Preparing your family: Next of Kin Registry |
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Mark Your Calendar
August 30 – Bannock County FY23 Budget Public Hearing
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A Minute With Your Elected Official |
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As your County Coroner, I wish to share my first year in review with you. I was sworn in as your County Coroner on August 3rd, 2021. Since I took office, my focus has been to build the proper foundation to prioritize transparency, education, and community partnership within my office... |
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'A GOOD TIME': Bannock County Fair kicks off on Monday |
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DOWNEY — Whether it be parades or potato bars, car shows or comedians, this year’s Bannock County Fair is back to provide a week of family fun entertainment starting Monday, Aug 1.
The fair, which will be held at the fairgrounds at 156 N. Second W. in Downey, draws thousands of individuals each year from all over the area, says Bannock Fair Board Chairman Sheldon Barfuss. It will run Aug. 1-6.
“The purpose of the fair is to bring people together to have a good time,” Barfuss said. “Everyone comes and it’s huge for a small (area). But it’s for the people of Bannock County … and everyone in the surrounding areas. We’re very well supported.”
The band Rockland Road will be kicking off the event-filled week with a performance at 5:30 p.m. Monday, followed by a free potato bar at 6 p.m. and Chris Mabrey’s hypnotist show at 8:30 p.m. After this, a street dance will follow at 9:30 p.m. at the tennis courts.
On Tuesday, magician Keith Raymond will hold shows at 4 and 7 p.m., with Mabrey performing at 5 and 8 p.m.
Wednesday features many events for children, including treasure hunting beginning at 11 a.m. and water recreations starting at 1 p.m. A parade will be held at 6:30 p.m., followed by musical artist Muzzy Braun at 8:30 p.m.
Thursday will include a cornhole tournament from 3 to 7 p.m., performances from magicians Trevor & Lorena from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by the Bannock County Fair Rodeo at 7:30 p.m. and musical performer Jessie Leigh at 9:30 p.m.
Jumpstarting Friday will be a free breakfast provided by the Bannock County Farm Bureau Federation and a scavenger hunt from 8 to 10 a.m. The rodeo will continue at 7:30 p.m., and musical performances from Kenadi Dodds and Eagles tribute band The Long Run will take place at 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., respectively.
To round out the week, a car show will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the fair’s first ever demolition derby will be held at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Throughout the week, the schedule will be packed with apple pie contests, wagon rides, bingo games, motorcycle stunts from Play with Gravity, 4-H events and much more. There will also be shows provided by “The Birdman” Joe Krathwohl, who presents avian entertainment and education with the help of his feathered friends.
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Community Input Wanted: TRAIL VISION |
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The City of Pocatello, US Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), and Bannock County are looking for the community’s feedback and participation on trail accessibility, sustainability, and diversity. The goal is to protect natural and cultural resources, promote safety, and provide users with opportunities for solitude and stewardship.
After meeting with ten focus groups and gathering over 1,100 responses from a 2021 trail survey, the City of Pocatello found most people enjoy the local trails for many reasons. These include ease of access, proximity, views, beauty, solitude, wildlife, and a variety of experiences they provide.
The survey also revealed some primary trail system issues like trail maintenance, trailhead restrooms, security, trash, trail user education, trail safety, and too few authorized trails. Additionally, the proliferation of user-created trails is considered problematic for the environment, trail maintenance, redundancy, and clarity of authorized trail use.
Based on the input from the survey, the City along with a group of stakeholders who enjoy the outdoors developed a draft vision for local trails and an app for assessing how well trails match this vision.
The City, USFS, BLM, IDFG, and Bannock County seek public input on this vision and strategies.
With the new app, the community can assess trails for any needed improvements. Comments would help evaluate existing authorized trails, enable users to assess user-created social trails for potential inclusion into the system as authorized trails, and help close trails that do not fit into the trail system vision.
Trails can be assessed anonymously through the Survey123 app (which allows for offline data entry) or on the internet. All data from this assessment effort will be shared publicly in real-time. Additionally, the results will be shared with the community in the fall once a compiled, prioritized list of improvement projects, has been created to reflect an official regional trail map for agency review and adoption.
The City along with USFS, BLM, IDFG, and Bannock County hope the community-based trails working group will continue past this initial effort to assist with ongoing trail education, stewardship, assessment, and maintenance.
The City and organizers are excited about this opportunity to directly involve the local community in the stewardship of the trails that mean so much to our citizens.
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Contact Hannah Sanger, Pocatello Science and Environment Division Administrator, with any questions about this effort or how you can participate.
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Hazardous Waste and Free Days at Landfill |
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Household Hazardous Waste Day
Saturday, August 6
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
@ Fort Hall Mine Landfill
1500 N. Fort Hall Mine Road, Pocatello
The Bannock County Landfill collects Household Hazardous Waste from April through October on the first Saturday of each month. County residents can bring their waste to the landfill’s household hazardous waste building for drop-off (or they will be directed by employees who remove the waste from the vehicles).
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Contact the Bannock County Landfill office for questions about Household Hazardous Waste Days.
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Burn ban begins July 1 for Bannock County wildland-urban interface areas |
Starting July 1, 2022, a ban on certain types of fires will be in place for most parts of Bannock County, including, Inkom, Downey, Arimo, McCammon, Lava, Pocatello Valley, Chubbuck, Pocatello, and North Bannock Fire District.
Fire officials from the municipalities and fire districts throughout Bannock County are working together to create a unified burn ban with the intent of reducing the risk of wildfires.
No open burning, recreational fires, or fireworks are allowed within the Wildland-Urban Interface Areas of Bannock County because of current fire danger and fuel moisture levels. The use of commercial gas fire pits and appliances designed for food prep, such as gas grills and/or charcoal briquettes, are exempted from the ban when used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Only non-aerial fireworks are allowed in non-wildland urban interface areas. Per Idaho State Code no aerial fireworks are allowed anywhere except for approved professional firework displays.
“I strongly encourage all citizens to heed the ban and potentially save the lives and homes of fellow residents,” said Pocatello Fire Marshall Nick Christensen.
The ban will remain in place until October 1, 2022, or until conditions allow it to be lifted.
Residents with questions about the burn ban or fireworks are encouraged to contact their local fire department/district.
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Bannock County Emergency Notifications |
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Have you signed up? The Pocatello Fire Department and Pocatello Police Department utilize the Bannock County Emergency Notification System to send out emergency notifications that could directly impact you and your family during an emergency. This free service, powered by AlertSense, allows fire, police, and other emergency response agencies to issue emergency alerts to warn citizens of events such as a wildfire, severe weather, flooding, hazardous materials, need for immediate evacuation, civil danger, local area emergencies, and missing persons.
You can indicate the types of alerts and notifications you would like to receive and your preferred contact methods. Enter your PHYSICAL address and zip code to receive advanced warning of severe weather or emergencies that directly impact the area in which you live or work.
There are several ways to sign up. You can text “JOIN” to 38276, download the AlertSense My Alerts app through the Apple or Google Play Store, or click the link below. Once you have input your information, the system will generate a confirmation email; you must confirm the email to sign up fully. Please share this information with your friends and family so they too can stay in the know when an emergency happens.
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Budgeting process for FY23 continues |
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Next, the Board of Commissioners will submit a Proposed Budget, which will be published in the Idaho State Journal and available on bannockcounty.us on August 15 for the public to view.
There will be an opportunity for public comment during a public hearing on August 30, 11 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Chambers of the Bannock County Courthouse.
The public is invited to view the budget and attend the public hearing to submit comments on the proposed budget. At the public hearing, the Board of Commissioners will vote to approve the budget as presented or amend the budget and approve it at a later date.
The fiscal year 2023 will begin October 1, 2022, and end September 30, 2023.
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GARY'S SEWING CENTER
Gary's Sewing Center has served Southeast Idaho and Western Wyoming for more than 40 years. The family-owned business has two locations, one on Yellowstone in Pocatello and another in Idaho Falls. Gary's Sewing Center is an active member of the community and helps supply local schools with sewing machines. Their wide selection of inventory and generational knowledge make them an ideal spot to shop for your crafting needs.
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PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
The Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office exists to serve the community and the interest of justice through enforcing laws and protecting the rights of victims of crime. The Prosecutor’s Office consists of the criminal division, the juvenile division, and the civil division, as well as the Victim/Witness Services department. The Prosecuting Attorney, Steven Herzog, is assisted by 12 deputy prosecutors, 9 support staff members, and one courthouse service dog named Salem.
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We're always busy at Bannock County Government! Follow us on social media to see what we're up to. |
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Work on the Cell 4 expansion and liner at the Fort Hall Mine Landfill is moving along quickly. Gale Lim Construction will likely finish the project ahead of schedule.
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The Bannock County Sheriff's Office is welcoming a new deputy to their detention division, Robert Robinson.
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Bannock County got in on the 4th of July festivities by participating in Pocatello's Independence Day parade.
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Larvicide and mosquito abatement efforts are in full force as the Bannock County Mosquito Abatement department continues their summer plan of action.
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Two deputies graduated from the Idaho POST Detention Academy, one of whom received the Tactical Edge Award.
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Check out these photos from Bannock County's Independence Day Celebration Beach Party.
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Notable News in Bannock County |
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The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office has increased its bicycle and foot patrols recently as a way to help cut agency costs amid exorbitantly high gas prices.
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On Tuesday, June 21, 2022, the Board of Commissioners awarded the contract to excavate and install a cell liner at the landfill to Gale Lim Construction, of Blackfoot.
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Idaho State University has recently made some significant improvements to its athletic facilities in Pocatello, giving its sports teams updated amenities and a sense of school pride.
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The Bannock County Veteran Services department recently began hosting monthly outreach sessions for people living in South Bannock County.
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Idaho Transportation Department managers are looking for Idahoans’ suggestions on how they should roll out an initiative that is designed to create a network of electric vehicle charging stations situated along interstates.
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The Portneuf Greenway Foundation announced Idaho Central Credit Union as a major sponsor of the Portneuf Greenway Trail, which will extend from Pocatello Creek Road to the Portneuf Wellness Complex.
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988 Suicide & Crisis Line |
Idaho residents now can call or text 988 at any time to talk to a trained professional who can help them through a behavioral health crisis. The new emergency phone number launched on July 16 and is available nationwide.
Anyone experiencing behavioral-health-related stress — thoughts of suicide, mental health issues, substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress — can call or text 988 at any time. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis intervention.
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