Idaho

Inside the fastest land animal in Idaho

Published

1 year ago

November 27, 2023

Press Room

Inside Idaho
The stories of Idaho’s history, places, and oddities

If you’ve driven across Idaho’s wide open country, you may have spotted a heard of pronghorn.

The animals, which often get confused for antelope, are considered to be the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere, according to Idaho Fish and Game. The mammals can run up to 60 miles per hour and can run long distances – sustaining speeds of 30 to 45 miles per hour.

Running the distance

“The cheetah is a faster sprinter. It would win in a short-distance race, but the pronghorn would win a long-distance race,” IFG notes. “It would still be going long after the cheetah stopped.”

Once hunted by cheetahs, saber-toothed cats, and lions that roamed North America, today, their biggest predators are bobcats and coyotes which mainly go after young pronghorn.

“When pronghorn spot danger, they have a way to warn other pronghorn. They stick up the white hairs on their rumps,” IFG notes. “On a bright day, the signal may be seen for miles. This is a cue for other pronghorn to do what they do best – run!”

Their quickness makes them a challenge for Idaho hunters. Not only do they have great hearing, but they also have a great sense of smell and eyesight. Pronghorn’s eyeballs are the size of a horse’s – allowing them to spot a moving object from four miles away.

“You might say they have built-in binoculars. Although pronghorns can detect a moving object miles away, they may ignore a person standing still just 50 feet away,” IFG’s website notes. “Something needs to move for a pronghorn to see it.”

Not antelope

If you look up pronghorn, you’ll find many call them “pronghorn antelope.” However, pronghorn are not related to antelope in any way.

“Pronghorn may look like the antelope that roam the African plains, but they are really very different animals,” IFG notes. They are a part of the Antilocapridae Family and are the only members with no close relatives.

According to IFG, pronghorn can be playful with humans – racing vehicles driving on roads through their habitat.

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Idaho

Passengers evacuated after “suspicious device” was found at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport – Local News 8

Published

6 hours ago

January 12, 2025

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Passengers evacuated after “suspicious device” was found at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport – Local News 8

The following is a media release from the City of Idaho Falls.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (City of Idaho Falls) – Around 3:50 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, a security incident occurred at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport resulting in the response of the Idaho Falls Police and Fire Departments.

Passengers were immediately evacuated to a safe terminal area while an investigation occurred.

During the security screening process, a suspicious device was discovered in the luggage. Upon concluding the investigation, it was determined the suspicious item was not dangerous. The airport has no further information to provide at this time.

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Idaho

Suspicious device found at Idaho Falls airport was not dangerous, officials say – East Idaho News

Published

14 hours ago

January 11, 2025

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Suspicious device found at Idaho Falls airport was not dangerous, officials say – East Idaho News

IDAHO FALLS – A suspicious device discovered in someone’s luggage at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport Saturday afternoon resulted in an evacuation.

The Idaho Falls Police and Fire Departments responded around 3:50 p.m., according to city spokesman Eric Grossarth. The item in question was not specified.

Authorities detained passengers in a safe area of the terminal during the investigation. Witnesses say it lasted around 30 minutes and the road leading to the airport was closed during that time.

Ultimately, police determined the device was not dangerous.

Roads have re-opened and authorities have cleared the scene.

EastIdahoNews.com will provide updates as we receive them.

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Idaho

Idaho Legislature’s budget committee accepts report recommending raises for state employees – East Idaho News

Published

23 hours ago

January 11, 2025

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Idaho Legislature’s budget committee accepts report recommending raises for state employees – East Idaho News

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) – The Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee closed out the first week of the 2025 legislative session Friday by accepting a report recommending raises of $1.55 per hour for all state employees.

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, or JFAC, is a powerful legislative committee that meets daily and sets the budgets for every state agency and department.

A day earlier, on Thursday, the Idaho Legislature’s Change in Employee Compensation Committee voted 7-3 to recommend the $1.55 per hour raises.

On Friday, JFAC voted to accept the report with the recommendation from the Change in Employee Compensation Committee, but it did not vote on whether to approve the raises.

An actual JFAC vote on the raises is expected on Wednesday or Thursday.

JFAC also accepted a report Friday from the Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee that projected $6.4 billion in state revenue will be available for next year’s budget. The $6.4 billion projection is slightly under Gov. Brad Little’s $6.41 billion revenue projection.

“We recommend caution in making appropriations above the committee’s revenue projection,” Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls, told JFAC on Friday. “The committee recognizes economic uncertainty related to the impact of the Federal Reserve Bank addressing inflation and the recent presidential election.”

The action is expected to pick up considerably next week for JFAC. JFAC’s long-term schedule lists statewide maintenance budget decisions on the schedule for Wednesday, which could include decisions on state revenues and the proposed $1.55 raises for state employees.

On Friday, JFAC members are expected to set the maintenance budgets for all state agencies. JFAC leaders describe maintenance budgets as bare bones versions of last year’s budgets, with all the one-time money and projects removed. The maintenance budgets are simply meant to keep the lights on for state agencies. Under budget changes approved last year, new spending requests and replacement items are called budget enhancements, which are considered and voted on separately from the maintenance budgets.