Author: KIFI

Seth Ratliff

WILSON, Wyo. (KIFI) — A Colorado man died Wednesday evening following a rollover crash on Teton Pass that forced a full closure of Wyoming Highway 22.

Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Deputy Chief Brian Coe reported that dispatchers were paged just before 8 PM with a warning of a crash involving flames and fire near milepost 7, located between Jackson and the Idaho state line. When first responders reached the scene, they did not find any flames but found a pickup truck pulling a flatbed trailer that had overturned in the roadway.

Javier De Luna Chavez, of Colorado, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Teton County Coroner Brent Blue. First responders transported a second individual by ambulance to St. John’s Health in Jackson; their condition has not been released.

The crash completely blocked traffic until just before 11 pm Wednesday.

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Danielle Mullenix

Chances of precipitation continue into the Central Mountains this Thursday, with mainly dry conditions throughout the rest of Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming. A flash flood watch warning is in effect for the Wapiti Burn Scar and part of the Central Mountains as isolated thunderstorms continue to pass through from the Northwest Pacific. We will all continue to experience breezy conditions heading into the weekend, making for a nice launch into the summer/fall transition period of early September.

Expect clouds and a chill this Thursday morning, as mid- to high-level precipitation clouds loom over the region. It will remain breezy this Thursday across the Snake River Plain but not as windy as Wednesday. Temperatures will also be slightly warmer today, with highs back in the mid-upper 70s for the valleys and plains and the upper 60s for the mountainous Highland areas.

Precipitation chances are around 15% in the valleys and plains this afternoon, with a contrast in the Central Mountains, which do expect on-and-off rain showers later this afternoon and humidity around 50%. Wind gusts could pick up to around 20-30 mph later as these storms begin to pass through.

Wet weather will trend for the next few days around the Central Mountains. Central Idaho could see thunderstorms developing late Thursday night into early Friday. Heading into the holiday weekend, we could see rain shift slightly toward more of Eastern Idaho, so plan alternative indoor activities for your family and friends on Monday, should precipitation stretch into the plains and valleys and Eastern Highlands. Temperatures will also gradually warm heading into the weekend.

Partly sunny skies are expected on Friday, along with a chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. High temperatures across the Snake River Plain will reach the upper 70s and lower 80s.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to increase areawide on Sunday and Monday. Partly cloudy skies are forecast for Sunday, with high temperatures reaching the upper 70s and lower 80s.

Red Flag Warning issued September 2 at 9:22 AM MDT until September 3 at 9:00 PM MDT by NWS Riverton WY

The National Weather Service in Riverton has issued a Red FlagWarning, which is in effect from noon to 9 PM MDT Thursday.

* IMPACTS: Low Humidities…Unseasonably Warm Temperatures…andstrong, gusty winds could cause erratic fire behavior.

* AFFECTED AREA:In Central WY Fire Zones…280…283…285…288…289…300.In North Central WY Fire Zones…275…276…281…282…287.In Northwest WY Fire Zone….286.In Southwest WY Fire Zones…277…279.In West Central WY Fire Zone….278.

* COUNTIES AFFECTED:In Central WY…Fremont…Natrona.In North Central WY…Big Horn…Hot Springs…Johnson…ParkWashakie.In Southwest WY…Sweetwater…Uinta.In West Central WY…Lincoln…Sublette.

* WIND: Southwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 35 to 45 mph.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Madagascar’s largest carnivore and the Nēnē, the world’s rarest goose, are coming to an incredible new “Islands” exhibit opening Thursday at the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park.

“Bringing new animals to the zoo is always fun. The fossa, Hawaiian geese – it’s just fun being introduced to new animals, and providing that to our community is a big deal,” said Idaho Falls Zoo Executive Director David Pennock.

Exhibit donors and offered a sneak peek at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday.

Guests will experience exciting new habitats – featuring lemurs, tortoises, and a couple surprises.

“My favorite part is about seeing all of the animals, and my favorite animal is the armadillo,” said Junior Zookeeper Leo Scherr.

The exhibit gives guests an opportunity to come face-to-face with wild animals in an immersive island experience.

“This exhibit has been a long time coming. This is something we’ve been working on for about seven years now. So this is huge progress for us,” said the zoo’s Animal Care Supervisor Erika Alderette. “It’s a really big step forward for the zoo and the community as a whole.”

Visitors will learn about the animals’ unique adaptations, as well as the challenges facing native island animals.

“We have some new species and some species that you saw in our zoo in past years, such as our ringtail lemurs,” said the zoo’s Curator of Education Bethanie West. “However, their new exhibit is exciting and new and fun to watch them interacting in their new space.”

Such encounters are increasingly rare and important. The World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet 2024 study estimates the population of wild animals in the world has declined 73 percent in the last 50 years, Pennock said.

Zoo guests can catch the island magic through September, before the zoo moves to a three-day weekend schedule in October.

One young guest was excited to see the lemurs in their new habitat.

“Cause they wait to move inside there,” explained Lucy Elsethagen-Tate.

The Idaho Falls Zoo’s newest carnivore, the fossa, eats lemurs in Madagascar.

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Maile Sipraseuth

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI) — A Ririe man is facing charges in connection with the Teton Pass crash that killed two people in July. 22-year-old Laiton George McMinn is facing two counts of homicide by vehicle. 

Court records say a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper determined that McMinn was going too fast, overused the brakes, and did not use the runaway truck escape ramp. The probable cause affidavit stated that McMinn has held a commercial driver’s license for three years and “should have never gotten himself in this situation in the first place.”

The trooper said the crash was not the result of a mechanical error.

The crash killed two men and seriously injured three others. Homicide by vehicle is a high misdemeanor in Wyoming, punishable by up to one year in jail, a two-thousand-dollar fine, or both.

RELATED: Coroner releases names of two men killed in tragic Teton Pass crash

In response, local advocates, the “Make Teton Pass Safer Steering Committee,” say the new charges do not solve the underlying dangers on Teton Pass.

“We appreciate the new signage WYDOT has installed on the eastbound approaches. It is a real step, and it is not enough. We are asking for additional warning signage, particularly on the eastbound descent grade; a vehicle checkpoint at the Wyoming–Idaho state line; and better messaging…” states the group.

The group is also urging GPS apps like Google Maps and Waze to join Apple in adding navigation alerts for drivers approaching the steep pass.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – A mosquito pool in South Bannock County in the Swan Lake area tested positive for West Nile Virus, but no humans have contracted the disease. The Bannock County Mosquito Abatement Office has increased its efforts in the area where the positive pool was found and will continue working to contain the population through the end of September.

Officials say they have traps set and test mosquitoes from all over the county.

“When we found the positive, we ramped up our larvicide efforts with both the drone and our backpack sprayers with our seasonal employees,” said Buddy Romriell, Public Works Director with the Mosquito Abatement Office. “We also do adulticide, which is the fogging that we do at night.”

Romriell said they’ll continue monitoring that pool carefully until the freeze eliminates the mosquito population. The department works to control the population through fogging efforts and zoning the county Mondays through Thursdays.

With only one positive case found in Bannock County, Romriell says there’s no need for concern.

“I wouldn’t stress too much about it,” he said. “Just kind of do the normal things, keep bug spray on you. If you’re in an area of water where there are mosquitoes, it’s not a bad idea to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants to avoid contact.”

Gino, mosquito tester expert in Bannock County, sometimes tests 1,000 insects per day for the virus. If the sample gauges at 50 or higher on the machine, the sample is shipped off to Boise for further testing and confirmation.

Romriell said this positive case was in the 500s on the scale, meaning an immediate positive West Nile case. The past few years have had limited positive cases, but officials say the particularly dry and hot year we’ve had in Eastern Idaho could lead to more West Nile Virus.

“The water pools are more stagnant and dirty and sandy,” Romriell said. “Mosquitoes prefer dirty water, so we usually do see an uptick in most cases.”

The team has already seen a decrease in mosquito numbers in their traps in the past week as the season draws to a close.

For more information on WNV, contact SIPH’s Epidemiologists, or click HERE. For information about Bannock County Mosquito Abatement, click HERE.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idahoans are making a difference far beyond our nation’s borders.

The Life Together Alliance has made it its mission to support girls in Kenya by teaching them sustainable life skills.

What began as a mission to distribute much-needed reusable feminine hygiene kits to these girls in need became a journey of teaching sewing and other sustainable skills to support them.

During their prior visit to Kisii, they distributed 200 of dignity kits. During this previous visit, they quadrupled the number of these kits. 75% of these kits were handmade by their sewing students.

“We brought with us again another 200 reusable feminine hygiene kits donated from Girls Matter Period in Arizona,” Laura Kelley, Life Together Alliance’s leader, said. “And our girls had sewn 600 reusable feminine hygiene kits. And so we did four events where we distributed 200 dignity kits at each event. when we did these events our girls kind of took the lead.”

Each Dignity Kit comes with:

10 reusable pads

2 waterproof holders

A washcloth

Soap

And a bag

The organization says these kits can last upwards of 5 years. Creating a dignity kit costs only $5 USD.

The kits aren’t the only thing making an impact, Laura has noticed a very positive change with the girls.

“These girls last year they didn’t have the confidence. They couldn’t look you in the eyes. They weren’t seen, they weren’t heard. They were invisible. And now they’ve been given the voice. They’ve been given the confidence; they are empowered. You see the difference in them, and you see them grow to become the queens that they are.”

As these girls continue to grow in their learning, they are also beginning to teach other young girls the art of the trade. Inspiring a more stable and sustainable community.

“They’re not only supplying the kits to help other girls,” Laura said. “They’re also training other girls to be, you know, be the heroes in their own story.”

The Life Together Alliance’s ultimate goal is to ensure this community of young women won’t have to rely on foreign aid someday. They want to give these women the much-needed hand-up to empower their community and all of the other women in it.

“Kenya is a very patriarchal society. And for a long time even, I think up until maybe last year, they weren’t even allowed to own land,” Laura said. “To be able to show girls their worth and that they have value and they matter and they are seen and they are heard and their voices matter. I don’t take lightly. I actually feel very honored to be able to do that.”

Laura doesn’t know when their next trip to Kenya will be, but they are extremely grateful for the local communities’ continued support of their mission. They could not have made the impact they have without the love and support.

“I just want to thank our community because like I have said, every dollar, every penny, everything goes directly to our programs.”

If you are interested in supporting their mission, here is their Linktree. If you are interested in purchasing a handmade bag, headband, or skirt made by the students to support their mission, they will be featured at area craft fairs, including the upcoming Boutique in mid-September.

Laura will also update their social media with more information on where to purchase.

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Curtis Jackson

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — In a continuing debate over Proposition 1, the group behind the ballot initiative is back in court to challenge the language that will appear on the November ballot.

Idahoans United for Women and Families asked the Idaho Supreme Court to review the wording that would appear on the ballot for Prop 1.

The group argues the proposed ‘yes’ and ‘no’ statements are biased and misleading, particularly the ‘no’ statement, which it says goes beyond a simple explanation and could influence voters.

The statement reads: “A no vote would make no change to Idaho’s current law, which protects the life of the unborn while allowing abortion in reported cases of rape or incest, or when necessary to protect the life of the mother.”

“We propose that a no vote statement that would be compliant would simply truncate the respondents’ proposed language. It would read: ‘A no vote would make no change to Idaho’s current law.’ Period.”

Attorneys defending the ballot language argued the wording complies with state law, which requires an explanation of a vote’s effect.

“The petitioners’ proposed language would reduce the effect statements to a little more than vote yes and if the proposition passes to vote no and the law will not change. That doesn’t tell voters anything. It tells them virtually nothing. It doesn’t tell them anything about what their vote will be. That cannot be what the legislature intended.”

The court did not indicate when it would issue a ruling.

Under federal and state law, ballot content must be finalized by September 11 to give county clerks enough time to meet absentee ballot mailing deadlines.

Attorney General Raul Labrador said in a written statement after the hearing, “Our duty under the law is straightforward: to provide a clear and concise statement of the effect of a vote on an initiative. We do not tell Idahoans how to vote; we tell them what their vote will do. The Yes statement reflects the sponsors’ own initiative language, and the No statement reflects Idaho law as it stands today. The sponsors are entitled to advocate for their initiative, but they are not entitled to dictate the official ballot language. Idaho voters deserve a fair description of both choices so they can decide for themselves. That is what we provided.”

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Curtis Jackson

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A fire destroyed a shop northwest of Idaho Falls on Wednesday morning.

The Idaho Falls Fire Department responded to the two-story building near 129 North around 9:45 a.m.

According to fire officials, the shop was heated by a waste-oil stove that had been used earlier that morning. The shop manager believes the stove may have started the fire, but the cause remains under investigation.

Firefighters removed sections of siding to reach the flames and eventually brought the fire under control.

The fire department said the shop and everything inside were destroyed. Damage is estimated at about $100,000.

A shop destroyed by a fire Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Courtesy: Idaho Falls Fire Department

A father and son on the Idaho Falls Fire Department help extinguish a shop fire in September 2, 2026. Courtesy: Idaho Falls Fire Department

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Curtis Jackson

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Supreme Court has scheduled an appeal hearing for Lori Vallow Daybell, who was convicted of murdering her two children.

The hearing, set for November 2, will hear arguments on whether to overturn her conviction or grant 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.

Daybell’s appeal argues that the judge wrongfully removed her chosen attorney and he violated her right to a speedy trial. The state denies that.

Daybell’s husband, Chad Daybell, was also convicted in the killings and sentenced to death.

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Maile Sipraseuth

DRIGGS, Idaho (KIFI)– The Greater Yellowstone Coalition gathered at Wydaho Roasters on Wednesday morning to launch a statewide campaign to defend 45 million acres of public lands threatened by potential rollbacks of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a bedrock environmental policy established in 2001, has protected 45 million acres of America’s pristine public lands for a generation and is facing potential elimination.

Last month, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S. Forest Service is proposing to end a national rule that protects roadless areas on federal forest land.

“Our forests can’t afford another decade of inaction. Across the country, we’ve watched preventable conditions – overgrown stands, insect outbreaks and disease – turn healthy landscapes into tinderboxes,” said Agriculture Secretary Rollins said in a press release, “For too long, outdated restrictions have kept tens of millions of forested acres off-limits to the very treatments that improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk to our communities. Today, we filed a proposal to restore authority to local forest managers who know the land best, removing the barriers that have kept them from doing the work the land demands. It’s time to turn the page on the failed roadless rule and return our forests to health and productivity.”

“It concerns the health of wildlife populations, whether that might be protecting migration routes or keeping special waterways clean, or keeping public lands in public hands. That is what we are about,” Grace Lemen, Idaho Conservation Organizer for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, said.

In response, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition is organizing a series of 13 regional postcard-writing events throughout Idaho, Wyoming and Montana to build public support and urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to preserve these protections.

“We want the communities that we serve to be involved in protecting these places as well,” Lemen said.

Following Wednesday’s launch, the coalition has scheduled several upcoming events throughout Idaho:

DriggsSept 3, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.Wydaho Roasters, 495 S Main St

PocatelloSept 3, 4:30-6:30 p.m.Jim Dandy Brewing, 305 E Lander St

Idaho FallsSept. 8, 5:30-7 p.m.Idaho Brewing Company, 775 S Capital Ave

For more information about the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and its mission, as well as future postcard-writing events in Wyoming, click HERE.

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