Garrett McGroarty is the pilot and tour guide at Idaho Extreme Adventures, which provides helicopter tours of part of eastern Idaho. See what the helicopter looks like in the video above. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

ST. ANTHONY – Garrett McGroarty loves seeing the sunset over the St. Anthony Sand Dunes and the Tetons from the cockpit of his three-passenger Robinson R42 Raven helicopter.

The 20-year-old St. Anthony man is the pilot and tour guide for Idaho Extreme Adventures, a company that provides helicopter tours from Rexburg to the edge of Island Park. The hangar and pad are near the sand dunes at 1695 East 500 North in St. Anthony.

The tours are open to anyone, including farmers who want to see an aerial view of their land.

“We’ll fly them over hundreds or thousands of acres and let them see their cattle from above or see how their crops are growing,” McGroarty tells EastIdahoNews.com.

One of the most popular tours gives passengers an aerial view of the Rexburg Temple.

The business launched in April 2023 and last summer, McGroarty says he provided tours for about 450 people.

EastIdahoNews.com met McGroarty at the hangar for a look inside, which you can watch in the video above.

The business is adjacent to Idaho Dunes RV, an RV park near the sand dunes his family also owns.

McGroarty got the idea for Idaho Extreme Adventures during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was a sophomore in high school at the time and everything was shut down. As a result, it was a “rare opportunity” for McGroarty to take a hard look at what he wanted to do with his life.

“With some of the biggest sand dunes in the country, the Tetons, Island Park, West Yellowstone — there was no helicopter tour companies in the St. Anthony area and so we figured it would be a great career,” McGroarty says.

McGroarty got his start flying helicopters about three years ago while attending Idaho State University. At this point, he’s about a year away from graduating and he’s thrilled to be doing something he loves.

He has fond memories of taking a ride in a helicopter as a young boy. An employee at Air Idaho Rescue in Idaho Falls is close friends with his family and they’d often give him rides.

“Flying other tours, other places all over the country made me realize how much I love flying and I felt like I could challenge myself and get my own license,” says McGroarty.

Currently, the tours are confined to a 25-mile radius around the helicopter pad at the St. Anthony hangar. But McGroarty is in the process of getting the Part 135 Air Carrier and Operator certification, which will allow him to fly greater distances.

He’s hoping to provide flights to neighboring states in the near future.

The entry level flight gives passengers a helicopter dune tour, which covers all the sand dunes, including some hidden ones, as well as Devil’s Dune, Thunder Mountain and Egin Lake. It starts at $140 per person. The price goes up, depending on the length of the flight.

To schedule a tour or learn more, call (208) 243-9554 or email info@idahoextremeadventures.com. You can also visit the website.

BOISE – For Idaho drivers, it’s been another week of savings at the pump, but prices may change direction soon.

According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular in the Gem State is $3.55, which is three cents less than a week ago, 23 cents less than a month ago, and 43 cents less than a year ago.  Meanwhile, the national average held steady at $3.45 per gallon this week, which is 16 cents less than a month ago and 13 cents less than a year ago.

Idaho remains in 12th place in the nation for most expensive fuel – another week out of the top ten.

“Last week, the state average dropped by six cents, and this week, by three cents.  We may see pump prices bottom out soon for the duration of the summer,” says AAA Idaho public affairs director Matthew Conde.  “With the 4th of July just around the corner and a record number of travelers expected to hit the roads and head for the airports, this season of unusual savings may soon come to an end.”

According to the Energy Information Administration, refineries are currently operating at 93.5% of capacity nationwide, a 1.5% decrease from the previous week.  However, Rockies refineries have increased production, jumping from just under 97% to an amazing 98.3%.

In recent weeks, strong refinery production has helped offset rising demand, which jumped to 9.4 million barrels per day, an increase of 400,000 b/d from the previous week.  However, storm-related issues at a refinery in Corpus Christi and a heat-related problem at a refinery in Wood River, Illinois may represent the first disruptions in the recent trend.

“When temperatures reach 100 degrees and higher, refineries tend to experience more breakdowns, which could impact the supply chain and, in turn, prices at the pump,” Conde said.  “And if a hurricane makes landfall near a major refinery or metro area, that can inject additional chaos into the system.”

The West Texas Intermediate benchmark for crude oil is currently trading near $82 per barrel, which is $5 more than a month ago and $12 more than a year ago.  At the moment, the recent uptick is an anomaly – crude oil has been below the $80 mark for all but a few days since the beginning of May.

Here’s a look at Idaho gas prices as of 6/24/24:

• Boise – $3.58
• Coeur d’Alene – $3.49 
• Franklin – $3.55
• Idaho Falls – $3.33 
• Lewiston – $3.62 
• Pocatello – $3.46 
• Rexburg – $3.55 
• Twin Falls – $3.56 

For more information, please visit https://gasprices.aaa.com/ and the AAA Fuel Price Finder.

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to make a ruling on Idaho’s strict abortion ban, almost exactly two years after the repeal of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022.

In April, the High Court heard arguments on whether or not Idaho’s abortion bans conflict with federal mandates requiring doctors to stabilize patients in an emergency, which can include by providing an abortions. Under state code, abortions are legal under limited exceptions, including if the life of the mother is in danger, but not if her health is jeopardized. The outcome of the case could consolidate the state’s anti-abortion policies or open them up to further litigation.

Hospitals, Medical Association and physicians have repeatedly denounced the bans as confusing to interpret and dangerous to women’s health. St Luke’s Healthcare system reported a sharp rise in patients being airlifted out of the state for emergency abortions. Attorney General Raúl Labrador accused physicians of inflating those numbers for political gain.

A study released by the Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare shows the state has lost 22% of its OBGYNs since the bans went into effect.

In 2023, only five abortions were reported to the Department of Health and Welfare, but out of state organizations say they’ve sent roughly 1,200 abortion pills by mail directly to women in Idaho for self managed at home terminations.

Under Idaho law, anyone who provides or assists in providing an abortion can face felony charges and five years in prison. Doctors can also lose their medical license. This, they say, has left them second guessing when to intervene in an emergency.

Politicians from both sides of the aisle disagree on the impact of these strict laws. Anti abortion advocates say no doctors have been prosecuted under the ban. In a press call last week, Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea called Idaho “a terrifying cautionary tale” for the rest of the nation’s reproductive landscape.

The last day for the U.S. Supreme Court to release its ruling for this year’s session is Wednesday.