Idaho
Five from Eastern Idaho Named in Idaho Senator’s Veteran Service award – Local News 8
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Five people from Eastern Idaho have received the 2025 Spirit of Freedom: Idaho Veteran Service award.
Idaho Senator Mike Crapo created the award in 2002 to recognize the invaluable contributions of Idaho veterans, as well as to those who volunteer in service to veterans.
The five East Idaho recipients include:
- From Pocatello:
- Eva Ackerman
- Cheri Honas
- Lynn Leggat
- From Idaho Falls
These five make up a total of 10 veterans and 14 volunteers who were honored in local ceremonies across the state.
“I am honored to recognize these remarkable individuals for their extraordinary service to our nation and Idaho’s veterans,” Crapo wrote in a press release. “We extend our deepest gratitude to the veterans who bravely served our nation with honor and to the volunteers who continue to serve them with unwavering dedication. Their spirit of service inspires us and upholds the values our nation’s veterans fought to protect.”
About the Recipients
Larry Auman – Idaho Falls
Larry Auman served our country in the Navy during the Vietnam War. After six years in the Navy, Larry worked for more than 40 years in the nuclear industry as a health physicist in nuclear power operations at U.S. Department of Energy facilities across the United States, including the Idaho National Laboratory.
Since retiring, Larry has dedicated considerable time to supporting veterans and various veterans service organizations. An example of his service includes his extensive work to make sure veterans are honored through service recognition on their graves.
Eva Ackerman – Pocatello
Eva Ackerman volunteers with a number of organizations including the Run to Remember with the Field of Heroes and Bannock County Veterans Memorial Association. She also helps coordinate lunches and dinners held at the Pocatello Memorial Building.
She shared, “I’ve met several veterans who are very good. I love to find the good in people.”
Allen Arnold – Idaho Falls
Allen Arnold has been involved in area veterans activities for more than 20 years. Al, a U.S. Navy retiree, has participated in more than 1,700 graveside honors for veterans, and served in many capacities in veterans service organizations. He is a leader of the Bonneville Memorial Team and the War Bonnet Round Up American Legion fundraising effort. He and his late wife were honored as Rodeo Volunteers of the Year.
Arnold retired as a Lieutenant in 1990 after more than 25 years and earning many honors for his distinguished service. He served on a guided missile destroyer, fleet ballistic missile submarine and fast attack submarine and as an instructor and supervisor for training of Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operators at the Naval Reactors Facility in Idaho.
Cheri Honas – Pocatello
Cheri Honas’s military family inspired her to offer six years of service to veterans through the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 1. She helps with immediate, short-term needs and helps coordinate the luncheons and dinners held at the Veterans Memorial Building.
She said, “God looks down on all of us and smiles when he sees us making someone happy. He especially loves his veterans.”
Lynn Leggat – Pocatello
Lynn Leggat has volunteered helping veterans for the past three years. Lynn’s husband, William Leggat, served in the U.S. Air Force. After her husband passed away, Leggat says was guided through prayer to serve veterans. She started out helping with steak dinners at the American Legion after hearing about a dinner on the radio and showing up to help.
She primarily assists veterans through the American Legion Auxiliary, but also she assists with Amvets and other organizations. The list of projects Lynn assists with is lengthy and includes assisting with the Field of Heroes Information Booth, 9/11 Commemoration, Pearl Harbor Remembrance, Veterans Day Luncheon and Veterans Day Parade.
Nominating for 2026
To nominate someone for the 2026 Spirit of Freedom: Idaho Veteran Service award, contact Courtney Lehosit in Crapo’s Boise office at 208-334-1776.
Idaho
Idaho is home to the nation's first DarkSky Reserve. Now it's home to the nations first DarkSky Certified Resort
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A controversy is brewing as the City of Idaho Falls reviews its alcohol ordinance.
The goal is to consolidate four existing ordinances for beer, wine and liquor into a single law and ensure compliance with state code.
However, at its meeting last Thursday, the Idaho Falls City Council unanimously voted to remove the proposed ordinance from its agenda, in order to receive and consider additional public comment.
The proposed ordinance would:
1. Require commercial establishments selling, dispensing or permitting consumption of alcohol – including beer, wine or liquor – to have an alcohol license, alcohol catering permit or a charitable event permit.
2. Business events with 20 or less employees consuming alcohol at the business would be allowed.
3. Require alcohol servers to complete training every three years.
4. Individuals who violate the law could be charged with a misdemeanor.
Idaho Falls City Council President Jim Francis said the changes were the culmination of months of collaboration between law enforcement, business owners and city attorneys.
“We wanted to provide a safe environment – the primary point here – for public gatherings,” Francis said. “We recognize that certain antiquated elements of the current code are overly restrictive and needed to be addressed. We wanted to make the code more accessible to the public. We needed to address over-pouring issues. We wanted to reduce penalties where possible for violations, particularly the first offenses, and yet make the code clear enough to be enforceable consistently by law enforcement.”
But City Council Member John Radford said the changes represent an overreach by city government.
“I believe it’s a bad policy. What problem are we solving in the name of trying to solve a non-problem?” Radford said. “We’re becoming big brother around alcohol in your private property. I’m concerned that landlords will be at risk of being charged with a misdemeanor if they knowingly, which I made sure that was in there, because that is what we’ve been talking about, allowed people to drink in our business. We will be outside the norm of Idaho cities. This is a big step, and I don’t think the public has weighed in on this.”
At a City Council Work Session on June 1, Idaho Falls Chief of Police Bryce Johnson cited an increase in alcohol-related crime – particularly downtown – as a reason for the changes.
“DUI is there, but this would include sexual assaults, assaults, batteries, disturbances, urination, public vandalism, shooting – all sorts of crimes,” Johnson said.
But business owners are concerned about the potential impact on commercial enterprises.
“The ordinance doesn’t address the real problem – which is people drinking … at one event and then showing up in a bar or restaurant already hammered and causing problems anyway,” ” said Terri Ireland, representing the Idaho Falls Downtown Merchants Association. “The industry is really well-regulated by state and local laws already.”
The City of Idaho Falls began the process of updating its alcohol ordinance in January 2026, seeking input from community stakeholders.
Multiple community members spoke out about the ordinance.
For more in-depth information, you can read the full 39-page proposed alcohol ordinance here.
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — A simmering dispute between Idaho’s top elections official and the U.S. Department of Justice escalated this month after federal officials warned Secretary of State Phil McGrane about possible prosecution tied to non-citizens voting in Idaho.
The Justice Department sent a letter earlier this month threatening McGrane with prosecution. The warning came amid a broader conflict between the Trump administration and McGrane, whom the administration has sued over his refusal to provide unredacted voter rolls to the federal government.
Idaho’s chief of civil litigation, James Craig, responded on July 10. In a letter first reported by the Idaho Statesman, Craig pushed back on the federal warning, writing, “Insinuations of criminal violations of the federal election laws are not well taken,” and asking the department to “stop threatening your friends in Idaho.”
Craig also requested that the lawsuit against McGrane be dismissed and criticized the Justice Department for sending its letter directly to McGrane rather than to the Idaho attorney general’s office.
The attorney general’s office said the state has already referred 15 cases of possible non-citizen election violations to the Justice Department but is not aware of any of them being prosecuted. Craig’s letter ends by asking the department to do so.
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