Author: KIFI

Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – It’s the talk of the town in Pocatello, the statewide budget cuts leading to a complete structural and organizational redesign at Idaho State University. As part of ISU President Robert Wagner’s Bold Path Forward Initiative, the university is undergoing major changes to reallocate money and lessen the deficit.

These changes have led to university-wide layoffs of over 40 faculty and staff. Joseph Crupper is the current Administrative Assistant for the Department of Geosciences at ISU, and was informed he was being laid off a few weeks ago by the university provost and HR department.

Crupper expressed that he was met with nothing but respect and apologies during his layoff meeting. He also knows these decisions are coming from the state level, not ISU administration.

“I’m not bitter with ISU, at the end of the day, they had to cut the budget somewhere. I’m bitter with the Idaho legislature,” said Crupper. “I think they have to maintain a certain kind of callousness because they’ve locked themselves into a position of unsympathetic policy.”

He said he would take another job at ISU if possible, but has little hope for other statewide positions. Laid-off employees are put on the priority list for state jobs, but Crupper says the opportunities in his field of work will be slim following the cuts to higher education.

“I don’t have a lot of hope because it’s not just ISU that’s experiencing these cuts,” he said. “It’s all the other universities and state agencies. And the way that they’re talking in the legislature, it doesn’t really seem like they’re going to stop with just higher education.”

Chelsea Wilkerson is the top Administrative Assistant with the Biology Department and is also losing her job on June 20. She said she had never heard of the “last to hire, first to fire” system until this month, but it’s how ISU has gone about their layoffs.

“I had a little bit of hope when I recieved the email that I could be taking over another employee’s position because I’ve been here longer,” Wilkerson stated. “But I didn’t want her to lose her job either, but I talked to the Provost and he informed me that I was being laid off.”

Wilkerson shares the same sentiment as Crupper that ISU’s administration has handled the situation with as much respect for the employees as possible, and that ultimately, it isn’t their fault ISU employees are losing their jobs.

Now, these employees feel the weight on a daily basis of not only losing a job they love, but leaving the students of the program without their expertise.

“The biology department needs an admin,” Wilkerson said. “How are they going to run without an admin? That is impossible.”

“The things that I used to do are going to be pushed onto faculty and other staff members,” said Crupper. “The students aren’t going to get the personable treatment that they used to get in geosciences because people are going to be stretched thinner.”

Crupper is the 2025 award recipient of “Staff Member of the Year” at ISU, and feels his position is necessary to the success and positive experience students have in the geosciences department.

“It’s really upsetting to me, not only because I’m losing a job that I wanted to keep, but I also know that the students are going to be getting a less good version of what they have been getting,” he stated.

Crupper and Wilkerson both planned to stay in their positions with ISU until their retirements. They expressed gratitude and love for the work they get to do with the university, and know it will be deeply missed.

In her time at ISU, Wilkerson reinvented the Biology Department website and takes care to make announcements and update the graduate board in the hallway of the Physical Sciences Building.

“It’s a lot of those little things that I do, and the bigger things too, but it’s the little stuff that’s going to be forgotten about when I’m gone,” she said. “I do little things to make the place nice and pleasant and they’re just going to go by the wayside.”

Crupper is nervous about the culture in his department significantly changing in the absence of he and his fellow laid-off coworkers.

“I am on call for whenever something happens,” he said. “Whether that be as serious as a student emergency or as simple as giving a snack to somebody who needs one. And it’s that kind of culture that is going to be lost in this. It’s the type of culture that lent to a lot of people nominating me for Staff Member of the Year, and I’m really sad for everybody who is going to miss out on that experience.”

The organization reductions included 12 faculty eliminated positions, 11 administrative, and 21 staff members. ISU also stated that 68% of the new budget savings are coming from personnel reductions. It’s clear the university has restructured both it’s acadmic realm and personnel to best operate under the new statewide budget cuts.

Idaho State University announced the combining of the current College of Arts and Letters with the College of Education. The schools will now operate under the “College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences” with an entirely separate “School of Arts.” The College of Health is also undergoing changes as it splits into the College of Nursing and Rehabilitative Sciences and the College of Pharmacy and Applied Health.

The Idaho State University website is available with more information about the Bold Path Forward and the university changes in 2026.

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Hadley Bodell

CHUBBUCK, Idaho (KIFI) – Portneuf Urgent Care opened their second location near the Walmart in Chubbuck this morning with a ribbon cutting.

Community members and supporters of Portneuf Medical Centers attended this morning’s grand opening. New mayor of Chubbuck Rodney Burch was also in attendance. This grand opening marks the second within four years for the hospital. The Northgate location of Portneuf Urgent Care opened in 2022.

Leaders tell us they’re excited to join the community in Chubbuck and bring care closer to home for so many.

“I think if we can bring the care closer to home, that really resonates with the community,” said Scot Stevens, Vice President of Physician Operations. “It gives them quick access, when you’re not feeling well, you want to get taken care of in a quick way and and we feel like putting different sites in key parts of the community helps with that.”

The location is also ideal because of the “retail buzz” occuring in the area of Chubbuck around Walmart. The new Raising Cane’s next door is close to its own grand opening, driving traffic towards the area.

The new Portneuf Urgent Care is open now Monday through Friday 8am-8pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 8am-6pm.

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Abi Martin

UPDATE 2/13/2026 2:15 pm: AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office reported that Deric Gardner was found dead in the Sellars Creek area of Bingham County Friday morning.

Detectives from the Bingham County Sheriff’s office and the Bingham County Coroner’s office are working to determine if any other factors aside from exposure to the elements caused Gardner’s death.

The Bonneville County Sheriff’s office began searching for Gardner on Tuesday evening when his white van was found in the area of Bone Road and Blackfoot Reservoir Road. Deputies followed footprints in the snow that ended a short distance away from the van and could not be picked up again in the terrain.

Gardner’s body was found about 5 miles from his van in the Sellar’s Creek area by a K9 search team.

The sheriff’s office said deputies, along with search-and-rescue volunteers from Bonneville and Bingham Counties, helped in search operations using drones and winter rescue equipment. Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit, Bitterroot Search Dogs, and the Snake River Search Dogs also assisted, along with a number of Mr. Gardner’s friends and family. 

AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) — Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies are seeking the public’s help in locating 42-year-old Deric Gardner of Ammon.

His vehicle, a white van, was located on private property near the area of Bone Road and the Blackfoot Reservoir Road in Bonneville County yesterday. Deputies located foot tracks in the snow leading away from the vehicle, but did not locate Gardner. 

Deputies made contact with Gardner’s family at his residence, finding that he had not been seen or heard from since approximately 2:30 p.m. that day. Deputies, Drone Teams, and Search and Rescue volunteers searched the area throughout last night and today. 

Gardner is described as being six feet tall, approximately 190 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He may be wearing a lighter flannel type jacket.  

 Deputies are asking anyone who may have information on Gardner’s whereabouts to contact the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office immediately through dispatch at 208-529-1200. 

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David Pace

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – In a year of cuts, public education in Idaho has largely been spared from budget reductions.

Local News 8 spoke with Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield about her task to request funding for public schools before the Idaho Legislature.

“We did not ask for any new dollars. In fact, back in December, I revised the budget to take new requests off and make some adjustments,” Critchfield said.

She expressed gratitude that public schools were exempted from previous cuts – including the one and two percent cuts requested Friday by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.

“Having any type of cuts come mid-school year would be devastating,” Critchfield said. “But moving forward we want to have some consistency.”

She said schools require consistent funding to be able to operate and provide quality education.

The 2026-2027 total budget for public education is approximately $2.8 billion, IdahoEdNews.org reports.

“We want that public schools budget to maintain current funding levels,” Critchfield said. “The Constitution does direct that the Legislature shall fund public schools, and I support that and still believe in that.”

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is experiencing a reduction in force.

“Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) has determined the need to reduce current workforce staffing levels through an Involuntary Separation Program,” said INL spokeswoman Sarah Neumann.

The laboratory stated they would not be releasing additional information about the number of people affected by the layoffs.

“BEA is continuously adapting and aligning Idaho National Laboratory’s workforce to meet the needs of the nation and to support the Department of Energy’s priorities,” Neumann stated. “We remain focused on ensuring we have the right skills and capabilities to deliver on INL’s mission.”

Idaho National Laboratory is the region’s largest employer.

More than 6,400 engineers, researchers and support staff work at the laboratory, as of February 2025.

We will continue to keep you updated as we receive more information.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Nicholas Umphenour, 30, has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in a violent 2024 hospital ambush to free an Idaho inmate and subsequent killing spree.

On March 20, 2024, Umphenour assisted inmate Skylar Meade in escaping from custody during a visit to the Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. During the escape, Uphernour shot two IDOC guards who were monitoring Meade at the time.

While on the run, the Idaho State Police say the pair stole 83-year-old James Mauney’s Chrysler Pacifica. Mauney’s body was discovered near Leland.

Investigators later found Gerald “Don” Henderson dead at his remote home outside Orofino. Umphenour had briefly lived with Henderson over a decade before, according to reports by KTVB. Police recovered Mauney’s dogs and Meade’s discarded shackles at Henderson’s home, eventually leading to the duo’s capture following a multi-state manhunt.

In late January, Umphenour entered a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. As part of the agreement, he waived his right to a preliminary hearing and a jury trial.

On Tuesday, District Judge Michelle Evans handed down a life sentence to be served consecutively to the life sentence Umphenour already received for the initial Boise hospital shooting. In addition, Umphenour was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to the family of Don Henderson, according to court documents.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 11 FEB 26 16:59 ET

By Michael Martin

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    HEBER CITY, Utah (KSTU) — A 54-year-old Heber City man is facing aggravated child abuse charges after his 16-year-old daughter told police that he waterboarded her. FOX 13 News is not disclosing the name of the arrested party in an effort to protect the identity of the victim.

The Heber City Chief of Police confirmed to FOX 13 News that the arrested man was the Wasatch County Republican Party Chair.

According to court documents, on January 21, Heber City police received a mandatory child abuse and neglect report from the Utah Division of Child and Family Services. The report stated that the 16-year-old girl didn’t feel safe in her home and feared for her life.

Investigators spoke to the teen, who stated the incident happened one or two weeks prior to the interview.

The teen stated that she had gotten home from hanging out with friends when her father became upset that her room wasn’t completely cleaned. The teen stated that her father grabbed her by the back of her neck and took her into the bathroom, where a sink was filling with water.

The father allegedly dunked the teen’s head under the water before taking it out and splashing water on the teen’s face. The victim couldn’t remember how long this continued, but said she couldn’t breathe for about 20 to 30 seconds.

In addition to the recent incident, the victim told police that the same act had happened to her now 8-year-old brother following another argument. The victim told police that following the argument, her father grabbed the young child and forced his head underwater several times.

In another incident, the victim stated that a few years prior, her father backhanded her torso when she wasn’t compliant in doing something she was ordered to do.

The victim stated that after being struck, she started to cry, which prompted her father to make fun of her for crying. The incident allegedly caused bruising that lasted a week.

“I don’t feel very safe,” the victim told investigators. “When I go to bed, I feel like I can’t sleep because I don’t feel safe.”

The father was arrested on Tuesday and is being held without bail as detectives believe he may be a danger to the two younger children in the home.

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The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — We are seeing a lot more roundabouts popping up all over Idaho Falls. The city of Idaho Falls says it is making plans for safer and more efficient traffic flow. One of those plans includes the construction of a roundabout at the Birch Street and South Boulevard intersection.

“So, roundabouts are an intersection improvement to try to help mitigate basically safety at intersections,” said Chris Canfield, Assistant Public Works Director for the city of Idaho Falls. “So they’re a good solution for kind of off-aligned intersections where we have a significant skew on one approach.”

Canfield says roundabouts are great for unbalanced traffic demands.

“Where you have like that thoroughfare, and you’ve got a couple of side approaches that don’t have as much, and we have what’s called a signal warrant. So basically, a roundabout is a good bridge for intersections where you have a lot of growth and a lot of demand, but not enough for to warrant a signal.”

Canfield explains how it’s challenging for drivers to have to look left and right for traffic coming in both directions. 

“Roundabout mitigates that where you’re just looking more left in front of you instead of behind you. And that just allows you to see, and it reduces the traffic conflicts at the intersection as well,” said Canfield. “So when people approach a roundabout intersection, their main focus is to look left. That’s where the traffic is coming. So, it reduces conflict points as people roll through the intersection as well.”

If you are interested in learning more about the Birch Street roundabout, there is an open house tonight, Wednesday, February 11, from 5:30 P.M to 7:30 P.M. in the City Council Chambers at the City Annex Building, 680 Park Avenue. During the open house, residents will be able to review project information, see the design, learn how traffic will move through the intersection, and ask city staff questions.

Those who are unable to attend the open house may submit comments by email to ifeng@idahofalls.gov. Public comments will be accepted through Monday, February 16th.

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Ryan Suppe

Statehouse roundup, 2.11.26: New bill would track immigration status of Idaho students

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on February 11, 2026

by: Ryan Suppe and Kevin Richert

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Republicans want to learn the cost of illegal immigration and they are asking the public school system to help gather that data.

The House Education Committee Wednesday introduced a bill that would direct the state to publicize data on the immigration status of students attending K-12 public schools and public colleges and universities. 

Rep. Steve Tanner said his bill would allow the Legislature to estimate the costs to educate undocumented immigrants. “It does not seek, nor does it ask for, personal identifying information of any students,” said Tanner, R-Nampa. “(It’s) aggregate data only.”

Tanner proposed a similar bill last year, but it stalled in House Education. 

The new version is among a suite of immigration-related proposals that a group of GOP lawmakers unveiled during a news conference last week. The group had a few House Education members, including the committee’s chairman, Rep. Dale Hawkins. 

During the news conference, Hawkins referred to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Plyler v. Doe, which held that public schools can’t deny enrollment to students based on immigration status. 

“We can’t turn people away from the education system. That’s fine,” Hawkins, R-Fernwood, said last week. “But if the federal government is requiring us to educate, the federal government should be paying us to do it.”

Rep. Steve Tanner, R-Nampa (Brandon Schertler/Idaho EdNews)

The bill directs the State Board of Education to collect “aggregated data regarding the immigration status, nationality, and primary language of all enrolled students” in public schools, colleges and universities. This data would have to be shared with the Legislature. 

The bill initially didn’t include charter schools. But Rep. Clint Hostetler, R-Twin Falls, motioned successfully to add a reference to charters. 

The committee also removed one sentence from the bill’s statement of purpose, at Rep. Douglas Pickett’s urging. “Like many other states, Idaho has seen a recent surge of undocumented immigrants,” the statement of purpose initially read. 

“That sentence just seems, to me, to presuppose something that we’re actually trying to ascertain through the application of the bill,” said Pickett, R-Oakley. “What I like about this bill is that it allows us to ascertain the unfunded mandate of a failed national immigration policy.”

Rep. Soñia Galaviz, D-Boise, a public school teacher, opposed the bill. Lawmakers can already ask state education agencies for information on the costs to educate immigrant students, she said, adding the bill “unnecessarily targets an already vulnerable population.”

Public schools historically don’t ask students about their immigration status, according to guidance state superintendent Debbie Critchfield sent to local K-12 leaders last year. 

The share of undocumented immigrants among the state’s roughly 310,000 public school students is likely small. That’s according to a 2023 report from the American Immigration Council (AIC), a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group that promotes the economic benefits of immigration. 

Relying on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, AIC estimated that 7,500 Idaho children are foreign-born. And about 30% of the state’s immigrant population is undocumented, which aligns with the national rate among foreign-born U.S. residents. A smaller number are school-aged, and some likely don’t attend public schools. 

But not everyone at last week’s news conference announcing the GOP immigration bills were focused exclusively on undocumented Idaho residents. Sen. Brian Lenney directed indignation at foreigners broadly. Lenney, R-Nampa, said that “foreign nationals and illegal invaders who hate us” are unrightfully taking a share of the “American dream” from Idaho children. 

“Idahoans want to put an end to the pillaging of our state by foreign nationals, both legal and illegal,” he said. 

Tanner’s bill says that aggregated data on students’ immigration status “shall not be used to discriminate against any student in any manner.”

The bill could return to House Education for a future public hearing. 

Parental rights amendment introduced

Rep. Dale Hawkins is taking another run at adding parental rights language to the Idaho Constitution.

The House Education Committee chairman proposed an amendment that strikes language on compulsory school attendance for 6- to 18-year-olds, and says families can pursue “education by other means.”

Rep. Dale Hawkins, right, chairs a Jan. 27 House Education Committee hearing. (Sean Dolan/EdNews)

Hawkins, R-Fernwood, said the amendment “brings parents’ rights to the forefront of educating their children.”

The wording of the amendment is unchanged from Hawkins’ 2025 proposal, which states that the “right of the people to educate their children without government regulation outside of the public schools of the state shall not be infringed.”

House Education introduced the amendment, a first step toward a full public hearing.

Constitutional amendments face an arduous path to passage. They must clear both houses of the Legislature by two-thirds majorities and then go before voters for ratification.

Hawkins’ amendment received 46 yes votes on the House floor last year — falling just one vote short of the threshold to clear the 70-member body.

The House Education Committee had a busy day Wednesday, altogether introducing five new proposals. Here are the other three bills, at a glance:

Binding state funds for public schools. Rep. Kyle Harris, R-Lewiston, reintroduced a stalled proposal from last year that would tighten restrictions on how public schools spend state funds. Appropriations “intended for a certain purpose” can only be used “for such purpose,” the bill says. Failure to comply with “binding allocations” would result in penalties.

Professional Standards Commission. Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, introduced a bill requiring that the Professional Standards Commission report to law enforcement allegations of “behavior that may be criminal” in ethics complaints against teachers and administrators.

Public school facilities expenses. Rep. Soñia Galaviz, D-Boise, introduced a bill that would allow school districts to use facilities funds from 2023’s House Bill 292 on lease-purchase agreements. This would be an eligible expense after the district pays off existing bonds and levies. 

Public buildings bathroom bill heads to House

Despite bipartisan opposition, a bill regulating bathrooms in public buildings is headed to the House floor.

House Bill 607 would require all government agencies to provide separate restrooms and changing facilities on “the basis of biological sex.”

This bill would cover public libraries and a host of other buildings, such as state offices, recreational facilities and highway rest areas. Previous state laws already cover public schools and state colleges and universities, said Blaine Conzatti, president of the Idaho Family Policy Center, a conservative lobbying group that wrote the bill.

This year’s bill also covers “places of public accommodation,” such as businesses or entertainment and recreation facilities open to the public. Owners of such businesses would be required to “take reasonable steps to ensure that the privacy and safety of an individual is protected from members of the other sex.”

The House State Affairs Committee passed HB 607 on a 9-5 vote after some opponents said the bill placed an undue burden on businesses. The full House could vote on the bill in the next few days.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 11 FEB 26 14:42 ET

By Scott McKane

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    SALT LAKE CITY (KSTU) — There are wild turkeys and peacocks now living in a couple of Salt Lake City neighborhoods.

Sadly, one of the turkeys was recently hit by a car and killed.

But neighbors are doing what they can, trying to protect their feathered friends. We found one of the wild turkeys that have been spotted recently in Rose Park.

Meanwhile, pictures and videos of them are popping up on social media.

And in Poplar Grove, there’s an entire street filled with peacocks. Neighbors have actually worked with city officials to protect their peacock population.

WATCH: Peacocks, tiny homes and the ‘hobbitville’ lore: Inside Salt Lake’s hidden park

Amy Larsen says the big birds are a big reason why she decided to move into her current Poplar Grove home. She says she’s been a peacock protector ever since.

“When I first got here in 2008, saw the peacocks and went, ‘That’s cool, where do you see that?’”

The peacock population has now grown to about two dozen.

Larsen says she and many of her neighbors have joined forces to try to keep them safe.

“We have a lot of really cool people here who love wildlife and want to help take care of them and keep an eye out for them,” she said.

There are signs throughout the neighborhood, and also a QR code to learn more about them and to contribute if you’d like to help.

“We just kind of work together to keep an eye out for them,” Larsen said. “The city has been great — they got us those signs, and that’s helped to keep people to slow down a little bit.”

Meanwhile, a little farther north in Rose Park, several wild turkeys have made themselves right at home.

Lindsey Musser says she and her daughter really like them.

“I think they’re cool because they just roam around. And you can be like, ‘Hey, look, there goes those turkeys!'” Musser said. “She’s always yelling at me in the car: ‘Mom, look at the turkeys over there!’”

Musser and others have been taking pictures of the turkeys and putting them on social media.

“I got pictures of them jumping onto the carport, then from the carport, jumping onto the tree and then to our house. That was pretty awesome!“ she said.

There’s another picture where some of the wild turkeys are escorting a local postal carrier on their route.

But recently, one turkey was hit by a vehicle and killed near 500 North and 1300 West.

Musser is now exploring the possibility of reaching out to city officials to see if they — like Poplar’s “peacock protectors” — can also get caution signs for the turkeys. She says it’s probably time.

“I think it would be a good smart idea,” she said, “Just to slow down and to watch when they’re there.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

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