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ST. ANTHONY, Idaho (KIFI) — When a fundraiser goal fell just shy, three inmates refused to let their elderly friends down. Instead, they rallied their entire work camp community to cover the gap.

A local business is recognizing these St. Anthony Work Camp residents for proving that the path to redemption won’t be shackled by past mistakes.

Three St. Anthony Work Camp residents teamed with Targhee Brands in Rexburg for a beef jerky fundraiser.

With early success in sales, they made an impromptu promise to give $1,200 of their earnings to the St. Anthony Senior Center, but fell short. 

When coming to terms with how they’d break the news to their elderly friends, Targhee Brands says the inmates refused to let failure be an option. The trio rallied support from fellow residents serving time at the work camp to make up the difference and succeeded in delivering the full amount.

“This is an incredible story of redemption and resolve,” said Targhee Brands manager Tanner Penrod. “From individuals who were previously defined by taking from society, they were inspired to go above and beyond to give back. The generosity of the St. Anthony Work Camp community was a testament to the powerful potential for change.”

The amount promised to the Senior Center is donated to give them a memorable Thanksgiving. 

In compliance with the Idaho Department of Corrections, we are not able to release the names of the three inmates at this time.

Idaho Falls, Idaho (KIFI)- Roughly three-quarters of American cities hold non-partisan city council and mayoral elections, or, where candidates do not provide a political party affiliation beside their names on the ballot. But in Idaho, that could soon change.

Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon says it is time to put an “R” or “D” by candidates’ names, and ending nonpartisan municipal elections will be a topic in the 2026 Legislative Session.

Are Idaho’s City Council Races Already Partisan?

Chairwoman Moon argues that local races are already partisan in practice, despite the current format, asserting that numerous conservative groups are already vetting and rating local candidates based on their perceived Republican alignment.

 “I think it’s obvious that they are partisan, even though they’re called nonpartisan,” said Moon. “We have a lot of groups, even within the Republican Party central committees, who do rating and vetting on different candidates. And I think it’s important if we’re already rating and putting information out for the ‘Conservatives Ofs’ groups or Magic Valley Liberty Alliance or Stand Up for Idaho, all of these different groups are already rating and identifying folks as either being Republican or Democrat.”

According to Moon, State Representative Chris Bruce from District 23 A plans on sponsoring a bill in the upcoming session that calls for partisan elections for local offices. The issue is also scheduled for discussion at the GOP Winter Meeting on January 9th and 10th, 2025.

Democrats Argue Nonpartisan Races Force Focus on Local Issues

On the other side of the political aisle, Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Nocochea defends the nonpartisan system, arguing it forces candidates to focus on local issues and solutions rather than relying on party affiliation.

“I think what was so great about the nonpartisan elections we saw in Idaho last week is that candidates focused on the issues,” she said. “They had to explain to voters what they were going to do, what solutions they proposed, and they couldn’t just use a shortcut of, ‘I’m with this party. Vote for me.’ And that was true for candidates who, you know, when it comes to voting for partisan elections, they vote Democrat or Republican.”