Staff at Aid for Friends Homeless Shelter, in Pocatello, ID Help Clients Ascertain Needs

Aid for Friends, the only co-ed homeless shelter in Pocatello ID works toward being an outlet for lower income and homeless citizens. The services they provide include community dinners and showers, month-by-month food boxes, hygiene kits and occasionally the giving of blankets, sleeping bags, and pillows if there is a surplus of these items.

Employees hope to help for the common good, and do their best to fulfill the needs of each and every client. Although clients are infrequently turned away for usage of illegal drugs and alcohol, or for failure to provide proper documentation, staff at Aid for Friends are trained to direct clients to resources, such as to rehabilitation programs, that may be able to help them so that they won't be turned away again in the future.

Aid for Friends works hand-in-hand with other non-profit organizations, such as the Southeastern Community Action Agency, or SEICAA, and The Salvation Army. Aid for Friends only provides dinner to shelter clients, but staff will refer clients to these other organizations for breakfast, lunch and for other services.

This organization throws an annual overnight event, called an Encampment, where clients are provided with the opportunity to learn winter survival skills and to eat a free warm meal, whilst also benefiting the shelter by contributing donations. If community members do not want to participate in the overnight portion of the Encampment, but still want to help the cause, they may donate to any member of the Aid for Friends board, or online at gofundme.com. 

Villano's Italian Gives Pocatello Its Own Little Italy

Villano's Italian restaurant has taken ownership in providing Pocatello's community its own little taste of Little Italy. The Italian establishment is located on 165 N. Main St. and the corner of Clark St. in Old Town Pocatello. The owner Aaron Villano and his restaurant have been together for just over a year now and have become very popular in the short amount of time they've been opened.

The restaurant has been trying to spread the news of their existence by promoting their Facebook page around the community which accounts for 2,746 likes. They also have employees handing out flyers and magnets to the people of Pocatello and Chubbuck inviting them to come visit their restaurant.

Being a witness of the quality of food they serve, I made it a priority to make sure they received a like from me on Facebook. The service that was presented in their establishment exceeded my expectations and they helped me enjoy the experience. Click on the link to read the restaurant review I wrote on them and the experience I had.

Restaurant Review.

The Good, The Bad, and The Grecian Key: in Pocatello, ID

The Grecian Key in  Pocatello , ID is a unique adventure for your tastebuds. With recipes passed down through generations and everything made from scratch, the owner Sophia Huddleston is very proud of her establishment.

The food is a delicious and affordable treat that you will never find outside of Pocatello as Huddleston has no plans to expand her mini Greek oasis.

                                                         The Grecian Key

                                                             

The Grecian Key offers to-go menus and pick-up service for your convenience and every other Friday there is belly dancing for your enjoyment.

Click here for the entire restaurant review. 

                               (Right)Writer, Wynona White (Left) Owner of The Grecian Key, Sophia Huddleston.

Pocatello, ID Coffee House, CoHo: Young, Wild and Free

    Pocatello, ID is the home to an inviting, and free atmosphere known as "CoHo" or "The Smart Bar". 

    Owner Philip Murphy creates a fun, wild, and free environment to all that may enter. No matter how many times you may order the same coffee, it will be consistent, tasting just like the very first time. 

    Two blends of coffee bean create an exhilarating sensation to both your nose, and your tastebuds. The "Two Stroke Smoke" offers a smooth smokey chocolate, dark roast, while the "Danger Monkey" is a brighter, creamy chocolate, that reminds you of an enjoyable pillow fight. 

Click here for more.

Writer, Sorrelle Gibbins, taking a sip of the delicious "Naughty Blonde."

Left to Right: Sorrelle Gibbins, writer, with owner, Philip Murphy, inside CoHo.

Something Good Does Happen After Midnight: Los Robertos- Pocatello, ID

   A local restaraunt is open 24 hours a day, in order  to draw in the college crowd. Los Robertos gets a lot of it's business after the bars close at 2 a.m. Click here for Los Robertos website.

 

                                        
It acts as a fast food restaurant with a drive through and no servers, though most people order and stay to eat. It is a hot spot after a night out drinking. For other hot spots check out this.

 

The restaurant is very authentic, because all of the food is homemade and fresh, with large portions. This link describes some of the menu choices.

According to the owner  Anna Dominquez, "We will be around as long as people want us here." As far as I can tell they will be around awhile, judging from the popularity of the joint. Here are the public reviews on the restaurant.
Read more here.

El Herradero Brings Mexico to Pocatello, Idaho

Reviewed by Sarah Hayes

Chicken Chimichanga dish served at El Herradero 

The Brambila men opened El Herradero in Pocatello, Idaho 11 years ago and it was so successful that they were forced to open a second one. El Herradero serves up authentic Mexican cuisine in great proportions for unusually cheap prices.

Trip Advisor rated El Herradero No. 10 out 135 restaurants in Pocatello.

Unlike commercialized Mexican eateries such as Taco Bell, El Herradero brings a refreshing authenticity to the table. The beans and rice are flavorful, the salsa is fresh and even the tortillas are homemade.

Not only is the food outstanding and cheap, with a meal costing under $10, the atmosphere is priceless. With the second location on Arthur Ave. located in a gas station parking lot, it has a casual "hole in the wall" vibe that customers love. The interior is decorated like any good Mexican Restaurant, with Terra Cotta walls and dangling sombreros.

Both restaurants attract many students from the nearby Idaho State University. Idaho State University student, Madison Hickman regularly eats at either restaurant.

"It's cheap and delicious Mexican food, best place to eat in Pocatello," said Hickman

There'a a full article of restaurant review with an interview with the owner.

Sarah Hayes with El Herradero employees

Local Pocatello Restaurant Offers College Students Home-Style Food

Local dinners are sometimes overshadowed by bigger more well known names when it comes to choosing a place to eat. This is especially true for small locally owned dinners, like Oliver's. This well run well kept dinner, located in the heart of Pocatello, offers a vast amount of options for eating out.

Outside sign and wall of dinner.

With over 45 options just on their dinner menu, they also serve breakfast and lunch, there is something for everyone's taste. One thing that this restaurant can hold over over other restaurants is their amazingly large vegetarian options. Though it has a great amount of vegetarian options they are no strangers to a good burger.

Build your own burger

The former owner Paul Gannon, who died in 2008, is still held in the hearts of the workers and patrons of the dinner. His passion and joy of helping others has made Oliver's one of the best dinners in Pocatello.

Read more here.

Preparations Have Begun for Idaho State Universities New Year's Eve Gala

Idaho State Universities College of Arts & Letters recently announced the theme for the 2013 New Year's Eve Gala: "Masquerade Ball." 

In preparation for the ball students at Idaho State University and members of the Pocatello community recently attended a mask-making workshop, held in the costume shop, located in the Stephens Performing Arts Center. The workshop provided attendees with a history of mask-making as well as the opportunity to take home a free mask for the ball as a part of attending the workshop.

The New Year's Eve Ball is hosted annually by the College of Arts & Letters and in addition to raising scholarship funds for the department, the ball also gives students in the visual and performing arts, an opportunity to showcase their skills and talents. This will be the second edition of the New Year's Eve Gala, with last years event raising more than $30,000 in student scholarships in theater, music, dance, art, graphic arts, and communication. 

Advertisement for Masquerade Themed New Year's Eve Gala

The evening will consist of entertainment from ISU students in the School of Performing Arts of the College of Arts & Letters, including theatrical pieces, chorus numbers, and dancers in the rotunda. There will be a student art gallery in the Rogers Black Box Theater, a performance by the Youth Orchestra, and poetry readings from creative writing students in the Department of English and Philosophy. 

The event is made possible by the hard work and dedication from everyone involved as well as sponsors such as Mountain View Hospital, Farm Bureau Insurance, Idaho Central Credit Union, Portneuf Medical Center, and Bank of Idaho. 

Senior Theatre student Jack Johnson working on his mask

Events will begin on December 31, at 7 p.m. in the Stephens Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available to purchase for $125 per person, $250 per couple, or $1,250 to reserve a table for 10 guests. A ticket purchase includes the price of all food and beverages with hors d'oeuvres and bubbly being provided. Tickets can be purchased online at isu.edu/cal, or at the Stephens Performing Arts Center Box Office. (208-282-3595) 

Idaho State University calls all Freshmen to live on campus

As Freshmen enter the new world of college, Idaho State University encourages them to live on campus to make the most of their college experience.

Freshmen that live on campus are more likely to be involved in activities and excel better in their studies. The school provides numerous amenities to help students better themselves such as the Student Success Center.

Student Success Center at ISU

The residence halls on ISU's campus are better than most apartments that students could rent in the area. Rendezvous is one of these halls with rooms fully equipped with individual rooms, a bathroom, and a washer and dryer for four roommates

Roommates talking in their residence hall room.

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Idaho State University Announces Winner of Simplot Games Poster Contest

Students of Idaho State University's Communication, Media and Persuasion department competed for a chance to design the promotional poster for this year's annual Simplot Games event.
Simplot Games Director Lisa Woodland has worked with partnership of ISU CMP graphic design and illustration students for the last five years on deciding the posters content.

This years winner, Noi Thannao, was rewarded with $500 and the experience of working with a highly prominent business in the area. ISU's student Newspaper, "The Bengal", published an article about the entire experience.  Students posters have been selected each time for each of the last five years the contest has been running.

The Simplot Games is one of the nations largest high school track and field events, with this year's event being the first time in history international students will be participating. The 2015 Simplot Games will take place in the spring of 2015.

Contest Winner Noi Thannao (right) accepts $500 reward from Simplot Games
 Executive Director Lisa Woodland (left)

Idaho State University's Communication Students Like Merge of Two Departments

Students like Shelbie Harris are enjoying the merge of the Communication and Rhetorical Studies department with the Mass Communication department here at Idaho State University. The merged department is called Communication, Media, and Persuasion or CMP and has benefited the students who are majoring in this field.

The new department allows for students to take more classes that are media related that will help them become more marketable in the future. There is a large number of students in the new department now which helps with money issues, and makes them more likely for students who are looking to attend Idaho State to come in.

Administrative Assistant Virginia Barnett is also really excited for the new merge, and is looking forward to advising the new students who continue to come into the program.

ISU Campus Seeks Communications, Media and Persuasion Students in Pocatello, Idaho

An empty and unused TV studio fills space in the Liberal Arts building within the Communication, Media and Persuasion program at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho.

Students such as Dustin Nicholas see great potential for use of this studio. This studio was used in the past for student newscasts, such as "Idaho State of Mind" and has a prospective future of student use for class-related activities and for learning opportunities.

The Communication, Media and Persuasion program currently contains 200 majors and minors. ISU officials are in search of more student participation within this program.

New assistant lecturer, Judy Morris is currently the only professor capable of putting the studio to use and she hopes to have more student involvement soon.

Interested students may contact administrative assistant, Virginia Barnett for more information on the Communication, Media and Persuasion program.

Idaho State University Students React to Communications Department Merge

          Students and faculty at ISU are pleased with the merging of two communication departments, and even though this change is a big one and alters degree plans, it is being received well.
       
          After interviewing students and an administrative assistant for the department, I can tell that the merge was a needed change with the loss and gain of new faculty members.
       
         There are 200 majors and minors, 180 of those are majors for the department. The department was named after James E. Rogers, a lawyer.

CMP programs available at Idaho State University

Idaho State University Student Wins Simplot Games Poster Contest in Pocatello, Idaho

Students from Idaho State University's Communication, Media and Persuasion department created graphic posters in hopes to impress representatives from Simplot Games for the annual poster contest.

Out of 20 posters, Noi Thannao's poster was selected as the winner of the Simplot Games poster contest on November 3rd. The poster he created will be used as advertisement for the highly anticipated 2014 Simplot Games.

Thannao received $500 as well as his first real client by winning the contest which has been held by the department for five consecutive years.

"I tried to make mine look really classic so I guess that's what the board was looking for," said Thannoa

Professor Paula Jull, who has made this opportunity possible for her students was very pleased with Thannao's work.

"He's very very gifted and has incredible work ethic and understands conceptual image making," said Jull.

Thannoa's winning poster will be used for advertisement of the Simplot Games.

Outlook is Bright for Idaho State University Merger.

This fall marks the start of a new beginning for two departments at Idaho State University. The Communications and Rhetoric Studies department and the Mass Communication department have now become one. The Communication, Media, and Persuasion department was a way to help out both departments in number of students and programs offered.

Fraizer Hall home of the offices of former Communication and Rhetoric Studies 

According to the chair of the department, Jim DiSanza, believes that this will help the college as a whole. With the faculty that the department has he believes that the department will grow. There is also a large amount of jobs out in the world that will be open when the students leave.

With 200 major and minors in the department with 180 of those full majors, the James E. Rogers Communication, Media, and Persuasion looks to start strong and continue in the future. New teachers like Zac Gershburg who is involved with events all of the nation, is excited to begin as a first year teacher at ISU.

Faculty's Opinions on Mass Communication and Communication Rhetoric Merger at Idaho State University

Most of the faculty have positive opinions about the Mass Communication and Communication Rhetoric merger. DiSanza the department chair is fully in tune with the new department because he believes that it will promote more student involvement. This link shows the different faculty members that are involved in the merger.


There are currently over 200 majors and minors in the Communications department, with 180 majors.   The new merger will help to generalize the majors, forcing the students to be more well rounded.  This link shows all of the majors and minors in the Arts and Letters college.

There is a great future for the program says Gershberg, who specifically came to Idaho State for this program. This is a story about his journey to Idaho State and the program that he found.

Evidence of the bright future is in the students.

Faculty Delve into Mass Comm and Rhetoric Merger at ISU in Pocatello, ID

      Idaho State University located in Pocatello, ID has merged Mass Communication and Rhetoric for a more diversified and strategic learning experience for it's students majoring in Communication, Media and Persuasion.
      Department Chair Jim DiSanza, and faculty members Zac Gershberg, and Judy Morris delve into their perspectives of this intriguing merger. Stating that it was one of the deciding factors in becoming a faculty member at Idaho State University.
      Students are presented a challenge and even a brighter future through the endless job opportunities provided and intensive skills that will be developed.

Idaho State Students Neglect New Television Studio

     A new studio has been placed in Idaho State University that students rarely use.  As of last year, the Communication and Speech department merged into one department in order to benefit the students.
     Chief engineer, Dave Turnmire, talks about the previous students who participated in Idaho State of Mind.  Bringing back Idaho State of Mind or replacing it with something new would cause the television studio to be used much more frequently.
     Currently there are 200 majors and minors in the Communications department, 180 of them are majors. Previous students have been grandfathered into the old department students, therefore are not impacted by the merging.  Only new students are required to take different courses that may not have anything to do with their majors.  
   

TV Studio goes unused on Idaho State University Campus in Pocatello

Start at 2:11

Idaho Public Television has an approved and fully equipped studio on Idaho State's campus in Pocatello, but it remains vacant.

Due to a lack of students in the journalism program, the TV studio sit unused, waiting for students to come and receive hands on learning from all of the advanced equipment. Many students don't know about this studio tucked away in the Liberal Arts building.

Idaho State University has had many faculty changes, but these are some of the most qualified professors to teach in the journalism program. One of the last new casts from the University was called "Idaho State of Mind" with a cast and crew of students.

Engineering equipment for studio

  

Shelter Dogs in Oxford, Mississippi Seek Homes through Rescues

Dogs like Little Bit, Apple, and Carlton languished at the Oxford Humane Society for months but now have a second shot at adoption:  they are being transported to Russell Rescue of Columbia, Tenn.

Volunteers like Katie Muldoon arrange transports.  Only a few are saved at a time.  Today's transport consists of six dogs.  But every dog that goes to a rescue is one less in the shelter, Muldoon says.  And this opens up space for other dogs that might otherwise have been euthanized.

Animals that enter shelters in the United States have a tough time finding homes, statistics show.  Nearly 10,000 animals are euthanized daily in shelters across the U.S.  Muldoon and Russell Rescue volunteer Carolyn Parkers points out that if the law required pet owners to spay or neuter their pets, the overpopulation problem would be solved within a few years if not months.

Dogs on their way to Columbia, Tenn.

The Heat is On at New Jamaican Restaurant in Pocatello, Idaho

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To read more, go to the full article here.

WFAA-TV in Dallas Jumps on Social Media Bandwagon

Some have called this the age of social media. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have grown incredibly in the past few years. For example, Facebook now has more than a billion users.

Television news stations are trying to figure out how to reach those huge audiences. That includes WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas, which has some of the highest rated newscasts in the country. But WFAA is still struggling to understand the emerging role of social media in television news.

Brad Schultz has more on this story, which you can watch by clicking here.

Reporters at WFAA in Dallas are turning to Twitter and other social media platforms to hold onto viewers.