Month: April 2026

Fox13

Originally Published: 09 APR 26 14:48 ET

By Scott McKane

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    BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah (KSTU) — It was a secret they kept even from their family members.

A pair of Box Elder County siblings in their 70s is about to achieve a milestone no one saw coming.

Stephen Ball and his sister, Bonnie Jean Ashby, have always been close, said Bonnie Jean as she showed off old photos of the two.

“I’m a baby, like I say, we’re 15 months apart in age,” she said.

Later this month, Stephen, who is 77, and Bobbie Jean, now 76, will don caps and gowns and receive college degrees from Utah State University.

It’s a graduation that’s more than four decades in the making.

Right out of high school, Bonnie Jean had two scholarships to Utah State, but got married and became a full-time mom. She first tried to resume college in the early 1980s, but it was difficult.

“I had five kids and a foster daughter at the time,” she said.

After completing a few classes, Bonnie Jean had twins, and a couple more decades passed by. It wasn’t until earlier this year that she became determined to enroll again and learned she only needed one more credit hour. That’s when a university advisor stepped in.

“And he says, ‘You know what? Just let her graduate with what she has.’ So I had enough credits 40 years ago, it just never happened,” Bonnie Jean explained. “So I told my brother, guess what? I’m graduating! And he’s like, ‘I wonder if I can graduate?’”

In a friendly bit of sibling rivalry, Stephen decided to check into his own credit allocation and wound up with a similar, pleasant surprise.

After years of working, raising his family and taking occasional classes, Stephen learned he also had enough credits for an associate’s degree.

“So they turned it into the advancement committee, and they said, sure,” Stephen recalled. “I didn’t even have to take another class.”

The brother and sister will walk together at the end of this month to receive their degrees. All of it came as a pleasant surprise to their families, which, between them, number nearly 90 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Stephen said the family reaction was super positive, and Bonnie knows it’ll be a perfect ending to a very long journey.

“…we just love each other, and I’m excited we get to do this together,” said Bonnie.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 09 APR 26 15:34 ET

By Dan Rascon

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    SALT LAKE CITY (KSL, KSL TV) — A Utah teen who survived a horrific crash that killed his two close friends is speaking publicly for the first time, surrounded by the families of the teens who lost their lives.

Fifteen-year-old Corey Wayman said he still doesn’t understand how he survived the crash that took the lives of 15-year-old Xander Hover and 17-year-old Ava Olivares.

“I don’t know how. It’s a miracle that I’m here today,” Corey said.

The three friends were traveling in a pickup truck Thursday night in Juab County on Weiss Highway when the vehicle left the road and crashed. Investigators said speed was a factor. Ava was driving. None of the teens were wearing seatbelts, and all three were thrown from the truck. Corey was the sole survivor.

“There’s a reason I lived,” he said. “I don’t know what it is yet.”

Corey described his injuries, which included a broken collarbone, a broken nose, 18 stitches in his hand, and internal bleeding. Despite the trauma, doctors expect him to make a full recovery. He is scheduled to return to the hospital for nose surgery later this week.

The three teens shared a close bond and spent nearly every day together.

“We were just inseparable,” Corey said.

Family and friends gathered at Draper Park to support Corey and to honor Ava and Xander.

Aaron Olivares, Ava’s father, called the loss unimaginable. Olivares is also battling stage 4 cancer.

“It’s the worst nightmare you could ever go through,” he said. “She was a fierce competitor. On one hand, she was so good to people. She treated people so well and just had a genuine love.”

He said the teens were simply driving as the sun was setting when Ava missed a corner.

Xander’s father, Jessie Hover, remembered his son as someone who loved everyone and stood out to those around him.

“He was an extraordinary kid,” Hover said. “He just loved everybody.”

All three teens were accomplished junior drag racers. Ava had recently won a 2025 championship in Las Vegas. Xander was known for his entrepreneurial spirit and love for the outdoors, even making his own duck-calling whistles.

Corey said he plans to carry on the bond he shared with his friends and honor their lives moving forward.

“I think it’s probably just to carry on for any of us,” he said.

The families said seatbelt use was always emphasized and hope this tragedy serves as a reminder to drivers everywhere.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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KIVI Staff

Originally Published: 09 APR 26 14:45 ET

By Sahana Patel

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    BOISE BENCH, Idaho (KIVI) — Feral rabbits are causing chaos and property damage for residents living on the Boise Bench.

Data from the Idaho Humane Society shows a heat map of stray rabbit intake from 2018 through March 2026. The highest concentration is on the Boise Bench.

“They ate my shrub,” Melody Haile, a Boise Bench neighbor, said. “It’s a problem. I don’t know what can be done.”

What started as pet rabbits released into the area has turned into an overpopulation issue, as the animals breed quickly. Neighbors say they have been dealing with the frustrations for years.

“They’re really, really taking over now,” added Haile.

Haile has lived in her Boise Bench neighborhood for over 16 years. She said the rabbits started burrowing underneath her house and right next to the foundation more than six years ago, leaving behind large holes.

“Now, we routinely walk the house and make sure they’re not digging at the house,” Haile said.

The damage has spread to her front yard, where bunnies have been digging under a tree. Just the other day, when Haile walked outside to scare the bunnies away, they started tackling each other and chewing on her macrame chair.

“It’s been a little bit frustrating. I don’t know how to make it stop. Probably going to put the chair away or throw it away,” Haile said.

Kristine Schellhaas with the Humane Society said spring weather and the Easter holiday could lead to even more rabbits.

“They are really great gifts when in chocolate form, so not necessarily an animal you want to get. We do see an uptick of rabbit surrenders,” Schellhaas said.

Haile said she has already tried using repellent to keep the rabbits away.

“I’ve sprinkled it in the areas where they were actively digging. I’ve kind of tried to create a perimeter. It’s extremely costly to keep buying that and just putting it down every time the grass gets wet,” Haile said.

Schellhaas said the best thing neighbors can do is focus on long-term deterrents to keep the rabbits out of their yards.

“There are sprinklers that can go off automatically, you can build a little fence up,” Schellhaas said. “Even if you have an HOA that doesn’t allow you to have a specific fence. Those wire ones tend to be decorative and can help to keep the rabbits out.”

Haile said she also hopes her neighbors stop feeding the rabbits.

“Let nature take its course— if you truly want to be kind. Don’t promote the breeding of the rabbits. It’s making the problem worse,” Haile said.

Instead of letting a pet rabbit loose, the Humane Society asks people to responsibly surrender their pets at the shelter or reconsider whether they are ready to house a rabbit before making the long-term commitment.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KIVI verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

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Fox13

Originally Published: 09 APR 26 14:52 ET

By Mya Constantino

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    KEARNS, Utah (KSTU) — Christian Timothy is one of two siblings who survived a horrific murder-suicide that claimed the life of their mother, Kaylene Allred.

Now recovering from gunshot wounds, he is opening up about his path toward healing and the emotional weight he carries. “The people who I’m staying with are constantly like, ‘You need to rest, you need to take it easy,’ and I can’t,” Christian said. “I have to be doing something to keep my mind busy… It’s gonna be a long road.”

That long road began with a phone call. Christian was speaking with his friend Tricia Cruikshank when chaos erupted inside his home in Kearns.

“I was like, ‘What’s going on? What happened?” Tricia recalled. “He’s like, ‘He shot me, he shot me.’”

Christian says his stepdad, 64-year-old Floyd Allred, came up behind him and opened fire. “It didn’t dawn on me until probably the second or third bullet hit me that he was shooting at me,” Christian said. “At that point, it was just about taking cover and getting him away from my family.”

Both Christian and his sister, Brittany, were shot but managed to escape that night. Investigators say Floyd Allred killed 61-year-old Kaylene Allred before taking his own life.

Christian revealed that he had long feared such an outcome. “The sad truth is, for the past year I’ve feared that something like this was coming,” he said, explaining that his stepdad struggled with addiction and mental health. “I even expressed my concern to my dad that he was losing it… His addiction took over.”

As Christian heals from his physical injuries and prepares funeral services, he admits grief comes in waves. “It hasn’t fully set in yet,” Christian said. “There are moments where I think, ‘Oh I can ask my mom, oh I want to call my mom… and I can’t.’ It even feels that way with my dad, too. No matter how mad I am over the situation, he was still my dad.”

Friends, neighbors, and supporters are rallying behind the siblings. A fundraiser will be held at Liquid Joe’s in Salt Lake City on April 26 at 1:00 p.m., with all proceeds going toward mental health awareness and victims of domestic violence.

A GoFundMe has also been launched for anyone wishing to help: Support Brittany & Christian After Shooting

Christian says his mother was a warrior in life. “She went through so much in her life that she didn’t deserve, and she fought so hard for us kids,” he said. “We tried to save her, and she tried to save us… it cost her a life.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

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Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) —Designed to accelerate the nation’s transition to advanced nuclear energy The Idaho National Laboratory officially opened the world’s first nuclear reactor test bed for privately developed microreactors.

Known as the National Reactor Innovation Center Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME), the facility will allow private industry to test experimental reactor concepts in a safe, world-class environment to gather the performance data necessary for future licensing.

The Department of Energy officials joined INL leadership on April 8 to celebrate the opening, which was finished nearly a year ahead of schedule to meet a growing demand for affordable and reliable power in the United States.

While the facility marks a scientific milestone, NRIC Director Brad Tomer noted that the project is already acting as a major economic engine for Eastern Idaho.

“We know of at least 4 or 5 developers who have opened offices in Idaho Falls and have staffed them up,” Tomer said. “They’re bringing in a lot of operators, a lot of researchers of their own, to work alongside of our researchers and to deploy their systems… It’s just growing and growing. More and more developers are coming to us, and more and more developers are located in Idaho Falls”

The facility is equipped to host microreactor experiments generating up to 20 megawatts of thermal energy. By offering real-world operating conditions, the test bed is expected to significantly reduce the time and financial burden private developers face when deploying next-generation technology.

The first experiment is slated to begin this year. Radiant’s Kaleidos Demonstration Unit is scheduled to start a year-long testing program this spring, marking the inaugural use of nuclear fuel in the new test bed.

Future experiments will be selected through an annual competitive application process based on technology and fuel availability. Participating companies will be responsible for funding their own testing campaigns.

The DOME test bed is part of a broader strategy by the Department of Energy to re-establish U.S. leadership in advanced nuclear technologies and bolster national energy security.

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Idaho Capital Sun

by Clark Corbin, Idaho Capital Sun Original Posted April 9, 2026

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Gov. Brad Little vetoed five bills Wednesday after the Idaho Legislature left town for the year, ensuring that state legislators will have no power to override his veto. 

Little vetoed the bills late Wednesday, and his office announced the vetoes just before noon on Thursday. 

Two of the bills were late-session budget bills. One involved transferring cash and interest payments around to prop up the state budget, and the other involved the cap limiting the amount of money that can be deposited in the state’s main rainy day savings account – the Budget Stabilization Fund. 

Whether it was intended this way or not, there may be an element of payback to Little’s veto of the two budget-related bills. Throughout the 2026 legislative session, new budget committee co-chairman Rep. Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, publicly criticized Little, alleging the governor’s budget recommendations were full of irresponsible gimmicks. Then, at the end of the legislative session, Tanner and the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee called for transferring cash and interest payments around between different accounts and funding sources after Tanner called Little irresponsible for recommending cash and interest transfers earlier in the same year. 

In one of his veto letters written Wednesday, Little wrote that transferring money away from a payroll fund set to be used in fiscal year 2028 to avoid budget hardships today would create an even bigger hardship down the road.

“The Twenty-Seventh Payroll Fund was specifically established in statute to prepare for years in which that state incurs an additional payroll cycle,” Little wrote. “Idaho will face such a year in fiscal year 2028. Redirecting these funds now undermines their intended purpose and would place the state in a difficult position when those obligations come due. Preserving these funds today avoids more disruptive or costly decisions in the next budget cycle.”

Technically, Little vetoed four bills and utilized a line-item veto twice on a fifth bill. The vetoes include:

House Bill 674, which related to the discontinuation of telephone service and the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. 

House Bill 758, which related to day care supervision requirements and would have made an exception for children that could be counted in attendance at a day care.

House Bill 975, which would have allowed the Idaho Legislature to ignore the 15% cap in state law on the balance of the Budget Stabilization Fund and prevent excess funding from being transferred out of that savings account into the state general fund. Little’s veto ensures that any additional money above the cap will be transferred to the state general fund, rather than sitting in a state reserve fund. 

House Bill 968, which was intended to transfer cash and interest payments around to prop up the general fund portion of the state budget, guard against a potential budget deficit and ensure that the state ends the next fiscal year with a budget surplus of $150 million. Little issued two line-item vetoes, which prevented the Idaho Legislature from moving around state funding that is intended to pay for an additional 27th payroll period in 2028 and prevented the Idaho Legislature from transferring money from the permanent building fund into the legislative account. Aside from the elements of the bill he line-item vetoed, Little signed the rest of House Bill 968 into law. 

Senate Bill 1359, which related to virtual currency kiosks. The bill, according to its statement of purpose, “requires kiosk operators to register with the state, provide clear fee and exchange rate disclosures, post fraud warnings, maintain transaction records, and implement reasonable transaction limits and basic fraud-prevention safeguards.” The governor said in a press release that the bill “contains critical drafting deficiencies that would undermine its own purpose.”

Wednesday’s vetoes were the first that Little has issued in all of 2026. The five vetoes were also the most that Little has issued in any year. Little is now in his eighth year as governor. 

Normally, the Idaho Legislature would have the ability to override any bills vetoed by the governor. 

However, Idaho legislators chose to adjourn the legislative session for the year on April 2 rather than going at recess to see if Little vetoed any bills. If legislators had taken action to go into a recess rather than adjourn for the year, they could have returned to Boise and attempted to override the vetoes with a two-thirds supermajority vote of each legislative chamber. 

Even though he vetoed five bills Wednesday, Little has not yet acted on all of the late-session bills passed by the Idaho Legislature. State records show Little has until 5 p.m. Tuesday to act on the remaining bills. 

Efforts to reach Tanner and House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, were not immediately successful Thursday afternoon.

Although the Idaho Legislature cannot override Little’s vetoes, the Idaho Legislature does have the power to call itself back into session to create a new, special legislative session. In 2022, Idaho voters approved an amendment to the Idaho Constitution that allows the Idaho Legislature to call itself back into session within 15 days of a written request of 60% of the members from both the Idaho House of Representatives and the Idaho Senate.

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Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com.

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