Author: KIFI

Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — A former employee of the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 has been charged with crimes related to downloading and distributing child pornography.

Members of the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, along with local partners, arrested 43-year-old William Strength on Tuesday. He has been charged with eight counts of Possession and two counts of Distribution of child sexual exploitation material (CSAM), according to Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s Office.

“These allegations highlight the importance of our ongoing partnerships with law enforcement and school districts. We remain committed to supporting these investigations and protecting children from online threats,” said Attorney General Labrador in a press release.

The Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 (PCSD 25) confirms that William Strength was employed with the district beginning on 11/15/2018. The employee’s employment with the district concluded effective 04/29/2025.

A spokesperson for School District 25 told the Attorney General’s Office that Strength did not have direct contact with children in his role at the district and his employment was terminated after his arrest.

“Personnel matters are confidential in accordance with Idaho Code § 74-106(1), which exempts personnel records and personal information from public disclosure. As such, the district is legally prohibited from providing additional comment regarding this matter,” said PCSD 25 in a statement to Local News 8

“PCSD 25 is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all learners and staff. The district follows all applicable policies, procedures, and legal requirements in addressing personnel issues.”

Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Strength was arraigned in court, where the court set bail at $50,000.

Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact local police, the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678. 

For more information and helpful resources, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

FREMONT COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) – Emergency responders in Fremont County are responding to a vehicle on fire on US-20.

Both lanes of US-20 from milepost 367 to milepost 368 are blocked due to the fire, according to a post on the Fremont County Emergency Management Facebook page. They are telling US-20 travelers to expect delays and use caution.

The fire began at 12:32 PM, according to the post. There is no word on how the fire started or if there have been any injuries.

This is a developing story. Local News 8 will update as we learn new information.

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Ariel Jensen

UPDATE:

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – A BYU-Idaho student was critically injured in an accident on campus Wednesday morning, according to school officials.

Rexburg Police and Madison Fire/EMS responded to the medical emergency at the Austin Building on campus at 11:02 a.m. on August 30, said police.

According to the BYU-Idaho website, the Austin Building houses shops and classrooms for students interested in automotive, engineering, and industrial fabrication. Madison County Deputy Chief Toryce Miskin describes the incident as an industrial accident.

“What had taken place is in a storage room off of their machine fabrication shop area, they had a stack of sort of steel beams that the students had been asked to move. They were in the process of moving (those) when that stack collapsed,” said Miskin.

Miskin says the student caught under the collapse is in their mid-twenties and was taken to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for treatment.

“At the time of the incident, paramedics responded swiftly and transported the student to receive medical care. BYU-Idaho invites the campus community and friends to join us in praying for the student and his family,” said the school in a statement to Local News 8.

The incident is still a pending investigation, according to Rexburg Police.

“Our thoughts and our prayers are with the family and with our patient, for sure. And, we’re just praying for them at this time,” said Miskin.

ORIGINAL:

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – A BYU-Idaho student was critically injured in an accident on campus Wednesday morning, according to school officials.

Rexburg Police and Madison Fire/EMS responded to the medical emergency at the Austin Building on campus at 11:02 a.m. on August 30, said police.

“At the time of the incident, paramedics responded swiftly and transported the student to receive medical care. BYU-Idaho invites the campus community and friends to join us in praying for the student and his family,” said the school in a statement to Local News 8.

The incident is still a pending investigation, according to Rexburg Police.

Local News 8 has reached out to Madison emergency responders and will update this story as we learn new information.

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Kailey Galaviz

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Local faith leaders joined together Thursday morning observing a National Day of Prayer.

The event was sponsored by the Regional Council for Christian Ministry (RCCM) to call on people of all faiths to pray for the nation and its leaders.

“The power of prayer is tremendous as people of diverse faith traditions join to lean on a higher power for wisdom, support, and peace to work towards the common good,” said Pastor Ann Bjorkland.

The National Day of Prayer was established in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and signed into law by President Truman. It is an annual observance in the United States, held on the first Thursday of May.

The inspiring event was attended by 42 faith leaders from Bonneville County and the surrounding area. They were joined by the mayors of Idaho Falls and Ammon, along with local high school student body officers.

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Maggie Moore

Idaho Falls, IDAHO (KIFI) – Over the weekend, Pocatello Animal Shelter was closed to the public after 4 puppies caught Parvovirus. The virus is highly contagious and attacks a dog’s bone marrow and small intestine. So what can dog owners do to protect their pets?

Parvovirus affects dogs that are not fully vaccinated the most. Dr. Kasey Sweeney with the Snake River Animal Shelter says that Parvovirus is very hardy, and can last for months after a dog sheds it.

With how contagious and hard to kill the Parvovirus is, the best way to protect your dog is to keep them up to date on all their vaccines. If your dog isn’t up to date or isn’t old enough to get the full vaccine, keep them away from other dogs.

“If you have a puppy between eight weeks and 16 weeks, we really don’t want them going to any public spaces meeting any other dogs. just because dogs, even if they aren’t showing signs, can still carry it and shed it, even if they’re a vaccinated, older dog,” Sweeney said.

If you think your dog is sick, contact your vet as soon as possible. With Parvovirus, the sooner you can see a vet, the better their chance at getting healthy again. But that vet treatment does come with a pretty hefty price tag.

“It can be pretty expensive, too. Sometimes I’ve seen vets charge $2,000-$5,000 for treatment, which is why we really recommend that vaccine,” Sweeney said. “Just because that price difference can really make or break families.”

Symptoms of Parvovirus include:

Lethargy

Loss of appetite

Vomiting

Severe, often bloody, diarrhea

Abdominal pain and bloating

Fever or low body temperature (hypothermia)

If your dog gets Parvovirus, it’s very important to clean every surface they’ve touched with bleach to kill the virus.

“If you have a puppy in your house that does have parvo, because it’s so resistant in the environment, you can almost never have an unvaccinated puppy in your house again. Just because it’s so hard to kill, you would have to use bleach pretty much every square inch of your house, and that’s not typically feasible for most people,” Sweeney said.

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Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– Broulim’s in Ammon has raised over $37,000 and presented a check to the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission. 

“Broulim’s is a very community-organized corporation. They really like to give back to the community,” said Kelly Allen, Store assistant director, at the Ammon Broulim’s. “This is just one little piece of goodness we can give back is to help feed the homeless and the hungry and all the things that Broulim’s does. Again, this is just one little thing that we can do, but it helps tremendously. So we are definitely very glad and very happy to do it.”

The store was able to raise that money in a little under a month.

Through donations and setting aside a percentage of some of the items that were purchased in the store.

The Idaho Falls Rescue Mission tells us this money will help fill a lot of hungry bellies. 

“We’re always in need of food. So this is going to go a long way to help our organization serve the community and those who are more needy, ” said Colin Himmelstein, Food Service Coordinator for Idaho Falls Rescue Mission 

Himmelstein tells local news 8 that they serve about 80 to 90 meals a night, and this funding should help them continue to feed those numbers for about two months. 

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Ashley Chilcutt

MADISON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The following is a press release from Idaho Fish and Game.

Idaho Fish and Game’s Warm Slough Access Site’s status has recently changed from a 10-day camping limit to day-use only from February 1st through September 30th. Warm Slough is located in Madison County, about 5 miles north of Highway 33 along the Henry’s Fork River. 

This decision was made with public safety in mind, as there has been misuse of the site, including exceeding the 10-day camping limit, vandalism, garbage, drug use, abandoned vehicles/campers, and other disorderly conduct after daylight hours.

The access site’s boat ramps and bathrooms will still be accessible to the public; however, Fish and Game does not have the resources or personnel available to patrol and monitor this site for camping 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. 

For more information on the Warm Slough Access Site, please contact the Idaho Falls Fish and Game office (208) 525-7290. 

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Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – April is organ donation month, and Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC) is honoring patients and families who have chosen organ and tissue donations.

EIRMC is hosting an Organ Donation Awareness Month event. They believe  Organ donation is not just about saving lives; it’s about restoring hope and giving individuals a second chance at life.

 “Organizations and opportunities to find a miracle in a tragedy. And we don’t always get to see a lot of miracles. So it’s nice when you can participate in one,” said Kristi Caldera, Vice President of Quality at EIRMC. Caldera tells us that by choosing to become an organ donor, individuals make a profound impact and potentially save multiple lives.

Those who attended the event learned about a Twin Falls man named Dylan Wormsbaker, who donated his organs after his passing.

His Father, Curtis Wormsbaker, shares his legacy and tells us that his son’s donation helped over a hundred people across the U.S.  

 “For our family, it helped us process our son’s death with life. That’s pretty much, you know, he we lost our son. It was a tragedy. And he was able to change people’s lives by donating his organs. He gave them a chance,” said Curtis Wormsbacker.

The hospital wants us to know that Organ donation is not only an act of kindness. It’s also the chance to be someone’s miracle. 

If you are interested in becoming an organ donor. There are two ways you can do so. You can go to your local DMV or visit yesidaho.org. 

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Phillip Willis

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) —The Idaho Department of Transportation (IDT) is sharing its plans for Interstate 15, specifically its plans around the Blackfoot interchanges, at an open house at the Blackfoot Community Center at 1350 Parkway Drive #31,  Blackfoot.

ITD is hosting the meeting on April 30th from 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM. For those who miss this one, another meeting covering the same topic will be held May 1st, from 4:00 – 6:30 PM at the Shoshone-Bannock Convention Center at 777 Bannock Avenue, Fort Hall.

The project as a whole stretches from exit 67 near Pocatello to exit 116 at Idaho Falls. This meeting covers those aspects relating to Blackfoot specifically.

Plans include a rebuilding of the US-26 / Blackfoot interchange (exit 93), a rebuilding with a new design of the I-15 / South Blackfoot interchange (exit 89), and the widening of the stretch of road between the two exits in anticipation of future traffic demands.

It’s anticipated that the construction will take a cumulative 6-9 years of construction time. However, if the construction of the interchanges and connecting roads is done in parallel, it’s projected to take 3-6 years. Government funding plays a large role in the speed of construction, according to ITD.

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Seth Ratliff

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — The Eastern Idaho State Fair has selected six lucky high school seniors to receive support in their college education.

These scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who have participated in and supported 4-H and FFA at the Eastern Idaho State Fair for a minimum of three years.

This year’s scholarship selection was especially challenging for the committee, with applicants representing nearly all 16 counties, writes the EISF directors. “The recipients for 2025 have significantly surpassed this requirement, collectively amassing 46 years of participation in fair events, making their counties proud!”

Eastern Idaho State Fair Board of Directors pose with Scholarship recipients, Courtesy: EISF

This year’s scholarship recipients are as follows:

Alivia Waldron, Oneida County, Malad High School

Eliana Cecil, Butte County, Cornerstone Academy

Jade Kelly, Bonneville County, Shelley High School

Jailey Jones, Bannock County, Marsh Valley High School

Jason Fleming, Madison County, Sugar Salem High School

Lydia Hamilton, Caribou County, Grace High School

For the first time in the nineteen-year history of this scholarship program, Fair directors have also announced an increase in the award amount from $1,000 to $1,500 for each winner.

Since its inception, the program has awarded $120,000 in college scholarships.

The Eastern Idaho State Fair Board of Directors and staff have invited the scholarship winners and their families to a special dinner in their honor on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.

“The youth participating in the Eastern Idaho State Fair events are crucial to preserving the hometown commitment that we value,” said Dennis Marshall, Board of Directors Chairman.

Applications for the 2026 scholarship will be open to graduating seniors from the 16 surrounding counties starting January 1. For more information, click HERE.

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