Month: August 2026

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The Heise Fire continues to burn 20 miles northeast of Idaho Falls, burning a total of 2142 sparked by a lightning strike. As of Sunday, August 9, the fire has reached 72% containment.

The fireline along Heise Road from the Bridge to the Y has been fully contained with much of the dozer line already repaired as of Saturday evening. Fire activity is now described by BLM as “minimal,” however crews continue to put out heat and smoldering materials in the area.

Crews have also secured the South Snake River Road and Heise Road, removing hazard snags and extinguishing remaining hotspots. Firefighters have expanded the perimeters around houses where smoldering material was threatening the structures.

Now, crews are focusing on repairing dozer lines and other damages brought on by the continual repression strategies used since July 31.

The lines on the hills north of Kelly Canyon, Little Kelly and 7N Ranch have been reinforced and widened. The road closures have been lifted from the Heise Bridge to east of the 7N Ranch RV park.

Roads remaining closed include Heise Road east of 7N ranch, Kelly Canyon, and River Road both east of Kelly Canyon and West of the Heise Bridge remain closed. Fire suppression activities are ongoing in those areas. BLM is continuing to ask that people avoid those areas and follow responder instructions.

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Cars and Coffee is a weekly car show that has brought out hundreds of visitors every Sunday in Pocatello. Since its founding in 2019, the event provides a space for locals to share their 4-wheeled passion projects with others.

In the first years, the car show was at Wall to Wall in Pocatello, but outgrew that parking lot and moved across the street to the Key Bank. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Originally hosting only 20 cars, founder Carl Hocker said the event now draws more than 120 vehicles, including tractors and motorcycles. They also have The Picnic Basket food truck for snacks and drinks at each car show. Participants walk between the rows of vehicles to see the various makes and models, which Hocker said draws significant interest from the public, with people sometimes walking in from the sidewalk or stopping on their drive down Yellowstone.

Henry Pope is a car owner who built his own GTO and attends the gathering each week to interact with other enthusiasts. “Really good atmosphere, really good people, family oriented, great place to come, bring the kids out, look at cool old cars. The kids love it,” Pope said.

The environment encourages car lovers to unite and reunite, sometimes bringing together friends who haven’t seen each other in a decade. Car owners often allow children to sit in their vehicles for photos and take pride in explaining their car’s origins.

“We stick them in the driver’s seat, get photographs of them in their cars and stuff like that,” Pope said. “It’s just a great way to get out in the community and spend a few hours on your Sunday.”

Many participants have observed a growing interest in “old iron” vehicles among the younger population in the Pocatello area. The group also uses their vehicles for community service, including hosting drive-bys for local children’s birthday parties. Members stated they participate to give the community something to enjoy.

Hocker says the best part is seeing the spark in little kids’ eyes when they see a cool car they’ve never seen before.

“I was once a 5 year old kid looking at a car going wow, that’s what I want,” he said. “Here we are 50 years later I got a Corvette. I mean, never give up your dream, kids.”

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– Today is National Book Lovers Day, an unofficial holiday all about reading.

From exploring the various pieces of literature to appreciating the joys of books, the holiday gives everyone a chance to participate in their summer reading.

Despite the joy books can bring, The National Endowment for the Arts reports daily reading for pleasure has seen a significant, long-term decline. Falling more the 40% over the past two decades.

Felix Radford, the customer relations expert at Winnie & Mo’s, believes the problem isn’t a lack of interest in reading, but the pressure people put on themselves to read the “correct” books.

“I feel like sometimes when people want to get back into reading, they’re like trying to read like classics or things that they feel like they should read. But like, I feel like it’s totally okay to just read things that like, are really basically appealing. Like just read the read the things that appeal to you on a really basic level,” Felix said. “Don’t try to be strict on yourself. On what counts as reading. Read a graphic novel. Read manga. It all counts. Read audiobooks. Audiobooks count. I would say be easy on yourself and just read what you want to read.”

A memory that can stick with all our bookworms is that first book that really opened your eyes to the wonderful world of reading. Like Whitney, the co-owner of Winnie & Mo’s, who discovered this love as a young girl. “I really loved goosebumps as a kid and I remember reading that in first grade. I love that feeling of feeling like I was immersed in that scary world. And that was the first thing I remember really loving to read.”

Through Winnie & Mo’s, she and her team hope to create that same sense of discovery for other readers and build a supportive reading community for local bookworms.

“There is definitely a lot of people who come and sit at the counter and then are just like, naturally gravitate towards chatting with me or other people at the counter that I think probably don’t get a chance to chat as often as other people,” Felix said.

Finding that reading community can be a little intimidating, but there can be many opportunities around you!