Author: KIFI

Noah Farley

AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) — The construction project to fully replace the bridge that goes over Sandcreek on 17th Street is expected to be finished before July 4th.

The project started in mid-January with D L Beck, Inc. as the contractor.

D L. Beck’s Founder, David Beck, says the goal is to have the project finished by July 4, 2025. Depending on what the weather brings, Beck says asphalt will be filled in the middle of June.

Beck reminds pedestrians to stay out of the construction area for now for their own safety.

The bridge over Sandcreek is near the Albertson’s shopping center entrance.

Once this project is over, construction could begin to improve the bridge on 1st Street over Sandcreek. That project was paused while work was being done on 17th Street.

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Curtis Jackson

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – A Pocatello man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home for nearly six hours.

Pocatello Police said in a news release they were notified of a domestic disturbance at 1730 West Quinn Avenue around 6:19 a.m. on Thursday.

When officers arrived, Logan Smith, 40, barricaded himself inside the home with a woman and three children. Police did not say if they were related.

The woman told a police dispatcher that Smith was armed with both a gun and a machete. Police deployed the Immediate Response Team and Crisis Negotiators to help resolve the incident. Officers were able to evacuate the woman and the three children from the home with the assistance of the dispatcher.

After a lengthy negotiation, the Smith peacefully surrendered and was taken into custody. He was arrested on three counts of aggravated assault.

Police said no one was injured and the area was reopened around 12 p.m.

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News Release

UPDATE May 29, 2025: POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)— The Bannock County Coroner’s Office released the name of the Rexburg woman killed in an accident on I-15 Wednesday afternoon.

She was identified as Kimberly Reynolds, 26.

“I want to share my deepest condolences with Kimberly’s family and friends as they grieve this incredible loss,” said Coroner Torey Danner.

The accident remains under investigation.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The following is a news release from Idaho State Police.

POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State Police is investigating a single-vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 3:44 p.m. on May 28, 2025, on I15 at milepost 62, south of Pocatello.

A 26-year-old female from Rexburg, Idaho was travelling northbound on I15 in a 2010 Toyota Corolla. The female driver failed to negotiate a curve, went off the left shoulder and into the median. The passenger, a 26-year-old male from Rexburg, was transported by ground ambulance to a local hospital. The female succumbed to her injuries at the scene.

The roadway was blocked for approximately two and a half hours.

The crash remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Present and former students, teachers, staff and community members celebrated the legacy of Washington Elementary School at a send-off event on Wednesday ahead of the school’s planned closure.

In January, school board members voted to close Washington Elementary citing low enrollment numbers and building maintenance costs as driving factors in relocating the school’s 30 plus staff members and 1,200 students to other area institutions.

At the Celebration of Washington event, members of the Washington Elementary Advocates group organized a program which included presentations by students, highlighting their love of the school. Remarks by alumni touched on the history of the over 100-year-old building and the faculty have had on generations of students.

Washington Elementary School will officially close on May 29 at the end of the school year for Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25.

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Linda Larsen

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Attorneys for the family of Victor Perez are planning a series of town hall-like meetings to allow people to voice their concerns about what happened on April 5. Perez is the 17-year-old autistic teenager who was shot 9 times by Pocatello Police just seconds after they arrived on the scene. A Truth and Reconciliation Conference will be held in late June.

Attorneys from the law firm Burris, Nisenbaum, Curry & Lacy, LLP, are representing the family of Victor Perez. They say these truth and reconciliation hearings will give people a chance to talk about their interactions with police, both good and bad, and give public comment.

According to James Cook, one of the attorneys working on the case, their law firm will be in Idaho in about a month to talk to people, hear their experiences and listen to their concerns about the shooting of Victor Perez and the police response.

“The point of doing it was to prevent further situations like this now,” Cook said.

The Truth and Reconciliation Conference will be held at Shoshone Bannock High School on Friday, June 27, from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and again on Saturday, June 28th, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. 

Everyone is invited to attend, listen to what the attorneys are saying about the case and testify themselves about any personal interactions with the police.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Aid for Friends is hosting their 13th annual ‘Splish and Splash’ fundraiser event in August to raise money for their shelter and support services during summer, a traditionally slow time for donations.

The Splish and Splash fundraiser will take place at the Ross Park Aquatic Complex, and event tickets include admission to the pool and water slides, dinner, and entry into raffles with prizes donated by local businesses.

Aid for Friends leaders and event organizers said the event is necessary to keep their shelter operational through the summer, when donations are more scarce than during the winter and holiday seasons.

“The Splish and Splash comes dead in the middle of summer, it’s about six months after Christmas when, historically, our donations are low–not just for us, but for every charity around the world,” said Jessica Buckley, grant and program administrator for Aid for Friends. “Splish and Splash was one of our ways sort of helping to pull up out of that slump and start to get a little bit more funding midway through the year.”

Buckley said they have a goal to raise $15,000 during this year’s Splish and Splash fundraiser, a record amount to support a record number of homeless people the shelter expects to come through their doors this year.

According to Buckley, Aid for Friends is looking at a 10-15% rise in people seeking temporary housing at their shelter; due, Buckley said, to economic hardships forcing more people out of their homes this year.

Aid for Friends shelter manager Tami Moore said fundraising efforts are vital in garnering community support and securing the money they need to continue offering their temporary housing and relocation services.

“A lot of the people that come to the homeless shelter are people from our community that have some kind of hardship or something happened in their lives where they needed to utilize us,” said Moore. “As long as our doors are open, we are that helping hand… this is a community thing and we need community support.”

The Splish and Splash fundraiser will be Saturday, August 2. Aid for Friends is looking for volunteers to help with the event, as well as donations of swim suits for their shelter guests to participate in the fun.

For more information, you can visit the Aid for Friends website.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The family of three-year-old Kamari Alvarez are sharing their memories and a message for families following a tragic accident over Memorial Day Weekend which led to the child’s death.

On Saturday, May 24, Alvarez was with her family in the parking lot of Costco in Pocatello when she was struck by a pickup truck. Emergency services transported the child to Portneuf Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

In an email to Local News 8, Alvarez’s great-uncle Jorge Luis shared the following message from the family:

“Kamari leaves behind her older step sister Nova Alvarez. Kamari was so loved by her grandparents on both sides, she spent a great deal of time with them when her parents were busy working.

Kamari was an outgoing, energetic 3 yr old toddler. She loved to play with her barbies and she would ask her grandparents, her uncle, and parents to play barbies with her. She loved anything princess related and really loved Snow White and princess outfits and pajamas and loved Micky and Mini Mouse. She loved dressing up and enjoyed doing kiddy make-up with her 8 yr old sister Nova.

Kamari enjoyed making scramble eggs with her grandma and she personally wanted to break the egg shells and then watch them cook in the pan while grandma helped her. Kamari was a sassy, bossy little girl. She enjoyed playing with the family’s little dog Boba and her other big doggies. Kamari loved music and dancing and she liked to mimic grandma when she was doing something. Kamari was such a loving baby, happy with so much energy and she was always on the go. She enjoyed jumping on the trampoline with her sister Nova and spent alot of time outside playing with her.

Kamari loved wearing a little pair of cowboy boots and loved dressing up as a cowgirl. She especially loved it when her mom would do her hair and she enjoyed getting her hair done and loved her hair getting braided.

All of our family is heartbroken by this tragic happening. As a family all we can say is please hug your loved ones tightly and appreciate the simple things in life and moments spent together. Our family is the most precious gift God gives us in this world. And as we know kids will be kids and they are so full of energy and they just go non-stop, accidents happen and if we knew such tragedies were going to happen we would give anything in this world as parents or grandparents to prevent them and save our babies from harm and danger.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family cover funeral expenses.

Funeral services for Kamari Alvarez will be handled by Wilks Funeral Home in Chubbuck. A funeral mass will take place on Saturday, May 31 at 2:00 pm at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 376 Roosevelt Street in American Falls.

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Curtis Jackson

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI) – A person was found dead inside a cabin that caught fire overnight north of Jackson. 

According to Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, the fire was reported on Sagebrush Drive shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday. 

When they found out someone was inside, they attempted to enter the cabin, but the heavy fire and smoke prevented them from doing so. 

After getting the fire under control, they found the person inside.

“First responders worked valiantly to save a life with the reports that the cabin was occupied. We are

thankful there were no additional injuries and grieve the loss with the family and community,” said Deputy Chief of Operations Brian Coe.

The name of the victim has not been released.

Firefighters and the sheriff’s office are now investigating to determine what happened.   

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Curtis Jackson

FORT HALL, Idaho (KIFI) – Four people were injured in a two-car crash on Tuesday on the Fort Hall reservation.

According to the Shoban Tribal Office of Emergency Management, it happened at the intersection of US Highway 91 and Truchot Road around 3 p.m. on May 27, 2025. Traffic on the highway and railroad tracks were shut down for nearly an hour.

One vehicle ended up landing on the railroad tracks.

Courtesy: ShoBan Tribal Office of Emergency Management

One person was flown to Portneuf Medical Center by helicopter. Three other was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

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David Barrington

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Falls Chukars began their season on the road against the Boise Hawks. They won that series 5 games to 1. Tuesday night, they opened a 6-game series at home against the Billings Mustangs. Here are a few of the highlights.

First inning and first batter up for the Mustangs, A.J. Shaver gets a hit and sends it over left field to get a one-run homer to put them up one. Then, still in the top of the first, Tyler Shelnut gets a hit down the third base line and he gets a run to score for Billings.

Top of the second, Kristofer Bow pitches to Jack O’Dowd, and he gets the ball to fly over right field and out for a home run. Mustangs lead 3 to 0.

Bottom of the second, Chukars’ Trevor Rogers gets a hit to center field to get on first. A few pitches later, Jacob Jablonski gets the hit to left field for the home run and brings Rogers in to score. Chukars down by one. In the top of the 9th, Chukars lead 13 to 10.

Chukars take the win 13 to 12 Tuesday night.

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