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The following is a news release from the City of Idaho Falls:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – The City is gearing up for the annual Clean & Green citywide cleanup effort, a partnership between Idaho Falls Code Enforcement and Idaho Falls Sanitation Division. 

As part of this initiative, code enforcement officers and sanitation staff will host a series of neighborhood cleanup events throughout May, providing residents with a convenient way to dispose of unwanted items and help keep Idaho Falls a beautiful and safe place to live.

Cleanup sites around the city will be open to the public Thursday through Saturday for three consecutive weeks, starting May 7. Dumpsters will be available, and staff will assist community members with proper sorting and disposal of household goods, construction debris, and yard waste.

Community members are encouraged to bring unwanted items to the following locations:

May 7 – 9 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• Sweeper Dump, at the intersection of Lake Avenue, North Boulevard, and K Street
• Russ Freeman Park, access off Fremont Avenue (glass recycling bin)

May 14 – 16 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• Aquatic Center parking lot, corner of 7th Street and Lee Avenue
• Mel Erickson Sunnyside Park, north side of Sunnyside

May 21 – 23 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• Garfield Substation, at the intersection of Northeast Bonneville Drive and Garfield Street
• Old Butte Soccer Complex, maintenance shed at 425 N Old Butte Road

Certain types of waste, such as hazardous waste, demolition materials, tires, large appliances, and select metals, cannot be accepted and will require alternative disposal. See the attached flyer for more information on other disposal sites.

Household hazardous waste, such as paint thinner, batteries, fertilizer, and antifreeze, can be disposed of at the Bonneville County Transfer Station, 2455 Hemmert Ave., on May 9 and Sept. 12. 

The neighborhood cleanup events are part of the city’s broader Clean & Green initiative, which promotes community pride, environmental responsibility, and neighborhood revitalization.

For more information about the Clean & Green initiative and disposal guidelines, review the flyer below or visit www.idahofallsidaho.gov/1696/Clean-Green-Citywide-Cleanup.

IDAHO (KIFI) — The passing of former Idaho Governor and U.S. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne on April 24, 2026, is shining a spotlight on the importance of Colorectal Cancer screening in the face of increasing CRC cases among young adults.

Kempthorne died Friday in Boise at age 74, just over a year after his March 2025 diagnosis of colon cancer. As Idaho flags fly at half-staff in his honor, health officials are emphasizing the former governor’s plea from when he was first diagnosed with the disease: Urging “everyone to be current in their testing and remain vigilant on updates.”

What is Colon Cancer?

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. When Kempthorne was first diagnosed, he called it “the challenge of his lifetime” but expressed hope that sharing the message would help others, according to reports by the Idaho Statesman.

It is recommended that once you turn 45, you should get screened for colon cancer. However, if a family member was diagnosed with colon cancer, you should go in even earlier, starting at 35.

According to Yale Medicine, CRC rates are increasing among adults ages 20 to 40 and are now the “leading cause of cancer deaths overall in this age group.”

Doctors say you should get a Colonoscopy once every 10 years once you turn 45. The procedure is where a doctor uses a flexible camera to view the entire colon and remove polyps. A polyp is a small growth made of extra cells that forms on the lining of organs like the colon, uterus, or nose. Most are harmless, but some can turn into cancer over time, so doctors often remove them when they’re found.

Deborah Fuelling, the Director of Oncology Services at Teton Cancer Institute, had her first Colonoscopy this past year, and urges everyone to get their done, even if they’re scared.

“I think that something that kind of keeps people from wanting to do it is just the embarrassment or the, you know, discomfort. But it really wasn’t that bad. And they actually did, on me, find a precancerous polyp that was removed and that prevented a cancer that could have developed. All the discomfort, all those different things are worth it.”

There are various at-home stool tests you could take, but if you test positive on one, you will have to follow up with a doctor.

If caught early, Colon Cancer is 89% curable. So be sure to screen sooner rather than later.

ARCO, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho National Laboratory’s first female fire chief took the helm today, protecting over 890-square miles of critical nuclear and energy infrastructure in southeast Idaho.

Chief Jennifer Porter will lead a team of 75 firefighters at three stations. She comes equipped with 18 years of experience fighting fires with the department.

“My main priority is to support my team. We are an all-hazards department, so I want to ensure that they have the tools and the equipment to respond safely to any hazards that may be thrown at them for whatever they respond to,” Porter said.

INL’s Fire Department includes five fire engines, a 3,000-gallon water tender, five ambulances, a haz mat truck and a rescue vehicle.

The new chief is an Eastern Idaho native and graduate of Madison High School.

At INL, she served as deputy chief of operations since 2022, and as a battalion chief for five years, including during the largest fire in the site’s history – the Sheep Fire in 2019.

The fire burned 112,000 acres, and firefighters successfully protected all major facilities, although some infrastructure was damaged.

That experience may prove invaluable as she leads the INL Fire Department during what is expected to be a severe fire season.

“We try to plan for the worst case scenarios this year because of low snowpack, warmer than average winter conditions, and the consistent drought,” Porter said. “We are preparing early for those conditions to be extreme fire behavior here on the INL on the desert.”

Firefighters at INL also receive specialized training to handle situations with hazardous or radiological materials.

“We do Hazmat; we respond to radiological emergencies. We do special operations, some rope rescue. We do wildland fires,” she said. “We do structure fires and respond to EMS events.”

Outgoing INL Fire Chief Jim Blair touts the laboratory’s overall safety record.

“Our hazmat team primarily is responding to the same things that you’re seeing in normal industry. You know, laboratory chemicals, fuel spills from semi trucks, semi trucks that have overturned, you know, normal chemicals,” he said. “But as far as radiological, it’s rare at the desert that we respond to radiological emergencies, just because the lab runs a very safe operation.”

Most often, INL firefighters respond to calls that are not related to wildfires.

Porter acknowledges she has big shoes to fill and says leadership “isn’t about a title – it’s about serving others and earning trust over time.”

“I’m really super excited that Chief Porter is taking over for me,” Blair said. “We have really, really super good people – Chief Porter amongst that group. I think that the lab did a very good job of selecting the next fire chief. She’s a strong candidate. She’s a strong leader. And most importantly, she cares about her people.”

To other women and men following in her footsteps, Chief Porter says, “Stay committed to your values, work hard, and be consistent in how you show up.”