CAREY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Shaylin and Eric Heywood said they dreamed of owning reindeer, and last year, it came true when they opened the Sawtooth Reindeer Ranch in Carey.

“Seeing all the kids just in awe that reindeer actually exists makes all the work worth it,” Eric Haywood said.

Since then, they’ve learned how to take care of these unique creatures, and it’s a lot of work.

“I was full-time, we were both full-time, but now I am a stay-at-home-reindeer mom full-time,” Shaylin Heywood said. “These guys do require quite a bit, it’s out here all day every day.”

Their business centers around tours of their ranch and bringing their reindeer to events across the Magic Valley. Another one of their goals is to spread the knowledge of how important these animals are to agriculture.

“The huge culture and history they actually have in agricultural life,” Shaylin Haywood said. “Idaho recognizes that, but like how we have horses, cows and dogs, the Sami people they have reindeer, that is their livestock animal.”

Eric Heywood said that raising reindeer comes with unique struggles.

“When they’re not feeling good, they really do a good job at disguising it,” Eric Heywood said. “Because they don’t want to show weakness, because if they show weakness in a herd environment, they are usually the ones that get cut out or taken out.”

With their reindeer’s success over the years, the Heywoods said they know the community is there for them.

“Everybody has been awesome, and it’s been really cool to see kind of like cheer and happiness that they bring no matter where we go or who comes here, it’s been awesome,” Shaylin Haywood said.

The ranch is preparing to welcome some new additions next year.

“Also, keep an eye out because this spring, we are expecting our first round of calves, so we will have a bunch of baby reindeer running around,” Shaylin Heywood said.

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The Idaho Transportation Department closed State Highway 21 from Idaho City to Lowman on Thursday afternoon due to high avalanche risk.

ITD says that the current weather pattern is likely to trigger avalanches in this section of the highway. Motorists needing to use the roadway after Thursday afternoon will have to use an alternate route, such as State Highway 75.

There are nearly 70 avalanche paths in this 11-mile stretch of SH-21, according to ITD, and avalanches are often triggered without warning, so there is no parking or stopping within this section of the road throughout the winter.

REXBURG — Madison County is now home to a lacrosse club that’s preparing to start its inaugural season in 2025.

The Rexburg Crusaders Lacrosse Club was founded in November 2024. Head coach and club president Nick Browneller said the club was created after his son, a freshman at Madison High School, wrote a paper for his speech and debate class about why lacrosse should be a sanctioned sport in southeast Idaho schools.

“He presented it before some teachers and I think the athletic department, then came home and asked if he found a bunch of kids who would be willing to play if I would come out of retirement and coach and I said, ‘Sure,’” Browneller recalled.

Browneller said starting this club is something they’ve tried to do in Rexburg before, but there wasn’t enough people interested until now. He said the sport is growing and noted there are already teams across southeast Idaho in places such as Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Ammon, the Teton Valley and Twin Falls.

“(My son) wound up finding a bunch of kids and within a couple weeks, we had 23 kids sign-up and register to play,” Browneller said.

The team is a junior varsity team made up of students from seventh to 10 grade. Only four kids on Browneller’s team have ever played lacrosse before.

He recognizes there’s a learning curve for his team, especially as they get ready for a season where they’ll face teams that have been around for a while.

“I tell the kids whether you know the sport or not, you’re making history by putting a team in Rexburg, so all I ever ask of them is they show up ready to have fun, work hard and know we’re not judging against what other teams have done,” Browneller stated. “We’re judging on where Rexburg wants to go with this team, and make a mark on the map for this part of southeast Idaho when it comes to lacrosse.”

Browneller has more than 30 years of experience playing and coaching lacrosse. He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, which he said was one of the first states to have lacrosse.

“It’s an indigenous sport,” he said. “I grew up as if it was Texas football — you play it. For us, it was the main sport.”

Browneller played all through school growing up and when he was a student at Brigham Young University-Idaho, he started a lacrosse club and travel team. Browneller went on to coach Idaho Falls Lacrosse (2012-2017) and was a coach at Washington State University (2017-2020).

He then moved back to Idaho and worked with Idaho Falls Lacrosse for about a year before coaching Pocatello Lacrosse, where he helped that team get to the championship game.

“I was going to take some time off until my son put all this together, so here I am back in the fray with a community that’s really been nothing but supportive (and) parents who have been looking for years to have a lacrosse club and someone to spearhead it,” he said.

The season runs from March through May. Although it’s a community club, Browneller said the team works with Madison High School. The school has given the team time in the fieldhouse and is going to give them a field to use for their home games.

The Rexburg Crusaders will play against Pocatello, Ammon, Teton Valley, Idaho Falls and Jackson during its upcoming season.

Browneller said they are wanting to roll out youth programs in the summer. For more information on the club and what it has to offer, visit its Facebook page.