Author: KIFI

Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25 is entering the 2025-26 school year with an updated cell phone policy which includes big changes for when and where students can use phones and smart devices.

The updated policy states students must keep cell phones, earbuds, smartwatches, tablets, and laptops turned off, out of sight, and off the student’s person (not in pockets) during the school day, including between classes. High school students may only use devices during lunch time.

Deanna Judy, chair of the PCSD 25 school board, said the updated policy was voted in to promote social interaction and ensure an effective learning environment in classrooms.

“We share this goal as a board to have more face to face communication with teachers and students and peer to peer,” said Judy. “We really just want more of a focused education atmosphere, and there are studies that show the more face to face interactions students have, the better off they are.”

The updated cell phone policy was drafted by PCSD 25’s Cell Phone Policy Committee, a group of school district staff, parents, and city leaders who started revising the policy in February 2025.

For more information, you can visit the PCSD 25 website. To view the full, updated cell phone policy, click this link: https://go.boarddocs.com/id/pcsd25/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=BFVMCT5AA513.

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Curtis Jackson

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)—Bonneville County Commissioners selected Chris Poulter as the next County Clerk on Friday.

Poulter will replace Penny Manning, who is retiring on July 25, 2025. Manning has been the county clerk since 2016. Poulter will serve out the remainder of Manning’s term through 2026.

The commissioners said they are looking forward to Poulter bringing a new outlook with considerable experience and skill to the position.

Poulter was chosen from a list of three potential candidates chosen by the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee. The other candidates were Natalie Kennedy and Andrew Russell.

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Curtis Jackson

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI)— The Wyoming Department of Transportation will close Wyoming State Highway 22, Teton Pass, beginning Friday night through Monday morning.

WYDOT said crews are working on the final phases of work this month, and crews will pave the final stretch of the new roadway. The closure is planned to begin the evening of June 27, at 6 p.m. and will run through Saturday and Sunday, opening back up on Monday, June 30, at 6 a.m. Crews will work 24 hours a day to expedite the work.

During the closure, drivers will have to detour around Teton Pass using US 26 through Swan Valley and then into the Snake River Canyon.

During the weekend closure, WYO 22 will be closed to vehicles at the Coal Creek Campground on the west side of the pass and closed to vehicles at the mile marker 7 road closure gate on the east side of the pass. During that time, bicyclists and recreationalists will still have access to Coal Creek Campground on the west side, as well as access to the top of Teton Pass from the east side. However, WYDOT asks that those walking or biking be cautious and aware of heavy trucks traveling to and from the work site and not to descend west toward the construction site.

During the closure, WYDOT and crews will be milling, grading, placing crushed base, paving, and installing guardrails and signs.

WYDOT and the contractor said they are confident the work can be completed in a single weekend. But unpredictable weather and other unforeseen variables could necessitate last-minute changes to the plans.

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News Team

The following is a news release from the Idaho Transportation Department.

 BOISE, Idaho (KIFI)—The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is reporting an 18% decrease in fatalities from impaired driving crashes—down from 105 in 2023 to 86 in 2024. While this progress is encouraging, impaired driving still accounted for more than a third (36%) of all traffic crash fatalities in Idaho last year.

Of the 86 people killed in impaired driving crashes in 2024, 80 (an overwhelming 93%) were either the impaired driver, a passenger riding with an impaired driver, or an impaired pedestrian.

“Drivers aged 30 and under are involved in impaired driving crashes at a disproportionately high rate,” said Josephine Middleton, Highway Safety Manager with ITD’s Office of Highway Safety. “It’s encouraging to see fewer fatalities, but the numbers show the problem is far from solved. We need people to understand that impaired driving doesn’t just put their own life at risk. It endangers everyone on the road.”

To help prevent further tragedies, ITD and its law enforcement partners will participate in a statewide impaired driving mobilization from July 1 to July 13, 2025. During this time, drivers can expect to see an increased presence of high-visibility patrols dedicated to stopping impaired drivers and saving lives.

ITD continues to focus on education and prevention through law enforcement partnerships, community outreach, and youth engagement initiatives. The department emphasizes the importance of planning ahead, using designated drivers, and making responsible choices every time you get behind the wheel.

Impaired driving is preventable. If you feel different, you drive different.

For more information on impaired driving prevention efforts in Idaho, visit shift-idaho.org.

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Phillip Willis

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Pocatello city officials held a town hall meeting Wednesday evening to discuss Fourth of July fireworks. They wanted to advise the public that areas of the city where fireworks of any kind are allowed are smaller than last year. This map shows where fireworks are not permitted.

Map showing areas of Pocatello where absolutely no fireworks are allowed.

People in Pocatello were also reminded of regulations regarding fireworks within city limits.

“Anything that says ‘explosion’ on the firework itself — they will talk about leaving the ground — those are illegal fireworks,” says Dean Bullock, Assistant Fire Chief of the Pocatello Fire Department.

Jeb Harrison is a local firework shop owner and attended the meeting to express frustration with illegal fireworks being sold.

“We do things the right way. We do things the legal way…” said Harrison. “It’s very frustrating for me when I see people go up the road 15 minutes, and they come back with aerials, roman candles, bottle rockets, firecrackers, all of which are illegal. I provide a safe legal product at a very fair price. If I could sell those kinds of products, I’d make ten times the money.”

Another Pocatello resident spoke up about neighbors who fire aerials above her home.

“We literally sit on our patio, and it showers into our backyard, on our patio,” she said. “They shoot ’em across the street. It’s unbelievable.”

Safety tips

City officials requested the help of locals in ensuring the Fourth of July is safe for everyone in the community. They encourage people to report illegal fireworks to the police if they see them.

The city of Pocatello provided these tips for firework management and safety:

Light all fireworks outside in a clear open area away from structures and flammable materials

Have a water source available

Never allow children to light fireworks

Don’t try to relight malfunctioning fireworks

Allow adequate time for fireworks to cool down before disposing of them

Never store fireworks inside your home

Fireworks should be kept away from children and pets

Pets and fireworks don’t mix — Keep pets safe and secure so they can’t run away

Never throw or shoot fireworks at another person

Pocatello has a greater chance of wildfires than 98% of other communities in the United States. In the wake of other local fires, city and county officials are focused on fire prevention and management and ask the same of the citizens of Pocatello.

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Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Lawyers representing the family of Victor Perez held a press conference Thursday to announce a lawsuit filed against the Pocatello Police Department. Victor Perez was shot nine times by Pocatello Police officers on April 5, later dying from his injuries.

You can watch the full press conference below.

The lawsuit, officially filed by attorneys from the law firm Burris Nisenbaum Curry & Lacy and local attorney Jenniffer Call, alleges that the department violated Victor’s civil rights.

Civil Rights Attorney John Burris, representing the Perez family, emphasized that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires law enforcement to find alternatives to deadly force when officers are aware an individual has a disability.

On May 21, 2025, a Local News 8 investigation uncovered that the Pocatello Police had past interactions with Perez and made note of Victor’s disabilities in at least two police reports. For more information, click HERE.

Burris contends that the Pocatello police failed to meet the standard outlined in the ADA.

“Because of their failure to exercise de-escalating type techniques or to be aware that he was mentally impaired and therefore able to talk in a different way, they took the most aggressive action possible,” Burris stated.

He added that officers “arrived on the scene just like gangbusters and within moments, not not minutes, not hours, no effort to give the young man any opportunity to locate where he was or to self-identify with these officers; They shot and killed him.”

This remains a developing story, and Local News 8 will continue to provide updates as we receive the official lawsuit documents.

A Long Road Ahead

The civil rights case is expected to be a lengthy process, potentially taking up to three years to complete. Burris also indicated the possibility of additional legal action on behalf of other family members who may have been in the line of fire, asserting that their civil rights were also violated.

Victor’s grandfather, Luis Armando Alicea, who is named as a guardian in the lawsuit, expressed the family’s desire for swift justice. Speaking through a translator, Alicea told reporters, “We are dealing with a person who died in my house. We are not talking about an animal, we are talking about a human being.”

When asked about the family’s recovery since the shooting, Alicea responded, “I don’t have the words to talk about it.” His translator told reporters.

Luis Armando Alicea

Community Activist Irma Valero comforts Victor’s family

Truth and Reconciliation

While this is a civil lawsuit, attorney James Cook noted that similar cases have historically led state attorneys to pursue criminal charges. The shooting is currently under investigation by the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force, which is expected to submit its findings to Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador.

On Saturday, the Perez family and their lawyers will be holding a truth and reconciliation town hall to help the community heal from this experience. For more information, click HERE.

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Ariel Jensen

DRIGGS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is touching up Main roads in several towns to ensure smooth streets in time for 4th of July celebrations.

On Thursday, Jun. 26, 2025, Driggs State Highway 33, ITD is working with the city to do a chip seal treatment. This will restore the health of the pavement and extend the life of the road.

These road projects are moving quickly. On Wednesday, Jun 25, 2025, ITD crews filled in potholes along Main Street in Rexburg and completed it the same day.

Fourth of July parades run through these streets and will create a safer path for people riding in floats or marching in the parade.

“We know there’s going to be celebrations in towns for the 4th of July, everybody getting out and enjoying their parades. So it is a time period right now where we try to get out and make sure that the road is in good shape for an influx of traffic and whatnot,” said Sky Buffat, Idaho Transportation Department Public Information Officer.

In many smaller Idaho communities, state highways double as their main streets and run right through the heart of town. ITD remains responsible for these roads, which is why they are currently working within these towns.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)—The former owner of Downard Funeral Home, Lance Peck, has agreed to plead guilty to mishandling his business.

In 2021, Police investigated Downard Funeral Home after getting reports of a foul smell.  They found dozens of decomposing bodies and unmarked cremated remains inside the facility.

At the change of plea hearing on Thursday, Peck and his attorney went before Judge Javier Gabiola to accept a plea agreement with the prosecutor’s office.

Peck pleaded guilty to felony counts of tax evasion, perjury, grand theft, and fraud, and he agreed to pay restitution to the victim’s families in exchange for having other felony and misdemeanor charges dropped.

Peck could face 3 to 7 years in prison for each charge. 

Peck is expected to return to court for sentencing on September 11.

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Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — If you’re planning to light up the sky for the Fourth of July, remember safety continues even after all fireworks are lit. 

The Idaho Falls Fire Department reports that they see people improperly dispose of fireworks every year by throwing them into garbage cans and dumpsters while the fireworks are still active and burning.

This has led to house fires in years past, as the garbage cans are often pushed up next to the homes.

Fire Marshal Jim Newton said there’s an easy way to prevent this from happening.

“Our recommendation is to take a bucket and dip it in the bucket. Leave it in the bucket overnight, just because you dip it in the bucket doesn’t mean the whole firework will get wet all the way through to the insides,” said Newton.  “So what I recommend is dipping in the bucket, leaving it there overnight, and then disposing of it in your garbage can the next day.”

Newton says that with these dumpster fires, Injuries and property loss are the usual outcome.

They haven’t had any loss of life attributed directly to this kind of fire, but it’s still a constant issue.

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News Release

The following is a news release from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (Idaho Fish and Game)—On June 26, Idaho Fish and Game, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, euthanized an adult male grizzly after it had become food-conditioned from consistently receiving food rewards in an Island Park neighborhood. The bear began frequenting the Pinehaven area early last week, where it received multiple food rewards from unsecured garbage cans, and broke into vehicles used to store garbage.

The large bear was consistently seen on doorbell cameras and tracks were seen throughout the neighborhood, accessing garbage, and pushing against buildings. Due to the bear’s consistent seeking of unnatural food and habituation to residential areas, it was captured and euthanized in the interest of human safety.

Because Island Park is home to both grizzly and black bears, residents and visitors who fail to properly store attractants are putting their neighbors and bears at risk. All residential garbage containers should be stored inside a garage or locked shed to prevent these types of situations from occurring. Garbage containers should only be put out the morning of pick-up, not the night before, and never left out in the open. Use of certified bear-resistant containers is also recommended. Storage of garbage in trucks or other vehicles is not a suitable storage solution and has been an ongoing problem.  

Bears are extremely adaptable and can learn very quickly to associate people with food. The presence of unsecured food sources of human origin, such as residential garbage, bird seed, dog food, beehives, domestic poultry, or fruit trees have long been documented as sources of human-bear conflicts. Food-conditioned bears can rapidly lose their fear of humans, resulting in bears approaching people and ultimately putting the lives of both humans and bears at risk.

Grizzly bears in Idaho are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act and management actions are therefore done in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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