Author: KIFI

Phillip Willis

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — According to the Rexburg Police Department, on Sunday afternoon, a man was arrested after spying on sunbathers at Porter Park.

Officers responded to several calls about a suspicious individual at the park. After identifying himself hesitantly as “John”, he fled the officers, and then attempted to fight them. He was tased and taken into custody.

Pictures of girls at the park were found on his phone. He also had a pair of gloves and roll of duct tape.

“Rexburg is just a great place to live, and we don’t need any people do that kind of stuff around here.” says Jennifer, a young girl who lives in the local community.

The Rexburg Police Department is requesting that witnesses come forward — specifically those that saw suspicious activity between the hours of 2–3 p.m. at Porter Park on Sunday, June 29th.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Porter Meyers, a 13-year-old from Pocatello, recently won third place in the seventh grade category at the RTX Invention Convention US Nationals in Michigan for his design of a ‘sound energy harvester’ device for cars.

Meyers’ design for his sound energy harvester, which uses the vibrations from car motor noise to produce electricity using magnets and copper coils, got him second place at the regional Invention Convention, first place in state finals, and now third in the national platform.

“Everybody is very blessed with their ability to create something,” said Meyers. “With that blessing, you’ve got to use it wisely and not necessarily like, ‘oh, today I’m just going to go out and change the world’, but instead of having that mindset like, ‘oh, today I’m going to go help someone out and make their life better than it already is.'”

Meyers said he was inspired to design his sound energy harvester when he saw a lack of electric car charging stations in the Pocatello area and wanted to create a device which could charge electric and hybrid cars on the go.

With help from parents, neighbors, friends, and teachers, Meyers drafted plans and 3D printed a prototype which he took to the Invention Convention events; for his work, he was awarded a ‘patent search’ document to look for patents similar to his design with the potential to patent his sound harvester device if no similar models exist.

Meyers said in the future he hopes to work with rockets and potentially become an aerospace engineer. He also hopes to inspire other young inventors to follow their dreams of creating something to help the world.

“Don’t be afraid to do it just because you think it isn’t a good idea,” said Meyers. “Just do it because it might change someone’s life for the better.”

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Bannock Transportation Planning Organization is inviting people to review and comment on their most recent draft of the ‘Transportation Improvement Program’ (TIP) plan, which details all major transportation projects in the Pocatello area.

TIP highlights all federally funded improvement projects for roads, pedestrian walkways, and bike lanes, and public transportation initiatives over the next six years; the plan also explains how funds were secured to pay for projects.

“It’s just a way to make sure that we’re spending federal monies to make sure we meet certain performance measures so we’re not just wasting taxpayer money,” said Devin Hillam, executive director of the Bannock Transportation Planning Organization. “We want to make sure that we’re accomplishing what we said we’re going to accomplish, what the state wants us to accomplish, what the federal government wants us to accomplish, to make sure that we can move forward and grow the system as a whole.”

The Bannock Transportation Planning Organization will collect public feedback on the draft of TIP until July 31.

To view the draft plan and leave a comment, you can visit the Bannock Transportation Planning Organization website.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The historic World War II B-25 Mitchell ‘Maid in the Shade’ landed at the Pocatello Regional Airport on Monday for an interactive exhibition as part of its ‘Flying Legends of Victory Tour’ across the US.

Maid in the Shade was built in 1944 and flew 15 missions in Europe during World War II. The aircraft is one of only 34 B-25Js still flying and one of the only surviving planes of its kind to see combat.

“It’s a living history experience,” said Col. Chris Ostler of the Commemorative Air Force. “We’re honoring the men and women who served during the war and just trying to keep history alive, and I can’t think of a better way to keep history alive than the 81-year-old airplane that’s still flying.”

Maid in the Shade is owned and operated by the Commemorative Air Force, an organization that preserves historic military aircraft out of its base in Arizona.

During the plane’s stop in Pocatello, people can tour Maid in the Shade and take rides on the craft during select times.

For more information, you can visit the Commemorative Air Force website.

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Noah Farley

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Studies show attacks on firefighters might be on the rise.

“We’re seeing it more and more. You know, I don’t know what the correlation would be between why it’s happening, but they are happening more and more, or possibly just being reported more,” said A.L.I.V.E.Chief Operating Officer, Joshua Sullivan.

Sullivan has worked as a firefighter for over 20 years. He says the assaults on firefighters often happen because the attackers are not in a stable mental condition.

Researchers found over 300 media-covered reports of firefighters being assaulted while on duty. The next year, almost 600 reports were found.

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News Release

The following is a press release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office:

SWAN VALLEY, Idaho (KIFI) — Just after 11 am this morning, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies and Star Valley Rescue were dispatched to the Palisades Reservoir near the Alpine Airport to a report of an airplane that went down in the water. A boater was able to get to the plane and rescue the pilot, who was the only one on board. The pilot was transported to the Star Valley Emergency Center but was not injured in the crash. 

Courtesy: AlpineFire Wyoming 

    The pilot told Deputies he was attempting to land at the airport and undershot the runway and could not maintain enough air speed before hitting the water. Deputies are working with the FAA and NTSB on the investigation, and removal of the plane will take place sometime in the next day or so. Deputies are asking boaters to stay clear of the plane and immediate area around it until it can be safely removed.

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News Team

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — A 69-year-old Rexburg man, Thomas Ray Archibald, died Sunday after a serious two-vehicle collision on West 33, near the Sportsman’s Gun Range.

According to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred just before noon on June 29. Investigators determined that a truck, which was pulling a trailer and traveling westbound, was attempting to turn south onto East Butte Road when it was struck by a second vehicle trying to pass it.

Bystanders and deputies immediately performed CPR on Archibald, the driver of the second vehicle, until emergency medical services arrived. Despite their life-saving efforts, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office extended its deepest condolences to Mr. Archibald’s family. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Bryan Kohberger, the 30-year-old suspect in the brutal 2022 University of Idaho murders, has reportedly accepted a plea deal that would spare him the death penalty in exchange for a guilty plea. This significant development, first reported by NewsNation and corroborated by multiple news sources, indicates a major shift only a month before the upcoming high-profile murder trial.

“It’s true!” — Goncalves Family furiously confirms plea deal

The family of victim Kaylee Goncalves confirmed the agreement on social media, expressing profound anger.

“It’s true! We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected. We appreciate all your love and support,” the family of Kaylee Goncalves wrote on Facebook.

Kohberger is accused of the early morning home invasion killings of four University of Idaho students: Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, in November 2022. The killings sent shockwaves through the small college town and garnered national attention.

According to Brian Entin of NewsNation, who posted on X, “Sources confirm the prosecution has proposed dropping the death penalty in exchange for Kohberger pleading guilty to committing the four murders and serving life.”

At the time of the killings, Kohberger was pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, located just a short drive from Moscow. Authorities arrested Kohberger over a month after the murders, on December 30, 2022, in his home state of Pennsylvania.

This reported plea agreement comes just days after a critical ruling in the case. Judge Steven Hippler recently dismissed a bid by Kohberger’s defense team to introduce an alternate perpetrator theory, a move that could have significantly impacted the trial’s direction.

This is a developing story. Local News 8 is actively working to independently confirm this information and will continue to provide updates as more details emerge.

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Seth Ratliff

DRIGGS, Idaho (KIFI) — A 25-year-old Teton County woman is facing serious charges after sheriff’s deputies intercepted her in the act of delivering narcotics, including over a quarter pound of cocaine. Taylor Marie Keele was arrested on June 26 as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation.

According to the Teton County Sheriff’s Office, deputies stopped Keele’s vehicle while she was allegedly en route to traffic the narcotics. After searching her vehicle, investigators discovered trafficking amounts of cocaine, fentanyl, a handgun, and other items of drug paraphernalia.

Courtesy: Teton County Sheriff’s Office

Keele has been charged with felony drug trafficking and possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver. She is currently being held on a $100,000 bond. Authorities stated that if convicted on these charges, Keele could face a prison sentence ranging from three years to life.

As with all legal proceedings, Taylor Marie Keele is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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News Release

The following is a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Idaho:

FORT HALL, Idaho (KIFI) — Abe L. Sireech, 37, of Fort Hall, was sentenced to 29 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a felon, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.

According to court records, on August 6, 2022, Fort Hall Police responded to a residence based on a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in front of the owner’s house. Police arrived and found Sireech in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Sireech appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. While talking to Sireech, the officer saw a rifle next to Sireech’s right leg. The officer removed Sireech from the vehicle and found that the rifle was a loaded semi-automatic rifle with additional loaded magazines in the vehicle. Police determined that Sireech had an earlier conviction for felony aggravated assault and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. 

Sireech pleaded guilty to illegal possession of the firearm on April 7, 2025. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Sireech to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Haycock prosecuted the case.

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