked off Thursday with free art projects, experiments and music. The jam goes through Saturday. Toddlers to teens were on hand to check out all of the arts whether its was painting, dancing or playing the guitar. Nightly shows at the Colonial Theater are also free of charge.

A quarterly oil and gas lease auction generated $1.6 million in mineral leases for the state of Wyoming on Wednesday. The auction by the Office of State Lands and Investments including 6971 acres from parcels in Big Horn, Campbell, Carbon, Converse, Crook, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Niobrara, Park, Sublette, Sweetwater, Uinta, Washakie

“Just a Thought” By Russ Rubert August 2013 Summer is leaving, but not before the crops and gardens are harvested and either stored, consumed or sent to market. As far as any “tips” are concerned, all I can say is “enjoy the harvest and the rest of school vacation. The markets for our crops are

The state’s water resources are running dry. This week the Idaho Water Resource Board is meeting to discuss ways to prevent a water shortage crisis from hitting the state. On Tuesday the board met with the Natural Resource Committee in Boise over its concern over the lack of water in the state before speaking with

Idaho Falls and Bonneville County Fire Crews responded to a grass fire behind an auto salvage yard Wednesday night. The fire broke out just after 9 p.m., in a field near the intersection of Iona and St. Leon roads. The fire burned behindCross’s Crashes. It is unknown if any vehicles caught fire. Authorities are investigating

The Shoshone and Bannock tribes of Fort Hall are celebrating their 50th annual festival this week. The festival is one of the most popular in the entire northwest region, and brings tribes from all over the nation and Canada. They’re celebrating not just their past and present culture, but they’re also looking ahead to the

With the start of school just weeks away, the Eastern Idaho Public Health District is reminding parents to have their children vaccinated. James Corbett, the immunization coordinator, said this is the busiest time of the year. “We see a lot of kids during August,” said Corbett. “Not only us, but providers in the area see

The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance released the results of its effective population study. The effective population factors in the number of tourists with the number of permanent residents. The study found that both groups are growing at the same rate. It also found that Teton County can be home to more than 60,000 people during

The federal government wants to protect our national parks. More than 1,200 acres of land inside Grand Teton National Park is up for sale to the highest bidder, and the U.S. Department of the Interior wants to make sure it is that bidder. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell visited Grand Teton to affirm her department’s commitment

With a new school year comes the talk of new schools. The Bonneville District 93 School Board is concerned about overcrowding, especially in secondary schools. They met Wednesday to discuss plans to house the ever-growing student population. “We have 12 modulars at Hillcrest this year and eight at Bonneville, so until we can get new

School was in session Wednesday for school bus drivers in Bonneville District 93. The annual training is a refresher course for returning drivers, and this year includes eight new drivers. Besides hitting the books, drivers crawl all over their own buses to learn safety standards. The final exam of the day is walking through a

A year ago, few locals had heard of the Cives Steel Company. On Wednesday, the Ucon plant was ready for business. Two hundred people were on hand for the official ribbon cutting. Company management, the governor of Idaho, and the director of commerce were all there with local leaders to celebrate the new jobs. Steel

Rocky Mountain Power customers in two areas who lost power got their lights back on earlier than expected. Folks in one Ammon neighborhood have been dealing with an outage since about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.Eighty-one people in the Romrell and Owen neighborhood lost power when someone cut a tree limb and it fell on a line.

An East Boise Community Work Center inmate who walked away from her job Friday is back in custody, the Idaho Department of Correction said. Acting on a tip, Bonneville County sheriff’s deputies arrested Leah J. McCormack, 42, on Wednesday in Idaho Falls. She was taken into custody without incident. McCormack, 42, was serving time for

A car rolled onto railroad tracks in Pocatello on Wednesday. The car was northbound on South Second when it left the roadway and launched about 60 feet off a 6-foot embankment. It rolled three times before coming to rest on the tracks, Pocatello police said.The driver was thrown into the rear seat of the car

A California man is facing felony charges after allegedly touching a woman inappropriately. Elijah D. Schmidt, 19, of Quartz Hill, Calif., was arrested after police were called to a disturbance in a car parked at the 3200 block of Outlet Boulevard around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Police said Schmidt had inappropriately touched a 36-year-old woman. Schmidt

Pocatello police have arrested a man in the armed robbery of the Kmart pharmacy on Pole Line Road. Joshua Micheal Robertson of Chubbuck, 23, was arrested on North Seventh Street on Tuesday afternoon. Police said a man robbed the store’s pharmacy counter at gunpoint around 8 p.m. July 25, then ran out of the store.

This season’s harvest of hard white winter wheat came about a week earlier than usual. Patrick Olsen, of Rich Lane Farms in Blackfoot, has been harvesting winter white for a week now. He’s run his family’s combine for 12 years, and said so far, this season has exceeded expectations. “In the last, six or seven

In Idaho, we can experience all kinds of natural disasters, like floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, and right now – fires. And if there are fires near your home, there are some things you should have ready to go, by the recommendation of the Northwest Insurance Council. Last year, fires scorched more than 1.7 million acres in

The buses in Pocatello are getting a new home. On Tuesday afternoon, Pocatello Regional Transit and the City of Pocatello finally held its long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony for the new PRT facility. This comes after a decade of trying to get this $6 million project launched, while PRT workers have been enduring a collapsing, 80-year-old facility.

Idaho Falls Police Chief Mark McBride is thinking about stepping up security after a deadly shooting at a town hall meeting in Pennsylvania on Monday evening. Idaho Falls city council members say they’re not worried, but they’re on high alert. “I just heard the news this morning, and my first reaction was I’m glad I

Once again, Idaho is in the top 10 states paying the most at the pump. We have the eighth highest price on average. Idaho prices have been on the rise the past couple of weeks. At the same time, the U.S. as a whole is trending down with an average price of $3.61 per gallon

The 50th annual Shoshone-Bannock Indian Festival kicks off Tuesday. At 6:30 p.m., the Miss Sho-Ban talent show starts at the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Event center. On Wednesday, the festival continues with the Indian Relay Races at 1 p.m. There is also a community buffalo feast at 5 p.m.. The festival events continue through Sunday. The

A 64-year-old Chubbuck man was killed in a farm accident Monday. The Power County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victim as Dale L. Baker. The sheriff’s office received a 911 call around 9 p.m. Monday about a man who was trapped under a combine tire. Baker was found dead at the accident. Sheriff Jim Jeffries

A Blackfoot man is facing several felony charges after police said he was sexually abusing children. Idaho Falls police said Bradley E. Drummond, 37, was arrested Monday on a warrant for two counts of sexual abuse of a child under 16, two counts of felony injury to a child and one count sexual battery of

Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center crews were responding to three different fires late Monday afternoon. The Mabey Fire, eight miles southwest of Chesterfield, is burning about 100 acres. Resources from the EIIFC and Caribou County are assigned to the blaze, which is also being fought from the air. EIIFC also said it is responding to

The fire that burned southeast of Idaho Falls on South Ammon Road is now out. The blaze had been creeping toward the Blackhawk subdivision late Monday afternoon and burned only grass and sagebrush. No evacuation orders were issued. In addition to local firefighters, the Bureau of Land Management responded to the fire. The Idaho Falls

A fire that burned on the 115 North block of Fifth West on Monday afternoon is out. It started in a grain field around 5 p.m. and threatened homes. It was extinguished before 5:30 p.m. About 10 acres of grain were burned, the Idaho Falls Fire Department said Tuesday. Although the fire department said the

TheSnake River Duck Racehas been a summer event in Idaho Falls the past 23 years. The Idaho Falls Rotary Club organizes the event. The money raised goes toward upgrades to the Idaho Falls greenbelt. The annual duck race event will take place Saturday, August 10th in Idaho Falls. Speed boats will be on the water

People in a local neighborhood are raising a stink about a nasty smell. They say the smell comes from a potato company, and it is ruining their lives at home. Kris Baker enjoys mornings outside, on her porch along 500 West near Blackfoot. By afternoon, she says the stench blows in. “It’s really putrid,” Baker

Slow travel, a lot of noise and vehicle damage is occurring from seal coating projects in Idaho Falls. Some construction is on Sunnyside Road, Memorial Drive, South Utah Avenue and West 17th Street. To see a full list, click http://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/city/city-departments/public-works/engineering/construction-projects.html It’s part of a process called seal coating happening in several roads of Idaho Falls.

Motors revving, hundreds of classic cars from around the nation toured eastern Idaho for the first time, ever, this week. This week marks the 75-year anniversary of the Veteran Motor Car Club of America and the 50-year anniversary of the eastern Idaho chapter, who is hosting the national club this year. “We have at least

The sheriff’s office has released the name of the Rigby woman who died in a boating accident on Saturday along the South Fork of the Snake River. The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office said Cara Tomita, 33, died at the scene of the accident. The crash happened about 6:50 p.m. when the driver of the boat

Authorities are looking for an East Boise Community Work Center inmate with a criminal record in eastern Idaho after she walked away from her job in the community. In a news release Monday, the Idaho Department of Correction said Leah J. McCormack, 42, was reported missing Friday at 3 p.m. She was last seen at

A Rigby woman was killed in a boating accident on the South Fork of the Snake River. Bonneville Co. Sheriff office said the accident happened 2 miles south of the Conant boat dock just before 7 p.m. Saturday. The driver, Christopher Fife of Idaho Falls, and Richard Olaveson were taken to the hospital. The Sheriff’s

The Idaho Falls Chukars got their second win of the second half of the season Sunday topping Ogden 12-3.

The long season of American Legion wrapped up Sunday. The Pocatello Razorbacks playing for an “A” State Title, and the Idaho Falls Bandits competing for an “AA” State title.

One week after sustaining a major injury, bullfighter Quirt Hunt returned to the sport he loved. Not performing, wasn’t an option. He’s taken many hits over his long career, but bullfighting with over 120 stitches, was a new challenge.

It was all Bull Riding on Sunday as the War Bonnet Rodeo ended it’s 102nd year. Lots of local riders competed in front of a large crowd at Sandy Downs.

Idaho’s oldest rodeo, the War Bonnet Roundup, draws more than 12,000 spectators and hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls every year. Veteran Bob Skinner began volunteering 30 years ago. He used to work in the concession stand, but now he’s the head organizer of the event. “I’m the guy that does the nuts and bolts of

In this day and age of advancing technology, it seems like you are able to get a hold of anybody by sending a simple text or instant message. So why not to your doctor? A team of doctors and engineers from Pocatello say they have done just that with a new app for your smartphone

Families across eastern Idaho are welcoming students from around the world. Roughly 170 kids arrived at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport Saturday afternoon. The students and families are participating in the EF Foundation’s foreign exchange program. High-school-aged exchange students from dozens of countries will spend the next 10 months living with host families and experiencing

The plan to scrap the Hoku plant may become scrapped itself. A company out of Henderson, Nev., has made a verbal offer to purchase the buildings and complete the construction. JCF Funding, LLC made the offer to a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Court July 24. The company announced Thursday it will open a Pocatello office in

More common than the orange rays of sunshine in Idaho Falls during the summer are the orange construction cones all over town. Idaho Falls city engineers said there is more construction this summer compared to previous years. There are several projects in Idaho Falls, but downtown Idaho Falls is the area seeing the most construction.

The Idaho Youth Ranch cut the ribbon on a brand-new store Friday. The thrift store left its downtown Idaho Falls location for one on Woodruff, next to Winco. The Youth Ranch helps kids who find themselves in difficult situations create promising futures. Donations and proceeds from stores statewide allow them to work towards this mission.

Convicted murderer Christopher Tapp is suing the state of Idaho for post conviction relief. Angie Dodge was killed in Idaho Falls in 1997. Tapp was convicted of the crime, largely on the strength of a confession he gave to police. Tapp now claims he was pressured into giving that confession. In Idaho Falls Friday, Tapp’s

An Idaho Falls engineer submitted the winning bid to purchase a Rocky Mountain Power hydro electric project in St. Anthony. Ted Sorenson of Sorenson Engineering will repair the 700 kilowatt facility and have it operating within six months. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission approved a 20-year power purchase agreement that will allow Sorenson to sell

Many kids look forward to the fair all summer for the promise of fun and food. When sisters Bailey and Amanda go to the fair, it’s not for the rides. As 4H kids, they have spent their summer raising animals to show and auction. “It’s really sad at the end because it’s really hard to

A Henderson, Nevada based company has submitted a verbal offer to purchase the abandoned HOKU plant in Pocatello. JCF Funding, LLC made the offer to a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Court July 24. The company announced Thursday it will open a Pocatello office in an effort to prevent liquidation of the HOKU polysilicon plant. Former plant

School districts across the state are finding out how proficient their students are. Thursday, School District 25 in Pocatello and Chubbuck presented its accountability review. But what is in this accountability review? The accountability review is really the school district reporting its student achievement to the federal government. It calculates all test scores and graduation

The gates of the unfinished Hoku plant most likely will not be sitting idle for too much longer. The Bannock County Development Corporation is discussing options for the plant’s future with Hoku’s Washington-based contractor, JH Kelly. Since Hoku filed for bankruptcy in early July, Kelly has been trying to figure-out ways to salvage the facility

Antibiotics have been a go-to treatment option for many illnesses, but there are types of bacteria which become resistant to antibiotics. Super bugs which include Clostridium Difficile or C-Diff can be deadly if contracted. Not too long ago doctors used to believe C-Diff was only acquired during or following a hospital stay, but a new

The Pocatello Fire Department was called to 431 N. 14th Ave. for a house fire shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday. Firemen quickly brought the fire under control. Although the source of the fire is unknown, firemen said it started in the basement of the home and burned up into the house. They said the interior

The Pocatello/Chubbuck school district will take a tough stand on its student fee and fine policy next school year. School officials said some seniors have had a significant challenge paying fees and fines, especially if they allowed their debt to accumulate. As a result, high schools have had to carry a significant amount of debt

Even with strong winds and hot temperatures, fire activity was minimal on the Wolverine Fire nine miles east of Firth Thursday. A recognizance flight determined the fire had covered about 230 acres. The Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center said crews expect to contain the fire at around 8 p.m. Thursday. Incident Commander Troy Ballensky said

Teton Interagency firefighters are working to douse two small fires started by lightning Wednesday. The South Fall fire, estimated at one quarter of an acre, started at around 5 p.m. about four miles west of Red Top Mountain subdivision near the Bridger Teton National Forest border with the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Though small in size,

A Firth man is in custody after a bicycle chase in Pocatello Thursday morning. Pocatello Police bicycle patrol officers attempted to stop 32-year-old Jesse Lee Converse, who was also riding a bike, for an equipment violation near North Grant and West Carson streets at around 2:30 a.m. According to police, Converse was also suspected of

An Idaho Falls man was arrested at 2:51 a.m. Thursday after driving his red Pontiac into a white SUV driven by his estranged wife. Idaho Falls Police said Juan E. Garduno-Diaz was found at the scene of an injury accident at Fremont and U.S. Highway 20. Police also learned there was a no-contact order in

An Idaho Falls man is in custody in the Bonneville County jail on charges of using stolen credit and debit cards. James A. Bridwell, 37, was arrested on a warrant for grand theft and possession of stolen property. According to Idaho Falls Police, Bridwell was caught using the stolen cards at various local businesses. They

A U.S. House candidate in Idaho has been flying to campaign events on a private plane owned by one of his supporters, despite federal law that generally prohibits prospective office holders from paying for non-commercial flights. Bryan Smith, an Idaho Falls lawyer seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson in Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District, flew

Brigham Young University-Idaho is getting ready for a successful Education Week.The university will open up to the public Thursday through Saturday, offering classes on subjects from academics to religion to Zumba. Enrollment for the classes is over, but Education Week Director Brett Sampson said there are plenty of events the public is welcome to enjoy.