Author: KIFI

Par Kermani

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses is warning licensees about scammers impersonating the agency or professional licensing boards.

DOPL says scammers may contact licensees by phone, email or other methods while claiming to be investigators with the division. In some cases, scammers tell licensees they are under investigation for illegal activity and threaten to suspend or revoke their professional license.

The agency says scammers may also claim federal agencies or law enforcement are involved and ask for sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, payment information or other identifying details.

DOPL says licensees should be especially cautious of unexpected messages that ask them to provide personal information, make a payment, click a link or take immediate action.

According to the agency, DOPL will not initiate contact with a licensee to request sensitive personal information.

The division also warns that professional license numbers are public information, meaning scammers may use a real license number in an attempt to make a fraudulent call or message appear legitimate.

DOPL recommends licensees avoid providing personal or financial information in response to unexpected communications and not click links or open attachments in suspicious messages.

Anyone unsure whether a communication is legitimate should end the call or message and contact DOPL directly using information listed on the agency’s official website.

Licensees can also verify their license or registration information through DOPL’s online services.

DOPL’s main office can be reached at 208-334-3233 or dopl@dopl.idaho.gov.

The agency also encourages anyone targeted by a scam to report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho Falls Police say there is no ongoing threat to the public after a person was found dead Tuesday afternoon at Guns N Gear.

Police spokeswoman Jessica Clements told Local News 8 officers responded to the business at 1315 South Utah Avenue around 3:30 p.m.

Clements said the death appears to be a suicide.

Police have not released the identity of the person or any additional details about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or visit https://988lifeline.org

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Maile Sipraseuth

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Back-to-school shopping is in full swing, and the cost of getting students ready for the new school year is adding up for families.

A study shows that back-to-school costs are up 8% this year.

Using a D-91 school supply list for a kindergartner, Local News 8 compared prices at Target and Walmart.

For one student, the school supplies alone came to about $70.

That total includes basic classroom items such as notebooks, crayons, markers and other supplies.

It does not include other back-to-school expenses such as clothing, shoes, backpacks, classroom donations, school fees or extracurricular activities.

Families looking to save may want to compare prices between stores, shop sales and check what supplies they already have at home before buying new items.

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Par Kermani

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Gov. Brad Little has appointed Judge Jason Scott to serve on the Idaho Supreme Court.

Scott will fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Chief Justice Richard Bevan, effective Oct. 30.

“Judge Scott has dedicated his career to the law and to serving the people of Idaho,” Little said. “His experience as a practicing attorney and a district judge gives him a strong understanding of both the courtroom and the broader legal system.”

Scott is an Idaho native and earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from Idaho State University. After passing the CPA examination, he attended Duke University School of Law and earned his law degree in 1997.

After law school, Scott returned to Idaho and clerked for a U.S. District Judge.

He later spent about 15 years at Hawley Troxell, including seven years as a partner. His practice focused primarily on civil litigation and business-related disputes.

Scott was appointed a District Judge in Idaho’s Fourth Judicial District in 2014. He is chambered in Ada County and also serves as the presiding district judge in Valley County.

“For twelve years, I’ve given my all to serving the people of Idaho as a district judge,” Scott said. “I’m grateful to Governor Little for entrusting me with the opportunity to continue in public service as a justice of the Idaho Supreme Court.”

Scott said he looks forward to working with his new colleagues and deciding cases with care and fidelity to the law.

The Idaho Supreme Court recently selected Justice Robyn Brody to serve as chief justice after Bevan retires.

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Maile Sipraseuth

VIEW HERE FOR WYOMING PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS

Election polls are closed in Wyoming and results will be coming in soon. Click the link above for results.

TETON COUNTY, Wyo. (KIFI)– Wyoming’s primary election is Tuesday, August 18, and Teton County voters can cast their ballots at any of the county’s five vote centers, regardless of where they live.

Teton County election day vote centers

Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center220 N. King St., Jackson

Teton County Library125 Virginian Ln., Jackson

Old Wilson Schoolhouse/Community Center5655 Main St., Wilson

Teton County Weed & Pest Building7575 U.S. 89, Jackson

Alta Branch Library50 Alta School Rd., Alta

The voting centers will be open from 7 AM to 7 PM. 

Click HERE to view the full list of candidates. 

Voters who cannot or do not want to vote in person on Election Day can also cast an absentee ballot.

Be sure to prepare ahead of time before you head to a polling location. For a full list of acceptable voter IDs, click HERE.

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Hadley Bodell

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Champs Heart, a local organization committed to providing equine encounters and rides for veterans and children with special needs in the community, received the first Idaho Service Spotlight presented by Senator Jim Risch. The national recognition puts Champs Heart on the map as a community impact organization.

What is Champs Heart?

Since 2019, Champs Heart has been a healing place for children with disabilities and veterans through horse experiences. The nonprofit organization aims to help the overlooked and underserved populations in Idaho Falls by providing a whole new kind of therapy.

“Often times these children and people are underserved and overwhelemed with financial burdens, so we want them to come in, as long as its safe for you, you can ride our horses,” said founder Larry Cudmore. “And if the horses happen to do some therapy for you while you’re riding, I can’t stop that.”

The idea for this organization didn’t materialize out of thin air, rather a string of unfortunate events and a heartfelt dedication. Cudmore was diagnosed with severe prostate cancer in 2016 and had to immediately begin treatment in Salt Lake City.

“I met this girl down there from Ashton, Emily, and she had bad cancer too. I spent that summer going back and forth across the parking lot, visiting her and seeing all the children in that primary,” Cudmore explained. “They had all kinds of sadness because of wheelchairs and tubes coming out of all parts of their body. When I finished my treatment I told Emily I’d bring my horse Champ to Ashton for a buggy ride for her or a sleigh ride.”

When Emily passed away in December of 2017, Cudmore knew he had to do something in her memory. Following his treatment, Cudmore was forced to retire and thus Champs Heart was born.

“The thing just exploded to the point where we have close to 400 participants a month and 2,200 hours of volunteers per month,” he said.

Cudmore said his main focus is highlighting the children with disabilities who come to ride the horses as well as the veterans. They are the purpose and life of the organization.

The horses are completely safe for children and adults to ride. When they are donated or sold to Champs Heart, they are put through an 8-week probationary period before they get to be in the program.

They are also always looking for volunteers, there is an application online at champsheart.org.

Idaho Service Spotlight

“This is a new thing that Senator Risch is doing, I’m so honored to be the first one for the month of August in the state of Idaho,” Cudmore said. “If I can put the spotlight on the children and veterans by receiving this, whatever I can do, I’ll do it.”

Senator Risch read the Service Spotlight on the Senate floor on August 7. Cudmore said this is an incredible opportunity to get Champs Heart on the map.

“I was contacted that I’d been nominated and was asked to write up something on what we do and submit it to the employees work center for Eastern Idaho and then it was sent to Washington D.C. where his staff looked at it and picked me,” Cudmore said.

Larry Cudmore with Senator Risch, August 13

He explained some people are aren’t interested in horses, but love helping the children, and others love horses and don’t know about the benefits for childrens with disabilities and veterans. With over $20,000 in expenses per month, Champs Heart needs all the donations and help they can get.

“To put us on the map, I mean, it means everything to us and changes everything for us,” he said.

Riding for Veterans

On Fridays, Champs Heart has riding for veterans in the community. The events are in collaboration with Operation Freedom Recovery, another local organization run by Dan Miller, that helps connect veterans with resources.

“Larry realized the value of riding and the theraputic value for veterans and reached out to me,” Miller said. “I’m a military veteran, I’ve dealth with PTSD and things from service. It’s no secret that required therapy is being largely adopted within the veteran community so I was interested in having this experience myself.”

Miller brings his children to ride as well on Fridays at Champ Hearts in Idaho Falls. He said it creates a space for veterans to interact with one another and the animals.

“It’s kind of fun to interact with the creatures and see their temperament and see their own behaviors and see how they’re a lot like us and we’re a lot like them,” Miller said. “It’s just a great place to gather. But also, if you’re looking to network or connect with other veterans that are interested in finding recovery resources, it’s a great gathering for that.”

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CNN

Originally Published: 14 AUG 26 09:49 ET

Updated: 14 AUG 26 12:08 ET

By Kara Scannell, Hannah Rabinowitz, Elizabeth Wolfe

NEW YORK (CNN) – Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty Friday to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. “I shot Mr. Thompson and he died,” he told the court. “I knew what I was doing was illegal.”

Judge Margaret Garnett began by asking Luigi Mangione a series of questions. Before questioning him, Garnett warned he could be prosecuted for perjury if he answered any questions about his decision to plead guilty falsely.

The 28-year-old Mangione told the court he had never been treated or hospitalized for any mental illness or addiction. He said he took trazodone two days ago for sleep, but said it was not affecting his ability to follow the proceedings.

When the judge asked if he believed his mind was clear today, he said, “I do.”

Mangione said that “after years of enduring pain from a broken back” and witnessing similar experiences of others, he said he learned UnitedHealthcare would be holding its annual investor convergence in December 2024.

Mangione said the public location wasn’t posted but he researched to learn the location and who would be there.

“In November of 2024 I travelled from outside of New York state to Manhattan. I then emailed UnitedHealthcare leadership, posing as an investor at a firm managing over $15 billion in assets and requesting information about the conference. Unlike my previous interactions with insurers, I received an immediate response within an hour,” Mangione said.

The 28-year-old has gained cult-like support on social media and in court. Many of his supporters harbor deep frustration and anger at the American for-profit healthcare system.

Luigi Mangione’s sentencing in the federal case is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, December 18.

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

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Seth Ratliff

TETON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A 67-year-old woman and her dog are recovering today after she was bucked off her horse deep in the Teton Wilderness earlier this week.

Teton County Search and Rescue was first alerted to the incident Wednesday afternoon when members of the woman’s riding group called dispatch. On Thursday at 7:29 a.m., the party called back to tell TCSAR that the rider and her dog would be unable to make it out of the backcountry without help.

In response, TCSAR assembled a helicopter team that reached the scene in just 23 minutes, landing on a flat zone near the injured rider.

Volunteers safely loaded the woman and her dog into the helicopter for the return flight to Jackson, where she was taken to a waiting Jackson Hole Fire/EMS ambulance.

The woman’s name and current condition have not been released.

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Seth Ratliff

SUGAR CITY, Idaho (KIFI) — Drivers using U.S. Highway 20 should prepare for overnight delays starting Monday, August 17, as crews begin important road repairs.

The Idaho Transportation Department and contractor partners are upgrading a stretch of U.S. 20 north of Sugar City, spanning between Exit 338 (Sugar City/Salem) and East 200 North.

Work will take place nightly from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. During work hours, traffic will be reduced to one lane in active two-mile construction zones.

“Crews will conduct crack repairs, joint improvements, and repaving operations to create a smoother ride both north and southbound through this area,” explains ITD Communications Officer Sky Buffat.

ITD says the road crews will take a brief pause through the Labor Day weekend from September 5- 7 to accommodate holiday travel.

The project is expected to be complete by mid-September. For updates on road work and traffic impacts, click HERE.

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Curtis Jackson

HEYBURN, Idaho (KIFI)— Idaho State Police is investigating a semi-truck crash that injured two people early Friday morning.

Troopers say around 5:08 a.m., a 2019 Freightliner was heading east on Interstate 84 and rolled onto its side into the median near milepost 205, near Heyburn.

The 29-year-old male driver from Washington was flown to an area hospital. A 23-year-old passenger was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

Troopers said the passenger was wearing a seatbelt, while the driver was not.

The crash remains under investigation.

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