Author: KIFI

KIVI Staff

Originally Published: 03 APR 26 15:51 ET

By Victoria Rodriguez

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    CANYON COUNTY, Idaho (KIVI) — Former Nampa pastor Matthew Masiewicz was sentenced to up to 17 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to charges related to child pornography.

Canyon County District Court Judge Thomas Whitney sentenced Masiewicz to a unified 17-year prison term, with five years fixed and 12 years indeterminate. Masiewicz will serve the sentence in the custody of the Idaho Department of Corrections.

“Your actions have caused great grief and pain and embarrassment to your family and those you’ve worked with,” Whitney said.

Masiewicz, formerly a pastor at Sovereign Grace Fellowship, previously pleaded guilty to four felony counts related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. Nine other charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Prosecutors said investigators found multiple images and videos of minors on a laptop at the church where Masiewicz worked, showing children as young as 5. They said he sent those images to others on the app Kik. Prosecutors also noted that some material involved the use of artificial intelligence to generate explicit images appearing to involve minors.

During the sentencing hearing at the Canyon County Courthouse, family and church members listened as Masiewicz admitted wrongdoing.

“I was a coward,” Masiewicz said.

“I should have confessed this to my wife, I should have confessed this to my elder who’s sitting over there,” Masiewicz said.

Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney Gregory Swanson told the court Masiewicz struggled to acknowledge the severity of his actions. Prosecutors said Masiewicz laughed while discussing his psychosexual evaluation and attempted to shift blame.

“Apparently even mimicking a chef’s kiss when discussing it with the pre-sentence investigator,” Swanson said.

Masiewicz’s attorney, Clarissa Greensmyth, pushed back against the prosecution’s claims. Greensmyth argued her client showed remorse, deleted material, and reflected on his actions. She described Masiewicz as isolated, struggling with the pressures of faith and his role as a pastor.

“He can be awkward in how he expresses himself. People process extreme events differently,” Greensmyth said.

“And that was really hard and all he had was his faith and prayer,” Greensmyth said.

Masiewicz expressed deep remorse to the court, calling his actions a moral evil and asking for grace and mercy.

“I’ve lost my church community. I have been excommunicated,” Masiewicz said.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KIVI’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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News Team

UPDATE 9:50 PM

POWER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) – The Bannock County Sheriff’s office says three people are dead including the shooting suspect. Two other were injured.

The sheriff’s office will be holding a news conference at 10:30 p.m. to release more information.

You can watch the news conference below.

UPDATE 8:20PM:

POWER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) – The Bannock County Sheriff office says the suspect involved a shooting incident this afternoon is dead and there is no longer a threat to public safety.

No other details have been released.

UPDATE:

POWER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Multiple law enforcement agencies are currently responding to an active shooter incident on Tank Farm Road, just outside the Bannock County line.

According to Bannock County spokesperson Emma Iannacone, the emergency call came in at 2:38 PM reporting 3 people were shot. At this point, there is no information on the possible victims or if any police have been injured in the massive response.

“Our priority right now is securing the scene and ensuring the safety of the surrounding neighborhood,” said Power County Sheriff Kasey Kendall. “We ask for the public’s patience and cooperation as we begin the preliminary investigation.”

A massive police presence is currently on-site. Local News 8 has confirmed that several ambulances and a Life Flight helicopter are on the scene.

At this time, Tank Farm Road is closed between Rowland Lane and Siphon Road. Iannacone emphasizes that the scene is still active. The Sheriff’s Office is directing residents to stay away from the area and use alternate routes. If you are in the immediate area, stay indoors.

ORIGINAL:

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Bannock County Sheriff’s Deputies are responding to an active shooter on Tank Farm Rd. near Pocatello.

Local News 8’s reporter on the scene describes a massive police response in the area. It is currently unknown if anyone has been injured, but Local News 8 can confirm that several ambulances and a Lifeflight helicopter are on the scene.

The Sheriff’s Office is directing residents to stay away from the area and use alternate routes. If you are in the immediate area, stay indoors.

Local News 8 is closely watching this developing incident. We have a reporter heading to the area and will provide updates as we learn new information from the Sheriff’s Office.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Six Idahoans are trading graduation tassels in favor of hard hats, as they take a running start into a new career. Through the ICONIC Program, a collaboration between the Idaho Transportation Department and the Department of Labor, these six graduates spent the last month getting hands-on experience to become heavy equipment operators.

After just five weeks, the training is already paying off. Several of today’s graduates are already lined up to start their careers in civil or highway construction.

Graduate Stuart Rubio and Family

ICONIC graduate Stuart Rubio joined the program looking for a career change after 32 years working as a long-haul trucker. Starting Monday, he’ll be working full-time at Knife River Construction.

“I was looking for something to stay at home, because I got my kids. So I want to spend more time at home,” explains Rubio. “In my interview, I was hired as the loader operator for the asphalt plant, so I’m pretty excited for that.”

Today’s graduates were chosen out of 78 applicants to join the month-long academy. Baker Technical Institute provides the underlying training teaching the basics of dozers, loaders, excavators, skid steers, and all the major pieces of equipment.

The training begins with two weeks of high-tech simulations before students are allowed to operate actual machinery. By the end of the month, students earn industry-recognized certifications in equipment operation, as well as traffic control and flagging.

“They learn about two and a half times faster using simulators,” explains BTI President Doug Dalton. “Then we moved out to a piece of property and set up a, you know, a mock construction site, and that’s where they finished their training. And they did outstanding.

The program comes at a crossroads for the American workforce. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed in November 2021, provided funding for roads, bridges, transit, electric vehicle networks, broadband, and water systems across the United States. But Dalton says it also highlighted a glaring shortage of skilled laborers.

“It is a massive project. It creates jobs, it creates openings. It’s a great investment in our country. But it came at a time when we don’t have the labor to do it,” explains Dalton. “So, you know, we’re trying to do everything we can to get ahead of that and to try and continue to supply as much labor towards that.”

The ICONIC Program is set to head to Boise. The program will have a slightly larger class, running from the middle of April through the third week of May.

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Kevin Richert

By: Kevin Richert and Ryan Suppe

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on April 2, 2026

BOISE, Idaho — A last-minute bill restricting teachers’ unions passed the House Thursday afternoon, after surviving two procedural challenges Thursday morning.

Representatives convene on the House floor Thursday. (Sean Dolan/Idaho EdNews)

The 43-24 House vote sends the heavily amended House Bill 516 to Gov. Brad Little’s desk, as lawmakers look to adjourn for the year. Thursday is the 81st day of the 2026 session — and the final day of the session. The Senate formally adjourned for the year at 6:19 p.m.; the House followed suit at 6:29 p.m..

 

At issue is a controversial proposal that would make it illegal for schools to “use or authorize the use of taxpayer funds to support teachers unions.” Among other things, schools could no longer use their payroll systems to collect union dues, increase teacher pay to cover the cost of union activities, or provide a teacher paid time off for union activities.

These proposals aren’t new — lawmakers have debated them in past sessions, and earlier this session — but the issue came back to life in the waning days of the 2026 session.

On Monday, the Senate transformed a three-page bill on LGBTQ+ instruction into a 10-page union bill. The total rewrite is known in Statehouse parlance as “radiator capping” — taking one part from a car, and building a new vehicle around it. The Senate passed the overhauled bill Wednesday.

During debate over the bill, Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, downplayed the impact on teachers’ unions, which represent educators in 83 Idaho school districts. The bill would simply prevent taxpayer support of teachers union.

Rep. Soñia Galaviz, an elementary school teacher, took a much more dim view of the situation. She cited language that broadly defines “teachers union activities,” a definition that includes promoting the union or soliciting membership.

“This will kill the teachers’ association,” said Galaviz, D-Boise. “It will not let us utter a word about it.”

Galaviz attempted to move the bill to the House’s amending order — saying it should be extended to cover law enforcement and fire department unions that actively lobby the Legislature. She withdrew her motion after Republicans objected.

Earlier in the day, the eleventh-hour amendment process came under scrutiny in a pair of procedural votes.

First, the House had to vote to accept the Senate’s amendments to HB 516.

House Education Committee Chairman Dale Hawkins, the author of the original LGBTQ+ instruction bill, defended the overhaul.

“Nothing was done sneakily,” said Hawkins, R-Fernwood. “This is a good measure. It does not stop one educator from being involved in unions.”

Boyle also debated in favor of the rewrite. Earlier this year, Boyle sponsored a similar union bill, House Bill 745, which passed the House last month. Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, refused to bring the bill before the Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee, prompting the HB 516 makeover.

“The Senate doesn’t do that very often,” she said. “That tells you how upset they were.”

House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel said the entire process has “smacked of shenanigans,” cutting the public out of the process.

“At no point has the substance of this bill … been heard by an education committee,” said Rubel, D-Boise.

Galaviz said the union bill reflects a “continual and steady erosion of trust, of respect,” for what educators do. Every legislative session, she said, “public school teachers hold their breath across the entire state.”

The House voted to accept the amendments on a 41-23 vote, over bipartisan opposition.

Minutes later, the House rejected an attempt to ship the bill back to House Education for a hearing.

Rep. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston, pushed for the move, noting that House Education has “never had the opportunity” to hear the issue.

House Majority Leader Jason Monks said the issue received a full public hearing, when the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee considered Boyle’s HB 745. “Let’s just move along with the process,” said Monks, R-Meridian.

McCann’s motion failed on a 20-45 vote.

Thursday afternoon’s vote turns the focus to Little.

The amended HB 516 fell short of two-thirds support in both the House and the Senate — meaning Little would have the support to sustain a veto. However, Little has not vetoed a single bill so far this session.

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Danielle Mullenix

Get ready for an egg-citing Easter weekend! Local News 8 has gathered an amazing lineup of Easter egg hunts happening throughout the region. Bring your family out for a fun-filled adventure as you search for colorful eggs and create lasting memories before the holiday festivities begin! Don’t miss out on the fun!

April 3rd:

The Sounds Choir Presents “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” – Thunder Ridge Performing Arts Center (7:00 pm)

Jurassic Park Film Screening with Expert Commentary – ISU Idaho Falls Campus (7:00 pm)

Community Easter Egg Hunt – Life Care Center of Idaho Falls (4:00 pm)

Easter Egg Hunt – The Gables of Shelley Memory Care (3:00 pm)

Easter Egg Hunt – Monte Vista Hills Healthcare Center (6:00 pm)

“He is Risen” Concert Easter Celebration – Blackfoot Performing Arts Center (7:00 pm)

“Now & Then” Live Theatre Event – The Heart, Idaho Falls (7:00 pm)

Ammon Parks Spring Scavenger Hunt – City of Ammon (April 1-20)

Latin Dance Social -Dynasty Ballroom, Idaho Falls (7:00 pm)

Artist Series: Expressive Ink – Artitorium on Broadway (11:30-12:30 am)

Idaho Falls Symphony Presents “The Four Seasons: Vivaldi and Piazzolla” – The Downtown Event Center (7 pm)

April 4th:

Camp Hayden Easter Adventure – Taylor Crossing on the River (11:45 am)

Menan Hoppening Annual Community Egg Hunt – Menan City Park (10 am)

Ammon Easter Egg Hunt – City of Ammon (10 am)

Shelley Easter Egg Hunt – Shelley City Park (11 am)

EGGcessible Easter Egg Hunt – Portneuf District Library (11 am)

Find the Easter Bunny – Downtown Idaho Falls (12 pm)

Easter Egg Hunt – Rigby City Park (10 am)

Special Needs Easter Egg Hunt – Snake River Homestead, Shelley (10 am)

Annual Easter Egg Hunt – Porter Park, Rexburg (9 am)

Hairball: Balls to the Walls 2026 Tour – Mountain America Center (7 pm)

Boogie with Bluey Dance Camp – Eagle Rock Dance (9:30 am)

Easter Egg Hunt – Jensen Grove, Blackfoot (10 am)

Easter Egg Hunt – Peterson Park (3 pm)

Idaho Falls Bloom & Grow Farmers Market – Idaho Farmers Market (9 am)

Afternoon Paint and Drink – The House on Park (12 pm)

Adult Egg Hunt – Downtown Idaho Falls (7 pm)

From the Local News 8 team, we wish you a wonderful Easter weekend!

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Bailee Shaw

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The “Doomsday Mom” at the center of one of the nation’s most high-profile murder cases is now trying to overturn her conviction.

Attorneys for Lori Vallow Daybell have officially filed an appeal, asking a higher court to either throw out her convictions or give her a new trial.

Daybell was convicted in May 2023 of killing her two children, Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow, and conspiring to kill her husband’s first wife, Tammy Daybell. The case gained national attention due to the Daybells’ bizarre religious beliefs that prosecutors say motivated the killings.

The defense argues that the high-profile proceedings were flawed from the start, citing what they describe as serious legal errors and violations of Daybell’s constitutional rights.

In the filing, Daybell’s defense team argues the judge wrongfully removed her chosen attorney—even though there was no real conflict of interest. They say that the decision undermined her defense strategy and violated her Sixth Amendment right to counsel.

“The right protects the defendant’s autonomy – her ability to choose the advocate she trusts and to control the strategy of her defense when confronted with the power of the State,” states the filing. “This remains true even when outsiders view the defendant’s choice about representation as unwise or perhaps foolhardy.”

The appeal also claims Daybell’s due process rights were violated, saying the court made key decisions about her legal representation while her competency was still under review. The defense contends this prevented Daybell from fully participating in her own defense.

The case now heads to the Idaho Supreme Court, a process that could take months—possibly years—before there’s a final decision.

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KIVI Staff

By: Allie Triepke

Originally Posted 11:11 PM, Apr 02, 2026

MERIDIAN, Idaho (KIVI) — Leaders with Idaho State Police say they are struggling to recruit and retain troopers after years of funding that has not kept pace with competitive wages.

A bill aimed at boosting funding for the agency is now awaiting the governor’s signature, as law enforcement leaders warn staffing shortages could impact public safety.

“These are the things that keep me up at night — is that phone call that I get at night and something terrible that happens,” Idaho State Police Col. Bill Gardiner said. “And then we go back and research it and we think, could this have been stopped by having a police force that’s fully staffed?”

Idaho State Police lost access to gas tax funding five years ago and now rely primarily on the state’s general fund. Just $3 from each vehicle registration is also allocated toward trooper pay — a level leaders say is not enough to maintain staffing.

“I have about 40 openings in those ranks,” Gardiner said. “And so, you know, you do the math… that’s a lot of vacancy for those that are responsible to ensure public safety is out there.”

Officials say the agency is also losing troopers to city and county departments that offer higher pay.

“In fact, in Moscow there’s normally four troopers that live in that town… I have zero troopers in Moscow right now, none,” Gardiner said. “So, I have to supplement troopers from either Coeur d’Alene or from Lewiston to make their way up to Moscow to work.”

Leaders say those staffing shortages can affect response times and support for local agencies. In Meridian this week, troopers assisted local police by shutting down Interstate 84 during a pursuit in an effort to keep the public safe.

“I think we need to do something to address the critical trooper shortage that we’re facing,” said Sen. Daniel Foreman, R-Viola. “I know in my neck of the woods the shortage is absolutely hypercritical.”

Earlier this year, Gardiner requested $18 million through Senate Bill 1379 to help close the pay gap, proposing an increase of about $5 in vehicle registration fees to fund the plan.

That proposal was later scaled back and ultimately stalled, making way for a new measure, House Bill 967, which would provide about $4 million in funding instead.

“So when you ask, am I happy with it… I would be tempted to call it a band-aid,” Gardiner said.

Lawmakers acknowledged the compromise as they advanced the bill.

“This is not my preferred approach, but it’s a compromise,” said Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa. “We need to stop the bleeding and help retain our quality troopers.”

Others said broader funding solutions are needed for state employees.

“And if we value all of our state employees, we need to do better and we need to fund all of them and give them raises and pay their healthcare,” said Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise.

Idaho State Police leaders say a long-term funding solution is needs to be addressed in future legislative sessions.

As for this bill, Sen. Todd Lakey detailed where the funding would come from.

“The total impact of this bill is about $4 million going into the law enforcement account. It includes $2 million from state liquor funds that would typically go to the general fund, along with just under $2 million that would normally be shared with cities and counties. Overall, that amounts to about an $870,000 impact to counties and roughly $1.2 million to cities statewide,” said Sen. Lakey in the Senate Chambers Wednesday.

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Bailee Shaw

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – An internet outage is currently affecting several schools and offices on the west side of Idaho Falls, including Ethel Boyes Elementary, Eagle Rock Middle School, Skyline High School, and District 91 Transportation.

At this time, both internet access and office phone systems are down in the affected locations. Transportation services are continuing on schedule, but calls to Transportation or school offices may not go through. Families with urgent messages are encouraged to contact the District 91 main office at 208-525-7500.

Idaho Falls Power is actively investigating the outage, which is believed to be linked to ongoing utility work in the area. District 91 officials say they are working closely with Idaho Falls Power to restore services as quickly as possible.

District administrators have promised updates as soon as more information becomes available and thanks the community for their patience.

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Abi Martin

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The City of Idaho Falls has a new fire chief. 

Johan Olson was sworn in Thursday during a ceremony before the Idaho Falls City Council meeting. 

Before his appointment to fire chief, Olson served with the Idaho Falls Fire Department from 2007 to 2021, holding roles from firefighter to captain and move-up battalion chief.

He most recently served as deputy fire chief for the Grand Junction Fire Department in Colorado.

However, to Olson, the Idaho Falls Department is not like any of the other departments he’s served with.

“I want to recognize the people of the fire department,” Olson said. “Having a history here, and having spent time with other agencies and firefighters, I feel I have a perspective to say I consider the members of this fire department to be some of the finest I’ve known.”

Mayor Lisa Burtenshaw also spoke at tonight’s ceremony, highlighting the importance of the fire chief and the fire department. 

In her remarks, she said the fire department is the heart of the city’s essential services, answering the call when people need it most. 

Idaho Falls Fire Chief Johan Olson swears to uphold the U.S. Constitution and laws of the land in his new position.

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David Pace

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho Legislature has closed for the session, declaring Sine Die Thursday at 6:30 P.M.

The end of the session was marked with with a flurry of maneuvering on last-minute legislation – including hotly contested immigration bills.

An attempt to pass legislation requiring Idaho law enforcement agencies to sign agreements with ICE or publicly state their reasons for not doing so, died today in the Idaho Senate.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressed frustration with the Legislature’s handling of the state budget.

“The Idaho Legislature has done a horrible job of managing the fiscal house, and we have fiscally mismanaged state revenues,” ” said State Sen. James Ruchti, (D) Pocatello. “We’ve cut our income tax revenue by $4 billion over the last five years, and that is resulting in deep, deep cuts to public education, health and welfare programs, roads and bridges and every other aspect of Idaho government to include our universities.”

Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen was disappointed the Legislature posted a significant budget surplus, after so many programs were cut.

“At the end of the day, they ended up with $150 million on the bottom line, which I think was a mistake in many respects,” Mickelsen said. “We have Idaho Digital Learning Alliance, which most students across the state or every single school district across the state benefited from. They had online classes. … It ended up being a 55 percent cut for Idaho Digital Learning Alliance. I’m disappointed that we didn’t invest in some of the infrastructure we needed for roads and bridges and for small rural communities that need water infrastructure, water and sewer infrastructure.”

But Governor Brad Little struck a more optimistic tone for the overall accomplishments of the second session of the 68th Legislature.

“For months, the Idaho Legislature and I worked closely to balance the budget and rightsize spending in line with taxpayers’ means,” he said in a statement. “We stayed focused on what matters most to Idaho’s future — protecting public schools and investments in water and transportation, supporting public safety, and continuing implementation of President Trump’s Talent Strategy through LAUNCH.”

Social issues were also front and center – with the Legislature banning cities from displaying the gay rights flag and requiring transgender individuals to use restrooms corresponding with their biological sex.

On Thursday, Governor Brad Little also signed an additional bill making the head of Idaho State Parks and Recreation a political appointee, which may impact Harriman State Park.

Almost 1,000 pieces of legislation have come before the House in the past two years, Mickelsen said.

“That is way up from where it was five or six years ago – like significantly,” she said. “… I don’t think it serves the best interest of Idaho citizens or the Idaho taxpayers, because you’re then not looking at really good legislation. We had some very poor legislation that came across the floor in the last three days – honestly.”

In the end, the session ended after 81 days of deliberation, compromise, controversy and accomplishments.

“Some of the budget decisions were not easy, but I am pleased the Legislature stuck to my ENDURING IDAHO plan — a forward-looking, responsible budget that keeps our state on a strong trajectory,” Little said. “Idaho’s economy remains the strongest in the nation, and our actions this session position us to continue that record of success. I appreciate my legislative partners for their hard work and commitment to the people of Idaho.”

Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke lowers the gavel, declaring the second session of the 68th Idaho Legislature over.

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