Month: July 2026

Hadley Bodell

FORT HALL, Idaho (KIFI) – As Pocatello awaits an appellate hearing on the proposed Lex Developments AI data center later this month, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes have reaffirmed their opposition to the project. On July 7, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes made an official statement reaffirming their stance against the proposal, stating they agree with the Hearing Examiner’s original decision to deny Lex Developments a conditional use permit (CUP).

All of the Tribe’s concerns stem from what they state is, “the developer’s failure to submit sufficient information for review to address concerns over likely increases to electricity rates, impacts to water resources and environmental impacts.”

Members of the Tribal Council emphasized their responsibility to care for the environment and its reach beyond the Fort Hall Reservation. They said they continue to care about surrounding lands and are “deeply concerned” about the potential impacts of a data center in Pocatello. The Fort Hall Business Council submitted a public records request for the public hearing documents as well as the Hearing Examiner’s decision, agreeing that Lex Developments failed to adequately deliver any project requirements, leaving them highly concerned about the potential environmental impacts.

“We have a responsibility to protect our lands, our water and natural resources within it,” said Donna Thompson, chairwoman of the Fort Hall Business Council. “We don’t know what the significant impacts of it would be for the community, not just us but overall.”

Thompson said the Business Council is not opposed to development as long as it is responsible, transparent and protects natural resources.

House Bill 911 was passed earlier this year, requiring developers to pay for all power infrastructure costs, however, leaders in the Tribe are concerned this will be difficult to enforce. If not, the electricity rates could increase for Tribal members.

“They say it’s not going to impact electricity costs, but if you go to different areas that currently have data centers right now, they’re struggling to find electricity for their customers,” Thompson stated. “For the residential people that do have them, they’re paying higher costs, that information is out there and I don’t think Idaho Power has the ability to predict that much power needed for such a large development.”

The second major concern is water usage, even while House Bill 895 passed this year, prohibiting data centers from using a water cooling system as a consumptive process, the Fort Hall Business Council stated the developer did not define the water requirements for the proposed data center. They are also worried about the chemicals or additives that could be outputs from the data center, regarding its location near the Portneuf River. The chemical hazard directly correlates with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes’ mission to protect Idaho’s limited water resources and the wildlife within it.

“We need clear, measurable information, not estimates. This includes water demand, cooling system operations, chemicals or additives, prevention and response plans and any water required for onsite generation,” Thompson explained. “The Portneuf River is very close and we already have enough contaminants in it, we don’t need more.”

She added they want to keep the water clean and safe for all future generations, and the council will continue to fight for their longevity.

When asked whether the Tribes would support the project if additional information were provided, Thompson said no.

“I’ll be honest, I just don’t think data centers are something we want in our community, whether it’s Fort Hall, Pocatello, Blackfoot, the resources that it would demand would be taken from all our communities, and I just don’t think that’s something we want,” she said.

The Fort Hall Business Council recognizes the resources they have, including the water, land and mountains on and surrounding the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. Thompson said they’re grateful for the resources and will fight to keep them for their kids and grandchildren.

“We remain committed to transparency, meaningful environmental review, protection of our natural resources and upholding Tribal interests and treaty rights,” she said. “We’re not going to sit down, we’re not going to go away. When we firmly believe in something, we will fight to the very end.”

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Stephanie Lucas

JACKSON, Wyoming (KIFI) — The Wyoming Highway Patrol says equipment failure likely caused the deadly chain reaction accident on the Teton Pass on Tuesday.

Investigators say that the dump truck was traveling eastbound down the pass when it suffered a critical failure. The driver lost control, and the crash rapidly unfolded.

First, a runaway dump truck rear-ended an eastbound motorcycle, which skidded across the westbound lane and came to a stop on the shoulder. Fortunately, WHP confirmed in a news release that the rider survived the impact.

As the dump truck barrelled downhill, it rear-ended an eastbound Chevrolet pickup. WHP says the impact forced the Chevy into oncoming traffic, where it collided head-on with a westbound Ford F-150. The F-150 overturned and went off the north side of the highway.

The dump truck then veered off the south side of the road, struck a guardrail, and swerved back into the eastbound lane. Once there, WHP says it spun out and rolled onto its side, sliding down the highway and spilling asphalt across the roadway.

While sliding on its side, the dump truck hit a westbound Chevrolet Equinox and then a westbound Subaru Outback. Both the Subaru and the dump truck collided with a drainage ditch. The impact launched the dump truck airborne before it landed on its passenger side in the eastbound lane. The Subaru rolled repeatedly, coming to a rest on its roof.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol says the driver of the Ford F-150 and the driver of the Subaru Outback both died at the scene. They have been identified as Nicholas Czernichew Besobrasow, 66, of Tetonia, and David Thomposn Page, 66, of Mammoth Lakes, California, and Jackson, Wyoming. The four other people who were injured were taken to an area hospital.

The highway was closed for an extended period on Tuesday as emergency crews cleared the spilled asphalt and wreckage. WHP also says this accident is under investigation, and any possible citations or charges are pending.

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Hadley Bodell

FORT HALL, Idaho (KIFI) – The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes held a grand opening for the new Fort Hall Fire Station at 70 Widowville Road in Fort Hall after approximately two years of construction. The new facility will serve as the headquarters for Fort Hall Fire, with over 25,000 square feet of expanded offices, training areas and fire truck bays.

The new station replaces the previous station as the Fort Hall Fire Department determined it no longer met the operational needs of the fire personnel. It is built directly across from the old station, maintaining the convenient location.

“The old facility didn’t have room for all of our apparatus, all of our equipment, so with having everything under one roof now, we can keep our state of readiness a lot more efficient,” said Eric King, Fire Chief with the Fort Hall Fire Department. “It’s a lot safer for our firefighters to not have to run across parking lots to get on the trucks and go.”

The project cost around $13 million in total, with the ground breaking almost two years ago in September 2024. It was funded through a combination of tribal and federal support, with $7 million coming from the efforts of Congressman Mike Simpson. The new facility serves 18 line personnel and four administrative staff.

“It’s a morale boost for the guys, for sure,” King said. “And it’s for the public. We’re excited to do a lot of things with the public so we have those accomodations to do community events in this building.”

Rather than a traditional ribbon-cutting, the Tribes held a celebration that featured the Fire Hose Disconnect Ceremony, which organizers say symbolizes the transition from the former station to the new one. They also did a Push-In Truck Ceremony, a long-standing tradition of placing a fire engine into its new home. Following the ceremony, guests were able to tour the new facility and meet members of Fort Hall Fire.

To the firefighters, this is their new home, and the crew couldn’t be more excited for the modern facility.

“The conditions that these guys work in day in and day out, they need something that they feel comfortable coming back to,” King said. “They’ve got to decompress from the stresses of the job and hopefully that’s what will happen here and be a little more comfortable.”

King also said the previous facility left their fire trucks outside through the seasons, increasing maintenance costs every year. The new headquarters will provide all the Fort Hall Fire services in one place, including six apparatus bays, meeting places, and expanded workspaces and training areas. Organizers say the state-of-the-art, modern station will support daily operations while reducing long-term costs.

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