Author: KIFI

Curtis Jackson

PHOENIX (KIFI) – Sixteen jurors were selected for the murder conspiracy trial of Lori Vallow Daybell on Wednesday.

The process was delayed twice, as Lori claimed she was sick.

The jury consists of eight men and eight women sworn in on Wednesday afternoon. The 16 jurors include four alternate jurors.

Opening statements are scheduled to begin Thursday morning.

Lori Vallow Daybell is facing murder conspiracy for the attempted murder of her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux.

Vallow Daybell was convicted in May of conspiring to kill her former husband. She is also convicted of killing her children, Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow, in Idaho.

Police say Vallow Daybell’s brother shot at Boudreaux outside his home in Gilbert in October 2019. Boudreaux was not hit but the bullet shattered his car’s window.

To see previous stories on this case, you can check out our Vallow-Daybell Coverage here.

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Seth Ratliff

The following is a news release from the American Falls School District:

AMERICAN FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The American Falls School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Blauer as the new principal of Hillcrest Elementary School, beginning in the 2025–2026 school year. Mr. Blauer, a respected educator with 19 years of service in the American Falls School District, currently teaches second grade in the district’s Dual-Language Immersion Program and brings a deep commitment to academic excellence and student success.

Blauer succeeds Tina Fehringer, who is retiring after a highly successful 19-year tenure as principal of Hillcrest. During her leadership, Hillcrest became a model of excellence in elementary education. She was named Idaho’s National Distinguished Principal in 2017 and led the school through numerous innovative programs that strengthened academic achievement, enhanced family engagement, and built a strong, caring school culture.

Tina Fehringer

“We appreciate all of Tina’s efforts and the amazing work she has done at Hillcrest Elementary School,” said Superintendent Randy Jensen. “She has been a phenomenal leader and an integral part of our district’s success. We are excited to welcome Jeff Blauer as the new principal. Jeff is an outstanding educator and leader, and we’re confident that he will maintain Hillcrest’s high standards and take them even further.”

Blauer brings a strong resume of leadership and professional involvement at both the district and state levels. He was named a 2024 State Finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) in science and currently serves on several state committees, including the Idaho Essential Standards Committee, the Idaho Comprehensive Math Plan Committee, and the Idaho Math Instructional Guide Committee. He also serves as the Elementary Education Board Representative for the Idaho Science Teaching Association (ISTA).

In addition to his classroom work, Blauer has coordinated district Title I programs, facilitated standards-based reporting systems, served as a schoolwide behavior coach, and led professional development for teachers across the district. He has also taken on multiple leadership roles in the local education association and currently serves on the American Falls City Council.

“I am honored to be selected as the next principal of Hillcrest Elementary,” said Jeff Blauer. “This school has a strong tradition of excellence thanks to Tina’s incredible leadership and the dedication of our teachers, staff, and families. I look forward to building on that legacy and continuing to support the growth and success of every student at Hillcrest.”

“It has been the greatest honor of my professional life to serve as principal of Hillcrest,” said Tina Fehringer. “Working alongside such dedicated teachers and staff for nearly two decades has been a true privilege. While this goodbye is not easy, I take great comfort in knowing that Jeff Blauer will lead this next chapter. Jeff began his career at Hillcrest and understands the heart of this school. I know he will continue the work we’ve started and lead with compassion, vision, and integrity.”

The American Falls School District thanks Tina Fehringer for her years of exemplary service and congratulates Jeff Blauer on his appointment.

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News Release

The following is a news release from the City of Idaho Falls:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The City of Idaho Falls is proud to support the Second Annual Juneteenth Community Music Festival, hosted by the Greater Idaho Falls Juneteenth Organizing Committee in partnership with the Eastern Idaho Jazz Society.

Juneteenth is a national, state and local holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Similar to Independence Day, it celebrates freedom and the ongoing effort to achieve liberty, equality and justice for all.

“The Juneteenth CommUNITY Heritage Music Festival is about celebrating the right to freedom for all through the universal language of music, education, and human connection,” said Lora King, Juneteenth Community Heritage Music Festival Committee co-chair. “It’s an honor to belong to a team that is dedicated to sharing those beliefs within our community.”

This year’s celebration includes two free public events. The first will take place Saturday, June 14, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Riverwalk Bandstand. The event will feature live music, opening remarks from City of Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper and City of Ammon Mayor Sean Coletti, and informational booths hosted by local organizations highlighting Idaho Falls’ rich cultural history and community connections.

The second event will be held Tuesday, June 19, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Colonial Theater in downtown Idaho Falls. This free program will include a Readers Theater presentation on the history of Juneteenth, along with musical performances that explore themes in American and African American music throughout the 20th century.

For more questions about the Juneteenth CommUNITY Heritage Music Festival, contact Bill Forsyth 208-521-1822 or w.forsyth@att.net

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CNN Newsource

By Debbie Worthen

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    SALT LAKE CITY (KSL, KSL TV) — What began as a sentimental family vacation on Italy’s Amalfi Coast turned into a nightmare for a young Utah mother — and a journey of faith, resilience and recovery.

Miranda Preston and her husband, Isaac Preston, had traveled to Italy to celebrate his graduation from medical school. With a narrow window before Isaac Preston began his residency, the couple brought along their two toddlers and Miranda Preston’s parents for what they hoped would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

But just days into the vacation, tragedy struck.

“We were trying to recreate a memory,” Miranda Preston said, referencing a cherished moment from 20 years ago when her older sister, who later passed away from cancer, had ridden a moped with their father along the same coastal road. “They said it was just the most memorable thing.”

Moments after filming a video on a Vespa, she and her father crashed.

“I have a split-second right before I hit the wall,” Miranda Preston recalled.

The crash left her with a broken spine, fractured ribs, a brain bleed, liver lacerations and several knocked-out teeth.

The couple, unfamiliar with the area and unable to speak Italian, found themselves in a terrifying situation.

“We got a phone call from Miranda’s dad. He was very confused,” Isaac Preston said. “Then the police got on the phone yelling at us in Italian to go to this hospital.”

Back in the U.S., friends reached out to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A senior missionary couple from Utah, fluent in Italian, arrived at the hospital to help.

“Me and Elder Montanelli gave her a blessing that night,” Isaac Preston said.

Isaac Preston described the night apart from his wife as one of the hardest of his life.

“I literally got back to the hotel, me and my mother-in-law just bawled,” he said.

After four days in the hospital, Miranda Preston was moved to an Air B&B as plans were made to bring her home. Her parents flew back to the U.S. with the couple’s one and two-year-old sons.

In the days that followed, the Prestons said they witnessed miracle after miracle.

“I just feel like God’s hand is so involved in every detail of our lives,” Miranda said. “I felt completely surrounded by angels.”

This week, Miranda was finally reunited with her children — a moment filled with emotion and gratitude.

“I’m just filled with gratitude for it. God is good,” she said.

Now back in the U.S., the Prestons have moved into a fixer-upper in Texas, just in time for Isaac Preston to begin his medical residency. They said they are overwhelmed with gratitude for the financial help, prayers and support from friends, family and strangers alike.

“We couldn’t have done this without the army of people who lifted us up,” Isaac Preston said.

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.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Dramatic photos of a heroic rescue in a canal are making waves on the local social media page “Life in Pocatello.” On Tuesday, three bystanders jumped into action, forming a human chain to save a woman trapped in her car after she plunged into the canal off Hawthorne Road in Bannock County.

Witness Cassia Merrill Myers, who shared the compelling images, described the harrowing scene. Myers was calling 911 when she saw the three unnamed men, who were driving by, immediately jump into the canal. Her photos capture the tense moments as they linked together to avoid being swept away by the current and reached the vehicle

“Water was filling up her car and she was panicking,” Myers recounted in her post. “We had to smash both her windows with a wrench from one of the gentlemen’s trucks, and he was bloodied up from pulling her out.”

Thanks to their brave efforts, the woman was brought safely to the canal bank just as paramedics and police arrived on the scene.

Pocatello emergency responders speak with the rescued woman.

“These men are absolute heroes,” writes Myers.

While the names of the rescuers remain unknown, Myers declared, “These 3 men are absolute heroes.”

Local News 8 has reached out to the police for further details on the incident.

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News Release

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

AMERICAN FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Transportation Department will begin construction Monday at the intersection of Pocatello Avenue and State Highway 39 in American Falls. The $3.5 million project will redesign the busy intersection to improve safety. 

Work will place a signal at the intersection of Pocatello Avenue and SH-39. SH-39 will also be widened to four lanes from the intersection to Fairgrounds Road. New turn lanes will also be built on SH-39 for traffic heading to Pocatello Avenue.  

This year construction will take place through August and will focus on realigning and widening the intersection. All lanes will remain open, but traffic will be slowed in the construction zone. Flaggers will be present during different phases of the project. Access to the American Falls Airport and the Power County Fairgrounds will remain open throughout construction.  

In the spring of 2026 ITD will return to install the traffic signal. 

Project details are available on ITD’s projects website, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bonneville County Library is set to launch its 2025 Summer Reading Program this Saturday, June 7th, at 11:00 AM at Iona Park with a vibrant Color Fun run/walk and a significant boost from the community.

The Friends of Iona (FOIL) will generously donate $9,000 to the library during the kickoff event. These funds, raised through community support, will be instrumental in expanding the library’s collection with new books and enhancing various library services and programming for all patrons.

“We’re thrilled to start our summer reading program with such a fun, community-focused event,” said director Michelle Tolman. “Thanks to the incredible generosity of FOIL and our community, these funds will help us provide even more resources and reading opportunities this summer.”

Immediately following the presentation, at approximately 11:15 AM, the family-friendly Color Fun run/walk will begin. This event is open to all ages and offers a fantastic opportunity for community members to get active while showing their support for the library and its mission to foster a love of reading.

Everyone is invited to participate in this exciting day of community, fitness, and literary celebration.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Vlad Horbachov, Olena Kharkiv, and their daughter are three of nearly 200,000 Ukrainians who escaped war and made their way to the US through the Biden Administration’s ‘Uniting for Ukraine’ (U4U) program, which was suspended by executive order earlier this year. But Horbachov and Kharkiv say their fears of being forced out of the country and their new lives are growing as their time with the refugee program runs out.

Horbachov and Kharkiv met in Poland after fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. The couple married in the Czech Republic, then the family made the long trip to Pocatello, where they have lived under refugee status through the U4U program for the past year.

“We came to the United States together after two years because it’s many reasons why, but the thing is that our government is trying to bring men back to the war,” said Horbachov. “That’s why I decided for our child and for family to find a better [safer] place on this earth.”

The couple started their businesses, continuing the work they did in their home country. Horbachov owns and operates ‘Pocatello Sharpening‘, a knife and industrial equipment sharpening service; Kharkiv works as a nail technician at her salon, ‘Kharkiv Beauty‘.

Horbachov and Kharkiv both said anxiety among Ukrainian refugees is growing since the suspension of the U4U program. They now worry about losing all they’ve built.

“I am working hard, I started building this business, and I know that I have just one more year to be here legally,” said Kharkiv. “…After one year, it’s just two ways: Just to close all of these things and say bye to my clients and move, and nobody knows where to move. If we move to Ukraine, nobody wants to do that because of the war, because of all of the death, so we don’t know what to do next.”

The U4U program allows Ukrainians to stay in the US for two years on ‘humanitarian parole’. After two years, refugees can apply for ‘re-parole’ to potentially extend their time in the states.

Earlier this year, however, the Trump Administration suspended U4U, and US Citizenship and Immigration Services are no longer accepting applications for re-parole of Ukrainians already in the US.

According to the US Department of Homeland Security, refugees will be considered for re-parole moving forward on a case-by-case basis only.

If the Federal Government doesn’t make changes soon, Horbachev says he’s worried he and his family may find themselves displaced again.

“We need the government to continue our work permits and legal status… It’s about 400,000 Ukrainians in the United States, and all of us need to stop this work and go back,” said Horbachev. “The problem is that we don’t know where to go back, because it’s still war.”

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Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Attorneys for the family of Victor Perez, the 17-year-old autistic teenager with cerebral palsy who was shot by Pocatello Police on April 5, 2025, are organizing a series of public forums aimed at fostering community dialogue and addressing concerns surrounding the incident.

Attorneys from the law firm Burris, Nisenbaum, Curry & Lacy are spearheading a Truth and Reconciliation Conference on June 28, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 3PM.

The meeting was initially planned for Shoshone Bannock High School, but is currently seeking a new venue.

Perez was shot nine times by Pocatello Police officers just seconds after their arrival on the scene of a reported domestic disturbance. For more information on the shooting and surrounding controversy, click HERE.

The family’s legal representatives state that the conference is “based on the South African Post-Apartheid model, wherein South Africans were provided a forum to testify about their experiences without judgment or fear of retribution in an ordered and moderated setting.”

They say the hearings will give people a chance to talk about their interactions with police, both good and bad, and give public comment.

The firm has outlined the following goals for the public meeting:

Match Pocatello Citizens and members of the reservation with attorneys who can provide representation, guidance, and possible referrals. We are asking attorneys to attend. Attorneys in attendance will be introduced for their specific specialty.

Highlight testimony and prospective cases from members of the Fort Hall Reservation and find a possible nexus between Reservation Law, The Indian Civil Rights Act, and Federal Civil Litigation. Connect Fort Hall with other proximate reservations, who are interested in establishing a legal network.

Educate Pocatello citizens and reservation members about the legal process. John Burris will complete a Know Your Rights/Federal Civil Rights Educational Presentation.

Educate Pocatello citizens and reservation members about conflict resolution and alternative dispute resolution. Alice Shikina Conflict Resolution/Mediation will complete a Conflict Resolution seminar.

To join the forum through Zoom, click HERE and type in the passcode 583036.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — As kids across the Gem State trade their textbooks for sunshine and fresh air, the Idaho Department of Education is reminding families that the federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is available for children ages 1 to 18.

SFSP meal sites are now operating for the summer months. To find the nearest site to you, click HERE.

According to the Department of Education, the USDA program serves meals in areas of greatest need. Last year, sponsors served over 900,000 meals and snacks to kids at more than 260 sites across Idaho.

There are no income requirements, so children of all ages can receive a healthy, balanced meal at no cost. To view the USDA’s Find Meals for Kids map, click HERE.

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