Kailey Galaviz
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Saddle up for a night of country fun at Snake River Landing with the Waterfront Round Up with Farmer Wants a Wife Reality TV Star Jay Woods.
He will be there to teach roping lessons, plus meet and greet fans.
Those who attend can also experience a live DJ with line dancing, food trucks, a mechanical bull and more.
The free event kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Waterfront at Snake River Landing.
Kailey Galaviz
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A local jump rope team from Idaho Falls is looking to journey to Japan to compete in the World Championships representing Team USA. But they need your help.
The team is hosting a fundraising event raising money to help get them to the championship competition.
On June 14, everyone is invited to come support and watch performances starting at 6 p.m. at Black Canyon Middle School.
Phillip Willis
BINGHAM COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A shooting range will not be built after 3 to 5 decision by Bingham County commissioners.
The proposed shooting range in Bingham County was up for discussion in the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Wednesday night. The decision was made based on concerns of lead leaching from bullets and casings into nearby farmland due to water run off and flooding on the property, as well as the distress of local neighbors at the prospect of the shooting range being built.
During discussions which lasted three hours, Jeff Krueger made several arguments to the safety, environmental mindset, and community benefit of this shooting range. Krueger boasts a sound level of 70 – 80 decibels in weapons fire testing, and showed video evidence of local horses unbothered, or “if anything, curious” by the firing of the weapons.
Jeff Krueger was supported by, among others, Stan Pate, the Vice Chair of the State Range Association of Oregon. He spoke to Krueger’s character, the benefit of the range, and how lead leaching is mitigated through strategies that Krueger intended for this range.
Many people from neighboring properties came out in opposition to the range being built. They cited concerns of increased traffic and noise to the quiet area, hooliganism, and bullets flying beyond the berms despite other safety measures.
The Kruegers shared the following official statement with Local News 8:
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to present our proposal and for the time the Planning & Zoning Commission and community members invested in the hearing. We also appreciate the local residents who showed up to share their thoughts. While we disagree with some of the concerns raised, we understand and respect that people want to feel safe and informed.
We were disappointed by the Commissioner’s decision and are currently reviewing our options. In the meantime, we hope to connect directly with our neighbors to clarify aspects of our plan that may not have come through clearly during the hearing. We’re also hopeful that by continuing these conversations, we can find common ground and explore workable solutions that respect the needs and concerns of all involved.” – Jeff and Julie Krueger
Local News 8 is committed to telling both sides of each story. We interviewed Jason Cook prior to the meeting. He provided us details on the situation from his perspective. The Kruegers shared what they believe to be important clarifications. They claim that:
The planned range was small in scale, and was intended to be a private training range, not a commercial or public facility.
While initial reports describe a 150-acre gun complex, only a portion of this land would have been designated for the range itself, the remaining land for personal use including the future building of a home.
The range is not just outside of Blackfoot, but is 25 minutes away from Blackfoot at the end of a 2-mile dead-end road in a rural agricultural area.
Sam Ross
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Bannock County Office of Emergency Management is taking advantage of the new Bannock County Sheriff’s app as an instantaneous alert system for when emergencies strike.
The Sheriff’s Office app has a designated page for the Office of Emergency Management, complete with a detailed list of best practices for preparedness in different disaster scenarios, a place to report property damage after an emergency, and a faster notification system for weather events.
“A lot of the things that we do are computer-based with smartphones and smart glasses and smart computers and smart cars,” said Wes Jones, director of Bannock County Emergency Management. “Our approach is we need to be smarter about how we reach out to the communities, and this gives us a more timely and accurate ability to get that information out there and in the hands of the community.”
The Bannock County Sheriff’s App is free to download from the App Store and Google Play. For more information, you can visit the Bannock County website.
Noah Farley
BINGHAM COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The criminal trial of Brandon Cook, a local contractor accused of defrauding homeowners out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through his company, Re-Lived Construction, has been declared a mistrial. Cook was charged with grand theft by failed promise and being a persistent violator.
Local News 8 viewers may remember Cook from a multi-week investigation we aired last year. The outcome of Cook’s trial, which began just yesterday, June 12, reportedly shocked homeowner and witness Jennifer Bennett, who was also featured in Local News 8’s exclusive investigation.
Local News 8’s reporting revealed claims by Bennett and homeowner Cody Hawker, both of whom hired Cook in 2023, and were left with significant damage. Bennett’s home had gutted walls and damaged support beams, while Hawker’s property featured a large, exposed hole in his backyard leading to his basement. Hawker previously described boarding up this hole and needing a pump to run 24/7 during winter to prevent his home from flooding.
Collectively, Hawker and Bennett paid Cook $43,000, only for him to allegedly destroy parts of their homes. They are, however, only two of at least 10 homeowners who allegedly hired Cook and lost money to the contractor.
Life a Center for Independent Living, a local non-profit, reportedly lost $200,000 to Cook.
Cook admitted to Local News 8 in an exclusive interview that he had become overwhelmed by trying to take “competitive” jobs. He’d also told us he was in a snowmobile wreck in 2020, three years before being hired by Hakwer or Bennett, which he says left him with injuries that limited his ability to work even years after the accident. Cook told us he had been unable to keep up with the work after his brother and employee left Re-Lived Construction to work for a different contractor, and admitted he’d started using deposits from previous jobs to finish other jobs.
While another criminal trial is a possibility, Jennifer Bennett tells Local News 8 that, as Cook has declared bankruptcy, there is little chance she or anyone else will get their money back. Last year, Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal told Local News 8 that malicious parties or contractors would sometimes close their business or declare bankruptcy as a way of “avoiding civil liability.” In those cases, Neal said victims were left with few options.
The simplest answer is “don’t get in this situation in the first place.” For what we learned on how to vet a contractor, click HERE.
Ariel Jensen
BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) – Dozens visited the Bonneville County Courthouse this afternoon for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the completion of its newest courtroom.
Courthouse employees and community members were the first to fill the benches of the new Bonneville County Courtroom 11.
This courtroom will provide space for the new District and Magistrate Judge positions recently created by the Idaho legislature to be chambered in Bonneville County.
This courtroom was designed to accommodate bigger and complex trials by providing space for more attorneys and jurors.
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the public was invited to tour the new courtroom for an open house tour. Attendees learned that the courtroom is 100% ADA accessible (Americans with Disabilities Act).
“The county has grown. It’s just that we are the fourth largest county in the state of Idaho, and it’s just grown. And we have more judges than we have court facilities. It’s just hard to schedule trials as well as the ADA compliance. This courtroom makes it more accessible as the needs of the community grow,” said Penny Manning, Bonneville County Clerk.
Manning tells Local News 8 that this project was conceived around the time the Idaho Falls Police Department was moving out of the building. This left a lot of space to decide what to do with the facility.
While plans to bring in a new courtroom took several years in the making, the renovation timeline exceeded expectations.
The actual project itself started in September, and thanks to construction engineers, they completed the remodel in less than a year.
“We were just trying to get it up and running, knowing that we had been approved for a new district judge and a new magistrate judge, and not having chambers that we could house them in. So we were trying to figure out a path forward, and this seemed like the best choice,” said Manning.
Manning says there are still a few things that need to be done before the new courtroom can be put into action. They anticipate it’ll have its first trial in a few months.
Seth Ratliff
JACKSON, WYO (KIFI) — The Teton County Sheriff’s Office has issued an urgent “be on the lookout” (BOLO) alert for a man suspected of stealing a 2006 dark gray Nissan Frontier. The vehicle was last seen yesterday, June 11, at approximately 6:30 PM. Details of the theft and photos of the suspect were shared via the agency’s Facebook page.
In photos released by the Sheriff’s Office, the suspect appears to be a white male with a short, well-kept beard. He appears to be wearing a dark hoodie and a baseball cap with sunglasses on top, and carrying a backpack.
The stolen Nissan Frontier is easily identifiable with its Wyoming truck plate 22-1713, a gray bumper sticker reading “Backcountry Sports,” and a large bike rack attached to the hitch.
The Teton County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information about the suspect or the vehicle to contact Deputy Erik Elizondo directly at (307) 231-5900. Details of the theft and suspect description were shared via the agency’s Facebook page.
News Team
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — A woman is in custody facing DUI charges after allegedly causing significant property damage and fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run crash on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Rexburg Police responded to the incident on North 2nd East, where security video and evidence at the scene revealed a chaotic path of destruction. According to a Rexburg Police Facebook post, the suspect vehicle reportedly drove “into a private field, ran over a small tree, narrowly missed a power pole, went airborne into an embankment, and then got back on the road.”
Officers found the suspect’s vehicle, which had obvious front-end damage and grass protruding from it, several blocks away in a parking lot. The driver, who has not been identified, was found unconscious and unresponsive, with the car still in drive. Police reportedly strategically blocked the vehicle to prevent her from escaping or losing control of the vehicle before safely waking the driver.
As she woke up, the woman’s car reportedly lurched forward, striking a patrol car. Fortunately, the police vehicle reportedly sustained only minor damage thanks to the car bumper.
The officers observed multiple signs of drug impairment, including slow responses, constricted pupils, and difficulty with motor skills. After a precautionary hospital visit, police say she was booked into the Madison County Jail on charges of drug DUI.
Rexburg Police emphasized the importance of public safety and acknowledged the difficulties of drug addiction, stating in their post, “We understand that there is more to every story, often with very difficult issues involving addiction, substance abuse, and other hard topics. However, we also recognize the importance in getting dangerous drivers like this off the street to protect the public.”
The department urged all drivers to remain vigilant and report any suspected impaired drivers to 911.
Seth Ratliff
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Heber Andrus, the former owner of Idaho Falls-based trucking giant Doug Andrus Distributing, passed away on June 11, 2025, at Idaho Falls Community Hospital. He was 75 years old.
Doug Andrus Distributing honored Heber’s “well-lived life” in a heartfelt Facebook post, acknowledging his impact on the industry over his more than 40-year career. The company stated that Heber “inspired and transformed the industry” and played a “visionary role in building this company from a handful of trucks from his childhood bedroom to where it is today, being the largest Idaho-based carrier.”
Born into the trucking business founded by his father, Doug Andrus, in 1937, Heber was raised with a strong work ethic. According to the company website, he embraced the philosophy that “hard work, making smart decisions, and surrounding themselves with quality people could bring success, even in tough times.” Heber, alongside his brother, bought Doug Andrus Distributing from their father in the mid-1970s.
“He was one of those owners who would run around and talk to everybody to see how their day was,” said Nathan Lewis, a former driver for Andrus. “He was a really good man.”
The company’s tribute post further emphasized his far-reaching influence: “Countless employees and business associates considered him a mentor and a friend. His influence on all of us is a testament to his remarkable legacy.”
News Team
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Several of Eastern Idaho’s roads could be getting a significant upgrade, and some sooner than expected, thanks to new funds. Thursday, during its regular meeting, the Idaho Transportation Board approved staff recommendations for improvements to key roadways, including projects on Interstate 15 near Blackfoot and U.S. Highway 20 near Idaho Falls.
These projects, designed to tackle congestion and safety concerns, are moving forward thanks to Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation (TECM) funds made available by House Bill 25, which was passed by the Idaho legislature earlier this year. The legislation provides an additional $20 million a year to the TECM fund over the next three years and will allow the department to invest an extra $1 billion in the Gem State’s transportation system.
With this new funding, the following projects have been recommended for further design and construction:
U.S. Highway 20 Improvements
US-20 west of Idaho Falls: This project will increase capacity by widening the road to two lanes in each direction, starting at Idaho Falls and moving west as funding allows. Widening will increase safety for freight, recreational, and commuter traffic due to limited passing opportunities and lines of sight. Construction is anticipated to start in 2026, two years earlier than planned.
US-20 widening from Chester to Ashton: This project is anticipated to expand the existing roadway into a four-lane divided highway. Construction is anticipated to start in 2028.
I-15 and US-20 Interchange: This project continues to make progress toward relocating I-15 Exit 119 to US-20 and realigning US-20 through Idaho Falls to address safety and congestion concerns. Funding will allow for the purchase of private property for future construction.
Interstate 15 Upgrades
I-15 and US-26 Interchange (Exit 93): The existing interchange will be replaced to accommodate additional lanes on the interstate and to include longer on- and off-ramps for safer merging. Construction is anticipated to start in 2026, five years earlier than planned.
I-15 widening from milepost 89 to 93: This project will add capacity by widening the interstate to three lanes in each direction between the US-26 Interchange and the South Blackfoot Interchange. Construction was previously not funded but is now anticipated to start in 2027.
I-15 and US-91 South Blackfoot Interchange (Exit 89): The existing interchange will be upgraded to accommodate additional lanes on the interstate and include longer on- and off-ramps for safer merging. Construction is anticipated to start in 2028, three years earlier than planned.
These projects are now included in the draft Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP). The public will have an opportunity to provide feedback on these and ITD’s complete list of planned projects for 2026-2032 during the annual public comment period in July. Following this, the draft ITIP will be presented to the board for final approval in September.
“The board’s action today reflects continued investment targeting congestion and capacity in major corridors that were previously funded by TECM bonds as authorized by the Idaho Legislature,” write ITD spokespersons Sky Buffat and Justin Smith. “In East Idaho, TECM funds allowed for the construction at the South St. Anthony Interchange, which was previously unfunded.”
