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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — The Idaho Falls Zoo is inviting the community to its annual Community Clean-up Day on April 11, to help prepare the zoo for the new season. Volunteers of all ages are welcome to join and assist in refreshing the zoo grounds after winter.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with check-in available between 9 a.m. and noon at the William J. Maeck Education Center, near the zoo entrance.

Participants will help with raking, cleaning, and general grounds maintenance to get the zoo ready for opening day. Individuals, families, schools, and volunteer groups are welcome to attend and contribute as much time as they can.

“We are incredibly grateful for the continued support from our community, both this year and in years past,” said Zoo Director David Pennock. “Clean-up Day has become a wonderful tradition, and the dedication our volunteers show year after year makes a lasting impact on the zoo. Their efforts help us create a welcoming environment for our guests and provide the best possible care for our animals.”

Volunteers are asked to bring their own supplies if possible, including work gloves, brooms, grass rakes, large shovels, and wheelbarrows. Volunteers are encouraged to wear comfortable clothes suitable for outdoor work and to be ready to get a little dirty while helping.

“Why should the community come out? Why not? You know, that’s the big question. Why not? … it’s just fun to be in the zoo,” Pennock said. “It’s fun to do a little community service and, know that the service that you offer is to an institution that the city loves and the city uses and our citizens use.”

Each participant must complete and submit an individual City of Idaho Falls Volunteer Release of Liability form before volunteering. Forms are required for every volunteer and cannot be shared. Volunteers under 18 must be part of a family or organized group, and their form must be completed and signed by a legal guardian. Group leaders or supervisors must remain with all youth participants while at the zoo.

For questions about Community Clean-up Day, contact the volunteer team at ZooVolunteers@idahofallszoo.org.

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Pocatello police responded to a report of an armed individual in the City Hall parking lot at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 8.

Officials tell us the report stated a male subject made threats to harm department employees and was believed to be in the parking lot of the Pocatello Police Department.

According to City of Pocatello Public Information Officer Marlise Irby, employees in the City Hall were instructed to lock down and stay inside while police investigated the threat. Any people in the parking lot were taken inside the building by officers.

“Due to the seriousness of the threat and the subject’s reported proximity, both the Pocatello Police Department and the City of Pocatello offices were placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure,” stated the Pocatello Police Department as of 4:52 p.m.

Pocatello police were reportedly able to locate the threat in Chubbuck, and the lockdown was lifted at approximately 11:50 a.m. The public was asked to avoid the area during this time.

The investigation has since been passed to the Chubbuck Police Department.

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Golfers in Pocatello will soon have a new place to rest between rounds. The Riverside Golf Course is getting a two-story, 3,700 square foot new clubhouse sponsored by Connections Credit Union.

The clubhouse is made possible by a donation from Connections Credit Union and will feature an indoor golf simulator, restaurant, pro shop and a large patio space for guests to enjoy.

“This is an exciting step forward for Riverside Golf Course,” said Anne Butler, Director of Parks and Recreation in Pocatello. “We’re thrilled to see this project move into the construction phase and look forward to providing an unpdated clubhouse that will better serve golfers and visitors for years to come.”

Parking will be adjusted throughout the duration of the construction project. Golf cart trailers will not be allowed in the main parking lot, but additional parking areas are marked to accomodate golfers during this time.

Visitors are encouraged to arrive earlier than normal for their tee times and drive cautiously on the Bannock Highway during the construction. Pocatello Parks and Recreation is grateful for the community’s patience and support as the highly anticipated project moves forward.

The new clubhouse is expected to open in time for the 2027 golf season.

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Calling all Pocatello poets! The Marshall Public Library in Pocatello is celebrating 25 years of their annual Poetry Wall throughout the month of April in honor of National Poetry Month.

Community members of all ages are encouraged to submit their poems for the wall. Elementary students and seniors have already been featured in this year’s collection.

“Anyone can be a poet,” said Trina Bonman, Associate Director of the Marshall Public Library. “You don’t have to write serious poetry, anyone can come up with a few lines of verse. And this is a really cool way for our community to share poetry.”

The yearly tradition was started in 2001 by a local librarian and poet, Joan Juskie. Now, the wall stands as an outlet for community members to share their work with others and honor her legacy. After each Poetry Wall, the works are placed in a community collection for people to continue to enjoy.

“We’ve had entire classes of kids do poetry before, so that’s really fun,” Bonman said. “Sometimes it’s art and poem that goes along with it, we love to see that. Anything, any style, the word poetry where it makes different shapes, or even a few lines. We will take anything and everything and put it up.”

You can bring in a paper copy of your poem to the library or submit through email.

“It’s just exciting to see what the community comes up with, what they feel like expressing,” Bonman said. “It’s cool to see that even in a community like Pocatello, Idaho, we have this much poetry to share.”

More information about submissions is available on the library website at marshallpl.org.