Author: KIFI

Par Kermani

INKOM, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Transportation Department will temporarily close the Interstate 15 West Inkom interchange beginning May 26 as construction crews continue work on a major bridge replacement project in the area.

According to ITD, Exit 58 at West Inkom will close for about three weeks while contractors perform extensive work at the interchange.

The project includes lowering the roadway beneath the I-15 bridges, installing new drainage structures, rebuilding the off-ramp and constructing a new extended on-ramp designed to meet modern safety standards.

During the closure, drivers will be detoured to Exit 63 at Portneuf Area and directed along Old Highway 91 to access I-15. The detour is expected to remain in place through mid-June.

Transportation officials are urging drivers to slow down, watch for crews and use caution while traveling through the work zone.

The construction is part of a multi-year project to replace the I-15 bridges over Main Street, Rapid Creek Road and the Union Pacific Railroad.

Last year, crews replaced the three southbound bridges. This construction season, work is focused on the northbound bridges, with the overall project expected to be completed in late October 2026.

More information and construction updates are available through the Idaho Transportation Department at ITD Inkom Corridor Project Page. Current road conditions are also available at 511 Idaho.

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Par Kermani

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — A federal jury in Pocatello has convicted a man whose true identity remains unknown after prosecutors say he spent more than two decades using the identity of a deceased teenager to fraudulently obtain nearly $300,000 in government benefits.

Following a three-day trial, the jury found the man guilty of wire fraud, theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, and related charges. U.S. District Judge David C. Nye presided over the trial, which concluded May 21.

According to court records and evidence presented during the trial, Carlos Ramon Obregon was born in Los Angeles in 1963 and died in 1977 at the age of 14 after being shot in a drive-by shooting.

Prosecutors say the defendant applied for a replacement Social Security card in 2000 using Obregon’s Social Security number, birth date, and parents’ names, more than 20 years after the boy’s death.

During the trial, Obregon’s mother testified that her son died in 1977 and told jurors the defendant was not her son and that she did not know him.

The unknown man also obtained a U.S passport under the deceased’s name and an Idaho state identification card, most recently a star card using Obregon’s birth certificate as proof of identity that was submitted to the Idaho Transportation Department.

Federal prosecutors say the defendant used Obregon’s identity for more than two decades to fraudulently apply for, and receive, $177,000 in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, $91,000 in Medicaid benefits, $12,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and $3,200 in Economic Impact Payments during the COVID-19 pandemic to stimulate the economy.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the man’s true identity is still unknown.

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CNN Newsource

By Brad Lendon, CNN

(CNN) — The crash of two US Navy jets at an Idaho air show last weekend is raising questions about why the Pentagon risks multimillion-dollar warplanes – and their crews – for entertainment.

“Those calls are almost always part of the noise surrounding an accident,” said John Venable, a senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and a former US Air Force fighter pilot.

Sunday’s accident during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base involved two Navy EA-18 Growlers, an electronic warfare aircraft based on the F/A-18 fighter jet platform.

The jets were assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 from Whidbey Island, Washington, and crewed by members of the Growler Airshow Team, according to a Navy statement.

After the two jets collided mid-air, the four air crew ejected successfully, with only one requiring hospital treatment for non-life threatening injuries, the statement said.

Growlers cost around $68 million apiece, according to a 2021 Navy fact sheet, but replacement costs would be much higher. Production of the EA-18 jets has ended, although Boeing still has F/A-18s under construction.

Operating costs for jets in the F/A-18 family run about $20,000 an hour, according to a 2022 Boeing press release.

So why burn through that amount of money while risking multimillion-dollar hardware and the lives of skilled crew simply to delight the crowds?

Feats of daring

The Growler Airshow Team is just a small part of the US military’s lineup of demonstration teams, who perform daring maneuvers at air shows year-round.

The most well-known are the Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds, which have headlined dozens of events each year for decades flying with their distinctive liveries.

Annual budgets for each team are not publicly disclosed, and the Pentagon did not provide figures after several CNN requests.

But, according to a 2012 cost-benefit analysis by three Navy officers attending the service’s post-graduate school in California, the Blue Angels budget was about $98.6 million. That amount covered personnel, travel expenses, aircraft and equipment maintenance, operations and support costs.

Congress in 2024 required the Pentagon to perform a new cost-benefit study, but to date the military has not released any public figures.

The 2012 paper found an extremely lopsided cost-benefit balance from the Navy’s Blue Angels team.

For more than $98 million spent on the Blue Angels in a year, the Navy came away with less than $1 million in recruiting benefits, a negative 99% return on investment, the officers concluded.

If “goodwill” – things like the economic benefit of air show spending to nearby communities – the cost-benefit ratio narrows considerably, but still yielded a negative 41% return on investment, the study found.

“The costs outweigh the benefits,” the study said.

The tens of millions spent by the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds are only part of the Pentagon’s community outreach though.

Venable said the two teams combined can only do around 70 of the 325 to 350 air shows put on in North America every year.

That’s where demonstration units like the Growler team come in.

“Both the Air Force and the Navy really value smaller venues that can’t get a major jet team, which is why teams like the EA-18G Growler Demonstration Team exist,” Venable said.

“The services have created small demonstration teams that, when requested, can serve those communities” that otherwise wouldn’t get to see military flying, he added.

Though the Thunderbirds were on the program for the Mountain Home show, the military will sometimes add smaller demonstration teams like Growlers, if the schedule allows, Venable said.

Uniting communities

No matter if it’s the full-time demonstration teams or smaller teams like the Growlers, air show flying involves risk. The aircraft fly close together – formation flying – and close to the ground while traveling at hundreds of miles an hour.

Deadly accidents have occurred, including the infamous 1982 “Diamond Crash” in Arizona, when four Thunderbirds pilots were killed during a practice flight while rehearsing for their upcoming show season.

In 1994, a B-52 bomber crashed during a practice flight for an air show in Washington state. An investigation concluded the pilot tried unsafe maneuvers not suitable for an eight-engine bomber.

More recently an Air Force major was killed during a practice session in 2018, and in 2016, a Blue Angels pilot was killed in a crash before a show in Tennessee.

Despite the dangers and the numbers shown in the 2012 study, Venable said the military sees the demonstrations as worth the risk.

“Most (people) can’t see or heavily discount the public affairs and recruiting benefits, but both are sizable,” Venable said.

Air shows can draw tens or even hundreds of thousands of spectators on a weekend. That can provide “connective tissue” between the community and the services, and an appreciation of the work military members do, he said.

“The real purpose of a military air show is to give people a sense of the precision and professionalism of the military to people who wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to see it and, in a special few, spark the urge to serve,” Venable said.

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

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Seth Ratliff

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — A 23-year-old Rexburg man, William S. Messer, has been charged with two felony counts of distribution of child sexually exploitative material (child pornography) following an mutli-month Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation.

The investigation began on Feb. 11 after the Rexburg Police Department received a CyberTip from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office ICAC Task Force.

On Wednesday, May 20, detectives executed a search warrant at Messer’s apartment near 5th West and University Blvd. Following a search of the residence and subsequent follow-up investigation, Rexburg police took Messer into custody.

Messer was arraigned in Madison County Court on May 21st. If convicted on the felony charges, Messer faces a maximum of 30 years in state prison and a possible fine of up to $50,000.

The operation involved a massive multi-agency effort. Rexburg police were assisted by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Falls Police Department, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho ICAC Task Force, the Rocky Mountain Information Network (RMIN), the Madison County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.

In a news release, Rexburg PD highlighted the inter-agency partnership that led to the arrest.

“Cases involving the exploitation of children are taken extremely seriously, and this investigation highlights the strong partnership between local, state, and regional agencies working together to protect vulnerable individuals.”

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Danielle Mullenix

YELLOWSTONE (KIFI) – As warmer temperatures arrive earlier than usual across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, wildlife experts say the current spring conditions are creating a dangerous rise in human-bear encounters heading into the busy summer tourism season.

Photo courtesy of Tim O’Leary

Bears emerged from hibernation early this spring after a mild winter with below-average snowpack, while millions of visitors and locals are already returning to Yellowstone National Park and surrounding recreation areas. Wildlife officials say the combination is increasing the likelihood of potentially deadly encounters.

Earlier this month, two hikers were seriously injured in a bear attack near Yellowstone’s Mystic Falls Trail, a popular southern bowl pathway close to Old Faithful. After conducting an investigation, Park officials believe a mother grizzly with cubs may have been involved in the attack. The incident prompted temporary trail closures and renewed safety warnings from the National Park Service and Idaho Fish and Game.

“Did they come out maybe earlier than they usually do? Yeah, that’s probably the case,” said Eric Freeman, regional wildlife manager. “Lack of snow on the landscape and warmer temperatures likely contributed.”

Wildlife experts at Idaho Fish and Game say bears are especially active during the spring as they search for food after months of hibernation. While some animals have benefited from the warm winter conditions, the overall food chain in the Yellowstone ecosystem has been affected by a decline in weakened prey, leading to significant changes in movement and behavioral patterns.

“It’s always a great idea just to give animals their space,” said James Brower with Idaho Fish and Game. “Any animal — whether it’s a bear, moose, or even a deer — if they feel cornered or think their young are being threatened, they may become aggressive.”

A recent encounter in eastern Idaho is also highlighting how quickly outdoor recreation can become dangerous during peak wildlife activity.

According to Idaho Fish and Game, a father fishing with his young son near Ashton in the Targhee National Forest was forced to shoot a charging grizzly bear in what officials described as a split-second decision to save their lives.

Wildlife educators say even experienced outdoorsmen can find themselves in unpredictable situations.

“Obviously, there have been recent incidents, and there are going to be risks that are outside of our control,” said Tut Fuentevilla, curator of education at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. “You can do everything right, and things can still go wrong.”

Fuentevilla says the region’s mild winter may also be affecting natural food sources that bears rely on in the spring.

“We didn’t really have a strong snow year this winter,” Fuentevilla explained. “That means there are fewer stresses on elk and bison populations. Carcasses from animals that don’t survive winter are usually a significant spring food source for bears. This year, there’s a lot less of that.”

As a result, hungry bears may be traveling farther in search of food — including near campsites, trails, neighborhoods, and improperly secured garbage.

Officials are urging anyone spending time outdoors in bear country to carry bear spray, properly dispose of trash in bear-proof containers, make noise while hiking, and never leave food unattended.

“At the end of the day, be bear aware,” Brower said. “Don’t pretend like they don’t exist.”

Experts also stress the importance of knowing how to use bear spray before heading into the wilderness.

“Bears have an extremely reliable fight-or-flight response to bear spray,” Fuentevilla said. “If a bear approaches, use quick bursts aimed low. And if the bear gets close enough, empty the canister into its face.”

With outdoor activity expected to increase throughout the summer, officials say awareness, preparation, and keeping a safe distance from wildlife could save lives.

“Let animals be animals,” Brower added. “Let them be wild.”

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Abi Martin

CHESTER, Idaho — The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says deputies have made the largest methamphetamine seizure in Idaho history following a traffic stop near Chester.

According to the sheriff’s office, the stop happened Tuesday morning along Highway 20 during routine patrol operations.

During the stop, deputies discovered and seized more than 115 pounds of methamphetamine. Authorities estimate the drugs have a street value of more than $1.5 million.

Two people inside the vehicle were taken into custody and are now facing felony drug trafficking charges.

The Sheriff’s Office says no additional information will be released pending the suspects’ arraignment.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – For the last 27 years, Pocatello has been home to a unique memorial for fallen soldiers – the Field of Heroes. At the soccer fields at Century High School, exactly 7,086 markers stand in perfect lines to honor fallen veterans since 9/11.

Melissa Hartman, Bannock County Veteran’s Services Coordinator, calls it a “one-of-a-kind tribute” for the community. Markers are crosses or Stars of David, each one with an individual’s name, branch of service, and operation they were conducting when they passed.

The Volunteers who Make it Happen

It takes a lot of volunteers to set up the memorial each year, the process spanning four days before the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend when activities kick off.

“Our volunteers come from everywhere throughout the community,” Hartman said. “We wouldn’t be able to do this without the civil engineering survey crews; they get the lines perfect. It’s pretty intricate and specific.”

“The volunteers are the ones to make it happen,” said John Rogers, Vietnam veteran and founder of the Field of Heroes. “They turn up automatically each year. The first year, we had to explain everything, but now they come out and want to do it, and it’s spectacular to see their input into doing it.”

She said some days they’re out on the fields from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. setting up the memorial. Visitors may notice a section with larger crosses, which are reserved to honor Idaho military members.

“I tell everybody it’s kind of like a family barbecue. We’re here for four days and enjoy each other, the community comes out, we all have a good time,” Hartman said.

Field of Heroes Events/Activities

The mood at the field changes on Friday, May 22, with the Dedication Ceremony. A member of the clergy and several local churches come to perform the ceremony, where the field will officially become a memorial site and a reverent place of honor for the soldiers.

The weekend is filled with other activities for families in the community to enjoy. “We believe it’s important to teach our young children about what freedom really means and what the cost of freedom is,” Hartman said. “Memorial Day is a wonderful time to teach them that.”

She added they don’t want the Field of Heroes to be a somber walk through the crosses. Instead, activities like the Youth Program at 6 p.m. on Friday, organized by middle and high school students in the district, make the weekend fun for families.

The “Liberty Snack Shack” will be open all weekend for food, which Hartman says adds to the family barbecue feel of the weekend.

Schedule of Activities

Friday, May 22

10 a.m. Dedication Ceremony

6 p.m. Youth Ceremony

Saturday, May 23

9 a.m. Run to Remember

12-2 p.m. Children’s Activities

2 p.m. USO Show

3:30 p.m. Stasia Acrobats

Sunday, May 24

5 p.m. Concert – Shawn Barnby

8 p.m. Candlelight Vigil

Monday, May 25th

5:15 p.m. POW*MIA Thunder Run Tribute

5:30 p.m. Closing Ceremony

History of the Field of Heroes

John Rogers is a Vietnam veteran who began the Field of Heroes almost three decades ago. Rogers realized that some veterans would never come home and get their Yellow Ribbons. Specifically, Idahoan casualties needed a place to be honored.

“I did the first one at Irvin Junior High School football field, and we had it on Veteran’s Day, and it was so popular the whole community came out to see it,” Rogers said.

Now, Rogers said the soccer fields at Century High School provide “space for them all,” meaning the over seven thousand honored soldiers.

“They’re buried all over the country,” Hartman added. “But once a year, these guys can come here and pay their respects to their buddies that they served on the battlefield with, and they can have some closure and time with them, to honor them the way they want to.”

To give veterans and community members a chance to honor fallen veterans, with emphasis on Idaho casualties and an individual marker for each soldier passed since 9/11, is the reason organizers continue the legacy of the Field of Heroes every year.

Hartman said she’s been offered to make a permanent monument before, but that it wouldn’t have the same effect.

“It really loses something because what the field of heroes is, is the building of it,” she said. “It’s our community coming together as one. It’s to honor the price of freedom.”

Rogers says what’s most important is that it’s a unique opportunity for the community and beyond. “We’re the only ones in the world to have anything like this. And for little tiny Pocatello to have something like that when you have bigger cities and everything else, we’re doing it here,” he said.

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Par Kermani

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI)— The installation of a new traffic signal in Island Park is being delayed until later this year.

Originally planned to be complete by the end of May, the foundations for the signal structure were poured last fall using a manufacturer’s template designed to ensure the poles and bolts fit correctly. Earlier this week, crews discovered the fit was incorrect, forcing work to stop.

RELATED: Island Park’s first traffic signal: Installation begins at U.S. 20 and Yale-Kilgore

According to ITD, modifications now need to be made before installation can continue, and it estimates it will take about one month for new components to be fabricated and delivered before crews can resume work on the signal.

“Infrastructure construction means meeting and overcoming challenges every day,” District Engineer Jason Minzghor said. “We’re grateful for good partners and crews with the expertise to find and execute solutions.”

Traffic along U.S. Highway 20 through Island Park will continue to flow normally, with no construction planned in the coming weeks. ITD said it will provide updates once work resumes and additional traffic impacts are expected.

Drivers can find statewide traffic impacts and construction updates on the Idaho 511 app or at Idaho 511 online.

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Par Kermani

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — A legal challenge against Idaho’s school privacy law has officially come to an end after plaintiffs agreed to dismiss both their district court case and Ninth Circuit appeal.

According to a statement issued by Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, the lawsuit, Sexuality and Gender Alliance v. Critchfield, challenged Senate Bill 1100, a 2023 Idaho law requiring students in K-12 public schools to use bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, and overnight accommodations that correspond with their biological sex.

The law also requires schools to provide single-occupancy accommodations for students who prefer not to use shared facilities.

Shortly after the bill was passed in 2023, a student and the Sexuality and Gender Alliance filed suit, arguing the law violated the Equal Protection Clause, Title IX, and privacy rights.

In October 2023, U.S. District Judge David Nye denied a request for a preliminary injunction, siding with arguments from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office. The plaintiffs later appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which found the law did not violate the Equal Protection Clause or Title IX and ruled that protecting students’ bodily privacy is a legitimate government interest.

The plaintiffs have now agreed to dismiss the case entirely.

“From the district court to the Ninth Circuit, we defended Idaho’s right to protect students’ privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms,” Labrador said in a statement. “Idaho families can be confident that this law is fully in effect and will remain so.”

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News Team

EDITOR’S NOTE: In a previous version of this story, Local News 8 shared a phone number from an individual claiming to have set up a support account for the Thornton Mercantile. We have since learned that this account is fraudulent. We are urging all viewers not to contact that number or attempt to send funds through it. Please be advised that Local News 8 has not verified any independent accounts for this cause. If you are considering making a donation, we urge you to consult your own financial advisers and proceed with caution.

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Eight structures and their contents are a total loss after an outdoor cooking fire grew into a massive blaze at the old Thornton Merc south of Rexburg Wednesday night.

The owner of the Thornton Merc, a community gathering place and grill, lost both her home and business in the flames.

The blaze was caused by a cookout gone awry.

“A family was back in this area having a hot dog roast,” said Madison Fire Department Chief Corey Child. “When they started the fire, the fire quickly spread to cotton from the cottonwood trees. And with the bit of wind blowing, it quickly spread to multiple structures.”

The fire devastated three residences, including a double-wide and single-wide trailer behind the mercantile.

It also destroyed the historic Thornton post office.

Local News 8 spoke with another woman who lost everything she owned in the blaze.

Her grandfather, whose last name was Thornton, built the post office.

Through tears, she said that other neighbors lost their homes, business and all their possessions.

According to the Madison Fire Department, the fire began around 6:16 p.m. near 4856 S. Yellowstone Hwy., in the Thornton area south of Rexburg.

RELATED: Thornton fire contained, evacuation lifted after five buildings destroyed

When they arrived on scene, fire crews found multiple buildings on fire. Quickly working to protect the surrounding homes and structures, the firefighters immediately evacuated the nearby Wind Willows RV Park.

In a massive effort, firefighters from the Central Fire District, South Fremont Fire District, and North Fremont Fire District and Idaho Falls Fire Department, along with Deputies from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, provided aid to the Madison firefighters.

As the group battled to contain the fire, evacuated RV park residents sheltered at a nearby LDS Stake Center. The local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Red Cross, and Chaplains of Idaho provided on-site resources and assistance to the displaced families.

Throughout the night, 44 personnel working at the scene were able to contain the fire, according to an official update Thursday morning.

Despite the loss of the eight structures, the Madison Fire Department has confirmed that, fortunately, no one was injured.

However, Deputy Chief Troyce Miskin warns this incident is a sign of a challenging summer ahead.

“We’re sad any time these types of things happen. This is going to be a very dangerous fire season for us. We’ve already had numerous structure fires this spring. We just ask people to exercise extreme caution when using fire in any manner,” said Troyce Miskin, Deputy Chief of Madison Fire Department.

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