Author: KIFI

CNN Newsource

(CNN) — President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the United States has completed a “very successful attack” on nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

The president said all planes are now outside of Iranian air space and “on their way home.”

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Saturday evening.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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Stephanie Lucas

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Hundreds gathered at the Calvary Chapel in Pocatello Saturday for the Idaho GOP summer meeting.

“The Idaho GOP gathers twice a year to work on rules and resolutions,” explained Idaho GOP Executive Director Anthony Tirino. “The rules make our party better. The resolutions hopefully make our state better.”

Delegates from all over the state voiced opinions on any changes they think need to happen within the Idaho Republican Party. Public officials and lawmakers from across the state made appearances.

U.S. Senator Jim Risch attended the morning session, and spoke to Local News 8 in an exclusive interview about a big water cooler topic at the summer meeting – Mike Lee’s recent proposal to sell off public lands.

“This is not going to pass. This is not going to pass. I can give you a whole list of things to lie in bed at night and worry about. Don’t put this on that list,” Risch said, referring to the number of Idahoans expressing misgivings about Lee’s proposal.

“I think that any public land that’s being sold in the state of Idaho should be left to the state of Idaho to make those determinations,” meeting attendee Kenneth Condon told Local News 8.

“We’ve seen across the country with farmland being purchased by other countries,” said attendee Jenny Smith.  “If they are not a citizen, how do we know that land is then going to be used for our benefit?”

After the Chairwoman’s Lunch, it was back to business. Delegates voted on rules and resolutions well in to the afternoon.

Idaho National Committee Man, Bryan Smith, says they will be focusing on a repeal of Idaho’s grocery tax.

“It is an absolutely immoral tax to be having people be forced to pay tax on their food,” Bryan Smith said. “You shouldn’t have to pay taxes to eat the family dinner.”

New rules and resolutions discussed in committees were voted on by the entire body, and there was a focus on the party’s accomplishments over the past year. 

“I couldn’t be more proud that we had the turnout that we did on proposition one,” said Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon. “70% of the folks turned out to vote against it. They knew the Democrat scheme to bring in this voting technique that was really wonky, wasn’t going to work, and ten other states agree.”

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News Team

UPDATE:

CARIBOU COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) —Firefighters on the scene say they have successfully contained the large structure fires that affected several homes in Bancroft. While the immediate threat has passed, a recent video from the scene shows smoke still emanating from the remains of the structures as fire engines continue to douse affected areas.

Local News 8 is on the scene and has contacted fire crews for more information. We will provide further updates as they become available.

ORIGINAL:

CARIBOU COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Fire crews in Bancroft are working to battle several structure fires affecting homes and other buildings on Main Street.

The fire began around 2 PM Friday, June 20. Bannock County firefighters, along with the Soda Springs Fire Department, have been called in to assist the Caribou County Fire Department and Bancroft Volunteer Fire Department.

People are reportedly being asked to avoid the area and cut off any non-emergency water use to help the firefighters battle the blazes.

Nikki Welker, who witnessed the efforts by fire crews and regular citizens to battle the fires, tells us the blaze affected 2 homes and 2 vacant buildings.

“The original structure is more or less completely gone at this point,” Idaho Enterprise Caribou County editor Brandon Hall told Local News 8.

Idaho Enterprise Caribou County has provided Local News 8 with the following photos detailing the active response to the fire:

Local News 8 has reached out to the Caribou County Sheriff’s Office and other authorities in the area. We will update this developing story as we learn new information.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The Friends of Edson Fichter Nature Area and the Idaho Master Naturalists Program, in partnership with Idaho Fish and Game, are hosting a pollinator appreciation event on Saturday, June 21, in honor of National Pollinator Week.

Pollinators include insects or animals that spread pollen between plants and assist in plant reproduction; they are critical in maintaining healthy ecosystems and are vital factors in the agricultural industry.

“Without pollinators, there are a variety of crops, food that we would not even be able to eat; the pollinators are really critical,” said Sarah Jackson, member of the Idaho Master Naturalists Program. “Native bees and the other types of insects are just a foundation of our health for our environment.”

According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, pollinators, especially honey bees, are worth an estimated $34 billion to agricultural industries, and about 35% of the world’s food crops rely on pollinators for propagation and production of vegetables and grains.

The ‘Promoting our Pollinators’ appreciation event will be held at the Edson Fichter Nature Area from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature activities and information provided by the Friends of Edson Fichter Nature Area, the Idaho Master Naturalists Program, the Idaho Museum of Natural History, Idaho State University’s Biological Sciences Department, and others.

For more information, you can visit the Friends of Edson Fichter Nature Area website.

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News Release

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

INKOM, Idaho (KIFI) — Due to bridge demolition, the northbound Inkom entrance ramp onto I-15 (Exit 58) will be closed for two nights. The closure will take place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Monday, June 23, and Tuesday, June 24, weather and other factors permitting.

Traffic will be detoured to Old Highway 91 and then to Exit 63 to head north on I-15. Please watch for crews, use caution, and drive safely.

Due to the nature of the work, considerable noise is expected during the bridge demolition.

The Idaho Transportation Department is in the process of replacing bridges on I-15 at Inkom:

Over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and Old Highway 91.

Over Rapid Creek Road (Main Street).

I-15 bridges and reconstructing the West Interchange.

ITD combined and streamlined the projects to reduce the construction timeline to approximately two years rather than doing one location at a time over three years. This approach minimizes disruption to the local community and the traveling public and efficiently uses construction funds.

To learn more about the project or sign up for construction updates, click HERE.

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Noah Farley

AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bureau of Land Management says one way you can protect your home from fires is by having fire-resistant plants in your yard.

Plants that have a lot of moisture in them and grow lower to the ground will take longer to catch fire.

Some plants like trees can drop leaves and needles, which burn very easily. That’s why it’s important to keep your yard tidy.

“Getting rid of dead foliage, getting rid of needles on the ground, getting rid of tall grass, keeping things mowed and trimmed is a great way to defend your home from fire,” said Sunnyside Gardens Owner, Aaron McCracken.

BLM recommends avoiding plants with volatile oils and resins like juniper and pine. Some fire-resistant plants include succulents like cacti, Blanket Flower, Soapwort, and Redflower Currant.

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Abi Martin

CUSTER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Firefighters are still working to contain the Joe’s Gulch fire in Custer County, just north of Stanley. The fire has now grown to about 62 acres — up from just 10 to 15 acres on Thursday. However, fire crews in the area have reportedly continued to make good progress with suppression efforts throughout the day, Friday. 

Officials are asking the public to avoid the area.

They are also reminding everyone: “If you fly a drone, crews can’t fly aircraft in, which can delay critical firefighting efforts.”

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Doug Long

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a leak of approximately 16 billion login credentials, exposing the passwords in the largest leak ever reported. Researchers with Cybernews were the first to discover and report on the leak. In the last two days, multiple source,s including Forbes and TechRadar, have confirmed their report.

Researchers are calling this “Weaponizable intelligence at scale.” Which means the leak isn’t static, but that cybercriminals are actively distributing and monetizing from the information.

“This is not just a leak – it’s a blueprint for mass exploitation. With over 16 billion login records exposed, cybercriminals now have unprecedented access to personal credentials that can be used for account takeover, identity theft, and highly targeted phishing,” said researchers.

What was leaked? Emails, usernames, passwords, login URLs, session tokens, authentication paths, patterns of behavior, and the exact backdoors that keep your accounts open.

If you use email, social media, online banking, cloud storage, delivery apps, subscriptions, or even just a mobile phone — you are compromised. This is not some elite hack targeting CEOs and politicians. This is everyone.

Act now! Change and protect your passwords

These steps should be taken as soon as possible.

Chang every password. Email, banking, cloud storage, social media, everything. Start with what matters most. Use long, unique, complex combinations.

No password is truly “hack proof,” but a strong password significantly reduces risk. Cybersecurity experts, including NIST and CISA, recommend a minimum of 12 characters for robust security. Longer passwords, ideally 16 characters or more, are even better, as they increase complexity and resistance to brute-force attacks.

Key Points

Use a password manager: Stop using browser-saved logins. They can be stolen in milliseconds. Get encrypted storage. Protect every key. Tools like Bitwarden or 1Password can generate and store long, unique passwords securely.

Length over complexity: A longer password (e.g., a passphrase like “sunsetmountainblueberry”) is more secure than a short, complex one (e.g., “P@ssw0rd!”).

Avoid common patterns: Don’t use predictable words, phrases, or personal info (e.g., birthdays, names).

Randomization helps: Use a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols, or better yet, a random string generated by a password manager.

Enable 2FA: 2 Factor Authentication – Enable this immediately. Pair a strong password with two-factor authentication for added protection. This is a firewall you can control.

Alert your circle. This isn’t just about you. If your contact gets hacked, so do you. Mobilize your family. Your teams. Your networks.

For more information on creating a passkey on Facebook, click HERE.

For more information on creating a passkey on Apple devices, click HERE.

For more information on creating a passkey for Google accounts of devices, click HERE.

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Stephanie Lucas

ALPINE, Wyoming (KIFI) — An 89-year-old Rigby woman died Wednesday after reportedly falling 100 feet into the Snake River near Alpine, Wyoming.

Star Valley Search and Rescue Captain Clint Erickson told Local News 8 that the victim, identified as Joyce Balls, was picnicking with her sister and niece along U.S. Highway 26, overlooking the Big Kahuna rapid, a section known popular among white-water rafting enthusiasts.

Erickson says the 89-year-old stood up but lost her footing, “stumbled forward and went off the edge.”

Star Valley Search and Rescue, along with Alpine Fire, searched the riverbank for her. Eventually, a drone operator located her body downriver using a drone.

“This was truly a tragic accident and a reminder just how unforgiving the river can be,” Star Valley Search and Rescue said in a Facebook post, extending their thoughts and prayers to the family.

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Doug Long

UPDATE: The Idaho High Schools combined debate team competed in the final debate on Friday, June 20th against the China Gold team. The Idaho Mountain River Green team took second place in a split decision with eight judges voting for China Gold and 5 judges voting for Idaho Mountain River Green a team made up of five Southeast Idaho students.

Two other Idaho teams reached the quarter finals. An Idaho team has never reached this level of the competition before in the 100 year history of the event.

Congratulations Idaho delegation for representing the state in magnificent fasion!

DES MOINES, Iowa (KIFI) — An Idaho debate team made up of five southeastern Idaho high school students has made its way to the finals of the World Schools Debate Competition.

This is the first time in the 100-year history of the competition that any team from Idaho has made it this far.

Three teams from southeast Idaho made it to the quarter finals with one team reaching the finals.

Students participating in the finals include:

Josephine Preucil, Twin Falls High School

Madilynn Evans, Madison High School

Kasey Wheeler, Blackfoot High School

Sammy Mowrer, Highland High School

Olivia Wakeman, Thunder Ridge High School

The Idaho students will compete against the Chinese team Friday morning, June 20th, at 8:00 a.m. Mountain time. If you’d like to watch the debate LIVE, you can livestream it here: https://live.speechanddebate.org

However, today these students witnessed a disruption, causing a lot of panic this afternoon.

A Wyoming man was arrested after he entered the stage area during events earlier today at the EMCW Expo Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

As reported by WOI in Des Moines, 22-year-old Jayden Michael Roccaforte from Cheyenne, Wyoming, is charged with one count of disorderly conduct and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Roccaforte went up on stage carrying a backpack and asked the audience if they wanted to hear a joke.

At that point, another person at the microphone stand told everyone to “run and get out.”

No weapons were found, and no one was injured. 

More than 10,000 people from schools across the country are in attendance at the event, which ends on Friday.  

This includes teams from 31 Idaho high schools, including 14 high schools from southeastern Idaho.

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