Idaho
“We're Idaho, that's what we do”: Local team joins hurricane relief efforts in Florida
BOISE, Idaho — A team of over 200 Idaho workers has joined recovery efforts in Florida following the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
- Specializing in property damage restoration, the Disaster Response team is tackling damage from storm surge and widespread damage in the wake of Hurricane Milton’s landfall.
- With over 100 tornado warnings issued during the storm, they’re bringing crucial tools and expertise to hard-hit areas.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
“It’s what we do! We’re Idaho—that’s what we do,” says Brad Winn.
The Idaho Way has made its way to Florida.
Brad Winn, Idaho native and National Account Manager for Boise Disaster Response, is part of a team of over 200 workers aiding in the recovery efforts after hurricanes Helene and Milton ravaged Florida in recent weeks.
It’s a far cry from the natural disasters we usually face in Idaho, but Brad says helping in these situations comes naturally.
“As a fourth-generation Idahoan, there is something about our culture that makes us care about people and come together as a community. Calamity like this doesn’t strike us, but you have this sense of purpose and desire to help people,” Winn says.
Winn’s team arrived in Florida on September 28, repairing damage caused by storm surge and flooding from Hurricane Helene. Then came Hurricane Milton.
Winn says, “Milton hit so quickly that all the process of removing contents and debris and getting it ready to dispose of was right in the middle of it.”
Brad is no stranger to Idaho wildfires, but southern hurricanes present a different challenge.
“It’s a feeding machine. The clouds start to circle hundreds of miles away from the eye of the storm. The rain is something we don’t experience in Idaho, like during a hurricane,” he says.
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm with strong rain and winds, leaving behind destruction.
Winn says, “The most terrifying thing last night was that they had something like 127 tornado warnings and watches throughout Florida. When you’re out in that, the clouds are just on top of you. It’s a very eerie, suspenseful, dramatic feeling.”
Disaster Response’s catastrophe team specializes in property damage restoration. They are currently working on several active projects across impacted Florida communities, including Sarasota and Siesta Key.
Even with the challenges of facing back-to-back storms, their mobile branches are bringing essential tools and supplies to tackle flooding and other damage.
“Ya know, people are in need. They’re humans. They need help, and it’s just something I think is ingrained in us from a very early age, living in Idaho, enjoying Idaho and its blessings, and just being able to give back when we can,” Winn says.+
MINIDOKA COUNTY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — The Idaho Transportation Department says a major crash has blocked all eastbound lanes of a busy highway in Minidoka County.
The crash has blocked the eastbound lanes of Idaho Route 24 at milepost 2 in between Rupert and Exit 211, according to ITD.
The department advised drivers to expect delays and exercise caution.
This is a developing story; KMVT will provide further updates as they come in.
Copyright 2026 KMVT. All rights reserved.
An Idaho bill that could make it a crime for transgender people to use restrooms aligned with their gender identity is now before the state Senate, advancing one of the most punitive bathroom proposals in the country.
Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate’s email newsletter.
House Bill 752, already approved by the Idaho House in a 54–15 vote, was taken up this week by the Senate, where Republicans hold a 29–6 majority. If enacted, the measure would require people to use bathrooms, locker rooms, and similar facilities based on their sex assigned at birth in both government buildings and private businesses open to the public.
Related: Idaho Republicans pass bill making it a felony for transgender people to use public bathrooms
Related: Idaho Republicans pass House bill forcing doctors to out transgender kids
The penalties escalate quickly. A first violation would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. A second offense within five years could be charged as a felony, carrying a prison sentence of up to five years.
“The Legislature has a fundamental duty to protect the bodily privacy and safety of Idaho citizens,” Sen. Ben Toews, the bill’s sponsor, said in a Monday committee hearing, according to the Idaho Capital Sun. “House Bill 752 provides a clear, proactive tool to secure sex-separated private spaces in our state, while accommodating common-sense realities.”
Supporters of the measure have called the bill necessary as a matter of safety and privacy in sex-segregated spaces. But opponents of the legislation, including civil liberties groups, some lawmakers, and law enforcement voices, say the proposal creates an enforcement problem that risks turning suspicion into probable cause.
Related: Thousands of paper hearts flood Idaho capital as lawmakers pass anti-LGBTQ+ bills
Related: Idaho Republicans are trying to strip localities of nondiscrimination ordinances that protect LGBTQ+ people
Transgender people are warning that bills like this put them in danger of being assaulted. For example, the boyfriend or husband may see a transgender man following their girlfriend into a restroom, because the trans man has to use restrooms according to his sex assigned at birth, and could confront them.
In committee testimony, transgender Idahoans described how that could unfold. Nikson Matthews, a transgender man, told lawmakers that someone who recognizes or suspects he is trans could call police, prompting officers to respond to what would otherwise appear to be “a bearded man using the men’s bathroom.” If an officer decides he violated the law, Matthews said, “I could go to jail for up to a year for peeing, washing my hands, or even being in the bathroom.”
Related: Idaho Republicans pass bill making it a felony for transgender people to use public bathrooms
The alternative, he said, could be worse. Being forced into women’s facilities, Matthews warned, risks confrontation or violence. “Every single day when I’m out in public, I have to decide,” he said. “Do I feel like going to jail today, or do I feel like being attacked?”
Idaho
I worked as the owner of Idaho Falls’ oldest bar for a day. Here’s what it was like. – East Idaho News
Shane Dial, owner of Ford’s Bar in Idaho Falls, shows EastIdahoNews.com reporter Kaitlyn Hart what it’s like to own a 120 year old bar. | Jordan Wood, EastIdahoNews.com
IDAHO FALLS – EastIdahoNews.com is highlighting different careers and today, I’m Workin’ It with Shane Dial at Ford’s Bar.
Originally opened in 1906, Ford’s Bar has carried the same name through multiple owners for 120 years. It is a staple of the nightlife scene in Idaho Falls, and it’s often said that you haven’t partied until you’ve been to Ford’s.
Shane Dial, who’s been with the bar for the last five years, showed me how to open the bar, make a lemon drop martini, operate the music, the importance of working with law enforcement to manage unruly customers, and more.
Thank you to Shane Dial for letting us come learn what it’s like to be him for a day!
Check out the bar’s Facebook page here.
Watch our experience in the video above, and watch other Workin’ It videos here.
=htmlentities(get_the_title())?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=get_permalink()?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=htmlentities(‘For more stories like this one, be sure to visit https://www.eastidahonews.com/ for all of the latest news, community events and more.’)?>&subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20EastIdahoNews” class=”fa-stack jDialog”>
Barricaded suspect in standoff with police in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood
Jack Hughes scores twice as Devils beat Stars 6-4, end Dallas streak with four-goal first period
Tommy Paul’s Fiancée Paige Lorenze Stuns in Pink Crop Top at Miami Open
Press Room: Marco Sturm | Boston Bruins
Keeler: Why did 2026 Broncos trade for Jaylen Waddle? Because they learned a lesson from 2025 Chiefs
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Video: Passengers Wait in Long Security Lines at LaGuardia After Deadly Crash
King Charles to address Congress in historic first state visit to Washington
Iran names successor to security chief killed in US-Israeli attack
See How the LaGuardia Plane Crash Unfolded
Mullin confirmed as DHS chief as lawmakers near solution on shutdown standoff
-
Detroit, MI6 days agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Georgia1 week agoHow ICE plans for a detention warehouse pushed a Georgia town to fight back | CNN Politics
-
Movie Reviews6 days ago‘Youth’ Twitter review: Ken Karunaas impresses audiences; Suraj Venjaramoodu adds charm; music wins praise | – The Times of India
-
Alaska1 week agoPolice looking for man considered ‘armed and dangerous’
-
Education1 week agoVideo: Turning Point USA Clubs Expand to High Schools Across America
-
Science1 week agoLong COVID leaves thousands of L.A. county residents sick, broke and ignored
-
Sports3 days agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
Science1 week agoIndustrial chemicals have reached the middle of the oceans, new study shows