Idaho
Big Idaho Potato Truck Tour brings four-ton spud to Grand Junction
Throughout the afternoon and evening Tuesday in Grand Junction, bewildered drivers on North Avenue pulled over into the Texas Roadhouse parking lot to gawk at a giant potato.
The Big Idaho Potato Truck rolled into town as part of its 35-state national tour promoting Famous Idaho Potatoes. Upon the trailer sits a four-ton, 13-foot-tall, 10-foot-wide potato, impossible not to see for passersby.
Famous Idaho Potatoes won’t say whether the titanic tater is actually real — just that it would take 7,000 years to actually grow a spud this spectacular, one that’s the equivalent of one million french fries or 20,217 servings of mashed potatoes. They prefer to leave it up to each person whether they believe that much effort and time have actually been spent on one potato.
“We gracefully embark on a seven-month-long journey across the U.S. promoting Idaho potatoes and representing over 700 family-owned farms,” said Jenna, a Famous Idaho Potatoes brand ambassador traveling with the prodigious potato. “We do numerous types of events. (On Wednesday), we’re headed to Colorado Springs to another Texas Roadhouse. We also do NASCAR events and parades. We’ll be at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Atlanta. We’re doing the Fourth of July in Philadelphia for the 250th year of America. We’ll be returning home in September.”
This is the 14th cross-country trip for the voluminous vegetable, and the second for Jenna. The truck has been to all 50 states, even being shipped to Hawaii for five weeks in 2024. It’s also been in Canada.
“It was only projected to be one year to celebrate the Idaho Potato Commission’s 75th year, and there was a postcard that had a big potato on it, being hauled just like this,” Jenna said. “Someone came up with the idea of, ‘Let’s make that real!’ It became so popular that, now, it’s on its 14th journey. We hope to continue doing it and continue bringing smiles and potatoes.”
Each year, the massive Murphy’s route is determined by a tour director based in Boise. There are many eight-hour driving days between locations. The Tater Team that transports the Big Idaho Potato must always be vigilant about weather conditions, as well.
“We try to stay primarily East Coast, just because Idaho needs some representation around there,” Jenna said. “We don’t really get to do a lot of home-base activities, but it’s fun. It’s a journey.”
Grand Junction was chosen as a stop this year because it was along the route. Merchandise and swag were provided inside the Texas Roadhouse, including stickers, memorabilia, lanyards, and a station to craft porcupines using potatoes, sunflower seeds, googly eyes and glue.
Sometimes, the Big Idaho Potato Truck Tour works with food banks in the markets it visits, presenting them with checks. No such collaboration took place with this Grand Junction visit, but Jenna said such charity could work out when the truck returns to town — potentially on its way back to Idaho later in the year.
Jenna said the sight of confused and amused people discovering the enormous earth apple is a constant source of joy.
“It surprisingly never gets old,” she said. “Even getting gasoline is a whole thing. It takes about 20 minutes to hand out those stickers and pens, and people have questions and want to take pictures. No matter where we stop, we want people to have a great experience.”
Idaho
Clavijo joins U of I to advance Idaho fruit production | University of Idaho
Jonathan Clavijo-Herrera was among the first scientists in Florida to successfully establish a high-density peach orchard, using trellises to train tree branches to grow on fruiting walls, which reduces labor while increasing yields.
Now Clavijo is poised to help University of Idaho blaze trails with its fruit-production research.
On March 2, 2026, Clavijo joined the U of I’s Parma Research and Extension Center as an assistant professor and Extension specialist in pomology. In his new role, Clavijo will conduct research benefiting Idaho’s fruit industry, with an emphasis on apples, cherries and peaches.
Clavijo was attracted to the job by the potential of the fruit industry in Idaho, the opportunity to research new types of fruit, the high quality of the laboratory facilities at Parma and the ample orchard space.
“I feel there’s a lot of support from the Parma station team,” Clavijo said. “I feel like there are a lot of opportunities here. There’s a lot of work to be done for sure in the orchard and the lab and everything, but I’m really encouraged by the support I’m receiving from the university, and the willingness of the growers to partner and collaborate is amazing.”
Originally from La Paz, Bolivia, Clavijo earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences and production from Zamorano University in Honduras. He continued his education at University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, where he earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in horticultural sciences. Early on in his graduate studies, Clavijo completed an internship involving the use of LED lighting for the indoor production of leafy greens. He researched how to improve commercial production and water use efficiency in greens by manipulating the light spectrum.
As a master’s student, Clavijo studied the potential for a Florida olive industry.
“We evaluated three olive varieties in two locations to see how they would perform,” Clavijo said. “We also tested different strategies to establish those trees.”
Furthermore, Clavijo helped develop a tool to help olive farmers adjust their fertilization management practices under local growing conditions.
His doctoral dissertation entailed researching how a rootstock — the underground part of a plant onto which another variety is grafted — can affect the performance of the above-ground portion of a tree, known as the scion. He and his research team found that certain rootstocks improved the capacity of trees to uptake water and nutrients. The team also found that rootstocks can affect the expression of genes related to dormancy, which enables a tree to withstand winter temperatures while conserving energy for the growing season.
Idaho
As Automated Tech Rises, Idaho Eliminates Registration Tags
(TNS) — Sick of peeling that pesky tag off of your license plate every year?
A new Idaho law that goes into effect this summer ends the legal requirements for vehicle registration tags on motor vehicles.
However, you still need to update your tags — or risk getting a ticket.
Here’s what drivers to know:
DO I STILL NEED A VEHICLE REGISTRATION STICKER?
House Bill 533 eliminates the color-coded vehicle registration stickers Idaho drivers attach to their license plates, saving the Idaho Transportation Department an estimated $300,000 in production costs.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed HB 533 into law in early March.
Starting July 1, Idaho drivers will no longer be required to replace their sticker tags when renewing vehicle registrations.
The change comes as law enforcement agencies are relying more on automated technology.
Automated license plate readers “automatically capture images or videos” of a passing vehicle, then detect the license plate number and access all recorded information related to that vehicle, according to the Library of Congress.
That includes the vehicle’s registration, make, model and color as well as whether it’s on a so-called “hot list” identifying vehicles of interest to law enforcement, the Library of Congress said on its website.
HOW CAN I TELL IF MY VEHICLE REGISTRATION IS EXPIRING?
Vehicle registration provides proof that your car, pickup truck, SUV or motorcycle is “allowed to drive on Idaho roads,” according to the Idaho Department of Transportation .
That’s still the case even if you’re no longer to sport a sticker on your license plate.
“Nothing is changing for customers when it comes to renewing registration,” Britt Rosenthal, public information officer for the Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles, told the Idaho Statesman in an email. “The only update is that Idaho will stop mailing out physical registration stickers after July 1, 2026.”
The Idaho DMV notifies drivers by mail, text or email when their registration is about to expire, according to Rosenthal.
“Residents can also log into their portal at anytime to check vehicle renewal status,” Rosenthal said.
“You should renew your vehicle registration before it expires,” the DMV said. “If you renew your registration early, your new expiration date will not change. You cannot renew a registration that is suspended or revoked or is conditional for title.”
HOW MUCH CAN I BE FINED FOR EXPIRED TAGS?
If your vehicle is unregistered — or that registration has expired — an Idaho police officer can pull you over and give you a warning or a ticket, the Statesman reported previously.
The fines for unregistered vehicles and expired tags haven’t changed.
Having expired tags in Idaho is a traffic infraction punishable a $101 fine, according to the Idaho Supreme Court.
If you’re caught driving with fake registration or borrowing or stealing tags, you could pay a $115 fine, the Statesman previously reported. The true owner of the registration is at risk of being fined the same amount.
If you provide false information when you’re registering your vehicle, you could face a $156.50 fine. That includes giving a name that is not legally recognized by the state of Idaho.
HOW DO I REGISTER A VEHICLE IN IDAHO FOR THE FIRST TIME?
To register a vehicle for the first time, you must visit an Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles office in person.
In Boise, you can visit the state Division of Motor Vehicles office at 8655 West Franklin Road for new vehicle registration or registration renewal.
The DMV has office locations across the state that can assist with registration requests.
To register and title a vehicle in Idaho, you’ll need to provide the following:
- Your full legal name
- An Idaho driver’s license number, Idaho-issued ID card, Social Security number or employer identification number
- A verifiable physical address
- A verifiable mailing address
HOW DO I RENEW MY VEHICLE REGISTRATION IN IDAHO?
The Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles offers multiple options for drivers seeking to renew their registration, including an online portal that can be used with or without creating a personal account
You can also visit the DMV’s virtual Ada County office.
In addition, you can renew your vehicle registration by calling 208-584-4343, mailing a check money order to the DMV office that sent your renewal notice or visiting a DMV office in person.
Save time by scheduling an appointment in advance.
HOW MUCH DOES CAR REGISTRATION COST IN IDAHO?
Registration costs depend on the vehicle type, weight, age and inspection requirements, as well as the county where you live, according to the DMV.
Registration and renewal costs for noncommercial vehicles — those weighing 8,000 pounds or less — can range from $24 to $140 for a standard Idaho license plate.
Personalized and specialty license plates require an additional annual fee.
It can cost $73 to $337 to register a commercial vehicle weighing more than 8,000 pounds, with costs affected by weight.
You can use the Idaho DMV’s online calendar to calculate your registration fees.
©2026 The Idaho Statesman, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Idaho
Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 4 on May 3, 2026
The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, May 3, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on May 3.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 3 drawing
Day: 9-9-2
Night: 5-9-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 3 drawing
Day: 9-4-1-7
Night: 7-8-9-1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Idaho Cash numbers from May 3 drawing
05-14-16-26-40
Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 3 drawing
05-08-15-32-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- 5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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