Idaho
Film premiering in eastern Idaho tells true story of Olympic gold medalist from Utah – East Idaho News
Paul Wuthrich as Alma Richards in a scene from “Raising the Bar,” a new film about a Utah boy who set an Olympic high jump record in 1912. Watch our interview with the film’s director in the video above. | Courtesy photo
IDAHO FALLS – A new film premiering in eastern Idaho next week tells the true story of a track and field star from Utah who set an Olympic high jump record in 1912.
“Raising the Bar: The Story of Alma Richards” premiered in Utah on Thursday and will be released in local theaters on May 2.
T.C. Christensen is the filmmaker behind the project. He’s the director of titles like “Escape from Germany,” “The Fighting Preacher,” and “The Cokeville Miracle.”
In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, Christensen explains the appeal and significance of this story and the reason he wanted to bring it to the screen.
“There wasn’t another person out here in the West to win a gold medal in the Olympics for 88 years after him,” Christensen says. “This was really a spectacular moment.”
Richards didn’t know anything about the sport until shortly before he arrived at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. He was in high school at the time and acquired his athletic ability jumping over fences chasing jackrabbits in his hometown of Parowan, a small town in southwestern Utah.
Like many high school students, Christensen says Richards wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life and this set him on an unexpected career path that left a lasting mark on sports history.
“He went to high school one day and they had a new coach. The coach said, ‘Hey, you’re big’ — he was a big kid — ‘Why don’t you come out for track?’ Alma didn’t even know what he was talking about … but he went out and two years later found himself on the greatest athletic stage in the world,” Christensen says.
This aspect of Richards’ story is what Christensen says gives the film universal appeal.
It’s also a story Christensen is personally invested in. He grew up hearing stories about Richards from his grandmother, who lived with him and his siblings as kids. His grandmother is Richards’ sister, which means the protagonist in the film is Christensen’s great uncle.
Although Christensen is related to the film’s subject, he says making this film wasn’t about nepotism or personal attention. It was the story, first and foremost, that was appealing to him.
The obstacles his great uncle had to overcome were seemingly insurmountable, he says, and “so outlandish … audiences are going to think I made them up.”
“That’s what makes for a good story,” says Christensen. “At the end of the film, there’s a bit of a twist. You’ll think his purpose in life is ‘X’ … and it’s not. He finds an even higher purpose in life.”
“Raising the Bar” has been in the works for the last four years. Christensen began the initial production in 2020 and experienced some delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
RELATED | Movie premiering in eastern Idaho tells story of local missionary who led evacuation out of Nazi Germany
Paul Wuthrich, who had the leading role in “Escape from Germany” — Christensen’s most recent film — plays the part of Richards. Wuthrich could not be reached for comment, but Christensen explains why he cast him in this role.
“This was a hard part to cast because the guy playing Alma not only needs to be a good actor, but also needs to be athletic and be able to fit into our parameters (for a low budget film),” Christensen explains. “This is now the fourth film I’ve done with Paul and he’s just terrific.”
Christensen is making a trip to eastern Idaho next week for the film’s premiere. He’ll be speaking at Brigham Young University-Idaho and interacting with movie-goers for a Q&A in Rexburg and Idaho Falls.
Christensen is excited for audiences to see the film. It will premiere at Paramount 5 in Rexburg, Paramount Theater in Idaho Falls and at the Blackfoot Movie Mill.
WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTENSEN IN THE VIDEO ABOVE.
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Idaho
Woman sentenced to prison for role in Idaho Falls hotel prostitution business – East Idaho News
IDAHO FALLS — A 62-year-old woman was sentenced to prison for prostitution trafficking on Friday following an intense hearing.
Seventh District Judge Brendon Taylor sentenced Xue Fang Lu to five years fixed and 15 years indeterminate, meaning she could spend up to 20 years in prison. She will receive credit for the 252 days she has already served.
RELATED | New details in local prostitution case; charges temporarily dropped for former cop accused of human trafficking
Following a five-day jury trial, a jury on March 6 found Lu guilty of felony interstate trafficking of prostitution and felony procurement of prostitution related to an illegal massage business that was operated out of the Fairbridge Inn in Idaho Falls, from March to May 2024.
All of the charges will run concurrently.
The sentencing
During Friday’s hearing, as in many past hearings in this case, Lu demonstrated confusion and frustration with the court process. She continually interrupted other participants in the hearing, despite being repeatedly told to remain quiet by her defense attorney, Sean Bartholick, and the judge.
At one point, Lu held up a written sign to the camera and the gallery that read: “Double Jeopardy.” She argued through her court-appointed interpreter that she was a victim of being punished for the same crime twice.
According to Cornell Law, double jeopardy is defined as “being prosecuted twice for the same crime.”
In November 2024, Lu and her alleged former partner in the crime, Gordon Dennis Shaw, had their charges temporarily delayed due to Shaw becoming ill and unable to participate in court proceedings, according to Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal.
Shaw, an 82-year-old former Idaho Falls police officer, later had all of the charges against him dropped.
RELATED | New details in local prostitution case; charges temporarily dropped for former cop accused of human trafficking
Shaw later testified in Lu’s trial but was never again charged. According to Neal, Shaw is elderly and unable to understand the court process.
After resuming her court proceedings, Lu was put on trial in September 2025, a process that ended in a hung jury when the jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. A new trial was held in March, when a different jury unanimously found her guilty.
During the sentencing hearing, Taylor explained this to Lu multiple times, reiterating that she has been charged in only one case in Idaho.
Prosecution’s arguments
Neal argued that Lu should be sentenced to six years in prison fixed, and 18 years indeterminate due to the depravity of her crime and the horrific circumstances that she put the victim through.
According to Neal, Lu texted the victim about an arrangement for sex in which the customers were charged extra if they preferred to have unprotected sex.
“There’s actually a discussion of an arrangement for sex which included that the individual was paying more so that he would not have to wear a condom,” Neal said. “One of the texts between Ms. Lu and the victim in this case stated that, explaining that the sex was so severe, that she had been (expletive) hacked to death for $150.”
Neal says the victim in the case was convinced by Lu to come from California to Idaho, a place where she didn’t know anybody, and stay in the hotel at all hours, only leaving to be taken to Walmart to buy food.
“She was basically in an area that she knew no one. She had no support. She had no family or friends, and she had basically no money,” said Neal. “In addition to the victim, Ms. Lu was involving an 82-year-old man who, at the time, it appears was being taken advantage of by several individuals.”
Neal argued that Shaw was being taken advantage of due to his age, stating that Lu used him to contact the victim instead of doing it herself and to limit her “exposure.”
Bartholick objected to this claim, stating that Shaw was in good enough health that he testified for the prosecution during Lu’s trial.
“The state doesn’t get to have it both ways,” Bartholick said. “You can’t go to trial and present this persona as a source of evidence, and try to use it to get a conviction, and then show up at (sentencing) and somehow claim he’s a victim as well.”
RELATED | Former Idaho Falls cop charged with human trafficking and prostitution
Defense’s arguments
Bartholick argued that his client should be sentenced to probation or a retained jurisdiction, also known as a rider, due to her minimal prior criminal history and multiple issues throughout the case, including that Shaw’s charges were dropped and Lu’s were not.
“We have a clear case of selective prosecution, where the state wants to argue some outrage when Mr. Shaw was charged, and cases against him were dismissed,” said Bartholick. “You have a defendant that’s 62 years old with one single misdemeanor, and then you have a case where clearly there was at least an alleged co-conspirator.”
At sentencing, Bartholick and Neal repeatedly made slighting remarks toward each other, instigated by Bartholick, who taunted Neal about his recent election loss in the Idaho Primary for District 7 Judge.
At one point, the prosecutor and defense attorney were arguing over the credibility of a witness, and Neal stated that the questioning had “gone far enough.”
Bartholick responded that it’s “not your call.”
Neal said, “It’s not your witness.”
Bartholick retorted with, “It’s my objection.” He then told Neal, “You’re only 30% correct,” apparently referencing the recent election in which Neal received 30% of the vote for the judgeship. Neal’s opponent, District Judge Steven Boyce, won with 70% of the vote.
Taylor asked the two to stop the personal comments and attacks multiple times during the hearing.
Lu’s statement
Before Taylor made his ruling, Lu provided a statement to the court through an interpreter, repeating her concerns about double jeopardy, her current and past attorneys, and her arrest.
“I am innocent and a law-abiding person,” Lu said through the interpreter. “(The police) didn’t read me my rights; they didn’t have a search warrant.”
Lu also told the court that she was in a relationship with Shaw and that she was having trouble finding a job.
“Dennis and I loved each other at the time,” said Lu through an interpreter. “We often had a video call with my mom. In those video calls, my mom told us, ‘You need to take care of each other.’”
The ruling
Taylor told the court he believed the prosecution had successfully shown the evidence of the crimes and that the only answer was to sentence Lu to prison.
“The state put on sufficient evidence to show that Ms. Lu contacted the victim in California and assisted the victim in coming to the state of Idaho for the purpose of performing acts of prostitution,” Taylor said. “This is a victim-based crime that certainly puts the individual engaging in prostitution at substantial risk.”
Based on her prior court conduct, Lu was physically removed from the courtroom by multiple deputies.
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BOISE, Idaho — Sixteen years ago, Drew Whalin’s dog got bitten by a rattlesnake, and ever since, Drew and the Idaho Chukar Foundation have put together training to help dogs and their owners avoid dangerous animals in Idaho.
“I never wanted to go through my dog getting bit by a rattlesnake again,” said Whalin. “The good news is the rattlesnakes we have here are the least toxic, but the bad news is we have more of them.”
WATCH | See these dogs react to real snakes during a training session—
Idaho Chukar Foundation hosts rattlesnake, skunk and porcupine avoidance training
The Idaho Chukar Foundation hosted its first avoidance training in Julia Davis Park, inviting dog owners to bring out their pooches to learn how to avoid rattlesnakes, skunks, and porcupines using a specific method.
“We do that by using a science that is called operant conditioning,” Whalin explained. “We associate a mild shock stimulation with the dog recognizing the snake and then having the dog owner praise the dog, so it is twofold.”
The foundation uses real snakes during the training sessions, and by the end, the dogs were improving at recognizing the snake and avoiding it.
The Arguedas family brought their dog Banjo, and they appreciate this public service.
“It would be horrible to have your dog bit or have something happen,” said Gretchen Arguedas. “We have been really thankful to have this over multiple hunting dog seasons, and with multiple dogs. Its been a nice insurance policy that we can get outside and feel safe.”
The skunk and porcupine training uses the same method, and the training also featured a booth with the Idaho Trappers Association, which gave dog owners tips on how to get their dog loose from a trap.
The event also included information on rattlesnake ecology, how important it is to have a plan, and what to do in case your dog gets bitten. Funds raised from the training will be used by the Idaho Chukar Association to improve wildlife habitat in Idaho.
If this piques your interest, the Idaho Chukar Foundation is offering additional training days at Julia Davis Park next Saturday, June 6. For additional event information, click here.
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The park, which today spans 4,800 acres was made possible in part through the Recreation & Public Purposes Act, which allowed the agency to sell public lands to state and local governments for recreational purposes.
The state park system expanded precipitously in the decades that followed, and today spans 28 state parks, 60,000 acres of land and 2,500 overnight campsites, far from the “embarrassment” Heyburn had once anticipated. It was less than two decades ago, however, the state was considering pulling back on some of its established public sites that had been frequented for decades.
In 2009, when the state was in the throes of the Great Recession, IDPR was at one point being considered to be parted out to other agencies. At the time, Just joined former IDPR director Yvonne Farrell to form the Friends of Idaho State Parks and garner support for the state’s park system — the agency ultimately survived the economic downturn, but not without a more than 80% cut to it budget, Just said.
Engagement in the parks has continued to be elevated since the COVID-19 pandemic, after people in Idaho and across the country were itching to get outside their homes and into the outdoors. In 2020, a record 7.6 million people visited Idaho state parks and IDPR has reported an average of 7.1 million visitors between 2020-2023.
While serving as a senator on the Idaho Legislature in 2023, Just served as a bill sponsor for an $100 million expansion of IDPR’s budget — the largest in state history, This was followed in 2024 with an allocation of $20 million in funds for deferred maintenance at state parks.
“COVID frankly showed us how much people love the state parks,” Just said. “When they were stuck at home, they got out in the fresh air where they could enjoy themselves and just inundated state parks. Not just here, but everywhere.”
McCandless covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Idaho Press of Nampa and Coeur d’Alene Press. He may be contacted at rmccandless@idahopress.com.
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