Cabins available for guests at Xhale Resort and Spa at 1421 1st Street in Idaho Falls. Take a look at the amenities in the video above. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com
Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BUZZ
IDAHO FALLS
Owners of new local resort want to help you relax
Storefront for Xhale Resort and Spa in Idaho Falls. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com
IDAHO FALLS – People have enjoyed getting massages, facials, pedicures and other services at Xhale Spa for years, and the owners recently added a resort to go with it.
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Xhale Resort & Spa at 1421 1st Street in Idaho Falls includes two businesses under one roof. Rachael and Brock Merrill started taking bookings for the resort on Aug. 1.
It’s open to adults only and includes seven cabins for an overnight stay, hot pools, waterfalls, fire pits, pickleball courts, cornhole, seating areas for couples to relax and other amenities. Take a look inside in the video above.
Rachael tells EastIdahoNews.com the resort’s purpose is to give couples a place to get away and relax.
“We do a lot of couples massages and facials (at the spa) and most of the time they’re celebrating an anniversary or a birthday. A lot of events are celebrated here, so we wanted to (offer more amenities for them to celebrate),” Rachael says.
Xhale Spa was previously near 17th Street in Ammon but recently moved to 1st Street after the Merrills, who also own Orange Leaf, bought the property.
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The building on 1st Street used to be the home of Dr. Hatch, a well-known physician in town during the 1930s. Rachael doesn’t remember his first name but says he had a farm and owned land in Falls Valley where Falls Valley Elementary now sits.
“The Hatches lived here, and their daughter-in-law, who used to come here when it was their home, brought us some of the old deeds for the property. A judge had claimed the land back then. He built the house and then the Hatches purchased it from him in the ’30s,” Rachael says.
Rachael thought the property was an ideal location for a spa and resort.
She’s excited to be up and running and invites the community to come for a getaway.
To schedule a stay or learn more, visit the website or call (208) 227-3529.
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Hot pool at Xhale Resort and Spa | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com
BIZ BITS
SnakeBite Restaurant in Idaho Falls will be featured on ‘America’s Best Restaurants’
IDAHO FALLS – The SnakeBite Restaurant in Idaho Falls will be hosting a visit from “America’s Best Restaurants” in early September.
America’s Best Restaurants, a national media and marketing company focusing on bringing attention to local, independently-owned restaurants, will bring its ABR Roadshow to the restaurant on Sept. 9. Popular dishes will be highlighted, along with an extensive on-camera interview with key staff about the restaurant’s special place in the community. The episode will be aired extensively on social media channels at a later date.
Now operated under the 100 Proof Hospitality hospitality group, SnakeBite has been in operation since 1994. The downtown building dates back to 1907.
Popular menu items that may be featured on the episode include the fan favorite Grand Teton burger, topped with Swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms and onions, lettuce and avocado; the “famous” waffle fries with homemade fry sauce; fish tacos; and the Hoback Chicken Sandwich, a house seasoned grilled chicken breast with fresh sprouts, avocado, tomato and red onion.
The restaurant’s finished episode premiere date will be announced on its Facebook page and will be featured on its website.
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GARDEN CITY – A Boise-area girl is competing in the 2026 Junior Ranger Competition, and she needs your vote to advance.
Eleven-year-old Cali Lindsay of Garden City is currently in the top 10 in her age group. The first place contestant in each group will advance to the semi-finals, which will wrap on July 17.
The final round concludes on July 24. The winner will be awarded $20,000 and be featured on the cover of Ranger Rick Magazine. They’ll also win a trip with Jeff Corwin.
Cali’s mom, Emily Edginton, tells EastIdahoNews.com how the competition works.
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“You’re allowed one free vote every 24 hours. People can also pay (to vote),” Edginton says. “The contestants have challenges every week to learn about animals and share what they’ve learned. People vote for the answer they like best. If you have enough votes, you move to the next round.”
Cali needs to secure enough votes by Thursday in order to advance to the next round.
The competition is a fundraiser for the National Wildlife Federation, the largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization in the United States.
Edginton says they recently moved to Idaho from San Bernardino, California. Her daughter acquired a love of wildlife living in Lytle Creek, a community near the San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino National Forest.
“She’s already like a junior ranger. We picked up trash (in the forest) for fun,” Edginton says. “We try to keep it clean because we get a lot of visitors up there in the summertime and they trash the place. It affects the animals.”
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Edginton says they moved to Idaho in February to be closer to family.
She’s grateful her daughter can be part of what she feels is a great cause, and hopes to see her advance, and even win the tournament.
“It’s a good cause, plus it’s a learning experience,” says Edginton.
To vote for Cali or learn more, click here.
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JACKSON, Wyo. — Springtime conjures images of adorable baby animals. Unfortunately, sometimes well-meaning humans feel compelled to interfere with Mother Nature by “rescuing” baby animals who appear to be alone.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) issued a spring reminder discouraging people from intervening when they assume a wild animal is lost, abandoned or orphaned.
“While these folks typically mean well, the sad reality is they are often doing more damage than good when they intervene — and typically, mom was not far away to begin with,” IDFG shared in a press release.
“Here’s the hard truth,” the agency wrote. “Animal parents will periodically leave their young for an extended period of time for a myriad of reasons, whether it’s to search for food, to rest or to divert attention from their vulnerable offspring, especially if they sense danger. When it comes to wildlife babies, wildlife mothers know best.”
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In short, in an encounter with a lone duckling, gosling, deer fawn, baby bird, red dog or moose calf, do not disturb it. Instead, contact the state’s wildlife agency to report it. In Jackson, call the Wyoming Game and Fish Department at (307) 733-2321. In Idaho, reach IDFG at (208) 525-7290.
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