Curtis Jackson
MCCAMMON, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho State Police said an accident north of McCammon have block the southbound lanes of I-15.
The accident was reported around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday at milepost 50. Witnesses tell us a semi-truck may be involved.
No other details have been released at this time. We will update as we get more information.
Maile Sipraseuth
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– While romance can spark anywhere, sometimes it begins in the most unexpected places, even at work. At Local News 8, love has quietly grown behind the scenes for years.
Jeremy & Regan Fregoso
Jeremy and Regan met in the control room back in the 1990s, when the equipment looked a little different and so did their first impressions.
“When I first met her, I thought she was so cocky,” Jeremy said. “She worked at Channel 3 before I did. But later on I was like, oh — I like her. She’s great.”
So how did he know she was the one?
“This is silly… but I just knew I wanted to be with her. That was it,” Jeremy said.
For Regan, it was simple.
“He made me laugh all the time. And he still does,” Regan said.
Jeremy popped the question during a hot air balloon ride at the Teton Valley Balloon Festival, with friends and family waiting when they landed… and even a Local News 8 camera crew capturing the moment.
Not long after, their firstborn became part of the station’s extended family.
“I remember directing the show with our little baby right there. Sometimes I’d have to give her the bottle, and we’d get through a whole newscast,” Jeremy said.
Brooke & Aaron Flake
Brooke and Aaron’s love story began on Wyoming’s mountains. Brooke had been sent to Grand Targhee for a snowboarding sweeps story. Her original instructor got a flat tire, and fate stepped in. After two months of dating, Aaron asked Brooke to marry her, on live television.
Aaron worked behind the scenes to coordinate a surprise proposal during a segment Brooke was doing about wedding planning.
“I kind of got to know the news director and pitched the idea,” Aaron said. “He told me when to show up and they planned it around her segment.”
“Channel Eight is our story,” Brooke said, “It’s where we met. It’s our origin. We wouldn’t exist without Channel Eight.”
Ariel & Jordan Jensen
Dayside reporter Ariel Jensen, formerly Ariel Schroeder, met her now husband on her very first breaking news assignment while on her way back from covering flooding in Blackfoot, she noticed flashing red and blue lights along I-15. That’s where she met Idaho State Trooper Jordan Jensen.
“I saw the most handsome state trooper I had ever seen,” Ariel says.
Their love story only grew from there.
Early in their relationship, Jordan took Ariel to Island Park to watch shooting stars, her first time ever seeing them.
“A year later, he took me back to that same spot,” Ariel said, “I asked him what he had wished for the year before. He got down on one knee and said, ‘A year ago, I wished you would be my wife.’”
Jordan says he knew early on.
“She made me laugh. We could talk about anything. It just felt right.”
Michael & Carissa Coats
First Alert Chief Meteorologist Michael Coats met his wife Carissa when they were both young and new to Idaho Falls.
“I didn’t know anybody when I moved here,” Carissa says. “You just hang out with the people you work with. It’s that young, hip crowd, make friends. And that’s just kind of how it started.”
Michael hardly knew anyone either and took the job sight unseen. Many years later, they are still in Idaho Falls.
“Over time, you just realize this is really working,” Michael said. “I could see myself being with her for a long time.”
Carissa says there’s something special about the Idaho Falls community that brought them together
“It really is about local people and the stories they tell,” she said. “We’ll always be grateful for Channel Eight. There’s no other way we would have met.”
Hadley Bodell
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – It’s the talk of the town in Pocatello, the statewide budget cuts leading to a complete structural and organizational redesign at Idaho State University. As part of ISU President Robert Wagner’s Bold Path Forward Initiative, the university is undergoing major changes to reallocate money and lessen the deficit.
These changes have led to university-wide layoffs of over 40 faculty and staff. Joseph Crupper is the current Administrative Assistant for the Department of Geosciences at ISU, and was informed he was being laid off a few weeks ago by the university provost and HR department.
Crupper expressed that he was met with nothing but respect and apologies during his layoff meeting. He also knows these decisions are coming from the state level, not ISU administration.
“I’m not bitter with ISU, at the end of the day, they had to cut the budget somewhere. I’m bitter with the Idaho legislature,” said Crupper. “I think they have to maintain a certain kind of callousness because they’ve locked themselves into a position of unsympathetic policy.”
He said he would take another job at ISU if possible, but has little hope for other statewide positions. Laid-off employees are put on the priority list for state jobs, but Crupper says the opportunities in his field of work will be slim following the cuts to higher education.
“I don’t have a lot of hope because it’s not just ISU that’s experiencing these cuts,” he said. “It’s all the other universities and state agencies. And the way that they’re talking in the legislature, it doesn’t really seem like they’re going to stop with just higher education.”
Chelsea Wilkerson is the top Administrative Assistant with the Biology Department and is also losing her job on June 20. She said she had never heard of the “last to hire, first to fire” system until this month, but it’s how ISU has gone about their layoffs.
“I had a little bit of hope when I recieved the email that I could be taking over another employee’s position because I’ve been here longer,” Wilkerson stated. “But I didn’t want her to lose her job either, but I talked to the Provost and he informed me that I was being laid off.”
Wilkerson shares the same sentiment as Crupper that ISU’s administration has handled the situation with as much respect for the employees as possible, and that ultimately, it isn’t their fault ISU employees are losing their jobs.
Now, these employees feel the weight on a daily basis of not only losing a job they love, but leaving the students of the program without their expertise.
“The biology department needs an admin,” Wilkerson said. “How are they going to run without an admin? That is impossible.”
“The things that I used to do are going to be pushed onto faculty and other staff members,” said Crupper. “The students aren’t going to get the personable treatment that they used to get in geosciences because people are going to be stretched thinner.”
Crupper is the 2025 award recipient of “Staff Member of the Year” at ISU, and feels his position is necessary to the success and positive experience students have in the geosciences department.
“It’s really upsetting to me, not only because I’m losing a job that I wanted to keep, but I also know that the students are going to be getting a less good version of what they have been getting,” he stated.
Crupper and Wilkerson both planned to stay in their positions with ISU until their retirements. They expressed gratitude and love for the work they get to do with the university, and know it will be deeply missed.
In her time at ISU, Wilkerson reinvented the Biology Department website and takes care to make announcements and update the graduate board in the hallway of the Physical Sciences Building.
“It’s a lot of those little things that I do, and the bigger things too, but it’s the little stuff that’s going to be forgotten about when I’m gone,” she said. “I do little things to make the place nice and pleasant and they’re just going to go by the wayside.”
Crupper is nervous about the culture in his department significantly changing in the absence of he and his fellow laid-off coworkers.
“I am on call for whenever something happens,” he said. “Whether that be as serious as a student emergency or as simple as giving a snack to somebody who needs one. And it’s that kind of culture that is going to be lost in this. It’s the type of culture that lent to a lot of people nominating me for Staff Member of the Year, and I’m really sad for everybody who is going to miss out on that experience.”
The organization reductions included 12 faculty eliminated positions, 11 administrative, and 21 staff members. ISU also stated that 68% of the new budget savings are coming from personnel reductions. It’s clear the university has restructured both it’s acadmic realm and personnel to best operate under the new statewide budget cuts.
Idaho State University announced the combining of the current College of Arts and Letters with the College of Education. The schools will now operate under the “College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences” with an entirely separate “School of Arts.” The College of Health is also undergoing changes as it splits into the College of Nursing and Rehabilitative Sciences and the College of Pharmacy and Applied Health.
The Idaho State University website is available with more information about the Bold Path Forward and the university changes in 2026.
Hadley Bodell
CHUBBUCK, Idaho (KIFI) – Portneuf Urgent Care opened their second location near the Walmart in Chubbuck this morning with a ribbon cutting.
Community members and supporters of Portneuf Medical Centers attended this morning’s grand opening. New mayor of Chubbuck Rodney Burch was also in attendance. This grand opening marks the second within four years for the hospital. The Northgate location of Portneuf Urgent Care opened in 2022.
Leaders tell us they’re excited to join the community in Chubbuck and bring care closer to home for so many.
“I think if we can bring the care closer to home, that really resonates with the community,” said Scot Stevens, Vice President of Physician Operations. “It gives them quick access, when you’re not feeling well, you want to get taken care of in a quick way and and we feel like putting different sites in key parts of the community helps with that.”
The location is also ideal because of the “retail buzz” occuring in the area of Chubbuck around Walmart. The new Raising Cane’s next door is close to its own grand opening, driving traffic towards the area.
The new Portneuf Urgent Care is open now Monday through Friday 8am-8pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 8am-6pm.
Abi Martin
UPDATE 2/13/2026 2:15 pm: AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office reported that Deric Gardner was found dead in the Sellars Creek area of Bingham County Friday morning.
Detectives from the Bingham County Sheriff’s office and the Bingham County Coroner’s office are working to determine if any other factors aside from exposure to the elements caused Gardner’s death.
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s office began searching for Gardner on Tuesday evening when his white van was found in the area of Bone Road and Blackfoot Reservoir Road. Deputies followed footprints in the snow that ended a short distance away from the van and could not be picked up again in the terrain.
Gardner’s body was found about 5 miles from his van in the Sellar’s Creek area by a K9 search team.
The sheriff’s office said deputies, along with search-and-rescue volunteers from Bonneville and Bingham Counties, helped in search operations using drones and winter rescue equipment. Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit, Bitterroot Search Dogs, and the Snake River Search Dogs also assisted, along with a number of Mr. Gardner’s friends and family.
AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) — Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies are seeking the public’s help in locating 42-year-old Deric Gardner of Ammon.
His vehicle, a white van, was located on private property near the area of Bone Road and the Blackfoot Reservoir Road in Bonneville County yesterday. Deputies located foot tracks in the snow leading away from the vehicle, but did not locate Gardner.
Deputies made contact with Gardner’s family at his residence, finding that he had not been seen or heard from since approximately 2:30 p.m. that day. Deputies, Drone Teams, and Search and Rescue volunteers searched the area throughout last night and today.
Gardner is described as being six feet tall, approximately 190 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He may be wearing a lighter flannel type jacket.
Deputies are asking anyone who may have information on Gardner’s whereabouts to contact the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office immediately through dispatch at 208-529-1200.
David Pace
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – In a year of cuts, public education in Idaho has largely been spared from budget reductions.
Local News 8 spoke with Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield about her task to request funding for public schools before the Idaho Legislature.
“We did not ask for any new dollars. In fact, back in December, I revised the budget to take new requests off and make some adjustments,” Critchfield said.
She expressed gratitude that public schools were exempted from previous cuts – including the one and two percent cuts requested Friday by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.
“Having any type of cuts come mid-school year would be devastating,” Critchfield said. “But moving forward we want to have some consistency.”
She said schools require consistent funding to be able to operate and provide quality education.
The 2026-2027 total budget for public education is approximately $2.8 billion, IdahoEdNews.org reports.
“We want that public schools budget to maintain current funding levels,” Critchfield said. “The Constitution does direct that the Legislature shall fund public schools, and I support that and still believe in that.”
David Pace
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is experiencing a reduction in force.
“Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) has determined the need to reduce current workforce staffing levels through an Involuntary Separation Program,” said INL spokeswoman Sarah Neumann.
The laboratory stated they would not be releasing additional information about the number of people affected by the layoffs.
“BEA is continuously adapting and aligning Idaho National Laboratory’s workforce to meet the needs of the nation and to support the Department of Energy’s priorities,” Neumann stated. “We remain focused on ensuring we have the right skills and capabilities to deliver on INL’s mission.”
Idaho National Laboratory is the region’s largest employer.
More than 6,400 engineers, researchers and support staff work at the laboratory, as of February 2025.
We will continue to keep you updated as we receive more information.
Seth Ratliff
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Nicholas Umphenour, 30, has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in a violent 2024 hospital ambush to free an Idaho inmate and subsequent killing spree.
On March 20, 2024, Umphenour assisted inmate Skylar Meade in escaping from custody during a visit to the Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. During the escape, Uphernour shot two IDOC guards who were monitoring Meade at the time.
While on the run, the Idaho State Police say the pair stole 83-year-old James Mauney’s Chrysler Pacifica. Mauney’s body was discovered near Leland.
Investigators later found Gerald “Don” Henderson dead at his remote home outside Orofino. Umphenour had briefly lived with Henderson over a decade before, according to reports by KTVB. Police recovered Mauney’s dogs and Meade’s discarded shackles at Henderson’s home, eventually leading to the duo’s capture following a multi-state manhunt.
In late January, Umphenour entered a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. As part of the agreement, he waived his right to a preliminary hearing and a jury trial.
On Tuesday, District Judge Michelle Evans handed down a life sentence to be served consecutively to the life sentence Umphenour already received for the initial Boise hospital shooting. In addition, Umphenour was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to the family of Don Henderson, according to court documents.
CNN Newsource
Originally Published: 11 FEB 26 16:59 ET
By Michael Martin
Click here for updates on this story
HEBER CITY, Utah (KSTU) — A 54-year-old Heber City man is facing aggravated child abuse charges after his 16-year-old daughter told police that he waterboarded her. FOX 13 News is not disclosing the name of the arrested party in an effort to protect the identity of the victim.
The Heber City Chief of Police confirmed to FOX 13 News that the arrested man was the Wasatch County Republican Party Chair.
According to court documents, on January 21, Heber City police received a mandatory child abuse and neglect report from the Utah Division of Child and Family Services. The report stated that the 16-year-old girl didn’t feel safe in her home and feared for her life.
Investigators spoke to the teen, who stated the incident happened one or two weeks prior to the interview.
The teen stated that she had gotten home from hanging out with friends when her father became upset that her room wasn’t completely cleaned. The teen stated that her father grabbed her by the back of her neck and took her into the bathroom, where a sink was filling with water.
The father allegedly dunked the teen’s head under the water before taking it out and splashing water on the teen’s face. The victim couldn’t remember how long this continued, but said she couldn’t breathe for about 20 to 30 seconds.
In addition to the recent incident, the victim told police that the same act had happened to her now 8-year-old brother following another argument. The victim told police that following the argument, her father grabbed the young child and forced his head underwater several times.
In another incident, the victim stated that a few years prior, her father backhanded her torso when she wasn’t compliant in doing something she was ordered to do.
The victim stated that after being struck, she started to cry, which prompted her father to make fun of her for crying. The incident allegedly caused bruising that lasted a week.
“I don’t feel very safe,” the victim told investigators. “When I go to bed, I feel like I can’t sleep because I don’t feel safe.”
The father was arrested on Tuesday and is being held without bail as detectives believe he may be a danger to the two younger children in the home.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Ariel Jensen
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — We are seeing a lot more roundabouts popping up all over Idaho Falls. The city of Idaho Falls says it is making plans for safer and more efficient traffic flow. One of those plans includes the construction of a roundabout at the Birch Street and South Boulevard intersection.
“So, roundabouts are an intersection improvement to try to help mitigate basically safety at intersections,” said Chris Canfield, Assistant Public Works Director for the city of Idaho Falls. “So they’re a good solution for kind of off-aligned intersections where we have a significant skew on one approach.”
Canfield says roundabouts are great for unbalanced traffic demands.
“Where you have like that thoroughfare, and you’ve got a couple of side approaches that don’t have as much, and we have what’s called a signal warrant. So basically, a roundabout is a good bridge for intersections where you have a lot of growth and a lot of demand, but not enough for to warrant a signal.”
Canfield explains how it’s challenging for drivers to have to look left and right for traffic coming in both directions.
“Roundabout mitigates that where you’re just looking more left in front of you instead of behind you. And that just allows you to see, and it reduces the traffic conflicts at the intersection as well,” said Canfield. “So when people approach a roundabout intersection, their main focus is to look left. That’s where the traffic is coming. So, it reduces conflict points as people roll through the intersection as well.”
If you are interested in learning more about the Birch Street roundabout, there is an open house tonight, Wednesday, February 11, from 5:30 P.M to 7:30 P.M. in the City Council Chambers at the City Annex Building, 680 Park Avenue. During the open house, residents will be able to review project information, see the design, learn how traffic will move through the intersection, and ask city staff questions.
Those who are unable to attend the open house may submit comments by email to ifeng@idahofalls.gov. Public comments will be accepted through Monday, February 16th.
