POCATELLO, IDAHO — The Pocatello Police Department and Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 are aware of several incidents involving statements or communications interpreted as potential threats toward Irving Middle School over the past two days.
The Pocatello Police Department was notified of each incident and conducted investigations to assess the credibility of the information received. Following these investigations, officers determined there was no threat to the school. The individuals involved have been identified, and appropriate action has been taken.
The Pocatello Police Department and Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 thank the students, parents, school staff, and community members who bring these concerns to our attention. We encourage everyone to continue reporting any statements, messages, or behaviors that may indicate a potential threat, regardless of how minor they may initially appear. Reporting these concerns allows law enforcement and school officials to investigate and take appropriate action.
The safety of our students and the children in our community remains a top priority. Every report is taken seriously, and we appreciate the community’s continued vigilance, cooperation, and support in helping maintain a safe learning environment.
Thank you for helping us keep our schools and community safe.
A Promise Kept: What the Mormon Land Podcast Got Wrong About Prop 1
By: Julianne Young
Julianne Young
In 2024, I met with Dr. Heather Pugmire. A Latter-day Saint OB-GYN in southeast Idaho, she worried that difficult medical decisions could result in lawsuits.
I understood her concern and committed to address it.
I kept my promise. Dozens of hours were invested, and in 2025, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1171, written specifically to address her concerns. It created a firewall between doctors and frivolous lawsuits, allowing any physician sued under Idaho’s Pro-life Law to ask a judge to throw the case out. Unless the plaintiff can show a violation upfront, the suit is dismissed, and the winning side recovers attorney’s fees.
The bill passed the Senate 32-1 and the House 64-3. Dr. Pugmire submitted testimony in support.
So I was surprised to hear her on the Salt Lake Tribune’s Mormon Land podcast last week telling listeners that legislators “have been unable or unwilling” to address concerns. S 1171 was never mentioned.
Ironically, the podcast’s theme was fear. Fear is real. But it’s not the result of Idaho’s Pro-life Law. It comes from ignorance of what the law says and does.
Before Dr. Pugmire said a word, the host characterized the Church’s statement opposing Proposition 1 as “brief,” its signers “all men” who “did not get into the debates,” not-so-subtly discrediting the Church. But church leaders do not weigh in on ballot measures lightly, and the Church backed its statement with a $1 million contribution.
Pugmire then claimed that Idaho’s initial law “didn’t include miscarriage or ectopic” care. The truth: within months of its enactment, the Idaho Supreme Court confirmed that treating ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages was never prohibited by Idaho’s Pro-life Law. Within weeks, the Legislature added clarifying language to this effect.
Pugmire characterized Idaho’s life exception as “a very hard line.” But the Idaho Supreme Court called it “a subjective standard,” giving deference to “the particular physician’s judgment” and requiring no “particular level of immediacy.” A 2025 Idaho court ruled that it applies to any “non-negligible risk” of death, “neither imminent nor assured.”
Pugmire described a patient whose water broke at 14 weeks, followed by two hours spent calling her lawyer, her hospital CEO, and three other doctors before taking action. But the 2025 court opinion named this exact condition as one where doctors may act. No law required those calls. Lack of understanding did.
Pugmire suggested that Idaho trusts doctors’ “good faith judgment” but not judgment about what “health” means. Laws are not written for conscientious actors. They are written to encompass those eager to perform abortions. In Roe’s companion case, the Supreme Court defined “health” to include emotional, psychological and family factors, and limits on convenience abortions effectively vanished. Idaho draws the line at life-threatening health concerns precisely so limits on convenience abortions cannot be erased.
Listeners heard that recruiting is impossible and that medical students Pugmire teaches “don’t expect to come back.” Dr. Josh Stringham, who also trains residents, recently told a forum audience exactly the opposite: four obstetric providers have joined Idaho Falls since 2022, and the one who left did so for family reasons. Statewide, active OB-GYN licenses rose 20% from 2022 to 2024. A national peer-reviewed study found pro-life states had a slightly greater increase in OB-GYNs than pro-abortion states.
By her own account, Dr. Pugmire wants narrow changes. And she says, “I don’t like that Prop 1 allows all abortions up to viability. That I am opposed to.”
Yet, the hard cases she cites are already covered. Prop 1’s contribution is to legalize the very thing she opposes.
Pugmire minimized Prop 1 as a “wake-up call” and claimed it “won’t become the law.” Not true. Voters legislate through the initiative process. If passed, Prop 1 becomes law before the legislature convenes. Voting for the thing you are against is no way to send a message that you want something else.
Instead of a sweeping initiative, narrow concerns should be dealt with legislatively. S 1171 completely undercuts claims that legislators don’t care.
Dr. Pugmire has cared for many of my friends and is an excellent and compassionate physician. However, that doesn’t mean voters should trust those providing her poor legal advice.
Dr. Pugmire closed with: “We want healthy moms and babies.” I agree. Under Idaho’s Pro-life Law, pregnancy-related maternal deaths have fallen from 18.7 to 4.29 per 100,000 live births. Idaho can and does protect both.
In 2024, I made a promise and then kept it. On November 3, Idaho voters can keep a promise too.
Defend life. Vote no on Prop 1.
Julianne Young is a Bingham County Mom who loves faith, family, and freedom; a former state representative; founder of the nonprofit Idaho Family Strong; regional coordinator for Idaho Chooses Life; and 2nd Vice Chair of the Idaho State GOP.
(Bureau of Land Management Press Release, October 20, 2026)
WASHINGTON — As spooky season takes flight, the Bureau of Land Management is inviting the public to celebrate Bat Week by voting in its annual Bat Beauty Contest, in partnership with Bat Conservation International! From adorable faces to impressive ears, bats found on public lands across the country are ready to compete for the title of the nation’s most beautiful bat.
The contest runs October 24-31, giving the public a chance to meet some of the fascinating bats that call America’s public lands home. Follow on Facebook and Instagram to see this year’s contestants, cast your vote, and help crown the winner on Halloween.
While these winged wonders are perfect for spooky season fun, bats play an important role in healthy ecosystems. They help control insect populations, pollinate plants, and disperse seeds, making them valuable residents of public lands across the country.
The Bat Beauty Contest is a fun way to shine a spotlight on these often-misunderstood animals and encourage the public to learn more about the wildlife and habitats found on public lands.
For more information and contest updates, follow the BLM on social media.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
President Donald J. Trump’s America First agenda is revitalizing American manufacturing, delivering historic investments, driving up wages, and igniting a blue-collar BOOM.
After the Biden Administration lost more than 200,000 American manufacturing jobs in its final two years due to reckless Democrat polices, President Trump is delivering on his promise to put American workers first.
The results speak for themselves. New analysis by the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) reports that wages are rising faster than inflation, domestic manufacturing is expanding, and the blue-collar jobs lost under the Biden Administration are rightly returning back to U.S. soil.
Wages are outpacing inflation under President Trump, reversing the $3,000 annual decline in real wages under Biden. Since President Trump took office, blue-collar workers are seeing even bigger gains: manufacturing wages are up $2,000 and construction wages $2,800.
Demand for factory construction workers is surging, hiring rising, and layoffs down over the past year. Overtime pay is also up— thanks to President Trump’s no-tax-on-overtime policy, workers are now keeping more of what they earn.
The benefits of President Trump’s pro-growth agenda and successful tariff policies extend beyond factory floors. This resurgence is strengthening America’s position in critical industries essential to our national security, including aerospace, aircraft equipment, metals, and natural gas and petroleum production.
A stronger manufacturing sector means more opportunities for American workers, higher wages, and business expansion that supports Main Street economies who support communities across the country.
BY THE NUMBERS:
AMERICAN MANUFACTURING JOBS SURGING: Manufacturing employment is up 72,000 in 2026, including a 101,000 job increase in durable goods, reversing losses of more than 200,000 manufacturing jobs during the Biden Administration’s last two years. Since President Trump took office, construction employment has grown by 100,000, including more than 111,000 additional factory construction jobs.
RISE IN ANNUAL WAGES: Inflation-adjusted wages for blue-collar manufacturing workers have risen an average of $2,400 more per year since President Trump took office. Construction workers’ real wages are up $3,800.
HIGHEST BUSINESS GROWTH IN 5 YEARS: U.S. business growth has reached its highest level in more than five years, while manufacturing expands and American goods exports are on track for a record year.
NO TAX ON OVERTIME: American construction workers are keeping more of what they earn thanks to No tax on overtime, with more than 29 million Americans claiming the deduction this filing season.
TRILLIONS IN INVESTMENTS SECURED: President Trump has secured trillions of dollars in investment commitments across the United States, supporting domestic production, factory expansion, and American jobs.
SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH: Small businesses and local economies are feeling the benefits of President Trump’s manufacturing boom.
Ketchie Inc, a precision machine company located in Concord, North Carolina, grew its workforce 25% after buying a dual 5-axis machining center, an EDM machine, and a cylindrical grinder. The company says it held off on those purchases until OBBB passed.
Jergens, a manufacturer in Ohio, says full expensing for factories led to its latest expansion in Illinois. The CEO says 83% of hourly workers now volunteer for overtime under the no-tax-on-overtime provision.
As a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, it’s always gratifying to share good news about our ongoing fight to preserve one of our most important individual constitutional rights. This month brought significant progress to take back ground for gun owners, lost in 1934 with the National Firearms Act.
Effective October 9th, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced a nationwide policy ending tax and registration requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and certain other regulated items, based on a lawsuit I joined with 14 other state attorneys general. This is a win for gun owners and for everyone who understands that government must operate within its constitutional limits.
In 1934, the National Firearms Act (NFA) required federal registration and approval before certain firearms and devices could be manufactured, sold, or transferred. A tax was established to pay for this registration process. Last year, Congress eliminated the $200 tax on these items through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but the registration and approval requirements remained on the books.
In October 2025, Idaho and 14 other states joined Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF, arguing that once the tax was eliminated by Congress, the federal government no longer had the authority to enforce the rest. On August 5, 2026, the court agreed with us. This ruling initially applied only to the named parties in the lawsuit, and when the Department of Justice declined to appeal, the ATF extended that relief nationwide through its new enforcement policy.
For Idahoans, that change removes a sticky layer of bureaucratic red tape. The federal registration, approval, and tax-stamp requirements are no longer being enforced under the current policy. Purchases through licensed dealers still require ATF Form 4473 and a background check, and applicable state and local laws remain in effect. Machine guns and destructive devices remain fully covered by the NFA. Gun owners and dealers should review the ATF’s guidance here before buying, making, or transferring these items, and consult a private attorney with specific questions.
This is a welcome change after more than 90 years, although the National Firearms Act remains law. A future Department of Justice could easily reverse the ATF’s recent policy. If enforcement resumes, the ATF has warned that unregistered items could again carry serious federal penalties. Until Congress acts, the relief gun owners won in this case depends on the instructions the next administration gives its lawyers. I’m urging Congress to make this change permanent and put it beyond the reach of a future administration. Twenty other attorneys general have joined me in that call.
For nearly a century, the federal government has chipped away at the rights of gun owners, and the National Firearms Act was one of its earliest tools. This month, we held Washington to the limits of its own authority. The Constitution gives the federal government specific, limited powers, and when the legal foundation for a federal law disappears, the power to enforce goes with it.
My office has consistently defended the Second Amendment in courts from state gun and magazine bans in California, Maryland, and Illinois, to Hawaii’s unconstitutional concealed carry restrictions. Likewise, I will keep challenging federal actions that exceed the Constitution’s limits so that gun owners in Idaho and across the country can exercise the rights guaranteed to them.
The Tale of the Two Sisters One in Idaho. One in California.
By: Brian Lenney
Picture two sisters walking into two different abortion clinics on the same morning…
One’s in Sacramento. The other’s in Boise.
They’re twins, and they got pregnant around the same time. Both are 23 weeks along. And the mom and baby are healthy in both cases with no emergency or complications.
Neither one wants the baby.
So each doctor has to answer the same question:
If this baby were born today, could he survive?
The best numbers we have come from a big NIH study of preemies. Of babies born at 23 weeks, about one in three made it (33%). It’s better today at the best NICUs.
Now the law.
In California, a baby is protected once there’s a “reasonable likelihood” he’d survive outside the womb. After that, abortion is only allowed if the mom’s life or health is at risk.
That means the Sacramento doctor looks at a one out of three shot at surviving and asks whether that’s a “reasonable” chance. Plenty of doctors would say yes. The baby’s viable and the mom’s healthy.
So, no abortion.
The sister in Sacramento goes home still pregnant.
But in Idaho, if Prop 1 passes, the bar moves.
The lefties pushing this (a group ironically called Idahoans United for Women and Families) copied California’s definition almost word for word. Then they changed one word. “Reasonable” became “significant.”
The Boise doctor (or “provider,” because under Prop 1 it doesn’t have to be a doctor) asks a different question…
Is a one in three shot at surviving “significant”?
That’s a “no” for most abortion providers because nobody calls something that fails two out of three times “significant.” So the baby’s not viable and Prop 1 lets her get the abortion for any reason.
The sister in Boise walks out not pregnant.
California would’ve protected him.
Idaho under Prop 1 would not.
Most people in Idaho have no clue this is in there. Idahoans United for Women and Families campaign ads talk about medical emergencies, but neither of these sisters had one.
P.S. Prop 1 gives this right to “every person.” Not every adult. Your daughter can’t get a Tylenol from the school nurse without your permission. Prop 1 could make abortion the exception.
P.P.S. Early voting is open now in a lot of Idaho counties, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Forward this to somebody who hasn’t been paying attention. They’re the ones who’ll decide this.
(Pocatello Police Department Community Message, October 21, 2026)
#TakeBackDay is a free event for communities nationwide to properly dispose of old and unneeded medications safely and anonymously. On Saturday, October 24, from 10am-2pm bring those old and unneeded medications to the Pocatello Police Department or a collection site near you: www.DEATakeBack.com.
(City of Pocatello Press Release, October 21, 2026)
The City of Pocatello is inviting residents to provide feedback on the North Portneuf Crossing stormwater project during a public hearing Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the Pocatello City Council Chambers, 911 North 7th Avenue.
The project is funded through the Federal Highway Administration’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program and must comply with federal environmental regulations.
The project includes a proposed 35,925-cubic-foot stormwater drainage pond near the Pacific Steel & Recycling Trailhead (see map). The proposed pond is designed to divert stormwater and help prevent flooding along Main Street and North Arthur Avenue, where the roadway passes beneath the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The improvements would affect a portion of property protected under Section 4(f), which safeguards public parks, recreation areas, and historic sites.
As part of the federal review process, the City is evaluating the project’s potential impacts on the protected property and seeking public input. Project documents are available for review at: north-portneuf-crossing-pocatello.hub.arcgis.com/
Residents are encouraged to attend the public hearing and share their feedback. Oral testimony is limited to three (3) minutes per person. Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. November 5, 2026, and may be submitted by email to mmejia@pocatello.gov, mailed to City of Pocatello, ATTN: Mariela Mejia, 911 North 7th Avenue, Pocatello, ID 83201, or delivered to City Hall.
For more information, contact Project Manager Mariela Mejia at 208-234-6272.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is the policy of the City of Pocatello to offer its public programs, services, and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. If you are disabled and require an accommodation, please contact Skyler Beebe with two (2) business days’ advance notice at sbeebe@pocatello.gov; 208.234.6248; or 5815 South 5th Avenue, Pocatello, Idaho. Advance notification within this guideline will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility.
(Idaho Department of Education Press Release, October 21, 2026)
Boise–Idaho classrooms are invited to take part in the Idaho Department of Education’s annual student holiday card contest. All K-12 students are invited to participate, and a winner will be selected from a K – 6 division and a 7 – 12 division.
Winning entries from each grade level will be selected for display on the Idaho Department of Education website. From that group, two overall winners will be selected, one from each division, for use on the Idaho Department of Education’s official holiday cards. Winning artists will receive cards for their own personal use this holiday season.
“Judging the holiday card contest is one of those ‘other duties as assigned’ parts of my job that I absolutely love,” said Superintendent Debbie Critchfield. “Every year, without fail, there are so many submission that really amaze us, and it’s always a fun challenge to choose each year’s winners.”
The contest is open to all K – 12 public and charter school students. Drawings should reflect winter or holiday scenes, should be 8.5” x 11” and hand-drawn in either vertical or horizontal orientation. Students may use watercolors, colored paper, markers, crayons or a combination thereof. Pencil drawings and fabric designs are not suitable for the card printing process. Photography, video, and digitally created entries, as well as entries displaying copyrighted images, will not be accepted.
Mailed entries should be addressed to the Idaho Department of Education, Attn: Taylor Baggerly, P.O. Box 83720, Boise 83720-0027.
Submissions must be received or postmarked by Monday, November 16.
Click here to read the complete contest guidelines and to access the digital submission form.
(Blackfoot Police Department Press Release, October 21, 2026)
Blackfoot, Idaho – On October 21, 2026, at approximately 6:50 a.m., the Blackfoot Police Department responded to a report of a two‑vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway 26 and Highway 39 involving a Basic American Foods semi‑truck and a Miles Bus Company school bus.
Upon arrival, officers spoke with both drivers and confirmed that no injuries were reported. The school bus was not carrying any passengers at the time of the incident.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the school bus was stopped at the intersection, preparing to turn left from Highway 26 onto Highway 39, when the traffic light turned red while still in the intersection. The school bus was struck by the semi that was traveling eastbound and was unable to stop for a red light. Both vehicles sustained damage and required towing from the scene. Both drivers were cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device.
Traffic in the area was impacted for approximately three hours while the roadway was cleared.
The Blackfoot Police Department continues to investigate the cause of the crash and will conduct follow‑up as necessary. The Department extends its appreciation to the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance at the scene.
