Check out road conditions across the region here.

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IDAHO FALLS — The following eastern Idaho schools have announced classes are cancelled on Friday, Jan. 12, due to extreme weather conditions:

School Districts

• Idaho Falls School District 91
• Swan Valley School District 92
• Bonneville Joint School District 93
• Madison School District 321
• Sugar-Salem School District 322
• Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25
• Jefferson School District 251
• Ririe School District 252
• West Jefferson School District 253
• Teton School District 401

Charter/Private Schools

• Grace Lutheran School in Pocatello
• Conner Academy in Pocatello
• Alpine Academy in Pocatello
• Gem Prep Pocatello
• Holy Rosary Catholic School in Idaho Falls
• Taylor’s Crossing Public Charter School in Idaho Falls
• White Pine Charter School in Idaho Falls
• Lighthouse Montessori School in Idaho Falls
• Snake River Montessori School in Ammon
• Vogue Beauty College and Salon in Idaho Falls
• Downtown Barber School in Idaho Falls
• Acton Academy in Idaho Falls
• Austin Kade Academy in IDAHO FALLS

Universities

• Idaho State University
• The College of Eastern Idaho
• Eagle Gate College

The majority of eastern Idaho is under a blizzard warning from Thursday evening until Saturday morning. Significant snowfall and high winds are forecast throughout the region, which will cause poor visibility on eastern Idaho roads.

A number of highways in eastern Idaho were closed Friday morning. Click here for the list.

RELATED | Do you really have to travel? How you can stay safe on the road during the blizzard

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 visit the EastIdahoNews.com weather page.

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IDAHO FALLS – Idaho State Police is making sure you know what to do to stay safe during the potential for an extreme blizzard on Thursday and Friday.

ISP is partnering with local law enforcement agencies and the Idaho Department of Transportation to ensure they are out in “full force” during the storm that could create extremely dangerous road conditions.

“This one has a big word in it, and it’s called blizzard,” says Capt. Chris Weadick with the Idaho State Police. “We usually don’t usually get blizzard warnings, so this one is on our radar.”

Weadick says the most important thing to do is decide if you really need to be driving during the storm or not.

RELATED | Blizzard coming to eastern Idaho Thursday night; drivers asked to not travel

“During this storm, one of the biggest things is travel. Ask yourself if you really need to be traveling out in the weather during this period of time,” says Weadick. “If you don’t, limit your travel, reduce your travel, or just simply stay home. Stay off the roadways.”

If you decide you need to travel, remember the roads are slick, the wind is fast, and there are more people on the road than just you.

“A lot of people have been comfortable for the last month or two having nice dry roads, and they have forgotten winter driving habits,” says Weadick. “Slow down, don’t follow so close, and wear seatbelts. We still see a lot of crashes with drivers that aren’t wearing their seatbelts. A lot of that type of stuff is very preventable.”

According to Weadick, the biggest threat with the blizzard will be the wind as the National Weather Service is estimating that Idaho Falls could see winds gusting as high as 55 mph.

“We’re expecting extremely high winds. If we get a couple of inches of snow with 50 mph winds, you’ve got significant drifting issues,” says Weadick. “We could still have significant snow accumulations, but really, the wind is going to be a very big concern.”

All of local law enforcement and the Idaho Transportation Department will be deploying everyone available to make sure the roads are clear and people are as safe as possible during the storm.

“The Idaho Transportation Department is going to be out in full force, trying to keep the roadways clear,” says Weadick. “It is going to be all hands on deck for the Idaho State Police, here in the Idaho Falls area. We are pretty much going to have every trooper available in our ranks working.”

Weadick says local law enforcement will also be patrolling more remote areas and long stretches of road to ensure drivers are using caution.

“The other law enforcement agencies are out doing the same thing. We’ve got a lot of remote highways, a lot of long stretches of road, everybody is going to be out trying to provide the best travel safe roadways out here,” says Weadick. “We’re committed to being out in full force, and trying to help the motoring public.”

The post Do you really have to travel? How you can stay safe on the road during the blizzard appeared first on East Idaho News.

IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of Jan. 8 to Jan. 14 in east Idaho history.

1900-1925

FORT HALL — A man who missed his train in Pocatello and started walking to Blackfoot was found dead, the Blackfoot Idaho Republican reported on Jan. 10, 1908.

George Beckley was traveling from Delta, Colorado, to Blackfoot to eat Christmas dinner with his wife and kids. He missed his train in Pocatello on Christmas morning and started walking to Blackfoot.

“He took the wrong road, and in the evening, met an Indian on Fort Hall Bottoms who invited him to his camp,” the paper explained. “The invitation was declined, although, the Indian says, the poor old gentleman was so exhausted he was tottering.”

The article continued, “He asked for some matches, which were given him, and he started in the direction which the Indian directed him to take to get to Blackfoot.”

A quarter of a mile away, Beckley threw away his overcoat and two miles father, he walked into a little inclosure on a knoll and laid down. That is where Beckley’s body was found Jan. 8, 1908.

“The Indian who gave him the matches knew nothing of the search for a missing man, until Monday of this week, when he found the coat,” the article stated. “After making a search for the man, he went to Ross Fork and reported to Major Caldwell what he had seen and found.”

Beckley had a son and two daughters living in Blackfoot. His wife had been in Blackfoot for several weeks.

“She, as well as the other members of the family, are suffering a terrible trial, and the sympathies of the whole country are theirs in this unfortunate and unpreventable loss of the father,” the Blackfoot Idaho Republican wrote.

The remains were taken to Pocatello and were shipped to Colorado for burial.

1926-1950

JEFFERSON COUNTY — Jefferson County had no fatal car accidents during the year 1941, The Rigby Star reported on Jan. 8, 1942.

The county was one of six counties in Idaho to have a perfect record for the year. Jefferson County’s record for 1941 was the “first clear record” in several years. Four car fatalities happened in 1937, seven in 1938, five in 1939 and two in 1940.

1951-1975

RIGBY — Window panes and other targets in Rigby were being shot at by BB guns, The Rigby Star reported on Jan. 8, 1959.

The paper said since Christmas, “the effect has been most noticeable.”

“Peace officers desire to alert all parents who have boys or girls possessing BB guns to place a restraint upon their use in this respect, and to caution them of the danger they place themselves in if they persist in destroying public property,” the article mentioned.

1976-2000

POCATELLO — Two thieves stole a snowmobile off the front lawn of a Bannock County prosecuting attorney’s home, the Idaho State Journal reported on Jan. 13, 1977.

Around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, the thieves hot wired the snowmobile belonging to Garth Pincock and headed west to a frontage road east of Interstate 15. From there, the pair went south into the foothills.

“Using two snowmobiles and a four-wheel drive vehicle, Pincock, a neighbor and local police officers gave chase,” the Journal said. “Following the snowmobile tracks, authorities led by Pincock, recovered his machine in a gully.”

Near Pincock’s snowmachine, another snowmobile with a Wisconsin registration was found abandoned.

“The chase continued as Pincock’s posse followed the thieve’s foot tracks,” the paper reads. “However, those ended at the east end of Ardella Street where the pair apparently were picked up by another four-wheel drive vehicle.”

The Wisconsin snowmobile was impounded by police. Pincock’s $500 snowmachine had $200 to $300 worth of damage. Another snowmobile in Pincock’s yard was also vandalized.

The post Looking back: Man misses train in Pocatello, dies walking to Blackfoot and thieves steal a prosecutor’s snowmachine appeared first on East Idaho News.

POCATELLO — A blizzard is coming to eastern Idaho, bringing significant snowfall and high winds throughout the region starting Thursday evening.

The National Weather Service in Pocatello has issued a blizzard warning starting 5 p.m. Thursday and will last until Friday evening or Saturday morning in certain areas.

NWS Meteorologist Audra Moore said the last blizzard warning that was issued was eight years ago in eastern Idaho during December 2016. She said there have been about seven blizzard warnings issued since 2006.

“We are trying to get people to understand how serious this is,” Moore said. “A blizzard is sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or greater causing blowing snow to reduce visibility to a quarter of a mile or less for 3+ hours. So a blizzard warning is less about the snow falling than it is about the blowing snow impacting travel.”

Blizzard conditions are expected all across eastern Idaho, with total snow accumulations of one to five inches in the Upper Snake River Plain. The snowfall and wind is expected from 5 p.m. Thursday to 5 p.m. Friday. Areas affected include the Mud Lake, Teton Valley, Idaho Falls, Rexburg, St. Anthony, Victor, Ashton, Tetonia and Driggs.

Places like Pocatello, Fort Hall, Shelley and Blackfoot could expect snow accumulations of four to eight inches and winds gusting as high as 60 mph. In these areas, the blizzard warning is in effect from 5 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Saturday.

Places like Inkom, Lava Hot Springs, Preston, Montpelier, Soda Springs and Swan Valley could have five to nine inches of snow. The blizzard warning in these areas is also in effect from 5 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Saturday.

Additionally, there is a wind chill watch in effect from Friday through Saturday. Winds gusting as high as 55 mph are possible. Dangerously cold wind chills are possible, with chills as low as 25 below zero.

“Tomorrow (Friday) morning would be a nightmare travel scenario with gusts in that 50 to 60 mph range,” Moore added.

The blizzard warning from NWS says that travel could be very difficult to “impossible.” Blowing and drifting snow will significantly reduce visibility. In a graphic posted by NWS, the blizzard warning advises, “do not travel.”

“It’s way too dangerous. Don’t be out unless it is an emergency. Not only are you putting yourself at risk, but you also put at risk the lives of the emergency responders,” Moore said.

If you have to travel, Moore suggests doing it on Thursday before the blizzard warning is in effect.

“Make sure you’ve got your snow gear in the car with you and make sure you’ve got extra food, extra water, flashlights, and power banks to charge your phone,” she added.

Click here to check out the road conditions. Click here to view the weather in your area.

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Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BUZZ

AMMON

Mrs. Powell’s Bakery under new ownership

AMMON – Like many people in eastern Idaho, Joe Cooper has fond memories of going to Mrs. Powell’s as a kid. He never dreamed he would own it one day.

The 42-year-old Utah man bought the business in August when the previous owner, Amy Romriell, decided to give it up. He runs it with his wife, Necia, and he tells EastIdahoNews.com that aspect is what he enjoys most.

“I’ve been in startups the last four years, and I was looking to buy a business my wife and I could do together. She’s a fantastic baker,” Cooper says. “I didn’t know it was Mrs. Powell’s (when I inquired about a bakery for sale). But when I found out, I said, ‘I gotta do that!'”

The fact that it had a long track record also appealed to him.

Cooper went to high school with the daughter of the original owner, Gayle Powell. Since taking it over, he’s been in touch with Powell, and he’s thrilled that she’ll play a small role in the business operation under his leadership.

“Our intention from the beginning was to take (the bakery) back to what it was that made it so popular in the first place,” Cooper says. “Gayle came in to look at the recipes we’re using and compare it to what she had originally. We’re really excited to have her involved (as a consultant).”

Many of the items customers know and love are still available, with a few exceptions. Sandwiches are only available at the Rigby location now. Soup is served at the Rexburg and Rigby stores. Cookies and some other desserts are no longer at the Ammon location.

Joe says the main focus of the Ammon store at 1813 South 25th East is homemade cinnamon rolls made fresh daily.

Some of the Cooper’s personal touches include three savory rolls: three cheese, jalapeno cheddar and Italian with mozzarella, olive and Italian seasoning. They’re also offering an unfrosted cinnamon roll topped with butter, cinnamon and sugar. A rotating cinnamon roll flavor will be available every month.

The Coopers say they were waiting for the right moment to announce the new ownership, which is why the transition happened quietly. They’re planning some type of celebration in the near future.

“I don’t know exactly how we’ll do it, but I want to do something,” says Joe.

Mrs. Powell’s originally opened inside the Grand Teton Mall in the early 1980s. Joe isn’t sure how long Gayle owned it. She later franchised it, which led to multiple locations in the eastern U.S. In time, Powell sold the franchise so she could focus on the local store.

The Rigby and Rexburg stores opened after Romriell bought the business five or six years ago.

Orange rolls being prepared at Mrs. Powell’s Bakery | Courtesy Joe Cooper

Though Joe grew up in Idaho Falls, he lives in Syracuse, Utah. He and his wife recently built a house there and he owns several businesses in the Beehive State. He’s planning to travel back and forth and will be visiting each store three days a week.

“We have a fantastic product, and we want to grow it,” Joe says. “We don’t want to make any big changes. If anything, it’s more of taking a step back to what it was originally, with a baker in the store making things fresh daily. We want to make sure everybody knows about it and make it as popular as it has been.”

Mrs. Powell’s is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m at all three locations.

BIZ BITS

Frontier Credit Union opening first Driggs location

DRIGGS – Frontier Credit Union is excited to announce the opening of its new branch in Driggs on Feb. 15.

A ribbon-cutting will kick off at 10:45 a.m. at 1105 State Highway 33. The grand opening celebration will follow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Swag will be available along with food from Captain Ron’s Smoke House.

“We are thrilled to finally open our doors in the beautiful Teton Valley! We can’t wait to continue to build better lives and support our community members,” branch manager Jenny Bressler says.

Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Fall River Electric earns spot on list of Top 100 privately owned companies in Idaho

ASHTON – Fall River Electric Cooperative has been named one of the Top 100 privately owned companies headquartered in Idaho.

It was ranked No. 78, up five spots from last year.

This is the cooperative’s fourth year in a row being recognized. It’s one of 12 local companies to make the list and the only privately owned electric utility.

It came about as part of Nerus Strategies’ annual survey of top performing privately held Idaho-based companies, as compiled by the international accounting firm KPMG.

The top five companies are Simplot, WinCo, Jackson Foods, Kendall Auto Group and Woodgrain. The top east Idaho company was Melaleuca at No. 6. Other local companies on the list include North Wind Group, Potandon, Smith Chevrolet, Kingston, Valley Office, Headwaters Construction, Heartland Pharmacy, Health West, Premier Technology and Title Financial.

See the full list here.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

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Judge says contractor must give back $114,000 in ‘unearned payment’ to Rigby homeowners

The post Meet the new owners of a longtime bakery in eastern Idaho appeared first on East Idaho News.

RIGBY — A Rigby house-turned-shop burned on Wednesday afternoon.

The structure at 277 North 4200 East in Rigby was reported burning around 4:45 p.m. by the homeowner, who arrived and saw smoke coming from inside the building, Central Fire District Chief Carl Anderson said. No one was inside.

Anderson said the most likely cause was faulty wiring and missing electrical outlets.

The building was an older house that had been converted into a wood shop and also used for storage, Anderson said.

As of 6:30 p.m., the fire was out, and firefighters were checking for hotspots. The fire did about $40,000 of damage.

The post Rigby structure fire likely caused by faulty wiring appeared first on East Idaho News.

RIGBY — A local school district will be building a state-of-the-art Career Technical Education Facility, thanks to a multimillion-dollar grant it received.

Jefferson School District 251 was awarded a $5.3 million grant by the Idaho Career Ready Students Program in November. The grant comes from the state and increases the capacity of Career Technical Education in Idaho schools.

“It’s wonderful. We are always excited when we can provide more opportunities for students, and these opportunities help them really leave school prepared for whatever is next,” said Chad Martin, superintendent of Jefferson School District 251.

The grant will enhance learning experiences for students at Rigby High School. It will help them explore and develop skills in various career paths.

Martin said it was a need within the district. In fact, two bonds were run recently, but neither one passed.

RELATED | Jefferson School District seeking $75M and $5M bonds to build a middle school, gymnasium

RELATED | $80M bond fails in Jefferson School District; $25.5M bond narrowly passes in Madison

RELATED | Little bond passes, big bond fails in Jefferson School District 251

“We ran two bonds over the last couple of years … it was actually going to renovate the old middle school into a CTE center and build a new middle school, but neither of those passed,” he said.

According to Martin, the CTE program has been in place for years at Rigby High School. However, space was a concern.

“We have nationally-ranked programs. Because of that, we attract a lot of students that want to be in those programs as well, and we’ve had to turn students away,” Martin said. “So this (grant) will help to remedy some of that. It will provide a lot of extra space. We can easily have a few hundred students out there.”

The single-level building will be located just south of the existing high school off Rigby High Lane.

“The district already owns property back there. So we don’t have to have a separate campus or anything like that. Students will be able to come and go between the buildings easily,” Martin said.

Not only did the district receive a grant, but it also received a generous donation — a 30,000-square-foot structure from R & M Steel.

“That’s another great saving. That’s over a million dollar donation as well,” Martin said.

The building will have room for the auto, nursing and robotics programs. There will be a new cybersecurity program, too.

“This is such a great blessing to not only our students but our community because it is providing opportunities,” Martin said. “The trades are having a hard time filling positions, so this will benefit them as we can produce more graduates who are ready to hit the workforce.”

He said the district has not broken ground yet on the new building. The district is working on renderings of what it will look like with architects.

The district is meeting with contractors and hopes to have one selected this week.

Martin is hopeful the building will go up by the beginning of the next school year in fall 2024.

The post Rigby High School students will get a Career Technical Education Facility from a $5.3 million grant appeared first on East Idaho News.

BOISE — A pair of Republicans unveiled a new proposal Friday designed to help Idahoans fund private school: a $5,000 tax credit. 

Surrounded by “school choice” advocates in the Statehouse, Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, and Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, announced the $50 million “parental choice tax credit” program. 

It’s the latest Idaho proposal that seeks to open up public funds for private education. Den Hartog and Horman, who have been leading proponents of the “school choice” movement in Idaho, plan to introduce the bill during the upcoming legislative session, which starts Monday. 

“In a time of high inflation and economic uncertainty, the increased concern over the alignment of family values and education, this proposal is designed to support Idaho parents as they make decisions about their child’s education,” Den Hartog said.

The proposal has two parts. First, private school families of any income could claim $5,000 tax credits for expenses “related to the nonpublic academic instruction,” Den Hartog said. That includes tuition, fees, transportation, tutoring, test-taking and exam preparation, among other things.

Qualifying students would be school-aged and enrolled in a non-public school, which could include religious schools and home schools. The tax credits would be first come, first served with a $40 million cap. 

A second bucket of state funds — $10 million — would be set aside for a “kickstart” program benefitting low-income students. Rather than claiming private school expenses on their taxes, families who qualify for the federal earned income tax credit could collect up to $5,000 in grants for one year. After a year, those families would be rolled into the tax credit program. 

In recent years, similar legislation has failed in the face of widespread anxiety about expending public funds on private schools. Opponents of similar mechanisms — often called “vouchers” — worry about a lack of accountability for private school expenses and fear that limited public school funds would be siphoned. 

Public school leaders have bitterly fought proposals to fund private education at the state level. Quinn Perry, policy and government affairs director for the Idaho School Boards Association, told Idaho Education News this week that private school voucher programs in other states have been “budget busters.”

Arizona’s expanding school voucher program is expected to cost taxpayers $900 million this school year. Initial estimates in the Grand Canyon State pegged the cost at $65 million.

The Arizona Mirror reported last week that the state faces a $400 million deficit, because of the rising cost of private school vouchers and decreasing state revenue due to a new flat income tax — which Idaho also enacted, in 2022.

Den Hartog and Horman brushed aside those concerns Friday. They touted the proposed spending caps and the fact that the State Tax Commission would oversee the tax credits and grants, creating an “accountability measure” backed by the threat of perjury for lying on one’s taxes. 

Horman, a former public school board trustee who co-chairs the Legislature’s powerful budget committee, said the program would be “complementary” to Idaho’s public school system. She said she wouldn’t support a policy that harms public education. 

“I am not a fan of budget-busting bills,” Horman said. 

Den Hartog and Horman also acknowledged that those caps could increase in future years, if demand calls for it. 

House Assistant Minority Leader Lauren Necochea slammed the proposal in a conversation with reporters Friday. The Boise Democrat said funneling the money through the Tax Commission is likely a strategy to sidestep the House Education Committee, which blocked similar legislation last year. 

“Whether it’s the state Tax Commission cutting the check or another agency, the result is the same: dollars are being siphoned out of the fund that we use for public schools and will go towards private, religious and, potentially, for-profit institutions with zero accountability,” Necochea said.

National groups that advocate for “school choice” in recent years have spent heavily lobbying Idaho lawmakers to pass a private school voucher policy. But Friday’s news conference demonstrated homegrown support, as well. Dozens of children and parents held signs reading “support the parental choice tax credit program.”

Robbe Hart, a single father from Emmett, said he commutes more than 60 miles, round-trip, for his sons to attend Greenleaf Friends Academy. The travel is “extremely expensive,” Hart said, but his sons have “thrived” at the Christian school.

“If this bill passed, it would help thousands of other people that are going through the same thing that I go through,” he said.

The post Republicans unveil private school tax credit proposal appeared first on East Idaho News.

RIGBY – A drink stop in Rigby is serving delicious beverages year-round to quench your thirst and your sweet tooth, no matter the temperature.

Cup O’Bliss, owned and operated by Jessica Carson, is offering tasty coffee, tea, smoothies, hot chocolate and more.

“I started actually in 2017, on the weekend of the eclipse,” says Carson. “It was absolutely amazing, and I think it was good luck.”

EastIdahoNews.com was lucky enough to try some of the business’s most popular drinks, starting with the French Bliss coffee, the first custom beverage at Cup O’Bliss.

The French Bliss tastes of warm vanilla and possibly a bit of cinnamon. Carson puts it perfectly – it tastes like French toast.

Next, I tried a colder, maybe more summery drink for the hotter days, the iced spiced vanilla chai with oat milk.

For those who prefer milk alternatives, Cup O’Bliss is a great option to stop by for a drink, as there are many possibilities and variations that taste great across the menu.

“We base everything on organic espresso, all-natural syrups, and quality Ghirardelli chocolates,” Carson says. “We’ve broken into teas a little bit, too, chai teas and things like that.”

Lastly, I tried the Lacoco Berry Frappuccino, a coffee-based drink with white chocolate lavender, coconut and blackberry.

This one is truly a masterpiece. The flavors work so well together, and I can already see myself ordering this blended drink even when it’s snowing outside.

“It’s a really good way to break people into unfamiliar flavors that might be a little scary,” says Carson. “It’s not overpowering and they’re always surprised that they love it.”

Make sure to stop by Cup O’Bliss right next to U.S. Highway 20, off exit 325, the Menan/Robert’s exit. It’s address is 659 North Yellowstone Highway in Rigby.

Also, make sure to try their beverages soon inside Teton Bagel Co. in Rexburg.

Don’t forget to follow Cup O’Bliss on Facebook and Instagram.

The post Cup O’Bliss offering delicious drinks to keep you warm during the cold winter months appeared first on East Idaho News.