Month: April 2026

Par Kermani

Idaho Falls, Idaho (KIFI) — Getting in to see a doctor in Idaho is not always easy. For many, it is not just about cost, but distance, availability, and even finding a provider in the first place.

A mobile clinic from Optum is working to close that gap by bringing preventative care directly to communities across eastern Idaho.

This week, the clinic is making stops in Idaho Falls, Ammon and Pocatello, offering free visits to eligible patients through its partnership with UnitedHealthcare.

“The mobile clinic is just an opportunity for us to get out into the communities where our members live and share access to quality, preventative health care services,” said Jim Tett, Optum manager of clinical operations. “We understand people may have mobility restrictions or transportation concerns, so it’s an advantage to bring it as close as possible.”

Inside the mobile unit, patients can meet with a provider, review medications and medical history, and receive a variety of screenings in a single visit. Services include checks for conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis, along with other preventative tests.

Tett said the goal is to catch health issues early, especially for patients who may not be regularly seeing a doctor.

“We know transportation and access to care can be difficult, so catching people who are not routinely following up with their doctor is a priority for us,” he said. “If we can catch something earlier and get them treated, or get them established with a primary care physician, that’s the goal.”

In one case, Tett said a patient who had delayed care received a serious warning during a visit.

“They were on a path where they likely would not have survived another year,” he said. “They were able to get the care they needed and make those changes, and now they’re in a much better place.”

Healthcare providers say demand for services like this is growing in Idaho, where rural communities and a shortage of providers can make access more difficult. Population growth combined with provider retirements has added to the challenge.

The mobile clinic primarily serves patients on UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans and coordinates care with their primary care physicians. Organizers say the service has seen increased demand since launching in Idaho and continues to expand to more locations.

Looking ahead, Optum is working to grow the program even further, including the possibility of bringing care directly to patients’ homes through a smaller mobile unit.

For now, organizers say the focus remains on meeting patients where they are and helping them stay ahead of potential health issues.

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KIVI Staff

By: Leslie Solis

Originally Posted 11:36 PM

CALDWELL, Idaho (KIVI) — On Monday evening at 9:50 p.m., Caldwell fire crews responded to a residential structure fire in Caldwell near the College of Idaho’s Marty Holly Athletic Center. Everyone in the home was evacuated, and there are no reported injuries.

Fire officials say the blaze was primarily concentrated near the rear of the home. Crews were able to quickly bring it under control, but the residence sustained extensive damage and is considered uninhabitable.

According to Canyon County public records, the home is registered to State Representative Kent Marmon, a Republican legislator representing District 11 in Caldwell, who is currently running for re-election in the 2026 Republican primary.

Marmon confirmed to Idaho News 6 that the home involved was his and shared details about what led up to the fire.He says they believe the fire started under a small refrigerator in an outdoor kitchen.

According to Marmon, the flames spread through nearby cabinets, into a patio cover, and then along the wooden portion of the home and into the attic. Marmon described the moment they realized what was happening, saying they were inside watching TV when they heard glass breaking in a nearby bathroom.

When they went to check, he says flames were already spreading along the south side of the home, with heavy smoke filling parts of the house. He says they were able to get out immediately with their dog, but their two cats did not survive.

Marmon described a large emergency response, estimating around ten fire units on scene. As a precaution, emergency crews evacuated nearby homes in the area.

All neighboring residents were reported safe and unharmed. Fire crews were also monitoring a nearby home belonging to a family member as flames spread through vegetation, but the fire did not reach that structure.

Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, including the Middleton Star Fire District, Nampa Fire District, Canyon County Paramedics, Caldwell Police Department, and Idaho Power. Marmon praised first responders, saying firefighters were able to retrieve several personal belongings, including medications, identification, and electronics, while also providing support to his family during the incident.

He also described an outpouring of support from neighbors and College of Idaho students, who brought blankets, clothing, and other essentials as crews worked the scene late into the night. Firefighters remained on scene until around 3:30 a.m., with cleanup crews securing the home hours later.

The outpouring of support and prayers from our friends and neighbors here in Caldwell is heartwarming and sincerely appreciated. We’ve been getting messages and calls from all over Idaho. Everyone’s concern, thoughts and prayers are so appreciated. We are alright. We got out unscathed, and that’s truly a blessing. We will be staying at my mom’s house as we work through this.

Idaho Rep. Kent Marmon

Officials say the cause of the fire remains under investigation. The fire was just one of two fires that Caldwell Fire battled overnight, as crews provided mutual aid just an hour earlier to the Nyssa Fire Department for a separate three-alarm commercial structure fire on Commercial Avenue.

This remains a developing story. Idaho News 6 will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

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Maile Sipraseuth

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– Fire officials say the upcoming wildfire season in Idaho is shaping up to be a busy one, driven by an extremely dry winter and changing weather patterns.

The abnormal conditions are already raising concerns across Southeast Idaho, and wildfire season hasn’t even reached its peak yet. Earlier this month, crews battled the Snake Fire, which burned nearly 100 acres along the Snake River in Madison County and Jefferson County.

Last week, the Idaho Department of Water Resources declared a drought emergency for all 44 counties in Idaho due to a record-low snowpack, elevating concern among local fire officials. Thomas Pence, Natural Resource Specialist for USDA, says preparation is already underway for a dangerous fire season.

“This year, we are prepared using a critical fire schedule to increase our firefighter fitness and prepare our trucks and be ready in case a wildfire does start locally,” Pence said.

Pence emphasizes that prevention plays a major role in reducing wildfire risk.

“Most wildfires are started by people. The best thing you can do is make sure that any campfires you have are put out [and] they’re cold to the touch and wet, your chains are not dragging or anything,” Pence said.

For more information on how to prevent wildfires, click HERE.

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Fox13

Originally Published: 21 APR 26 15:08 ET

By Mythili Gubbi

Click here for updates on this story

    OGDEN, Utah (KSTU) — Last week’s freezing temperatures hit Utah’s fruit farms hard, with experts saying most lost their entire crop. But one farmer in Ogden credits the produce he thinks he can harvest to his homemade contraption.

On Monday, Chad Midgley visited his farm for the first time since the freeze.

“It makes me want to cry, it’s really hard to be here,” he said looking at the plants that didn’t make it, like peaches, peas and pomegranates. “It started out as a jackpot, everything was real warm, blooming early, all kinds of fruit, thought we were going to have the biggest year we’ve ever had, and then in the last two weeks, it’s all crumbled.”

He has been farming for 30 years and has multiple farms, mainly in Davis County. But a common denominator on all his farms are his “Hobbit Hole Greenhouses.”

“There are compost piles mixed in between plastic layers like a hamburger, and water mass inside, and they actually throw enough heat out that it kept everything alive, even citrus trees alive,” Midgley explained.

The tomato, lemon, grapefruit, peach, blood orange and other plants inside the greenhouses were thriving.

“We have peaches that are good, and look here, look at this grapefruit, it’s like a Christmas ornament,” Midgley pointed out in the greenhouse.

But most fruit farms across the Wasatch front didn’t do so well.

“They’ve experienced almost 100 percent loss on all fruit crops, and so that includes peaches, cherries, pears, apples, all of it,” said Taun Beddes, a horticulturist with Utah State University Extension. “I’ve been in the green industry for 25 years, and have never seen this.”

Beddes said farmers have been dealing with one blow after another.

“Not only were they dealing with drought conditions, but now, you know, we don’t have much of a fruit harvest,” Beddes added.

Midgley called his greenhouses “a miracle.” He said the doors and windows of the greenhouse were open during the freezing temperatures, but the heat from inside protected the plants.

Midgley said he hopes people support local farmers this year, more than ever.

“There’s not going to be as many farmers selling things and supply is going to be a lot lower. We need your guys’ support to get through this year,” he said.

Beddes added that it’s important to support farms in any way possible, such as visiting for events and participating in various ways.

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