Category: kifi-local-news

David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The fight for equality, dignity and human rights was celebrated at a Juneteenth commemoration Friday at the Colonial Theater.

The national holiday honors the official end of slavery in the United States, marking the day U.S. troops showed up to free slaves in Galveston, Texas – two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

“I am free to be whoever I want to be because of them. Because of their sacrifice, because of their suffering, I’m free,” said Idaho Falls Chef Jessica Jourdon.

The fight for emancipation in America endured for centuries.

“I am the product of a former slave – my great grandmother, my great aunt,” Jourdon said. “I have a college degree. I am a chef. I was a traveling chef. That is the legacy – educated, free to be whatever I want to be.”

The event issued a stark reminder of our nation’s progress and the gaps we have yet to cover.

Idaho Falls Mayor Lisa Burtenshaw, Ammon Mayor Brian Powell, Ucon Mayor Johnalee McDonald and Bonneville County Commissioner Michelle Mallard issued a Juneteenth proclamation.

“A lot of people work really hard to make this a legal holiday, [when] the slaves in Texas found out that they were free on the 19th of June,” said Rigby resident Marshall Moran.

The celebration featured students, music and speeches drawing upon African American culture and heritage.

“A century after the Emancipation Proclamation, a century after the Gettysburg Address, and a century after the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, blacks in the United States were still denied equality and liberty by law, by many local courts, and by social norms,” said Spyder King, a student in the Freedom Reader Theater.

That contest for civil liberties continues in the 21st century.

“We fight for progress year by year and day by day, so we just can’t give up on it,” Moran said.

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Stephanie Lucas

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) Pocatello Fire Department crews responded to a structure fire at 746 Hemlock Friday afternoon.

According to the Pocatello Fire Department’s Facebook post, crews arrived at the home to find heavy fire on a deck that had extended into the home’s kitchen, bathroom, and attic space.

Firefighters quickly brought the fire under control and prevented further spread.

“All occupants were able to safely evacuate, and no injuries were reported,” the Pocatello Fire Department said. “Unfortunately, the family has been displaced because of the fire. Crews are working with them to ensure they have access to the resources and support they need.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — As temperatures rise and summer activities ramp up, many people feel increased pressure to lose weight and achieve a “summer body.” However, health and nutrition experts warn that this seasonal fixation can do much more harm than good.

A summer body often emphasizes the importance of weight loss as well as having a flat stomach, visible muscle definition, and lower body fat. Social media trends have been pushing this ideal lately. From advertisements on products to keep you from eating, extreme fitness challenges, and unrealistic expectations about appearance.

Some people feel as though they need to dramatically change their bodies before stepping onto a beach, attending a barbecue, or simply enjoying the warmer weather. Health and nutrition experts say that mindset can be harmful.

“There’s the emotional component to it,” Dr. Brady Wirrick, Intermountain Wellness Clinic, stated. “We all want to look like the people in magazines or movies. People think they’re doing the right thing by exercising as hard as they can every day and drastically cutting calories. They see the scale move, but then they start feeling terrible.”

While exercise and mindful eating are important components of overall health, experts warn that taking either to extremes can have serious consequences. Excessive exercise and severe calorie restriction can negatively affect organs, bones, metabolism, and mental health.

For some individuals, the pressure to lose weight can contribute to eating disorders.

“I did have an eating disorder growing up,” Chole Goodspell-Hall said. “Because I was the bigger kid, I suffered from bulimia, and it eventually turned into anorexia when I was a teenager. A lot of my family didn’t know.”

Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions characterized by unhealthy obsessions with food, weight, or body shape. They can lead to dangerous behaviors such as restrictive eating, binge eating, or self-induced purging.

Mental health advocates and nutrition experts stress that healthy weight loss should never come at the expense of physical or emotional well-being.

“Anytime there’s an obsession or a feeling that you need to restrict a certain food group or a specific number of calories, that’s unhealthy,” Emily Sucher, Registered Dietician for Live Well Dietitian, said. “Even the guilt that comes from eating a brownie. A healthy mindset is being able to enjoy a brownie and move on. An unhealthy mindset is feeling like you have to work out for an extra hour to make up for it.”

Now, Goodsell-Hall promotes healthy eating habits and body acceptance within her family and community. Her message is simple: health is not defined by unrealistic beauty standards.

“You don’t need to deprive yourself of the little things in life to maintain an unrealistic beauty standard,” Goodsell-Hall said. “Every body is a summer body. If your body exists in the summer, it’s a summer body.”

Experts recommend focusing on sustainable habits such as balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, and realistic goals rather than quick-fix diets or punishing workout routines.

Ultimately, achieving a healthy weight starts with understanding your body’s unique needs and working with them, not against them.

The pursuit of health should be about feeling stronger, more energized, and more confident, not meeting an impossible standard set by social media or popular culture.

For more information on healthy recipes, click HERE for Goodsell-Hall’s TikTok page.

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Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — More than 145 volunteers with The Hall Foundation gathered Thursday in Idaho Falls to build 140 beds for children across Eastern Idaho.

Throughout the morning into early afternoon, volunteers measured, cut, and assembled new bed frames for children in need. The newly constructed beds will be distributed through Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring no child has to sleep on the floor.

“We’re so grateful for this opportunity to help children and to be able to give them a safe, warm, comfortable place to sleep,” shared Sunny Harker, Director of the Hall Foundation.

While the 140 beds will help address the need, the group says more than 500 children in Eastern Idaho are still waiting for a bed of their own.

“Some of the kids that we’ve delivered beds to, they’re sleeping on the floor,” explains Levi Schaefer, SHP Chapter President. “There might be multiple kids on an air mattress or sleeping on a couch. I’ve even delivered beds to where kids had pallets and put blankets on top of them so that they had a place to sleep.”

The group is planning another bed-building volunteer project for Friday, June 26. For more information, or to volunteer, click HERE.

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WyoFile

By Maya Shimizu Harris, WyoFile.com

Originally Published: June 12, 2026

WYO (Wyofile) —The beginning of the plaintiffs’ response in a case alleging abuse at a state facility for delinquent boys features two video footage stills. In one, a boy cowers in the corner of a solitary confinement room. In the other, a boy is strapped to a restraint chair with a white mask over his head. 

Above the photos is a quote attributed to one of the defendants, staff member Thad Shaffer: “[The] best part of the chair is watching the kids cry and scream like a fucking child . . . that’s what makes it worth it.” 

In 2024, six former residents — Blaise Chivers-King, Dylan Tolar, Charles “Rees” Karn, D.H., Haiden Willis and Koby Cranford — joined a lawsuit alleging abuse at the Wyoming Boys’ School, including extended periods of solitary confinement and physical harm. The school, which accommodates delinquent boys ages 12 to 21, is a 38-acre facility near Worland that’s overseen by the Wyoming Department of Family Services. 

Footprints in the snow lead to the Wyoming Boys’ School on Dec. 10, 2021 in Worland. The state-run facility houses delinquent boys ages 12 to 21. (Lauren Miller/Casper Star-Tribune)

Last month, the defendants, which include the Wyoming Department of Family Services, the Wyoming Boys’ School and 10 school employees, responded to these allegations and urged the court to decide the matter in the state’s favor before the case goes to trial.

The plaintiffs’ response, filed on Thursday, brings forward new information from video footage, photos and depositions — testimony given under oath — that paints a picture of how staff members used force and allegedly falsified reports. 

Boys’ school staff said in depositions that leadership frequently ordered them to falsify and downplay the use of force in incident reports. The response also disputes the defendants’ assertion that the boys’ basic needs were met when they were kept in solitary confinement. It states that some of the plaintiffs’ parents complained to the school about their children’s treatment, contrary to the defendants’ description that parents didn’t intervene or follow the school’s grievance policy. The document provides vivid descriptions of how staff members used force against the former residents, often when they weren’t posing a safety threat. 

Wyoming has, for decades, incarcerated juvenile offenders at the highest rates in the nation, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Justice. While Wyoming’s juvenile incarceration rate declined according to the most recent data collected in 2023, adjudicated delinquents — young people convicted of crimes — were removed from their homes and placed in public and private facilities at over twice the national average. 

Falsified reports 

Boys’ school staff said in depositions that people working at the facility “frequently” falsified records, including incident reports. 

“[A]lmost every incident report” at the school from 2022 to 2024 was falsified, one staff member said in a deposition. School leadership told staff to report that “student behavior” caused the use of force, according to the staffer’s testimony. 

A staffer recalled raising concerns about falsified reports “on multiple occasions, but supervisors ignored his concerns,” a staffer said in his deposition. Once, the staffer told Shaffer he wouldn’t sign a report because it was “untruthful.” Shaffer, according to the deposition, told him to “[s]ign it or find a new job.” 

A Feb. 23, 2023 incident report, the new court document describes, “whitewashed” Shaffer’s use of force against one of the plaintiffs, Chivers-King. The report, according to the document, states that Shaffer placed Chivers-King in the corner and then gave the boy “verbal commands to sit in the corner.” But the response describes video footage that shows Shaffer “violently slamming” Chivers-King into a corner with a riot shield after staff told him to “get back” and Chivers-King “immediately complied.” 

Solitary confinement 

Boys’ School Superintendent Dale Weber testified that the school “concedes that a student who is suffering from severe depression and self-harm should not be kept in solitary confinement,” the plaintiffs’ response states. But “the record shows” that the school “repeatedly punished” the former residents “with additional time in solitary when they engaged in self-harm.”

Dale Weber, superintendent of the Wyoming Boys’ School, sits for a portrait on April 19, 2022 in Worland. He took over in January 2022. Prior to that, he’d been the school’s clinical director for several years. (Victoria Eavis/Casper Star-Tribune)

Solitary confinement at the boys’ school is “significantly harsher” than in a “typical adult prison,” the document states. Adult prisoners in solitary are usually allowed to read books, make phone calls, take part in educational programming, exercise and look out a window. 

By contrast, photos and depositions paint the school’s solitary confinement rooms as small and bare. They are about 8 by 10 feet with concrete floors and cinderblock white walls, the response describes. The typical room has two cameras, a metal toilet-sink combination and a drain in the floor. No windows look outside. Staff “punitively cover” the small interior window on the door “with a large magnet ‘every time a student’ is in the room.” “During the day, a boy in solitary has ‘nothing to sit on,’” the document states. “At night, the boy receives a thin mattress to sleep on the floor.” 

The school bars boys from listening to music, watching T.V. and keeping personal items while they are in solitary, according to a staffer’s deposition, nor does the facility typically allow residents to participate in any activities. It rarely lets boys in solitary have books or educational materials, staffers said. The boys don’t receive educational instruction or therapy while in solitary. 

Video footage shows that no mental health provider or teacher entered the detention room to provide therapy or education to Chivers-King, Karn or Willis. 

Kids in solitary confinement aren’t allowed to interact with peers or to talk with family on the phone, according to staff testimony. 

The Wyoming Boys’ School solitary room in Dorm 3 is shown in this photo. (Court filing)

Boys in solitary would “stand at the door to try to interact with their peers,” including “yell[ing] underneath the door,” staffer and defendant Amanda Turner testified. In response, school staff “put a towel underneath the door,” Chivers-King, one of the former residents, said in his deposition. 

The school rarely lets kids out of solitary confinement for exercise, staffers testified. They said that staff usually check on isolated boys via camera without communication. When staff members do visual checks, they typically remove the magnet, “peek in and look through the window,” then put the magnet back on. Kids in solitary can only communicate with staff by using “hand signals to the camera” or yelling, defendant Darryl Coronado testified. Dorm directors sometimes barred staff from talking with boys in solitary. 

The school, according to a deposition, “places no upper limit on how long a boy can be held in solitary confinement,” the court document states. It also often places kids in solitary confinement for pre-determined amounts of time, which the document described as “punitive.” 

“To be released from solitary, a child must satisfy strict and arbitrary expectations,” the document states. “The child must ‘sit in the co[r]ner of the detention room without falling asleep’ and must ‘raise hand and

wait to be addressed for questions,’” according to the document. Willis, one of the plaintiffs, for example, “would earn a negative day” if he spent “a majority of his day laying down,” staffer Tate Adams, a defendant, said in his deposition. 

“Such expectations are abusive,” the document states. 

One of the former residents, Willis, spent 75% of his time at the school in solitary confinement, the document states. Staff took away his mattress, making him sleep on the floor most nights, often without a pillow, Willis testified. 

The Wyoming Boys’ School solitary room in Dorm 3 is shown in this photo. (Court filing)

While in solitary, some of the former residents attempted suicide. Karn tried to hang himself. Chivers-King tried to kill himself by hitting his head against the wall, after which staffer and defendant Mike Nelson made the boy “clean his blood from the walls,” according to a Wyoming Department of Family Services contact log. 

The document cites case law acknowledging the harm of solitary confinement, particularly for children. “Courts uniformly recognize that solitary confinement is particularly harmful to children and to people with mental health disabilities,” the document states. 

“Even if Plaintiffs were occasionally placed in solitary confinement for arguably legitimate purposes, the duration of their confinement was ‘excessive’ in relation to that purpose,” the response states. 

“Even where there exists an initial, legitimate safety reason for placing a child in confinement, it is unconstitutional to keep the child there ‘for extensive periods’ after the safety threat has ‘dissipated.’” 

The school’s use of solitary confinement was unlawful and violated the former residents’ 14th Amendment rights, the document reiterates. 

Restraint chair 

In 2016, the boys’ school bought a restraint chair with shoulder, lap, wrist and ankle straps, WyoFile reported in a 2022 investigation. These high-back chairs made international news at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, where they were used to torture and force-feed detainees.

Photos included in the plaintiffs’ Thursday response show that the school’s restraint chair bears a warning label that states: “Warning: Use of the safety restraint chair without first reading and thoroughly understanding the instructions could cause injury or death. . . Do not leave detainees in this chair for more than TWO hours.”

Despite this warning, the school put the former residents in the restraint chair for more than two hours, according to the new court document. 

Two photos from a court filing show, at left, a restraint chair, and right, a close-up of a label on the chair warning not to leave detainees restrained in the chair for more than two hours. (Court filing)

In June 2021, for example, Weber, the school’s superintendent, approved putting Karn in the chair from 11:50 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., according to the response. He stayed in the chair for more than two hours on other occasions. Staffers also restrained Willis, another plaintiff, in the chair for about five hours in 2019, according to an incident report, even though the boy “was ‘relaxed’ after less than an hour in the chair,” the document states. 

Staff members often put Karn in the restraint chair “half-naked, wearing only his shorts,” the document states. The response describes video footage that shows staffers also “shackled [Karn] to the restraint chair with a mask over his head for multiple hours.” 

Shaffer taunted Karn by stating, “You sure love that chair,” and “last time you cried like a baby for like an hour,” according to the document. 

Use of force

The former residents’ new court filing describes several instances when boys’ school staff used force when the boys appeared compliant and non-threatening. Some of those confrontations resulted in serious injuries. 

During an incident in one of the dorms, Shaffer broke Karn’s left wrist and tackled him, the plaintiffs’ response states. According to a staffer’s testimony, Shaffer later bragged about this to other staff, saying that “he heard the kid’s arm break.” On another occasion, staffer John Schwalbe “shoved [Karn’s] face into broken glass” and said: “If you’re going to break shit, then this is pretty much what you’re going to get,” the document describes.  

In 2021, according to video footage and Shaffer’s testimony, Shaffer “charged into” the solitary room where another plaintiff, Chivers-King, was being held. Someone yelled, “get back, get back.” Chivers-King “immediately complied.” But Shaffer “violently slammed” the boy into the wall with a riot shield. “Shaffer and six others then forced [Chivers-King] to the ground and piled on him,” the document states. Shaffer’s justification for entering the room, according to the court filing, was to prevent Chivers-King “from engaging in self-harm.” 

A type of restraint used when transporting boys or when they’re a threat to themselves or others is seen on Dec. 10, 2021 at the Wyoming Boys’ School. (Lauren Miller/Casper Star-Tribune)

Video footage from 2020 shows another altercation between plaintiff Willis and staff members. Willis had “backed away from the door, walked to the far corner of the room, and faced the wall” before Shaffer “opened the door and charged” him. Willis “immediately dropped to the floor and went into the fetal position, covering his face with his hands,” the document states. Shaffer “grabbed Willis and body-slammed him into the floor.” Four staff members then restrained him as Shaffer “slammed” Willis’s head on the ground “several times.”

“Defendants frequently employed significant force to address minor misbehaviors that did not pose any safety threat,” the document states. “And Defendants often unreasonably interpreted benign gestures, such as [Karn] turning his head, as license to employ force.” 

Violence at the boys’ school was documented in police reports obtained for a WyoFile investigation.

‘Deliberate indifference,’ disability discrimination

The plaintiffs’ attorneys asserted that the defendants were “deliberately indifferent” to the former residents’ medical needs and violated their 14th Amendment rights. 

Defendant Kevin McGinty, the response states, “knew that [Karn] faced a substantial risk of suicide because he saw [Karn] hanging from a make-shift noose.” But he didn’t immediately intervene, instead watching Karn “from outside the door for three minutes.” 

“By failing to take any prompt steps to assist [Karn] during the suicide attempt, McGinty violated [Karn’s] clearly established rights,” the response states. 

The attorneys also assert that Olson, Schwalbe and Weber were “deliberately indifferent” to plaintiff Tolar’s “serious medical need when they withheld his leg brace.” Tolar “needs the leg brace to help him walk,” the response states. But his leg brace was “withheld” from him at the school, according to the court filing. School staff still required him to “walk, lift weights, and do jumping jacks” without the brace, the filing states. Tolar testified that he now needs surgery to fix a structural deformity in his knee and ankle. 

Rather than accommodating plaintiffs’ disabilities, the school “extended punishment for disability-related behaviors and exacerbated their mental harm by depriving them of access to mental therapy while in solitary confinement,” the response states. 

The former residents are asking the court to reject the defendants’ request to decide the matter in the state’s favor and allow the case to proceed to trial.

WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.

Editor’s Note: This article has been retitled for this platform. All photographs, court documents, and original reporting elements were obtained in accordance with WyoFile’s republishing guidelines and remain the sole property of the original creators and photographers.

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Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Many families are reflecting on Fourth of July memories after Melaleuca announced that this year’s Freedom Celebration will be its last.

The annual fireworks show has long been a staple of Independence Day in Idaho Falls, drawing thousands of people to the Snake River Landing area each year.

For some families, the event has become a tradition that stretches across generations.

“It’s a time that we just know that we’re going to be together, that we’re going to go to the activities at the river, we come home, we barbecue, and then we’re going to go do the fireworks at night,” Idaho Falls resident Cindy West said. “There’s so much energy and it’s so positive and it’s so much fun.”

West said the celebration has become more than just a fireworks show.

“It’s like the city coming together all at once, at one time, and we are all celebrating together, our country, our families and just those memories together,” she said.

Others expressed concern about what future Fourth of July celebrations in Idaho Falls could look like if another large fireworks show does not replace the Freedom Celebration.

“It’s kind of a bummer because I don’t know where else in town they’ll be able to do the fireworks,” said Brynae Mahrt. “The person who does them does such a good job of them, and I know everybody in town loves them.”

Mahrt said her family has attended the fireworks every year since moving to Idaho Falls four years ago.

“We did enjoy them so much that we would probably try to find somewhere that’s equivalent to the fireworks that we saw for the last few years,” Mahrt said. “But it’s always been nice because it’s been close to home and it’s easy to travel and see here.”

West said while her family will continue celebrating Independence Day together regardless of what happens next, she hopes organizers understand how much the event has meant to the community.

“Hopefully the Vandersloots know how appreciative my family is, and I’m sure many families in the Idaho Falls area, for the time that they have been doing this fireworks show,” West said. “It’s been a blessing.”

Melaleuca announced earlier this week that the 2026 Freedom Celebration will be the final year for the event, citing ongoing development in the Snake River Landing area.

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Par Kermani

EASTERN IDAHO, (KIFI) — Pocatello and Rexburg are preparing for Pride celebrations this weekend.

The first celebration will take place Saturday, June 20, as Gate City Pride returns to Pocatello with a family-friendly community event at Centennial Park.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and feature local businesses, food vendors, nonprofit organizations, live music, games, family activities and community resources.

“We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to host this event and proud to bring Pride back to our city,” the Gate City Pride Board said in a statement. “This celebration is about community, inclusion, connection, and supporting the many local businesses, nonprofits, artists, and residents who make Southeast Idaho such a vibrant place to live.”

Organizers say Centennial Park’s playground, pavilion, open green spaces and shaded areas make it an ideal location for this year’s celebration. Attendees are encouraged to bring water, stay hydrated and avoid entering the Portneuf River.

Also on June 20, Rexburg Pride will host its annual celebration at Porter Park from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The event is expected to feature community activities and opportunities for LGBTQ+ residents, families and allies to gather and celebrate Pride Month.

The following weekend, Idaho Falls Pride will begin on Saturday, June 27, with the Idaho Falls Pride Parade beginning at 10 a.m. The parade will start at the Unitarian Universalist Church parking lot before making its way around the Greenbelt.

The Idaho Falls Pride Festival will follow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Greenbelt Bandshell Area. Organizers expect between 2,000 and 3,000 attendees throughout the day.

In a statement, Idaho Falls Pride said this year’s theme focuses on unity and belonging.

“This Pride, we honor the truth that our strength grows from diversity — from the many roots that ground us, shape us, and carry us forward,” organizers said. “Whether you define yourself by a label, many labels, or none at all — you belong.”

Organizers across eastern Idaho say the events are designed to bring communities together while providing opportunities for education, celebration and connection throughout Pride Month.

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Stephanie Lucas

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The City of Idaho Falls is urging residents to reduce water usage this summer in a press release, emphasizing the city’s efforts to preserve over 30 million gallons of water this year.

“Eastern Idaho is experiencing drought conditions this year, making water conservation especially important,” the release said. “By working together and taking simple steps to reduce water use, the city and its residents can help conserve this valuable resource while maintaining the services, landscapes and quality of life that make Idaho Falls a great place to live.”

“Water is one of our community’s most valuable resources, and conserving it is something we can all contribute to,” said Mayor Lisa Burtenshaw. “The city is taking steps to reduce water use across our operations, and we encourage residents to join us. Small actions taken throughout our community can make a meaningful difference.”

The city cited a variety of conservation measures they will implement across their operations to reduce water use and improve irrigation efficiency. They estimate this will save about 30 million gallons this year. These efforts include:

Adjusting irrigation schedules to prevent overwatering.

Conducting regular inspections to identify leaks and broken sprinkler heads.

Replacing aging irrigation controllers as needed.

Keeping the Broadway Plaza and Tautphaus Park fountains turned off for the season.

Identifying green spaces within the city that can be converted from turf to more waterwise landscape design.

“Many of the largest water savings come from simple measures such as repairing leaks, adjusting irrigation schedules and avoiding overwatering,” said Water Superintendent David Richards. “When those actions are taken across the community, the impact can be significant.”

The press release says the city will share water conservation information, practical tips, and educational resources through its website and social media channels throughout the summer. They are also encouraging residents to share their own water-saving practices and ideas on social media as the community works together to conserve this valuable resource.

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News Team

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The Pocatello Police Department and Idaho State Police are investigating a fatal crash that claimed the life of a woman early Friday morning.

Just after midnight on June 19, the Pocatello Police Department and Idaho State Police were called to a severe accident near the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and East Cedar Street. Witnesses nearby told police they’d seen the woman speeding down the roadway, hitting two parked vehicles before her vehicle completely left the roadway.

First responders worked to extricate the driver from the wreckage. She was rushed by EMS to Portneuf Medical Center, where she later died of her injuries.

Police and first responders worked to extricate the woman from the wreckage, and she was rushed to the Portneuf Medical Center, where she later died of her injuries.

Authorities confirmed the woman was the sole occupant of the vehicle, and no other injuries were reported. The driver’s name has not been released at this time.

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Danielle Mullenix

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) – A growing Mormon cricket infestation that has already affected thousands of acres in Eastern Idaho is now crawling farther into northern Fremont County, raising concerns among residents and property owners.

According to local officials and residents, the large reddish-brown insects have spread north from the St. Anthony Sand Dunes area and are now being reported in portions of Island Park, including Antelope Flats and other areas farther north into the forest.

Recent social media posts have documented groups of Mormon crickets moving through the region. A chain of videos and photos shows the creepy crawlers are multiplying by the thousands from Ashton to Kilgore to the Fort Hall Reservation. One post from a local resident in Ashton went viral on ACCUWeather’s national Facebook page, prompting county officials to urge residents to report any infestations and seek assistance if needed.

Despite their name, Mormon crickets are not actually crickets. The flightless insects are known for traveling in large bands and can cause significant damage to vegetation, gardens, crops, and rangeland as they move across the landscape.

The “Mormon cricket” insects received their name following a historic infestation in Utah during the early days of Mormon settlement. According to pioneer accounts, flocks of seagulls helped save crops by feeding on insects during an event known as the “Miracle of the Gulls.”

Resources Fremont County locals can turn to at this time

Fremont County officials say resources are available to help landowners combat the infestation. County weed department employees are certified to apply bait treatments designed to control Mormon cricket populations on private property and along county roads. However, treatments cannot be applied to federal lands.

Earlier this year, Fremont County Commissioner Mark Chandler said the county has treatment products available and that the state would provide additional supplies for roadside applications where needed.

Officials are encouraging residents who notice large numbers of Mormon crickets on their property to contact the Fremont County Weed Department for assistance before the infestation spreads further.

Property owners seeking help can contact Fremont County Weed Department Supervisor Bryce Fowler at (208) 332-8856 or Fremont County officials for more information on available treatment options.

As warmer summer weather continues, county officials say monitoring and early intervention will be key to limiting the impact of Mormon crickets across Fremont County and Eastern Idaho.

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