Locals react to Fuhriman’s diagnosis

The people of Idaho Falls are reacting to the news that their mayor has been diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment, a condition affecting short-term memory.

Mayor Jared Fuhriman opened up to the public on Thursday, discussing his diagnosis, how he’s coping and how he expects to move forward with his job.

After hearing of Fuhriman’s condition, many people in Idaho Falls do not expect to see any changes in City Hall.

“I don’t think it should hurt anything at all,” said Chris McClaskey, an Idaho Falls resident. “It shouldn’t affect the way that he works or the way that he does things or anything like that.”

“He’s got advisers and other folks that help him, I’m sure,” said Gavin Wells, another resident.

“To be honest, I don’t really have an opinion, one way or the other,” said a third resident, Marcy Martinez.

A member of the City Council, Sharon Parry, who is known by many people to be an outspoken opponent of the mayor’s, also reacted on Friday while she was getting ready for her daughter’s wedding.

Although she often doesn’t agree with Fuhriman, she said he deserves the support and respect of his city.

“I would hope that everybody would be patient and respectful, just as they would want the same given to themselves and their families in a time where there’s a lot of questions,” Parry said.

Parry said that Fuhriman’s announcement does not affect her confidence in his performance.