Author: KIFI

Maile Sipraseuth

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Idaho Lottery is bringing back its annual “Scratch for Schools” fundraiser to Southeastern Idaho, and this year’s event is set to be the largest yet. A record number of schools will participate across two days of high-energy competition aimed at raising money for public education.

Yesterday, 64 schools gathered at Idaho State University Extension in Idaho Falls, inside the Bennion Student Union multi-purpose room.

Today, another 53 schools will take part at the Pond Student Union Ballroom on ISU’s campus in Pocatello at 4 p.m.

Statewide, the Idaho Lottery is hosting 11 events with more than 514 schools registered to participate. This year marks the 25th anniversary of “Scratch for Schools,” a program that has returned more than $2.1 million to support public education and classrooms across Idaho.

Funds raised through the event can go towards a variety of classroom needs, including playground equipment, library books, and classroom technology.

In addition to the competition, organizers say the event is designed to be fun and visually exciting. Nearly 200 participants, including administrators, teachers, PTO members, and staff, will take part at each event, often dressed in costumes to show school pride.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Idaho Falls’ Walmart storefront is getting a new look. The remodeling began last Sunday, March 29th.

A representative for the Walmart Corporation says their goal is to improve convenience by making checking out easier. This change includes moving more staff to the checkouts that can offer assistance.

The remodeling is expected to conclude in mid-April. The store will remain open as the remodeling continues.

Details are limited on what these improvements will look like for sure, but Local News 8 will monitor and keep you up to date.

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Max Gershon

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Falls Spud Kings are gearing up to defend their NCDChockey Mountain Division title as the 2026 playoffs begin.

The quest for back-to-back championships begins tonight as the Spud Kings face off with the Grand Junction River Hawks. Puck drop is set for 7:05 for game one of the best-of-5 Mountain Division semifinals.

Despite entering the postseason on home ice, the Spud Kings are still looking for a little momentum. The Spud Kings finished the season dropping their last two games with a 5-2 loss to the Utah Outliers and a 4-2 loss to the Rock Springs Miners.

That being said, the Spud Kings did enough throughout the rest of the regular season to finish second in the Mountain Division.

This season, the Spuds won 6 of 9 against the River Hawks and have won each of the last four. 

In their last matchup, which was just 11 days ago, they beat Grand Junction 5-1, thanks to goals from Santino Canevari, Sam Grimaldi, Bookie Warshaw, Hunter Whisenand, and Andrew Schmidt. 

The Spuds have already punched their ticket to the big stage, thanks to their cup win out in New Jersey a season ago. That means win or lose in the division playoffs, the Spuds already have one of the four spots locked up in the Division Cup. 

Make sure to download the Local News 8 APP for score updates throughout the game.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — After a tremendous winter season of giving, the Light the World Giving Machine presented checks to local nonprofits in Pocatello Tuesday morning.

Sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the machines work as “vending machines in reverse”, allowing people to donate various items in a simple purchase, such as meals, clothing, hygiene supplies, school materials, and livestock.

Over 48 days (from November 15th to January 1st), more than 95,000 people visited the machines. 78,000 donations were made across Pocatello, Rexburg, and Idaho Falls. 

The total donations raised in Pocatello was $960,534.

Care USA – $177,032

Right to Play – $189,345

Bannock Youth Foundation – $151,970

Bright Tomorrows – $125,050

Aid For Friends – $120,680

United Way of Southeastern Idaho – $119,488

South Eastern Idaho Community Action Agency (SEICAA) – $76,969

All of the money raised for these nonprofits is a wonderful showcase of the care within the community. This money could be life changing for so many people. The nonprofits are very grateful for all donations.

The Light the World will present Idaho Falls’ numbers on Thursday, April 2nd.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments tomorrow, April 1, in the landmark case Trump v. Barbara, a legal battle challenging President Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship.

In anticipation of the hearing, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced that Idaho has joined 23 other states in an amicus brief supporting the executive order. Labrador is urging the high court to overturn current interpretations and restore what he calls the “original understanding” of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.

Interpreting “Subject to the Jurisdiction thereof.”

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, Courtesy Photo.

In an op-ed published on his official website, Labrador argued that the current interpretation of the clause—which grants automatic citizenship to nearly anyone born on U.S. soil regardless of their parents’ legal status—is legally flawed.

Labrador argues that the “original understanding” requires more than just physical presence to lead to citizenship, asserting that parents must be lawful residents or domiciled in the United States for their children to be born citizens.

The legal battle centers on the exact phrasing of the Fourteenth Amendment. The clause reads: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

Labrador emphasized that the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” creates a specific legal condition that current interpretation ignores.

“That second phrase matters. It was added deliberately, and it means something. When the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified in 1868, its primary purpose was clear: to constitutionally protect the citizenship rights of freed slaves after the Civil War,” wrote Labrador. “Senator Lyman Trumbull, who drafted the related Civil Rights Act of 1866, explicitly stated that the citizenship provision excluded ‘persons temporarily resident in [the United States] whom we would have no right to make citizens.'”

Labrador ended his op-ed calling on the Supreme Court to “provide clarity on this fundamental issue.” To read his complete op-ed, click HERE.

ACLU argues SCOTUS already settled the Issue

The Supreme Court case is the result of a class action lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union to block Trump’s executive order. The ACLU and its partners are representing “Barbara”—a pseudonym for a Honduran citizen suing on behalf of her family and others in similar circumstances—to block the executive order.

The ACLU argued in its filings that withholding citizenship from future children born in the United States would create a distinct, unauthorized nationwide class of individuals.

In a legal brief filed in October 2025, the ACLU maintained that the Supreme Court already settled the issue of birthright citizenship over a century ago in the case United States v. Wong Kim Ark.

That 1898 case revolved around a San Francisco man born to Chinese citizens. After a trip to visit his parents in China, Wong Kim Ark was denied re-entry into the United States on the grounds that he was not a citizen. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled 6-to-2 that the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment automatically made him a U.S. citizen, establishing the current interpretation of the clause, argues the ACLU.

Attorneys for the Trump administration, however, argue that Wong Kim Ark has been misinterpreted for decades. They argue that the 1898 ruling applied specifically to children of parents who were granted authorization to reside in the U.S. at the time of birth—a distinction they claim does not extend to those in the country illegally.

The highest court is set to hear oral arguments starting at 10 a.m ET (8:00 am MST).

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Fox13

Originally Published: 31 MAR 26 16:51 ET

By Ben Winslow

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    FARMINGTON BAY, Utah (KSTU) — A recent scientific find by University of Utah researchers could help combat the problem of toxic dust blowing off the exposed Great Salt Lake bed.

They have found a freshwater reservoir underneath the lake’s salty playa, in an area between Antelope Island and Farmington Bay. It started when scientists observed “islands” of the invasive plant phragmites in the exposed lake bed.

“They require a lot of fresh water and the question was that Great Salt Lake has salty water, so how [does] this phragmites grow on the salt water because they require a lot of fresh water?” University of Utah geology and geophysics professor Michael Zhdanov told FOX 13 News.

Using helicopters and specialized equipment to send electromagnetic pulses into the ground, they were able to confirm the existence of a freshwater reservoir. The research, recently published in Scientific Reports, offers promise for a threat to surrounding communities. As the Great Salt Lake declines due to water diversions, drought and impacts from a changing climate, strong winds pick up dust and blow it into nearby communities.

The lake bed has naturally-occurring toxins, like arsenic, that are typically covered by water. The University of Utah is conducting other research on the impacts of the dust on the environment and human health. But Professor Zhdanov said this could help provide a new water source to help reduce the impact of the dust.

“This, we believe, is one of the most important and firsthand applications of this, but this requires more work because we need to cover the entire Great Salt Lake. We need to find exactly how much, where it’s located, and then make some educated decision where to drill and how to use it,” he said.

It remains unknown the extent of the reservoir. But more broadly, the techniques used to find the freshwater reservoir could be used in other parts of the world to help discover new sources of water.

The Utah Department of Natural Resources funded some of the research as part of its efforts to reverse the Great Salt Lake’s declines. The U. will seek additional funding to expand the research to other parts of the lake.

For Dave Foerber, a Kaysville-area birder who came out on Monday to look at the migratory birds on the Great Salt Lake, it was interesting research. But he believed there was a broader work that must be done.

“It’d be better if we could get some more water in the lake,” he told FOX 13 News. “That’d be the best thing.”

This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake—and what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. Read all of our stories at greatsaltlakenews.org.

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.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 31 MAR 26 14:34 ET

By Tim Vandenack

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    OGDEN, Utah (KSL) — An Ogden man charged in the death of his 4-month old daughter has been sentenced to about seven months jail.

Nicholas James Horsley, 28, pleaded guilty on Feb. 4 to reduced charges of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony, and endangerment of a child, a third-degree felony, in connection with the Dec. 27, 2024, incident that led to the death of his daughter. Judge Craig Hall sentenced him on March 18 to 210 days of jail, with credit for 148 days already served, and placed him on probation for four years.

Horsley also received suspended prison sentences of one to 15 years on the aggravated child abuse charge and zero to five years on the child endangerment charge. Sentencing documents say Horsley is to serve his remaining jail time “on electronic monitoring” but don’t specify where he’s to serve it.

Horsley was originally charged with child abuse homicide, a first-degree felony, but pleaded guilty to reduced charges as part of a plea deal. The plea deal doesn’t specify exactly what happened to Horsley’s daughter, but says medical scans show the girl “had sustained a catastrophic brain bleed, which was caused by nonaccidental abusive head trauma.” The girl’s mom had reported that the girl was “responsive and normal” before Horsley took her to another room.

The child endangerment charge stemmed from the presence of marijuana in Horsley’s home when authorities were called to the scene. “While investigators were on scene, the couple’s 18-month-old toddler was observed reaching for a pile of marijuana on the coffee table and had to be encouraged to leave the marijuana alone,” court documents state.

Horsley was ordered to get therapy “with a particular focus on boundary setting, victim empathy and parenting skills.” The two sides reached accord that the “sentencing matrix” in the case calls for 105 days of incarceration, according to the plea deal.

“Nick presents with an intellectual disability alongside symptoms of anxiety and depression. These conditions, supported by diagnostic history, appear to have influenced his functioning and may help explain aspects of the behavior underlying the current allegations,” reads a mitigation report in the case prepared by his lawyer. It said he has used marijuana “to regulate emotions” but no longer uses the drug “and understands the importance of sobriety moving forward.”

Horsley’s partner and the mother of the girl who died defended the man in a statement to the court as part of sentencing.

“I am not saying that the way things played out should have happened or that we should have let things get as bad as they did, but I am saying that we tried. Nick loves all the kids with all his heart and would do anything for them even today and I know he is not the monster people are trying to make him believe he is,” she wrote.

Weber County Attorney Christopher Allred said some “evidentiary issues” with medical examiners factored in reducing the charge Horsley faced from child abuse homicide to aggravated child abuse. According to a spokeswoman from Utah State Courts, “the child was also seriously ill at the time of death, which the attorneys acknowledge could have contributed to the death.”

The sentence, Allred said, was consistent with recommendations from state probation and parole officials. Hall asked prosecutors if they would seek additional jail time, “and the prosecution responded that they were not,” said the court spokeswoman.

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.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 31 MAR 26 14:28 ET

By Shelby Lofton

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    SPRINGVILLE, Utah (KSL) — The discovery of human remains in the mountains above Springville over the weekend is stirring a mix of hope and anxiety for families of missing people across Utah.

The Utah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that human bones were found in a remote, rugged area above Springville after a horseback rider came across them Saturday. Investigators believe the remains had been there for some time.

Sheriff’s officials said they would return to the scene on Monday to complete evidence collection. The remains will be sent to the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner. Officials said they do not have updates on the investigation at this time.

The location where the remains were found has no cell service and is difficult to access, investigators said. Authorities have not released additional details about the exact location.

Utah maintains a cold case database through the Department of Public Safety that includes hundreds of unsolved homicides, missing persons cases and unidentified human remains. Local law enforcement agencies are responsible for adding and updating information in the database as investigations continue.

The database includes images and descriptions of unidentified remains, such as sketches, photographs of clothing and footwear, estimated age ranges, and the dates on which the remains were found. A public tip hotline is also available for anyone with information related to cases.

As of Monday, there were no recently logged unidentified remains from Utah County in the state database.

Brock Best, executive director of Utah Homicide Survivors, an organization that provides legal and therapy resources for families of homicide victims, said discoveries like this often bring complicated emotions.

“For some families, getting that call can help them take the next steps and provide some closure,” Best said. “For others, it can be deeply retraumatizing.”

Best said families coping with missing loved ones often live in a state of uncertainty, making moments like this particularly difficult.

“They have to go through all of those emotions again, not only, ‘Gosh, we were so sad when our loved ones were missing,'” he said. “Now to find out that they have been out in the elements alone and have been taken from us in an unnatural way, it’s got to be incredibly difficult.”

Utah Homicide Survivors has not received any calls connected to the remains found in Utah County, Best said, but the organization is closely monitoring developments.

Authorities said updates will be released if new information becomes available. While the remains have not been identified, the discovery has reignited conversations about missing person and cold cases across the state.

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.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATED: MARCH 31 4:30 PM

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — A bill aimed at ending what supporters call “secretive transitions” in Idaho schools and healthcare settings is heading to the Governor’s desk. House Bill 822, also known as the Pediatric Secretive Transitions Parental Rights Act, passed the Idaho Senate on Monday in a 27–8 vote.

Opponents have criticized the bill, saying it forces trusted adults to either ‘out’ minors to their parents within 72 hours or face devastating civil penalties.

Trans Idahoans argue the bill puts youth at risk

Also known as the Pediatric Secretive Transitions Parental Rights Act, the bill would mandate that teachers or healthcare providers report any request by a child to change their name, pronouns, or dress to a gender different from their biological sex to parents. Under the proposed law, schools or doctors who fail to comply could face lawsuits and civil penalties of up to $100,000.

While supporters say the measure strengthens parental rights, critics argue it could put youth at risk. Leah McNeal, a trans woman and local LGBTQ advocate, argues that forcibly outing a child could have catastrophic consequences.

“What I worry is that children already sometimes don’t feel safe. And the concept of identity is so complicated,” said McNeal. “Let that stay with teachers, counselors, and the children by forcibly outing a child who might be questioning something. It’s going to have catastrophic effects. And I think that I worry about the mental health of some of these kids.”

Closing the ‘Social Transition’ Loophole

Supporters of the legislation argue it comes down to a parental rights issue. Senate co-sponsor Ben Toews (R-Coeur d’Alene) told lawmakers that the legislation builds on Idaho’s Vulnerable Child Protection Act, which banned gender affirming care for minors. While the law has faced legal challenges, in 2024 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled allowed Idaho to enforce the law while litigation proceeds in lower courts.

Toews says HB 822 is intended to close a loophole in that law that allows for social transitions.

“This legislation upholds parental rights through transparency. It is about protecting the most important relationships in a child’s life, and allowing parents to do their job without being kept in the dark,” Toews told lawmakers Monday.

Critics Warn of State Overreach

Opponents argue that several major medical groups support gender-affirming care as medically safe and even necessary. Senator Melissa Wintrow (D-Boise) argued that the majority of those who signed up to speak on the bill in committee, including Idaho physicians, were opposed to the legislation.

“I think this bill is one more that’s just over-controlling overreach and just goes far beyond what’s necessary. And again, we respect parents, absolutely. But we also have to respect the people doing their jobs,” said Wintrow.

Two Senate Republicans, Sen. Jim Guthrie (McCammon) and Sen. Jim Woodward (Sagle), joined Democrats in opposing the bill, citing concerns over the state inserting itself into family dynamics and the severity of the $100,000 fines.

The legislative debate surrounding the bill has been marked by significant tension between parties. Earlier this month, the House Republican supermajority voted to suspend rules to block a formal minority report from the official House Journal, an action Democrats called an “egregious abuse of power.” Monday, the Senate Republican majority allowed Senate Democrats to submit a six-page minority opinion.

ACLU Denounces Bill as ‘Weaponized’ Government Overreach

Following Monday’s vote, the ACLU of Idaho released a statement denouncing the bill as “a sweeping act of government overreach.”

“Idaho lawmakers have offered no credible evidence that a young person’s choice of name, pronouns, dress, or appearance poses any short or long-term harm to them; instead, HB 822 weaponizes the law to police youth expression and silence trusted adults, undermining free speech protections and violating the privacy of every Idaho student,” wrote spokesperson Taylor Munson.

The ACLU argues the “extreme and unconstitutional bill” would curtail teachers, counselors, and medical professionals’ ability to provide support and medical and mental health care to minors who need a trusted adult.

Governor Little now has five days to sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature.

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News Team

PROVO, Utah (KIFI) — Attorneys for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, filed a motion Friday to postpone a key preliminary hearing scheduled for May. The defense argues they need more time to review evidence, specifically a federal bullet analysis that failed to link the bullet that killed Kirk to the weapon found near the scene.

The motion, filed March 27, contained a summary report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) saying they couldn’t conclusively connect a bullet fragment recovered during an autopsy to the rifle found near the scene, according to reports by CBS.

His lawyers argue that the analysis could contribute to Robinson’s defense.

“The defense may very well decide to offer the testimony of the ATF firearm analyst as exculpatory evidence,” the motion states. “It is necessary for the defense and its firearm expert to review the ATF case file and protocols… which have not yet been provided.”

The motion states that the FBI is running additional tests. Robinson’s attorneys argue that to continue the preliminary hearing scheduled for May would violate Robinson’s rights under Utah Rule of Criminal Procedure 7B(a) and the U.S. Constitution.

“Mr. Robinson has the right at a preliminary hearing to present evidence, to call his own witnesses, and to have a meaningful opportunity to cross-examine the state’s witnesses through the effective assistance of counsel,” states the motion.

Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder in the September shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem.

While prosecutors have stated they intend to seek the death penalty, Robinson’s defense has not yet entered a plea. He is still currently scheduled for a court appearance on April 17.

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