Month: June 2026

Seth Ratliff

FREMONT COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — All drug-related charges against Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller have been officially dismissed in Fremont County, Idaho.

In a statement, Miller’s defense attorney, Jeromy W. Stafford, confirmed he had consulted with Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Blake, who agreed to drop the case. Additional court documents filed on June 25th by Blake confirm the exchange, motioning to dismiss the charges.

“There is no evidence [Bode] possessed any illegal drugs,” Stafford stated. “Nothing was found on his person, and the passenger claimed ownership of all drugs found, so they are being dismissed factually.”

In a statement to Local News 8, Blake said, “Although the deputy had sufficient probable cause to arrest Mr. Miller at the beginning of June, we recently received information which resulted in our office determining it is in the interest of justice to dismiss Mr. Miller’s misdemeanor charges.  I will not be discussing the specifics of this recent information due to it being related to another active case.”

The incident stems from a traffic stop on June 6, when Miller was pulled over on an Idaho highway. Addressing the allegations publicly via Instagram, Miller explained that he was traveling through the area with a friend and was entirely unaware of any contraband in the vehicle.

“I was pulled over for accelerating while passing another vehicle on a highway in Idaho,” Miller wrote, adding that his friend had a “small amount of cannabis and a cannabis pipe in his possession.”

Miller emphasized that they fully cooperated with law enforcement during the stop and expressed confidence that the misdemeanor charges would be dropped once the facts were reviewed.

Motion to Dismiss (1) (1)Download

Click here to follow the original article.

Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — A police investigation is underway after the body of a local man was discovered on Thursday afternoon near the intersection of W Custer St. and N. Main in Pocatello, in what authorities say appears to be a possible drug overdose.

Lt. Lacey of the Pocatello Police Department confirmed that officers responded to a call at around 10 a.m. after receiving a report of an unresponsive individual across from the Swire Coca-Cola plant. Upon arrival, police located an adult male who was already deceased.

The man was already deceased upon the officers’ arrival. Lt. Lacey emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the public, as investigators have already ruled out homicide. Authorities have explicitly stated that this was not a shooting situation, and the exact cause of death remains under investigation. According to a police press release, a preliminary investigation suggests the death appears consistent with a possible overdose.

The Bannock County Coroner’s Office was called to the scene to assist in the investigation. The identity of the man has not been released at this time.

During the initial response, police set up a privacy tent across the street from the plant. By 12:45 p.m., police had begun to clear the scene. Officers have since dismantled the tent and removed the body from the scene.

W Custer St. was previously blocked off between N Main and Harrison, but the area is now clearing out.

This is a developing story. Local News 8 will provide additional updates as more information becomes available.

Click here to follow the original article.

Par Kermani

BRIDGER-TETON, Wyo. (KIFI) — The U.S. Forest Service has closed roads, trails and a large section of backcountry in the Bridger-Teton National Forest because of the Kinky Creek Fire.

The emergency closure took effect at 6 p.m. Tuesday and will remain in place through July 15 unless it is lifted sooner.

Forest officials say the closure is necessary to protect public safety as firefighters continue battling the wildfire.

The closure includes portions of the Clear Creek, Clear Creek Lake, Dry Fork Clear Creek, Lunch Lake Connector, Gros Ventre River, Bear Basin and Dry Fork/Gros Ventre River Connector trails.

Several forest roads are also closed, including portions of Kinky Creek Road near Darwin Ranch and Tepee Creek Road.

According to the Forest Service, the closure area stretches across the backcountry near Clear Creek, Brewster Lake, Lunch Lake, Doubletop Peak, Darwin Peak, Sunday Peak and Bacon Ridge.

Officials say numerous hazards associated with an uncontrolled wildfire make it unsafe for the public to enter the area.

Federal, state and local emergency responders are exempt from the closure while performing official duties.

Anyone who violates the closure order could face a Class B misdemeanor, fines of up to $5,000 for individuals or $10,000 for organizations, and up to six months in jail.

The closure order supersedes any previous restrictions in the area.

Additional information, including a map of the closure, is available through the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Click here to follow the original article.

Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Energy leaders, government officials and members of the nuclear industry gathered at the Mountain America Center Thursday to celebrate what they called a new “Golden Era of Nuclear Power” following a major milestone at Idaho National Laboratory.

The event featured a keynote address from U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who highlighted the growing momentum behind the nation’s next generation of nuclear energy.

Earlier in the day, Wright toured Idaho National Laboratory, where he met with companies developing advanced reactors, visited the DOME test bed and saw the Radiant reactor under construction.

The visit followed a milestone at the laboratory, where Wright and INL officials celebrated the completion of a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration for Antares Nuclear’s advanced reactor design, the Mark-0.

“It is fitting that on the eve of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are witnessing a historic moment for American energy,” Wright said in a statement. “For the first time in more than four decades, a new privately developed non-light-water reactor has reached criticality in the United States.”

Criticality is the point at which a nuclear reactor can sustain a controlled nuclear chain reaction, marking a major step toward future electricity production.

Officials said the demonstration validates the reactor’s design and lays the foundation for future commercial reactors that could begin producing electricity as early as 2027 following additional testing and licensing.

The Mark-0 is the first advanced reactor expected to reach criticality under the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, which aims to accelerate the testing and deployment of next-generation nuclear technology.

As the 53rd reactor built at Idaho National Laboratory since 1951, the Mark-0 joins a long history of research reactors that have helped shape the nation’s commercial nuclear industry. Department of Energy officials say the technology could eventually power military installations, data centers, remote communities and future space missions.

During Thursday’s celebration, officials highlighted the Department of Energy’s goal of having new microreactors operating, or “critical,” by America’s 250th anniversary.

Wright told the crowd the work taking place at Idaho National Laboratory will play a key role in the country’s energy future.

“This we will look back in history and remember this pivot, not just in America’s nuclear energy, but in America’s energy,” Wright said. “Energy is life. Energy is national security. Energy is economic security. We cannot understate what’s going on here today. And you are making it happen.”

Following the event, Wright told Local News 8 that advanced nuclear technology will be essential to meeting the nation’s growing demand for electricity.

He said microreactors are designed to provide reliable, around-the-clock power for data centers, industrial facilities and communities while using relatively little land and material.

“It takes a small amount of land and a small amount of material to make a lot of energy,” Wright said. “And that energy is 24 over seven. It doesn’t matter what the wind is or the sun is shining, it’s there all the time. We can build it in scale. We can add not just a little energy, we can add a massive amount of energy.”

Wright said expanding nuclear power will strengthen the nation’s energy security while helping meet future electricity demands.

This event has now ended. You can watch the recording of the event below:

Officials say the demonstration validates the reactor’s design and establishes the foundation for future commercial reactors that could begin producing electricity as early as 2027 after additional testing and licensing.

The achievement comes about six months after Wright visited Idaho National Laboratory, where he outlined the Trump administration’s goal of quadrupling U.S. nuclear power generation and highlighted INL’s role in helping lead the nation’s nuclear expansion.

The Mark-0 reactor is the first advanced reactor expected to reach criticality under the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, which aims to accelerate the testing and deployment of next-generation nuclear technology.

As the 53rd reactor built at Idaho National Laboratory since 1951, the Mark-0 joins a long history of research reactors that have helped shape the nation’s commercial nuclear industry.

DOE officials say the reactor demonstration will help inform future commercial reactor designs, with potential applications ranging from military installations to remote communities and even future space missions.

Click here to follow the original article.