Month: July 2026

Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Pocatello swore in its first new mayor in over a decade in January – Mayor Mark Dahlquist. As he approaches six months in office, Dahlquist gave insight into some of the biggest challenges Pocatello is facing today and his plans to improve the city.

From the beginning of his term, the mayor has been focused on city improvements in many areas, including economic development.

“We want our children and grandchildren to keep living here, to have a place where they can have a career and grow their career,” Mayor Dahlquist said. “With economic development, there’s a lot there we’ve been focusing on.”

He said the city has a larger advisory board with Portneuf Valley Development, including new hire Jamie Gilliam as executive director. The revitalization of Portneuf Valley Development is one of the mayor’s most exciting accomplishments in his first months in office.

LA Semiconductor Receivership

On April 10, LA Semiconductor, a major employer in Pocatello, let go the first wave of employees from the company. On May 1, the second round of layoffs ensued, causing 342 total employees to lose their jobs. The layoffs came as a result of a contract dispute between two semiconductor companies, and LA Semiconductor was placed into a receivership in December 2024.

In April, Mayor Dahlquist expressed his support for the viability of the facility, stating that Pocatello stands by to help in any way as the comapny searched for a buyer. Now, he stands by that statement.

“We’re not sitting by idle as a city, just watching and waiting to see what the outcome of LA Semiconductor is, that’s a really important employer and potential growing employer for Pocatello,” Mayor Dahlquist said. “I think some good things are happening now that we’re past this receivership process. That’s a really important industry and we need to get it up and running.”

He added the city is rolling up their sleeves to be a resource for them by guiding them to tax incentives the state offers. He remains optimistic for a good outcome at LA Semiconductor.

The Potential for an AI Data Center

Lex Developments, an Arizona-based company, applied for a conditional use permit from the City of Pocatello to build an AI Data Center at the old Hoku plant. At a public hearing for the issue, hundreds of people showed up to City Hall to voice their opinions against building a center in the city. After being denied the CUP, the developer has appealed the decision, leaving the issue as a pending topic for both residents and the City of Pocatello.

The mayor commented on this as the most important issue to residents during his first half-year in office. Residents have asked to meet with the mayor personally to talk about the consequences and benefits of building an AI data center.

“This issue is not going to go away,” Mayor Dahlquist said. “We need to be one of the communities that’s proactive and that we address new technologies like data centers in our code. We’ve got to have code where the city is more in control. The city with citizen input sees where we need to go and where we need to tweak our land use policies.”

Currently, the mayor said the land use policy in the city code is vague and fails to address data centers. As this is a new and developing proposal, the city is attempting to stay efficient with updating city code to accomodate new technology.

“The big lesson with this is that this issue won’t go away and we need to be proactive, we need to study our land use policy so we’re prepared in the future to give this the right look,” he said.

Prior to taking office, Mayor Dahlquist thought of AI as a tool the city could potentially use to streamline processes and make work more efficient. He didn’t expect for the prospect of a data center to evolve so quickly from an out-of-state developer. Now, the mayor and council are working to be prepared for similar situations in the future to not be caught off guard by new development proposals.

Beautification, Curb Appeal and Yard Sale Restrictions

One of the mayor’s main focuses since his campaign is curb appeal for the city of Pocatello. The beautification process remains a top priority for the council members as well.

“We’re out there doing the little things that make a difference, I’m really pleased with the green spaces and the areas around town and like parks and things that the city owns that they’re really elevating,” Mayor Dahlquist said.

He added that community entrances are extremely important and have been underwhelming for years. In particular, the Clark Street interchange is where students and families often come into the community for the first time to reach Idaho State University. Rebranding and making sure the “wow factor” is present right when people enter the city is part of the council’s curb appeal planning.

Part of curb appeal means encouraging residents to follow city code. Two weeks ago, the city posted on Facebook about the city code for only hosting two yard sales per year. This post sparked negative comments online, with residents claiming yard sales are extremely important to the community.

It’s important to make clear this is not a new city code restriction; the yard sale limitations have been in place since the 1980’s, however, drawing attention to them during the summer season caused controversy.

“We’re definitely not against free enterprise,” Mayor Dahlquist confirmed. “But sometimes, when there’s these ongoing garage sales and you live next door and there’s traffic and people and clutter in the yard…I think we were trying to address it from that perspective that sometimes we just need to be courteous of our neighbors.”

Mayor Dahlquist added that when residents are aware of city code, there is an over 90% compliance rate, so they are not concerned about rule enforcement.

“We’re not in the mode right now where we’re going to drive around and take addressed and count your yard sales,” he said. “We just are hoping for some self compliance there for reasons that it does affect your neighborhood, sometimes negatively.”

Budgeting and Money Priorities

Mayor Dahlquist brought up the budgeting process, which the council is nearing the end of, and the difficult decisions the city is making. He said the city has had to be very strategic and tight with their budget cuts and setting money aside for separate projects.

“I think we need to take a strategic look at the services we’re offering, and rather than going line by line, I’m excited that there’s the wherewithal right now where we can look at some systemic changes with the city,” he said. “For example, is there a service out there that’s maybe not efficient and is a real money drainer for the city? I think we have to take a tough look at those and decide if that’s the way we’re going to go forward.”

The City of Pocatello has several “big city services,” meaning things like the library, zoo, transit systems and the functioning airport. For a smaller city like Pocatello, these services are heavily funded for a larger community, and the Gate City runs on a “small city budget.” Because of that inconsistency, the Mayor is interested in carefully examining each service offered for budgeting purposes.

He said the residential input is crucial in making city decisions. “We’ve talked about some surveying by an outside company to get accurate data where we look at these services against the cost so that we’ve got the public involved to help us determine the best way forward,” Mayor Dahlquist said.

The Mayor called these “tough decisions” for his next six months in office, however they take priority.

Keeping Pocatello Green and Healthy

The mayor emphasized that Pocatello is a green community and a place people enjoy living because of the outdoor recreation.

“We are a mountain community, we’re blessed with great terrain around us,” Mayor Dahlquist said. “We can get dragged down by the negativity sometimes, but I’m feeling more of a sense of optimism.”

The City has adopted the Parks and Recreation Open Space Trails Plan in further efforts to maintain the recreational feeling of Pocatello.

“The quality of life is really important, open space and recreation, that’s what makes our community so great, the parks and open spaces,” he said. “Moving forward, we know that’s really important for members of the community to retain that good quality of life that Pocatello has.”

He added that he believes the city is on a good trajectory to balance the quality of life with the growth and sustainably job market to keep new graduates in town.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Wildlife officials are urging southeastern Idaho residents to exercise caution after a bat in Bannock County tested positive for rabies, and a raccoon in Pocatello tested positive for canine distemper.

Idaho Fish and Game and Southeastern Idaho Public Health are tracking the cases and are encouraging people to be aware and know the best practices for dealing with sick or unusually bold wildlife.

Bats and Rabies: What to Watch For

Bats will typically be seen near water or lamps to feed on insects, or occasionally to roost in a location like a building, tree, on patio furniture or a woodpile. In May, Southeastern Idaho Public Health announced it tested a bat positive for rabies, which officials say isn’t uncommon.

“We know that bats can get rabies and once they contract the virus, they are going to die from it, so people should not be alarmed,” said Tessa Atwood, volunteer services coordinator with Idaho Fish and Game. “They’re not perpetual carriers of the virus so it shouldn’t be any kind of fright for people.”

Most of the time, Fish and Game says a bat roosting outside somewhere can be left alone and it will move on within a few hours. However, if the bat is in a vulnerable position where it may have contact with people or pets, there are safe guidelines for moving the bat.

“You should never handle one without gloves, preferably leather gloves. You should have long sleeves and long pants on,” Atwood said. “When you capture it, you can place a small paper box, or a bucket or something like that over the top of it and then slide a piece of cardboard underneath, and then just kind of move it out of the way, to a better location.”

Atwood said people are welcome to call the Fish and Game regional office with concerns, however, if the animal isn’t going to cause any harm to people or pets, they’ll probably suggest they leave it alone. If there has been direct contact with the bat or a suspected contact, it’s best to call your physician.

“If you have a bat in your home and you suspect that a person in the home or a pet has come in contact with the bat, that can be by a scratch or if somebody in the home was asleep and they’re just unaware of maybe they had contact, it’s good to contact your physician or your local health department,” Atwood said.

She added that a physician will give guidance on how to move forward and may ask the person to collect the bat for sampling. In order to test for rabies, they need the specimen. If you come across a bat that looks sick, injured, weak or lethargic, Fish and Game can give you guidance on what to do next. If you’re suspicious of your pet coming in contact with a bat, it’s best to call their veterinarian.

“It’s really common for cats to come and want to show off a bat they caught outside. We would advise that you contact your veterinarian immediately if a situation like that happens and keep up on your pet vaccinations for distemper and rabies,” Atwood said.

Distemper Outbreak in Local Raccoons

Fish and Game has also received multiple calls over the past several weeks regarding raccoons in the area acting sick and lethargic, even appearing in broad daylight. They said more carcasses are being sent out for testing.

“The best prevention is to keep your animals on a leash, keep them up to date with their vaccinations, and keep things like pet food and bird feeders cleaned up for a few weeks,” Atwood advised.

Officials say if people see a raccoon while hiking the trails around Pocatello and Chubbuck or out in a nature area, it’s best to give the animal space. However, if it’s in a backyard and residents are worried about letting their pets outside, Fish and Game can help.

For up-to-date information on all things wildlife and safety, click HERE.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello hosted the “Meet the Robot” open house, where visitors could see and use the Da Vinci 5 medical robot. The robot is used in surgeries, particularly for hernias and abdominal operations. Children and people of all ages were able to cosplay as a surgeon and operate on plastic pieces, emulating a surgery.

“It’s interesting because if you’re looking at a crane and you want to operate it, you’re looking at a cool device and want to use it, we never really get a chance to,” said Dr. Jorge, a general and trauma surgeon at Portneuf. “This is the time that you can see how the robot works and take out the fear of having robotic surgery because we control the robot, and then patients and families have a chance to actually use it and see how it works.”

The robot used for the event is a demo robot, not the one used in the operating room at Portneuf, to ensure the community doesn’t come in contact with OR equipment.

The surgeons at Portneuf gave a presentation about the robot and how it helps with efficiency and recovery for operations. The optics on the robot are better than the naked human eye. Dr. Jorge showed the audience the writing on a five-dollar bill using the robotic optics broadcast onto a screen.

People could maneuver the different tools the robot has, placing tiny elastics on plastic mountains and unwrapping candies. By placing fingers into the VR-type operating hand-holds, the arms and tools on the robot become one with the surgeon’s movements.

“It’s a very unique thing that not a lot of other professions get to do, especially being able to practice on it,” Dr Jorge said.

Dr. Roberts explained that up-and-coming surgeons complete a full training certification to use the Da Vinci 5, the latest technology for these kinds of surgeries. Roberts has been to the headquarters in California to receive training later in his career. He also said the robot has overall decreased costs for the hospital, as patients are leaving sooner and not returning with complications after surgery.

The amount of robotic surgeries being done in the United States is increasing rapidly, but the fear around them remains. Events like these, where the OR is opened up to the public, can help ease fears people have and show them the surgeon is always in control; the robot cannot operate on its own.

“It’s important we try to minimize the gap in knowledge between the community and us,” Dr. Jorge said. “We need to let them know it’s a great tool, but we are in control of that tool to make your procedure safer, better, with less pain and an earlier return to work, all of that.”

Portneuf Medical Center says that connecting with the community is an important piece of their mission.

“We love inviting community members to our campus to meet our team of experts, learn about the services we offer, and see the technology we use,” said Katie Damron Quayle, director of marketing at Portneuf Medical Center. “We strive to provide attendees with memorable experiences, and our Meet the Robot event achieved that by allowing people of all ages in the community an opportunity to interface with our surgeons and have a rare, hands-on experience with a surgical robot.”

For future community events similar to Meet the Robot, follow Portneuf Medical Center on Facebook.

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