Author: KIFI

Curtis Jackson

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI)— An Idaho judge will lift a gag order in the Bryan Kohberger murder case. This order will permit those involved in the case to speak publicly about it.

Kohberger pleaded guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students on July 2.   

“At this point, i just don’t think that I can justify the continuation of the non-dissemination order. I think the rights of the public to information in this case is paramount, given the fact that a plea has been entered in this case, and so i’m going to lift the non-dissemination order,” Judge Steven Hippler ruled from the bench on Thursday.

The judge said lifting the gag order does not mean the sealed document will be unsealed.  He will determine after Kohberger is sentenced which documents will be unsealed.

“I’m unlikely to unseal much until after sentencing and after the appeals period has run,” the judge added.

Information in the document may need to be redacted due to the presence of personal data, such as social security numbers and dates of birth. He said it could take months for those to be released.

The judge will determine whether to unseal each sealed document after it has been redacted.

Today’s hearing follows the media’s filing of a motion to lift the gag order.  The gag order was initially established to protect the jury selection process.

Kohberger is scheduled to be sentenced next Wednesday, July 23, at 9 a.m.

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News Release

The following is a press release from Yellowstone National Park:

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. (KIFI) — At approximately 5 p.m. July 11, Yellowstone National Park staff lethally removed an adult female black bear following a series of concerning incidents at a backcountry campsite located in the Blacktail Deer Creek drainage in the northern part of the park.

On June 7, the bear crushed an unoccupied tent at the campsite. A few weeks later, on July 11, the bear climbed the site’s food storage pole, tore down properly stored food bags, and consumed the campers’ food. Although it is uncommon for bears in Yellowstone to obtain human food, when it does occur, bears can quickly become food-conditioned and may act aggressively or dangerously around humans, putting both people and wildlife at risk. The bear’s escalating behavior – including property damage and obtaining a significant food reward – posed a clear threat to visitor safety and warranted removal.

The decision to kill the bear was based on:

Ongoing concern for human safety

Property damage to camping equipment

The bear learning to defeat the park’s backcountry food storage poles to obtain human food

“We go to great lengths to protect bears and prevent them from gaining access to human food in all areas of the park,” said Kerry Gunther, Yellowstone bear management biologist. “But occasionally, a bear outsmarts us or overcomes our defenses. When that happens, we sometimes have to make the difficult decision to remove the bear from the population to protect people and property.”

In accordance with Yellowstone’s bear management practices, each of the park’s 293 backcountry campsites is equipped with either a food storage pole or a bear-resistant storage box. Park guidelines require backcountry campers to hang food from the pole or secure it in the box at all times except when cooking or eating. Yellowstone reminds all visitors that utilizing these bear safety measures remain crucial in ensuring public safety and preventing wildlife from developing dangerous habits.

The last black bear killed in a management action in Yellowstone was in July 2020, when a black bear injured campers and accessed human food at a backcountry campsite in the park.

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Curtis Jackson

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Fire crews are working to extinguish two fires burning in southeast Idaho.

The Rocky Knoll Fire is burning 2.5 miles east of Thatcher, near the Trout Creek drainage, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

The fire is estimated at 250 acres. Several crews from the USFS Caribou-Targhee National Forest and the BLM. They said an additional 17 aircraft were assisting in the fight against the fire.

No evacuation have been ordered, but there are some structures threatened by the fire. It’s uknown what caused the fire.

Buckboard Fire

The Buckboard Fire near the Idaho – Utah border is 75% contained. It has burned an estimated 1,695 acres. The fire was burning west of I-15 in the Samaria Mountains area.

Fire managers said it will take a few days for the fire to be fully contained, due to its size, terrain, winds, and other factors.

They said the fire was naturally caused.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pocatello Field Office is asking people to review a draft of a new budget plan which would increase and add fees to campgrounds around Southeast Idaho.

The 2025 ‘Recreation Fee Sites Business Plan’ includes proposals to increase the cost of camping and boat ramp use at the Blackfoot Reservoir Campground near Soda Springs, the Redpoint Campground near Preston, and the Maple Grove Campground near Thatcher. The plan would also add fees for camping, boat ramp use, and RV amenities at the Pipeline Campground near American Falls.

Bruce Hallman, public affairs specialist with the BLM, said the fee increases are designed to keep the campgrounds ‘self-sufficient’ and make up for increased costs of labor needed to maintain the public spaces, which have had a steady influx of visitors since the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago.

“[The COVID-19 pandemic] really drove people outdoors… we applaud that, we want people to go out and enjoy our public lands,” said Hallman. “The problem is that it has impacted it, so lots more people, lots more use, lots more abuse––it takes work to try to deal with that, to handle trails, to handle people not following trails, to handle people camping, wanting more camping, inventing their own version of camping, dumping all sorts of things that are appropriate and not so appropriate; so, it takes a lot of managing to manage these different public lands.”

Camping fees are proposed to increase by $10 across all four campgrounds; if the business plan is accepted, Blackfoot Reservoir camping would cost $20 per night, camping at Redpoint and Maple Grove would cost $15 per night, and Pipeline Campground camping would cost $10 per night.

Under the proposed plan, boat ramp use for the day would increase to $10 per vehicle per day at the Blackfoot Reservoir and $5 per vehicle per day at Pipeline.

BLM is asking people to review the proposed business plan and leave comment until August 15. People can find the plan on the BLM website.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Idaho State University received a grant of around $141,000 from the Idaho Office of Emergency Management to fund a project to increase the Pocatello area’s resilience to wildfires.

The ‘Disaster Mitigation Response Capacity Enhancement’ project is the joint effort of the Bannock County Office of Emergency Management, ISU’s Geographic Information Systems department, and students and faculty from the university’s Master of Public Administration program.

The team will use the grant funds to conduct studies and map Pocatello’s most wildfire-prone areas as well as ensure homes in Bannock County’s wildland-urban interface areas are up to modern fire code.

“In Idaho, wildfires have occurred every year… so this is not a question about whether it will occur, but it’s actually more about when it will occur,” said Dr. Shin Kue Ryu, chair of ISU’s Political Science Department and faculty lead on the project. “With recent events, we’re made very aware of the circumstances and that pattern; [the grant] adds additional capacity to existing stakeholders in terms of not only thinking about response, but thinking about mitigation that will eventually save more money and lives and property in the long run.”

The team on the Disaster Mitigation Response Capacity Enhancement initiative will conduct studies and mapping surveys until July 2027; results will be used to inform emergency response and mitigation strategies for disaster preparedness organizations in the Pocatello area.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pocatello Field Office is asking people to review a draft of a new budget plan which would increase and add fees to campgrounds around Southeast Idaho.

The 2025 ‘Recreation Fee Sites Business Plan’ includes proposals to increase the cost of camping and boat ramp use at the Blackfoot Reservoir Campground near Soda Springs, the Redpoint Campground near Preston, and the Maple Grove Campground near Thatcher. The plan would also add fees for camping, boat ramp use, and RV amenities at the Pipeline Campground near American Falls.

Bruce Hallman, public affairs specialist with the BLM, said the fee increases are designed to keep the campgrounds ‘self-sufficient’ and make up for increased costs of labor needed to maintain the public spaces, which have had a steady influx of visitors since the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago.

“[The COVID-19 pandemic] really drove people outdoors… we applaud that, we want people to go out and enjoy our public lands,” said Hallman. “The problem is that it has impacted it, so lots more people, lots more use, lots more abuse––it takes work to try to deal with that, to handle trails, to handle people not following trails, to handle people camping, wanting more camping, inventing their own version of camping, dumping all sorts of things that are appropriate and not so appropriate; so, it takes a lot of managing to manage these different public lands.”

Camping fees are proposed to increase by $10 across all four campgrounds; if the business plan is accepted, Blackfoot Reservoir camping would cost $20 per night, camping at Redpoint and Maple Grove would cost $15 per night, and Pipeline Campground camping would cost $10 per night.

Under the proposed plan, boat ramp use for the day would increase to $10 per vehicle per day at the Blackfoot Reservoir and $5 per vehicle per day at Pipeline.

BLM is asking people to review the proposed business plan and leave comment until August 15. People can find the plan on the BLM website.

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Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — VAST Apparel in Idaho Falls has raised $10,000 to support the injured firefighters in last month’s Coeur d’Alene shooting.

 A close family friend of Dave Tysdal, a Coeur d’Alene firefighter who was shot, reached out to VAST Apparel asking if they could help create some items in support of Dave. 

Without hesitation, they said yes.

They are working with the Red and Blue Foundation to make sure 100% of the profits from this campaign go directly to Dave’s family.

“I think people really have a sense of patriotism and belonging. I think when I think of a firefighter as someone who is brave, like they run into burning buildings to help us, the least we could do is to give back to them to support them as they have fallen or been hurt, and in a tragic time, such as something like this,” said Jonathan Madsen, Sales Manager at VAST Apparel.

If you are interested in supporting the cause, visit here.  

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Curtis Jackson

The following is a news release from Idaho State Police.

BINGHAM COUNTY, Idaho (ISP)– Idaho State Police is investigating a three-vehicle property damage crash which occurred, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 12:17 PM, on Interstate 15, just north of Blackfoot.

The vehicles involved were:

2021 Freightliner with a 2021 Utility Trailer – Driven by a 31-year-old male from Manitoba

2013 Dodge Grand Caravan – Driven by a 24-year-old male from Pocatello

2025 Peterbilt with a 2018 Utility Trailer – Driven by a 47-year-old male from California

All northbound traffic was coming to a stop in the construction zone. The 2021 Freightliner semi failed to stop in time, colliding with the back of the 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan, pushing it into the back of the 2025 Peterbilt.

All occupants were wearing seatbelts.

The roadway was blocked for approximately four hours while crews worked to clear the scene.

Idaho State Police was assisted by Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, Blackfoot Police Department, Blackfoot Fire & EMS, and the Idaho Transportation Department.

This crash is under investigation by Idaho State Police

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News Release

The following is a news release from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Wyoming, Idaho to offset economic losses caused by drought beginning May 1.

The declaration covers the Wyoming counties of Campbell, Converse, Crook, Fremont, Lincoln, Niobrara, Park, Sublette, Teton and Weston as well as the Idaho counties of Bonneville, Fremont and Teton, the Montana County of Gallatin, and South Dakota counties of Custer, Lawrence and Pennington.

Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

 The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue and payments are not due until 12 months after the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than March 9, 2026.

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News Release

The following is a joint news release from Senator Jim Risch office.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) introduced the Graham Hoffman Act, which will make it a federal crime to assault first responders.

“Last month’s evil attack on first responders in North Idaho is a stark reminder of the dangers our brave men and women in uniform face every day,” said Risch. “The Graham Hoffman Act is commonsense legislation to properly punish those who assault the men and women who keep our communities safe. Vicki and I continue to pray for the victims of the North Idaho ambush, their loved ones, and all affected by this reprehensible act.”

“The devastating loss of Idaho firefighters John Morrison and Frank Harwood and severe injury of David Tysdal during a premeditated, deadly ambush last month in Coeur D’Alene remind us of the real dangers and sacrifices first responders make every day to protect our families and communities,” Crapo said.  “Their loss impels us to strengthen the law and deter further violence to ensure justice is fully meted on any individual who attacks our law enforcement or first responders.”

“Graham Hoffman was a courageous firefighter-paramedic whose life was tragically cut short at the hands of a known criminal who had been released from custody shortly before the attack. This tragic loss underscores the urgent need to protect our first responders, who put their lives on the line to serve our communities. This legislation, in honor of Graham, ensures that anyone who assaults or kills a first responder faces the full force of federal law,” said Schmitt.

Risch and Crapo are joined by U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).

On June 29, 2025, two North Idaho firefighters—Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Hardwood and Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison—were killed in an ambush while responding to a brush fire on Canfield Mountain. Another first responder, Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Engineer Dave Tysdal, was seriously injured and remains in recovery.

This legislation is named in honor of Graham Hoffman, a paramedic from Kansas City, Mo., who was attacked and killed in the line of duty by a known criminal on April 27, 2025.

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