POCATELLO — Students, staff and members of the community marched across a college campus Monday in honor of civil rights leader Martin Luther King.

The crowd of around 50 people started the march at the parking lot of the Pond Student Union Building on the Idaho State university campus and then ended at the alumni center. There, they joined a larger crowd and listened to faculty and students deliver speeches.

Those who spoke centered their remarks around a statement MLK once made about healthcare: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.”

Jones Asiegbu, president of the Public Health Student Association, is particularly passionate about this subject. He feels preventative healthcare is important for a strong community and he wanted people who heard his speech to embrace that idea.

“We all gathered together to talk about things, but how about action?” Asiegbu told the crowd.

Asiegbu grew up in Lagos, Nigeria in West Africa. The area is commonly known as a place with low quality healthcare and infrastructure, he said, but his community has an advantage.

“Whenever there is an act to improve the health care and wellbeing of people, the community jumps in together and performs that act,” Asiegbu said. “That is the power of what the community can do.”

Asiegbu’s grandmother is more than 100 years old and her memory, he says, is “as sharp as a nail” because she understands the importance of taking care of her health.

“We have the power to make that change in our community. We do not have to rely solely on public health programs, Asiegbu said.

To do this, Asiegbu said people have to mobilize their neighborhoods and communities to focus on new healthcare prevention plans.

“Where I grew up, every last Saturday of the month, everyone in the community comes out to clean the drainage system to sweep or repair the levies. The community is clean. We did not depend on the governments to come and do something,” Asiegbu said.

Asiegbu invited the audience to become their own “center for disease prevention.”

“Teach your children the importance of health and safety. Promote health and wellness in your workplace,” Asiegbu said. “I believe the power is in you and that you can do it.”

During the event, organizers collected donations for Benny’s Pantry, a food bank on campus catering to the student population.

The post ISU student calls on community to ‘promote health and wellness’ during annual MLK celebration appeared first on East Idaho News.

IDAHO FALLS — The following eastern Idaho schools have announced classes are delayed or canceled Tuesday due to extreme weather conditions:

Delays

• West Jefferson School District 253 is on a two-hour delay

Closures

• American Falls School District 381
• Arbon School District 383

EastIdahoNews.com will update this list if any other delays are announced.

The National Weather Service in Pocatello issued a wind chill warning Monday that’s in effect until 9 a.m. Tuesday. Sub zero temperatures are expected overnight with dangerously cold wind chills.

RELATED | Another wind chill warning has been issued, but is warmth on the horizon?

For the latest road conditions, visit 511 Idaho. You can also view road conditions on the EastIdahoNews.com traffic webcam page.

For the latest weather conditions, click here.

The post These schools are closed or delayed Tuesday, Jan. 16, due to cold weather appeared first on East Idaho News.

The following is a news release and photo from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

IDAHO FALLS – Hunters looking to apply for 2024 spring’s controlled hunts for black bear can apply from Jan. 15 to Feb. 15. Information on the spring 2024 controlled black bear hunt can be found in the 2023 Idaho Big Game Seasons and Rules booklet.

Hunters must have a 2024 hunting license in order to apply for controlled hunts, and there are several ways to apply:

• Online: Hunters can apply here, or on the Fish and Game mobile app. There is a service charge of 3% of the transaction in addition to the nonrefundable controlled hunt application fee.
• Licensed Vendors: At any Fish and Game regional office or license vendor.
• Telephone: Applications can be placed over the phone by calling 1 (800) 554-8685.
  Mail in applications are no longer accepted.

Controlled hunts are hunts with a limited number of tags allocated by a random drawing, unlike a general season hunt, which allows hunters to purchase tags over the counter. Controlled hunts are often desirable because of location and timing, and success rates are usually higher than general season hunts.

Junior hunters must be between the ages of 10 and 17 to participate in any bear controlled hunt, but a 9-year-old may buy a junior license to apply, provided the hunter is 10 years old at the time of the hunt for which they are applying.

Controlled hunt applications for spring 2024 black bear close on Feb. 15. Successful spring black bear applicants will be notified no later than March 10. Any leftover tags for spring bear controlled hunts go on sale April 1.

The post Applications for spring black bear controlled hunts are open through Feb. 15 appeared first on East Idaho News.

RIGBY – A bill being proposed in the Idaho Legislature aims to increase the authority of local farmers and ranchers to improve range land across the state.

Rep. Jerald Raymond, R-Menan — who represents District 31 covering Jefferson, Fremont, Clark and Lemhi counties — is introducing legislation he’s calling the Rangeland Improvement Act.

He tells EastIdahoNews.com this bill would give boards in local grazing districts the ability to prioritize projects in specific areas and direct the Idaho State Department of Agriculture to apply for grants to pay for those projects. Examples of rangeland improvement projects could include water distribution, cross-fencing (fences built on grazing land to divide the property into smaller pastures) or predator and invasive species control.

Raymond and his wife, Cheri, own a feedlot near Menan and have worked in the cattle industry for decades. The beef cattle market in Idaho ranks 13th in the nation, according to the ISDA. Rangeland occupies 54% of the land area. Of the 22 million acres in the southern part of the state, the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission says 80% of it is managed by the state or federal government.

For this reason, Raymond says this bill is needed in the Gem State. He points to the Taylor Grazing Act passed by Congress in 1934, which established grazing rights for livestock ranchers across the U.S. and gave authority to the federal government to manage it.

“There’s been a movement for many years for the state to take over either management or ownership of federal lands. We’ll never get to the point where the state takes over ownership of federal lands, but this gives us the opportunity to partner with those who use the rangelands for grazing to improve it,” Raymond says. “Protecting rangelands and open spaces (is crucial to the health of the livestock industry).”

Rangeland fires and invasive grass species are the two biggest challenges ranchers currently face in Idaho, according to Idaho Cattle Association Executive Director Cameron Mulrony. These are issues that can only be handled by the federal government, Mulrony says, and Raymond’s bill wouldn’t change that.

But water projects are something that would benefit from this legislation, he says.

“There’s a lot of space out there where water availability isn’t there. If we can enhance that through this or other programs — that’s just the easiest one that we really can see more utilization and expansion,” Mulrony explains.

Raymond says enhancing water availability would also allow ranchers to distribute cattle where there is more grass and prevent overgrazing, which has a detrimental effect on land and other wildlife in riparian areas (grazing land near a body of water).

“When we overgraze riparian areas, it destroys the visual part of the landscape. You want greenery, you don’t want to see dirt,” says Raymond. “If you overgraze, the grass doesn’t come back like it should and we don’t get that second chance (of grazing) in the same season.”

Virtual fencing, which Raymond describes as an electric shock collar for a cow, is a management tactic that’s becoming a rising trend for cattlemen to keep livestock away from riparian areas. Boundaries are set using a computer program and when the cow steps outside the boundary, it shocks them so they’ll get back inside.

It’s an option available to ranchers that Raymond wants to make more feasible through this bill.

Grant funds for rangeland improvement projects are available from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and the Bureau of Land Management. If a project is beneficial for multiple wildlife species, there are also funding sources from non-governmental organizations like Pheasants Forever or the National Elk Foundation.

“We’re excited to get this piece of legislation passed. I’ve been working on it for quite some time, and it’s taken a while to get the language right,” Raymond says. “Livestock has a huge impact on the economy and we need to make sure that producers can contribute and make money.”

If the bill is approved by the Resources and Conservation Committee, it will be introduced on the House floor. Click here to follow its progress.

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The post Local legislator wants to increase ranchers’ ability to improve Idaho’s rangeland appeared first on East Idaho News.

AMMON — It’s been one week since a popular restaurant caught fire in Ammon, and the business is expressing its thanks to the community on social media.

The structure fire happened on Monday, Jan. 8, at Texas Roadhouse.

RELATED | Blaze at Ammon restaurant causes $200,000 in damage, fire officials say

“We are truly overwhelmed with the current support of our community, thank you!” the restaurant posted on its Facebook page over the weekend.

Businesses like Cocoa Bean, Chick-fil-A, Guns N Gear, and Dixie’s Diner have reached out to Texas Roadhouse in support.

“Our utmost priority at this time is taking care of our Roadies,” the post said. “…our Roadies have a safety net for tragedies like these.”

Texas Roadhouse is temporarily closed due to the fire and it’s unknown when it will re-open. It’s also unclear what caused the fire.

EastIdahoNews.com has reached out to Texas Roadhouse but has not received a response back.

When the fire broke out, Bonneville County Fire District No. 1 Ammon Division Capt. Jon Molbert told EastIdahoNews.com there were reports the blaze started in the attic and heavy smoke was coming out of the roof.

Some employees were inside preparing for the day when the fire broke out, firefighters said, but nobody was injured.

“We feel incredibly lucky for our fast-acting employees that helped keep damage to a minimum and kept everyone safe. We are working hard to open as quickly as possible. Until then, we miss you all, and we LOVE this community!” the post from Texas Roadhouse said.

Ammon Fire Marshal Keith Banda estimated the damage to be $200,000.

The post Texas Roadhouse thanks community for support following fire appeared first on East Idaho News.

IDAHO FALLS — Idaho State Police are on the scene of a semi-crash near the Rose and Firth area, and drivers are asked to use caution.

The crash happened right before 2 p.m. on Monday. It’s on Interstate 15 northbound near West 450 North, according to Idaho 511. This is by milepost 99. The left lane is blocked and drivers need to keep right.

According to a video sent to EastIdahoNews.com, it shows part of a semi rolled over off the side of the road. Tow trucks are on the scene.

It doesn’t appear there are any injuries, ISP dispatchers say.

EastIdahoNews.com will update this article if more information becomes available.

The post Semi-truck rolls over on I-15 in the Rose area appeared first on East Idaho News.

BOISE (IdahoEdNews.org) — Librarians told the House State Affairs Committee on Monday that a bill requiring them to relocate “harmful” books would be impractical and expensive to implement.

The committee voted along party lines to advance the legislation during a crammed hearing that needed overflow rooms to hold attendees. Rep. Jaron Crane’s bill is the latest among a string of proposals to restrict material available to underage library patrons.

House Bill 384 requires that libraries implement a process through which patrons can ask for material to be moved to an adults-only section. If library officials don’t relocate the book, they could face a civil lawsuit that includes statutory penalties.

RELATED | Idaho Republican wants to allow damage claims for ‘harmful’ materials in libraries

“There’s no book banning, and there’s no book burning,” Crane, R-Nampa, told the committee. “We’re simply codifying a relocation policy that creates a fair process for both parties that are involved.”

State Affairs Chairman and Nampa Rep. Brent Crane, Jaron Crane’s brother, allowed for about an hour and a half of public testimony on the bill. Hundreds of people attended the meeting, which fell on the same day as a teachers union event at the capitol.

Most testimony strongly opposed the proposal. Libraries already have policies for challenging material in circulation, and the Legislature should allow those processes to be controlled locally, several librarians said. And the threat of a lawsuit would compel costly renovations and additional staff to create adults-only sections and guard them, said Idaho Falls Public Library Director Robert Wright.

“We’re one of the largest libraries in eastern Idaho,” he said. “We can’t afford to do this.”

RELATED | Local libraries increase protective measures for kids as parental concerns rise

Others criticized the standards that would determine whether content is “harmful” to minors. Idaho law defines “harmful” as content that’s “obscene,” appeals to the prurient interest of minors” and is “patently offensive to prevailing standards” of what’s suitable for children. Content is also “harmful” if it’s “obscene” and “has the dominant effect of substantially arousing sexual desires” in minors.

“Obscene material,” as defined by Idaho law, is content that includes nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement and sado-masochistic abuse. Any act of homosexuality falls under the definition of “sexual conduct.”

“The homophobia in this bill is blatant,” said Isabella Burgess, a college student and associate librarian in Meridian. “It’s absolutely essential that we have books that represent every member of our community that are accessible to every age range.”

The hearing showed diverging opinions over whether libraries should be responsible for supervising content that children access. Mary Ruckh, a Boise grandmother of two elementary schoolers who opposes the bill, urged lawmakers to “trust and allow parents to care for their children.”

Jennifer Holmes of Post Falls had a different view. Holmes said she asked officials from her local library to relocate a DVD that showed two men kissing on the cover. The request was denied and Holmes was told “it’s my responsibility as the parent to monitor my children,” she recalled for the committee.

“Needless to say, I stopped going to that library,” Holmes said.

Others who support House Bill 384 said they’ve struggled to change library policies locally. Children are “frequently being harmed and corrupted” by library content, said Rachelle Ottosen, a public library trustee in Rathdrum. The board has tried since last year to tighten library policies, but has been stymied by threats of lawsuits, Ottosen said.

“It’s mind-boggling that adults demand children have access to sexually explicit materials,” she said.

There was little discussion among committee members before a vote to advance the bill to the full House with a “do-pass” recommendation. Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise, moved to delay a vote and allow those who didn’t testify in the allotted time an opportunity to submit written comments to the committee. The motion failed on a party-line vote.

The post Hundreds — including locals — attend Boise hearing on library bill appeared first on East Idaho News.

Appa is a happy, wiggly boy with a heart of gold. He is getting a little depressed at the shelter and really wishes his fur-ever family would come along.

This two-year-old boxer mix still has lots of puppy energy, so a home with older kids who won’t be overwhelmed by his playfulness would be best.

Sweet and easily trained, handsome Appa would be a paw-some addition to an active family who can commit to continuing his training so he can be the best boy.

Appa and lots of other animals are available for adoption at 3000 Lindsay Boulevard in Idaho Falls. You can see pictures and learn about the shelter on SRAS’s Facebook page

The post Amazing Appa is our Pet of the Week! appeared first on East Idaho News.

POCATELLO — Consider staying indoors during the mornings, dressing in layers, and being aware of frostbite. A wind chill warning has been issued by the National Weather Service in Pocatello for midnight to 9 a.m. Tuesday.

“Tonight is the coldest night. Just about everybody in eastern Idaho will get below zero. There might be a few spots like around Burley or close to the Utah border that stays around zero or 1 or 2 degrees,” said Andrew McKaughan, a meteorologist with NWS, on Monday.

In areas like Island Park and Dubois, dangerously cold wind chills are expected to be as low as 30 below zero.

“Just be safe out there. If you are going out tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, it’s going to be quite cold. Be sure to bundle up,” McKaughan said.

Mud Lake, St. Anthony, Rexburg, Rigby, Idaho Falls, Ammon, Bancroft, Grace, Soda Springs, Ashton, Driggs, Victor and Swan Valley could see wind chills as low as 25 below zero, according to the warning.

Snow is also in the forecast this week.

“There will be another system that comes through probably during the overnight hours Wednesday morning and into the day Wednesday. That’s our next round,” McKaughan said. “Snowfall amounts are probably 2 to 4 inches across the lower elevations — our valleys — and then 4 to 8 inches maybe across the higher terrains.”

As for the cold temperatures, there is some relief in sight.

“After that Wednesday system, it does look like our temperatures start to warm up in the later part of the week. It should rise above freezing for daytime highs everywhere. Maybe upper 30s, low 40s, so there is some warmer weather on the horizon by the looks of it,” he added.

The post Another wind chill warning has been issued, but is warmth on the horizon? appeared first on East Idaho News.

The following is a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Idaho.

BOISE – Peter Timothy Eromenok, 34, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced to nearly 12 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced.

According to court records, Eromenok was interviewed by investigators on May 9, 2022, about suspected fentanyl left behind at an Airbnb. During his interview, he admitted to possessing between 10,000 and 15,000 fentanyl pills in his room at a relative’s house in New Plymouth. Investigators searched this residence and found 1,419 grams of fentanyl in pill form (approximately 14,000 fentanyl pills) and more than a half-pound of cocaine.

On May 24, 2022, investigators again encountered Eromenok and found 71.1 grams of fentanyl in pill form (approximately 710 fentanyl pills) and 35.2 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing significant amounts of fentanyl on our streets and, in this case, left dangerously behind in an Airbnb,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “But we are also seeing law enforcement rise to the challenge and seize larger and larger amounts of fentanyl. And we stand ready to bring to justice anyone who would distribute this poisonous drug in Idaho.”

On Jan. 9, Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Eromenok to 140 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigations by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nampa Police Department, and the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse prosecuted the case.

The post Idaho Falls man who left thousands of fentanyl pills at an Airbnb sentenced to federal prison appeared first on East Idaho News.