The American Legion’s monthly steak night, held on the 2nd Friday of each month, is tonight from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building, 300 N. Johnson Avenue in Pocatello.
For $15 per person ($8 per person for the Senior meal) you can enjoy a hand cut ribeye steak cooked over a charcoal fire, baked potato, assorted vegetables, baked beans, and their famous apple crisp with ice cream.
All proceeds help support programs sponsored by Pocatello’s American Legion Post 4.
The Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) has announced the return of Fiscal Fridays with Fred.
The announcement of the weekly videos posted on the IFF Facebook page reads, “Fiscal Fridays with Fred is back! Join Fred today at noon and he’ll explain how Gov. Brad Little hid a ton of spending in his budget proposal, and what the budget committee might do about it.”
You can view the video series on the IFF Facebook page by clicking on the image, below:
The Bannock County chapter of Turning Point USA will be hosting ‘Conversations on the U.S. Constitution on Fridays from January 21 to April 29. Speakers include Pastor Steve Yadon, Idaho Speaks Host David Worley, and others from the local community.
Email BannockCountyTPUSA@gmail.com for location details and to sign up for the series.
(City of Pocatello Press Release, January 13, 2022)
The City of Pocatello Sanitation Department’s collection trucks will operate as normal Monday, January 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Residents with a Monday collection day for garbage and recycling are asked to place their autocarts at the curb by 7 a.m. for pickup.
Officials would like to remind residents that the Bannock County Landfill will be closed in observance of the holiday. For more information on the Sanitation Department’s services, visit pocatello.us/sanitation or call 208-234-6192.
Idahospeaks.com, protecting Freedom of Speech for Conservatives in Idaho
Thirty-one Idaho legislators have signed on to the Idaho Conservative Agenda (Conservative Agenda), 2022. The Conservative Agenda for this year’s legislative session focuses on three areas: Restore Freedom, Lower Taxes, and Less Government.
The Conservative Agenda can be found on Representative Ron Nate’s FB page, here: Representative Ron Nate, FB
The legislators signing on to the Conservative Agenda are:
Idaho Senators: Christy Zito, Regina Bayer
Idaho Representatives: Doug Okuniewicz, Karey Hanks, Brandon Mitchell, Julie Yamamoto, Charlie Shepherd, Heather Scott, Mike Kingsley, Tammy Nichols, Dorothy Moon, Ron Nate, Tony Wisniewski, Wendy Horman, Marco Erickson, Judy Boyle, Chad Christensen, Priscilla Giddings, Randy Armstrong, David Cannon, Vito Barbieri, Bruce Skaug, Ron Mendive, Ben Adams, Julianne Young, Gayann DeMourdant, Barbara Ehardt, Greg Ferch, John VanderWoude, Kevin Andrus, Terry Gestrin
In a social media post made by Pocatello for Accountable Government Entities (P.A.G.E.) on January 7 and in a statement given to this news site, the government watchdog group takes issue with Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad limiting the information that is reported on the City’s Monthly Expenditure Report. P.A.G.E. Cofounder Heather Disselkoen says, “By directing City staff to limit information on expenditure reports to only items of $10K-or-more and creating obstacles for individuals requesting further details to “view” those details within city offices, one must not only question the mayor’s commitment to transparency, but also wonder what the City is hiding – items like the $9K remodels including custom granite countertops will no longer appear on City expenditure reports.”
A City memo authored by former Pocatello Chief Financial Officer Jim Krueger dated December 2, 2021, obtained by P.A.G.E. and posted on their Facebook site, says in part, “A three page report is provided herewith that shows the detail for those claims that are $10,000 or greater.” The memo goes on to say, “The Mayor has directed the Finance staff to have this report organized in the manner in which it is presented herewith.”
Previous reports issued by the Finance Department had shown all expenditures, not just those limited to $10,000 or greater. Disselkoen noted, “The City has the capability to prepare full reports with all expenditures and to post them online. This is just another example of an action not aligning with words and of a leader creating division versus building trust.”
Jake Stevens, “Constitutional Conservative advocating for individual liberty and limited government,” has announced his candidacy for the Idaho State Legislature, District 29B. He will be holding a campaign kickoff event on Thursday, January 20, at 6:00 p.m. at the Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building, 300 N. Johnson Avenue in Pocatello.
The public is invited to attend the campaign kickoff to learn about Jake, his principles, and the issues he intends to address as a state legislator. Refreshments will be served.
Idahospeaks.com, protecting Freedom of Speech for Conservatives in Idaho
(City of Pocatello Press Release, January 12, 2022)
As the first step in developing a sustainable regional trail system, over 1100 community members recently took a 10-minute Trail User Survey.
Reponses overwhelmingly indicate community members and visitors love our local trails and public land for their ease of access, proximity, views, beauty, solitude, wildlife, and variety. They go on these the trails to observe nature, exercise, look at views, enjoy solitude, and relax. These trails and public lands are a big influence on decisions to move/stay in Pocatello or visit the area (day trips and overnights). They also greatly impact purchases of bikes, OHVs, footwear, etc.
The survey indicates there is also work to be done. Trail maintenance, diverse recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, water quality and access are the primary trail system issues mentioned. Additionally, trailhead restroom and garbage issues, trail maintenance needs, too few authorized trails/system expansion needed, and trail user education are the most frequently named challenges and opportunities. The proliferation of user-created trails is considered to be generally problematic for the environment, trail maintenance, and clarity of authorized trail use. These user-created trails are also appreciated for dispersing users and adding to the system. About 40 percent of trail users have experienced trail conflict, primarily due to high speed travel, improper trail use (e.g. recreating on muddy trails), and dogs.
This survey was administered by Idaho State University (as part of their Career Path Internship program) on behalf of the City of Pocatello, and in partnership with the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The data gathered by this survey will be used by a Trails Working Group to develop a community-driven vision for a sustainable regional trail system. Working Group members will use that vision to assess local trails for vision compatibility, develop a regional trail map, and create a prioritized list of improvement projects for public land managers to consider implementing.
Idahospeaks.com, protecting Freedom of Speech for Conservatives in Idaho
Hannah Sanger, Science and Environment Administrator for the City, noted “We heard again and again and again how much local trail users value the variety of local trails, how close they are to our homes, the views, the wildlife on these public lands, and the solitude you can experience up in the hills. These are values that we will ask the Trails Working Group to incorporate into a Regional Trails Vision and recommendations.”
Anyone wanting to participate in this Regional Trails Working Group is asked to complete a short questionnaire at forms.gle/FiQ9Nq12VMZtiCub6. The questionnaire will be open through January 20, 2022 with members selected in early February. For more information, please contact Drew Riemersma at driemersma@pocatello.us or 208-234-6519.
The City of Pocatello has announced that the Hearing Examiner Meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 13, has been cancelled due to a lack of business.
The Pocatello-Chubbuck Observer posts the list of public meetings scheduled each week. You can see the updated posting for the week of January 10, here:
(City of Pocatello Press Release, January 3, 2022)
The Parks & Recreation Advisory Board has a vacancy open for immediate appointment.
The functions of this volunteer Board are to solicit suggestions and make recommendations regarding priorities and allocation of City resources for Parks & Recreation programs and facilities.
Meetings are held every even month on the first Thursday at 12 noon.
Interested persons living within the Pocatello city limits can obtain an application by contacting the Mayor’s Office at 911 North 7th Avenue, visiting the Mayor/Council link at pocatello.us or by calling 208-234-6163.
Applications for membership must be received by January 14, 2022.
