Month: August 2015

The Idaho Falls City Council proposed an ordinance, Monday that could increase salaries for the mayor and city council members. The ordinance would increase city council members’ salaries from $10,000.22 to $12,500 next year and $13,000 by Jan. 2017. The mayor’s salary would also increase from $78,000 to $84,000 next year, and $86,000 by Jan.

It’s been a long time in the making, but the Snake River Animal Shelter finally opened its doors Monday. “There is no way that we could have done this without all the support and donations from the community,” said the shelter’s board of directors president, Sylvia Medina. The shelter said a big chunk of their

The Idaho Falls Downtown Development Corporation gave a generous donation to the Idaho Falls Community Food Bank Monday. IFDDC donated 20 percent — $2,290.40 — of this year’s proceeds from the “Taste of Downtown” event. “Downtown development isn’t just focused on our downtown. We’re focused on our community,” said IFDDC executive director Krisi Staten. “It

After years of testing and research, the results of the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project are in. For individual utilities that participated in the research project, like Idaho Falls Power, the results were a mixed bag. One of the most promising results from the Smart Grid research was voltage management control. “Typically we haven’t

Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office has been assisted by the FBI over the past month to find 2-year-old Deorr Kunz Jr. Dogs, divers, searchers on foot, drones and a heat-seeking helicopter are just a few of the resources being used in this search. There have been efforts to bring in another volunteer search, but locals in

A production crew from the Travel Channel will visit Lava Hot Springs this week to investigate the Lava Hot Springs Inn. Inn owner George Katsilometes says there have been at least fifteen reports of para-normal activity over the past 27 years. Those reports have ranged from people seeing ghosts or shadows to people hearing banging

A fire broke out in a structure on 3700 East, just north of County Line Road in Jefferson County, Sunday evening The fire started when the owner was burning scrap wood near several structures. The fire spread quickly. Two structures, a fifth wheel and two cars were destroyed. The fire spread to the barn and

Idaho Falls Police arrested Travis K. Bates, 26, for possession of methamphetamine with intent do deliver. According to reports, officers were on foot looking for vehicle burglary suspects around 5:15 a.m. Sunday. They discovered Bates acting suspicious in the 200 block of 12th Street. Upon further investigation, police said they found Bates in possession of

Rangers in Yellowstone National Park are trying to determine the cause of death of a hiker found Friday afternoon. A park ranger found the body of a Montana man who was reported missing by co-workers early that morning. The victim’s name is being withheld until they notify family members. The hiker’s body was found in

Yellowstone National Park has identified the victim of last week’s grizzly bear attack as 63-year-old Lance Crosby of Billings, Montana. Crosby was found dead around noon Friday about half a mile from the Elephant Back Loop Trail in the Lake Village area of the park. Crosby was a long-term seasonal employee of Medcor, which operates

A homeless man was arrested early Friday after biting a firefighter and a nurse at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. According to Idaho Falls Police, Colton F. Croshaw, 26, was arrested for felony battery on certain personnel and battery on a health care worker. Croshaw was also booked on four felony counts of assault on

Since 1947, the Motor-Vu drive-in has shown countless films, and as things get better with age- so does technology, which creates a small problem. “These theaters are set up for reel to reel movies and everybody’s gone digital,” said Jason Orme, a drive-in theater worker. The move to a digital projector is a costly one,

Salt Lake Express has recovered its missing van. The van was reported missing July 29. Company officials said the van was discovered over the weekend in front of an apartment complex in Midvale, Utah. Police told them they were alerted to the vehicle because someone reported it was parked in front of a fire hydrant.

The Bingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Saturday afternoon a 3-year-old boy who was run over by a tractor has died. The child was riding on the tractor with his father behind the Rose Road LDS Church when he fell and was run over by the back wheel. He was then life-flighted to Eastern Idaho Regional

Marshall Public Library is ending summer with a big bang. The library is celebrating its annual summer reading program. All ages were welcomed to come to the event. Some fans even showed up in costumes of their favorite fictional comic book hero. The fun didn’t stop there, kids had the chance to play board games,

Bonneville School District 93 could have another bond on the table for November elections. Thursday, School District 93 patrons, taxpayers and interested parties, along with the trustees, were invited to the Iona city building to discuss a possible solution to the district’s overcrowding. The D93 Solutions Committee, a group made up of concerned citizens, presented

The 52nd Shoshone-Bannock Festival entered its second day Friday and organizers say it is already drawing record numbers. The rodeo has 391 entries this year, which organizers said is about 100 more entries than last. The Indian Relay Race also drew large numbers. Mexican consul Celso Humberto Delgado-Ramirez toured the festival art show Friday afternoon,

EMM is a way to get trained mustangs into homes. Trainer Rachel Thorp said, “A hundred horses, 100 trainers, 100 days.” Trainers from all over the world come to Idaho for the mustangs. “In 100 days, this is a wild mustang that has never been touched, never been handled to a finishing reining cow horse

More than 2,500 soldiers from the Army National Guard are getting ready to attend the Army’s premier National Training Center located in California. The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team along with Idaho Army National Guard units will be training. The exercise will be to ensure the soldiers’ war fighting capabilities. What makes this training so

President Barack Obama on Friday signed a wilderness bill protecting 275,000 acres in central Idaho. Obama signed the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act in the Oval Office with Republican Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho and others behind him. The president noted that Simpson was able to pass the legislation without

Many women are embarrassed are ashamed to breastfeed in public or at work, which is why Eastern Idaho Public Health is working to break that barrier down. On Friday, Eastern Idaho Public Health hosted their summer picnic to allow women to speak to breast feeding counselors and get information on resources available to them. Woman,

Idaho Falls will implement the first phase of its residential auto-load garbage collection program this month. Nearly 4,200 homes will be converted to the automated system in August. Flyers outlining the conversion will be distributed to those included in the first phase beginning Monday. New refuse carts will be delivered to those homes between August

Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office says a 90-year-old missing man has been found dead. Floyd Johnson was found in a canal near his home after going missing around 7:30 Thursday evening. Johnson suffered from Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

The Idaho Potato Commission’s “Big Idaho Potato Truck” is in Idaho Falls for the Duck Race weekend. The truck’s traveling “tater team” planned several public appearances, including a stop at Aero Mark and a photo-op with the bi-plane that appeared in a national potato television commercial last year. It was scheduled to be part of

Numerous property owners turned out to Thursday night’s Pocatello City Council meeting to voice displeasure with the city’s proposed 2016 budget. The budget suggests a property tax increase of 0.14 percent, meaning a $100,000 property would pay about $1,080 in taxes. “I’m extremely concerned and disappointed having watched our property taxes increase over the last

Starting Sunday night until Thursday morning, the city will be installing LED bulbs. The area for this phase will include all street lights on 17th from Yellowstone to Woodruff avenue. The work will start at 9p.m. and end at 7:30 a.m each day. The project costs about $33,000 but with an incentive rebate from Bonneville

ISU Research teams and NASA are collecting data on cheatgrass in southeastern Idaho. It’s a serious problem and researchers at ISU are working hard to prevent the spread of cheatgrass. “The NASA Develop Program provides students the opportunity to work on environmental projects where they can use NASA technology to address societal concerns,” said Jeff

During Tyrell Dixey’s preliminary hearing Thursday , prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss his original charge without prejudice after one of their witnesses wasn’t cooperating with them on the stand. Sixth District Magistrate Judge Rick Carnaroli granted the motion in court with no objection from Dixey’s public defender, John Souza. Tyrell Dixey is one of

Lunch-goers at Carl’s Jr. got a little surprise Thursday. The effort came from Progrexion, a sales and marketing company, and their “random days of kindness”. Lunch guests at Carl’s Jr. on Broadway received a gift card as a special surprise to make their lunch a little cheaper. “Our company has a goal of doing a

A bill to protect the largest wilderness area in the lower 48 is scheduled to be signed by the President on Friday. The U-S Senate passed the bill protecting 275,000 acres in central Idaho known as the Boulder-White Clouds. The plan creates three new wilderness areas. It was spearheaded by Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson and

Idaho Falls Police arrested 20-year-old Hunter C. Wieting for grandtheft on Tuesday for stealing more than a thousand dollars from his employer. Wieting of Idaho Falls was booked into the Bonneville County Jail.According to police reports, officers were contacted by Idaho Falls’ Walmart managers onTuesday afternoon regarding an employee theft. They stated Wieting stole at

Update 12:50 p.m.: Power has been restored to all customers according to Rocky Mountain Power. Power was out in the Idaho Falls and Ammon area affecting approximately 1,500 customers. They said about 30 power poles were damaged from strong winds causing the outage. The poles are down near the Cannon Dairy outside of Roberts. Crews

The Wyoming Women’s Legislative Caucus is encouraging Wyoming citizens to support Esther Hobart Morris as the new face of the $10 bill. Morris was a pioneer for women’s suffrage and among the first women to be appointed a justice of the peace in Wyoming. She was appointed to the post in South Pass City, Wyoming

A 3-square-mile wildfire burned through important sage grouse habitat in south-central Idaho but nine aircraft and a local fire protection association stopped it from reaching the bird’s primary habitat. Fire managers say the lightning-caused fire about 12 miles north of Glenns Ferry will likely be out Thursday evening. The sage brush habitat that burned is

Power has been restored to computer servers Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles uses to supply information to county offices across the state. Work is underway to assess the condition of the DMV system and then bring it back online. The current estimate for when the system will be fully functional again is noon. DMV services

Strong thunderstorms moved across eastern Idaho Wednesday afternoon causing high winds and rain. Between 3 and 4 p.m. a funnel cloud developed east of Idaho Falls and moved towards the Ririe Reservoir area and into Teton County causing a tornado warning. There’s no confirmation the funnel clouds ever touched the ground making it a tornado.

The Portneuf Medical Center hosted it’s 14th Annual Children’s Diabetes camp Wednesday. The event brings together kids who share the same struggles with the disease. When summer hits it’s time to send kids to camp. For some camp is a place to connect with others who are going through the same struggle. The American Diabetes

Idaho is currently facing a blood shortage, so the American Red Cross is urging people to donate blood so those in need won’t have to wait. Kealee Hewatt is an eight-time blood donor. She remembers when her dad would donate blood when she was younger. So when the time came, she decided to start donating,

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at Portneuf Medical Center Wednesday. The event was to celebrate a new RV park that houses families who have loved ones currently getting medical treatment at the hospital. Money was raised and donated by the Portneuf Auxuliary and gift shop. One family parked their RV in the new spot. They

Three Colorado people survived a plane crash in Power County on Sunday, August 2. The Power County Sheriff’s office said Wednesday the 4-seat plane ran out of fuel and the pilot crash-landed about 3 miles west of Bonanza Lake. It happened about 6:45 p.m. Passenger, Monika Olczyk, 21, was able to call for help on

Tanner cox, the man accused of beating Joshua Olzak to death appeared in court again on Wednesday. This time two of the officers involved the night of the incident spoke. The defense attorney made a motion to suppress the statements Cox made to police on the night of the arrest. Sergeant Prudent and Officer Godfrey

President Obama’s climate change initiative is creating concern over the cost of energy and renewable sources. The big concern in Idaho is with hydro-power. Under Obama’s current plan it doesn’t recognize hydro-power here as a renewable energy source, which could mean increased costs. “We’re concerned that it goes too far too fast, we really need

Issued at: 3:27 PM MDT on August 5, 2015, expires at: 4:15 PM MDT on August 05, 2015 The National Weather Service in Pocatello has issued a * Tornado Warning for… southeastern Jefferson County in southeastern Idaho… north central Bonneville County in southeastern Idaho… southeastern Madison County in southeastern Idaho… Teton County in eastern Idaho…

A 15-month-old toddler was accidentally killed Wednesday. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said the child was run over by a family member. The infant was transported to Madison Memorial Hospital by private vehicle, but died en route to the hospital as a result of injuries received in the accident. No foul play is suspected. No

The Bonneville County Prosecutor says the use of force by law enforcement, to subdue Ricky L. Mosley was justified. The investigation of the incident reveals that Mosley refused to show his hands, repeatedly saying he wouldn’t. Mosley was agitated during the confrontation. At one point Mosley lunged at an officer as the officer was attempting

The Housing Authority is hosting the National Night Out event tonight. The goal is to strengthen community relations in hopes of preventing crime. This event took seven months to prepare. It was originally started by the neighborhood watch. This year, the Housing Authority will hold the event in four different locations. Music, local vendors, food

National Park Service biologists hope to use rotenone treatments to remove non-native fish from Kelly Warm Spring, about one mile northeast of Kelly, Wyoming. The spring has been a target for illegal dumping of aquarium fish since the 1940’s. Those non-native species are a threat to native fish because they prey on their eggs and

Kids in Bingham County have been washing and prepping their animals to show all day. But for 9 year old Bradley Parris the show didn’t go as planned.He won’t be showing his own goat this year. “I’ve had the goat I was going to show since I was two,” Bradley said. Kids like Bradley look

The Idaho Falls Police are investigating vandalism at the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park. Sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning the zoo’s Kawasaki Mule and bamboo fencing around the zoo was damaged.Two fire extinguishers were emptied onto 118 bales of hay- which is about one thousand dollars worth of damage. A window to

Northstar Health Clinic in Pocatello is getting ready for its grand opening. The staff believe in a personal approach to care for clients. They say learning and practicing preventative healthcare should be your number one priority. And prevention starts with primary care. Northstar clinic is also located in Idaho Falls and have nationally certified nurse

Big game hunter Sabrina Corgatelli has created a social media tornado with her recent hunting pictures. The Idaho State University employee first caught national attention with her picture with a giraffe she hunted. When ISU students Kelsy Roberts and Katherine Bobo first heard about Corgatelli’s recent ‘trophies,’ they didn’t have the nicest things to say.

The Bannock County Planning and Zoning Council will be holding a public hearing Wednesday for the proposed Deer Valley Reserve subdivision. The subdivision would subdivide 67.35 acres into 17 lots, 13 of which would be residential. It would be located in the Mink Creek area. The original public hearing was scheduled for mid-July, but since

Rocky Mountain Power is proposing a change in its rate schedule that could raise residential electricity rates by 2.7 percent, or $2.35 per month. According to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, the rate adjustment is proposed as part of the company’s annual Energy Cost Adjustment Mechanism, which tracks the company’s variable power supply expenses. The

Natalia Macker has been appointed to an open seat on the Teton County, Wyoming board of county commissioners. She will serve the remainder of former Commissioner Melissa Turley’s term, which expires at the end of 2016. The appointment came after two rounds of interviews and several hours of executive session discussions y the sitting board.

Joaquin Broncho, 18, of Fort Hall, has been indicted in theAugust 29, 2014, stabbing death of Joey Runninghorse. Broncho, also known as Joaquin Dancing Thunder Bluehorse, was indicted on a chargeof second degree murder by the federal grand jury in Pocatello on July 28, 2015. Broncho wasarraigned today in U.S. District Court before U.S. Magistrate

After more than 40 years in the making the U.S. Senate has approved a bill that will protect 275,000 acres of the Boulder-White Clouds. Idaho Sen. Jim Risch brought the bill to the Senate floor late Tuesday where it passed without objection by unanimous consent. It now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.

The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Energy want public input to build a $1.6 billion facility at the Idaho National Laboratory to continue handling spent fuel from the nation’s fleet of nuclear-powered warships. Director of Regulatory Affairs for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program John McKenzie said a new facility site is needed to

Bonneville Online Schools is hoping to increase their enrollment The important thing about them is options. Students are given an individualized curriculum; ensuring that the student’s needs are met first. Shelley Andrus, lead teacher K-8, said, “One of the big things people said to me was ‘I didn’t even know that you exist’.” Bonneville Online

A group of small business owners in Pocatello have been meeting to help their businesses take the next step. It was started by David Robles, who’s been running his casket-making business Bannock Pride since 2002. While he’s got a handle on everything in his wood shop, Robles struggled to catch up with new technologies for

With the school year about to start there’s a lot parents need to do to make sure their kids are ready to hit the books. One people might not think to do is taking students in for an eye exam. “The children’s eyes don’t align properly together, so they have a hard time focusing on

A federal judge has ruled that Idaho’s law banning secret filming of animal abuse at agricultural facilities is unconstitutional. U.S. Judge Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled Monday the law violates the First Amendment. A coalition of animal activists, civil rights groups and media organizations sued the state more than a year ago, opposing the

Update:Joshua Oquendo was located at a camp ground in Stearns County Minnesota and was subsequently taken into custody for his warrants for kidnapping and child custody interference. His child was also found safe and sound. The Pocatello Police department is asking for the public’s help to locate Joshua Michael Oquendo. Oquendo is a person of

The Office of the State Attorney has resolved an investigation into allegations executives from a Blackfoot hospital misused charitable assets. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced an agreement Monday with Bingham Memorial Hospital, Inc. that ends a three-year investigation and ensures its policies and procedures protect the nonprofit’s charitable assets. BMH also agreed to reimburse the

Idaho Falls Police arrested 77?year-old Richard Hays for two counts of aggravated assault, driving under the influence and carrying a concealed weapon while intoxicated Friday night. Hays was booked into the Bonneville County Jail. According to reports, officers responded to the 600 block of North Utah Avenue around 9:30 p.m. for a report of a

Idaho Falls Police arrested 19-year-old Steffany Snell for felony injury to a child after her eight-month-old child was found home alone early Sunday morning. Snell of Idaho Falls was already booked into the Bonneville County Jail after being arrested for driving under the influence earlier. According to reports, officers were dispatched to the 800 block

Pocatello Police arrested Yazeed Safeed Alghamdi, 23, after a disturbance at 1220 S. 4th Street at around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. According to police, Alghamdi stabbed another adult male with a kitchen knife to the chest. The extent of the victim’s injury was unknown. Police did not identify the man. Alghamdi was charged with aggravated battery

Incoming thunderstorms and high winds have put southeast Idaho under a red flag warning. The warning is in effect early Monday through the evening. The National Weather Service declared the warning, saying lightning strikes with dry thunderstorms could create new fires. Along with winds up to 30 mph, it creates ideal conditions for a wildfire.

With approaching thunderstorms for Monday, the National Weather Service in Pocatello has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of Southeast Idaho. Sub-tropical moisture is moving in from the South, and the thunderstorm threat for for local mountains is especially high. The greatest concern is for the early afternoon storms, which could produce dry lightning.

It’s Enrichment Day for the lions, tigers and bears at The Idaho Falls Zoo at Tauphas Park.This is the day the public is invited to see what zookeepers do to help keep the animals entertained and mentally enriched in their enclosures. Besides their daily routine of feeding and cleaning, zookeepers at The Idaho Falls Zoo

School should be a safe place to learn and grow. But for some LGBT youth, it can be a real nightmare. Saturday, people in Pocatello came out to the “Stop Bullying Ice Cream Social.” They want to spread awareness about anti-bullying and suicide prevention. A year ago a Pocatello high school student who was an

A woman from Malta was killed in a rollover accident on Interstate 84 Friday afternoon. Idaho State Police say 62-year-oldMarlyn Gaskillwas eastbound on I-84 near milepost 223 in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. “Gaskill drove off the left shoulder of the roadway, over-corrected, and lost control of the vehicle. The Jeep overturned in the median” State

Bingham County held its annual 4H horse show Friday, but this year things were a little different. Helmets were required for all participants. Idaho is one of the last states to adopt a helmet requirement for its 4H program. “It’s for safety…,” said Scott Nash, 4H extension educator.”The University of Idaho is in charge of