Idaho
Local trio want you to have a ‘Parents Night Out,’ and they’ll watch your kids – East Idaho News
Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BUZZ
IDAHO FALLS
Trio launching new drop-in daycare service in Idaho Falls
IDAHO FALLS – The owners of a new business want to babysit your kids while you have a night out with your significant other.
Parents Night Out Co. opens this Friday and provides drop-in childcare for parents wanting a date night on Friday and Saturday. The same service is available for weddings, corporate events or other occasions.
Owners Patrick and Nicole Marks run it out of their home at 2649 Newman Drive in Idaho Falls. They, along with their business partner, Mely Rodriguez, are hosting an open house and grand opening on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there, and raffle prizes will be available.
In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, the Marks say there’s a lot of interest in this service throughout the community, and they’re excited to serve families.
“We’ve been working with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to get background checks and CPR, first aid and (AED) certified,” Nicole says.
“We don’t have an official state license, as of right now,” Patrick adds, explaining that they’re currently exempt from it because there isn’t a category that fits the type of service they offer.
The Marks say they’ve been approved to move forward while the department figures out the licensing situation.
“We have everything we need to (become licensed) once we figure out what category we fall under,” says Patrick.
The Marks are the parents of four kids 8 and under. For them, finding a babysitter is always a challenge. If they find one, they say it’s always expensive.
Nicole and Rodriguez, who is also a mom, used to work together. It was Rodriguez who first pitched her the idea of a daycare service for weddings and events.
Rodriguez and the Marks joined forces, and Parents Night Out was born.
“We want it to be homey. We want kids to come and feel safe and have fun,” says Nicole.
Parents Night Out is a side hustle for the trio.
Nicole has a day job as a forklift and machine operator at the Idaho National Lab. Patrick drives a cement mixer for Central Valley Concrete Cutting & Coring, and Rodriguez works at Kenworth Sales.
They’re excited to begin operation and want to see the business grow. Eventually, they’d like to have their own building from which to operate the daycare service.
They’re inviting the community to come and meet them at the open house on Saturday.
“One of the reasons we’re having the open house is so people can see the house and meet us, ask questions and have an open dialogue,” Rodriguez says.
Drop-in daycare services are available every Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight. The cost is $5 an hour per child and another $3 an hour for every additional child in the same household. Event and wedding childcare can be arranged by appointment.
To learn more, visit the website or Facebook page. You can also call (208) 810-1340.
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Idaho
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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A controversy is brewing as the City of Idaho Falls reviews its alcohol ordinance.
The goal is to consolidate four existing ordinances for beer, wine and liquor into a single law and ensure compliance with state code.
However, at its meeting last Thursday, the Idaho Falls City Council unanimously voted to remove the proposed ordinance from its agenda, in order to receive and consider additional public comment.
The proposed ordinance would:
1. Require commercial establishments selling, dispensing or permitting consumption of alcohol – including beer, wine or liquor – to have an alcohol license, alcohol catering permit or a charitable event permit.
2. Business events with 20 or less employees consuming alcohol at the business would be allowed.
3. Require alcohol servers to complete training every three years.
4. Individuals who violate the law could be charged with a misdemeanor.
Idaho Falls City Council President Jim Francis said the changes were the culmination of months of collaboration between law enforcement, business owners and city attorneys.
“We wanted to provide a safe environment – the primary point here – for public gatherings,” Francis said. “We recognize that certain antiquated elements of the current code are overly restrictive and needed to be addressed. We wanted to make the code more accessible to the public. We needed to address over-pouring issues. We wanted to reduce penalties where possible for violations, particularly the first offenses, and yet make the code clear enough to be enforceable consistently by law enforcement.”
But City Council Member John Radford said the changes represent an overreach by city government.
“I believe it’s a bad policy. What problem are we solving in the name of trying to solve a non-problem?” Radford said. “We’re becoming big brother around alcohol in your private property. I’m concerned that landlords will be at risk of being charged with a misdemeanor if they knowingly, which I made sure that was in there, because that is what we’ve been talking about, allowed people to drink in our business. We will be outside the norm of Idaho cities. This is a big step, and I don’t think the public has weighed in on this.”
At a City Council Work Session on June 1, Idaho Falls Chief of Police Bryce Johnson cited an increase in alcohol-related crime – particularly downtown – as a reason for the changes.
“DUI is there, but this would include sexual assaults, assaults, batteries, disturbances, urination, public vandalism, shooting – all sorts of crimes,” Johnson said.
But business owners are concerned about the potential impact on commercial enterprises.
“The ordinance doesn’t address the real problem – which is people drinking … at one event and then showing up in a bar or restaurant already hammered and causing problems anyway,” ” said Terri Ireland, representing the Idaho Falls Downtown Merchants Association. “The industry is really well-regulated by state and local laws already.”
The City of Idaho Falls began the process of updating its alcohol ordinance in January 2026, seeking input from community stakeholders.
Multiple community members spoke out about the ordinance.
For more in-depth information, you can read the full 39-page proposed alcohol ordinance here.
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — A simmering dispute between Idaho’s top elections official and the U.S. Department of Justice escalated this month after federal officials warned Secretary of State Phil McGrane about possible prosecution tied to non-citizens voting in Idaho.
The Justice Department sent a letter earlier this month threatening McGrane with prosecution. The warning came amid a broader conflict between the Trump administration and McGrane, whom the administration has sued over his refusal to provide unredacted voter rolls to the federal government.
Idaho’s chief of civil litigation, James Craig, responded on July 10. In a letter first reported by the Idaho Statesman, Craig pushed back on the federal warning, writing, “Insinuations of criminal violations of the federal election laws are not well taken,” and asking the department to “stop threatening your friends in Idaho.”
Craig also requested that the lawsuit against McGrane be dismissed and criticized the Justice Department for sending its letter directly to McGrane rather than to the Idaho attorney general’s office.
The attorney general’s office said the state has already referred 15 cases of possible non-citizen election violations to the Justice Department but is not aware of any of them being prosecuted. Craig’s letter ends by asking the department to do so.
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