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Take a look at weird and dangerous items found in Idaho airports in 2023 – East Idaho News

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Take a look at weird and dangerous items found in Idaho airports in 2023 – East Idaho News


For most people, getting stopped by airport security for a prohibited item means they’ve accidentally packed something mundane, like toothpaste too big to be a carry-on.

But for many travelers in Idaho last year, it means they’ve tried to carry on something more along the lines of a ninja throwing star, a replica rocket-propelled grenade, a hatchet or a gun.

The Transportation Security Administration confiscates weird and dangerous items from travelers going through one of Idaho’s several commercial airports yearly — such as a memorial sword in 2022 — but last year might take the cake. The just-released list of seized items in 2023 includes things like a cam shaft, inert ammunition and a hatchet.

Additionally, a record number of firearms were found at the Boise Airport during routine X-ray screenings last year.

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Here’s a list of some of the most peculiar items passengers tried to get through Idaho airports in 2023.

A record number of firearms

Idahoans may love their guns, but the TSA not so much.

A total of 47 guns were confiscated across Idaho airports in 2023. While that isn’t a statewide record, 42 of those guns were confiscated at Boise Airport, a record for the airport.

Three firearms were confiscated at Idaho Falls Regional Airport and one apiece at Friedman Memorial Airport and Pocatello Regional Airport.

“I can’t say this more clearly: stop and empty each of your bags before you pack for your trip, just to make sure there is nothing in it that might cause a problem for you when you get to the airport,” Andy Coose, TSA Federal Security Director for Idaho, stated in a news release.

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“You are responsible for whatever is in your bag when it arrives for TSA screening,” Coose continued, “and the fines can be in the thousands of dollars for an undeclared gun in your bag.”

In addition to a potential criminal referral for storing an undeclared, unloaded handgun in your carry-on, the TSA can also levy a fine that starts at $1,500 and can go into the thousands.

Firearms can be transported on a commercial aircraft only if they’re unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and transported in checked luggage.

Idaho’s weirdest airport confiscations

While guns were a common occurrence in Idaho airports last year, there was also a collection of even weirder items. Here’s the top 10, along with comments on each from the TSA:

10. Ninja throwing star – Boise Airport

Transportation Security Administration

“If you own one of these, pack it in checked luggage or leave it at home when traveling. This item can be used as a missile in some martial arts but has no place on a plane.”

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9. Hatchet – Boise Airport

hatchet
Transportation Security Administration

“TSA officers always ask passengers before a bag check if there is anything sharp in the carry-on. Hope the passenger said YES in response!”

8. Ulu Knife – Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport

Ulu knife
Transportation Security Administration

“This Alaska native tool is used traditionally to skin animals. Guaranteed, you won’t need this post-security at any airport. The blade on this is what makes it a prohibited item.”

7. Grenade-shaped bottle of hot sauce – Idaho Falls Regional Airport

hot sauce grenade
Transportation Security Administration

“Real, inert or full of hot sauce, anything that looks like a grenade is never allowed on a plane.”

6. Spanner wrench – Boise Airport

wrench
Transportation Security Administration

“This large, specialized tool is used to remove locking nuts. In case you missed the safety briefing, no in-flight maintenance is allowed.”

5. Camshaft and transmission gear – Boise Airport

“Which passenger thought it was a good idea to bring this engine part in carry-on luggage? Due to its size and bludgeoning potential, it is a perfect item to travel in checked luggage.”

4. Double-edged letter opener – Friedman Memorial Airport

“In a case of two wrongs don’t make a right, this double-edge letter opener can’t travel in carry-on luggage. Feel free to write home about it to let your friends and family know to place this item in checked luggage.”

3. Crow bar – Magic Valley Regional Airport

crowbar
Transportation Security Administration

“What’s with the tools and car parts in Idaho? Rules for traveling with any tool: must be seven inches in length or shorter to make it post-security. And no blades or sharp ends, too.”

2. 20-millimeter inert ammunition – Boise Airport

“Ammunition of any type must travel in its original packaging in checked luggage. No exceptions! These were discovered in checked baggage.”

1. Realistic replica rocket-propelled grenade – Boise Airport

“While this item was discovered in checked baggage, it is still a no-fly. Helpful travel tip: if it looks like an explosive, don’t bring it anywhere near an airport.”

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Idaho is in for a streak of clear skies next week

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Idaho is in for a streak of clear skies next week


After a round of showers came through this week, the Gem State is staying dry and clear for next week.

Temperatures finally started to feel winter-like as we take a tumble this weekend. Consistent 40’s the highs, and 20’s the lows.

Conditions on the valley floors are not expected to get past the mid 40’s. Showers appear to be nonexistent for the next 7 to 10 days.

We will also see some air stagnation in our area, meaning that as a high-pressure ridge moves in, not too much change is expected in the air. So, air quality may take a bit of a fall.

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Not much more than cold and dry air is on the way for Idaho, but at least the sun will shine for most of the forecast.

Have a great weekend and stay warm!





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Interstate 84 near Mountain Home back open after utility work

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Interstate 84 near Mountain Home back open after utility work


MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Interstate 84 near Mountain Home is back open after crews closed the freeway due to utility work.

Crews closed westbound and eastbound lanes on Saturday morning from milepost 90 to milepost 95 due to Idaho Power working on power lines in the area, according to the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office. All lanes are now back open in both directions.

The sheriff’s office and the Mountain Home Police Department apologized for the inconvenience, saying they were just informed of the closure on Saturday morning.

More information regarding road closures and traffic conditions can be found at the Idaho Transportation Department’s 511 map.

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Idaho murder victims’ families file wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University

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Idaho murder victims’ families file wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University


The families of the four University of Idaho students killed in a brutal 2022 stabbing attack have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University (WSU), alleging the school ignored repeated warning signs about Bryan Kohberger.

The civil complaint, filed Jan. 7 in Skagit County Superior Court, was brought by Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee Goncalves; Karen Laramie, mother of Madison Mogen; Jeffrey Kernodle, father of Xana Kernodle; and Stacy Chapin, mother of Ethan Chapin.

The lawsuit accuses WSU of gross negligence, wrongful death and violations of federal education laws, including Title IX. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified monetary damages.

Attorney Robert Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, said that the decision to leave damages “unspecified” is a strategic norm in high-stakes litigation because it prevents the focus from shifting towards sensationalism and keeps the decision firmly in the hands of the jury.

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“Ultimately, that’s to be determined and answered by the jury,” said Clifford, who is not involved in the lawsuit. “But you have some compelling facts and the liability is going to depend on the strength of what the school knew.”

The brother and parents of Kaylee Goncalves speak after Bryan Kohberger’s sentencing hearing at the Ada County Courthouse on July 23, 2025. Reuters
Bryan Kohberger in police custody after his arrest in December 2022. Moscow Police Department
Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were found dead inside an off-campus apartment in Moscow, Idaho.

Despite Kohberger’s guilty plea in the murders, Clifford explained the civil case remains strong because the families face a lower burden of proof – requiring only a preponderance of evidence to establish the university’s liability.

“The mere fact that he pled guilty might not even be admissible in the civil proceeding because he’s not the defendant, right? If he is a defendant in the civil proceeding, then his plea of guilty will be important. And indeed, this school might try to use that to say, ‘See, it wasn’t our fault. He admits that it was his fault.’ But the bar is different for someone in a criminal proceeding than it is in a civil proceeding.”

According to the lawsuit, WSU hired Kohberger as a teaching assistant in its criminal justice and criminology department and provided him with a salary, tuition benefits, health insurance and on-campus housing.

The victims’ families allege the university had extensive authority over Kohberger’s conduct but failed to act despite mounting concerns.

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Here’s the latest coverage on Bryan Kohberger:


The complaint says WSU received at least 13 formal reports accusing Kohberger of threatening, stalking, harassing or predatory behavior toward female students and staff during the fall 2022 semester. The families argue university officials did not meaningfully investigate those complaints or remove Kohberger from campus before the murders – even though they had the authority to do so.

The lawsuit also alleges that the university failed to use its own threat-assessment systems designed to identify individuals who pose a risk of violence, even as concerns about Kohberger escalated. Instead, the families claim, the university continued to employ him, house him and give him access to students.

“The murders were foreseeable and preventable,” the complaint states, alleging WSU prioritized avoiding legal and reputational risk over student safety.

Madison Mogen’s mother, Karen Laramie, and stepfather, Scott Laramie, leave the courthouse after Bryan Kohberger’s sentencing hearing. Reuters
Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, on July 23, 2025. Getty Images

The lawsuit also alleges broad failures within the public university, including alleged dysfunction within campus police and compliance officers who are responsible for handling accusations of misconduct, including sexual harassment and stalking.

Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 to four counts of first-degree murder and burglary. He was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

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Prosecutors said Kohberger stabbed the four students in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, inside an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, just miles from the WSU campus in Pullman, Washington.

Karen Laramie, mother of Madison Mogan, and Kristi Goncalves, Kaylee Goncalves’ mother, embrace after the sentencing hearing for their daughters’ murderer. Reuters
Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania in December 2022 following a multi-state investigation.

Authorities linked him to the crime through DNA evidence, surveillance video and cellphone data showing repeated late-night trips near the victims’ home.

WSU has not yet filed a response to the lawsuit. Fox News Digital has reached out to WSU for comment.

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