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.

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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.

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REXBURG — A new elementary school will soon house hundreds of students in Madison County.

Teachers, staff, volunteers and Madison School District #321 employees have been working since Monday, bringing trailers full of desks, chairs, books and school supplies into the newly built Hibbard Elementary School.

It’s located at 2335 North 3000 West and has taken about a year and a half to build. It’s right behind the old Hibbard Elementary School.

“We’ve had great support from our teachers and other staff throughout the district. A lot of support from the community. There’s a lot of excitement about it,” said Madison School District #321 Superintendent Randy Lords.

The elementary school comes after a $25.5 million bond in 2022.

RELATED | Madison School District seeking $25.5 million bond for new elementary school and school remodels

“That bond was to build a new Hibbard Elementary School, build classrooms and an addition to the lunchroom at the junior high and then a remodel to our old Hibbard for an early childhood center … so that’s where our preschool will be moved to,” Lords explained. “Right now, our preschool is currently housed in Burton Elementary, but the Burton area is growing so much.”

Lords said the old Hibbard Elementary School has nine classrooms. The new school has 19.

“It’s almost double. We can fit about 650 (students) in this elementary school. In the last one, we were at capacity at 185. We actually had a trailer out back with two classrooms,” he said.

The old school is estimated to be about 20,000 square feet. The new one is 50,000 square feet. There are a total of 12 teachers, with two new teachers who have already been hired.

The elementary school came about due to growth and projected growth in the Madison County area.

“Right now, we’ll open up with 10 of the classrooms being used, and then the other nine classrooms will move into different STEM programs,” he said. “We knew the growth was coming, and we’re seeing the growth. Our kindergarten numbers are growing. Our second-grade numbers are growing.”

He showed EastIdahoNews.com around the brand-new school, which is very similar to the design of other schools in the district.

“This is the third time we’ve built this building. Ten years ago, we built Burton Elementary and South Fork Elementary, and we used the same pattern, which saved us several million dollars to use the same plan,” Lords said.

However, district officials made some adjustments to the plan.

“For example, what we did on this one is we increased the size of the gym. So in the other two buildings, it’s lunchroom, gym and that’s it. In this building, we have a lunchroom, gym and gym. We have widened it a little bit,” he said.

Lords added he is grateful for the support of the new school and thankful to taxpayers.

Elementary students will be in the building on Tuesday.

“It will be a great learning atmosphere,” Lords said.

Voters in Madison County have had a history of approving school bond measures. In 2017, the district passed a $27 million bond that added classrooms to two elementary schools, high school classroom additions and a new stadium.

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POCATELLO — A winter storm warning and wind chill warning have been issued by the National Weather Service for the weekend.

The winter storm warning is in place from Saturday to Sunday across eastern Idaho.

Heavy snow is expected, with total snow accumulations of 5 to 8 inches in places like Inkom, McCammon, Lava Hot Springs, Malad, and Preston. The warning is in place from 8 a.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Sunday. A blizzard warning remains in effect until 8 p.m. Friday.

Travel could be very difficult to impossible, the warning says.

Total snow accumulations of 2 to 7 inches is expected in places like Pocatello, Blackfoot, Shelley, Fort Hall and American Falls, according to the warning. The winter storm warning in these areas goes in place from 2 p.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Sunday. A blizzard warning remains in effect until 2 p.m. Friday.

Places like Montpelier and Swan Valley are expected to get 2 to 7 inches of snow. The winter storm warning is in effect in those areas from 5 p.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Sunday. The blizzard warning is in effect until 2 a.m. Saturday. A wind chill warning is in effect in these areas from 8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday. Wind chills are expected to be as low as 30 below zero.

A wind chill warning is also in effect from 8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday in areas like Idaho Falls, Rexburg, St. Anthony, Victor, Ashton, Tetonia, and Driggs. Dangerously cold wind chills expected are expected to be as low as 40 below zero.

NWS suggests keeping an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Click here for an updated list of road closures.

Click here to check out the road conditions. Click here to view the weather in your area, webcams of roads and recent weather stories.

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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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REXBURG — A 21-year-old Madison County man has been charged with multiple felonies after allegedly sending inappropriate messages to a minor living across the country.

Colton Pierson was originally scheduled to appear at the Madison County courthouse on Wednesday for a preliminary hearing, but it has been waived. A future court date has been set for February.

Pierson has been charged with six felonies, according to court records. These include four counts of willfully possessing or accessing child sexually exploitative material, one count of inducing or permitting a child to engage in or be used for child sexually exploitative material, and one count of enticing a child through the internet.

Background

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed in December, a detective who is part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was assigned a case originating from the Holly Springs Police Department in North Carolina.

The case involved Pierson communicating with a minor from North Carolina and sending inappropriate images to her, documents said.

In June, detectives met with Pierson at the Rexburg Police Department. Pierson told police that he had an online girlfriend in North Carolina who was 19 years old.

He reportedly said that he later heard from her that she was really 16. According to court documents, she is 13 years old.

Later, Pierson told police the girl told him she might have to repeat middle school because she wasn’t doing well.

Pierson denied being friends with her on Facebook, but detectives later found that the two were friends on Facebook.

He told police that he had been in a relationship with her for over a year. Pierson said that he hasn’t ever met with her in person, but they talk online through game applications, including Roblox and Discord.

Pierson showed his phone to the police after they asked him about it. There were sexually charged messages, and he spoke to her as his “sex slave,” documents said.

There were many messages that were graphic in nature. The detective asked if Pierson ever requested naked pictures from her, and he allegedly said no.

Law enforcement found nude images were sent to him, court documents said. Pierson said that the images were saved on his phone gallery and that he had deleted them after police made a visit to his home. He told police that the first time he was sent them was not long after their relationship began, court documents said.

Detectives asked him how old he thought she really was. Documents said he hesitated and said, “Maybe 15 or 16.”

He admitted sending inappropriate messages to her. The two sent each other videos of themselves engaged in sexual acts, according to court documents.

In one message sent to the girl, Pierson allegedly wrote, “I just want you to be safe. If they found out we are still talking, the cops will probably come after me.”

He reportedly sent her another message later that said, “I don’t care what happens, I don’t care if I go to jail.”

An arrest warrant was issued in December, and Pierson was given a $25,000 bond. He has since posted it.

Pierson has been bound to district court and is scheduled for an arraignment at the Madison County Courthouse on Feb. 5 at 9 a.m.

Though Pierson has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

The post Madison County man charged after allegedly sending sexual messages to underage girl in other state 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.

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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.

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IDAHO FALLS — Have you ever thought about dabbling in the culinary world? Now could be your chance.

The city of Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation Department is searching for people to run and operate any or all three cafes at the Idaho Falls Municipal Golf Courses. The golf courses include Pinecrest, Sand Creek, and Sage Lakes.

“They set their own menus, and they set their own pricing,” said PJ Holm, Director of Parks and Recreation. “A couple of things that I would love to see is an onsite manager at each of the three facilities. That is something we are looking for.”

Holm says the months of operation would be March through September and ideally, the cafes would be open seven days a week. A social media post says the city is requesting proposals for concessionaires between the years of 2024 and 2026.

Concessionaires will operate throughout the golf season but also have off-season opportunities.

“We’ve now got a simulator and full-time staff at all three golf courses all year round. What we are thinking is it might be worthwhile for these folks to actually potentially stay open year-round,” Holm said.

He explained that concessionaires would have the right to cater events at the courses, too.

“They have a lot of flexibility and a lot of ability to make additional revenue on tournaments, on banquets that they get to cater,” he said.

He told EastIdahoNews.com that an average of $100,000 has been made a year for each cafe at the courses.

So what kind of food is being looked for at the cafes?

Holm said each of the cafes at the three golf courses has had their niche, but ideas are welcome. For example, Pinecrest tends to cater to breakfast.

“Sage Lakes has been the kind of afternoon meal type of place. Sand Creek tends to be much more alcohol-based,” he explained.

He welcomes applicants who have a marketing plan idea to create more of a branded cafe at each location. He added that he would like the cafes to evolve into something more.

“I would love to see somebody take advantage of making it into a restaurant that maybe people would even like to come to when they don’t golf but something that actually appeals to, ‘Let’s go out to dinner this evening. Should we go to Pinecrest?’ Make it more of a restaurant and less of a cafe,” Holm said.

If you are interested, proposals are due by Wednesday, Jan. 31, by 4 p.m. Click here to submit a proposal.

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