EastIdahoNews.com newsroom picks favorite stories from 2022
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IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com had a landmark year for good journalism in 2022. Our staff covered a wide variety of issues and people in eastern Idaho, and hopefully kept the community informed along the way.
There were a number of big stories that warranted multiple articles, such as the ongoing, and seemingly never ending Chad and Lori Daybell saga, which can be read here.
There was also the story of Dylan Rounds, an eastern Idaho man who went missing in rural Utah amid suspicious circumstances. New details about the story trickled in over several months, eventually gaining national attention. It’s now being investigated as a homicide case. You can read the latest information on the case from Dylan’s parents here. For our complete coverage click here.
EastIdahoNews.com engaged in a months-long legal battle with Jefferson County in 2022. The purpose was to get police and court records unsealed from the May 6, 2021 shooting at Rigby Middle School. Ultimately, EastIdahoNews.com was successful and received about 120 pages of documents that detailed the timeline of the shooting as well as the motivation of the 12-year-old shooter. Read about the documents here. We were also able to learn what happened to the shooter after she went through juvenile court. Read about the outcome here.
Aside from those — there were many smaller stories, which our reporters spent a lot of time investigating and writing about. We asked each of them to suggest their five favorite pieces from 2022.
Here is some of their work that deserves a second look:
Kaitlyn Hart’s Favorite Stories
1. Woman wants sheep back from feedlot as owners decline to comment on investigation
In May, crimes and courts reporter Kaitlyn Hart learned about alleged animal abuse at a feedlot near Idaho Falls. A video had been released by a Florida-based animal rights group that conducts undercover investigations. The video showed grotesque examples of abuse at the feedlot, and was enough to get an investigation launched by local authorities and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.
Hart, along with reporter Nate Eaton, went out to the feedlot to confront the owners. You can read the initial story on the feedlot here, and about the confrontation here.
Other favorites:
3. Kaitlyn and Kalama eat nearly everything at the Eastern Idaho State Fair
4. Man on a journey to complete a marathon in every state, to finish in Idaho
5. Idaho Falls Bandits dedicating World Series week to player’s mother who recently passed
Kalama Hines’ Favorite Stories
1. ‘She’s been a victim almost all her life’: The story of a trafficking victim turned Idaho inmate
In September, our Pocatello reporter Kalama Hines, debuted a story he had been working on for several months. It involved a Central American woman who had been a victim of sex trafficking, and had been used as an unwilling drug trafficker. It’s a heartbreaking story that explores her journey through hellish circumstances until she landed inside an Idaho prison.
Ultimately, it was the jail and prison time that allowed her to escape from her traffickers, and start living her life again. This story provides a rare glimpse into the lives of trafficking victims in eastern Idaho.
Other favorites:
2. Mental illness a silent killer in Idaho correctional system
3. First responders conduct disaster training exercise at Pocatello airport
4. What we know about Downard Funeral Home, Lance Peck and what’s next in the case
5. Frustration boils over during City Council meeting; councilwomen respond to recall petition
Andrea Olson’s Favorite Stories
In September, an Idaho State Trooper from eastern Idaho was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic and critically injured. Sgt. Mike Wendler was airlifted to a hospital where he fought for his life. Thankfully, he managed to pull through.
During his recovery, Idaho Falls reporter Andrea Olson was able to visit with Wendler and his wife in the hospital to learn how the accident happened, and how his recovery was progressing. She was there as he left the hospital surrounded by local law enforcement and emergency responders wishing him well. Read about it here.
Other favorites:
2. Student applies and receives grants for new percussion equipment at his high school
4. Man’s bike ride to fundraise for local animal shelter takes unexpected turn
Rett Nelson’s Favorite Stories
1. One man’s journey through opioid addiction and why officials say we’re ‘in a war’ with fentanyl
In October, business reporter Rett Nelson took on a month-long project to look into the fentanyl crisis in eastern Idaho. To learn about the topic, he spent time with several former drug addicts and local law enforcement. It’s an intimate look at the lives of several people who have been terrorized by addiction, and come back from the edge.
It’s also worth reading to learn what law enforcement is doing to beat the plague of drugs locally.
Other favorites:
4. West Yellowstone, Island Park feeling ripple effects weeks after record flooding
5. Why an acclaimed author from eastern Idaho is ‘all but forgotten’ 54 years after his death
Nate Eaton’s Favorite Stories
In February, News Director Nate Eaton decided to take in-depth reporting a little further than normal. Instead of just reporting on issues in our local educational system, he decided to immerse himself in it as a substitute teacher. He spent a day teaching first-grade students at Fox Hollow Elementary in Idaho Falls.
The experience allowed him to take a closer look at the teacher shortage in Idaho, and the need for substitute teachers. It’s an excellent piece, and it’s well worth watching the accompanying video.
Other favorites:
2. She welds by day, runs a booming business by night, and she’s 17
3. How the ‘Hogwarts of Idaho’ helped a local teenager and hundreds of other deaf and blind students
4. Family begs for answers as teen’s painful hiccups have not stopped for over 8 months
5. Woman issues plea to drivers after rock flies through windshield and smashes her face