Month: June 2026

Maile Sipraseuth

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho continues to rank last in the nation for pediatricians, creating challenges for families seeking health care for their children.

According to Full Circle Health, Idaho has less than half the national average of pediatricians per child, with just 50 pediatricians for every 100,000 children in the state.

The first pediatrics residency program in Idaho was introduced in July 2023 by Full Circle Health and was created to help address the state’s pediatrician shortage.

Dr. Perry Brown, a general pediatrician and program director for the Full Circle Health Pediatrics Residency of Idaho, said the program is focused on building a pipeline of pediatricians who are more likely to stay and practice in Idaho long-term.

Why is Idaho facing a pediatrician shortage?

Brown said relying solely on recruiting physicians from other states can be difficult, contributing to the shortage.

“One of the things we run into is if you don’t train people nearby, you entirely depend upon people moving here. And that often is a harder sell,” Brown said.

Brown added that some pediatricians consider state policies and the overall health care environment when deciding where to practice.

“A lot of pediatricians are hesitant to move to places that do not have child-health-friendly policies and politics, and that has historically and recently been a little bit of a challenge for our state,” Brown said.

What’s next?

Brown believes residency programs can help change that by creating a pipeline of doctors who are more likely to stay after completing their training.

“The advantage of having a training program within the state of Idaho is that, traditionally about 50 to 60%, sometimes as high as 70% of graduates will stay in-state,” Brown said. “So it’s a way of actually training people to remain in the state of Idaho and hopefully gradually increase the presence of pediatricians in our state.”

Brown said Idaho’s first pediatric residency program is already showing early signs of success. In its first graduating class, two of the four residents chose to remain in Idaho and practice medicine.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The annual Constitution Camp in Pocatello is officially underway at Calvary Chapel. Nearly 100 campers ages 7 to 12 are participating in interactive activities about U.S. history and learning patriotic songs.

The camp usually focuses on the Revolutionary War, but this year, board members created an entirely new curriculum in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Campers take part in a time-traveling adventure throughout the week, beginning with the Mayflower and following history through the Oregon Trail, the Civil War and World War I.

“It all accumulates into what we call Freedom Fighter Friday, which is where we have men and women from the community come and act like different people from those times throughout history,” said Michele Holyoak, Constitution Camp director. “People like Clara Barton, Abraham Lincoln, Meriwether Lewis and even Ronald Reagan.”

The week also culminates with a performance open to the public Friday at 6 p.m. at Calvary Chapel, where campers will perform a musical featuring patriotic songs. In honor of America250, the musical has changed this year as well.

“We will take our audiences on a journey, just like our kids took a journey throughout this week,” Holyoak said. “We will show them the patriotic songs and hope to be able to build a spirit of freedom and camaraderie in our community so they can remember the principles of freedom and what our country stands on.”

Constitution Camp is typically capped at 60 campers, but this year organizers are teaching 98 children. The camp also has 68 volunteers, including many teenagers who attended the camp as children and now give back to the community.

“I like seeing the kids have a good time, and it’s really important what they’re doing here,” said Trevor Martinez, a fourth-year volunteer. “Teaching kids about the Constitution is important, and it’s an incredible experience to be a part of.”

“Our 13- to 18-year-old teen volunteers are literally the heart of the camp,” Holyoak said. “They are the reason why kids love camp. They look up to those teenagers, they look up to the values they’re instilling and they are definitely role models.”

Martinez helps run the games station, including his personal favorite on Friday: dodgeball. Other volunteers include local school teachers who spend part of their summer educating campers at various stations.

“I love seeing my friends and teaching the little kids,” said Sadie Baker, a teen chaperone volunteer. “I grow really cool, special relationships with all the kids and teen helpers.”

Four local musicians and Idaho State University music education majors help campers learn patriotic songs throughout the week for Friday’s performance.

“It’s really special to see all of the kids and what they’ve learned and to show their parents and the community through their songs,” Baker said. “It’s just a really spiritual and cool experience.”

Martinez and Baker both said they would like to continue volunteering with Constitution Camp in the future.

“I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to celebrate where we have come from, to celebrate the freedoms that men and women who have come before us fought for,” Holyoak said. “We always take the opportunity during our musical to honor all of our servicemen because we know where these freedoms come from.”

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Par Kermani

TWIN FALLS COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho State Police say more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine were seized during a traffic stop in Twin Falls.

According to ISP, a Domestic Highway Enforcement trooper stopped a northbound Ford F-150 on U.S. Highway 93 just south of Twin Falls around 4:30 p.m. on June 11 for an equipment violation.

During the stop, one of the vehicle’s occupants admitted to possessing contraband inside the truck.

A vehicle search led troops to find 11.6 pounds of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and prescription medication.

Three people were arrested and charged with trafficking methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. One of the suspects was also charged with unlawful possession of a prescription drug.

ISP estimates the street value of the methamphetamine at approximately $90,000.

“Our DHE team patrols throughout Idaho to identify and disrupt the trafficking of illegal drugs on our highways and in our communities,” Sgt. Curt Sproat said. “By proactively targeting criminal activity and working alongside our local law enforcement partners, we help stop the transportation of dangerous drugs and hold traffickers accountable.”

The Idaho State Police Domestic Highway Enforcement team is a multijurisdictional narcotics task force that works across the state to identify and disrupt drug trafficking operations.

The team is part of Gov. Brad Little’s Esto Perpetua initiative and is supported through the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program and other federal counterdrug partnerships.

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Par Kermani

FORT HALL, Idaho (KIFI) — The driver involved in a fatal Fort Hall single-vehicle crash has been identified as Kennion Martin.

On Saturday, June 13, Martin and a juvenile male passenger were ejected from a pickup truck during a crash in the Fort Hall Bottoms.

The juvenile was pronounced dead at the scene, and Martin was transported by air ambulance for medical treatment.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Authorities say alcohol may have been a contributing factor.

Due to the circumstances of the case, the identity of the juvenile has not been released.

According to Idaho State Police, no additional information is available at this time.

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