As more women delay having families for a variety of reasons, there are more risks for the mother. 

The reasons for delaying the start of a family are usually personal, although more women say attending college, dealing with student loan debt and delaying marriage are the top reasons found by a Pew Charitable Trust study. 

The Pew study reports the average age for first-time pregnancies has increased to 27.3 years old for most women, with Asian women waiting until an average age of 31 years and white women delaying pregnancy until an average of 28 years.

But with such delays also comes more risks, including pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure), gestational diabetes, premature births and still births. The Cleveland Clinic also notes women past the age of 35 wanting to get pregnant also have issues with lower egg quality (resulting in complications for the child) and chronic medical conditions.

Is it any wonder why so many women who experience problems find themselves in an emergency room needing to make the painful decision about ending the pregnancy?

Especially for first-time older mothers, a non-viable fetus is common. Yet under Idaho law, any women who discovers the fetus no longer has a heartbeat after six weeks can be forced to carry the fetus to “term.” The physical as well as psychological trauma of such a move is devastating, not just to the mother but also to her partner, the rest of her family and friends. 

Does the Legislature seriously want to create such chaos in state families? 

Legislators may, but the citizens do not. A 2024 study by the Boise State University’s Idaho Public Policy Institute and School of Public Service said 58 percent of surveyed Idahoans say abortion should be legal in the state. 

Currently, state law says an abortion can only be performed in case of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother. Other medical complications makes the law vague for medical personnel, and confusing for pregnant patients who need help with their health care. Some complications, especially in older women, may not mean death but it may mean stroke, heart attack or another debilitating issue. 

The June 27 U.S. Supreme Court ruling at least temporarily stays parts of state law, allowing hospital emergency rooms to perform an abortion to save the life of the mother past the six weeks mark. Until then, emergency rooms were flying high-risk patients out of state for their care, the physicians fearful of being prosecuted if they acted in the patient’s best interest at home.

Loss of federal protection in Idaho spurs pregnant patients to plan for emergency air transport

It really begs the question: When will the legislators listen to the will of the people?  

Beyond care for the woman involved, state abortion laws are also doing something possibly unintended: the loss of many physicians in a rural state already struggling with finding adequate medical care.

In the past two years, Idaho has lost 22 percent of all OB-GYN physicians. That is a loss of 40 to 60 physicians between August 2022 and November 2023, said a report by the Idaho Physician Well-Being Collaborative and the Idaho Coalition for Safe Health Care. The report also said half of the state’s 44 counties do not have any practicing obstetricians.

The loss of maternal health care means higher mortality rates and overall poor pregnancy outcomes. Currently, Idaho is the lower 10 percent of the country in maternal health care, the exodus of physicians is only increasing problems.

The ripple effect also goes on to include other physicians, meaning overall health care in the state is suffering. If people cannot get access to health care, they will also leave the state.

Add to this the oxymoron of the state Republican Party coming out against IVF for women who want a family but cannot conceive normally. 

Which does the party want – people who want families or a desire to force people to have children when the result of a non-viable pregnancy is disastrous to the family?

Overall, abortion is a form of health care. Access to safe abortions is not forced upon every woman who becomes pregnant, but it is necessary for some women who – for either a medical or personal reasons – cannot carry a fetus to term.  As the old saying goes, if you do not want abortion, don’t have one.

The following is a news release from the city of Idaho Falls.

With the annual Independence Day festivities just days away, the Idaho Falls Police Department and partner agencies are sharing traffic closures, information, and safety tips to help the public to be safe and prepared for the annual 4th of July events that take place in Idaho Falls.

More than 200,000 community members and visitors will celebrate our nation’s independence during various events, including the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce Liberty on Parade, Riverbend’s Riverfest, and the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration. The City of Idaho Falls staff is proud to assist the entities that host these events on Independence Day.

Anyone attending these events, as well as residents of Idaho Falls and the surrounding areas, is encouraged to plan ahead for the impacts of these events to ensure a safe and enjoyable Independence Day.

GENERAL

Call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency. Please keep 9-1-1 lines clear for actual emergencies. To contact public safety for non-emergent issues call (208) 529-1200. If you are attending the parade, Riverfest, or the Freedom Celebration and, due to congestion around the events, you are not able to successfully place/receive phone calls or text messages, go to the IFPD post at the events (see below) or flag down one of the Idaho Falls Police Officers or Idaho Falls Fire & EMS personnel roving through the events.

Report any criminal activity. Every Idaho Falls Police Department officer, Animal Control Officer, Emergency Communications Officer and many other IFPD staff will be working on the 4th of July. We thank the public for their patience as officers address calls for service as quickly as possible, as well as other safety and criminal concerns throughout the day.

LIBERTY ON PARADE

The annual 4th of July parade, Liberty on Parade hosted by the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce, begins at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 4. The parade route begins near Idaho Falls High School at the intersection of 4th Street and South Holmes Avenue, travels West on 4th Street, turns South on South Boulevard, and concludes at the intersection of South Boulevard and Rogers Street.

Idaho Falls Police Officers will be roving along the parade route and in the surrounding area on bike and on foot. A manned post of IFPD Officers will be located at 10th Street and South Boulevard near Common Cents. Look for the blue Idaho Falls Police canopy.

Pedestrian foot traffic and people lining the parade route begins hours before the start of the parade. Residents and anyone traveling within at least a mile of the parade route should expect to encounter congested traffic, crowds, and pedestrians. Motorists are asked to avoid the area if they are not attending the parade and to otherwise use caution in the area.

Parking along the parade route is not permitted after 5:00 a.m. on July 4th until after the conclusion of the parade. Anyone who leaves a vehicle parked along the parade route, or in the parade staging area around Idaho Falls High School, after 5:00 a.m. for any length of time risks being cited and/or having the vehicle towed.

The following road closures related to the parade will be in effect at the indicated times on July 4th until the conclusion of the parade.

6:00 a.m.

John Adams Parkway, including the branches that connect to 4th Street and 5th Street, from Tiger Ave to S Holmes Ave.

8:00 a.m.

South Boulevard from N Water Ave to W Sunnyside Road.

9:00 a.m. and later.

­­The intersection of South Holmes Ave and 4th Street will close at the start of the parade. South Holmes Ave will reopen after the parade has passed.

The intersection of South Holmes and East 17th Street will close when the parade reaches 10th street and will remain closed until the parade has passed.

RIVERFEST & FREEDOM CELEBRATION

The annual Riverfest and Melaleuca Freedom Celebration events take place at Snake River Landing. For full details from the event organizers regarding the schedule of events, parking information, etc. visit their respective websites.

Riverfest: https://riverfestidaho.com/

Melaleuca Freedom Celebration: https://www.freedomcelebration.com/

Crowds begin gathering at Snake River Landing in the early afternoon and continue to grow throughout the evening. Event organizers estimate that over 200,000 people gather in and around Snake River Landing to watch the fireworks display each year.

Due to the large number of people in the area, cell phone service at Snake River Landing becomes unreliable in the early to late evening and continues until after the majority of attendees have dispersed after the fireworks. Attendees should plan to be unable to send text messages or place phone calls during this time period. It is wise to discuss safety plans with children and adults in your group, including child safety, where you will meet if you are separated, and where to seek emergency assistance at the event if you cannot place a call to 911.

Idaho Falls Police Officers will be roving through Snake River Landing on bike and on foot throughout the event. A manned post of IFPD Officers will be located at the Northeast corner of Snake River Parkway and Event Center Drive starting in the early afternoon for Riverfest and the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration. Look for the blue Idaho Falls Police canopy.

As a reminder to attendees, Snake River Landing is private property and the venue is being made available for the public. Attendees are encouraged to be respectful of private property, and to be cooperative with all Snake River Landing staff, private security and City of Idaho Falls staff working to ensure an enjoyable and safe celebration. Anyone found not complying with rules or laws may be asked to leave. For the safety of all attendees and to limit potential disruption to the fireworks display, the following rules are in effect during the event:

NO PERSONAL FIREWORKS: Due to the location of the fireworks launch site and Riverfest, the highly congested and grassy areas around Snake River Landing, and for the safety of persons attending the event, the Fire Marshal has restricted any and all personal fireworks, including sparklers, from Lochsa Drive, south to Sunnyside Drive, and from the Capital Avenue River Walk west to the Porter Canal.

NO DRONES: Community members are asked not to fly drones at any of the Independence Day festivities, and are reminded that flying drones in the airspace around Snake River Landing on the 4th of July is prohibited due to helicopters already in the airspace. Flying personal drones creates unsafe situations for helicopters that have reserved the airspace with the FAA, and also for first responder use of drones in emergency situations.

NO ALCOHOL: Event organizers and property owners have prohibited all alcohol at Snake River Landing.

NO ATV’s: No private ATVs, dirt bikes, go carts or other motorized vehicles will be permitted at Snake River Landing.

WATER SAFETY: People are asked to stay out of the river, canals and water features in and around Snake River Landing, including the Snake River. The waterways may look refreshing on a hot day, but there are many hidden dangers and water levels are high and fast. Water features at Snake River Landing may contain additives that are unsafe for people and pets.

EMERGENCY TRAFFIC: Keep emergency vehicle lanes open to allow public safety personnel to respond quickly and safely. When needed, please make safe efforts to make space for public safety personnel to get through quickly, whether on foot, bike, or in a vehicle.

PARKING INFORMATION

Those attending the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration should plan to arrive early and should not expect to access Snake River Landing at the last minute. Attendees should review the Parking & Exiting Map provided by event organizers for recommended parking areas based on your destination following the fireworks. Event organizers also have specific parking plans for handicap access available on their website. When the fireworks conclude, traffic from each parking lot will flow in a pre-determined direction. Be sure to choose a parking lot that will exit in the direction you need to go after the show.

Any unmarked areas are “No Parking”. Please only park in the indicated spaces or lots to allow for emergency vehicle access throughout the event area. There is no on-street parking allowed anywhere on Snake River Pkwy, Pioneer Road, Event Center Drive, or Sunnyside between I-15 and Yellowstone Hwy, and Yellowstone Hwy between Sunnyside and Pancheri at any time on the 4th of July. Vehicles parked in these areas risk towing or citation.

Complex traffic plans have been put in place through partnerships with Snake River Landing and event organizers, the Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho State Police, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, City of Idaho Falls, and the Idaho Falls Police Department.

Traffic plans have been created to maximize safety and efficiency as people are exiting the Snake River Landing area following the fireworks. However, given the hundreds of thousands of attendees at this event, even the most efficient traffic exit plans will take time. Event attendees should plan for exiting to take up to two hours. Routes in and around Idaho Falls will be restricted, and certain parking lots will allow for faster exits to certain locations. Information about parking lot designations is available at www.freedomcelebration.com.

Due to the greatly increased number of people in the city, remember to remain patient in slow-moving traffic. Drivers should slow down, focus on driving, avoid distractions, watch for pedestrians, and bicyclists, obey all traffic laws, special holiday parking and traffic restrictions. Community members and visitors should not move or drive around traffic control devices for any reason. Doing so can create dangerous situations for yourself and others and will likely result in further delays. Community members are reminded to obey directions from law enforcement and designated traffic officials.

Motorists traveling to or in the area of Snake River Landing should expect numerous road closures beginning Wednesday, July 3rd and continuing until early morning on July 5th.

South Tourist Park and Ryder Park serve as command posts for emergency personnel from the Idaho Falls Police Department, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho Falls Fire Department. In order for emergency vehicles to respond quickly in the event of an emergency, South Tourist Park and Ryder Park will be closed to all public vehicles, boats & campers/RVs beginning July 3rd at 11:00 a.m. South Tourist Park and the adjacent River Walk/Greenbelt will remain open for foot/bicycle traffic. The parks will reopen to vehicles boats and camping at noon on July 5th.

The road closures listed below will go into effect at the time shown and will reopen when traffic exiting the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration has sufficiently cleared.

Current Closures

Milligan Road South of 901 Pier View Drive is currently closed and will remain closed until after July 4th.

July 3 at 10 a.m.

Snake River Parkway from Whitewater Drive to midway between Event Center Drive and Sunnyside Road.
Event Center Drive
Lochsa River Drive from Snake River Parkway to White Sand Creek Way

July 4 at 6 a.m.

Full road closures:

Snake River Pkwy North of Sunnyside to Pier View Drive
Snake River Pkwy between Pioneer Rd and Utah Ave
Southbound Closures:

Milligan Rd.

July 4th at 8 p.m.

Sunnyside from Snake River Pkwy to Pioneer Rd.
July 4th at 9:00 p.m.

Full Closures

Interstate 15 at Sunnyside Rd. (Exit 116) off-ramp closures for northbound and southbound exits (on-ramps will be open).
Pioneer Rd. from Pioneer Drive to Event Center Drive

Northbound closures:

Pancheri Dr. & Utah Ave.
The North segment exiting the Utah Ave. roundabout
Southfork Blvd between Sunnyside and Pioneer Drive
Pioneer Drive & Sunnyside
Pioneer Road & Sunnyside
S. Yellowstone Hwy (26) at 19th Street
Sunnyside and Yellowstone
19th and Rollandet Ave
21st and Rollandet Ave
Gallatin & 25th

Eastbound closures:

Pancheri Dr., East of Skyline Dr.
W. Sunnyside Rd., near the I-15 interchange

Southbound closures:

Utah Ave & Pioneer Rd
W. Broadway Street & Yellowstone Ave (Highway 26)
Pancheri Dr & S. Yellowstone Hwy (Highway 26)
Leslie Ave & 21st St
Leslie Ave & 25th St
Rollandet Ave & 17th St.
Rollandet Ave & 21st St.
Softball & Rollandet
Riverwalk & Pancheri
Riverwalk & Bridgeport

Westbound closures:

Pancheri Dr & Capital Ave.
W. Sunnyside Rd & S. Yellowstone Hwy (Highway 91 westbound)
W. Sunnyside Rd at Rollandet
W. Broadway Street & Memorial Drive
W. Sunnyside & McNeil Drive
W. Sunnyside on the Eastside of Basic American Foods (1050 W Sunnyside Road)
W. Sunnyside west of S Koester Road at the substation

Pedestrians and bicyclists leaving Snake River Landing are asked to not cross Sunnyside in any location other than designated crossing areas indicated by event signage. Visibility is low and pedestrian safety is a significant concern. Besides causing delays to traffic flow exiting the event, there are vehicle versus pedestrian near misses each year due to pedestrians crossing traffic in an unsafe manner.