ASHTON — Dakota Nelson is still in shock.

The young widower, left with seven children following the unexpected death of his 38-year-old wife, Ream, was leaving work last Tuesday when EastIdahoNews.com showed up with a gift from Secret Santa.

The part-time Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seminary teacher had some of his kids open the box and they discovered $2,000 in gift cards and an $8,000 check. Nelson became so overwhelmed with gratitude that he couldn’t speak.

His touching response has now been seen millions of times around the world. It’s become the most popular Facebook post EastIdahoNews.com has ever had – reaching nearly three million people in less than a week with over 1.2 million views.

Inside Edition picked up the story, MSN.com featured it on its homepage, dozens of other websites and Facebook pages shared it and a reality show producer in California even expressed interest in the family for a potential project.

Donations to a GoFundMe account, set up days after Ream collapsed, have skyrocketed over the past few days with donations coming from across the globe.

Nelson says he’s overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers and plans to put the Secret Santa money to good use. His family currently does not have a vehicle big enough to transport everyone so whenever they go anywhere together, Nelson drives one car (that was recently given to him after his vehicle broke down) and his 16-year-old son drives another.

He sent this letter to Secret Santa last week and gave permission to EastIdahoNews.com to share it.

It is hard to write this as I am at a total loss of words. There is no way for me to accurately convey how grateful we are for this kindness. As I was surprised with the gifts, I looked at my kids – who will remember this event forever as the best time they had in a hard time. Thank you for being an example to my family on how to look out for the needs of others.

I have noticed that through this ordeal, we have been blessed to see kindness replace the pain of losing a loved one whom I had been married to for 17 years. My children have noted this and have stated that they want to do the same for others.

Thank you again for making this Christmas special.

Again, I just cannot convey how thankful we are but let me provide you with a few more details of the story.

On July 11, we had been cleaning out the garage together and I left to put some tools in the shop 30 feet away while Ream swept the floor. I had been gone less then 5 minutes and saw her lying on her back with eyes wide open. My 3-year-old was standing over her talking as he thought she could hear him due to her eyes being open.

I ran and cradled her in my arms and blew into her mouth thinking she choked on something. I then started CPR and my 8-year-old walked out and started screaming. I told him to leave and my 12-year-old walked in the garage and, seeing the situation, called 911 and put on a show so the other kids would not go out to see her. He then went down to the end of the street to waive down the ambulance.

After two and a half weeks at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in ICU, she was moved to long-term care and we watched her pass away on Sept. 30 with all of her 7 kids gathered around. Her body had become septic and she had no hope of recovery. I wanted her to pull out of it so badly but it was not to be.

I know no one makes it through life without some sort of event that is strenuous to the soul but I had not realized how much one can be happy even when the light is out and it is dark. Thank you for being that light.

I have asked my two oldest kids, 12-year-old Micaiah and 16-year-old Ammon, to include their thoughts:

Thank you so much for all joy you brought to us. I had basketball that day but when my brother told me we were on the news, I was pretty confused. Then when my dad showed me the video I was holding back tears. Everyone I told they were crying and stuff like that. This will probably be my best Christmas ever. Thanks again I wish you a Merry Christmas.( :\ From: Micaiah

I want you guys to understand how much this meant to my family and how happy we are for this gift. It is so special to know that even our family in a small little town is being helped this Christmas season and so are countless others. Thank you so much. I can not even begin to tell you how grateful my family is.
– Ammon

POCATELLO — A deadly disease known to affect the central nervous system and brain of elk, deer and moose may be making its way to Idaho.

Twenty-two deer have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in Montana, and cases were also found in Teton County, Wyoming.

CWD is passed from animal to animal, or from environment to animal. Because animals move between states, Idaho Fish and Game biologist Matt Pieron says there a “high probability” disease will spread to Idaho.

Idaho Fish and Game has developed rules to try to prevent or slow the spread of the disease. Hunters who go to an area where there are confirmed cases of CWD cannot bring spinal cords or brain material from animals they kill back to Idaho. Fish and Game also implemented a ban on urine-based lures.

If the disease does appear in Idaho, Fish and Game says the first priority is tracking the disease, and figuring out how many animals have it.

“There have been a number of research studies conducted in other states that indicate that once a prevalence rate gets above a certain percentage in your population, you will actually begin to see population decline,” says Pieron, “There are indications that if prevalence rates get to a certain level, that over the long term, it can cause…basically a local extinction of a population.”

According to Idaho Fish and Game, there are no documented cases of humans contracting CWD.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people do not eat meat from any animal that has tested positive for CWD.

GOODING — Police released new information and a timeline Monday afternoon about a missing Colorado mother who may be in Idaho.

Kelsey Berreth, 29, was last seen on surveillance cameras at a Safeway grocery store in Woodland Park, Colorado on Nov. 22 at 12:27 p.m. She was shopping with her 1-year-old daughter and has not been seen since.

Cheryl Berreth, Berreth’s mom, called police on Nov. 25. Officers conducted a welfare check at her home and she, along with her purse, were missing. Woodland Park Police confirmed at Monday’s press conference that there were cold cinnamon rolls on the stove.

RELATED | Phone of missing Colorado mother pinged in Idaho

The same day officers conducted the welfare check, Berreth’s cell phone was pinged near Gooding at 5:13 p.m – over 800 miles from her home in Colorado. Steve Van Dinter, a Verizon spokesman, tells EastIdahoNews.com that the ping would be accurate within a mile of the location coordinates.

“We are treating Kelsey’s disappearance as a missing persons case at this time,” said Woodland Park Police Chief Miles De Young. “We have not identified anyone as a suspect.”

Police contacted Berreth’s fiancé, Patrick Frazee, who said Berreth dropped off their daughter at his home on Nov. 22. The last time he says he heard from her was Nov. 25 and their child is still in his custody, according to detectives.

Berreth works as a flight instructor at Doss Aviation, in Pueblo, Colorado. Employees told police they got a text message from her on Nov. 25 saying she would not be in to work for the next week. Officers say there is no indication that a plane is involved in her disappearance.

“She is not the kind that runs off,” an emotional Cheryl Berreth said during the news conference. “This is completely out of character. She loves her God, her family, friends and her job. She is reliable, considerate and honest. Like I said – she doesn’t run off and someone knows where she is at.”

When police were asked why Frazee was not at Monday’s news conference, De Young said he was invited but “you would have to ask him why he is not here.” De Young did say Frazee is being cooperative with law enforcement.

Investigators have not searched Frazee’s home and he has not been named as a suspect or person of interest. Police say Berreth and Frazee are engaged but they have never lived together and do not share a home.

Berreth is described as having brown hair, is 5 foot 3 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. She was last seen wearing a white shirt, gray sweater, blue pants and white shoes while carrying a brown purse.

The Woodland Park Police Department is working with the Teller County Sheriff’s Office, The Colorado Bereau of Investigations, the FBI, local law enforcement in Gooding and the Colorado 4th District Attorney’s office.

If you have any information on Berreth’s whereabouts, contact the Woodland Park Police Department at (719) 687-9262.

A Facebook page with updates on the case can be found by clicking here.

IDAHO FALLS — A 30-year-old man is behind bars for allegedly raping and impregnating a teen girl.

Levi Baker is facing up to life in prison after a 17-year-old girl allegedly gave birth to his child in August. Baker is facing two counts of sexual battery of a minor and one charge of possession of sexually exploitive images.

After the victim gave birth, DNA samples were collected for a paternity test and court documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com say that Baker allegedly rubbed dog saliva in his mouth in an attempt to fool the test.

The results of the test were not available in the court documents but evidence seems to indicate that Baker and the victim believe he is the father of the child.

The victim was kicked out of her home in December, documents state. She told investigators that she asked Baker if she could stay with him and his girlfriend because she didn’t have a place to live. She said she believed Baker raped her the night she moved in after she took Melatonin and fell asleep but she couldn’t remember for sure.

She went to live with Baker and his girlfriend and all three allegedly shared the same bed.

The victim said in May, Baker allegedly pressured her into having sex with him. She said he told her because she was already pregnant it wouldn’t matter and that it was safe. She said she told him no several times but gave in because she thought he was going to do it anyway.

The victim told investigators she had never had sex with anyone before Baker.

According to documents, text messages between Baker and the victim appear to show a sexual relationship between the two. They tell each other they love each other several times, they had sexually explicit conversations and talk about the child being his. Investigators say they found nude images of the victim on Baker’s phone.

The messages seem to indicate they talked about what they would tell detectives. Baker allegedly told the girl to tell detectives she had sex with him while he was asleep. He said he wouldn’t press charges so it wouldn’t matter. He also told her he “ate and smoke and rubbed dog saliva in my mouth” to beat the DNA test.

Baker’s girlfriend knew about the alleged sexual activity between Baker and the teenager, according to court records. When asked about it, Baker told detectives that his religion allows him to have multiple women.

According to documents, Baker told investigators he couldn’t remember but he may have had sex with the victim two or three times.

Baker was arrested on Nov. 28. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 11.

The following is a news release from Yellowstone National Park.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK – Steamboat Geyser erupted at about 1:07 a.m. on Saturday, December 8, and set a new record.

This eruption, the 30th since March 15, surpasses the previous all-time record of 29 documented eruptions set in 1964.

“The heightened activity at Steamboat this year is uncommon but not unprecedented. We have seen similar activity twice previously; once in the early 1960s, and again in the early 1980s. Conversely, the world’s tallest active geyser has also exhibited years of quiescence or no major eruptions, with the longest being the 50-year period between 1911 and 1961,” said Jeff Hungerford, Yellowstone’s park geologist. “We’ll continue to monitor this extraordinary geyser.”

More information about the geyser can be found by clicking here.

Most park roads have closed for the season to wheeled vehicles. Conditions permitting, roads will open to oversnow travel by snowmobile and snowcoach December 15.

The following is a news release from Idaho Fish and Game.

IDAHO FALLS – Each year, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game seizes unlawfully taken fish and wildlife that is often processed and donated to charity organizations.

After each case in finalized through the court system and with the magistrate’s approval, Fish and Game donates the edible meat and fish to local food banks, church groups and helping-hand organizations that distribute to those in need. Most of the game meat is confiscated in the fall, so donations usually increase during the holiday months, allowing some to have more food on the table during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

According to Justin Williams, Fish and Game district conservation officer in Salmon, several recent wildlife violation cases involving multiple animals taken illegally have resulted in hundreds of pounds going to those in need.

“There are people throughout Idaho who are struggling and need the help” noted Williams. “It’s very satisfying knowing that the meat from unlawfully harvested game will not go to waste and local families and individuals with special needs will benefit.”

To receive game meat, an individual must qualify as indigent and sign a waiver acknowledging that they understand that the meat is non-inspected wild game. Local food banks are the contact for donated wild game.

IDAHO FALLS– Organizers with TEDxIdahoFalls announced the theme and speakers for the 2019 event Monday.

“The point is to get together, grow together, learn together and become inspired together,” TEDxIdahoFalls curator and public relations director Andy Crossman says.

This is the sixth year of the Idaho Falls event with this year’s theme being “Intersections.” Speakers have been challenged to interpret the meaning of that word and put an innovative twist on their presentation.

Brad Christensen, the original founder of the local event, has been instrumental in creating the annual theme.

“Ideas are so much more powerful when they breed, when they interact or intersect,” Christensen says.

“Some of our most brilliant inventions have been the intersection of two people’s minds coming together,” Lead organizer Janece Moore says.

During the TEDxIdahoFalls event, local speakers from various backgrounds will be presenting their ideas to encourage and inspire the community. Crossman says the speakers consist of business owners, ranchers, housewives, college professors, and others.

“We’re going to have something for everyone. You’re going to have ideas that you can apply to your daily life, you’re going to get things that change the way you look at the world,” Crossman says.

Crossman says it’s not a lecture or networking event. He says it’s a conference where people can come to connect, share ideas and have a conversation.

“It’s more about coming and learning and becoming inspired,” Crossman says.

Although TEDx is affiliated with the non-profit international TED organization, the “x” means the event is independently organized. However, the conference has to follow the same strict guidelines as TED.

“On the TED platform you don’t recruit a speaker, you recruit an idea and somebody to talk about it. That’s the really unique aspect,” Christensen says. “You might have really good speakers that get passed up because their ideas just aren’t truly unique or innovative.”

Organizers say the community can look forward to the event on March 9 next year. It’s set to be held at the Performing Arts Center at Thunder Ridge High School. There will also be a dinner for those who want to stay and network after the talks.

“We have such great ideas here in our community. It takes something unique like the TEDx platform to get them all together,” Crossman says.

Both Christensen and Moore hope the community will take advantage of the opportunity to think outside of the box, and their comfort zone.

“We live in a world today that’s becoming more and more polarized and we need to find opportunities to come together, to share those ideas to see what we share in common. I think those commonalities are those intersections that we share,” Crossman says.

“I am hoping people can take away listening to an opinion that they may not agree with. Why not listen to others even if you don’t agree with what they have to say,” says Moore.

For more information on the conference and how to get tickets, go to TEDxIdahoFalls.com. Sign up for the newsletter or follow them on Facebook.

TEDxIdahoFalls 2019 Speaker Lineup

Kerry Buxton
Thomas Eiden
Charity Haderlie
Jessica Hunter & Clellie Laws
Billie Johnson
Todd Kelson, PhD
Bruce Kusch, PhD
Neal Larson
Wendy Pratt
Lige Rose
Sheri Sanders
Patrick Toussaint

Maria Campbell has lived an incredible life full of trials but she still continues to always smile and serve others.

Several years ago, she was caught in the middle of an earthquake in Mexico City. She was trapped for a period of time and ended up having to have part of one leg amputated as a result. She wears a prosthetic but is constantly having difficulties with it being sore and not fitting right. New prosthetics are expensive so Maria pushes through life with a smile.

Since her husband passed away, Maria has been struggling to pay the bills. She works for the Shelley School District as a lunch lady and cleans business and medical buildings in the evenings. Between medical expenses and living expenses, it can be a lot to handle on her own.

Secret Santa asked the EastIdahoNews.com elves to visit Maria’s elementary school and surprise her just before lunch. Watch the video above to see the unforgettable moment!

IDAHO FALLS – If you’re looking for a bargain this holiday shopping season, then the Ultimate Thrift Store in Idaho Falls may be a place you want to visit.

Located in a quaint little building off Northgate mile, the Ultimate Thrift Store offers a wide variety of used, secondhand items. Its inventory includes everything from home decor items and clothing to tables, dressers and beds.

“Anything you can think of, we sell it,” co-owner Mellissa Butler tells EastIdahoNews.com. “We get a lot of costumes. We have a section for wigs and stuff like that. They’re really popular all year long.”

The Ultimate Thrift Store is a family-owned business that takes your donated items and then resells them for a really low price.

“I try to keep the prices as low as possible,” Butler says. “Our clothes are $3. We sell shoes for $1 a pair.”

With Christmas just around the corner, Butler says decorations are really popular right now.

“A lot of people are coming in for decor — not just for their tree, but to decorate the outside or inside of their house. A lot of people come in looking for the blow-ups (decorations) to decorate their yard, or Christmas lights.”

Butler and her husband save the Christmas items they get throughout the year and start selling them in November. This year, they had 30 artificial trees for sale. Butler says they were completely sold out before the end of the month.

The Ultimate Thrift Store first opened in Shelley six years ago. The idea for the shop came from a trend she saw among her friends and neighbors.

“We noticed after people had a yard sale or similar type of thing, they would just throw away their items,” Butler says. “I wasn’t working at the time and always wanted to open a thrift store so I just did it.”

They closed their Shelley store earlier this year and opened their Idaho Falls store at 190 Lomax St. in August.

“We started looking in Idaho Falls and a customer had this building available,” says Butler.

Though they see a lot of customers from Shelley and surrounding areas, the bulk of their customers now come from Idaho Falls.

“We see a new customer come in every day. Word-of-mouth goes a long way,” says Phillip Butler, Mellissa’s husband.

Phillip spends a lot of time fixing or repairing items they receive, but it’s interacting with the customers that he enjoys most.

If you’ve never been to the Ultimate Thrift Store, Mellissa says you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the quality of items and how low the prices are.

You can drop off your unwanted items at the store anytime. The hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. But if you don’t feel like dropping off your items, Butler says they will pick it up at your house.

“People can call us anytime to schedule a pick up. A lot of times we can do it the same day,” Mellissa says.

To schedule a pick up, call (208) 403-2886. Visit the Facebook page to learn more.

If you want your business featured in the Small Business Spotlight, email rett.nelson@eastidahonews.com. Please use “SBS” in the subject line.

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IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls woman was arrested for prostitution at a massage parlor Monday afternoon as part of an ongoing investigation by the Bonneville County Sheriff/Idaho Falls Police Special Investigations Unit.

Liuying Qui, 53, of Idaho Falls was arrested for misdemeanor prostitution at Asian Massage at 1510 West Broadway.

Court documents show a deputy went into the business undercover for a massage. During the session, Qui offered to perform a sex act on the deputy for an extra $40.

Qui was later identified by the deputy, taken into custody and booked into the Bonneville County Jail.

RELATED: A look at the sex trade in east Idaho from women who work it

Bonneville County Sheriff’s spokesman Bryan Lovell said the office has been investigating reports of prostitution at this business for a long time.

Detectives are continuing their investigation into the business and are working to determine if further charges could be filed on persons working there, according to a news release.

Qui posted a $300 bond on Monday and was released.

IDAHO FALLS — A large winter storm will hit eastern Idaho Tuesday evening and continue through the night into Wednesday.

Light to moderate snow is predicted throughout central and eastern Idaho during the storm, and strong winds are predicted to develop Wednesday morning. Low visibility is expected due to blowing and drifting snow, which could impede efforts to keep snow clear from roads.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm advisory due to the storm from 11 p.m. Tuesday until 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Between 2 and 4 inches of snow is expected in Idaho Falls, Rexburg, Rigby, St. Anthony, Ashton, and Driggs. However, up to 7 inches of snow may fall in localized areas. Winds of 20 to 35 mph are predicted with gusts of 45 mph on Wednesday.

The Island Park, Victor, Montpelier, Soda Springs, Henry and Bone areas, along with many of the passes along the Wyoming and Montana borders will see between 4 to 7 inches of snow. Eleven inches is possible in some areas. Moderate winds of 15 to 25 mph, gusting as high as 35 mph, are predicted Wednesday morning.

Southeastern Idaho, including Pocatello, Burley, Rupert, Heyburn, Albion, Rockland, Holbrook, and Preston will see less snow. One to 3 inches of snow is predicted with some localized amounts of 6 inches. Winds of 25 to 35 mph are predicted with gusts of 45 mph on Wednesday.

Due to the advisory, NWS officials are advising caution while traveling on roads. Get the latest road conditions by calling or visiting 511 Idaho.

The following is a news release from the Idaho Department of Transportation.

BOISE – The 511 Traveler Information web page, phone line and app will not be displaying current driving conditions for approximately five hours Wednesday evening for technology maintenance.

From approximately 7 p.m. to midnight on Wednesday, the web page, phone line and app will not be offering any newly updated information on driving conditions or accidents. Camera views and weather stations will continue to update normally.

Drivers interested in conditions on highway routes are encouraged to call between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Wednesday evening, or visit the app or web page during that time to get current driving conditions. From approximately 10:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and from 11:00 p.m. to midnight, the platform will be completely offline.

Once the platform is brought online after midnight, it will be updated with current driving conditions.

The 511 Traveler Information platform offers current driving conditions on Idaho highways, and cameras that illustrate sections of highway routes. It is available by calling 5-1-1 or visiting 511.Idaho.gov.

IDAHO FALLS — A local man is facing multiple grand-theft charges after officers found a stolen pickup truck and a stolen handgun in his possession.

Jordan Kristopher Hughes, 20, of Idaho Falls, was arrested on Dec. 10 after authorities received a tip the truck Hughes was trying to sell may have been stolen. Authorities investigated the VIN number and found the white Silverado was reported stolen on Nov. 28, 2018, along with $1,500 worth of tools that were inside.

According to court documents, when investigators searched the truck they found a Colt handgun. An inspection of the serial number revealed it was reported stolen on Sept. 22, 2018. Hughes told investigators he bought the gun from “a friend” a year ago. He said he didn’t know it was stolen.

Hughes said he purchased the truck “a couple of months ago.” He said the seller told him the truck didn’t have any liens against it and that it wasn’t stolen.

Police reports show the owner of the truck had gone outside the morning it was stolen to warm it up. He left the truck running and went inside. When he went back outside the truck was gone. He said he noticed footprints in the snow leading up to driver side door that did not belong to him.

According to documents, when authorities searched Hughes’ residence the man who reported the truck and tools as stolen identified around $1,200 worth of tools that belonged to him.

Authorities were able to return the stolen items to the owner. They also returned the stolen handgun to a different owner.

Hughes is facing three counts of grand theft by receiving or possessing stolen items. If convicted he could spend up to 20 years in prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 19.

BURTON — A couple hundred people in rural Madison County are going to lose power for an hour or two Tuesday.

A vehicle crashed into a power pole in the Burton area of Madison County Tuesday. Fall River spokesman Ted Austin said the pole is still standing but is in bad shape.

Fall River is planning to replace the pole and shut off power to around 250 people in the Burton/Archer area at 4:30 p.m.

Austin said power should come back on between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday.

IDAHO FALLS — The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho announced Tuesday that a Ronald McDonald Family Room will be coming to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center next year.

The Family Room is a space designated within the hospital that serves families of pediatric patients receiving treatment. It’s not just a single room though — The Family Room is actually more like a temporary home within the walls of a hospital. It includes four bedrooms to house four families, a communal kitchen, a living room and dining area.

The Family Room is meant to serve as overnight or short-term lodging for families with sick children in the hospital.

“It’s very exciting to be able to offer care and comfort and support to families who have sick kids in the hospital. That’s what we do as an organization is really work to keep families close together near their sick child close to the medical care they need,” said Mindy Plumlee, executive director at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho.

The Family Room will be built inside a medical office building connected to EIRMC on the corner of Sunnyside Road and Channing Way.

“For us this addition is incredible because we know the families that travel to our region for care,” EIRMC spokeswoman Coleen Niemann said. “They desperately need this service to help make their stay just a little comfortable.”

Niemann says one of the reasons EIRMC was chosen was because of its growing number of pediatric services and the larger number of child patients.

Construction on The Family Room is scheduled to take place in spring of 2019 and be completed by the end of summer 2019. The room heavily supported by local donations of time and money.

For more information about the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho or to donate time or money to the Family Room at EIRMC, click here.

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming — A local couple got a shock as four bull moose took a special interest in their car over the weekend.

Soda Springs residents Shawnae and Bryce Somsen were driving through Grand Teton National Park on Sunday hoping to spot a moose or two. That evening they spotted not one, but four moose off in the distance and stopped to take some photos and video from inside their car.

“We just hung out there and pretty soon the moose just kind of got closer and closer. As they were doing that they kept sparring back and forth,” Shawnae told EastIdahoNews.com. “Pretty soon we were like ‘I think these guys are going to cross right in front of us, that’s going to be cool,’ then they stopped.”

One by one the four moose wandered up to the car and started licking the road salt off of Shawnae and Bryce’s Subaru.

“They were probably (outside the vehicle) for probably half an hour,” Shawnae said.

Two of the moose even decided to spar right outside Shawnae’s window.

“I could have reached out and touched them right there sparring,” she said.

At one point Bryce stuck his hand out the window and one of the moose gave his fingers a lick. Eventually, the moose got bored with the car and moved along, allowing the couple to leave the area.

“It was amazing. Just absolutely amazing. As we were leaving I was just like OK that’s kind of a top ten of your life right there,” Shawnae said.

Watch the full video here.

Nita Hamm is a single mother with disabilities who has an adult son with Down Syndrome and autism. His name is Joseph but he is known as JoJo by all his friends at Rigby High School. He is loved by so many in the community; in fact, anyone who gets to know Joseph cannot help but love him.

One of his greatest desires is to play basketball with the high school team. Even though that isn’t a reality, Coach Jones at Rigby High School plays basketball with JoJo on his lunch hour, gives him team shirts and lets him use a team bag like the other players. When there are away games, Coach Jones invites JoJo to ride along on the “big” bus, as JoJo calls it.

Nita works tirelessly in providing Joseph with the care that he needs, even though it hurts her body to move. He has Hirschsprung’s disease and requires demanding daily care.

They have enough money to meet their needs but cannot seem to save enough to buy other things like furniture for their front room. They have two old broken down rocker recliners that are not going to last much longer.

Secret Santa decided to send the EastIdahoNews.com elves over with a special gift for Nita and JoJo. Watch the video above to see the surprise!

IDAHO FALLS – ‘Tis the season to cruise through residential areas, peering through the windows to creep on everyone else’s holiday lights. EastIdahoNews.com has a few places to visit this season where you are sure to see a festive sight!

Some of these lights were put up by people who love just Christmas lights. Others have been running light shows for years. Whatever the reason for the season, these lights are meant to be seen.

IDAHO FALLS: Owens Family Lights, found at 1385 Lowell Dr., have been throwing a Christmas spectacular for 12 years. To enjoy the show, park where you can see their house, then tune into FM 88.5. That will allow you to hear the music that goes along with the lights. Each show is 30 minutes long, starting at 5 p.m. and ending at 10 p.m. every night until New Year’s Eve.

IONA: The Belnap Family Christmas Light Show at 3453 N. 55th E. has been presenting their Christmas light show for over 10 years. The show runs from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. every night before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, it will start at the normal time and end when everyone leaves. Visitors can tune into FM 102.7 to listen to the synchronized music. With over 230,000 lights and five houses participating, this is a must-see for everyone in the Idaho Falls areas.

REXBURG: Some homeowners in Rexburg have gone all out for the season! To see some beautifully decorated houses, cruise through the neighborhoods northwest of Yellowstone Highway, back behind Frontier Pies, plus the houses up by the temple. You’ll see plenty lights and maybe even an Olaf or two.

CHUBBUCK: Winter Wonderland of Lights has been on the air since 2001. Located at 1389 Sawtooth, the owners have run a computerized light show for six years. The Christmas show runs from 5 to 10:30 p.m. nightly through Christmas Day; then they change the music to non-Christmas songs and run through New Year’s. Tune into FM 88.5 on their block, kick back and relax in the heat of your car.

ISLAND PARK: For our more northern readers, the Lakeside Lodge and Resort revealed their Christmas lights on Dec. 7, with strands on the lodge and surrounding trees. They keep their lights up until the snow melts, so this show might be available until April.

Visit this Google Map, put together by local Alee Noland, to see other Christmas sights.

IDAHO FALLS — The Colonial Theater on A Street is turning 100 years old next year, and the Idaho Falls Arts Council needs your help to make it a great celebration.

The anniversary is on Nov. 10, and the Arts Council is hosting several events leading up to that day. It is also putting together an exhibition of “photos, artwork and memories that people had of the theater,” said Amy Carr, council marketing manager.

The council wants people who remember the theater’s heyday, whether they worked at the theater or watched shows there, to submit memories for the exhibition. These memories will be put together in a book, and the artwork and photos will be displayed.

In January or February, the council will host a roundtable for people to come and share their memories of the theater. There is no hard deadline for when the memories are due at this moment, but be prepared to get them in by February.

Those wishing to contribute memories or artwork should contact Carr at (208) 522-0471.

The centennial celebration will also include a few events spaced throughout the year. Carr said the council won’t disclose a lot of details right now — more information will be released in the spring — but residents should expect a street party to kick off the centennial, a big-name show in the fall and possibly a celebration gala.

Board member Terry Miller told EastIdahoNews.com one thing he is hoping to find out from the shared memories is why there is a swan motif around the theater. There used to be a swan-like statue attached to the front of the building that has since been moved to the Willard Arts Center on the corner of A Street and Capital Avenue. The inside of the theater has several swan shapes as well.

Colonial Theater in the 1990s | Courtesy Amy Carr

Called the Colonial after first opening in 1919, it was rechristened as the Paramount Theater from 1929 to 1980. After that, the name was returned to the original. It seats 998 people and began as a vaudeville theater. Vaudeville theater usually involves different, usually comedic, acts from separate performers. The Idaho Falls Arts Council owns and operates it today.

Memories of the Colonial Theater

Two people who worked at the theater in the 1980s shared some of their memories with EastIdahoNews.com.

Kent Lott, who was a projectionist for the theater beginning in 1982, clearly remembers the smell of tobacco from Ford’s Bar, which is still next door to the Colonial, wafting into the theater. He said it was an “old, fun theater,” but really creepy with all the lights turned off.

Another local, Kent Wood, bought the theater in 1986. It had fallen into a state of disrepair. Wood remembers finding all the old theater trappings — curtains and catwalks — stuffed into the back behind the movie screen. Water had leaked into the old dressing rooms, and the bill from the natural gas boiler was through the roof. Wood and his partners fixed the theater up even though they were only planning to run it for a few years and converted the boiler back to coal-burning.

Both Lott and Wood remember the old projectors the theater had. Lott remembers working with carbon arc projectors, but Wood said by the time he bought the building, the theater had switched over to xenon bulbs, which are safer and last longer, but he they could cost up to $900 apiece.

Wood built the new Paramount Theater in 1989. The Idaho Falls Arts Council received the theater from a donator in 1994, renovated the building and now uses it for a variety of activities, including concerts, recitals and weddings.

The Idaho Falls Arts Council is a private nonprofit, so most of the funding for the centennial will come from sponsorships, grants and private donations.

The following is a news release from Yellowstone National Park.

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyoming — At 8 a.m. Saturday, December 15, select roads in Yellowstone National Park will open to the public for motorized oversnow travel.

Visitors will be able to travel the park’s interior roads on commercially-guided snowmobiles and snowcoaches from the West and South Entrances. Visitors who have proper permits can also participate in the non-commercially guided snowmobile trips.

Travel between the North Entrance and Swan Lake Flat will be limited to commercially-guided snowcoaches. This section will remain closed to visitor snowmobile use until more snow accumulates on the road. Plan accordingly and stay informed.

Travel from the park’s East Entrance over Sylvan Pass is scheduled to begin Friday, Dec. 22, depending on weather.

The road from the park’s North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana, through Mammoth Hot Springs to Cooke City, Montana, is open to wheeled vehicle travel all year.

Are you planning a winter trip to the park? Weather is extremely unpredictable and road closures or delays can occur with little or no warning. Please come prepared. Carry personal emergency survival equipment and dress appropriately for outside activities in extremely cold weather.

Lodging and services are limited during winter. The following list highlights what winter visitor services are available and when they will open:

Old Faithful

• December 15 – Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, Geyser Grill, and Bear Den Gift Shop and Ski Shop
• December 16 – Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Cabins and Obsidian Dining Room

Mammoth Hot Springs

• December 16 – Mammoth Hotel Map Room Barrista/Bar, Mammoth Hotel Buffet, Mammoth Gift Shop and Ski Shop
• Open Year-Round – Albright Visitor Center, Mammoth General Store, medical clinic, campground, and post office

Service Stations

Open year-round, 24-hour gasoline pumps are available at Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Junction, Canyon Village, Fishing Bridge, Grant Village, and Old Faithful

Additionally, warming huts at Canyon, Fishing Bridge, Indian Creek, Madison, Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, and West Thumb provide shelter. Some huts are staffed during business hours. Food, restrooms, and water are available at some huts. All warming huts, except Mammoth Hot Springs, will open on Dec. 15. Mammoth Hot Springs will open on Dec. 16.

In addition to unique winter travel opportunities, Yellowstone also offers a variety of activities such as ranger-led programs, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.