Financial Advisor in Emmett, ID

Residents across southwest Idaho have become familiar with persistent wildfire smoke this summer. Air quality alerts have placed the Emmett area in the “Very Unhealthy” category, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 182 as of Monday because of ongoing fires burning in Idaho and Oregon.

According to Idaho News 6, the Big Grass Fire along the eastern Oregon-Idaho border had grown to approximately 280,000 acres as of Sunday.

Josh Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boise, said the Big Grass Fire is one of several large fires contributing to smoky conditions across southwest Idaho. He said fires burning in Oregon’s Harney, Malheur and Baker counties, along with prevailing southwesterly winds, have carried smoke directly into Gem County.

“The winds aloft are from the southwest. So those fires being just southwest of those two counties, the smoke is carried from the southwest to the northeast. That’s the general flow, and that’s typical for this time of year,” Smith said.

The current weather pattern has also allowed smoke to remain concentrated near the ground because several of the fires are relatively close to southwest Idaho. Smith explained the typical summertime Four Corners high-pressure ridge continues to produce a southerly to southwesterly flow, keeping Gem County in the path of smoke from eastern Oregon fires. He also noted that southern Gem County’s location within the Treasure Valley basin can allow smoke to settle into lower elevations.

Looking ahead, Smith said he expects little improvement over the next several days because the overall weather pattern is forecast to remain largely unchanged.

“I think it’s going to be like this through most of the week. I don’t think there’s going to be much improvement,” he said. “There’s not going to be any major shift In the pattern, there is some indication for this weekend and next weekend that maybe the flow gets to be a little bit more westerly. That might help at least from those fires south. But there’s a lot of fires in Oregon, so anything westerly, southwesterly, we’re just going to get smoke from all those fires. So I don’t think there’s going to be much improvement, at least in the foreseeable future.”

Smith said smoke is generally heaviest during the morning hours, when cooler overnight conditions trap it in valley bottoms before daytime warming helps mix the atmosphere. However, he said the number of nearby fires may limit how much conditions improve during the day.

He encouraged residents, particularly those in sensitive groups, to reduce their exposure to smoky conditions.

“Given the state of things right now, limit your time outside,” Smith said. “Especially for sensitive groups, those with respiratory problems, or allergies, or have some issues with smoke, should limit their time outside. If you’re going to be out, like, prolonged exposure outside, you may want to wear a mask. But our general message is, I would limit our outdoor time as much as possible, especially if you’re in a sensitive group.”

Dr. Trevor Tredennick, an emergency room provider at Valor Health, echoed that advice in an email to the Messenger-Index, saying people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), older adults and those who work outdoors are among the groups most at risk from wildfire smoke because of underlying respiratory conditions or prolonged exposure.

“Reschedule outdoor activities if possible until air quality improves,” Tredennick wrote. “If outdoor activities cannot be put off then take frequent indoor breaks, reduce heavy exertion, and consider a N95 mask.”

Tredennick said residents experiencing “significant shortness of breath or chest pain” should seek medical attention. He added that even otherwise healthy adults should consider modifying or postponing outdoor activities when air quality reaches the “Unhealthy” category and limit strenuous exertion if they must spend time outside.

For people with asthma or COPD, Tredennick recommended staying indoors whenever possible, keeping rescue inhalers or nebulizers readily available and talking with their healthcare provider about an action plan if symptoms begin to worsen. He also advised residents to reduce smoke exposure indoors by keeping windows and doors closed, running air conditioning systems on the recirculation setting and using a HEPA air purifier if available. Parents, he said, should consider moving children’s outdoor sports and activities indoors or rescheduling them until air quality improves.

For local growers, the smoky conditions have created a mix of challenges and benefits, according to Gem Orchards owner Lance Phillips.

While reduced sunlight has slowed crop development, Phillips said the smoke has also increased humidity, creating conditions that can promote fungal diseases while making outdoor work feel more oppressive.

“We’re basically getting a greenhouse effect,” Phillips said. “Smoke’s holding in the heat. We’re irrigating, so we’re making a sauna out here. It’s like a greenhouse.”

Phillips said the smoke also filters some of the sunlight crops receive, slowing photosynthesis and delaying ripening. Although that can postpone harvests for some crops, he said spreading out ripening can be beneficial for growers who otherwise would have large amounts of fruit becoming ready all at once.

“From a photosynthetic [standpoint], we probably filter in 20 to 30 percent of the light,” Phillips said. “That’s going to slow down growing the maturity of corn. It’s going to slow down our ripening. Is that a good thing for me? Yes, because I don’t need all everything ripe at once. So kind of slow and steady, and we get this every few years.”

Phillips said he’s noticed more customers choosing pre-picked fruit instead of picking their own as temperatures climb and air quality worsens.

Despite the smoke, Phillips said orchard work continues much as it normally would. He spends eight to 10 hours outdoors most days and said staying hydrated has become even more important while working in the heat and humidity.

“I sometimes feel a little bit more drained,” he said. “It’s like being in a sauna. ... So when I’m literally having to do physical activity, I do feel like I really got to keep up with the water. If I don’t keep up, I start feeling really drained, really tired.”

Phillips said smoky summers are not unusual in southwest Idaho, although their severity varies from year to year. He believes this season has been relatively typical compared with some previous wildfire seasons, when smoke was even thicker and lingered for weeks.

“We’ve seen this all before,” Phillips said. “There’s nothing that I would say that’s tremendously different from previous years.”

EMMETT, Idaho — Gem County commissioners Tuesday night approved the controversial Merrill's Pit project — a proposed 393-acre gravel pit near Star Lane and Sales Yard Road that has divided the community for months.

Watch to hear neighbors' reaction to the Merrill's Pit approval.

Idaho News 6 has been following this story since November.

RELATED | Emmett neighbors fight gravel pit approval despite county commissioners' decision

The public hearing on the application had closed on April 7, 2026. Tuesday night's session was dedicated to deliberation and decision only — no new public testimony or presentations from the parties were heard.

RELATED | Gem County commissioners hold off on Merrill's Pit gravel project decision after two-night public hearing

The board reviewed the application with fresh eyes and from the beginning, as determined at the initial hearing in December 2025. Commissioners worked through each of the nine required findings under Gem County code before reaching their decision.

Before deliberations began, Commissioner Kirk Wille set the tone for the evening.

"It's very important to the board that we get this right," Wille said.

Wille also clarified the board's role, explaining that commissioners were acting in a quasi-judicial capacity — evaluating the record against Gem County code currently in effect, nothing more and nothing less. He noted that Commissioner Defer had already been excused from deliberation and decision in the matter. Wille also disclosed that he had conducted a site visit using public roads to familiarize himself with the location and surrounding area, but said he believed he could remain impartial.

The board entered additional information into the record before deliberating, including a survey of Star Lane reviewed by Keller Associates, the county engineer, along with a letter and bridge reports from the interim roads director.

The board worked through each of the nine required findings under Gem County code, with Commissioner Kirk Wille and Commissioner Mark Rekow discussing their concerns at length before reaching a unanimous vote.

On dust and public health, both commissioners concurred with planning and zoning's finding that the project would not create a significant negative impact — with Wille adding an amendment requiring that watering during crushing operations be continuous at all times, after testimony revealed the system sometimes fails.

On roads, commissioners said the project would require design approval for Star Lane, ITD permitting for the highway intersection and a clarified road mitigation agreement before Phase 1 can begin. Rekow raised concerns about the volume and weight of trucks on county roads and said the improvements must be comprehensive. Both commissioners also discussed requiring a 30 mph speed limit on Star Lane — which would need to come back before the board by resolution — and the possibility of applying the county's compression brake ordinance to that stretch of road.

On appearance and property values, Wille said the berm must extend completely around the entire operation — not just part of it — and that stockpiles must be no higher than the berm landscaping so they are screened from public view. He acknowledged the record contained competing expert reports on property values and said the impact would likely be negative in the short term.

On noise, vibration, and unsightliness — which Wille called the finding he struggled with most — he said the proposed 400-foot setback for crushing operations was not sufficient and that the crusher must be placed approximately 1,000 feet from the property boundary. He also said conditions must clarify that no equipment operations occur early in the morning, that trucks have a designated staging area off the road, and that white noise backup alarms be explored as an alternative to standard beepers.

"The gravel is where the gravel is, and this area has been zoned this way for a very long time. It's just taken time for it to start to grow," Wille said.

On water, commissioners required Granite Excavation to increase monitoring wells from 2 to 5 and recommended requiring a real-time SCADA — Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition — monitoring system accessible by the company, the county and potentially other agencies. Wille said the existing condition of approval language was unenforceable as written.

"As a lawyer, I can tell you that language is so restrictive, you'll never be able to prove it, and a nearby property owner would spend thousands of dollars trying to do so," Wille said.

He said the condition must be reworded so that a corresponding drop on both a neighbor's well and the on-site monitoring wells is considered conclusive evidence of impact.

After working through all nine required findings, Wille said he saw no other way to make the two uses compatible without the extensive conditions discussed throughout the evening.

"Obviously, this is a very restrictive conditions of approval, but I see no other way to make these two uses or the uses compatible. So with the amended and additional conditions of approval, I would be in favor of the application," Wille said.

A motion was made and seconded. The vote was unanimous. When Wille thanked attendees after the vote, the room erupted with shouts from neighbors in the audience.

"Thank you everyone. This is very hard. Probably the hardest thing..." Wille said, before neighbors in the room shouted back.

After the hearing, Idaho News 6 spoke with Dusty Hibbard, vice president of Granite Excavation. He said the company first met with Gem County more than two years ago and that the process has been thorough.

"We're really excited," Hibbard said.

He said the commissioners followed the ordinances and also did their job protecting landowners, noting that the conditions placed on this approval are more extensive than any other gravel pit the county has approved.

Hibbard said the company's message to neighbors has not changed.

"We're stewards of the land. We're gonna do it right. I think that all of the neighbors will be pleasantly surprised and happy with how we run our operations," Hibbard said.

"We live here, we work here, our kids go to school here, we're born and raised Idahoans, and we're not here to create enemies. Neighbors have a problem, we wanna be the door they knock on to get a result. We don't want them going to the county and causing issues. We wanna take care of them," Hibbard said.

Emmett neighbor, David Dutra, said the decision left him deeply frustrated.

"I'm a construction worker. I understand the importance of gravel, I'm not against it. That's what I do. We build things. But there's regulations put in place to protect citizens that go out there and buy property," Dutra said.

He said the commissioners acknowledged concerns about property values and road safety throughout the hearing, but approved the project anyway.

"The law is pretty clear-cut. It's pretty black and white, and they do that for a reason. And I feel like if there was another area suitable for a gravel pit, we wouldn't be having this conversation. But they're willing to bend rules and regulations to support something that the state needs," Dutra said.

Dutra said he is concerned about who will enforce the conditions over the life of the project, and questioned whether the promise of a future housing development — which commissioners noted could eventually help restore property values — is relevant to the special use permit decision.

"A housing development has nothing to do with the special use permit and getting permission to have this permit. That's irrelevant, should never be taken into consideration," Dutra said.

He said the community includes many retired residents who moved to the area specifically for its rural character, and that some neighbors have already been affected.

"Got a lot of retired residents, some of which have had heart attacks after the last hearing, some that might not be here 10, 15, 20 years, whenever they decide this pit's going to be done. Who's going to enforce all these standards?" Dutra said.

Idaho News 6 also spoke with Landon Brown, attorney for the Southwest Gem Community Association.

"My clients are disappointed in the decision today. They are concerned about their health. They're concerned about their way of life, about their property values," Brown said.

"They're hopeful that the conditions imposed will mitigate some of those impacts, but there's also a real fear that this decision will cause irreversible harm to their way of life," Brown said.

Commissioners approved the special use permit with new conditions, including changes related to dust control, road improvements, setbacks, berms, and water monitoring.

EMMETT, Idaho — Emmett High School senior Jax Banuelos is heading to Division I football at Idaho State University — a milestone that felt far from certain after a devastating leg injury nearly ended his career last August.

Banuelos, a wide receiver and outside linebacker for the Emmett Huskies, broke his fibula and tibia, dislocated his ankle, and tore tissue from his calf during a football camp last summer. The injury was so severe that at the hospital, he was told doctors did not know if he would ever walk again — or play football.

Head football coach Rich Hargitt was there when it happened.

"I've done this a long time, and it was, it was horrific. I don't, I don't know a better word than that. When I walked up to the actual spot where he got hurt, I actually thought they'd, they'd ripped his foot off. It was bent behind him," Hargitt said.

Hargitt said he would not let Banuelos look at the injury because of how bad it was — and that the moment at the hospital that followed was the one that defined what came next.

"He got to the hospital, and somebody told him there, they said, we don't know if you'll ever walk again. We don't know if you're able to play football again. I just remember waiting until they left, and I said, are you gonna take that? And he's like, no, I'm, I'm playing again. I said, well, then that's the answer. Nothing else matters. That's the answer," Hargitt said.

RELATED | Emmett quarterback turns season-ending injury into leadership opportunity

The road back included surgeries, heavy medication, and months of physical therapy at Rocking Armor, where Banuelos credited his physical therapist as a key part of his recovery. Coaches Seth Condor and others at Emmett High School, along with teammates and friends, supported him throughout.

"I definitely couldn't have done it without any of them," Banuelos said.

Despite missing his junior football season, Banuelos pushed through physical therapy and was able to compete in a limited number of track races.

"When I saw everyone was getting offered this, offered that, it was kind of getting me upset because I felt like that's where I should have been. And then at that time I just really trusted God and His plan for me, and I said like I'm going to make it one way or another," Banuelos said.

Hargitt said watching Banuelos stay connected to the team during his recovery — serving as a coach on the sideline — made the moment he returned to the field all the more meaningful.

"To get to see him kind of take the full circle all the way back around to starting both ways in the football game, actually, three ways, right? Starting special teams, offense, defense, a year later, and then obviously we win. It was just really cool," Hargitt said.

"I felt like we closed the circle, so to speak, last Friday night. And it was, it was really neat to see him out there playing with his friends again," Hargitt said.

WATCH: Emmett senior goes from devastating injury to Division I football offer

The Division I offer from Idaho State came together in a moment that Hargitt described as something close to a fairy tale. The Huskies returned to a camp in American Falls — the same camp where Banuelos was injured — and Hargitt reached out to Idaho State defensive coordinator Grant Duff ahead of time with a specific request.

"I said, if you're going to offer him, please offer him the night of the first day of camp. And he said, why is that? I said, because he was at Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello being told his future was over one year ago that night. I said, so bring him to Pocatello and offer him," Hargitt said.

The moment Banuelos and his mother arrived in Pocatello made the offer even more striking.

"If people know where ICCU Arena is, the Portneuf Hospital where he spent the night is towering above the dome. So we literally pulled up, and his mom and he looked up, and they were like, wow, one year ago, and they walked up, and he got offered a Division One football scholarship," Hargitt said.

"It's kind of a little bit of a fairy tale ending, you know, or I guess it's not an ending, it's a new beginning, right? He's gonna play college football, but it's a really, really cool story," Hargitt said.

Banuelos said Idaho State had been in contact with him since his sophomore year, and that the program's culture sealed the decision.

"It's close to home, you know, everyone always talks about Idaho State, you know, it's one of the Idaho schools. It's a Division One school. It's a great football program, and Coach Duff was like a big, big reason for me and Coach Hawkins, the head coach. Both of them, they're just big, family-oriented guys, and I saw the way they talked to their players, the way they just talked to us at like the camps and stuff like that, and that's what I really wanted for myself," Banuelos said.

Hargitt said the injury has largely been moved off the front burner as the team focuses on the season ahead.

"That person got hurt a year ago. This is a new and improved person," Hargitt said.

Banuelos has embraced that mindset and carried it into the locker room.

"It's not Emmett versus Moscow, it's not Emmett versus Preston, who we played this week, it's Emmett versus Emmett. It's all about Emmett versus Emmett. It's trying to be the best version of us we can possibly be," Hargitt said.

The team's motto this season is TGF — Team Glory Friday.

Emmett opened the season with a win over Moscow and faces Preston this week. Banuelos said the Huskies are not taking anything for granted.

"We have Preston this week, and I think they're going to be a better opponent, so we have to make sure we buckle up and can't take them for, you know what I mean, you can't take anything for granted. We can't underestimate them, and we have to play our hardest," Banuelos said.

The community support heading into the season has been notable. Hargitt said the number of well-wishes he received before the team's trip to Moscow was unlike anything he had seen before.

"Usually I get two or three texts, like my mom will text me, right? I had like 25 texts, like, good luck, we're so excited. Former players that played last year and the year before, they're like, we're praying for you. We hope nobody gets injured, you know, go do the job, all that stuff. It was just really neat to see how many people are kind of behind the scenes rooting for us," Hargitt said.

Throughout the journey, Banuelos said his faith was the foundation of his comeback.

"From coming from the injury to this, it couldn't have been done without God. Like I truly believe he healed me, and the relationship with him is like really why I'm here today and just building that, yeah, so like all praise to Jesus," Banuelos said.

He also said the experience changed how he views showing up for others.

"I'm always going to try to be there for people because like I know like what that meant to me when I needed it," Banuelos said.

As he prepares to close out his high school career and move on to Pocatello, Banuelos said he hopes his story sends a message to young athletes in Emmett and beyond.

"A lot of people say, oh, you can't go play big-time football, you can't do this, it's just like a little farm town, like don't listen to people. Dream big and go chase it because you can really do it. That's the big reason I like stayed here in Emmett, did the things, and I was really just thinking, I want to show all the little kids they can do it too," Banuelos said.

"I'm hoping I set a standard. Win championships, and go play college football. I think that's what Emmett can be," Banuelos said.

The Emmett Huskies host their home opener Friday at 5 p.m. against Preston High School.