Author: KIFI

Noah Farley

YELLOWSTONE (KIFI) — On Saturday, June 21, Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park became the site of a truly “heartbreaking” event. Tourists watched, stunned, as a bison stumbled and fell into the scalding 160-degree water.

Yellowstone tourist, Louise Howard, said on Facebook she saw the bison take a few steps into a shallow part of the pool, then it turned around and quickly got out. Then, after standing still for a moment, the bison turned back to the spring and stepped into a deeper area, making it impossible for the bison to get back out, no matter how hard it tried.

Another tourist, Katie Hirtzel, says she unexpectedly saw the bison around 12 hours later with her family. She says while it was shocking to see, it was amazing to witness “this rare part of the circle of life.”

Tonight at 5 on Local News 8, you can hear from Hirtzel and learn more about the experience.

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News Team

AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) — The city of Ammon will have a new mayor in 2026. In a social media post, Sean Coletti announced he will not be seeking re-election, saying, “It’s just time.”

Coletti says he’s not going anywhere and still has goals for the community, but wants to pursue them in other ways.

Without giving a name, he also wrote he’s grateful to know there’s an “amazing individual” who’s planning on running for mayor. Coletti’s last day in office will be December 31.

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News Team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — After a sold-out debut Summer last year, the Museum of Idaho (MOI) is bringing back tours of Keefer’s Island. The island, just off the Snake River Walk, is usually off-limits to the public, making the tour a rare chance for visitors to explore one of Idaho Falls’ most mysterious and storied spots.

“The Keefers played a crucial role,” says Chloe Doucette, MOI Managing Director. “William Keefer —father of Fred Keefer, who built the island cabin literally created the falls that give Idaho Falls its name!”

Once again partnering with Snake River Ferry and Idaho Falls Parks & Recreation, the museum will host guided tours on select dates in mid-July. Doucette says these tours will provide a unique opportunity to explore the island and the original Keefer log cabin, to take a one-of-a-kind look into Idaho Falls’ Wild West roots. “These tours offer a fresh, boots-on-the-ground perspective on the town’s rugged history and the colorful characters who carved it out,” says MOI.

The Keefers have a true Wild West aura,” Doucette adds, painting a picture of this fascinating lineage. “Taxidermists, snake charmers, ranchers, and deputy sheriffs – they fit so well into the story of the West.”

Tickets are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The museum highly recommends reserving your tickets in advance. For more information, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — An up to $5,000 reward is now being offered for information leading to the safe return of two missing Idaho teens, Rachelle Fischer, 15, and Allen Fisher, 13. The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, a national student advocacy and violence prevention group formed in response to the May 2022 Texas mass shooting, launched a multi-state effort yesterday, Wednesday, June 25, to locate the siblings.

Rachelle and Allen were last seen on Sunday, June 22, at their home in Monteview. An Amber Alert was issued Monday by regional law enforcement for the children. Authorities believe they were abducted by members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) and are headed towards Utah.

“Currently, foundation search efforts include teams distributing Fliers at major rest areas, tourist centers, gas stations, etc , motels, along the I-15 corridor. Our headquarters have reached out to State Park & highway patrol offices in Utah & Idaho with the information on the missing youth with dissemination requests. Online teams are utilizing social media sites and other avenues, such as used in its school threat tracker, to ping any known chatter on the youth. We have also contacted both Utah & Idaho State patrols to further bring these missing youth to the forefront,” The Uvalde Foundation For Kids said in a statement to Local News 8 on their search efforts.

“We are dedicated to leaving no stone unturned. Our message to those who have taken these youth – “Dont even try to hide. This ends now… Do the right thing…”

RELATED — Mother of missing teens speaks with Local News 8

Daniel Chapin, founder and national director of The Uvalde Foundation for Kids, emphasized the dangerous nature of such religious groups. Chapin, who himself was brought into The Twelve Tribes Cult as a youth before being rescued by family and friends, stated, “This case hits home to me on a personal and foundational level. There is a unique, particularly elusive form of psychological violence which we believe has been the force behind these two youth missing. We believe they have been abducted by this highly dangerous, religious group and we will go to every means possible to locate and bring them home safely.”

Descriptions and how to help

Rachelle Fischer is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, 135 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a dark green prairie dress.

Allen Fisher is 5 feet 9 inches tall, 135 pounds, with longer sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen in a light blue shirt with jeans and black slip-on shoes.

Investigators initially believed that a gray Hyundai with Utah license plate 4BYT6 was involved in their disappearance, but confirmed Tuesday the vehicle was not in the state of Idaho at the time.

Authorities are urging anyone who spots Rachelle, Allen to immediately contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 208-745-9210.

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Linda Larsen

WATCH RECORDING OF NEWS CONFERENCE BELOW: Family of Victor Perez held a news conference to announce next steps in the civil rights lawsuit against the City of Pocatello. The news conference began at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 26.

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Attorneys for the family of Victor Perez, the autistic teen fatally shot by Pocatello Police Officers on April 5th, are set to hold a press conference Thursday, June 26, announcing the next steps in the civil rights lawsuit against the City of Pocatello.

According to the attorneys, the lawsuit will not only be for the life of Victor Perez, but also a civil suit for the endangerment of the lives of two members of the family, Victor’s sister and mother, who were standing nearby at the time he was shot.

James Cook of the civil rights firm  Burris Nisenbaum Curry & Lacy, says Thursday’s press conference will include more information on the lawsuit, an update on their conversations with the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, and remarks by Victor Perez’s grandfather.

“They want answers, and quite frankly, Mr. Perez, I think he wants some type of justice,” Cook told Local News 8 in an exclusive interview.

Officers shot Perez only seconds after arriving on the scene, after receiving a 911 call about him waving a knife at family members. The 17-year-old died a week later after being taken off life support.

Saturday, June 28, the attorneys are set to host a “Truth and Reconciliation” conference from 10 a.m. To  5:00 p.m. at the Pond Student Union building on the Idaho State University campus. The town hall meeting is open to the public.

While the group has not officially invited the City of Pocatello leadership, Cook says all are invited to attend.

“In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, if people come who you don’t agree with, you do have to let them talk,” said Cook. “Everyone gets a chance to be heard, free of reprisals and judgments.”

For more information about the conference, click HERE.

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News Team

MONTPELIER, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bear Lake County Sheriff’s Office has closed a section of North 8th due to a partial road collapse. The closure is in effect from the Montpelier city limit to the Joe’s Gap Road intersection.

There’s no estimated time for the road to reopen, and the cause of the collapse hasn’t been released. However, homeowners living along the closed stretch will still have access to their properties.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Fire departments across Bannock County have announced a unified, county-wide burn ban set to begin on July 1. This ban prohibits all open burning and the use of fireworks within the county’s designated Wildland Urban Interface Areas due to the current high fire danger.

The ban comes on the heels of the West Clark Fire on the west bench of Pocatello, which burned over 200 acres.

“The hills and benches in and around Pocatello are covered in junipers, sagebrush, and cheatgrass that are prone to rapid ignition and extreme fire behavior,” said Pocatello Fire Marshal Dean Bullock. “It only takes a single ember to cause what could become a devastating wildfire. I strongly encourage all citizens to heed the ban and potentially save the lives and homes of fellow residents.”

The ban does allow for the use of commercial gas fire pits and appliances designed for cooking, such as gas grills and charcoal briquettes.

With the Fourth of July approaching, the Pocatello Fire Department is also issuing a strong warning regarding fireworks. Fireworks are a significant cause of wildfires, and extra patrols of police and firefighters will be deployed on Independence Day to ensure only “safe and sane” fireworks are being used within city limits.

“We saw this past week when we had that fire up on the West Clark area, that…it only takes one small spark to start a devastating wildfire,” Kim Stouse, Pocatello Fire Department. “Let’s just take a few extra steps to try to be mindful of that, because we don’t want to lose property or even worse, somebody (a person). We (firefighters) can’t be everywhere all the time. And so it does take a community to work together to keep everybody safe.”

For more information, click HERE.

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News Team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Wednesday, the Bonneville County Commissioners officially partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to begin repairs on Bear Creek Road. This agreement paves the way for reopening full access to popular recreational spots like Calamity Campground and the Snake River Boat Club, as well as numerous summer homes, which have been hampered since a 2023 landslide closed a section of the rural roadway.

Since the landslide, access to these areas has been limited to a two-track dirt road, making it impossible for trailers and larger vehicles to pass. The upcoming repairs will restore normal traffic access to the area.

“We are extremely grateful to the Forest Service representatives and their shared desire to assist Bonneville County residents in regaining access to this beautiful recreation area,” stated Commissioner John Walker after signing the agreement. He also extended special thanks to Idaho’s legislative representatives, Congressman Mike Simpson, Senator James Risch, and Senator Mike Crapo, for their support.

Under the agreement, the U.S. Forest Service will provide up to $825,000 in reimbursement to Bonneville County for the repairs specifically addressing the landslide area. The total cost of the project is estimated to be around $1,000,000.

Bonneville County is planning to begin accepting bids from qualified contractors in July 2025.

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Phillip Willis

AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) — After months of detours and delays, the 17th Street bridge in Ammon is now open to 3 lanes of travel. According to the City of Ammon, the remaining lanes are expected to be open ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.

Earlier this month, Ammon City Administrator Micha Austin told Local News 8 to expect the bridge to be open ahead of Independence Day, clarifying that the City is not directly associated with the project. According to Austin, everything has been handled at the state level by the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC) and its contractor, Keller Associates.

Even though the bridge is partially open, the contractor will still be performing work with lane closures. City officials are asking travelers to please use caution while driving through the construction zone.

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CNN Newsource

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN

(CNN) — The Justice Department has charged a man accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at a group of people demonstrating in Boulder, Colorado, in support of Israeli hostages with committing hate crimes.

The indictment comes days after a federal judge in the state said the department could proceed with hate crimes charges against the man, Mohamed Sabry Soliman. He was already facing two such charges.

On June 1, prosecutors say, Soliman hurled Molotov cocktails at the group, injuring at least eight people. Investigators say he planned the attack for a year and was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people.”

Soliman, an Egyptian national, is now facing a total of 12 hate crimes charges, the Justice Department said Wednesday, some of which carry a potential sentence of life in prison.

As part of the indictment, prosecutors revealed new allegations of a handwritten note they allege law enforcement found in Soliman’s car after the attack.

“Zionism is our enemies untill Jerusalem is liberated and they are expelled from ourland,” the note read, according to court documents. Soliman also described Israel as a “cancer entity,” documents show.

Once in custody, investigators say, Soliman said he had intended to kill people at the demonstration and that he “decide[d] to take [his] revenge from these people,” and “search[ed] the internet looking for any Zionist event.”

Soliman has not yet entered a formal plea in the case.

In a recent hearing, Soliman’s defense attorney David Kraut argued that Soliman sought to target the protesting group because of their political views – their assumed support for the nation of Israel and the political movement of Zionism – and not because members of the group were Jewish. An attack motivated by someone’s political views is not considered a hate crime under federal law.

The judge acknowledged there may be holes in the prosecutors’ case, but said that at this stage, the government gets the benefit of the doubt on questions about evidence.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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