Month: March 2016

Voters in Salmon, Soda Springs, and Aberdeen school districts approved supplemental levies at the polls Tuesday. The Aberdeen school district asked for a two-year $675 thousand supplemental levy. It was approved by a vote of 284 to 167. In Soda Springs, voters approved a one-year $798 thousand levy by a margin of 456 to 309.

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz grabbed the lead in Idaho’s GOP primary shortly after polls closed Tuesday evening and held on to it, beating out Donald Trump by a wide margin. Idaho is the seventh state won by Cruz in the 2016 race for the White House. Idaho’s GOP uses a hybrid proportional system to

You’ve heard of wine tastings and beer tastings – but what about water tastings? An Idaho Falls company that makes purified bottled water has won the silver medal in the Berkley Springs International Water Tasting competition in West Virginia. The developer of Divinia Water, Steve Sedlmayr, was thrilled, especially since they’ve only been in business

Flying machines that take pictures, farming equipment controlled by your cellphone. Those are just a few examples of new technology shown at the Ag Tech expo in Pocatello on Tuesday. It was all about the latest and greatest in farming. Drones is one of those latest things. They capture overhead infrared images of crops. Those

International Women’s Day is a worldwide event celebrating women’s achievements politically and socially. It is recognized each year on March 8. This day has been observed since 1908. Today, it is celebrated in 27 countries around the world, and is a day where we can come together as a global community to raise awareness about

The construction of the new Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office is well underway. It’ll be located in the 3700 block of East Lincoln Road. The Sheriff’s Office said the new location will help cut emergency response times. Most of the patrol will be out of this office, it will serve as the primary logistical point. It

Increasing jobs and making the community more energy efficient is what the Energy Summit at Fort Hall was about Tuesday. It features a long agenda of speakers who are giving advice on success in the business world and improving the environment at the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Event Center. There will also be a job fair

Student homelessness has increased since 2012 but that number is finally decreasing this year.That’s according to a head count of homeless students currently in school by the Pocatello-Chubbuck School District. Tuesday afternoon, school board leaders addressed the homeless issue with the community Rotary Club at the Clarion Hotel. At the meeting, they shared resources available

A Teton High School senior is the Idaho Poetry Out Loud state champion. Romee Johnson of Driggs won the poetry recitation competition in Boise Saturday. The event was sponsored by the Idaho Commission on the Arts. Johnson hopes to go on to college to become a registered dietician and certified diabetes educator. Poetry Out Loud

The Idaho Transportation Department has outlined 18 highway construction projects in eastern Idaho this year. According to ITD, the projects, estimated at $38.7 million, are intended to enhance and preserve state highways. The work will include a new interchange on U.S.20 north of Thornton; sealing the pavement on Interstate 15 between Bingham County and Dubois,

The Blaine County Sheriff Search and Rescue team, with the assistance of several law enforcement agencies, the Idaho Army National Air Guard, and a private pilot, located and rescued three individuals who were stranded for almost two days in a remote area in the Kamima Desert near the Craters of the Moon National Monument on

Idaho Falls Police arrested 41-year-old Michael M. Miller on a warrant for grand theft and forgery Monday morning. Miller of Idaho Falls was booked into the Bonneville County Jail. According to reports, Miller fraudulently used his deceased relative’s identification to open and use credit accounts at Les Schwab Tire and Commercial tire in Idaho Falls.

Many students on Idaho State University’s main campus see the need for medical amnesty to help ensure student safety in the future. That’s what HB 521 aims to do. The bill overwhelmingly passed the Idaho House in a 65-5 vote Monday. It would allow underage drinkers to not be charged with minor-in-possession or consuming alcohol

The presidential election is in full swing, and Tuesday Idahoans hit the polls for the GOP primary. There are 32 delegates up for grabs in Idaho, and the way candidates gain those delegates could make the state a bigger player in this election. Idaho is a proportional delegate state, which means the candidates win delegates

One of four convicted kidnappers was sentenced three to ten years in prison for his involvement in the 2015 case. However, The Judge placed him on a rider to a minimum security prison. Ivan Sandoval pleaded guilty back on December 15th, to charges of accessory to second- degree kidnapping of Brandon Bykonen as part of

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, smoking kills more people each year than alcohol, cocaine, murder, fire, and AIDS combined. The Idaho Falls City Council held a work session Monday to discuss a resolution to create smoke-free and tobacco-free zones at local parks. The resolution for tobacco-free zones in city parks passed, a

A pickup truck rear-ended an SUV around 5:40 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Hilline Road and Griffith Road by Syringa Elementary. Emergency responders from the Pocatello police and fire departments were on-scene, officers from the Chubbuck Police Department also responded to the crash. Both lanes on Hilline Road were blocked off as emergency crews

Walkways and parks are just a few of the goals of the Portneuf River visioning project in Pocatello. The city has been working on a plan for several months, but now the city is getting some extra help in meeting their goals. Scientists from Idaho State University have joined the project and are helping the

A famous children’s author, Roseanne Greenfield Thong, is visiting Pocatello. On Monday, she made her first stop at Syringa Elementary School to talk to the kids about how to find and write a story. Thong came as part of the Bellan visiting authors’ series in Pocatello. She talked to students about how to find a

Charles Eugene Allhands, 52, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was sentenced today to eight months in prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Allhands to serve three years of supervised release. Allhands pleaded guilty on December 9, 2015.

Construction on the Snake River and Porter Canal bridges on the Interstate 15 business loop (Broadway Street) in Idaho Falls will resume at 7 a.m. Monday (March 7). The project started in late September 2015, then shut down during winter weather. Crews will be repairing joints and completing other maintenance, enhancing bridge safety, longevity and

Presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio stopped in Idaho Falls Sunday . He won the Puerto Rico Republican Primary and he’s vying for the Idaho vote on Tuesday . His rival, Sen. Ted Cruz, wants to abolish the Department of Energy. If that happened, it would cost thousands of jobs here in southeastern Idaho. which could

Black ice is blamed for several crashes on the Lorenzo Bridge on U.S. Highway 20 south of Rexburg Monday morning. All lanes of the highway were opened to traffic shortly after 8 a.m. There were no injuries. Idaho State Police handled three crashes beginning at around 6:30 a.m. Madison County deputies investigated at least one

The Republican Party Lincoln Day celebration brought the elections to their banquet Saturday night. Those in attendance were able to hear from representatives from some of the GOP candidates. “Cruz, and Trump’s, and Rubio’s head contributors would be here,” said Sienna Smith. “I wanted to hear what they think about some of the big policies

The Bannock County Historical Museum has a new doll exhibit. But they aren’t just ordinary dolls; they’re historical figures. Famous figures such as President Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd, George and Martha Washington, Benjamin Franklin, FDR and John Paul Jones line the shelves of the new exhibit. Donated from the private collection of

A Compass Academy senior, Bravyn Stutzman, has made it his mission to knit caps for cancer patients. Stutzman, who was given the opportunity to pick a student senior project, chose to learn knitting. “Slowly, painfully learning how to knit. I couldn’t have done it without my mentor, Tish Vawter,” Stutzman said. Stutzman and volunteers meet

Who knew archery can be fun for everyone, the whole family even. The Archery Invasion shop in Chubbuck shows us why archery isn’t just for hunting. “I’m the owner as of three weeks ago. We’ve been at this location for 5 years, before that, we were over on Geraldine’s, we were called ‘White Tip Archery’

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center is hosting its 28th annual Spring Heart and Health Fair Saturday. The hospital will provide the following free screenings: Heart risk assessment results, for those who had lab work performed at one of the four widely-advertised blood draw opportunities in February. No blood will be drawn at the screenings on

The news Ace Hardware is open in Idaho Falls. The new store will employ 15 people. Half of the positions will be part-time, and the other half with be full-time. The owner Daniel Moldenhauer says this store is all about convenience. “You go into a bigger, big-box store, and you’re shopping 200,000 square feet and

After pocatello city council’s decision of the mural’s fate last night, many people are happy that the mural will stay right where it is. Even though the council meeting was mixed with different opinions, many agreed that it was a timeless piece of artwork.The mural resides on the side of the Old Town Firehouse, and

A historic day in idaho. This year, Idaho Day is a statewide celebration with all cities honoring the heroes of our communities. March fourth 1863 was the day president abraham lincoln signed a proclamation creating the idaho territory. The community and city leaders gathered in the pocatello city council chambers this afternoon to pay tribute.And

Senator Marco Rubio will be making a campaign stop in Idaho Falls Sunday, Mar. 6. Eyewitness News anchor Todd Kunz had a chance to interview the GOP presidential hopeful prior to his visit. Kunz asked Rubio how he think he will do in the Idaho primary. They also talked about Idaho being a low wage

Update 8:15 p.m.: Private investigator Phillip Klein has responded publicly to the letter from the Kunz family attorney. Klein issued the following state on the Klein Investigations and Consulting Facebook page: This evening I have been forwarded a Press Release from Attorney Allen Browning. He now states he represents Dennis Deorr Kunz, Vernal Deorr Kunz

Idaho Falls Police arrested 22-year-old Kyle G. Austin for felony injury to a child after he was found passed out inside a running vehicle in a closed garage with his 21-month-old son on Thursday. Austin of Downy was booked into the Bonneville County Jail. According to reports, officers responded to the 1400 block of Jefferson

Officers found a missing 20-year-old Idaho Falls man safe near Bowlero Lanes on First Street Friday morning. Chase Johnson was found hours after he was reported missing Thursday night thanks to a citizen tip. According to reports, the police department began searching for Johnson, a vulnerable adult, around 9:40 p.m. The family reported Johnson had

Thursday night, the Pocatello city council weighed in on the mural recently painted on the old firehouse building across from Pocatello High. The mural does not meet the preservation commission’s regulations for Old Town Pocatello, but the public seems to like it. People packed Pocatello City Hall to standing room to hear the council’s decision.

A giant check was presented to Lava Elementary School for outstanding performance in testing. Lava Elementary is now a top five rewards school in Idaho. The state rankings were based on test scores from spring 2015. Lava students scored almost 12% above the state average in English and 29% above in math. The school currently

On a bitter cold Wednesday night on Indian Mountain, southwest of Inkom, Gary Fitzgerald Jr. recalls his story of survival. He was hiking and became trapped on an icy slope for hours before rescue teams had found him. He says he didn’t have much energy to try to get over the slope because of a

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services released a proposal to remove the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear from the endangered species list. Federal wildlife officials say they have reached a major milestone in the recovery effort for Yellowstone-area grizzly bears. The move could open the door to future hunts for the fearsome bears across parts of three

100,000,000 people in the U.S. suffer from chronic pain conditions. Bingham Memorial Hospital is the first hospital in Idaho to use a new spinal cord system to decrease pain without taking more pain pills. “It tricks the brain,” said spinal cord system recipient Danette Berry. “Chronic pain is a disturbance in the rhythm of the

The Fort Hall business council approved a new project to implement a rural addressing system for the reservation. The reservation has never had an addressing system before. All buildings within reservation boundaries are now being assigned a physical address. The Shoshone-Bannock Department of Public Safety is going door to door starting the week of Feb.

The Idaho Falls Fire Department was dispatched to a straw stack fire at 113th South 15th East at 1:44 a.m. on March 3, 2016. Engine 4 arrived and found a fully engulfed straw stack next to the road with heat impingement on the power lines but no other exposures. Engine 4 requested support from Battalion

The Madison School District #321 has completed a bond refinancing that will save taxpayers millions of dollars. District Business Manager Varr Snedecker said a bond refinance finalized February 24 will save taxpayers $2,750,60 over the 12-year life of the loan. In addition to the savings, the action cuts a full year off of scheduled bond

Idaho Falls Police arrested 49-year-old Tracey L. Floyd on a warrant for forgery and grand theft during a traffic stop early Thursday morning. Floyd of Idaho Falls was booked into the Bonneville County Jail. According to the police report, officers stopped a vehicle at 4th Street and South Boulevard around 2:45 a.m. for a traffic

Update 3/3 10:20 am: The attorney representing the Kunz family, Allen Browning, released a copy of the letter that was sent to Klein Investigations and Consulting informing Klein he was being fired from the investigation. In the letter from Dennis Deorr Kunz, Klein is told he is being fired for expressing public opinions on the

A Rexburg man is in jail after threatening police with a taser. Rexburg Police Captain Randy Lewis said Antonio Yorday E. Hennix, 23, was creating a disturbance in a Tuscany Village apartment at 440 South 2nd West Wednesday. Police were requested to be on stand-by while Hennix was moving his belongings from the apartment. While

Being 50-years-old isn’t easy for a bridge, so it’s time for a fix-up. Pocatello plans to undergo a rehabilitation project for Benton Street bridge’s substructure, particularly work with the bridge’s columns. The project is estimated to cost $4.2 million and the city plans to use federal funds for the majority of the bill. “Like with

The Idaho legislature is just finalizing the education budget for next school year. Often in years past, we heard of cuts to education. Some of the first things to go are usually extracurricular activities, sometimes art, sometimes music and band, and sometimes school counselors. Eyewitness News anchor Todd Kunz wanted to see how important counselors

City leaders including Mayor Brian Blad welcomed a new third flight to the Pocatello Regional Airport Wednesday. The airport celebrated with a ribbon cutting to document the event Wednesday morning. David Allen, manager of the airport is very excited to have this additional flight, creating more business for the airport. Especially during heavy travel seasons,

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. More than 140,000 people die each year from stroke in the United States. According to Strokecenter.org, each year approximately 795,000 people suffer a stroke. About 600,000 of these are first attacks, and 185,000 are recurrent attacks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

While 55 percent of hunters took to the poll their acceptance towards auctioning tags, the survey also indicated minimized approval for full implementation of 12 tags. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission is seeking public feedback on a proposal to offer five tags for action, which include elk, mule deer, mountain goat, pronghorn, and moose.

Bannock County commissioners met with the volunteer jail advisory board Wednesday to determine if plans for the county jail expansion should move forward. Board members presented the results of their research and meetings to the commissioners Wednesday morning. The board presented the commissioners with two possible options for expansion. One option was for a 260-bed

Jenny Everett Koelsch dealt with migraines in college and her doctors put her on medication. Turns out, it was larger dose than they should’ve given her. Which is how she found herself in the hospital with the possibility of dying. “They had to put me on life support and they told my family she has

The Bonneville County Sheriff’s office has arrested a second juvenille suspect in connection to robberies that occured on February 28th. Sgt. Bryan Lovell says they have arrested ajuvenile male, 14-years-old, for his role in the armed robbery of the Country Corner convenience store on February 28, 2016. The sheriff’s office also has a third suspect

Despite a strongly worded report from private investigator Phillip Klein, a former prosecutor says the state would have a hard time proving the parents were somehow responsible for the death of Deorr Kunz, Jr., because the toddler’s body has never been found. So the question is, can someone be charged for murder if a body

The City of Pocatello announced today that theCity of Pocatello Utility Billing Department has started manually reading water meters around the city again. From December through February, the Utility Billing Department estimates water consumption rather than physically reading the meter for residences in the bench areas and areas that are harder to get to. “When

Update: Idaho State Police report no one was seriously hurt during a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of University Boulevard and South Yellowstone Highway in Rexburg. According to ISP investigators, Rexburg Police Officer Wright was responding to a call in a marked patrol vehicle. He was traveling eastbound on University Boulevard and entered the intersection

Jenny Everett Koelsch dealt with migraines in college and her doctors put her on medication. Turns out, it was larger dose than they should’ve given her. Which is how she found herself in the hospital with the possibility of dying. “They had to put me on life support and they told my family she has

19-year-old Usifu Bangura has 100 pounds of school supplies he will take with him to Sierra Leone to distribute to the needy children in the village he spent the first few years of his life. He recently tracked down his widowed birth mother and older brother there. She gave her three youngest children up for

It’s a touching story of long lost siblings reuniting. 15 year old twins Abi and Andrew Hansen share a photo album of their childhood with 19 year old Usifu Bangura. He’s their big brother who was adopted into a different family when they were just toddlers. A few years ago they reconnected after the twins

Jim Jacobson remembers when the old firehouse building on Arthur Avenue was condemned. He can recall seeing bricks missing out of the wall as he drove past it every day. When the building’s owner not only fixed up the wall, but had a local artist paint a mural on it, too, Jacobson saw it as

After a recent education ad by the group “Don’t Fail Idaho” surfaced on TV and radio, superintendents from Idaho school districts have said the campaign isn’t completely correct. In an article on Idahoednews.org, superintendents have agreed with this statement published Tuesday: “As superintendents of many schools in this area, we feel it is important to

It’s Super Tuesday and that’s super important for presidential candidates. Even though Idaho is not one of the states holding contests Tuesday night, it could be directly affected by one of the candidates. Dan Cravens, the chair of the Bingham County Republican Party, said one thing Idaho voters might not be aware of is Senator

In a press release Tuesday afternoon the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality said that blood lead screenings have not shown any lead level of concern at Ucon Elementary School. According to the press release individual lead screening results were provided to all students and staff tested. To date, 263 blood lead screening tests have been

The Bonneville High School student council has been named best in the state. This is the second time that the council entered this competition and the second time it has placed first. “Student council, we try to set really high goals and we want to make sure we’re serving the student body the best we

Art programs in schools have been dramatically cut nationwide in recent years, but with a grant and some fundraising a local elementary school started a violin program. “I’ve always wanted to play an instrument,” said sixth-grader Dayton Robison. “But I never thought I’d end up playing the violin.” In just the first year, the students

The Oneida County Sheriff’s office has arrested 47-year-old Mike Bercier of Malad for sexual battery of a minor. The Sheriff’s office says Bercier is being charged with one count of sexual battery of a minor 16 or 17 years of age. Bercier is currently being held in the Bannock County Jail on a $30,000 bail

Watch live coverage all day from the Super Tuesday states, provided by ABC News. 38278756

Watch live coverage all day from the Super Tuesday states, provided by ABC News. 38278756

Watch live coverage all day from the Super Tuesday states, provided by ABC News. 38278756

When the weather warms up, motorcycles make their way out of garages and onto the roads and highways. As motorcyclists hit the road they need to be aware of the dangers that lurk, there are far more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road. More than half of all motorcycle crashes involve a collision