Author: KIFI

Curtis Jackson

UPDATE:

EASTERN IDAHO (KIFI) — As of 11 AM, Tuesday, both roads have been reopened on US-26 between Ririe and Swan Valley and SH-33 between Newdale and Tetonia.

ORIGINAL:

EASTERN IDAHO (KIFI) — A winter storm that brought high winds and snow is causing icy roads and power outages across the region on Tuesday morning.

US 26 between Ririe and Swan Valley is closed.

US 33 between Newdale and Tetonia is closed. They also report several slide-offs along the road.

Blowing snow can be seen on the ITD camera located on US 26 at Antelope Flats on Tuesday morning.

Rocky Mountain Power is reporting several small localized power outages from Firth to St. Anthony. You can check their power outage map here.

Idaho Power is also experiencing small power outages affecting a few homes. To check their latest outage map click here.

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Maile Sipraseuth

UCON, Idaho (KIFI)– A crash involving a power pole has shut down a stretch of road in Ucon area.

Bonneville County Sheriff deputies and Rocky Mountain Power are on the scene on 45th East, between 81st North and 97th North. The road is closed while crews work to make the area safe.

Motorists are being advised to avoid the area, and some nearby power outages have been reported as a result of the crash.

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David Pace

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – For Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic fans looking for local skating opportunities while dreaming big, a world-class ice rink celebrated its grand opening Monday in Rexburg.

“My dreams are, for hockey, to play for Team USA and win or play for the NHL Colorado Avalanche,” said 11-year-old Clark Prince, a goalie for the Rexburg Wildcats.

The Neutral Zone, a $5.5 million National Hockey League-sized ice staking and hockey rink, was gifted to the city of Rexburg at the start of February by an anonymous Canadian man who wanted to provide a fun, winter destination for skaters and winter sports enthusiasts of all ages.

“It’s nice because this guy built the rink, and I like it,”said Prince. “It’s better than IF’s rink.”

Monday featured a ribbon cutting, figure skating performances, games with the Spud Kings, ice bocce, a youth hockey scrimmage and public skating all evening long.

“We’re excited to have something else for people to do in the wintertime here in Rexburg,” said Mayor Jerry Merrill. “ We’ve got lots of kids here playing. They’re playing ice bocce right now. That’s one of the games we’re going to be able to offer, along with figure skating, hockey, leagues, tournaments and all that kind of thing. We’ve got something for everyone.”

Merrill said young kids and even adults can use red skating stands to learn how to skate.

The city hopes to be able to offer skating and hockey all year long, right next to Rexburg Rapids, provided it’s economically feasible.

Currently, the nearest 365-day ice rink is located in Logan, Utah.

With lots of little eyes focused on the Olympics in Italy and a brand-new, world-class facility in the Upper Valley, who knows whether the next generation of future Olympians might get their start in Rexburg, Idaho?

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Max Gershon

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — Powerlifitng isn’t as well known as a lot of high school sports, but more students are getting into the action and the local interest is growing. 

Today in Blackfoot, the first event of the season was a fundraiser to help bring new equipment to the schools weight room.

In powerlifting, athletes test their maximum strength across three lifts. The squat, the bench press, and the deadlift. Each successful lift counts toward a combined total that determines placement.

Organizers say the meet gives a wider range of students the chance to compete, including those who may not participate in traditional school sports. This year would be the first ever sanctioned powerlifting meet to take place in a high school in the state of Idaho. 

The competition also serves as a fundraiser for the School Strength program, which supports hundreds of students each day and relies on shared equipment to host events. 

“We get a lot of kids, that play sports for the school, but then we get a lot of kids who don’t play sports for the school, and it’s an opportunity for them to compete and demonstrate their strength as well.” said Geoff Roberts, the Strength Coach for Blackfoot High school.

For athletes, the platform is a chance to showcase years of training and measure progress in a sport built on discipline and consistency.

“I’ve been competing for a year, officially, but I’ve been lifting six years,” said Kyler Sanders, a senior powerlifter who’s on the football team. “I just like the competitiveness to it. I just like lifting. And it’s just a way to come show everybody what I can lift.”

As participation grows, organizers hope more students and the community discover the sport’s impact both on and off the platform. 

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Maile Sipraseuth

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Pocatello Police Department is investigating a stabbing that left two women injured late Sunday night.

At approximately 10:06 p.m. on February 15, 2026, officers responded to the 700 block of South Arthur Avenue after receiving reports that two women had been stabbed by an unknown man.

Both victims were taken to the Portneuf Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. Their current conditions have not yet been released to the public.

The suspect is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, short hair, wearing a hat and a dark jacket, and the Pocatello Police Department is working on gathering more information.

Police believe this is an isolated incident and are currently reviewing the victim’s cell phones and surveillance footage for further information.

The Pocatello Police Department is requesting assistance from anyone who may have information about the suspect and/or surveillance or doorbell camera footage from the area of 700 South Arthur around the time of the incident.

Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the department at 208-234-6100.

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Curtis Jackson

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)— Idaho Falls Police are investigating an accident involving a motorcycle and pickup on Broadway at the I-15 underpass.

As they investigated, the westbound lanes of Broadway were closed from the KJ’s Gas station to the west side of the underpass, along with I-15 onramp. The road has reopened.

The accident happened just before 7 a.m. on Monday morning.

Jessica Clements, the PIO for Idaho Falls Police, said the cause of the crash is still under investigation. She said the motorcyclist was taken to the hospital with significant injuries.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.

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News Team

 BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office is sounding the alarm following a surge in reports of jail inmate bonding scams targeting the area. This warning comes just days after the Idaho Attorney General’s office flagged the scheme as a growing threat to local families with loved ones in jail.

According to the AG’s Office, scammers are harvesting names from public jail rosters to identify potential targets. In the greater Idaho Falls area, the scammers have been identifying themselves as sheriff’s deputies, court officials, or a bonding entity. BCSO says the scammers then convince victims to pay money over the phone for their friend or family to be released from jail.

The Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents that law enforcement and jails will never solicit money over the phone for the bonding process. Also, legitimate government agencies will never accept payment in the form of cryptocurrency, money card, gift card, or online transaction.

“Instructions of this nature by scammers is ALWAYS a tell-tale sign of a scam, not just scams of this nature but also scams related to jury duty, missing court dates, or paying fines to avoid arrest or criminal charges,” said BCSO Sgt. Bryan Lovell in a press release.

If you get a call like this, hang up and contact the jail directly. To report a scam, click HERE.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The community of Pocatello enjoyed some Valentine’s Day festivities at the Bannock Event Center. The “Heart Fest” is an annual event put on by the Snake River Doodles Traveling Therapy Animals organization.

The event featured many fun activities for children and their families. The kids could participate in Valentine’s Day crafts, get their face painted, or even win a cake during the cake walk competition. The event ran until 3pm today.

Local vendors were also on site at the Bannock Event Center selling their handmade crafts. The items available ranged from crochet crafts to homemade bread. The event serves as a fundraiser for the organization to continue rescuing and taking care of animals.

More information about upcoming events put on by SRD is available on their Facebook.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Three members of local law enforcement have been cleared in two separate officer involved shootings back in December.

Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal released his review of both shootings late Friday afternoon.

The report brings insight and clarity into what happened in each case, reviewing body cam footage that was released to the media.

December 22nd Incident

In the first case, an Idaho Falls Police officer was cleared in a December 22, 2025 shooting on Cleveland Street. 

That shooting happened days before Christmas.

The man killed was Eduardo Trejo de Arcos. 

The incident began when his girlfriend’s father called 911, and reported that De Arcos was threatening her with a knife and choking her. 

Officers were allowed into the home where they saw a knife sitting out.

De Arcos denied threatening and choking his girlfriend. He then said he was prepared to kill his girlfriend’s dad if he were to come over, and that the knife was just out for self-protection.

Officers told the man he was under arrest, and De Arcos lunged for the knife. A struggle followed, and one officer fired his service weapon, hitting de arcos.

The prosecutor deemed the officer’s actions justified.

December 17th Incident

In the second case, Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal found that Bonneville County Sheriff deputies acted in self-defense in a shooting on December 17.

Neal determined that Landon Smith, who was allegedly involved in a domestic violence incident in Madison County, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Smith first encountered law enforcement in Madison County after he stole a Jeep and was observed driving recklessly multiple times, but he sped off when officers attempted to stop him.

On County Line Road in Bonneville County, Sheriff deputies executed a P.I.T. maneuver, spinning Smith’s jeep off the street. 

Smith then swerved back on the road, hitting a Bonneville County Sheriff’s vehicle head on.

A second deputy vehicle then hit the jeep to stop it. 

Dash camera footage clearly shows Smith drew a gun and held it to his own head. Only one casing was located in the Jeep.

The report states Smith then shot himself when confronted by deputies.

It also says deputies started shooting when they heard the gunshot, but it appears none of those bullets hit Smith.

The prosecutor determined the actions of the deputies who responded were in the line of duty.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Celebrations of the 250th Anniversary of America kicked off with a reading of the Declaration of Independence on February 13th in the Bonneville County Courthouse.

“In the Declaration of Independence, along with the powers that are given to the people, the government rests with us,” said Jon Walker, a Bonneville County Commissioner. “Local governments are a great place for people to understand that’s where their influence is strongest.”

The event opened with Blaiklee Capserson singing the national anthem.

She was followed by Chaplain Kathy Carroll, the executive director of Chaplains of Idaho, who led the audience in a moment of silence in honor of “men and women who died defending our country.”

Three mayors, County Commissioners and elected officials from Bonneville County took turns as they recited the entire Declaration – honoring the founding of our nation with a look back to 1776.

Participating dignitaries included:

Karl Casperson, Commissioner District 1

Jonathan Walker, Commissioner District 2

Michelle Mallard, Commissioner District 3

Chris Poulter, County Clerk

Craig Tibbitts, Treasurer

Randy Neal, Prosecuting Attorney

Samuel Hulse, Sheriff

Lisa Burtenshaw, Idaho Falls Mayor

Brian Powell, Ammon Mayor

Cameron Manwaring, Swan Valley Mayor

Attendees could sign a replica Declaration of Independence on a scroll that will be displayed in the Idaho State Capitol.

“I also liked coming here, seeing everyone participate in reading the Declaration of Independence. It was a really fun time,” said 11-year-old Nixon Landon.

Bonneville County will hold an event each month leading up to the Fourth of July in honor of the freedoms we enjoy and to enhance civic education.

19-year old Ryan Reilly traveled from Ashton to Idaho Falls to honor our nation’s founding.

“It’s fun to see all different kinds of generations here to celebrate our country,” she said.

A 13-star flag is displayed under the historic skylight of the Bonneville County Courthouse.

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