Guys and Dolls takes the stage for 43rd Annual District Musical

KIFI on April 11, 2025

Kailey Galaviz

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho Falls School District 91 students are preparing to take the stage for the 43rd Annual District Musical. This year’s production is Guys and Dolls.

They are set to perform at Compass Academy on 955 Garfield St. in Idaho Falls April 11, 12, 14 and 15 at 7:00 p.m. each night.

Tickets are $10. They can be purchased at the District Office, from a cast member, at the door or over the phone at (208) 525-7572.

Idaho’s new immigration law faces further legal setbacks

KIFI on April 11, 2025

Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – A federal judge has extended the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) blocking the enforcement of Idaho’s new immigration enforcement law, House Bill 83.

Governor Little signed the bill into law on March 27, 2025. Only hours afterward, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Idaho filed a lawsuit, IORC v. Labrador, to prevent statewide enforcement of the bill.

For more information about the initial lawsuit, click HERE.

The ACLU of Idaho argues that H.B. 83 violates the U.S. Constitution by attempting to supersede the federal government’s oversight of immigration enforcement.

“This is a huge win for our immigrant community and the Constitution,” said Paul Carlos Southwick, ACLU of Idaho Legal Director, in a press release. “We are pleased that the court agreed our case is likely to succeed on the merits of our arguments, and that the court protected families from being torn apart by this cruel and unnecessary law.” 

Despite the lawsuit, on March 31, Governor Little, law enforcement officers, and supportive legislators celebrated the bill’s passage. Governor Little said the bill reinforces Idaho’s support of President Trump’s immigration policies.

“The historic presidential election can be viewed as a mandate: a mandate from the American people to reinstate common sense and keep America safe. The Trump Administration has been focused on tracking down dangerous criminals in our country illegally, and the State of Idaho is committed to helping in the effort,” Governor Little said.

The case for and against House Bill 83

The judge is expected to release a decision on the ACLU’s requested preliminary injunction in the coming weeks. If granted, the preliminary injunction would provide a long-term ban on the law while litigation continues. 

“The Constitution is clear that Idaho has no right to interfere with federal immigration laws. And we will defend the constitutional rights of everyone, regardless of their country of origin, as the Constitution guarantees,” said Emily Croston, ACLU of Idaho Staff Attorney.

House Bill 83 provides for two offenses: First, a misdemeanor charge for “illegal entry,” and second, “illegal reentry,” which would be a felony offense.

The legislation requires law enforcement to focus on illegal immigrants who are detained, investigated, or suspected of criminal activity, through which officers would record the documentation status of individuals arrested throughout their police work.

If not blocked by federal court, the ACLU of Idaho says the law would have impacted anyone stopped by the police or accused of a crime, even falsely, and subjected them to potential immigration enforcement even if there is no criminal conviction, meaning many innocent families would have been unjustly subject to deportation. 

“As we see an alarming rise in unconstitutional attacks on immigrant rights across the country, including on those with legal status, we applaud the court for upholding the rule of law and our Constitution,” said Leo Morales, ACLU of Idaho Executive Director. “We refuse to tolerate the dismantling of constitutional rights of anyone, and will defend those rights regardless of a person’s national origin.” 

Why are southeast Idaho animal shelters always full?

KIFI on April 11, 2025

Noah Farley

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Animal shelters constantly have more dogs and cats brought in.

“We take anywhere from five to 20 phone calls and messages a day about rehoming animals,” said Rexburg Police Department Animal Control Officer Scott Chapman.

Chapman says people often bring cats and dogs to the Rexburg Animal Shelter because they didn’t research how to take care of them.

Each dog has different needs. Some breeds are prone to certain health issues like hip displacement. Some breeds have been bred for specific tasks, so they need proper exercise, activities, and space.

“If you bring, for example, a working dog into your home, and you don’t give them any chance to work or use their brain in a way that they were wired to do, that can result in unusual behavior. So their personality and the environment they’re in will equal their behavior,” said PAWS (Providing Animal Welfare Services) Director of Programs and Engagement, Stephanie Sokol.

The current state of the economy is another reason why animal shelters are full. Everything is going up in price, including pet food and payments to keep pets healthy.

There are ways the community can help with animal shelter numbers. They can ask the shelters how they operate and what they need. People can donate, volunteer, or even foster animals.

“Even if it’s for a day or a few days, it can create such a difference in how that animal will show up, both in the community and for for future adopters,” Sokol said. “Because we got to see them in a different environment.”

You can learn more about how to help by contacting your local animal shelter.

“Look twice to save a life” Safety stressed as motorcycle season approches

KIFI on April 11, 2025

Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)— More motorcyclists are hitting the roads as the weather continues to get warmer. 

Many people had their bikes in the garage all winter, and it’s time to take them out.

Shops like Eagle Rock Indian Motorcycle are noticing a rise in sales this time of year.

Many of us have not been used to seeing motorcycles since it’s been winter.

So, drivers are being asked to take an extra second to notice riders and give them a little more room on the road.

But it’s not all up to us; riders are being asked to do their own safety check. 

“Your skills are a little bit tired from the winter. You haven’t been practicing as much,” said Scott Newlin General Manager of Eagle Rock Indian Motorcycle. “The roads aren’t entirely clear yet. Sometimes, there is still some debris, especially after a little bit of rain. You can find debris washed out in the road that maybe you wouldn’t during the summertime. Just got to be that extra little bit of careful.”

After Local News 8 spoke with a few motorcyclists about street safety, they all said, “Look twice to save a life.”

They say it’s just a simple bumper sticker, but the words hold true. 

Teton Auto Group Idaho Falls PBR preview

KIFI on April 11, 2025

Maggie Moore

Idaho Falls, Idaho (KIFI) – Morning reporter Maggie Moore stopped by the Mountain America Center on Thursday to get an inside look at professional bull riding.

The Teton Auto Group Idaho Falls PBR is Friday and Saturday. Doors open at 6 PM, and the show starts at 7:30 PM. The Boots + Bands pre party starts at 4 PM Saturday. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or the Mountain America Center Box Office.

ISP traffic stop leads to arrest of man wanted on serious charges

KIFI on April 11, 2025

Seth Ratliff

BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) – A Bonneville County man with an active warrant is now in custody after violating a no-contact order.

According to the Idaho State Police, 29-year-old Samual Zane Erickson was arrested in a traffic stop after the Soda Springs Police Department alerted ISP officers that he had violated a no-contact order in the area.

On April 8, ISP officers located Erickson near Ammon and Linclon road. As the trooper attempted to initiate the stop, the 29-year-old stopped his vehicle and instructed a female passenger to exit the car, according to ISP.

A second trooper located the female passenger nearby.

According to ISP, the passenger was not wearing shoes, and troopers determined she was the protected party listed in Erickson’s no-contact order.

During the traffic stop, the ISP conducted a DUI investigation and field sobriety test.

According to ISP, the trooper’s investigation confirmed that Erickson had violated the no-contact order. In addition, the troopers confirmed that the 29-year-old had an active bench warrant out of Caribou County for violating the conditions for his release from jail.

Erickson’s original charges included Attempted Murder, Attempted Strangulation, and Domestic Battery inflicting Traumatic Injury, according to ISP

Erickson was arrested and booked into the Bonneville County Jail on probable cause for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Violation of a no-contact order, and the outstanding Caribou County bench warrant.

Gov. Little announces changes to the Idaho State Board of Education

KIFI on April 11, 2025

Seth Ratliff

THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM GOVERNOR BRAD LITTLE’S OFFICE:

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Governor Brad Little announced today, April 10, his appointment of Jennifer White to serve as executive director of the Idaho State Board of Education as current director Josh Whitworth is leaving for a job in the private sector. The Governor also selected Kurt Liebich to serve as the board’s president following the expiration of Dr. Linda Clark’s term as board president.

“Jennifer White is a strategic and effective leader who deeply understands Idaho’s unique education and workforce needs. I look forward to working with her, new board president Kurt Liebich, and the entire board and staff to continue to position Idaho’s students, families, and workforce for success,” Governor Little said. “I also want to sincerely thank Josh Whitworth for his excellent work as director. Together, we were able to strengthen LAUNCH and secure big wins for Idaho’s education system, from kindergarten through career. I also appreciate Dr. Clark for her steadfast leadership as board president, and I am grateful she will continue to offer her many years of expertise on the board.”

White is leaving her role as Assistant Vice President for Finance and Operations and Senior Counsel at Boise State University. Before joining the university in 2023, White was in-house counsel for a large corporation and was a litigator at law firms in the Washington, D.C., area. She worked for Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne and then-Lt. Governor Jim Risch. White graduated from Vallivue High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Willamette University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law.

“Idaho has proven time and again we can lead when we excel at the basics and advance innovative approaches to supporting students of all ages. Our education system is integral to the success of our communities, economy, and overall way of life in Idaho. I am honored to earn the confidence of Governor Little and so many others as I step into my new role at the State Board of Education,” White said.

Governor Little appointed Liebich to the board in 2019. He has served on the boards of numerous educational nonprofit organizations and he was on Governor Little’s “Our Kids, Idaho’s Future” task force to strengthen public education in Idaho. Liebich spent his 30-year business career in the wood products and building materials industry.

“It has been rewarding to be a member of this board for the past five and half years, navigating the challenges and opportunities in our education system to better serve Idaho’s students. Idaho’s public education system – across K-12, career technical education, and our community colleges and universities – is the foundation for Idahoans’ prosperity. I am excited to continue my work on these important issues as board president,” Liebich said.

As Idaho’s single governing body for public kindergarten through college education, the eight-member State Board of Education is charged with the general supervision and governance of Idaho’s public educational institutions, agencies, and school system. Its mission is “to drive improvement of the K-20 education system for the citizens of Idaho, focusing on quality, results, and accountability.” The Office of the State Board of Education implements board policies and oversees the public higher education institutions and the board’s executive agencies.

Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad addresses public concerns regarding recent officer-involved shooting

KIFI on April 11, 2025

Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – After a recent officer-involved shooting that’s creating outrage in the southeast Idaho community, Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad has released a statement addressing the incident and the public’s concerns.

Blad says the Pocatello community has experienced a tragic event, which has his full attention. He assures the community that his office and the City Council are not taking what happened lightly.

“We are addressing this matter with the seriousness and thoroughness it deserves and with the appropriate respect for the gravity of the situation,” said Blad. “The criminal, external, and internal investigations regarding the officer-involved shooting are underway, which is why we cannot answer questions out of concern of interfering with or compromising the investigation.”

For Mayor Blad’s full video statement, click HERE.

Mayor Blad has faced increased online criticism in the days following the officer-involved shooting, which left a non-verbal 17-year-old with autism and cerebral palsy, Victor Perez, in critical condition.

In the days following the shooting, the Pocatello Police Department has refused to answer questions about the incident and subsequent investigation by the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force. During a brief press conference, Police Chief Roger Schei confirmed some of the details his officers were told leading up to the incident, including that Perez had a large kitchen knife and that police were told the 17-year-old was intoxicated.

For more details on Chief Schei’s comments, click HERE.

Local News 8 has reached out repeatedly to the Pocatello Police Department for further comment, including a public records request for body camera footage from the responding officers. Those requests have been denied.

In his statement, Mayor Blad did confirm that the four officers involved in the incident were immediately placed on administrative leave following the incident. He says the city will release the police body camera footage in the coming weeks.

“We truly recognize the difficulty and pain of this situation,” said Blad. “Everyone is looking for answers, including me and the City Council. That is why it is important to let the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force and others complete their investigations.”

Blad says no determinations will be made until the independent investigators have done their job. Once the investigations are complete, he says the city will act in accordance with the findings.

“Right now, our thoughts are with the Perez family, the neighborhood residents who witnessed the interaction, our entire community, and all members of the Pocatello Police Department. It will take a very long time for all of us to find normalcy, but our hope is we can find a way to move forward and build a stronger community together,” said Blad.

50501 Movment plans protest in support of Victor Perez

According to his family, 17-year-old Victor Perez is currently in a coma and hooked up to a ventilator. They say doctors are testing his brain function, but the 17-year-old has died twice and had to be revived.

As videos capturing the moments that led to the shooting have spread like wildfire online, the community of Pocatello has responded in outrage. The day following the shooting incident, dozens of protestors gathered in front of the Pocatello Police Department to voice their support for the teenage shooting victim and their indignation at the officer’s response to the situation.

For more information on the initial protest, click HERE.

Members of the Pocatello community have organized another protest, scheduled for Saturday, April 19, from 4 PM to 6 PM, in partnership with the 50501 movement. As of 4 PM, April 10, over 90 people have expressed interest in supporting the event over Facebook.

“We saw a vulgar misuse of power from the Pocatello police department,” the protest organizers wrote on Facebook. “We are gathering to DEMAND! Punishment for the officers involved and DEMAND funds be taken from hefty police budgets and be allocated to crisis intervention programs and trained therapists to work alongside the police. These police aren’t trained in de-escalation, so if we want to see change, we need to show up and show out to demand change!”

The family of Victor Perez is hoping and praying for a miracle

KIFI on April 11, 2025

Linda Larsen

“We’re going to get more answers tomorrow at the hospital, but we’re hoping for a miracle.”

– Ana Vazquez, Victor’s aunt

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — A Pocatello teen is fighting for his life, laying in a hospital bed connected to machines in a medically induced coma. This after being shot 9 times by police. If 17-year-old Victor Perez wakes up, his life will be forever changed.

One of his legs has been amputated. The damage from gunshot wounds just too severe to save it. His brain function could also be dramatically decreased.

“We’re going to get more answers tomorrow at the hospital, but we’re hoping for a miracle,” said Victor’s aunt, Ana Vazquez.

Ana has been emotional throughout this whole situation as she tries to be a pillar for her family.

“It’s been difficult,” she said. “And one thing that I appreciate about Pocatello is the entire community. Not just Pocatello, every part of the U.S. There are a lot of people supporting us.”

There is a GoFundMe set up for Victor and his family. Plus, a candlelight vigil is scheduled for Saturday in front of the Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello.

Runway reopened after airplane crashes at Idaho Falls Regional Airport

KIFI on April 11, 2025

News Release

The following information is from a press release from Eric Grossarth, Public Information Officer from the City of Idaho Falls

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — (Update: 9:20 p.m.) Shortly before 7:50 p.m. Thursday a single engine general aviation aircraft crashed while landing at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA).

The Airport’s Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF)resources were notified immediately and responded to the aircraft that was located on runway 3-21. The Idaho Falls Fire Department was also dispatched as standard practice whenever such incident occurs. 

Arriving ARFF personnel discovered the aircraft along the edge of the runway. There were no injuries reported. 

ARFF firefighters remain on scene as a precaution while airport operations works to remove the damaged aircraft from the runway. 

Runway 3-21, the main runway at IDA remains closed as a result of the crash. IDA is working to open the runway as soon as possible to minimize impacts to arriving aircraft. 

We will provide additional information as it becomes available.  

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — (Original Release) Shortly before 7:50 p.m. Thursday a single engine general aviation aircraft crashed while landing at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA), according to city spokesperson Eric Grossarth.

The Airport’s Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) resources were notified immediately and responded to the aircraft that was located on runway 3-21.

The Idaho Falls Fire Department was also dispatched as standard practice whenever such incident occurs.

Arriving ARFF personnel discovered the aircraft along the edge of the runway. There were no injuries reported.

ARFF firefighters remain on scene as a precaution while airport operations works to remove the damaged aircraft from the runway.

Runway 3-21, the main runway at IDA remains closed as a result of the crash. IDA is working to open the runway as soon as possible to minimize impacts to arriving aircraft.

We will provide additional information as it becomes available.