Author: KIFI

David Pace

NEWDALE, Idaho (KIFI) – Dozens of ‘Flood 50’ boaters flowed down the Teton River, respectfully marking the anniversary of the Teton Dam’s collapse with guided tours Thursday. 

“The disaster happened, and what we are really celebrating is the way the community came together to recover from the disaster – all of the volunteer help that came to help us recover and shovel out the mud and all those kind of things,” said Rexburg Mayor Jerry Merrill.

Local outfitters navigated rapids, accompanying guests on boats and rafts through jagged canyon walls on the picturesque riverway.

“We’re just rowing people down the beautiful Teton River,” said Teton Valley Lodge Fishing Guide Cody Salley.  “I’m just super stoked to be here. It’s a beautiful day. It’s beautiful river – glad to share it with all these folks.”

The scene was in sharp contrast to 50 years ago, when the catastrophic failure of the Teton Dam unleashed a torrent of water that flooded homes, farms, businesses and communities downstream.

“I had family in Roberts, and they actually watched people floating down the river that had passed away,” said Charlotte Moore, a boat passenger from Menan. “They actually watched the wildlife and the animals that were dead from the water going down. So it definitely had an impact.  …I think most of the people around here are against the dam being rebuilt.”

However, high-level discussions have stirred possibilities of reconstructing the dam.

The Idaho Legislature passed a Senate Joint Memorial 101 in 2025, “encourag(ing) the Bureau of Reclamation, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Governor of the State of Idaho, the Idaho Water Resource Board, the Idaho Department of Water Resources” and other agencies to “update and conduct studies to identify and construct additional water storage in Idaho, including reconstruction of the Teton Dam.”

A contingency of legislators, farmers and activists visited with Idaho’s Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., last year to discuss the potential project.

“We have to have conversations because there’s a lot of different viewpoints. The need for the dam is even more acute today than it was 50 years ago,” Merrill said. “We still need water storage. We still need power generation. We still need more recreation areas, flood control and those kinds of things.”

“The need is still there. But there are also concerns – safety concerns, of course, that we’ve got to address to make sure that if it is built, that it’s built safely,” he continued. “We need to address the ecology of the area. How can we make sure that, you know, fish and other wildlife can thrive?”

Crucial discussions over the legacy and future of the Teton Dam site will continue for decades to come.

Be sure to tune into our full, 30-minute documentary on “Teton Dam: The Failure and the Future” this Friday.

It will air at 9:25 PM on FOX and 10 PM on CBS.

The Teton Dam site is viewed from the canyon walls on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Following an afternoon briefing in the Oval Office where Energy Secretary Chris Wright promised a major announcement before the “sun goes down,” the Department of Energy (DOE) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have declared the “rebirth of America’s nuclear industry.”

On Thursday afternoon, June 4, the DOE announced that the Los Angeles-based Antares Nuclear’s advanced reactor design, the Mark-0, completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration at the Idaho facility. In other words, the newly assembled reactor has reached a successful self-sustaining fission chain reaction.

“This milestone reflects years of focused work by Antares, the U.S. Department of Energy, and teams across Idaho National Laboratory,” said Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner. “Congratulations to everyone involved in reaching zero-power criticality and advancing the next era of nuclear energy.”

Antares Nuclear’s advanced reactor design, the Mark-0. Courtesy Antares Nuclear.

According to the DOE, this successful test confirms the reactor can operate safely and “establishes a basis that would allow subsequent reactors to produce electricity in 2027 and beyond.” Developed under the DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program, the milestone marks a massive leap forward for small modular nuclear technology.

The Mark-0 is the first of several anticipated advanced reactors to achieve criticality ahead of the July 4th deadline established by President Trump in a May 2025 executive order.

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

This is a developing story. Local News 8 will provide additional updates throughout the evening.

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Curtis Jackson

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)—Search and Rescue teams are looking for a man who may have fallen into the Snake River and never surfaced.

The search in the water has been called off as of Thursday evening and will resume Friday morning.

The call came in at 3:52 p.m. of a person was in the water near the area of the Broadway Bridge.

The Sheriff’s Office says, “Deputies learned the victim was from out of state, visiting Idaho Falls with a co-worker and looking at the falls, when he slipped on the rocks and fell in.” The man went into the river just above the Broadway Bridge.

The Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, “Water levels and strong currents in the area prevented divers from safely entering the water. Surface, sonar and drone resources were utilized to search into the early evening. Sheriff’s Deputies and rescue personnel plan to resume search efforts tomorrow morning at daylight. Current water conditions along the Snake River are at very high levels and extremely swift. Visibility in the water is limited with floating and sub-surface debris. Additionally water temperatures are in the low 40’s, making the ability to self rescue extremely difficult.”

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.

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Curtis Jackson

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – A man connected to a 2022 killing at a rest area east of Ririe has admitted his role in the case.

William Burton pleaded guilty Thursday in Bonneville County Courtroom to being an accessory to second-degree murder. The plea marks the latest development in a case tied to the death of Morey Pelton.

Pelton was found dead on May 13, 2022, at the Clark Hill Rest Area along Highway 26. Investigators say Burton was with Randy Larkin on the night Pelton was killed. Gerald Hamlin was also in the vehicle at the time.

According to court records, Burton was not charged until after Larkin and Hamlin were sentenced in connection with the killing last year.

Burton is scheduled to be sentenced on August 10.

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Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — A controversial proposal to develop an AI Data Center in the Gate City could gain a second life as the applicant petitions the City of Pocatello for reconsideration.

The Arizona-based Lex Developments LLC and Gus Schultz have officially appealed the City of Pocatello Hearing Examiner’s recent denial of their Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a proposed AI data center.

The appeal, filed on June 1, 2026, by attorney Jon Stenquist, seeks to reverse the decision that blocked development of the facility at the former Hoku polysilicon plant site.

Why the Permit Was Denied

The Hearing Examiner’s initial ruling denied the CUP, citing that the developers failed to prove the project would not be “detrimental to the public interests, health, safety, or welfare of the city,” as required under Chapter 17.02.130 D of the Pocatello Municipal Code.

Related: Pocatello denies Conditional Use Permit for AI Data Center at Former Hoku Plant

The decision came on the heels of a highly contentious public hearing, which saw more than 300 residents gather to voice their opinions on the project, primarily due to concerns that the data center would pull water from state agriculture and Pocatello’s resources.

Lex Development, however, has claimed the project would operate on a “closed loop system,” which they state would use 80-95% less water than traditional data centers.

The Grounds for Appeal

The appeal outlines three primary arguments for why the City should reverse the Hearing Examiner’s decision.

First, the applicants argue that the City did not follow proper procedure, contending the project should have been evaluated under Section 17.01.160.C, which governs “Unlisted Use; Authorization of Similar Use,” rather than requiring a Conditional Use Permit. The section establishes a procedure for determining whether an unlisted or unanticipated use would have been permitted in a zoning district or is compatible with or similar to uses outlined in the City Code.

In addition, the appeal argues that the former Hoku polysilicon manufacturing plant already received approvals for “heavy industrial use at a scale and intensity that encompasses the proposed data center.”

According to the appeal document, “In approving that prior use, the City necessarily determined that this particular property could support extraordinary electrical demand, industrial-scale utility infrastructure, water and wastewater impacts, significant and problematic environmental impacts, and serious public safety considerations.”

Secondly, the applicants argue the Hearing Examiner’s outright denial was “arbitrary and capricious” and not in line with the City’s planning staff review, which had “recommended approval with modest conditions.”

The document states, “The Hearing Examiner nevertheless rejected staff’s conclusions…with nothing more than conclusory statements.”

It further argues the Hearing Examiner “did not sufficiently explain the criteria and standards considered relevant, state the relevant contested facts relied upon, or explain the rationale for the decision based on the applicable provisions of the comprehensive plan, relevant ordinance and statutory provisions, pertinent constitutional principles and factual information contained in the record.”

Finally, developers claim the Hearing Examiner’s denial was “disproportionate and fundamentally unjust,” arguing that “The CUP process is not intended to require applicants to incur the full cost of final engineering, utility design, environmental analysis, and construction-level studies before obtaining preliminary and conditional land use authorization.”

What the Initial Denial Requires of the Applicant

Under the initial denial of the CUP, the Hearing Examiner stated that Lex Developments must conduct comprehensive impact analyses before submitting any future applications.

“These studies should include at a minimum: wastewater discharge quantities; identification of pretreatment systems if needed; potential chemical discharge; water demand calculations; long-term electrical infrastructure requirements and environmental impacts related to emissions, water utilization and wastewater discharge,” state the meeting minutes.

Schultz was originally scheduled to present two funding requests to the Pocatello Development Authority on May 20, but both items were later pulled from the agenda. The requests included $200,000 for a joint feasibility study with Idaho Power to evaluate re-energizing the existing building for 200 megawatts of power, and an additional $500,000 intended to remove additional concrete for site development.

The City of Pocatello has not yet announced a date for the appeal hearing.

Editor’s Note: AI tools were utilized in the initial research and structural development of this article. All content is thoroughly reviewed and verified for accuracy by the Local News 8 editorial team.

2026-06-01 – Request for Reconsideration-Appeal of CUPDownload

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Par Kermani

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Rising construction costs, a lack of available housing and workforce shortages were among the top concerns identified by Idahoans in a housing survey conducted by U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo.

The survey was launched by Crapo a year ago to gather feedback from residents, community leaders, and local officials about housing affordibility challenges across the state.

According to Crapo’s office, many respondents pointed to rising construction costs, limited housing supply, and workforce housing shortages as key factors driving affordability concerns in Idaho communities.

“The input we received from Idahoans shapes ongoing solutions to address housing challenges facing the state and country,” Crapo said in a statement. “I thank residents, community leaders, local officials and industry professionals who took the time to share their perspectives and expertise.”

Crapo’s statement says the feedback will help with actions on housing and contribute towards proposals and “ultimately included in the Senate resolution 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

 Crapo is encouraging Idahoans to continue sharing feedback on housing and other issues through his offices across the state and through his website.

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Idaho Ed News

POCATELLO, Idaho – Pocatello-Chubbuck could become the next school district to shorten its instructional week. But the school board won’t make a decision anytime soon.

After a handful of discussions in recent months on implementing a four-day week or moving toward a five-day “hybrid” model, trustees on May 20 unanimously agreed to form a committee that will study options and survey district patrons later this year. 

Pocatello operates on trimesters, with a five-day school week and one-hour early releases on Mondays, when teachers have time to collaborate. District leaders in recent months have considered a few calendar changes, including: 

Switching from trimesters to semesters

Implementing a four-day week, where students are off on the fifth day and staff use it for planning and training

Modifying the five-day week by adding early-release days and periodic non-student days throughout the year 

Semesters would better align with other school districts and with dual-credit classes offered by colleges and universities, Superintendent Douglas Howell told Idaho Education News this week.

Shortening the school week, however, would be more contentious.

Douglas Howell, Pocatello/Chubbuck School District superintendent.

Four-day weeks are becoming the norm across Idaho. During the 2025-26 school year, about two in three traditional school districts used four-day calendars. Eighteen of the state’s 76 charter schools also have four-day weeks. In 2024, the Nampa School District — roughly the same size as Pocatello-Chubbuck — became the largest school district to join the four-day trend, which is more common among smaller districts.

As EdNews previously reported, the four-day week is gaining popularity, but research on how it affects learning remains indecisive. While cost savings for a district are marginal, at best, the four-day week can be an attractive teacher recruitment and retention tool. Many parents also like three-day weekends for flexibility around vacations, doctor appointments and other things that conflict with school schedules. 

Still, some Pocatello trustees appeared skeptical of the four-day option in recent board meetings. Trustee Megan Furniss pointed to research showing declining test scores in districts that switched to four days. Four-day weeks also typically mean longer school days for students and teachers — a way to maintain minimum instructional hours required by the state. 

“Kids’ attention spans max out at a certain point. We have all witnessed this,” Furniss said during the school board’s May 20 meeting. “To say ‘Let’s add 75 more minutes to their already maxed-out day’ does not equal more learning. It actually just equals more time.” 

Howell said that other districts in eastern Idaho, along with a charter school in the city of Pocatello, have recently moved to four-day or hybrid models, or they’re considering it. A four-day week also came up this year in conversations between administrators and the Pocatello Education Association (PEA), the local teachers’ union, Howell said. 

Click here to read EdNews’ special series on four-day weeks, “The Four-day Phenomenon.”

PEA President Mary Anne McGrory told the school board last month that the union is “not pushing for either a four-day week or a five-day week.” Rather, union members are hoping to have a “real discussion and a review” of the calendar. But trustees have yet to ask teachers for their input, McGrory said. 

Trustees considered releasing a survey soliciting input from district employees and parents on the four-day and five-day hybrid options. Trustee Heather Clarke recommended hitting pause — on the survey and any decisions about calendar changes — until a committee could look at the options more closely. 

“I don’t even know what our ‘why’ is, other than everyone else is doing it,” Clarke said of shortening the school week. “And that’s not a real good ‘why.’”

Pocatello/Chubbuck School District trustee Heather Clarke. (Photo: sd25.us)

Last month’s special meeting on potential calendar changes garnered some initial feedback — from parents, teachers and administrators. So far, it’s been mixed, according to emails shared with the school board and attached to the last month’s meeting agenda. 

Brandi Johnson, a parent, said a four-day week would offer more flexibility with school and work schedules. “Anywhere we can find compromise would be greatly appreciated,” Johnson wrote to trustees. 

Malia Fifita, a student at Highland High School, also supported a four-day calendar. Fridays are when “burnout hits the hardest,” Fifita wrote, and having that day off could help students “slow things down and get things done.”

Others raised concerns about potential negative consequences. Bethany Coffin, a behavior technician at New Horizons Center, wrote that teaching hours are already long at Pocatello’s alternative school, and some students “depend on our school for clothing, food and mental health services,” which they could access for one fewer day per week under a four-day calendar.

Before the school board’s May 20 meeting, trustees asked school principals for feedback on the five-day hybrid. This option could include additional early-release days and moving Monday’s teacher collaboration time to Friday. Some principals said this change likely would lead to more absences on Friday — among students and teachers — and it could interfere with other non-instructional time commitments, like meetings related to individual education programs for students with special needs. 

“My vote would be to keep it the way it is,” wrote Nichole Garza, principal at Lewis and Clark Elementary School.

The five-member school board unanimously agreed with Clark’s recommendation to form a committee that will consider calendar changes for 2027-28 or the following year. The panel will include parents, trustees and representatives of a range of district employees, including teachers, union members, administrators and classified staff.

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Danielle Mullenix

Idaho Falls, ID (KIFI) – Idaho Falls residents will have an opportunity Thursday night to share their thoughts on a proposed ban of kratom within city limits as city leaders continue debating the controversial substance.

The discussion comes after the Idaho Falls City Council heard official comments from local law enforcement and the Bonneville County Coroner about the potential risks of kratom—a plant-based product commonly available in smoke shops, convenience stores, and specialty shops.

City of Idaho Falls // photo from Monday evening’s work session with Bonneville County Coroner Shante Sanchez and Idaho Falls Poilce Chief Bryce Johnson

Kratom is typically promoted as a natural remedy for pain, energy, and wellness. However, officials cautioned that the substance can act as a stimulant in small doses and produce opioid-like effects in larger amounts. It is currently an FDA-unregulated drug and legal in the state of Idaho.

At Monday’s work session, Bonneville County Coroner Shante Sanchez reported that her office has examined six kratom-related deaths in the past 18 months, most involving young adults. She urged city leaders to consider the public safety risks of allowing continued sales.

Bonneville County Sheriff Sam Hulse also raised concerns about accessibility, pointing out that Idaho does not currently regulate the age for kratom purchases. He mentioned that some products are sold near schools and that law enforcement has received reports of student use. Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson also noted that enforcing a local ban could be difficult, as officers do not have a straightforward field test for kratom. Local law enforcement believes retailers within the city limits would comply with an adjusted market.

The proposed ban has been under consideration for several weeks and is just a small portion of the growing topic of conversation among city officials statewide. Last month, Idaho Falls city council members delayed a decision to collect more information and hear from experts, law enforcement, and the public before making a final call.

The issue is now set to return to the council at its regular Thursday evening meeting.

Residents who wish to comment on the proposed ban are invited to attend the meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Idaho Falls City Hall, 680 Park Avenue.

Members of the public may speak during the comment period, with each speaker typically required to state their name and city of residence, and limited to three minutes.

Meeting agendas and additional details are available on the City of Idaho Falls website here.

It is not yet clear whether council members will make a final decision on the ban Thursday night, but the meeting will offer another chance for city leaders and residents to weigh the pros and cons of restricting kratom locally.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Experts took a deep dive into the failure of the Teton Dam Wednesday during a panel commemorating the 50th anniversary of the disaster at College of Eastern Idaho.

“The dam collapsed at 11:15 a.m., and 80 billion gallons of water rushed to the valley floor,” said George Mason University History Ph.D. Student Rachel Bodily Birch. “By 8 p.m., the reservoir was empty.”

Three historians, a dam safety engineer and a geologist shared the stage and responded to questions from the audience.

“Before its failure, the dam befuddled federal engineering bureaucracies, shaped political careers in Boise and Washington, D.C., and challenged sacrosanct beliefs regarding the state’s water resources and environment,” said New Mexico State University Associate Professor Dylan McDonald.

The panel provided insightful analysis of the flood’s impact on local lives and the political and geologic factors that led to the dam’s collapse.

“The Teton Dam is fed by the Teton River. Depending on your source, it’s about 60 to 80 miles long,” said College of Eastern Idaho Geology Instructor L.J. Krumenacker. “Generally it has around 100 to 800 cubic feet per second discharge – depending on the season and the water year. With the flood itself, you had 11,000 cubic feet per second.”

Dam safety engineer Nathaniel Gee emphasized the human toll of the flood, sharing the story of David Benson, the first of eleven deaths tied to the disaster.

Benson and his friend Daryl Griggs were fishing near the base of the dam when they were swept up in a massive wall of water.

Benson perished, but his friend survived.

Others were more fortunate.

“Only our garage got destroyed,” said College of Eastern Idaho Dean of Art, STEM and Transfers Jacob Haeberle. “The house was fine, but we did find our car under two pickups a couple days later. I think this is such a seminal memory for everyone. I think that we’re still dealing with some trauma from this event.”

Southern New Hampshire University Adjunct History Instructor LauriAnn Deaver wrote her master’s thesis on “Dam Mormons: Responding to the 1976 Teton Dam Disaster in the ‘Lord’s Way.'”

More than 5,000 volunteers pitched in after the flood.

Deaver said that leadership from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints coordinated relief efforts, encouraging residents to roll up their sleeves and rebuild.

“What really struck me was just this ability for all of these [federal] agencies that came in after the dam collapsed and their ability to work with the population and the community that was here,” Deaver said.

Fifty years later, as Idaho politicians debate whether or not to to rebuild the Teton Dam, one dam safety engineer says it would be an expensive proposition.

“No matter how you look at it, to deal with the geology, to deal with it correctly, you have to remove out that fractured geology, because no matter what dam they choose to build, you have to put it on a good foundation,” said Nathaniel Gee, Ph.D., a dam safety engineer who has worked for 12 years for the Bureau of Reclamation. “We’re no longer talking about the $58 million it was to build. We’re not in that realm. We’re probably in the billions to rebuild this dam.”

“Is it worth it?” he added. “I haven’t done that analysis.”

For the full story and investigation, tune in to Local News 8’s 30-minute documentary on the flood – “Teton Dam: The Failure and the Future.”

It airs Friday at 9:25 PM on FOX and 10 PM on CBS.

Courtesy Museum of Rexburg: Home of the Teton Flood Exhibit

Editor’s note: The name of the victim killed in the Teton Dam flood was mistyped and has been fixed.

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Maile Sipraseuth

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) – Three people are in the hospital following a head-on crash in north of Ririe.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred on the south side of the Snake River Bridge at Twin Bridges near 4700 E.

Initial reports by the Sheriff’s Office show that a blue Volkswagen was traveling north when it was struck head on, by a minivan that was traveling south bound. However, the reason the minivan crossed lanes remains unknown.

The driver of the minivan, a 51-year-old woman from Twin Falls, was transported by air ambulance to EIRMC with critical injuries.

The Volkswagen was occupied by two boys from Rexburg, an 18-year-old and a 15-year-old. They were both transported by ambulance to a local hospital with unknown injuries.

The road has been closed since the crash occurred and will be reopened as soon as the scene is cleared.

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