Month: April 2025

Seth Ratliff

The following information comes from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services:

MONTANA (KIFI) – Health officials are responding to the first cases of measles in the state of Montana in over 30 years.

The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and regional health officials are investigating five confirmed cases of measles in Gallatin County, Montana. All five cases involve adults or children who are either unvaccinated or whose vaccine status is unknown.

“While it is unfortunate to have cases of measles after 35 years of disease inactivity in Montana, we have been working diligently with our local partners to prepare,” said DPHHS Public Health Physician, Dr. Maggie Cook-Shimanek in a written statement. “We are confident that our public health and clinical partners will work together and address this situation as quickly as possible. It is important for everyone to know their vaccination status and to visit with their health department or health care provider if they are unsure.”

The individuals were exposed to the virus while traveling outside the state, according to DPHHS. Regional and State health officials are working to asses potential exposures from when the infected individuals were contagious and are contacting anyone who may have been exposed.

The measles virus can stay in the air for up to 2 hours after the infected person leaves the area. Gallatin City-County Health Department has determined several points of exposure to the general public. Click HERE for the full list.

“We are actively working with individuals who are experiencing symptoms,” Lori Christenson, Gallatin City-County Health Officer, said in a written statement. “We greatly appreciate the cooperation of those involved in helping mitigate further exposures. We encourage anyone who is not vaccinated or unsure of their vaccination history to consider vaccination and to contact your health care provider or GCCHD. By getting vaccinated, we protect ourselves and others around us from infection.”

People who are immune to measles through vaccination, laboratory evidence of immunity, laboratory confirmation of disease, or were born before 1957 are not considered at risk for infection, according to the Department of Public Health and Human Services. People without prior measles infection or vaccination have a 90% likelihood of contracting the disease if exposed.

“Measles is highly contagious and highly preventable with vaccination, and ensuring people are immunized remains our best defense. If people are unable to find their vaccine records, there are no contraindications to receiving an additional dose,” said Dr. Peter Bulger, GCCHD Medical Director in a written statement.

If you are unsure of your vaccination status, here are a few places you can review:

Call your old high school, college, or university and ask if they have vaccination records.

Contact your doctor’s office, urgent care, or pediatrician. Even if you have not been there in years, they may still have records.

Reach out to the health department where you grew up.

Check your home state immunization registries.

For more information about measles and the measles vaccine, click HERE. Additional information can also be found on the CDC’s website.

Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, REXBURG (KIFI)–  While many people may have spoken with a dispatcher once or twice in their lives, most likely, you’ve never actually met one.

From April 14 to 18, law enforcement and communities across the nation recognize the unsung heroes behind 911 during National Dispatchers Week.

“In the family tree of law enforcement, I would say we’re probably the great-grandmother everyone kind of forgets about and doesn’t really check on later,” said Emergency Communications Officer Jordan Larsen. “Just because we’re just in the background and we get everything started, and then people come to us for information or advice. But we never really get to hear the ending of how the call ends.”

Working in dispatch requires speed, effective communication, multitasking, patience, and compassion. The level of stress that comes with this line of work is not for the weak-hearted. At times, dispatchers lose touch of their worth.

“They make a bigger difference than they think they do in the outcome of calls,” said Tyson Beckley, Dispatch Sergeant for the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. “And that’s sometimes when you’re looking at a screen, is very easy to forget that you’re dealing with the lives of real people and these real outcomes. And just because you don’t see the outcome doesn’t mean that you’re not making a difference.”

Dispatchers work around the clock, with never-ending calls of crisis. They listen to hundreds of calls but never hear a thank you. Aside from getting very little appreciation, they say that’s not why they do it.

“I just always really want to help people. I really admire those who can go out and deal with it and see it in person. And I don’t think I could ever do that. But I really love still serving my community and helping in a way that I can, even if it’s not physically going out there,” said Larsen.

But this week, their effort are finally being honored. 

“We had a lot of outreach from community partners and also local businesses, where they brought food, snacks, and other items. We even had a local massage therapist come and do little massages for the dispatchers just to kind of help them relax,” said Beckley.

Sergeant Beckley tells Local News 8 that there’s a bill called the ‘9-1-1 Saves Act’, and it’s to reclassify all 9-1-1 dispatchers as first responders nationally. 

They’ll still be working behind the scenes, but now they won’t be forgotten.

If a dispatcher has made a difference in your life, the Madison County Sheriff’s dispatch would love to hear your story shared on their Facebook page.  

Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Pocatello Animal Services Department and Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter will host the 28th annual ‘Run with the Big Dogs’ marathon event on Saturday, April 19.

The event will have a 2k walk/run and 5k run available for people (and their pets) along with vendors, raffle prizes, a silent auction, splash pools for dogs, and refreshments for participants and dogs.

Registration for the races is $40 per person, with proceeds going to support the Pocatello Animal Shelter. For more information, or to register for the event, you can visit the Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter website.