Month: April 2014

One man is in the hospital and two people have been arrested after a shooting Sunday afternoon in Island Park. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says around 2:40 p.m. on Sunday, deputies responded to a residence at 3322 Lariat Drive, in reference to a man with reported gunshot wounds. The victim is Eric Norlen, 49,

The City of Pocatello is closing down the AMI trail area on the south side of the city, after a small dog was attacked by a coyote on Sunday. PRESS RELEASE: The City of Pocatello is temporarily closing the AMI Greenway Trail effective immediately. Theclosure is a result of the increasing coyote activity in the

Robbers stole several tools valued at over $900 from Idaho Falls’ Tautphaus Park Zoo over the weekend. According to reports, Idaho Falls Police said an unknown person cut wire fencing around the zoo compound sometime between 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday. A vending machine was vandalized and drills, a saw, and grinder were

A 74-year-old Malad man, missing since Saturday morning, was located at 2 a.m. Monday in American Fork, Utah. Oneida County Sheriff Jeff Semrad said Wayne Waddopups was taken to a hospital. Semrad said Waddaups was disoriented, but otherwise alright. His family has been notified. Original Story: The Oneida County Sheriff’s office is asking the public

Nearly 500 people throughout the community filed into the Calvary Chapel church Sunday evening, including Mayor Brian Blad, to show support for Naghmeh Abedini and her two children as they continue their pleas for Boise pastor Saeed Abedini’s safe release. Abedini has been held captive in Iran for the past two years after kissing his

Blackfoot natives Daniel Hidalgo and Victor Bruha have a passion for illustrating local wildlife. “The artwork that we do reflects our area very well. It’s our local wildlife, it’s the local scenery,” said Hidalgo. But it’s the duo’s canvas of choice that’s raising eyebrows: paper made from bison dung. “The pieces of dung are boiled

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and state troopers are out and about looking for those who look distracted. “Just watch for that person that’s not maintaining lane, whether it’s crossing into the other lane or driving onto the shoulder,” said trooper Pete Sibus. Sibus said cell phones are among the most common distractions. “If

For many people, physics is something that looks cool but is hard to do. But students in the Society of Physics held a demonstration Saturday in the Pine Ridge Mall to show kids it can be easy and fun. “Asking questions is such a critical part of science,” said Ali Chlarson, secretary for the Idaho

A Mormon church leader is encouraging missionaries to stay strong amid the inevitable personal abuse they will encounter. The message from Jeffrey Holland of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Quorum of the Twelve came during one of the opening speeches of a two-day general conference that began Saturday in Salt Lake City.

The 26th annual state Geography bee at BYU-Idaho Friday. Students from all over the state came to participate. After preliminary rounds, the final competition was among ten elementary and middle school students. The first round of questions were simple ones without any contestant elimination. As the questions became increasingly challenging, eliminations happened quickly. The championship

It has been two days since a man killed three people at a military post in Fort Hood, Texas. Now a local man is giving back to those affected. Curtis Eckman of Menan is in charge of leading the Red Cross that is assisting Fort Hood. Eckman said the Red Cross is doing everything it

Local satellite companies are seeing more customers coming through their doors since cable provider, Cable One, dropped several channels Tuesday. Cable One said Viacom networks were asking for more money to carry their channels. Cable One said viewership on some of Viacom’s channels were down by 30 percent. Channels being dropped from the lineup include

As summer nears, Teton County, Wyo., expects to see an influx of workers working seasonal tourism-centered jobs. But housing officials say many of them will have a tough time finding a place to live. “The jobs and the pay seems high in comparison, until people start looking at the housing costs. Then they see why

Inventors and entrepreneurs from around the area were at Idaho State University Friday, competing for the chance to have their invention go all the way. The BIG competition stands for business, innovation and growth. “It’s to help them launch their ideas into new companies,” said Dr. Howard Grimes, vice president for research and economic development.

A medical identity theft scam is going around eastern Idaho, Portneuf Medical Center said Friday. In the scam, the caller claims to know the victim or a family member had recent medical treatment. The caller then offers to pay the patient under some program for information or copies of medical records, PMC said. PMC patients

Forty million Americans have anxiety, and many take medicine to manage it. A large study published in The British Medical Journal found people who took anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax and Valium more than doubled the risk of death. Medicine is usually prescribed when anxiety and stress start impacting your daily life, but local doctors also

A Rigby couple are $250,000 richer after winning the Idaho Lottery’s 25th Anniversary Scratch Game. Mike and Sarah Bell bought the ticket Sunday night while driving back from a family dinner in Idaho Falls. They bought two tickets at KJ’s Travel Center on Iona Road. “I actually scratched the ticket on the way home and

The Idaho Department of Labor is trying to get job seekers ready for the job interviews they’ll undergo at a job fair in Idaho Falls on Tuesday, April 8. The department held a pre-job workshop for applicants Thursday that covered everything from how to dress to preparing for tricky interview questions. “I was kind of

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL*Bonneville 7 Skyline 4 F *Madison 9Shelley 6 F *Shelley 8Madison 0 F *Rigby 6Teton 1 F Sugar-Salem 2*Firth 6 F GIRLS SOFTBALL*Skyline 15Rigby 14. F

For those who think teenagers only focus on themselves, here’s a girl that will change your mind. United Dairymen of Idaho Distinguished Student Award winner, Mikaela Jensen, from Firth High School is a shining example of service. For her senior project, Mikaela organized a prom night for the residents of the Gables senior assisted living

Following the wake of the Fort Hood tragedy, some have wondered what could have caused an individual to react in this way that ended with several lives lost. While many might attribute the incident to severe P.T.S.D, Director of the Idaho State University Veterans Sanctuary Todd Johnson said that is probably only part of it.

Idaho Falls School District 91 presents “Kiss Me Kate.” The unique production showcases students from several high schools within the district. The play is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Taming the Shrew,” featuring male lead Silas Wright (Fed Graham/Petruchio) and Sydney Burtenshaw (Lilli Vanessi/Katharine). Both say this is their first time as leads. But more

One person is dead in a rollover crash south of Preston. On Wednesday around 11 p.m., Kwintse Marley, 19, ofPreston, was traveling west on Cub River Road near 3200 East in a 2006 Ford Focus. For unknown reasons, the car left the road, rolled over an embankment and came to rest in a canal. Marley

Two people have been arrested in the March 23 robbery of the Maverik convenience store in Ririe. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said leads generated by media reports led to the arrest of Nicolle Lynn Lockyer, 29, and Thomas Ray Burgess, 31, both of Idaho Falls. Sheriff Blair Olsen said both were charged with armed

Students from Ririe High School will soon showcase their business skills on a national level. The group will head to Indianapolis at the end of April to compete against 6,000 other students from across the United States in the National Leadership Conference for Business Professionals of America.. The students were split into two teams —

Microsoft will stop supporting the Windows XP operating system in six days, and it has many families and businesses scrambling for a solution. When Microsoft ceases its support for Windows XP on April 8, technical support, updates and security patches will stop altogether. Monte McCall owns and operates FatGeek Computer Service in Idaho Falls. He

Competitive bidding is a process that has occurred only in Boise, but medical suppliers in Pocatello are feeling the pressure of dropping costs so low they either severely limit their services or go out of business. Aaron Durst in Respiratory Services at Maag Prescription and Medical Supply said competitive bidding has resulted in a drop

Bingham County commissioners read a proclamation Wednesday, declaring April as National Donation Life Month. Paula Hulse, widow of former Blackfoot City Councilman Butch Hulse, and Miss Treasure Valley Megan Moore spoke about their personal connection to donation, reminding the community of its importance. Hulse’s husband was awaiting a lung transplant when he died in 2012.

This week the Idaho Transportation Department is releasing a new mobile app that aims to help Idaho travelers’ daily commute a little easier. According to the ITD, the free 511 app will allow people to view the state’s road information including: road blocks, weather conditions, accidents, traffic congestion, and even live camera footage of certain

A group says Idaho’s hospitals aren’t transparent enough when it comes to pricing, and in a recent report, the Catalyst for Payment Reform gives the Gem State a failing grade. Hospitals in eastern Idaho agree that a lack of transparency poses a problem for consumers. “One of the biggest challenges in health care is that

“Fablehaven” author Brandon Mull visited schools in Idaho Falls on Wednesday. Often these assemblies cost school districts up to $1,500, but Mull’s visit was free because east Idaho sells so many of Mull’s books. For the 45 minutes Mull spoke to Linden Park Elementary School the kids pretty much never stopped laughing. Mull lead an

It is no secret that Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter is running for re-election. Wednesday, he made it official with a whirlwind, formal tour around the state. The governor started his day in Meridian, stopped in Twin Falls, spent lunch in Idaho Falls, and then finished out the tour in Coeur d’Alene. The Idaho Falls

A new program is giving Idaho high school students more help when it comes to earning college credits early. Beginning next school year, juniors will have access to up to $200 a year, and seniors can get up to double that. They can use the money to help pay for dual-credits courses, advanced placement exams

The FBI wants the public’s help in finding a man who is sexually abusing a child. The bureau says “John Doe 28” is seen in images and video “engaging in sexually explicit activities with a child.” These came to the attention of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in November 2012. Authorities said

An irrigation district’s effort to bolster water flow into its canal is causing problems for some boaters on the Snake River’s South Fork. The Progressive Irrigation District built a levee just upstream from the Byington Boat Ramp in Ririe. This levee was re-built after the former levee, dating back to 1887, wasn’t providing a strong

April is National Animal Cruelty Prevention Month, but with that comes questions of what is considered abuse or neglect. Pocatello Animal Control Officer Josh Heinz said to think about it in simple terms. “Treat your animals like family – family that you love,” Heinz said with a laugh. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still

With more and more manufacturing jobs turning over to technology, students need to be better trained in subjects like robotics. That’s why University of Idaho and Eastern Idaho Technical College have partnered to create the new Manufacturing and Robotics Laboratory. Tuesday, the schools cut the ribbon to the first robot in the lab. The robot

Today kicks-off National Sexual Assault Awareness month, and local crisis officials are saying this issue is more prevalent within the community than what most people realize. Family Services Alliance interim executive director Sarah O’Banion said the help center takes-in more than 1,400 new cases each year, helping both victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Mental health, a hot topic of debate in the nation, is now at the forefront of discussion in Idaho Falls. Optum, a group under contract to provide mental health services to the state, has come to Idaho Falls to teach classes on how to help people with mental illnesses during an emergency. “I suffer from

Here are three of the best whoppers in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming on April Fools’ Day 2014. Don’t believe any of this. Howdy Pardner loses digit at ribbon cutting In Tuesday’s newsletter, the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce showed that when it comes to humor, it means business. Here’s the chamber’s tongue-in-cheek account of

Cable One has announced some big changes to its lineup. In a statement, Cable One said as of Monday, it was forced to remove all 15 of Viacom’s channels, including Comedy Central, MTV CMT, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and VH1. Cable One says viewing is down on 12 of Viacom’s networks, some as much as 30

Two Idaho Falls men were arrested on warrants in connection to multiple thefts, police announced Tuesday. Police said Michael Sanders, 21, and Justin C. Wheeler, 26, are suspects in six locker burglaries reported at the Wes Deist Aquatic Center between Jan. 16 and Feb. 28. Stolen from the lockers were wallets, cash, financial cards, cell