Author: KIFI

Phillip Willis

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A bill contains a controversial proposal that could result in millions of acres of public land being sold to private buyers. That includes public land currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service in Idaho and Wyoming.

The bill is spearheaded by United States senator Mike Lee. The legislator from Utah has amended the language in the bill to mandate the sale of millions of acres of public land to, according to multiple wilderness alliances, pay for tax-cuts for the ultra-wealthy.

The bill is not without it’s opposition. John Robinson, the Public Lands and Wildlife Director of the Idaho Conservation League says “keep public land in public hands.”

“This is part of a massive budget reconciliation bill… There are 2 million acres in Idaho that could be permanently sold off,” says Robison. “We don’t know which of these acres could be selected, but this sets a horrible precedent that would lead to permanent losses of access and of our heritage.”

Robison believes that there will be “NO TRESPASSING” signs and locked gates on trailheads if the bill passes.

According to The Wilderness Society, 250 million acres of land in total will be able to be purchased. They say the land that is up for grabs includes “recreation areas, wilderness study areas, inventoried roadless areas, critical wildlife habitat and big game migration corridors.”

Here’s a link to an interactive map, showing in detail the parcels of public land that go up for sale if the bill passes in it’s current form. It shows 1,200 acres of Forest Service land to the south of Pocatello, a 90,000 acre parcel of BLM property to the north of Blackfoot and to the west of Idaho Falls, and a 21,000 chunk of BLM land to the north of Ashton, all of which could be privatized.

Click here to follow the original article.

Phillip Willis

IDAHO FALLS/POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — City offices, county offices, libraries and even banks will be closing in remembrance of Juneteenth on Thursday. Events are planned in the cities of Idaho Falls and Pocatello for the holiday.

On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln went into effect. Because of the Civil War, word of the passed legislation was slow moving. It wasn’t until June 19 of 1865 — almost two months after the conclusion of the war — that slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom from the Union soldiers who arrived in the town.

Since then, Juneteenth has become a federal holiday, commemorating the effective end of slavery in the United States.

Idaho Falls Event

The city of Idaho Falls is holding the Second Annual Juneteenth Com’Unity’ Heritage Music Festival to celebrate the holiday. Part one of the event took place on June 14 with live music by the river.

The second part of the event will be taking place at the Colonial Theater in Downtown Idaho Falls on June 19 from 7 p.m.–9 p.m. The program, which is free to the public, will include a readers theater and musical performances that explore themes in African American music throughout the 20th century.

Click here for more information on this event.

Pocatello Event

NAACP in Pocatello will be celebrating a belated Juneteenth, holding their event on June 21 from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. at the Senior Activity Center.

Attendees can enjoy activities such as a barbecue picnic with ethnic and traditional foods, kid-friendly games, an auction, raffles and the announcement of the NAACP scholarship winners.

Tickets are required if you plan on eating at the barbecue, but otherwise, the event is free to the public.

Click here for more information on this event.

Click here to follow the original article.

CNN Newsource

By Michael Houck

Click here for updates on this story

SALT LAKE CITY (KSL, KSL TV) — Newly obtained body camera footage shows how cautious Brandon Boudreaux was after he was shot at in Arizona.

On Nov. 12, 2019, Boudreaux called the American Fork Police Department to his parents’ home because his ex-wife, Melani Pawlowski, showed up and was told to leave.

Boudreaux’s mother interview

In the body camera footage, two officers arrive at the house and speak to Boudreaux’s mother, who confirms that Pawlowski was at the house but has left.

Boudreaux’s mother told the officers that Pawlowski was looking for her kids and Boudreaux.

“She came over here to ask me if I would tell her where the kids are. She had no idea they were here. I don’t think she thought she would come here,” Boudreaux’s mother said.

In the footage, Boudreaux’s mother told the officers that Boudreaux had taken his kids out of school in Arizona after a Gilbert police detective and a lawyer had advised him to do so because he and Pawlowski were still in mediation.

Boudreaux also believed that Alex Cox, a relative of Pawlowski, was the one who shot at him in October.

According to Idaho court documents associated with the murders of Tammy Daybell, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, Boudreaux believed Pawlowski was a part of a “cult” with Cox and his sister, Lori Vallow Daybell.

Documents stated that Boudreaux thought Pawlowski was planning to move to Idaho to be closer to the cult, and the group was targeting him.

“So after he got shot at, (Pawlowski) said she was moving to Idaho,” Boudreaux’s mother said.

Boudreaux’s mother explained that the former couple thought the divorce was final in July, but their divorce mediator didn’t file the papers. She said they believed that Pawlowski was attempting to use the old custody agreement to gain full custody of the four children.

“And the advice was to go hide, because if she takes them, he can’t get them back,” Boudreaux’s mother said.

In the footage, the two officers ask Boudreaux’s mother if she would like Pawlowski to trespassed from their home, which she agreed to.

Brandon Boudreaux interview

A couple of minutes later, Boudreaux arrived at his parents’ home and began to speak to officers about the ordeal.

Boudreaux told officers he can’t speak much about his attempted homicide case, and his Gilbert police detective would like to speak to the officers.

“Yeah, it’s an attempted homicide,” Boudreaux said. “Apparently, he’s meeting with the FBI this week because of two murders that they’re also investigating, but all tied together.”

In the footage, Boudreaux said he was out of the house when his parents’ doorbell camera alerted him that Pawlowski was there. He began to speak to her through the camera.

“I told her she needed to leave,” he told officers. “It’s about a six-minute conversation. I just kept asking her to leave, telling her she’s not allowed here.”

Boudreaux said Pawlowski left, and she might be driving a 2020 Kia Telluride. He believed it was the same car that Cox shot at him in Arizona, and that Cox was with her.

“And so I called you guys,” Boudreaux said. “I don’t feel like I can even drive up without – I don’t have my gun on me. I left it inside. I thought I was okay. Stupid.”

When officers asked how Pawlowski knew that he was at his parents’ American Fork home, he couldn’t think of an answer.

“I don’t know if she already knew or if someone told her,” Boudreaux said. “There are only a few people who know.”

Boudreaux mentioned that Pawlowski placed a “$10,000 reward” on Facebook for information about his and the children’s whereabouts.

In the footage, officers asked if Pawlowski threatened Boudreaux during their conversation or did anything that might suggest violence.

“No, there’s nothing you guys are going to be able to do because she’s very careful,” Boudreaux said.

The officers told Boudreaux that they would call Pawlowski and tell her that she was tresspassed from Boudreaux’s parents’ home.

Pawlowski Arrested

According to a police affidavit, the officer called Pawlowski, told her that she was tresspassed, and she couldn’t visit the house. The affidavit stated that Pawlowski understood.

On Nov. 14, the affidavit stated they responded to Boudreaux’s parents’ home after a 911 call of a trespassing in progress.

American Fork police reported that they found Pawlowski exiting the home’s garage and began to talk to her about why she wasn’t allowed on the property.

After about 30 minutes of talking to Pawlowski, officers gave her a citation, but later arrested her because of a domestic violence enhancement and booked her into the Utah County Jail.

According to court documents, Cox, who was with Pawlowski during the police interaction, posted her bail five days later.

On Dec. 4, 2020, Pawlowski was sentenced to jail for 180 days, but it was suspended since she pleaded no contest to the charge.

In 2022, Vallow Daybell was indicted for conspiring to kill Boudreaux with Cox. Vallow Daybell was found guilty of this on June 12. Cox died on Dec. 12, 2019, due to natural causes.

Please note: 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.

Click here to follow the original article.

Phillip Willis

WYOMING (KIFI) — Wyoming’s First Lady, Jennie Gordon, and the John P. Ellbogen Foundation delivered a substantial boost to the state’s food pantries this week, providing $272,000 in total assistance. This funding, distributed through Mrs. Gordon’s “Wyoming Hunger Initiative,” aims to combat food insecurity across the state.

154 groups received financial support, including veterans organizations, senior centers, boys and girls clubs, and food pantries. Mrs. Gordon’s staff tells us that federal challenges have been hard on the pantries, and they felt a moral boost was in order.

In addition to the restocking efforts, an extra $152,000 in grants was dispersed. These grants, which required an application process, are designed to enhance the infrastructure of food pantries, enabling them to acquire essential amenities like shelving units, freezers, and other vital equipment necessary for running a pantry.

Click here to follow the original article.

News Release

The following is a press release from the Idaho State Police:

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — At approximately 9:30 a.m., the Idaho State Police responded to a two-vehicle fatality crash on westbound I-84 at milepost 175, near Twin Falls.

A 50-year-old male of Twin Falls, ID, was driving westbound on I-84 in a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta.

A 68-year-old male of Burley, ID, was also driving westbound on I-84 in a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado pickup.  A 72-year-old female of Burley, ID, was a passenger in the pickup.

The Volkswagen Jetta struck the Chevrolet pickup, which went off the road, rolled, and came to rest on the right shoulder of the roadway.  The driver of the pickup succumbed to their injuries on the scene of the crash.

The driver of the Jetta was transported by air ambulance to a local hospital and was not wearing a seatbelt.  The occupants of the pickup were wearing seatbelts.

The westbound lanes of Interstate 84 were blocked for approximately three hours to allow emergency responders to assist those involved.

Idaho State Police thanks the Idaho Transportation Department, Jerome County Sheriff’s Office, Jerome Rural Fire Department, Magic Valley Paramedics, and Air St. Luke’s for their assistance.

This incident remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police.

Click here to follow the original article.

Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Pocatello Junior Jazz rec team members and the public had a chance to meet Utah Jazz center Oscar Tshiebwe (#34) at a meet-and-greet event at Irving Middle School on Wednesday.

At the event, Tshiebwe spoke to young attendees about sportsmanship and held a mini clinic before signing autographs and taking photos with fans.

“We have a short time with the kids, but I want to just continue it because I love spending time with kids,” said Tshiebwe. “This is one of my favorite hobbies I love to do, so I’ve been having an amazing time.”

Tshiebwe, born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, moved to the US in 2015 and played college basketball for the Virginia Mountaineers and Kentucky Wildcats. He started his NBA career in a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers/Mad Ants before signing with the Utah Jazz in August 2024.

Click here to follow the original article.

CNN Newsource

By Andy Rose, Veronica Miracle, Jack Hannah, CNN

(CNN) — Amid a critical hearing in the Bryan Kohberger murder trial, an 8-month-old police video is drawing attention for a woman who said she will be a key witness in the case.

“I’m a DoorDash driver,” the woman told a police officer after an unrelated traffic stop in Pullman, Washington, last year, then appears to say, “I saw Bryan there.”

Kohberger is accused of murdering University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022. Not guilty pleas have been entered on his behalf.

Judge Steven Hippler on Wednesday heard a new request from defense attorneys to delay the trial because of a recent episode of NBC’s “Dateline” which, they argue, included information that must have come from unauthorized leaks.

Hippler said he will write a decision “in short order” about the defense’s request to delay Kohberger’s trial date but advised, “it’s likely you’re going to trial on the date indicated.”

The driver’s police interview

The videotaped interview with an officer dated September 4, 2024, shows the 44-year-old woman being questioned after an arrest for allegedly driving under the influence of prescription medicine. Bodycam video was posted to a YouTube channel last year, but only recently gained attention after her reference to the Moscow murders was noticed.

The woman’s name, which CNN is not publishing because she has not been named in court documents in the Kohberger case and has not publicly identified herself, matches initials listed in court documents for a DoorDash driver who made a delivery to Kernodle early on the morning of November 13, 2022.

Final witness lists have been sealed by the court, so it is not clear if she will be called to testify, but Steve Goncalves, Kaylee Goncalves’ father, told the Idaho Statesman Monday that he was informed by a private investigator that the DoorDash driver was female. Steve Goncalves did not return CNN’s requests for comment Wednesday.

The woman – who said she took a prescription painkiller – told an officer that her fragile emotional state was due to stress over her connection to the extremely high-profile case, as well physical ailments and what she described as PTSD after the killing of her husband in Moscow in 2013.

“Now I have to testify in the big murder case, too, because I’m a DoorDash driver, so yeah,” she said.

When the officer asked her to clarify which case, the woman replied, “The murder case with the college girls.”

The woman was released from custody and assigned a court date. Court records obtained by the Idaho Statesman confirmed statements from the video that the woman had been pulled over for driving with expired tags. Pullman is about 10 miles from Moscow.

The defense objected last year to introducing DoorDash records into evidence at the trial. Prosecutors said in a response last year the evidence regarding a delivery made to the scene of the crime on the morning of the murders was important because it “provides a timeline of events … before the homicides and corroborates State’s witness’ testimony.”

The driver’s testimony may be critical because a court document from prosecutors says Kernodle is believed to have been the only person awake in the house when her DoorDash order was delivered just before 4 a.m., minutes before investigators believe the killings began.

CNN reached out to email addresses associated with the woman for comment. There was no answer on her home phone Wednesday, and her cell phone was disconnected.

DoorDash did not respond to a request for comment from CNN on Wednesday. The local court clerk’s office and Whitman County, Washington, Prosecutor Denis Tracy declined to share information on the outcome of the driver’s DUI case.

Kohberger’s pretrial hearing

During a brief proceeding Wednesday, lead defense attorney Anne Taylor listed “challenges and difficulties” over the 2.5 years of this case, telling the court “the record is replete with notice that we are not prepared to go to trial.”

Venue issues, media coverage and what she says is 68 terabytes of information to review are just some of the issues Taylor said her team has contended with while defending Kohberger.

Kohberger’s trial, which has gone through numerous delays due to disputes about evidence and witnesses, as well as a change of venue to the state capital of Boise, is currently scheduled to start on August 11.

Taylor specifically referenced the “Dateline” episode, saying, it “wasn’t just a one-time deal back in May, it continues to be talked about.”

Last month, Hippler ordered prosecutors and defense attorneys to preserve records after the apparent leak and said at the time that it was “imperative to attempt to see that the source of such leak is identified and held to account.”

“In addition to what is going on with what happened with the ‘Dateline’ episode, that’s not all. There’s a book set to be released just a few weeks from now, to be followed by a docuseries on Amazon Prime,” about the murders, Taylor said. She argued that the jury pool will likely be tainted due to the media coverage.

The prosecution argued that delaying the trial would put them “at the whim of the media.”

“We know there’s going to be a lot of publicity, regardless of when this trial happens,” said prosecutor Joshua Hurwit. “The issue is whether the court, using the procedures it has established or maybe even modifying them as the court wants to, can seat a panel of impartial jurors.”

“That is possible in this case, despite the challenges.”

In addition to the potential pushback of the trial’s start date, Hippler is set to consider a defense request to allow them to introduce evidence of an “alternate perpetrator” in the killings. The judge sealed the details of the defense request.

This story has been updated with additional details.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.

Click here to follow the original article.

Curtis Jackson

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022, will be in court Wednesday afternoon.

The court hearing is expected to begin at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

The hearing will consider a defense motion to delay the start of the trial and whether the defense has enough evidence to suggest there may be an alternate suspect in the crime.

Kohberges defense argued key information was leaked about the casein an episode of NBC’s Dateline program.

The judge responded with an order in hopes of finding the potential leak and sealing any other potentially damaging information.

Click here to follow the original article.

Seth Ratliff

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — A Madison County grand jury has indicted Ryler Jensen, 28, and Anthony Dean Wilson, 33, on charges connected to the brutal 2021 home invasion and shooting death of Ralph Brian. The indictments were handed down on Friday, marking “a step forward in a years-long investigation,” Sheriff Ron Ball told reporters on Wednesday.

Ralph and Karen Brian were attacked in their mobile home at 340 North 12th West, widely known as the Boathouse Trailer Court, near Rexburg on the morning of September 20, 2021. Ralph was shot in the head by an intruder and later died from his injuries in a local hospital. His wife, Karen, was stabbed multiple times but survived the ordeal.

Previous Arrest and Ongoing Investigation

Pierre Lake, Mugshot 2021

Authorities later arrested Pierre Lake of Jefferson County, who was 18 at the time of the crime. Lake initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea in October 2023, admitting guilt to the murder of Ralph Brian and the attempted murder of Karen Brian. In January 2024, Lake was sentenced to a fixed term of 30 years in prison.

Pierre Lake sentencing, January 2024

Despite Lake’s conviction, Sheriff Ball stated, “At the time of that event, the investigators involved, we always believed there were more participants in that crime. So this case has been active since.”

On Wednesday, the Sheriff explained that new information surfaced in 2023, ultimately leading to the recent indictments. He says Madison County Detectives dedicated hundreds of hours to interviews and executed multiple search warrants to gather evidence in the case.

Charges and Bail Set

Jensen and Wilson have both been charged with First-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder. A bail of $1 million has been set for each defendant.

Both men are currently being held on separate charges. Wilson is in jail on charges out of Teton County, including previous charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Jensen was arrested in July 2024 for allegedly attempting to traffic drugs in the Hawthorne Elementary School parking lot.

Sheriff Ball extended his gratitude to the Rexburg Police Department, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Teton County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Falls Police, and the Madison/Fremont County multijurisdictional special response team for their continued support throughout the investigation.

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Click here to follow the original article.

Phillip Willis

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Exit 333 experienced a brief closure Tuesday night as third party contractors brought in by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) installed overhead sign structures in preparation to mount traffic signage. ITD’s vision for the Rexburg exits is nearing completion with this project underway.

Crews started work around 2 p.m. to prepare for the project, and closed Exit 333 at 8 p.m. to traffic coming into the city.

The closure was planned to last until 11 p.m., but work will continue throughout Wednesday. The signs will be going up between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., with expected traffic delays due to one lane road closures on the exit off-ramps. These delays could be up to 15 minutes.

Exits 332 and 333 had been previously closed in May for overnight work. That’s when construction crews drilled 18-foot foundational holes for the poles supporting these new signs. ITD elaborated on this step in a news release.

“The foundation for the bridge and cantilever posts that will hold the large overhead signs has to be particularly deep,” said Resident Engineer Curtis Calderwood. “We want them to be secure and have integrity in the wind. This is pretty well the last holdout for getting the exits truly finished.”

The latest road updates can be found on the Idaho 511 app and at 511.idaho.gov.

Click here to follow the original article.