Author: KIFI

Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — There will be no classes at Hawthorne Middle School in Pocatello tomorrow, Thursday, April 23, due to an unexpected plumbing issue.

Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 is working to address the issue and anticipates classes will resume as scheduled on Friday, April 24.

District leaders say all after-school activities, including track practice, are canceled Wednesday and Thursday, due to the issue. All activities are expected to resume Friday.

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Seth Ratliff

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Fall River Electric Cooperative crews are responding to a widespread power outage affecting almost 1,000 customers in the Rexburg area Wednesday afternoon.

According to updates from the utility provider’s Facebook page, the outage is impacting residents in the Burton, Hibbard, Archer, & Salem areas. While the specific cause of the outage remains under investigation, Fall River Electric confirmed that repair teams are “en route to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.”

Fall River Electric anticipates that service should be fully restored within two hours or by about 5 pm. For more information or to monitor the outage, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — A 34-year-old Pocatello man faces up to over a decade in federal prison for receiving child pornography following a joint undercover operation between the FBI and Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Clint Lusk to 135 months in federal prison to be served consecutively to any future sentence stemming from pending state charges. In addition to his prison time, Lusk must pay $45,000 in restitution, serve 15 years of supervised release, and register as a sex offender.

The Investigation and Arrest

The case stems from a joint investigation by the FBI and the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force into child enticement on the Whisper messaging app. According to court records, in November 2024, Lusk used the app to contact an undercover investigator posing as a 13-year-old girl.

Prosecutors say Lusk, identifying himself as a man in his early thirties, quickly steered the conversation in a sexual direction and proposed they meet up.

Authorities arranged a meeting at the Red Lion Hotel in Pocatello, where they identified and arrested Lusk upon his arrival.

Following his arrest, a search of Lusk’s home and phone uncovered a cache of more than 52,000 images containing child pornography.

The search also unveiled several videos of voyeurism involving known adult victims, for which Lusk has been charged separately.

Additional Charges

During the search, investigators also discovered several voyeurism videos involving known adult victims. Lusk faces separate charges for these discoveries in Bannock County District Court, where he is currently awaiting sentencing.

Lusk pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography on October 21, 2025.

U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis commended the collaborative efforts of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the ICAC Task Force, and the Pocatello Police Department with the arrest and investigation.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 22 APR 26 15:31 ET

By Andrew Adams, KSL

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    KAYSVILLE, Utah (KSL) — It was an unlikely problem that showed up out of the blue Monday, just outside Jeannette Stokes Memmott’s front door.

Bees.

And just not a few. There were thousands.

“It was quite the sight,” she said. “I thought, ‘What do we do, what do we do, what do we do, who do we call, who do we call?'”

Though she initially feared they were yellow jackets, Memmott soon discovered they were honey bees.

“We thought, ‘No, no, no, no, no — we can’t spray the honeybees,” she said.

Instead, they reached out to the Davis County Beekeepers Association. It turned out one of its beekeepers was a neighbor.

“I would probably say we had around 30,000 bees on the column,” said the beekeeper, Shane Hughes.

Hughes carefully extracted the bees from the column and transferred them into a bee box, although he acknowledged there were still some bees left inside, including possibly the queen.

Swarming, he explained, is a natural part of bee reproduction this time of year, although sometimes it can prove to be a little unpredictable.

“What swarming does (is) if you have a really healthy and vigorous hive, naturally, the bees want to split and make two really strong hives, and it’s just a way for them to reproduce,” Hughes explained. “The queen will hatch and take about half of that hive somewhere else, and we never know where it’s going to go.”

Memmott said she believed it was possible the bees may have come from another neighbor’s home.

“For whatever reason, the hive split, and here they landed right on my very home,” Memmott said.

Hughes said on Sunday he was helping a different homeowner with a similar issue.

“It’s really hard to find the queen,” he said. “Last night, I was in Farmington and had to start tearing off siding of a home and reaching in 2 or 3 feet and trying to pull out every single bee from inside their home.”

Hughes said he believes Memmott’s bees were Italian, and planned to bring them back to his home. He said those types of bees can produce 80 to 100 pounds of honey per hive.

He said there are beekeeping groups in various counties that can help to mitigate these issues, and people in Davis County who encounter swarms can report them to Brent Rasmussen with the Davis County Beekeepers Association at 801-390-0222.

“Shane came to the rescue,” Memmott said of her beekeeper neighbor. “It’s fascinating, but I don’t want them to live in my home, because I’m told if they get in your attic, you’re looking at some trouble.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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.

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

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Fox13

Originally Published: 22 APR 26 16:04 ET

By Nate Larsen

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    SALT LAKE CITY (KSTU) — If you haven’t been to the Great Salt Lake lately, the impact is hard to miss. Lower water levels, an expanding shoreline, and ongoing concerns about the lake’s future are all on display. Now, Salt Lake County leaders are hoping a new visualization tool will help people better understand why — and what can be done about it.

Inside the Salt Lake County Government Center, a new display uses blue marbles to represent water. Each marble equals about 10,000 acre-feet, giving a visual breakdown of where water goes across the Great Salt Lake Basin, and how much of it never makes it back to the lake.

“We believe that the more people know and understand how water works in the Great Salt Lake Basin, the better we’re going to be able to figure out how do we manage our water so that we can have a healthy lake,” said Jason Brown, CEO of Envision Utah.

The display highlights a key takeaway: most water use happens outdoors.

In Salt Lake County, about 70% of water is used outside — primarily for things like lawn watering. Of that, roughly 90% is lost to evaporation and does not return to the system. Indoor water use, by comparison, is much smaller, and most of it eventually flows back into the ecosystem.

“We lose about 100 times more water outdoors than what we lose in the water we use inside,” Brown said. “The water that goes on your lawn doesn’t.”

County leaders say they are working to reduce that impact — starting with their own operations. Emily Paskett, sustainability director for Salt Lake County, says efforts include upgrading irrigation systems, fixing leaks quickly, and watering at more efficient times of day. The county is also replacing traditional grass with drought-tolerant landscaping at many of its more than 140 facilities and parks. So far, Salt Lake County has removed more than 160,000 square feet of turf, saving millions of gallons of water each year. Officials say the goal is not just to reduce government water use, but to set an example for residents across the Wasatch Front.

“So that everybody can do just a little bit to conserve a lot of water,” Paskett said.

With a record low snowpack this year, leaders say those small changes could make a meaningful difference in helping more water reach the Great Salt Lake.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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.

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

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News Team

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) — Starting next week, the Idaho Transportation Department will begin work on the Buffalo River Bridge in Island Park.

On Monday, April 27, crews will begin working to stabilize the soil where the bridge meets the roadway and repave sections to create a smoother ride and “preserve the longevity of US-20 in the area.”

Throughout the duration of the project, US-20 traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction around Buffalo River Bridge and Pond’s Lodge.

ITD anticipates the construction will be done before the Memorial Day holiday, which marks a significant influx of recreational traffic for the summer season in the surrounding Yellowstone area. For up-to-date info on traffic impacts through the area during the project, click HERE.

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Danielle Mullenix

Idaho Falls, ID (KIFI) – A major milestone in American history is being celebrated right here in East Idaho. The Museum of Idaho has just opened a brand-new exhibit marking 250 years of the United States—bringing the Revolutionary era to life through artifacts and storytelling.

via Museum of Idaho Facebook

The exhibit—called “Declaration: 250 Years of US”—is now open to the public, and it takes visitors all the way back to the American Revolution.

Curated by the Museum of Idaho, this exhibition features Revolutionary War–era artifacts and reproductions from local collectors, weaving together the stories of key figures who shaped American democracy.

Nancy and Gary Makey, local history interpreters in period clothing, greet visitors in the exhibit and discuss the stories of important historical figures while also reflecting on the broader impact of those early decisions today. Visitors can also explore their own connections to the past with help from the FamilySearch Center.

The opening comes as Idaho joins communities across the country in preparing to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. Statewide efforts are already underway to encourage education, reflection, and community engagement tied to the nation’s founding principles.

The museum, known for its mix of local history and nationally recognized exhibits, hopes this new installation will offer a more personal and thought-provoking look at America’s beginnings.

Leaders say the exhibit is not just about looking back—but about understanding how the nation’s founding continues to shape Americans today.

“Declaration: 250 Years of US” is now open to the public at the Museum of Idaho. Visitors can find more information on hours and admission through the museum’s website here.

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Seth Ratliff

DRIGGS, Idaho (KIFI) — Teton County Fire & Rescue is getting a boost ahead of fire season thanks to new grant funding.

Last week, TCFR was awarded grant funding from the Community Foundation of Teton Valley to support wildfire mitigation efforts. The money will help build computer models that show how wildfires could spread through local communities, giving a clearer picture of where risks are highest and how to respond faster.

Officials say the data from these computers will also help fire crews reduce risk and help stop wildfires before they spread.

“With this data, we will be able to mitigate wildfire risks in a more strategic manner,” said TCFR in a Facebook post.

The funds were added to grants from Teton Springs and the Teton Valley Fire Action Community Team to further support the project. For more information, click HERE.

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Abi Martin

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — There will be no school at Skyline High School tomorrow, April 22nd, due to maintenance issues.

D91 Maintenance is working with crews including a maintenance contractor, to address issues with the AC system.

District Leaders say the safety of students and staff is their highest priority. They also recognize that this cancellation brings Skyline very close to the minimum amount of instructional hours required for the school year.

District 91 says that adjustments to the schedule are needed, that will be communicated as soon as possible.

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Par Kermani

Idaho Falls, Idaho (KIFI) — Getting in to see a doctor in Idaho is not always easy. For many, it is not just about cost, but distance, availability, and even finding a provider in the first place.

A mobile clinic from Optum is working to close that gap by bringing preventative care directly to communities across eastern Idaho.

This week, the clinic is making stops in Idaho Falls, Ammon and Pocatello, offering free visits to eligible patients through its partnership with UnitedHealthcare.

“The mobile clinic is just an opportunity for us to get out into the communities where our members live and share access to quality, preventative health care services,” said Jim Tett, Optum manager of clinical operations. “We understand people may have mobility restrictions or transportation concerns, so it’s an advantage to bring it as close as possible.”

Inside the mobile unit, patients can meet with a provider, review medications and medical history, and receive a variety of screenings in a single visit. Services include checks for conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis, along with other preventative tests.

Tett said the goal is to catch health issues early, especially for patients who may not be regularly seeing a doctor.

“We know transportation and access to care can be difficult, so catching people who are not routinely following up with their doctor is a priority for us,” he said. “If we can catch something earlier and get them treated, or get them established with a primary care physician, that’s the goal.”

In one case, Tett said a patient who had delayed care received a serious warning during a visit.

“They were on a path where they likely would not have survived another year,” he said. “They were able to get the care they needed and make those changes, and now they’re in a much better place.”

Healthcare providers say demand for services like this is growing in Idaho, where rural communities and a shortage of providers can make access more difficult. Population growth combined with provider retirements has added to the challenge.

The mobile clinic primarily serves patients on UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans and coordinates care with their primary care physicians. Organizers say the service has seen increased demand since launching in Idaho and continues to expand to more locations.

Looking ahead, Optum is working to grow the program even further, including the possibility of bringing care directly to patients’ homes through a smaller mobile unit.

For now, organizers say the focus remains on meeting patients where they are and helping them stay ahead of potential health issues.

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