Author: KIFI

Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The College of Eastern Idaho officially opened its new Future Tech Building Thursday, expanding space for technical programs as eastern Idaho prepares for growing workforce demand tied to nuclear energy, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and other high-tech industries.

The 88,000-square-foot Battelle Energy Alliance Future Tech Building in Partnership with Frontier Credit Union will house programs including cybersecurity, mechatronics and automation, energy systems, battery technology, advanced manufacturing, robotics, health physics, engineering and computer networking.

Gov. Brad Little, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner and other state, college and community leaders attended Thursday’s ribbon cutting.

Students will begin using the building when CEI’s fall semester starts Monday.

CEI President Lori Barber said the project has been about five to six years in the making and comes as the college continues to grow.

CEI says current enrollment is more than 1,900 students, up 7.7% from last fall.

Barber said the project was also driven by what employers across eastern Idaho have been asking CEI to provide.

“What they were telling us is we need high tech, high tech programs,” Barber said. “We need programs like our mechatronics, like cybersecurity, like engineering, engineering technology, electronic controls. All of those are workers who are needed with all of these amazing jobs that are coming to eastern Idaho.”

That demand is especially important as Idaho National Laboratory and companies connected to the nuclear industry continue to grow.

Barber said many of the jobs needed to support that growth are technician positions, not just engineering or research roles.

“We have so many companies, so many contractors that are coming here and they’re going to need those technicians,” Barber said.

She also pointed to demand outside the nuclear industry, including Micron and health care employers.

“This building in particular is driving economic development at its core,” Barber said. “We’re driving economic opportunity, we’re creating taxpayers for the state, we are creating prosperity for the state.”

INL says workforce demand is growing

Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner said the pace of work at INL has created an increasing need for people with technical skills.

“The pace and the need associated with what we’re working on at the laboratory right now is beyond anything it’s been in any modern history,” Wagner said. “And in order to keep that pace going, obviously we need people. We need people with those skill sets.”

Wagner said future INL employees do not necessarily need nuclear engineering degrees.

The laboratory needs workers across cybersecurity, mechatronics, engineering technology, health physics, skilled trades and other disciplines.

He also said INL staff have worked with CEI on curriculum development and instruction. Wagner pointed to mechatronics as one example of how those programs can connect directly to work underway at INL, including components for the MARVEL microreactor.

Employers looking for technicians

CEI mechatronics instructor Gary Holyoak said employers are already struggling to find workers with skills in electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, robotics, automation and programming.

He said troubleshooting is one of the most important skills employers are looking for because equipment failures can quickly stop production or research.

Holyoak said the workforce is also going through what he called a “silver tsunami,” as baby boomers retire.

“We’re kind of at a critical juncture where we are transitioning from, I guess you could call it the silver tsunami, where the baby boomers are retiring, and there’s not enough Gen X to kind of fill a lot of those positions,” Holyoak said. “And so we need a lot of people to come in and fill those.”

Holyoak said technicians often play a different role than engineers, working directly with equipment to build, maintain and troubleshoot systems.

Workforce challenge could last decades

INL Manager for Workforce and Economic Development Hope Morrow said workforce development is one of the largest challenges facing the nuclear industry.

“I would say it’s probably one of the largest challenges that’s facing the nuclear industry,” Morrow said.

She said meeting future demand could require years or even decades of education and training.

“We’re talking about years and years and years, decades worth of workforce development and training and education that’s going to be critical,” Morrow said.

Morrow said INL, Battelle Energy Alliance and the U.S. Department of Energy cannot build that workforce alone.

“We need the education partners. We need the state partners. We need the elected officials to all lean in to help us do that,” Morrow said.

She said INL continues to need engineers and scientists, but also construction workers, fabricators, manufacturers and technicians as more projects move into demonstration and commercial development.

Morrow said CEI students can already follow several pathways into INL, including skilled trades, cybersecurity and engineering programs.

Risch points to Idaho’s nuclear role

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch tied CEI’s expansion to Idaho’s position in the nuclear industry.

“The biggest and most important factor that goes into anything we do is human resources,” Risch said. “And the institution here that is looking to the future and developing the programs that are wanted not only at INL, but a lot of places — this is the future.”

Risch said demand for nuclear energy is increasing nationally and internationally, particularly as electricity needs grow from artificial intelligence, data centers and other industries.

“When you think of the future of American energy, nuclear energy is what you think about,” Risch said. “And when you think about nuclear energy, you think about Idaho and you think about Idaho Falls.”

Battelle Energy Alliance and Frontier Credit Union are among the project’s major partners.

Frontier Credit Union CEO Dan Thurman said the company viewed the project as an investment in both students and the region’s future workforce.

“Education is one of the greatest investments that you can make,” Thurman said. “It creates opportunities, opens doors, and gives people the tools that they need to build meaningful careers and fulfilling lives.”

Thurman said Frontier’s involvement also includes support for scholarships at CEI, with a focus on students pursuing STEM-related programs.

During Thursday’s ceremony, Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner announced another $1 million installment toward Battelle Energy Alliance’s contribution to the project.

CEI President Lori Barber said 97 donors also helped support the new building.

Students will begin filling the classrooms Monday, with CEI positioning the facility as a direct link between education and the technical jobs already growing across eastern Idaho.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Flock cameras have sparked debate across the country, with residents concerned their data may be released out of their control. As part of the Pocatello City Council’s work session agenda today, they heard from the Pocatello Police Department and a representative from Flock about the purpose of using the camera system.

Back in 2024, the Pocatello Police Department conducted evaluations of several different vendors for license plate tracking technology, inlcuding Neuology, Motorola, Rekor and Flock Safety. With specific factors in mind like cost, installation of the camera system and the plans to continually improve and update the technology, Pocatello Police chose to sign a contract with Flock.

There are several major concerns the public has voiced with license plate reading cameras, including their true abilities.

“We do not have facial recognition. We cannot find the driver with these cameras. We do not track cell phones. We do not issue speeding tickets or red light ticket citations. We do not record conversations. This does not replace our investigation or discretion.”

– Captain Zac Bartschi

Rather than replacing officers’ work, Chief Schei refered to Flock cameras as a “multiplier” to their task force and a tool to more efficiently track data. They added it helps with investigation and has already helped in numerous stolen vehicle and hit-and-run cases.

The department also read off several success stories from using the Flock cameras, the first being in 2024 right after installation and police caught a vehicle in a road accident. Captain Bartschi said the technology captured the “perfect image of that crime as it occured.”

Council member Brent Nichols had concerns over exactly what the Flock cameras capture, including vehicle make, model and license plates.

“Other distinguishable features could be a roof rack or a bike rack on a car, things like that. It gives officers the ability to say, hey, I’m investigating this, it was an accident and there was a red car that left the scene with a roof rack,” Captain Bartschi said. The system helps give and find leads for investigations in road cases.

Another major concern with the Flock cameras is their potential to store data about residents. Pocatello Police officers want to ensure everyone that their data is completely private.

“We just want to emphasize that no law enforcement, we never sell anything,” Chief Schei said. ” It’s also deleted after 30 days.” The data is only kept with the police department if an officer uses a Flock data point in an official report. That information may be stored forever. However, if it is never saved as evidence for a report, the data is gone within 30 days.

The Pocatello police Department has also specifically turned off the “nationwide network” connected to Flock as of about two months ago according to Chief Schei. “Other agencies are going to have to make the request with the reason and case number attached to it to access our data,” he said.

They ensured the Council they will verify each request for validity before releasing anything captured by Pocatello Flock cameras. Council member Ann Swanson asked the panel if ICE were to come asking if they would have the same procedure.

“We have searched zero times for just immigration purposes. If ICE calls us, they have something like a criminal tied to it, like a person has a warrant out for their arrest,” Chief Schei said. “That case becomes criminal and we could search for that.”

The only national agencies connected to Pocatello Flock cameras are the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the FBI. Police also explained their “regional partners” in the western United States can collaborate with other cities’ Flock cameras to catch suspects or criminals that cross state lines.

As of today, those regional partners have to put in the crime and anything involved with the case they’re investigating to follow the Pocatello system guidelines. Other agencies from states across the country such as Florida have to call Pocatello Police and ask for express permission to access any Flock data.

A representative from Flock was also present at today’s work session meeting to answer questions from the City Council. Even though Pocatello already has a contract with Flock, the company made it clear that amendments are possible.

“Every city has the right, we want to make sure that we oblige by whatever standards you guys would like to have here,” said Sheerica Ware Wilkins with Flock Safety. “We’re happy to have different language, it’s the standard operating procedure.”

The council asked multiple specific questions to Wilkins about the contract document. She ensured that Flock isn’t pulling Pocatello-specific data from the system, rather, “metadata” which is what attaches to a location and a time.

“We’re using that to improve our ability in distinguishing between a Toyota Camry versus another Toyota, just so we keep the data for the technology so we can provide the best system in place,” Wilkins said. “The city has its own data. This section is only exclusively active as long as the data has been fully stripped of any individual pieces.”

The Council was mostly concerned about the disclosure of such information taken from Pocatello Flock cameras. Wilkins said there are legal cases in which Flock will verify a request and find data to assist. Council member Bates expressed his discomfort with Flock sharing any information from their database with a third party interest without the city’s permission. The contract can be amended to accomodate Pocatello’s concerns.

Wilkins also explained each person at Flock Safety with access to the system is fully trained and CGIS compliant. Pocatello Police echoed that every officer with access has completed the training and undergoes quarterly audits. The only people permitted are sworn in dispatch officials.

Pocatello Police added they are aware of misuse in other jurisdictions and are fully prepared to strip licenses and pursue consequences for any officer that misuses the technology. Thanks to the audits, rules for training and constant regulation of the Flock system in Pocatello, Chief Schei does not anticipate a misuse situation ever happening.

Finally, Captain Bartschi went over some of the recent successes of Flock Safety in our area.

“A 71-year old local man was arrested after touching a 16-year-old girl, sexual abuse,” Captain Bartschi stated. “And a 13-year-old girl was entered into the NCIC as an endangered runaway. She was found in Chubbuck.”

There was also a dementia patient who escaped in the middle of the night and located in Nevada thanks to Flock. Chief Schei even mentioned the U of I murders case and said that Flock technology could’ve helped catch Bryan Kohberger far sooner.

The Pocatello City Council wondered if the crimes solved by Flock cameras outweigh the cost and public outrage for the technology. Chief Schei said they will continue to reevaluate the system and adjust their procedures as they continue to receive public input.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

SHELLEY, Idaho (KIFI) – Dishes, towels, bedding, and many more household goods were donated to Heart 2 Hand on Thursday from a group in the community that didn’t want to be identified.

Heart 2 Hand Bingham Food Pantry has been a part of the community since 2020, providing food to those in need in Bingham County. On Thursday, the director announced a large donation of various household goods, which they are excited to distribute to people in the community.

“It just like they blew my mind of like what they were able to accomplish,” Jen Worlton, the director of the Heart 2 Hand Bingham Food Pantry, said. “And they just came and saw the needs, and how they could make it better and improve. And I’m just so grateful for the people where we live, because of what they did, I’m able to turn around and give back in such a big way. They just made a huge impact.”

The food pantry is still accepting food donations, they currently need canned protein, like chicken, pork and spam, and many other non-perishable items. Here is a link to their website if you are interested in volunteering or donating.

And if you or someone you know is struggling and in need, the pantry distributes goods on Tuesdays.

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Curtis Jackson

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A blown tire causes a two-car crash on Interstate 15, Thursday.

Idaho State Police said the crash happened at about 11:30 a.m. near milepost 113 in Idaho Falls.

Troopers said a 67-year-old Boise man was driving a U-Haul van while towing an empty car dolly. A 30-year-old Park City, Utah, man was also traveling northbound in a 2026 Chevrolet pickup.

ISP said the Ford blew a tire and the two vehicles collided sending them across the median and into the southbound left lane.

No injures were reported.

The crash remains under investigation by Idaho State Police.

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Seth Ratliff

BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Traffic along I-15 south in Bonneville County was briefly bottlenecked Thursday morning after a U-Haul blew a tire and collided with a pickup truck.

The crash happened just before 11:30 a.m. near milepost 113. Idaho State Police says A 67-year-old Boise man was driving northbound in a 2018 Ford Econoline U-Haul towing an empty car dolly. At the same time, a 30-year-old Park City, Utah, man was also driving north in a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado.

ISP says the Ford blew a tire and two vehicles collided. The impact pushed both through the median and into the southbound lane, where they came to rest. Fortunately, ISP says both drivers were wearing their seatbelts, and neither was injured.

The leftmost southbound lane was blocked for around 30 minutes as crews worked to clear the scene. The crash remains under investigation by ISP.

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Stephanie Lucas

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – The road along 2nd East between Yellowstone Hwy and 7th North will be closed August 16-18 while the City of Rexburg begins sewer line construction.

No through access will be permitted during this 3-day period as the intersection willbe the center of construction; however, business access will still be open during this period. Detour signs will be in place.

Rexburg Public Works is advising residents to plan alternate routes and plan ahead, as driving times will be affected..Following the initial closure, 2nd East will reopen with one lane of traffic maintained in eachdirection through the construction zone for approximately 30 days while crews install the sewer line. Motorists should anticipate reduced speeds, changing traffic patterns, construction equipment, and possible delays throughout the project area during this phase.

Drivers are asked to use caution, follow all posted construction signage and traffic controls, andwatch for crews working near the roadway throughout the duration of the project, and be aware that the construction schedule is subject to change based on weather, site conditions, and projectprogress.

Updates about this and other infrastructure projects can be found on the City’s infrastructure update map: https://www.rexburg.org/o/cor/page/featuredconstruction-updates.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Falls Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 17-year-old runaway who has not been seen in over two weeks.

Harley Peterslie was last seen on July 28 at his home in Idaho Falls.

Peterslie is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing approximately 135 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Police remind the public that harboring a runaway is a crime under Idaho law.

Anyone with information regarding Peterslie’s current or recent whereabouts is urged to contact the Idaho Falls Police Department at (208) 529-1200 or report a tip anonymously to East Idaho Crime Stoppers.

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Seth Ratliff

HEISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Rain and thunderstorms are creating dangerous conditions in southeastern Idaho, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an updated flash flood warning for Southeastern Jefferson County and South Central Madison County.

Jefferson and Madison County have closed roads around the Heise area due to heavy rain that fell over scar area of the recent Big Rock Fire that could result in mudslides.

“As typically happens after a fire, this area has become very susceptible to flash flooding,” said Jefferson County Emergency Manager Rebecca Squires.

The road is closed at the Heise bridge. South Snake River Road is also closed before Cress Creek heading into the Heise area.

“What we have going on is a very unstable and dangerous situation with debris flow crossing the road,” Squires said. “We’ve met the three conditions for having debris flow – that is heavy rain, a burn scar and steep slopes.”

With an inch of rain that came down in an hour at noon Thursday, it carried multiple flows of mud and debris across the road.

“The soil has become very hydrophobic, meaning that it sheds the water rather than absorbing it,” Squires explained. “The second thing that’s happening is the vegetation has been burned, and so there’s nothing holding the soil back. Therefore, when we have heavy rain, this area is very susceptible to mudslides. … We have rocks, mud, water, tree branches, and it’s just a very hazardous situation for motorists.”

The road to Heise Hot Springs and Kelly Canyon area will reopen soon once conditions stabilize.

“Once the rain subsides in the next couple days, then we’ll be able to get in,” Squires assured. “Our crews will get in, assess what’s wrong, fix the damage, remove the debris, and then we’ll open right back up.”

It could take 3 to 5 years before the island reestablishes itself enough to prevent mudslides in the future, she said.

Emergency crews closed the Heise Bridge, east of Ririe, on Thursday, August 13, 2026, for possible flash flooding.

The NWS urged residents and visitors to move immediately to higher ground and away from the burned scar area.

Officials ask residents and visitors to monitor weather alerts via NOAA weather radio or the FEMA app, and to get out of the danger area before it begins. “There is no time to protect life and property once debris flow has started,” states the post.

A US Forest Service fire truck waits at the Heise Bridge on August 13, 2026.

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Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The College of Eastern Idaho will celebrate the opening of its new Future Tech Building, marking a major expansion of the college’s technology and workforce training programs.

The ceremonial ribbon cutting for the Battelle Energy Alliance Future Tech Building in Partnership with Frontier Credit Union is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Gov. Brad Little, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch and Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner are among the guests expected to participate in the ceremony.

Local News 8 got an early look inside the new building Wednesday.

RELATED: College of Eastern Idaho set to unveil new Battelle Energy Alliance Future Tech Building

The facility includes hands-on learning spaces for cybersecurity, engineering, agriculture technology, energy systems, robotics and other STEM programs.

In the cybersecurity lab, students will be able to build desktop computers from scratch before using them throughout the program.

The building also includes “Innovation Alley,” where students will have access to 3D printers and other tools for projects.

CEI’s new agriculture technology program will give students the opportunity to work with technology increasingly used in farming, including robots and drones. The college is also moving its surgical technology program into the building to provide additional space for its growing health care programs.

Many of the programs are designed to give students hands-on experience they can take directly into the workforce. The building will also support CEI’s new Associate of Engineering degree, which is designed for students who plan to continue their education at a four-year university.

Local News 8 will have continuing coverage from Thursday’s ribbon cutting.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The world premiere of Idaho National Laboratory’s “The Road to Advanced Nuclear” documentary hit the big screen Wednesday at the Frontier Center for the Performing Arts.

The more than 25-minute documentary dives into the laboratory’s role at the helm of a surging advanced nuclear movement in the U.S. 

“Nuclear got its start in Idaho, and the documentary shows the history of it, and so we’re now doing it again. This shows that we’re ready, we’re getting into the next-generation of nuclear reactors,” said Film Producer Donna Kemp Spangler, an INL communications specialist for nuclear science and technology.

Antares Nuclear’s Mark-0 Reactor was the first advanced nuclear reactor to achieve criticality this year on June 4.

“That’s ultimately the goal of nuclear fission is that you want to create that reaction, control it, and then get usable energy from it,” said Antares Nuclear Licensing Director Jason Andrus. “I will say for Antares, that was a huge moment because for so long, the entire focus of the company had been to produce a system that could in fact do that.”

A panel of experts moderated by Idaho Falls Mayor Lisa Burtenshaw featured INL Director John Wagner, College of Eastern Idaho President Lori Barber, Marvel Reactor Lead Abdalla Abou-Jaoude, Regulatory Research and Plant Optimization Division Director Katya Le Blanc and Andrus, who responded to questions from the audience.

“What we’ve done here now is not sacrifice, safety or security, but focused on the things that really matter,” said Wagner. “We just had not been able to do that for the last five decades. And so being able to do that, to sort of break through and I’m going to say right size our approach to safety and security to get all that to come together and then demonstrate not just one, not just two, not just three – we now have five across the country – is breaking through that longstanding barrier.”

Idaho is one of five states vying to become a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus, which could bring up to 25,000 jobs to the region.

You can watch the full documentary here.

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