Idaho Falls teachers reject salary proposal, board seeks path forward

Max Gershon

Idaho Falls, ID (KIFI) — In a surprising turn of events, the Idaho Falls Education Association (IFEA) voted against ratifying a proposed salary and benefits agreement, prompting the Idaho Falls School Board to reassess its approach to negotiations. The decision has raised concerns about the negotiation process and the upcoming school year.

The tentative agreement, reached after months of discussions and 42 hours with a federal mediator, offered a $35.3 million compensation package, including an average 4.4% salary increase for certified staff. Notably, this proposal was put forward by the IFEA itself, making the rejection unexpected for the School Board.

Board Chair Hillary Radcliffe expressed disappointment but reaffirmed the district’s commitment to collaboration. “While we are disappointed that the agreement was not ratified, we are committed to working with IFEA to reach an agreement,” Radcliffe said. “The Board is looking forward to a strong and smooth start to the school year and continuing to serve the students of Idaho Falls School District.”

The Board is now focused on understanding the reasons behind the rejection, suspecting it may reflect broader concerns among teachers about the negotiation process. Despite the setback, their priority remains clear: supporting educators while ensuring high-quality education for all students in Idaho Falls School District 91.

As the new school year approaches, the Board and IFEA are expected to resume negotiations to secure a sustainable agreement. District officials emphasize their dedication to fostering a positive environment for both teachers and students.

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Rep. Mike Simpson explores water storage options at Teton Dam site

Ariel Jensen

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson visited the site of the Teton Dam Wednesday afternoon, August 6th, 2025.

Simpson is looking into ways to improve Idaho’s water storage.

The Teton Dam collapsed on June 5, 1976, as it was being filled up for the first time.

Waves of water flooded Rexburg, Wilford, Sugar City, and other communities.

11 people died, and homes and businesses were destroyed causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

There was a discussion on rebuilding the Teton Dam, but the visit was really just a chance for Congressman Mike Simpson to learn about water resources for the state.

He met with the Idaho Farm Bureau to learn what our options are.

“We’re here at the Teton Dam site talking about the need for additional water storage in the state of Idaho, potentially looking at and studying the Teton Dam, what it would take to potentially rebuild that. But of course, other options as well, because there’s many other options when it comes to water storage in the state,” said Braden Jensen, Director of Government Affairs, Idaho Farm Bureau.

“It was interesting to listen to water users, the Farm Bureau, and others about the need for water, particularly in Southeast Idaho. We live in a high plains desert. We need to store as much water as we can. That’s what the Teton Dam originally was all about. Unfortunately, it broke. But there are a lot of things that we can do,” said Simpson.

The congressman got to learn about the history that took place here 49 years ago.  

“I think it’s a good idea for me to do what the people of Idaho with the state legislature and what the people of this region want to do. If there was a great deal of concern, I know it’s been advocated by some people who represent this area, and stuff they wouldn’t be advocating if people in this area didn’t think it was a good idea, or they will learn that they don’t think it is. So, yeah, there are still feelings from that. And from the Teton Dam,” said Simpson.

People do not want to see history repeat itself. Local News 8 spoke with a few locals who said the rebuild of the Teton Dam can be a good thing if done properly.

At this time, a date has not been set for making a decision.

Right now, Simpson is just gathering information from the Idaho Farm Bureau.

Local News 8 asked Siimpson if this would affect his concept from 2021 to breach dams on the lower Snake. He said the rebuilding of the Teton Dam would not affect salmon.

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An Army sergeant is in custody after 5 soldiers were shot at Fort Stewart. Here’s what we know about the suspect

CNN Newsource

By Danya Gainor, CNN

(CNN) — An active-duty Army sergeant was taken into custody Wednesday on suspicion of opening fire at his workplace on the sprawling Fort Stewart military base in Georgia, wounding five of his fellow soldiers, authorities said.

The suspect, identified as Sgt. Quornelius Samentrio Radford, 28, was subdued by nearby soldiers after he began shooting with a personal handgun, striking coworkers, according to Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division.

All five soldiers are in stable condition, Lubas said at a news conference Wednesday. Radford’s motive is not known.

The shooting is among at least 262 mass shootings in the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. It comes within days of shootings at a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper and a neighborhood bar in rural Montana that left multiple people dead.

Here’s what we know:

A disagreement with a coworker

Radford had a disagreement with one of the shooting victims on Tuesday, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the case. He followed that coworker to a maintenance area and shot him in the chest before shooting four others.

It’s unclear what the disagreement was about.

Other soldiers “prevented further casualties” by tackling Radford before police arrested him, Lubas said.

“Soldiers in the area that witnessed the shooting immediately and without hesitation tackled the soldier, subdued him. That allowed law enforcement to then take him into custody,” he said.

The suspect’s father, Eddie Radford, told The New York Times that he hadn’t noticed any unusual behavior by his son recently, and didn’t know what might have motivated the shooting.

He said his son had complained to the family about racism at Fort Stewart and had been seeking a transfer, according to the Times, which did not publish any specifics.

Fort Stewart declined to comment on the racism allegation and whether Radford had requested a transfer. “The circumstances that led to the events today are currently under investigation,” a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division told CNN.

CNN has reached out to Eddie Radford for additional information.

The suspect had a previous DUI arrest

Radford, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, joined the Army in 2018 as an automated logistical specialist and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, the US Army said. His role involved handling supplies and warehouse operations.

Lubas said Radford had not deployed to a combat zone and had no known behavioral incidents in his military record. However, the general acknowledged that Radford had been arrested for driving under the influence in May – an arrest that his chain of command was unaware of prior to the shooting.

The DUI arrest “was unknown to his chain of command until the event occurred, and we started looking into the law enforcement databases,” Lubas said.

Radford was out on bond in the DUI case, according to online court records for Liberty County, Georgia. He was scheduled to be arraigned on August 20.

Personal handgun used in shooting

Radford used a personal handgun – not a military weapon – in the shooting, Lubas said.

The firearm is a 9mm Glock that the suspect bought in Florida in May, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the case. The gun was recovered at the scene along with numerous shell casings, the official said.

Authorities are unsure how Radford got the gun through the base’s high security before carrying out the shooting at his place of work.

“At our gates, we have armed guards and protective equipment,” Lubas said. “We’re going to have to determine how he was able to get a handgun to his place of duty.”

Carrying personal firearms on base is typically prohibited by military regulations.

The shooting was at suspect’s place of work

The US Army’s Fort Stewart trains and deploys active and reserve Army units.

Law enforcement was dispatched to the incident at 10:56 a.m. ET, according to a social media post from Fort Stewart Hunter Army Airfield. Less than ten minutes later, the base was locked down.

At 11:09 a.m., emergency personnel were sent to treat the five soldiers who were shot.

While all five soldiers are in stable condition, three of them required surgery, Lubas said, confirming that the shooting did include Radford’s coworkers.

Radford was apprehended at 11:35 a.m., the Fort Stewart social media post said.

The lockdown of the “main cantonment area” was lifted 35 minutes after that, according to the post.

Since the shooting, Radford has been interviewed by the Army Criminal Investigation Division and now sits in pretrial confinement as he waits for a charging decision by the Office of the Special Trial Counsel, Lubas said Wednesday afternoon.

The Fort Stewart community

In addition to military training grounds, Fort Stewart is home to thousands of families who live on base with their family members assigned there. The base supports more than 10,000 people, including soldiers, family members and Army civilian employees, according to the Army.

The shooting happened in an area of the base that houses the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, also known as the Spartan Brigade.

The brigade was first constituted in 1917 in North Carolina, and entered combat during World War I, according to an archived Army webpage. Though the Spartan Brigade was disbanded before World War II due to Army reorganization, several of its units participated in key American maneuvers during the war.

In 1963, the Spartan Brigade was reconstituted and has since been positioned in Germany, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout Africa for military strikes, humanitarian assistance and reconstruction efforts.

In 2016, the Army chose the Spartan Brigade to convert to the 15th Armored Brigade Combat Team, a modernized tank brigade, according to the page and Army press releases.

Following Wednesday’s shooting, authorities said they’d prioritize the well-being of the victims and community at Fort Stewart.

“Our primary focus is first on caring for our injured soldiers and their families and also supporting the soldiers of the Spartan brigade,” Lubas said. “All of the families of the victims have been notified, wrapping our arms around them and ensuring we provide them all the support that we can.”

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CNN’s Mark Morales, Elizabeth Wolfe, Tori B. Powell, Jo Parker, Maureen Chowdhury, Aditi Sangal, Elise Hammond, John Miller, Natasha Bertrand and Amanda Musa contributed to this report.

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ISU and CEI partner to address Idaho’s workforce needs

Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho State University (ISU) and the College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) are making it easier for students to continue their education in the Gem State. The two institutions have announced a new partnership to streamline the credit transfer process, ensuring students who start at CEI can seamlessly transition to ISU to complete their bachelor’s or master’s degrees.

This collaboration is designed to align course content and credits at both schools. This allows students to map out their entire educational journey from the very beginning.

“Early in their educational journey, they can map out where they’re going,” said Angela Sackett, CEI’s Vice President of Academics and Student Affairs. “So that transfer to ISU after they spend the first two years with us here at College of Eastern Idaho goes seamlessly.”

Meeting Workforce Needs in High-Demand Fields

The new initiative will initially focus on degrees in high-demand fields like healthcare, education, and engineering. This focus aims to address critical workforce shortages in the region.

“This collaboration is driven by our shared vision of empowering citizens in eastern Idaho with greater access to higher education, fostering innovation, and supporting the development of a highly skilled workforce,” said Robert Wagner, President of Idaho State University. “Clear articulation pathways and seamless transfer opportunities support student mobility and access while increasing opportunities to meet the workforce needs of our communities.”

CEI President Lori Barber echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the benefits for students.

“When we collaborate, everyone wins, especially the students,” Barber said. “This collaboration with Idaho State University opens doors for our students, especially in critical fields like nursing, and ensures they can pursue their dreams close to home and at an affordable cost. It’s about meeting students where they are and helping them go further than they imagined.

This new partnership builds on an existing 20-year relationship between the two schools, taking their collaboration to the next level to better prepare students for a successful future. The ultimate goal is to directly respond to the needs of industry partners, ensuring graduates are ready to step into critical roles in the next five to ten years.

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Lava Trail Fire: Spread halted on 91-acre blaze west of Idaho Falls, but the fight isn’t over

News Team

UPDATE — 12:30 PM, August 7:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — As of 10:30 p.m. on August 6, firefighters successfully stopped the spread of the Lava Trail Fire, which burned 91 acres west of Idaho Falls. The fire is not yet fully contained, and crews will continue to work on extinguishing hot spots over the next several days.

Multiple agencies responded to the fire, including the Idaho Falls District BLM, Idaho Falls Fire Department, Bonneville County Fire, U.S. Forest Service – Caribou-Targhee National Forest, the BIA, and the Idaho National Laboratory.

While the highway closure has been lifted, fire officials warn that smoke may still be visible and could impact the road. Drivers are asked to slow down and use caution in the area to ensure the safety of the crews working to put out the remaining fire in the lava flows.

UPDATE:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Transportation Department has confirmed the lanes are blocked in both directions along Highway 20 from US-26 to the Bingham/Bonneville County line as crews work to battle the Lava Trail Fire. According to the Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire website, the blaze has now grown to an estimated 110 acres.

Drivers are being advised to use alternate routes and expect delays.

ORIGINAL:

ARCO, Idaho (KIFI) — A wildfire is currently burning along Highway 20 between Idaho Falls and INL. The call came in around 3:47 p.m., according to Chris Burger with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The fire is burning south of the highway and is currently estimated at 15 acres or more, according to Watch Duty. Crews from the BLM, Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Forest Service, along with Idaho Falls Fire, are all on the scene.

Drivers in the area are reporting that Hwy 20 West of Idaho Falls has been closed due to the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. This is a developing situation, and Local News 8 will provide updates as they become available.

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Bonneville County Coroner identifies driver in suspected street racing crash

News Team

UPDATE:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Bonneville County authorities have now identified the man killed in Tuesday’s late-night crash that may have involved street racing. Bonneville County Coroner Shante Sanchez has identified the driver as 27-year-old Brady Merriweather of Idaho Falls.

“At this time, our office is extending our deepest condolences to the family of this young individual,” said Sanchez in an email.

The incident occurred on August 5 at a gas station parking lot near the 400 block of West 17th Street, where police found Merriweather’s car, a 2018 Infiniti Q50, had crashed into a concrete wall separating the gas station from the Spider’s Web tattoo parlor. The 27-year-old was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, but died from his injuries this morning despite the best efforts of EMS and medical personnel.

Witnesses reported that a 2018 Infiniti Q50, driven by the man, appeared to be racing a light-colored truck. The two vehicles were reportedly traveling east from Pancheri Drive onto 17th Street.

The Idaho Falls Police Department is continuing to investigate and is asking to speak with the driver of the truck to better understand the events leading to the crash. Anyone with information about the truck or its driver is encouraged to contact the IFPD. For more information or the non-emergency dispatch line, click HERE.

ORIGINAL:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A 27-year-old Idaho Falls man is dead following a late-night crash that may have involved street racing. The incident occurred last night, August 5, at a gas station parking lot near the 400 block of West 17th Street.

According to a press release from the Idaho Falls Police Department (IFPD), first responders were called to the scene at 10:46 p.m. Witnesses reported that a 2018 Infiniti Q50, driven by the man, appeared to be racing a light-colored truck. The two vehicles were reportedly traveling east from Pancheri Drive onto 17th Street.

At this time, police believe the man lost control of his Infiniti, which left the roadway and crashed into a concrete wall separating the gas station from a neighboring business, Spiders Web.

Upon arrival, Idaho Falls Police and EMS personnel worked to extricate the driver from the wreckage and provide life-saving care. He was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, but died from his injuries this morning despite the best efforts of EMS and medical personnel.

The Idaho Falls Police Department is continuing to investigate and is asking to speak with the driver of the truck to better understand the events leading to the crash. Anyone with information about the truck or its driver is encouraged to contact the IFPD. For more information or the non-emergency dispatch line, click HERE.

The department extended its condolences, stating, “The Idaho Falls Police Department offers our sincere condolences to the family and friends who are grieving the loss of their loved one today.”

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Great Snake River Triathlon returns August 16, 2025

News Team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — On your mark, get set, go! The Great Snake River Triathlon is set to race into Idaho Falls’ Snake River Landing Saturday, August 16, 2025. Organizers from Tri Peaks Epic Events are expecting a wide range of both amateur and professional triathletes from across the Gem State, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, and more to push their limits in the sprint and Olympic distance races, which include swimming, biking, and running.

“The Great Snake River Triathlon will be our biggest event of the year with over 200 participants! One of the biggest draws of the GREAT SNAKE RIVER TRIATHLON is the advantage of having a river current assist with the swim portion of the race,” said Tri Peaks Epic Events co-owner Bryan Magleby. “We expect this race to continue to grow significantly in future years!”

The Rexburg Rush Triathlon, the final Tri Peaks Epic Events triathlon of 2025, will take place on September 20, 2025, in Rexburg. For more information on both events, visit www.TriPeaksEvents.com.

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5 soldiers hospitalized after shooting at Fort Stewart. The shooter has been apprehended

CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 06 AUG 25 11:50 ET

Updated: 06 AUG 25 13:03 ET

By Dakin Andone, Jason Morris, Sara Smart, Ryan Young, Mark Morales, CNN

(CNN) — Five soldiers were shot in a shooting incident at the US Army’s Fort Stewart in Georgia, according to a verified Facebook page for Fort Stewart and the associated Hunter Army Airfield.

The nature of the soldiers’ injuries was unclear. All were taken to Winn Army Community Hospital, the post said.

There is no threat to the community, the post added, noting the shooter has been apprehended. Two law enforcement officials previously told CNN the shooter is no longer a threat.

Follow live updates: 5 soldiers shot at Fort Stewart in Georgia

The shooting occurred in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team area of the fort, according to a post on the Fort Stewart Hunter Army Airfield Facebook page. Law enforcement responded to reports of a possible shooting at 10:56 a.m., and the installation went into lockdown eight minutes later, the post said.

The shooter was apprehended at 11:35 a.m., the post said. The 2nd ABCT complex remains on lockdown, though Fort Stewart has lifted the lockdown in other areas.

Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, the Fort Stewart Police Department spokesperson, earlier confirmed “there is an active shooter,” but would not provide further details.

The investigation is ongoing, according to the Fort Stewart Hunter Army Airfield page.

The US Army’s Fort Stewart trains and deploys active and reserve Army units and is home to the 3rd Infantry Division. It is about 40 miles southwest of Savannah, Georgia. Fort Stewart is associated with the Hunter Army Airfield, which is in Savannah itself.

More than 10,000 people – soldiers, family members and Army civilian employees – reside on Fort Stewart or Hunter Army Airfield property, according to the combined post’s website. The combined post employs more than 25,000 people.

Agents from the FBI’s Savannah, Georgia, office are responding to Fort Stewart and coordinating with the Army Criminal Investigation Division, according to an FBI Atlanta spokesperson.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said on X he was in “close contact” with law enforcement, saying he was “saddened by today’s tragedy at Ft. Stewart.”

“We are keeping the victims, their families, and all those who answer the call to serve in our hearts and prayers, and we ask that Georgians everywhere do the same.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN’s Rebekah Riess and Devon Sayers contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Stage 1 fire restrictions begin tomorrow across 14 eastern Idaho counties

News Team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — As wildfire danger increases, the Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center is implementing Stage 1 fire restrictions on federal, state, and private lands across 14 counties, effective at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, August 7.

The restrictions apply to Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Caribou, Clark, Franklin, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, Power, Oneida, and Teton counties.

Under these restrictions, the following are prohibited:

Building, maintaining, or using a campfire or stove fire outside of a permanent fire ring in a designated recreation site.

Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or designated recreation site, or in an area cleared of flammable materials.

For a full list of exemptions and detailed information, please check with the managing agency before your visit. If you are planning a visit to public lands in these areas, please check with the Sawtooth Ranger District offices https:// www.fs.usda.gov/r04/caribou-targhee, the BLM Idaho Falls District BLM https://www.blm.gov/idaho or the Idaho Department of Lands Fire Restrictions Finder.

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The Owl Bar was the place where everybody knew your name. Then, a familiar face walked in – and opened fire

CNN Newsource

By Elizabeth Wolfe, Taylor Galgano, Jillian Sykes, CNN

(CNN) — Under the buzz of neon lights and cluttered walls and ceilings of The Owl Bar, bartender Cassandra Dutra spends many of her nights catering to the familiar faces crowding her counter, often losing track of the number of rounds the regulars have bought each other as the hours grow late.

Dutra lives a stone’s throw from the timeworn neighborhood bar in her small Montana town of Anaconda. She sometimes feels like a cast member in the sitcom “Cheers” – the second home where everybody knows your name.

So after a gunman opened fire inside the bar Friday morning, Dutra quickly realized she knew each of the people killed, including her coworker Nancy Kelley and three of her regulars: Daniel Baillie, David Leach and Tony Palm.

“They’re people I care about. These are people I spend every day with,” Dutra said. She knew Tony was one of the victims when she saw his truck parked outside on the morning of the shooting, just as it was at the same time every day.

The suspected shooter, Michael Brown, was no stranger, either.

“People know who he is,” said Dutra, noting Brown frequented the bar. “He knows a good majority of people, too, because he was raised here, but he wasn’t part of the camaraderie.”

One of Brown’s relatives, who asked to remain anonymous out of concern for their privacy, told CNN they also worked at the bar for years and knew all four people who were killed.

Brown, who lived next door to The Owl Bar, has been on the run for five days after authorities say he fled the scene. As dozens of agencies scour the dense forests and mountains that bookend the town, residents are privately grieving the tragedy at a bar that holds a special place in their hearts – and the history of the region.

“It’s the most incredible atmosphere. Everybody loves each other so much in there,” Dutra said. “It wasn’t your typical rowdy partying. … When you walked in the bar, every single person that was sitting in the bar knew who you were.”

Nearly every inch of the bar’s narrow interior is plastered with glowing beer logo signs, neon strip lights and posters jeering with bawdy bar jokes and wisecracks. A photo from 2022 shows a sign above the bar reading, “Prices subject to change according to customers attitude.” Another: “Don’t like guns? Don’t buy one!”

Painted ceiling panels stretch over high-back booths, a juke box and a pool table, forming an overhead checkerboard of local business advertisements, sports team logos and alcohol branding.

“It’s such a happy little town, and that’s just a happy little tight knit place,” Dutra said of the bar.

A relic where ‘three shots and a beer’ cost $1.50

It’s hard to pin down how old The Owl Bar is, but the local consensus is it is really, truly old, and it has the lore and the memorabilia to (kind of) prove it.

“It’s the longest-standing bar in Anaconda,” said 31-year-old resident Sierra Fitzpatrick. “It’s been here – shoot – before I was even here. It’s just a staple.”

Some locals swear its first iteration opened in the 1880s, and one resident told CNN he believes the portrait of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt pinned behind the bar has been there since he was elected in 1932.

The Montana Standard dates the bar to at least the 1960s, when the town was the cradle of a massive copper smelting operation run by the Anaconda Copper Company. Though the project was decommissioned in 1980, the town still lives in the shadow of “The Stack,” a brick smelter taller than the Washington Monument where Anaconda men went to work for decades.

Smelter workers would frequent The Owl Bar in those days, when “three shots and a beer could be had for $1.50,” according to a 2018 report from The Montana Standard.

Resident Chris McNaughton said his great-grandfather Hank Walsh, who worked at the smelter, “would stop at The Owl for a beer and a shot of Irish whiskey on his way home on the trolley.”

The bar has become the backdrop of decades of McNaughton’s family history, he said. Since 1980, they have held an annual family reunion at the bar – canceling only during the Covid-19 pandemic – where they play games, hand out family awards and raise a glass to his great-grandfather.

“We were thankful this weekend because if the shooter had decided to wait one more day, our family of 70 or more people would have all been packed in that little bar,” he said. “We will return to The Owl next summer.”

A blow to the heart of the ‘craziest, most loving town’

On the morning of the shooting, Dutra said, she stood on the sidewalk for four hours watching The Owl Bar be surrounded by SWAT teams and swarms of law enforcement. When she finally tried to leave her block, she said, she had to duck under crime scene tape. It’s a scene she could not have fathomed before.

“It’s just so much to wrap your head around in a community like Anaconda,” Dutra said.

But even as the search for the suspect wears on, residents are trying their best to support the owner of the bar, David Gwerder, and honor the memories of lost friends. Dutra is still coming to terms with losing Kelley, a nurse-turned-bartender who had recently retired from a long career caring for cancer patients.

“It just is an extremely unfair ending for somebody who spent their entire life dedicated to cancer patients and making a huge difference,” Dutra said.

Fitzpatrick said she hopes people will prioritize the victims and have deeper discussions about mental health after the suspect’s family members and several residents expressed Brown had long struggled with mental illness.

“I really hope that we can truly fight for mental health, really be considerate of the person sitting next to you,” Fitzpatrick said. She has been heartened to see local businesses going out of their way to feed and care for first responders – an action she said is characteristic of tight-knit Anaconda.

Once The Owl Bar reopens, Fitzpatrick will be there to support Gwerder and show up for Anaconda.

“(David) takes a lot of pride in his bar, and I respect that a lot,” said Fitzpatrick. “I would 110% give my support to The Owl Bar” once they reopen.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Michelle Watson and Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.

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