Idaho
Poisonous spiders are rare in Idaho – East Idaho News
I remember growing up under the tutelage of an affirmed arachnophobiac. My father hated spiders. We all knew of his fear because it was so ingrained that it was impossible to hide. Mom was the one called upon when any eight-legged invaders were spotted. In contrast to Dad, Mother had no fears. I once watched her smash a black widow spider with her bare hand. Upon seeing this, my insides tried to escape my outside. Unfortunately, I know whose genetics I inherited.
Many people share, to varying degrees, a dislike of spiders. Like my father, I will never be able to convincingly deny my own phobia. However, it is comforting to know that we are fortunate to live in an area where my fear is nearly entirely unfounded. We only have a single species of spider whose bite is medically significant to humans, the black widow.
Early evidence suggested hobo spider bites caused slow-healing, ulcerating lesions. That early evidence has since been refuted, and spider experts no longer consider hobo spiders to be a threat to human health. Accordingly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removed the hobo spider from its official list of venomous (harmful) spiders in 2015. We have hobo spiders, and they can bite, but they are not poisonous to people.
The brown recluse spider is another that I feared growing up. It is poisonous, but they cannot live in our climate. You would have to travel south as far as St. George, UT or Las Vegas, NV to get into recluse range.
All other spiders that we do have are not considered dangerous to humans. A wolf or garden spider may bite you, but their venom is not medically significant. Of course, certain people may experience allergic reactions to any bite. This can be thought of like a nut or bee allergy. The likelihood of you being bit AND having an allergic reaction are very rare.
I won’t be the one to let a spider crawl on my hand like my oldest brother, who apparently took after Mom in that department. But I can now safely (I hope) say that I don’t emit high-pitched squeals at the first sign of an arachnid. In all, I’d say I’ve become a good mix between my mother and father. I have healthy respect for the ability of spiders to bite, while maintaining my dignity as spider dispatcher in my family.
So, remember the black widow spider with its shiny black body and red hour-glass underbelly is the ONLY spider in our area you need to fear a bite from. Other spiders are simply beneficial predators looking to eat insects. They are one of the gardeners’ best friends. I like to see them in my garden … just not my basement.
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PAYETTE — A Payette mom’s bond was revoked Tuesday after she was charged with suffocating her twin children earlier this month and is believed to pose a danger to the life of her newborn child.
The case, which has drawn national headlines, concerns Andrea Renee Shaw, a 23-year-old Payette mother who in May 2025 said her 18-month-old fraternal twins died the same day, after receiving routine childhood vaccinations. In January, Shaw joined as a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed by Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with several other plaintiffs claiming vaccine injury or death.
Kennedy, who now serves as secretary of Health and Human Services, is no longer part of the group after taking on the cabinet position, as was reported by the Associated Press.
In Idaho, the twins’ deaths prompted a 14-month investigation by the Payette County Sheriff’s Department. On June 29, the investigation yielded a grand jury indictment of Shaw on two counts of first-degree murder by suffocation. If convicted, Shaw can be punished by up to life in prison or the death penalty, and the court would have the ability to order the penalties be served consecutively, or back to back.
Tuesday’s arraignment at the Payette County Courthouse was primarily attended by Shaw’s relatives and members of the media. Payette County Judge Kiley Stuchlik, who serves Idaho’s Third Judicial District, presided.
A key consideration for Stuchlik on Tuesday was a request from Joseph Filicetti, the legal counsel for Shaw, to have her bond reduced from $2 million to $100,000. Filicetti said this would allow for Shaw to care for a newborn girl, who, according to court documents, was born by caesarean section on June 25, four days prior to Shaw’s grand jury indictment.
State prosecutors objected to the motion for bond reduction, noting at hand was a potential death penalty case and asserting, unlike her husband, Shaw’s story repeatedly changed during questioning. Prosecuting Attorney Mike Duke said releasing Shaw would ultimately put the newborn’s safety at risk.
“That child is the most at risk. We do not think she should be allowed to be anywhere near any children, let alone her own children,” Duke said.
Stuchlik decided to revoke bond entirely, stating Shaw posed a “risk of safety” to the newborn child that was not known to Stuchlik or prosecutors when the $2 million bond was initially set.
Also for consideration Tuesday was a request to have grand jury transcripts of witness testimony provided to prosecutors and defense counsel to prepare their respective cases.
Idaho
Idaho is home to the nation's first DarkSky Reserve. Now it's home to the nations first DarkSky Certified Resort
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.
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